Ultimate Moves Clash, Enmity Dissolved in a Smile?

The world knew not why Luo Chen was pressing so relentlessly. Nor did they understand why Shenyuan would still make a pointless stand after the overall situation had already been decided. Only the two men standing aloft in the void above the Taihu Domain knew full well what this clash of a single move signified. In pursuit of God Transformation, Perfected Shenyuan had once coveted Luo Chen's Five Elements Spiritual Roots physique, attempting to reverse-refine the Primordial Fetal Dao Body of immortal legends! This was not merely a thought; Shenyuan had taken concrete action toward it. Over several centuries, the Five Elements Divine Sect had recruited several mortals possessing the Five Elements Spiritual Roots physique into their sect. Yet even after lavishing vast amounts of resources on them, the most successful among them had barely managed to step into the Golden Core stage. A mere Golden Core cultivator with five spiritual roots fell far short of meeting the basic conditions for reverse-refining the Primordial Fetal Dao Body. Under such circumstances, Luo Chen's heaven-defying feat of attaining the Golden Core stage solely through his own efforts, without relying on the resources of a great sect, naturally caught Perfected Shenyuan's discerning eye. Thus, at Luo Chen's Golden Core celebration, the Five Elements Divine Sect sent Jin Buque to congratulate him. Furthermore, across many subsequent interactions, they repeatedly showed goodwill to Luo Chen and provided all manner of assistance. Even the Dragon Slaying Art, the weapon Luo Chen had relied upon during the crisis of Han Zhan's possession attempt, had originated from the Five Elements Divine Sect! Perfected Shenyuan did not know whether Luo Chen had already uncovered this plot, but judging from the hostility Luo Chen occasionally displayed toward him, he suspected the young man had likely deduced it through some channel. In particular, his own subsequent actions targeting the Luotian Sect had been far too conspicuous. Given Luo Chen's intellect, how could he not have been on his guard? At this moment, facing Luo Chen's chilling gaze, Perfected Shenyuan suddenly sighed and sent a divine sense transmission: "Dan Zong, you advanced to Nascent Soul through fire arts and have now even joined the Mingyuan Sacred Land. Naturally, this old man harbors no further designs against you. "Let bygones be bygones! "Let today's exchange of a single move serve as a bridge to mutual understanding. From this day forth, you shall have the friendship of a Great Cultivator." Luo Chen froze for an instant. He had never expected that the other man would proactively soften his stance at such a moment. Was it because Shenyuan had sensed that Luo Chen's other four spiritual roots had receded, leaving only the Fire Spirit Body manifest, or was it due to the deterrent presence of the Mingyuan Sacred Land? Or, as the old man claimed, was it a combination of both? Yet the fact that Shenyuan had once coveted his physical body—even if Luo Chen had profited greatly as a result—could not conceal the immense malice veiled beneath that veneer of goodwill! Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. Slowly, he raised his right hand, formed an incantation seal, and brought two fingers together like a sword. "A bridge to mutual understanding? "Very well! "However, we must fight first!" His white Daoist robes fluttered incessantly without any wind. As Luo Chen formed his seal, surging waves of magic power poured forth without the slightest reservation, their sheer vastness fully rivaling Sovereign Jiuling's all-out display earlier! Seeing this, Sovereign Jiuling, who had just defeated Daoist Pengxiang, could not help his pupils constricting. Vast magic power had always been the asset he took greatest pride in. Even when Daoist Pengxiang praised him as the foremost figure beneath the Great Cultivators and he demurred out of modesty, he had merely felt that Luo Chen possessed some formidable technique. Never had he doubted that his own magic power surpassed Luo Chen's. Yet Luo Chen's current display unequivocally laid the truth bare. A fourth-layer Nascent Soul whose magic power rivaled a sixth-layer? No! Sovereign Jiuling's magic power was on par with that of an ordinary Great Cultivator! Did this not mean that at merely the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul stage, Luo Chen's magic power was already no weaker than a seventh-layer Nascent Soul Great Cultivator's? *Just how did he cultivate this?* No one answered his silent question. Only Luo Chen knew how his magic power had come to be. Before advancing to Nascent Soul, his five-element physique had been like the vastest earth: raising his realm had been extraordinarily arduous, yet the volume of magic power it could hold was several times that of his peers. With every breakthrough into a major realm, the transformation of his magic power had multiplied by several times as well. Furthermore, Luo Chen practiced body refinement alongside his cultivation; his meridians were tough and resilient, all his acupoints were open, and his dantian's sea of qi was like a boundless ocean. Step by step, he had attained a vast magic power that towered over his peers! Even though his constitution had altered later on—with four roots receding to leave only the fire root prominent—the terrifying foundation had long since been laid, enabling his repeated feats of defeating the strong as the weak and triumphing over higher realms. At this moment, Luo Chen's magic power was sufficient to rival a seventh-layer Nascent Soul cultivator, his soul was on the verge of approaching that level, and paired with a terrifying physical body, he was virtually no different from an ordinary Great Cultivator. Yet! *It is still not enough!* Luo Chen glared fixedly at Perfected Shenyuan. His opponent was no ordinary Great Cultivator; Shenyuan was likewise a terrifying existence possessing the Five Elements Spiritual Roots! Few people knew this piece of intelligence. However, Luo Chen had once heard from Youquan of Mount Cangwu that a five-element cultivator in the Eastern Desolation had reached the Nascent Soul realm. Even though that person was halted at the seventh layer and had never broken through, he truly possessed the Five Elements Spiritual Roots physique. By now, Luo Chen had interacted with or learned about most of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Eastern Desolation to some degree. Matching the traits to the people, that individual could only be Perfected Shenyuan! In other words, Perfected Shenyuan's magic power also vastly surpassed that of an ordinary Great Cultivator! Luo Chen's own magic power could only be considered newly comparable to this realm; it was far from surpassing Shenyuan's. Thus, if this single move was to achieve its desired effect... Luo Chen gritted his teeth and, braving immense risk, began channeling the primordial qi of heaven and earth through a divine ability! In the next instant, clouds churned, winds howled, and heaven and earth trembled! Under the sweep of Luo Chen's divine sense, the chaotic spiritual qi of the Taihu Domain seemed to find a central pillar. Enormous quantities of turbulent, violent spiritual qi surged toward him. Accompanying this were all manner of bizarre anomalies. Hard mountain rocks collapsed into sand. Trees and grass swayed as their vibrant green drained away, exposing withered yellow. The already impoverished water veins, from which even Sovereign Jiuling had failed to draw living water, were forcibly squeezed dry, bubbling forth springs of crystal-clear water. Beneath the dusky sky, only Luo Chen stood amidst a vibrant swath of verdant green, radiating boundless vitality. Watching this unfold, Daoist Pengxiang of White Deer Grotto involuntarily opened his mouth wide. His Deer Chasing Art was hailed as the technique closest to a divine ability, capable of commanding chaotic spiritual qi. Yet compared to Luo Chen right now, it paled into complete insignificance. "A divine ability!" Sovereign Jiuling clenched his fists tightly, constantly gauging the gap between himself and Luo Chen. Against this single move that was continuously building momentum, he could not block it! However. *If it were a fight to the death, once my Great Nine Firmaments River unfolded, I would never give him the leisure to unleash such an art.* Lingfengzi gasped inwardly, *It is this move again! Back then, Great Demon Sovereign Qixi was routed beneath this very technique!* His gaze swept across the others nearby. Deng Taiyue wore a dazed expression, seemingly lost in thought. Fenghua Fairy had turned pale, her delicate frame trembling slightly. Old Fu looked somber, his eyes filled with envy. Master Xianhe was utterly shocked, having never imagined Luo Chen possessed such colossal might. Lin Qingxuan, likewise hailed as a generational prodigy, bit his lip tightly; though defiance flickered across his face, it was overwhelmed by a profound sense of defeat. Lingfengzi pulled his gaze back and turned toward the old man shrouded in black robes. *Can he, acclaimed as the foremost cultivator of the Far East, withstand this move?* Amidst the churning winds and clouds, Perfected Shenyuan's black robes whipped violently. Facing Luo Chen's gathering strike, he offered a bitter smile. "Dan Zong, you have harbored this grudge for a long time indeed! Ah well, let us hope that after this move, you and I can dissolve our enmity with a smile!" Beneath the trembling black robe, a withered right hand slowly emerged and drew a circle in the void. A portion of the immense primordial qi rushing toward Luo Chen seemed to be wrested from his control, converging instead toward the circle. Replenished by the influx of primordial qi, the circle gradually took on an azure hue. Then, pushing outward with his withered palm, the circle drifted forward. "Go!" Sensing the shift, Luo Chen ceased building momentum and thrust a finger outward as well. The verdant glow of spiritual light, upon being pointed forth, abruptly morphed into a ghastly, deathly white. After unleashing it, he visibly let out a breath. Evidently, forcibly manipulating the primordial qi of heaven and earth placed tremendous strain on his current state. In the void, the deathly white finger drove toward the azure circle. The instant they collided, an ear-piercing screech of friction rang out. *Crack, crack, crack...* It was only because the duel was taking place far away from the onlookers that this sound did not overwhelm them; otherwise, anyone with a slightly weaker soul would have fainted dead away upon hearing it. Yet Luo Chen and Shenyuan were both beings of formidable souls, completely unaffected by the din. Both stared unblinkingly at the collision of their ultimate moves. The finger continued to plunge forward, constantly breaching inward. The circle continued to shrink, constricting ever tighter. Abruptly! *Sssst!* A soft hiss sounded, and magic power dispersed. The azure circle shattered without warning, and the deathly white finger broke apart into the void alongside it. Fierce gales whipped out relentlessly, rolling outward layer upon layer like crashing waves. Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. This was the backlash of heaven and earth's primordial qi after the divine ability subsided. He snapped his wide sleeves repeatedly to sever the incoming impacts of spiritual qi, while sealing his Purple Palace to sever the tenuous connection between his Nascent Soul and heaven and earth. At the same time, he looked forward. In the distance, Perfected Shenyuan remained motionless, allowing the billowing primordial qi to sweep over him. Seeing this, Luo Chen's pupils narrowed slightly. He knew very well that Perfected Shenyuan was definitely not at the God Transformation realm; it was impossible for him to be immune to the backlash of primordial qi. Yet how could he maintain such absolute indifference? *Whoosh...* Amidst the howling gale, a corner of the black hood lifted. Beneath the black brim lay a shriveled, withered face resembling dried wood; seen from afar, he looked no different from an ordinary mortal elder on the brink of the grave. *The man who plotted against me with all his heart looked like this?* While Luo Chen was caught in astonishment, the surging waves of primordial qi gradually settled. Perfected Shenyuan pulled down his hood, concealing his aged countenance once more. A raspy voice slowly drifted out. "Truly, the younger generation inspires awe. Within a century, the title of the Far East's foremost cultivator shall belong to Dan Zong." Luo Chen tucked away his surprise and smiled faintly. "You flatter me. Fellow Daoist struck second yet arrived first, effortlessly neutralizing the technique I am most proud of. Such profound magic power and exquisite arts are matched by few under heaven!" This exchange of mutual compliments was not confined to divine sense transmissions; it rang out clearly across the open air. The suffocating, taut tension that had gripped the onlookers snapped like a slackened bowstring. Perfected Shenyuan smiled and said, "Dan Zong, let all past grievances be written off today. Shall we part ways here?" Luo Chen fell silent. Regarding the past, though Shenyuan had harbored intentions of harming him, Luo Chen had ultimately profited immensely from the connection, and even the Luotian Sect had survived thanks to the Five Elements Divine Sect's protection. Now they had fought their match. While it had not been a life-or-death battle, the Wither-Bloom Dao Finger at full power was his most formidable killing move short of unleashing the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire; pursuing the matter further would only be overestimating his own strength. Moreover, he would soon travel far to Mingyuan. With the Luotian Sect remaining in the Motian Domain, there was no need to leave behind a great enemy right beside them. Perhaps wiping the slate clean was indeed the best outcome. Luo Chen was not a petty man. Becoming friends with a former foe was impossible, but forcing an unnecessary vendetta was never his style. Thus. Luo Chen raised his hands in a formal Daoist salute. "Fellow Daoist, have a safe journey!" Perfected Shenyuan returned the courtesy. "Until fate brings us together again!" With those words, Perfected Shenyuan floated back toward the Five Elements Divine Sect's five-colored treasure vessel. Boarding the ship, he paid no heed to True Person Shenhuo's wary, fearful gaze and simply swept a hand. "Depart!" ... The Five Elements Divine Sect departed, leading their allies toward the Piaomiao Domain, which lay closest to the Five Elements Domain. They would establish a temporary foothold there and use it as a base to reclaim their ancestral lands. However, the closer they drew to the six domains of the Far East, the denser the demon beast populations would be; the Five Elements Divine Sect would have their hands full in the days to come. As for Motian Cliff, their Supreme Elder's physical body had been destroyed, leaving only a Nascent Soul; whether they could carve out their own spiritual territory in the short term remained an open question. Luo Chen had no leisure to dwell on other people's affairs. The Tianhe Lingxu Ship glided forward, coming to hover above Motian Cliff. Before the ship touched down, beams of light were already shooting forth in all directions. Led by Wang Yuan, all the Luotian Sect cultivators descended from the skies, charging into the territory spanning thousands of miles around Motian Cliff to eradicate the surviving low-tier demon beasts. The other sects that had come to assist also dispatched their respective experts to help clear the beasts. As for the factions that intended to settle in the Motian Domain or conduct business here in the future, they did not idle either. Starting from the border between the Motian and Taihu Domains, they spread out like an enormous net, pushing forward layer by layer, determined to sweep away every demon and pestilence. *Rumble!* The massive ship descended slowly onto a plain. Luo Chen unleashed his Nascent Soul domain. Unable to withstand the terrifying pressure, several earth-attribute demon beasts lurking underground fled in panic in all directions. Luo Chen did not bother with them; the cultivators under his command would hunt them down one by one. Fixing his spirit-discerning eyes on Motian Cliff nearby, a look of deep emotion appeared on his face. From this day forth, the Luotian Sect would no longer be like rootless duckweed drifting with the current. This territory was a prime land he had carefully selected: relatively large in area, blessed with superior spirit veins, and sparse in surviving demon beasts so that the Luotian Sect would suffer minimal losses. Perhaps he had invited rather a lot of minor factions, but the Luotian Sect's numbers were currently small as well. Let those minor factions vie and compete; so long as the Luotian Sect focused on internal cultivation and pursued steady development, it would not take long before their title of a superior sect became entirely worthy of its name. When that time came, following the Medicine King Sect's precedent to dominate an entire domain would not be out of the question. Beside him, Fenghua Fairy was the first to offer congratulations: "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on securing your dominion over Motian!" Luo Chen waved his hand and replied modestly, "The demon beasts have not yet been fully eradicated; it is too early for congratulations." At these words, everyone burst into hearty laughter. Earlier, in preparation for the Mount Biyou peace talks between the humans and demons, Ancient Demon Di Tian had deliberately yielded the nine central domains. Even if some demon beasts had failed to evacuate in time, they were at most low-tier beasts incapable of causing trouble. As for Demon Sovereign experts, there was not a single one. It was unlike the six domains of the Far East, such as the Five Elements Domain, which were infested not only with countless low-tier demon beasts but also with many fourth-rank Demon Sovereigns reluctant to depart, requiring immense effort to reclaim. With so many cultivators collaborating in this Motian Domain, it would take less than a month to thoroughly sweep it clean. To complete an opening war in a mere month was truly unprecedented in the history of the Eastern Desolation's cultivation world! Deng Taiyue laughed aloud. "Why keep calling it the Motian Domain? From now on, this place should be named the Luotian Domain!" Master Xianhe nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, indeed. Not only the name of this domain, but even the fourth-rank mountain range stretching thousands of miles before us ought to have its name changed." Since antiquity, major domains had taken their names from the reigning Nascent Soul upper sects. To call it the Luotian Domain was entirely fitting. Luo Chen felt equally cheerful, but when his eyes fell upon the tallest peak piercing deep into the clouds, he paused. "The rest may change, but let us keep the name of Motian Cliff!" *Thirty thousand li of river empties east into the sea; five thousand fathoms of mountain touch the sky.* The name was truly magnificent; there was no need to alter it. No one objected to Luo Chen's words. Turning around, Luo Chen looked at Sovereign Jiuling and Old Fu, whose faces held expectant looks, and understood immediately. "Once the demon beasts here are eradicated, I shall assist the two of you in opening your respective sect grounds." Sovereign Jiuling cupped his fists. "Dan Zong is truly a man of his word!" Old Fu claimed there was no rush, yet his face was filled with immense relief. At this moment, few low-tier cultivators remained on the ship; even all the cultivators from the Tiandu Sect had fanned out to investigate the distribution of spirit veins throughout this domain. Having suffered a great calamity, the spirit veins here had inevitably undergone some changes. The disciples of the Tiandu Sect were adept at prospecting dragon veins and shifting mountains to construct veins. Once their investigation was complete, they would provide a blueprint on how best to structure the spiritual grounds for the Luotian Sect's mountain gate. When the time came, Nascent Soul True Persons like Luo Chen would also lend their strength—perhaps even relocating a few surviving spirit mountains from ruined domains like Taihu and Jiuling to fill the gaps. Thus, even though the broader situation was settled, numerous tedious tasks remained. Of course, Luo Chen did not need to concern himself with such matters; he only needed to hold down the center, chatting about Eastern Desolation gossip and exchanging cultivation insights with the other Nascent Soul True Persons. It was under these circumstances that an offhand remark from Old Fu caught Luo Chen completely off guard. "Fellow Daoist Shenyuan has truly grown old. Not only has his temperament turned increasingly eccentric, but even his appearance has become quite unfamiliar. He doesn't look like himself; rather, he resembles another fellow Daoist." A change in temperament was understandable. Yet for a cultivator, how could aging over the years make one's face feel unfamiliar to an old acquaintance? Moreover, what did he mean by saying Shenyuan looked like someone else? "Resembles whom?"