Beneath the moonlight.
Two figures walked hand in hand, strolling across the white jade plaza.
In the tranquil atmosphere, a woman's soft sobs mingled with a man's gentle comfort. Later, whatever words the man murmured drew an unexpected chuckle from her, and the heavy sorrow lifted, giving way to quiet warmth.
Inside Xuanchen Hall, Yao Mingyue, who had only recently emerged from secluded cultivation, tactfully drew back the step she had been about to take.
Yet the young boy beside her quietly poked his head out, peering at the courtyard in curious wonder.
Suddenly.
Sima Huiniang, nestling in the man's embrace, looked over and beckoned toward the boy.
"Lingxi, come here!"
Luo Lingxi bit his lip, hanging back timidly.
From behind him, Yao Mingyue gave him a gentle nudge.
"Go on. That is your father."
Luo Lingxi stumbled forward a step and threw an imploring look at Yao Mingyue, but she only smiled encouragement.
Biting his lip, he moved toward Sima Huiniang, glancing back three times with every step.
Yao Mingyue continued to smile and encourage him, lending him a little courage.
Over the years, his mother would occasionally lose her temper, but Sister Mingyue had never once been angry with him. He trusted Yao Mingyue.
Even so... was that man really his father?
As he drew closer, a sense of intimacy welled up unbidden, as if springing from the very marrow of his bones and blood, quickening his steps.
Only when he hesitantly reached the man's side did Luo Lingxi dare truly look up at his "father."
So young?
He was even younger than Uncle Qin Yuanjiang and Uncle Shalongzi!
He instinctively took hold of Sima Huiniang's hand.
"Mother..."
Sima Huiniang said with delight, "Husband, this is our child. Look, doesn't he resemble you? The mouth, the nose, and these eyes!"
Luo Chen looked down at the slender youth, who seemed somewhat frail and lacking in vitality.
As for the mouth and nose Huiniang spoke of, they did not actually resemble his very much.
His own lips were full, whereas the boy's were rather thin, even carrying a sharp edge.
The bridge of his own nose was high and straight, and while the boy's nose was also prominent, the tip hooked downward slightly, like an aquiline beak.
Yet those eyes!
They were an exact match for his own!
Deep dark pupils, sharply defined against the whites, large and spirited, as though capable of seeing straight into the depths of a person's soul.
With eyes like these, anyone standing before the two of them would instinctively overlook the other features and judge them to be seventy or eighty percent alike.
Was this his child?
Luo Chen smiled faintly and extended a hand.
Luo Lingxi timidly placed his hand in his. A sudden surge of great strength followed as Luo Chen scooped him up, tossed him into the air, and caught him securely in his arms.
"Come, let's eat!"
Holding the boy in one arm and clasping Sima Huiniang's hand with the other, Luo Chen strolled toward Xuanchen Hall.
Yao Mingyue stood waiting by the entrance, curtseying deeply. "Disciple respectfully welcomes the Supreme Elder upon his return!"
Luo Chen glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly.
Realizing what he was thinking, Sima Huiniang immediately spoke on her behalf. "It was not Mingyue's choice to disobey your command. I felt rather lonely over the years, so I specifically summoned her back from Mount Xiaoxuan to keep me company. Besides, Mingyue has been helping look after Lingxi all this time. She has been an immense help to me."
Luo Chen's brow smoothed, and he gave Yao Mingyue a slight nod.
"Join us for dinner."
This signaled that her breach of his orders to reflect in seclusion was forgiven.
Yao Mingyue let out a breath of relief, delight showing on her face.
Dinner that evening differed from the expected spread of spiritual tea and fruits, carrying the vibrant, down-to-earth warmth of mortal life.
Strong wine, piping hot dishes, and rich aromas filled the air.
Having played the whole day, Luo Lingxi ate heartily with large mouthfuls. It was hard to imagine how such a frail frame could pack away so much food without putting on any weight.
Yao Mingyue sat beside him, serving him dishes now and then and wiping his mouth.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen drank his wine and conversed with Sima Huiniang.
He shared fabricated tales of his solitary convalescence, heard updates on the Luotian Sect's growth over the years, and inquired about Sima Huiniang's personal cultivation.
Luo Chen showed little interest in most of it.
He only voiced concern over Sima Huiniang's sluggish progress in cultivation.
"Now that the threat of the Consonance Gu is gone, you are still young and have hopes of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. Why haven't you applied yourself?"
"When I returned just now, my divine sense swept the vicinity. Caiyi's progress has nearly caught up to yours."
Gu Caiyi's aptitude was not particularly remarkable.
Yet she enjoyed abundant resources as Luo Chen's Dao companion.
Moreover, possessing a third-tier high-grade spiritual land cave abode, she had crossed the early Golden Core stage in just a few short years, reaching the fourth layer.
She was now only a single step away from Sima Huiniang's sixth layer, where Huiniang had stagnated for over a century.
By now, Luo Chen understood that prior to the Nascent Soul realm, aptitude was merely a threshold; the supply of resources was what truly mattered.
With sufficient resources, even a pig or a blade of grass could achieve results.
Let alone a Golden Core cultivator who was far from lacking to begin with.
Sima Huiniang gazed fondly at Luo Lingxi and smiled. "Husband, your cultivation has reached great heights, and with a talent like Li Yingzhang managing affairs in the sect, there is little need for me. If I were to shut myself away in secluded cultivation, who would look after Lingxi?"
Luo Chen frowned and instinctively looked at Luo Lingxi.
Just as he was about to speak, his gaze was drawn to a small white jade horn hanging around the boy's neck.
"Hm?"
***
Late at night.
Luo Lingxi had fallen into a deep sleep.
From beginning to end, he had never once spoken the word "Father."
Luo Chen did not mind, chalking it up to shyness around a stranger. His attention was wholly fixed upon the small white jade horn he had removed from the boy's neck.
It felt warm and smooth to the touch, milky white in color, with a faint, iridescent sheen shimmering at the tip.
Toying with the horn, Luo Chen was unexpectedly reminded of someone.
"Qixi!"
Sima Huiniang slipped on an outer robe, walked to his side, and whispered, "Back when you vanished and Castellan Lingtian came to inquire about you, he gave this as a parting gift."
"I had the sect's weapon refiners examine it. It hasn't undergone complex refinement—it only has a Size Harmonization Formation inscribed upon it."
"Furthermore, it exudes an auspicious aura capable of suppressing evil and repelling demons, so I have kept it on Lingxi ever since."
Luo Chen gripped the warm white jade rhinoceros horn.
This was the single horn from the head of Great Demon Sovereign Qixi of the Eastern Desolation—a physical feature he had deliberately retained even after taking human form.
His true form was a Seven-Colored Rhinoceros, which possessed inherent properties to suppress evil and ward off demons.
During the battle in the Blade Dominance Domain years ago, Castellan Lingtian had severed it with his own hands—a glorious feat for a man who rarely took the field.
Were this horn to be forged into a magic treasure, it would prove exceptionally lethal against evil spirits and ghosts.
To think that Lingtian had gifted it to his son.
What a truly magnificent gesture!
Sima Huiniang asked worriedly, "Husband, do you see any hidden issues with it?"
Issues?
What issues could there be?
Luo Chen's weapon refinement skills were superb—perhaps not quite at the grandmaster level, but certainly at a master's standard.
A simple inspection confirmed that it bore nothing more than a Size Harmonization Formation.
"Let our son wear it. Under the protection of this horn, the parasite will not dare run wild."
Sima Huiniang took the white horn and carefully fastened it back around the sleeping Luo Lingxi's neck.
Sitting by the bedside, she gently tucked in the edge of the blanket with tender care.
Motian Cliff was exceptionally high, its mountain air frigid. While manageable for cultivators, it was biting cold for a child as young as Luo Lingxi.
Even with a formation warding off the cold throughout the hall, the boy still lay curled up.
Watching him, tears welled up uncontrollably in the woman's eyes.
Turning to the man, her lips trembled as she asked, "Husband, can our child truly not cultivate? I asked Lingfengzi to test him beforehand. Lingxi possesses exceptional water and fire spiritual roots. In the future, whether he pursues water methods or fire methods, he is bound to have a bright path ahead."
Luo Chen also looked toward the boy who had inherited his eyes.
Though their facial features differed, the child had inherited half his parents' spiritual root affinities, and his fire root in particular was nearly on par with the fire root nurtured by Luo Chen's Fire Spirit Body.
However...
Luo Chen spoke calmly, even somewhat coldly: "He cannot cultivate. The Demon Heart Gu is rooted within him, merged into his very soul. It was only thanks to this white horn that he passed the last ten years free of illness and calamity. But once he embarks upon the path of cultivation, this horn will no longer be able to protect him. Cultivation strengthens one's internal self. The stronger he becomes, the more powerful the Demon Heart Gu will grow, until it ultimately devours his entire cultivation."
Seeing the unwilling look on Sima Huiniang's face, Luo Chen shook his head.
"You wouldn't want Lingxi to suffer the same agony you endured back then, would you?"
The woman lowered her head, pressing the matter no further, though tears continued to stream down her cheeks.
Luo Chen drew her head into his chest, gently stroking her hair.
"It doesn't matter. Even with only a mortal century, one can still live a splendid life."
"Didn't a group of mortals migrate to the neighboring Taihu Domain to settle down? The Luotian Sect must have arrangements there as well. When Lingxi grows a little older, we can send him over."
"Whether as a wealthy patriarch, or an emperor, general, or minister, he will hardly live in mediocrity."
The woman remained silent, yet her heart refused to accept such an outcome.
She resolved that she would find a way to resolve the Demon Heart Gu!
***
Luo Chen's return had been quiet and unannounced.
Yet as movements within the Luotian Sect stirred, word gradually leaked out.
Golden Core Elder Gu Caiyi frequented Motian Cliff and eventually moved in altogether.
Lingfengzi and Wang Yuan paid multiple visits to Motian Cliff as well.
Most notable was Sect Master Li Yingzhang, who ascended Motian Cliff seven times, each return bringing minor changes to the sect.
Those decisions were not something Sima Huiniang on Motian Cliff could sanction alone.
Only the Supreme Elder's approval allowed him to act with such bold sweeping authority.
Yet after his final visit, Li Yingzhang walked away looking decidedly displeased.
Inside Xuanchen Hall, Luo Chen stood with his hands behind his back, watching Li Yingzhang descend the mountain.
Standing nearby, Gu Caiyi asked curiously, "Husband, why did you refuse to let the Luotian Sect recruit disciples on a large scale?"
Luo Chen asked evenly, "Do you agree with Li Yingzhang's proposal as well?"
Gu Caiyi hesitated, but still voiced her thoughts.
"Our Luotian Sect is an exalted Nascent Soul upper sect. Within our ranks are you and Elder Lingfengzi, and if we count Wang Yuan, Black King, and Bai Meiling, we possess five Nascent Soul combatants, while also commanding the vast Luotian Domain."
"Our core backbone is formidable as well; Shalongzi, Qin Yuanjiang, Yang Pingdu, and the others are all standouts among Golden Core cultivators."
"Only when it comes to low-level cultivators are our numbers stretched thin."
"If we open our mountain gates and recruit disciples widely—not seeking thousands or tens of thousands, but enough to aid us in governing the Luotian Domain—it would be a tremendous help."
"As things stand, our presence is rather meager."
Luo Chen nodded; her reasoning was sound.
Seeing his agreement, Gu Caiyi grew even more puzzled.
If that was the case, why refuse?
Several friendly Nascent Soul factions had already begun openly recruiting reputable rogue cultivators and mortals with spiritual roots to replenish the manpower lost during the century-long war.
Luo Chen offered no extensive explanation for her confusion, Li Yingzhang's discontent, or the murmurs throughout the sect.
There was a piece of intelligence that few knew.
Monarch Qixia was awake!
Although Ancient Demon Di Tian had fallen and Qinghexian had been captured, greatly diminishing the strength of the Eastern Desolation's demon race, Monarch Qixia's might was beyond imagination.
If she intended to unify the Eastern Desolation demons, she would face zero resistance.
And should she turn her ambitions toward the Eastern Desolation's human cultivation world, another bloodbath would inevitably follow!
If that day arrived, a Luotian Sect bloated with new recruits would gain no real strength, only extra burdens.
By contrast, withholding expansion and leveraging the Luotian Domain's rapid development to channel resources toward the sect's few cultivators would make their individual strength formidable.
Once war reignited, a lean Luotian Sect of exceptionally powerful individuals could move like the wind and act with total freedom.
They would never again be dragged into the mire of war as they had in the past.
At worst, they could find a secluded sanctuary, take two or three hundred people, and slip away in a single breath!
He said faintly, "Let us wait a little longer."
"Wait until when?" Gu Caiyi asked.
"Until Mingyuan makes its move outward, until the demon race draws in its claws, and until I have the confidence to sway the outcome of such a war."
Leaving behind these words, Luo Chen entered the Alchemy and Forging Hall.
A flying shuttle floated quietly inside.
It was the Frost Eagle Shuttle.
Unlike before, a dark pelt now draped over it.
The hide of Demon Sovereign Wuguang!
Luo Chen had deliberately set it aside back then. Now that he had time, he intended to integrate it into the Frost Eagle Shuttle.
Once successful, this swift shuttle would attain supreme concealment and stealth.
At that point, even Nascent Soul cultivators would find its movements difficult to detect.
This thought had struck Luo Chen following the battle in the Medicine King Domain.
His movements drew too much attention and lacked discretion; anyone seeking to plot against him could make preparations based on his general movements.
With the Frost Eagle Shuttle concealing his trail, petty schemers would be unable to track him.
He needed such a vessel!
The refinement process was not difficult, but it proved time-consuming.
Thus, after returning, Luo Chen remained secluded in Xuanchen Hall on Motian Cliff.
There was no need for him to step forward personally to reassure the people; the Luotian Sect numbered merely two to three hundred members, and word of his return was enough to settle their minds.
Meanwhile, Sima Huiniang took the boy down the mountain.
Perhaps taking Luo Chen's words to heart, she began deliberately exposing Luo Lingxi to the bustling outside world, hoping to prevent any resistance when the time came to send him into mortal society.
Yet unexpectedly, after just half a month, Sima Huiniang rushed back with Luo Lingxi in tow.
Learning from Gu Caiyi that Luo Chen was in seclusion refining a treasure, she refrained from intruding and waited patiently.
It was another half a month before Luo Chen stepped out of the Alchemy and Forging Hall looking fatigued, whereupon she immediately stepped forward to meet him.
"Husband, I have found a method to resolve the Demon Heart Gu!"
Luo Chen froze.
The Demon Heart Gu had plagued him for decades, and it was only through the suggestions in Perfected Tianshan's letter that he had managed to cobble together a makeshift solution.
Huiniang had gained a breakthrough after just one trip outside?
Just as he was about to ask, his brow twitched.
"They're here!"
Luo Chen raised a hand to cut Sima Huiniang short, stepped out of Xuanchen Hall, and looked up at the sky.
Three figures descended slowly before the hall.
A whole month had passed since his return, and the Mingyuan Sect had made no move, leading him to wonder if they had forgotten about him, a Grandmaster of Alchemy.
Yet they had not forgotten—three top-tier powerhouses had arrived all at once!
"Lei Daozi!"
"Castellan Lingtian!"
Luo Chen slowly uttered the names of the two familiar figures, before his gaze settled on a stranger who gave him an oddly familiar feeling.
"And this fellow Daoist is?"
Before Castellan Lingtian could make introductions, the young man took the initiative to offer Luo Chen a formal Daoist bow.
"Chongming of Mingyuan. Has Fellow Daoist forgotten the Alchemy Saint's Ascension Ceremony?"
As he spoke, an enigmatic aura rippled from Chongming, instantly gathering a vast amount of water-attributed spiritual qi around him; even the other attributes of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi were not repelled, but circled in an outer ring.
A rudimentary method of manipulating heaven-and-earth origin qi!
Law True Meaning!
Luo Chen remembered. This was the very Nascent Soul cultivator who had journeyed as an envoy to the Central Plains to attend the Alchemy Saint's Ascension Ceremony on behalf of the Mingyuan Holy Land.
Three Nascent Soul cultivators—two Great Cultivators among them, and two who had comprehended the Law True Meaning in advance.
To assemble such a lineup just to receive him, Luo Chen, was truly showing him immense face!
With a faint smile, Luo Chen raised his hand in an inviting gesture.
"Please, come inside!"
Chapter 891