Inside the spacious cave abode, spiritual energy drifted like mist, cloaking the chamber in a quiet, secluded atmosphere.
Then a light chuckle broke the silence.
"Fellow Daoist Youquan, why look as though we bear some deep, blood-soaked grudge?"
"Fellow Daoist?"
Youquan turned the word over in her mouth, her tone laced with mockery.
"A former prisoner under my thumb dares address me as a fellow daoist now?"
As she spoke, her divine sense swept forth with immense force.
A fierce wind suddenly arose within the dimly lit chamber, whipping Luo Chen’s dark hair into a wild dance like thrashing serpents.
With a faint smile playing on his lips, Luo Chen released his own divine sense in response.
The instant the two forces collided in empty air, the smile on Luo Chen’s face tightened slightly.
In contrast, Youquan let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
"Oh?"
"To think that not only has your cultivation realm advanced so rapidly, but your divine sense is this formidable as well!"
"And here I thought you had taken some underhanded shortcut."
Divine sense was the outward manifestation of one's soul foundation; a powerful divine sense was proof of a robust soul. For cultivators who refined qi and tempered the spirit, qi was relatively easy to cultivate, but the soul was notoriously difficult to augment. Aside from breakthroughs in cultivation realms, it usually required long centuries of accumulation and subtle, gradual metamorphosis. For Luo Chen to build a soul foundation comparable to that of a late-stage great cultivator while advancing his realm at breakneck speed was truly extraordinary.
"Now, then—may I address you as fellow daoist?" Luo Chen asked calmly. When the sudden gust had lifted a corner of her veil just now, he had already deduced the reason she had come to his door in such a fury.
"Hmph, it's merely a title. Call me whatever you please," Youquan snorted coldly, tacitly acknowledging him before shifting straight to an interrogation. "The outside world sings the praises of your name as an Alchemy Grandmaster, but in this hall master's eyes, you are quite overhyped. The pills you refined..."
Before Youquan could finish, Luo Chen cut in.
"Could it be that something went awry with that Transformation Pill back then?"
Youquan froze, then replied, "Indeed, a problem arose."
Luo Chen smiled. "What sort of problem? Incomplete transformation, perhaps?"
Youquan’s gaze turned vicious in an instant, fixing Luo Chen with a murderous glare. "You knew the Transformation Pill had issues in that regard?"
Her implication was unmistakable: *If you knew, how dared you give it to me? Were you deliberately scheming against me?*
Luo Chen quickly waved his hands. Caught in such a prickly doctor-patient dispute, he certainly did not want to ruin his reputation as an Alchemy Grandmaster.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Chen spoke slowly. "There was nothing wrong with the Transformation Pill, nor was there any real flaw in my alchemy technique."
"Are you saying the fault lies with me?"
"No, neither. The problem lies with the pill formula itself!"
Seeing Youquan’s bewilderment, Luo Chen explained in detail: "Back then, the Transformation Pill formula you handed me was designed for demon cultivators below the fourth rank, allowing them to assume human form early and switch to human cultivation methods. Because of that, its primary ingredient was the Nascent Soul blood essence of a human cultivator. At the time, I had barely stepped across the threshold of the Dao of Alchemy, and my understanding was shallow; I failed to perceive the formula's inherent constraints. Now that I have attained true mastery in alchemy, the drawback is glaringly obvious to me."
Youquan listened with a growing headache, wanting only to cut to the chase. "What drawback?"
"If a demon cultivator who has already reached the fourth rank consumes this pill, the human Nascent Soul blood essence will clash with their own Nascent Soul, resulting in an incomplete transformation."
At this point, Luo Chen said nonchalantly, "The Transformation Pills I crafted back then were without question effective. One of my own spiritual pets successfully took human form through them."
Youquan accepted this explanation.
After all, a third-rank avian demon on Mount Cangwu had later consumed one of the Transformation Pills Luo Chen left behind and successfully transformed ahead of time.
Besides, Luo Chen's reasoning matched what she had heard before...
"It seems you aren't lying to me. Huamei said the exact same thing."
Luo Chen asked curiously, "Who is Huamei?"
Youquan sneered. "You don't even remember your own disciple?"
Luo Chen was genuinely baffled now. When had he ever taken on a disciple named Huamei?
However, Youquan had no interest in explaining. Getting straight to the point, she asked, "Since your alchemy is accomplished now and you know the Transformation Pill's flaw, do you have a way to fix it?"
Luo Chen hesitated. "I have a few ideas, but it would be best if I examine your condition first, Vice Hall Master."
Now it was Youquan’s turn to hesitate.
Luo Chen did not rush her, waiting in silence.
Only after a long while did Youquan awkwardly remove her veiled bamboo hat.
The moment he saw her true appearance, Luo Chen nearly burst out laughing.
Internally, of course. His outward expression remained solemn.
She had the head of a raven upon a human torso, with a short black beak. Even her nose was obscured by fine, downy feathers, leaving little detail visible.
Under Luo Chen’s scrutiny, Youquan felt even more uncomfortable.
"Have you seen enough? Do you have a solution?"
Luo Chen nodded. "It's manageable. Not a major issue. Once I concoct a new batch of Transformation Pills, you will be able to complete your human form entirely."
Hearing this, Youquan breathed a sigh of relief.
Demon beasts never despised their true forms, nor did they covet the mortal flesh of humanity. But half-demon, half-human monstrosities born of failed transformations were openly disdained by powerful demons! Unless a demon cultivator deliberately retained specific racial traits during transformation, none would tolerate looking like a laughingstock with a beast's head on a human body or a human face on a beast's frame.
"How long will it take?"
"Three days will suffice. I have the necessary ingredients on hand."
"Very well. In three days, I will send someone to collect them!"
Youquan could not wait to pull the veiled hat back on. Having no desire to reminisce with Luo Chen, she rose and departed immediately.
Luo Chen stood to see her out, maintaining impeccable etiquette.
Their harmonious farewell at the cave entrance was witnessed by many throughout Mount Cangwu.
Heqingzi, who had been somewhat worried, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing it.
Leiyu was rather disgruntled; he had assumed Vice Hall Master Youquan had gone to settle scores, only for the encounter to end in such amicable hospitality.
Standing before the cave entrance, Luo Chen naturally sensed the prying gazes and carried himself with unruffled composure.
As for solving Youquan's predicament?
It was hardly a challenge at all.
Mount Cangwu’s original formula did indeed carry inherent limitations. But the batch of Transformation Pills he had refined in the Land of the Fallen Demon, using the formula left behind by the Heaven Refining Demon Lord, was entirely flawless. Even the Crane Emperor of the White Crane Sect, who had suffered a failed transformation, had been cured by the pill Luo Chen gifted. What trouble could Youquan pose?
The reason he asked for a three-day buffer was entirely deliberate.
Waiting was always excruciating, and people rarely valued what came too easily. A three-day delay would allow Youquan's temper to cool; once he cured her, the resentment she had harbored against him for over a century would dissipate considerably. After all, the murderous aura she had radiated when she first entered had been entirely genuine.
*Still, I didn't expect her divine sense to be so formidable—perhaps even surpassing my own!*
Luo Chen paced back into the cave, a trace of gravity settling over his features.
Just as Youquan had been astonished by the rapid growth of his soul, Luo Chen had been equally startled by the sheer depth of hers. Moreover, their clash had merely been the simplest collision of divine sense, without involving any soul techniques. Youquan’s true form was a Youming Nether Crow, an ancient lineage supreme in soul arts. Had she unleashed vicious soul techniques, he might have suffered a severe loss caught off guard.
*The matter of splitting my three souls and practicing the Prison Suppressing soul technique, put off for so many years, must be placed on the agenda.*
Even with this thought in mind, Luo Chen did not rashly begin cleaving his soul. The top priority remained recovering to his peak state before meeting Monarch Qixia! Fortunately, the rich spiritual energy in this cave abode greatly accelerated his healing; it would not be long before he returned to his prime.
***
Days slipped by.
News of Luo Chen's disappearance had spread throughout the Luotian Sect.
In years past, this would have plunged the sect into pandemonium. But this time, the situation stabilized quickly. With Wang Yuan and Lingfengzi presiding above and Li Yingzhang managing affairs below, neither the Luotian Sect nor the Luotian Region was thrown into disarray. Furthermore, the emergence of Luo Lingxi gave many disciples renewed hope.
Of course, the primary reason the sect’s upper echelons held steady was a personal visit from the founding ancestor of the Mingyuan Sect.
Rumor had it that the Mingyuan Sect's ancestor had personally set out to search for Luo Chen!
On this day, deep within the Million Mountains, on a mountain peak ten thousand li from Mount Cangwu, two figures stood gazing into the distance.
"Luo Chen is right there!"
Ancestor Tianyuan spoke, his habitually gentle expression turning solemn.
Castellan Lingtian looked ahead. Flocks of birds circled amid the endless peaks, creating a magnificent sight. Puzzled, he asked, "Since we have located Luo Chen, why not go over directly?"
Ancestor Tianyuan shook his head. "We cannot go. That place is not somewhere a mere avatar of mine can trespass."
Taking a deep breath, Ancestor Tianyuan murmured, "Perhaps you were all fooled by Luo Chen back then. His connection to Mount Cangwu runs deeper than anyone imagined."
Castellan Lingtian froze.
Just then, Ancestor Tianyuan’s expression changed drastically.
"Run!"
Without hesitation, Castellan Lingtian instinctively fled.
Yet Ancestor Tianyuan unexpectedly remained where he was, his hands rapidly forming an incantation.
"Detonate!"
Boundless magic power surged around him as his body swelled violently.
Fleeing several li away, Castellan Lingtian was filled with profound disbelief. What kind of existence could force his master’s avatar to treat them like a mortal foe—to the point of self-detonating just to buy time?
"Send word to Mingyuan: Qixia has returned!"
Those were the final words left by Ancestor Tianyuan’s avatar before a terrifying explosion swept across the surroundings, completely obliterating every trace of aura Castellan Lingtian had left behind.
Amid the self-destruction, dust billowed, and chaotic worldly energy churned so violently that no living creature dared approach. It seemed to have turned into an absolute dead zone.
Suddenly!
A slender, jade-like hand materialized out of thin air, reaching gently toward the sky.
The chaotic worldly energy calmed instantly. An ethereal figure emerged in bewilderment, only to be captured within the grasp of that delicate hand.
*Whoosh...*
A light breeze blew, and the mysterious jade hand faded away, as though nothing had ever occurred. Only the shattered mountain peak bore witness to the brief, violent clash that had just transpired.
***
Inside the cave abode, Luo Chen looked with curiosity at the woman standing before him.
Her features were delicate as a painting, and a gentle fragrance lingered around her slender form—the very pill aroma he knew best.
"You are Huamei?"
Huamei offered a gentle smile and bowed gracefully toward Luo Chen.
"This disciple pays respects to Master."
Luo Chen waved his hands hastily. "I cannot claim that title, truly."
Huamei smiled. "Back when Master publicly refined pills on Mount Cangwu and taught us the arts of alchemy, many of us benefited immensely. Later, Vice Hall Master bestowed upon me the Transformation Pill you left behind, allowing me to take human form and formally step onto the Dao of Alchemy. Calling you Master is by no means an exaggeration."
Understanding dawned on Luo Chen. There had indeed been such an occurrence. During his time on Mount Cangwu, his alchemy had often been conducted out in the open. But he had never expected anyone to truly absorb the craft.
Judging by the dense pill aroma emanating from Huamei and Youquan’s earlier mention of her assessment of the Transformation Pill, her talent in alchemy had to be remarkable.
Intrigued, Luo Chen posed a few questions to test her.
Huamei answered each smoothly, even drawing broader principles from his inquiries. The sheer talent she displayed far surpassed that of Qu Lingjun, whom Luo Chen had personally tutored.
This made Luo Chen realize that demon beasts were not nearly as ignorant or slow-witted as commonly thought; they were simply constrained by their physical forms in their weaker stages, unable to dabble in the hundred arts of cultivation. To the demon race, the Transformation Pill was truly a peerless elixir! Once freed from their bodily shackles, their intelligence was keen, and their lifespans were vast—they could easily achieve heights far beyond human cultivators of the same realm!
For a moment, mixed emotions stirred within Luo Chen.
"During my brief glance earlier, I noticed many figures moving about Mount Cangwu, none of them at the Nascent Soul realm, and none bearing human auras."
"Back then, I left behind only four Transformation Pills in total."
"Could those third-rank transformed demon cultivators all be your handiwork?"
Huamei smiled softly. "Master’s deduction is spot on. I gained the favor of the Vice Hall Master, and many hands in Duzhen Hall were placed at my disposal. With the endless spirit herbs of the Million Mountains, my alchemy improved by leaps and bounds."
Luo Chen shook his head, feeling a touch of envy in his heart. Backed by a sacred land, with the Million Mountains as her herb garden, and having an alchemy grandmaster lay her foundations—such treatment was truly blessed by fortune. Combined with her overflowing talent, she had managed to refine fourth-rank pills in merely a hundred years...
"Wait. Mount Cangwu’s Transformation Pill formula requires human Nascent Soul blood essence. Where did you obtain that material?"
The question suddenly struck Luo Chen. Could it be that Mount Cangwu had captured another human Nascent Soul cultivator to serve as a living medicine cauldron? Had they fished in troubled waters during the human-demon war? But aside from Qingshuang stepping in once or twice, he had heard of no major movements from Mount Cangwu! Even Qingshuang’s title as a commander was purely nominal.
Huamei smiled and explained, "Weren't a group of Golden Core cultivators captured and imprisoned underground back then? A few managed to survive the great war. Later, the Vice Hall Master poured resources into nurturing one of them into a Nascent Soul cultivator, solely to provide blood for my pill refinement."
Hearing this answer, Luo Chen fell into stunned silence.
Back then, quite a few Golden Core cultivators had been captured alongside him—around twenty or thirty in total. Moreover, they were by no means obscure figures, but mostly geniuses from various great sects. There was Wei Wuya, the late Golden Core great cultivator from Motian Cliff; Yu Jiaolong, the Heavenly Spiritual Root from Mengquan Cave; and Baihua Fairy and Shi Xiangzhu, who had hailed from the Hehuan Sect before establishing their own lineages. Even among the rogue cultivators, there was Haoranzi, a powerhouse just a half-step away from the Nascent Soul realm.
They had participated in the opening war precisely to seek an opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul realm. Such occurrences were common; before them stood Master Yunhe, and after them rose Lin Qingxuan amidst the chaos of war. Even disciples from divine-transformation sacred lands often abandoned their comfortable cultivation environments to temper themselves in perilous lands.
If one of them had truly survived the upheaval on Mount Cangwu, then given their innate talent—coupled with Youquan’s reckless pouring of resources to solve the Transformation Pill’s flaw—they truly could have attained the Nascent Soul realm.
Yet who would ever want such a Nascent Soul realm?
Unable to rule a territory or establish a sect, unable to revel in the exalted majesty of a true cultivator, forced instead to serve as a medicinal ingredient, bled day after day.
Such an end... Luo Chen was inexplicably reminded of certain demon beasts once reared by the Luotian Association.
Explosive apes, bled to refine Blood Fiend Pills.
Demon deer, milked to brew tea.
Spirit silkworms, stripped of their silk to weave robes.
Amid the heavy silence, Luo Chen asked in a low voice, "Who was the one that survived?"
Just as Huamei was about to answer, Luo Chen raised his hand, cutting her off.
A voice transmission was echoing in his mind.
"The Monarch has awakened. In three days, ascend to Tongxuan Hall!"
Chapter 885