Two streaks of escape light shot across the heavens like falling stars.
Piercing through the vast expanse of clouds, they finally caught sight of the towering mountain floating in midair.
Faintly visible among the mists were the upturned eaves of three palaces, each revealing a corner of its grand silhouette.
This was Mount Yanfu!
Luo Chen knew that the three palaces were Tianming Palace, Tianyuan Palace, and Tianze Palace, corresponding respectively to the Mingyuan Sect's three Soul Formation ancestors:
Yuming, Tianyuan, and Heize!
The two flew onward. Formations seemed to bar their path, but with Tan Sheng leading the way, none of the arrays unleashed their power.
Suddenly!
"We're here!"
Tan Sheng touched down before an open square.
Without turning around, he said, "Alchemy Saint Hall Master, please trouble yourself to wait a moment while I go see the Ancestor."
Luo Chen cupped his hands and said with a smile, "No trouble at all. Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Tan."
Only then did Tan Sheng turn around. After looking Luo Chen over closely, much of his haughty demeanor softened.
He added an explanation, "It won't take long!"
With that, Tan Sheng mounted the long flight of stairs and headed toward Tianming Palace.
Luo Chen smiled faintly. Though the man's attitude had not been very warm from the start, there was no real malice behind it.
Most likely, it was simply the reserved arrogance natural to disciples of a sacred land.
Moreover, he was a direct disciple of Ancestor Yuming, so possessing such pride was only normal.
Still, one does not strike a smiling face. In the future—no, even now, Luo Chen could already be considered the foremost figure in status within the Mingyuan Sect beneath the three Ancestors. There was no need for Tan Sheng to stubbornly maintain that pride at all costs.
Luo Chen had spoken politely to give him a way out, and as long as the other man was not foolish, he would take the graceful exit.
Seeing Tan Sheng climb the stairs of Tianming Palace, Luo Chen examined Mount Yanfu beneath his feet.
He paid little mind to the three majestic palaces.
Cultivators—especially those from major sects—always liked keeping up appearances. Weren't the key halls of his own Luotian Sect built to look like an immortal abode all the same?
What commanded his attention now was the mountain itself!
His golden pupils shifted, and his brows twitched slightly.
"Not standing upon this mountain, one cannot know its true face. Only seeing it now does one realize its wonder!"
He had seen structures floating in the sky before.
Back then, Azure Pill Valley had that Cloudtop Heavenly Palace.
At first he had found it awe-inspiring, but he learned later that Azure Pill Valley had erected it solely for the True Inheritance Tournament.
Maintaining the Cloudtop Heavenly Palace normally cost a massive quantity of spirit stones, so they only brought it out to show off during the tournament or when the sect master traveled.
Yet Mount Yanfu was nothing like that!
Beneath the piercing gaze of Luo Chen's Dharma eyes, Mount Yanfu was breathing in and out vast quantities of worldly spiritual energy on its own.
Not only that, but the spiritual energy rolled downward in surging waves, sweeping across the Mingyuan Sect's territory of several hundred thousand li in radius, blessing all life like nourishing rain.
Threads of array light shimmered everywhere, keeping the earthly qi in perpetual circulation.
Luo Chen withdrew his gaze, a contemplative look crossing his face.
"So this is where the main vein of Mingyuan's fifth-tier spiritual vein lies!"
Rumor had it that Mount Yanfu was originally situated deep within the dark earth.
In ancient times, mighty figures of the Mingyuan Sect excavated it and used tremendous methods to elevate it into the heavens.
Looking at it now, this was also a method of nurturing a spiritual vein.
Suspended in the high heavens to receive starlight, circulating earthly qi, and bestowing grace upon all living beings.
Through endless tempering, Mount Yanfu had even become a powerful magic treasure in its own right, seeming only a step away from attaining spiritual sentience.
This was a quasi-spirit treasure!
It did not merely bestow grace upon Mingyuan; it also suppressed the earthly qi of this region and drew in spiritual opportunities from all directions.
If it truly continued to grow, it might one day reach the level of a sect-guarding spirit treasure comparable to the Tianyuan Dao Sect's Lanke Chessboard.
When that time came, it would no longer suppress just a single region, but an entire province!
Although it still fell far short of that, Mount Yanfu's foundation was already immensely profound.
If someone were to forcibly unleash this mountain against an enemy...
*Tsk tsk!*
Luo Chen clicked his tongue in quiet marvel; he hardly dared imagine the scene.
In any case, even with his current formidable physique, he could never withstand it.
While Luo Chen was marveling, a figure hurried down the distant steps.
Tan Sheng quickly reached Luo Chen's side. "Go on. The Ancestor has made time for you."
"Fellow Daoist could have simply called down from above. Why trouble yourself to come all the way down?" Luo Chen said with a smile.
Tan Sheng waved his hand. "Tianming Palace is currently under martial law. Ordinary cultivators are forbidden from approaching. Even as the Ancestor's disciple, I am no exception. You may head up on your own."
Luo Chen cupped his hands in thanks. "In that case, Luo will proceed!"
With that, he dusted off his robes and lightly stepped onto the stairway.
The moment his foot landed on the stairs, his figure paused briefly.
Yet it was only a momentary pause. Afterward, he proceeded as normal, his speed hardly affected.
Seeing this, Tan Sheng's eyes widened behind him.
*Is he not affected by the leaking pressure?*
With just one step!
Luo Chen had sensed something amiss.
Waves of pressure spilled out intermittently from the palace above.
Though not overwhelming, and not directed deliberately at him, the force still induced discomfort.
*Is it the pressure of the Mingyuan Ancestors?*
*No!*
*How could dignified Soul Formation almighty figures fail to control their own aura?*
Suddenly, desolate source power circulated within his body, and the pressure became like a breeze brushing his face, losing much of its effect.
A thought surfaced in Luo Chen's mind.
*Could this pressure be leaking from the suppressed Immortal Qinghe?*
He dwelt on it no longer, ascending the dense flight of stairs step by step, swift and steady.
Viewed from high above, Luo Chen was as tiny as an ant on that endless heavenly staircase, appearing as though he would never reach the end.
Yet the moment he stepped onto this stairway, there was no turning back.
None knew how much wind and rain, how many perils Luo Chen had braved along the road to this point, how many sleepless nights spent agonizing and planning, or how in his youth he had been brash and full of soaring ambitions.
Until now, when he stood before the grand gates of the palace.
Looking back at the path he had traveled, Luo Chen felt an inexplicable pang of emotion.
Perhaps the future would not hold so many trials and tribulations.
Under the shelter of the towering tree that was the Mingyuan Sect, and having embarked on the right path through Monarch Qixia's guidance, the only tiger blocking his way was ascending to the Soul Formation realm.
At last, he could breathe a little easier.
Shaking his head, Luo Chen composed himself and straightened his robes.
*Before putting an end to the struggle, I still have to meet those three!*
He slowly pushed open the gates, and three divine senses instantly converged upon him.
Luo Chen bowed deeply. "Junior Luo Chen pays his respects to the three Ancestors!"
...
"What is your relationship with Monarch Qixia?"
The very moment he entered the grand hall, the green-robed elder seated in the center abruptly posed this question.
It was so sharp that it caught one completely off guard.
Luo Chen answered calmly, "I have no relationship with her!"
This reply was not satisfactory.
Ancestor Yuming fixed his burning gaze on Luo Chen, as though seeking to see right through him from head to toe.
Luo Chen hesitated a moment, then lowered his voice as if making a confession: "Just as the three Ancestors value my alchemy, Monarch Qixia did the same, inviting me to Mount Cangwu to refine a few Transformation Pills."
"Transformation Pills?" Ancestor Yuming paused.
Luo Chen gave an affirmative nod and explained, "In truth, back when Junior was still in the Golden Core realm, after the defeat in the Luoyun Sect's opening war, I was captured by demon cultivators from Mount Cangwu and brought back there. To save my life, Junior had no choice but to refine pills for them. Regrettably, my skills were unrefined back then, and the pills I produced were of such poor efficacy that one of their great figures failed her transformation. That was why there was a second trip to Mount Cangwu."
Beside him, Ancestor Heize appeared somewhat skeptical.
Yet soon, a memory came to him.
"When this old man went to Mount Cangwu to probe years ago, I indeed saw a woman with a crow's head and human body. One look made it obvious she was the product of a failed transformation."
Luo Chen explained softly, "That woman is Youquan, vice hall master of Duzhen Hall, one of Mount Cangwu's three halls."
A dignified vice hall master who was the product of a failed transformation would be a laughingstock if word spread.
If he had been brought back for such a matter, it seemed understandable.
Furthermore, for the demon race, the importance of Transformation Pills far exceeded that of ordinary fourth-tier pills.
"Can you truly refine Transformation Pills?"
Luo Chen said nothing. He simply presented three Transformation Pills he had refined back in the Land of the Fallen Demon, which were among his few remaining stock.
After all, the ingredients required by Heaven Refining Demon Lord's Transformation Pill recipe were lacking in the Mountain Sea Realm.
Of course, with Luo Chen's current Grandmaster attainment in alchemy, he was fully capable of modifying the recipe using local materials to craft Transformation Pills no less potent than the authentic version.
The three Ancestors sat in a circle forming a tripod, before a pool of dark spring water that was bubbling and gurgling.
Waving a hand, they drew the Transformation Pills over and examined them carefully for a while, indeed discerning their subtle ingenuity.
Even so, Ancestor Heize remained half-skeptical.
"You are of the human race, and they are demons. Having invited you over, would they really let you return?"
At this point, Luo Chen appeared hesitant.
Cold light flickered in Ancestor Heize's eyes. "Now that you have entered the Mingyuan Sect and been granted the position of Alchemy Saint Hall Master, we are one family from now on. If you still conceal anything, then just as we can lift you into the ninth heaven today, we can cast you into hell tomorrow!"
Ancestor Tianyuan chuckled. "Junior Brother, that is too harsh."
"Hmph!" Ancestor Heize gave a cold snort, his eyes still fixed intently on Luo Chen.
In fact, not only he, but Ancestor Yuming did the same, and even Ancestor Tianyuan, though smiling, stared unblinkingly at Luo Chen.
Under the gaze of three Soul Formation almighty figures, who would dare lie to their faces?
Luo Chen took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, "The reason they were willing to release me was that, aside from resolving the lingering flaws of the demoness Youquan's transformation, my mastery of fire arts is exceptionally outstanding. Monarch Qixia pursues the same path, and taking pity on how difficult my cultivation has been, she did not deliberately make things hard for me and even offered a pointer or two."
In Luo Chen's telling, Monarch Qixia abruptly transformed into a venerable and esteemed senior figure.
A pointer or two, indeed!
Yet what he spoke was the truth, even if only a partial truth!
"Your fire arts are exceptionally outstanding?" Ancestor Tianyuan's interest was piqued. "Is it that source true fire of yours?"
Luo Chen nodded. Without holding back, he willed it forth.
*Boom!*
A blaze of azure-and-white flames erupted with him at its center.
Inside the grand hall, it took the form of a small bi-colored tree of azure and white, swaying its branches.
The three Ancestors' expressions shifted slightly.
"A fifth-tier divine fire!"
"And one formed from two opposing attributes!"
"Truly remarkable!"
Amid their astonishment, they distinctly felt a thread of danger.
If Luo Chen's realm were equal to theirs and he could manipulate worldly origin qi, unleashing this fire would definitely serve as a lethal trump card.
As things stood now, however, it was merely a child brandishing a broadsword—unable to harm others, yet likely to hurt himself instead.
*Gurgle, gurgle!*
In the center of the hall, violent waves surged across that deep, cold pool of water.
Luo Chen instinctively glanced over.
Ancestor Heize gave a soft snort. "Put it away. Stop showing off."
At that soft snort, the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit seemed struck by a heavy blow and violently darted back into Luo Chen's body.
As its master, Luo Chen turned slightly pale, realizing something.
This Ancestor Heize had already comprehended the Law True Intent of the water attribute!
Water and fire countered each other, and one could even say water naturally suppressed fire.
Unless a fire-attribute cultivator was inherently far more powerful than a water-attribute one, there could be no reverse suppression.
Yet quite clearly, Luo Chen was far too inferior to Ancestor Heize at present.
Leaving no trace, he stole another glance at the black pool of water, then stood respectfully to one side and said with a touch of grievance:
"In truth, Junior has grown used to such things.
"In my youth, when I was just a rogue cultivator showing a slight talent in alchemy, a Foundation Establishment expert took notice and forcibly recruited me under his banner."
He paused briefly as he spoke, then continued:
"After reaching Foundation Establishment, it was also through alchemy that I managed to befriend a sect and gain a foothold.
"I simply never expected that even after struggling so hard to become a Nascent Soul True Person, I still cannot escape this fate.
"One can only say there is always someone greater, and heavens beyond the heavens. Junior still has many shortcomings and cannot control his own destiny!"
These words were spoken with a poignant mix of grievance and helplessness.
Even the three Ancestors looked a little uncomfortable.
The Mingyuan Sect roping Luo Chen in was no different from that Foundation Establishment cultivator forcibly recruiting him back then.
Yet they knew every word Luo Chen said was the truth.
Information regarding Luo Chen was no secret to begin with.
So long as someone made an effort to collect it, let alone the Mingyuan Sect, even an ordinary Nascent Soul upper sect could investigate Luo Chen's rise to prominence in full detail.
Ancestor Tianyuan consoled him, "A tree that rises above the forest is bound to be battered by the wind; a commoner is innocent, but possessing jade makes him guilty. With alchemy that exceeds the understanding of the world, you naturally attract the covetous desires of others. Now that you have joined our Mingyuan Sect, you won't need to worry about such things in the future."
Luo Chen's eyes lit up. "Truly?"
Ancestor Tianyuan burst into hearty laughter. "Could it be false? In the future, you can freely research the Dao of Alchemy just like Chen Mozi and Xin Yisheng. You can even leave behind your own inheritance like Chu Yan and Mister Xuan Yan. Should you wish to break through to the Soul Formation realm in the future, we will certainly lend you a helping hand!"
Luo Chen exclaimed in delight, "Then Luo Chen expresses his deepest gratitude to the Ancestor!"
Ancestor Heize suddenly spoke up: "Before that, hand over the key to the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land."
"Is it that space?" Luo Chen asked.
Ancestor Tianyuan nodded. "Yes. That space is the source ground left behind after Mount Yanfu ascended into the skies in ancient times, possessing fifth-tier foundations of its own. Originally, we planned to give it to Chu Yan both for her cultivation and so that she could slowly nurture it to the fifth tier, creating an additional fifth-tier spiritual vein for our Mingyuan Sect. Alas, before she left, she locked the door, and we could not force it open without severing the blessed land's connection to the outside world. Now that you have reclaimed the blessed land, that place will be for your use as your cultivation sanctuary. But the key..."
Without waiting for him to finish, Luo Chen took the initiative to bring out the Alchemy Saint Token.
The divine sense left upon it had long been exhausted.
Whether it was the *Refining Heavenly Secrets* alchemical art or Chu Yan's alchemical insights, both had dissolved into nothingness alongside those phantoms.
Seeing how sensible and tactful Luo Chen was, the three Ancestors said no more.
Furthermore, this demonstrated Luo Chen's attitude.
To generously hand over the key to his own future cultivation sanctuary—how much more open and upright could one be?
The token first fell into the hands of Ancestor Yuming.
After examining it for a moment, he nodded.
Through this token and via Mount Yanfu, one could naturally sense the existence of the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land.
As for the medicinal herbs inside, they would naturally send someone to take inventory later.
For now, Luo Chen's questioning was concluded.
"You may return!"
Looking as if relieved of a heavy burden, Luo Chen respectfully took his leave.
Only after leaving Tianming Palace did Luo Chen realize his back was drenched in cold sweat.
For someone who had attained great success in body refinement, this was an astonishing occurrence.
This showed just how immense the pressure was when facing three almighty figures.
Slowly walking down the stairs, he turned over his previous answers in his mind and confirmed there were no flaws.
The matter he had worried about most in the past—refining pills for the demon race—he had confessed openly, and they had not minded in the least.
Such was the influence brought by being a Grandmaster of the Dao of Alchemy.
Others did not care what you had done in the past; they only cared what you could do for them in the future.
Had he still been in the Golden Core realm with merely the ordinary skills of a master, the Mingyuan Sect would never have cared; his life and death would have been decided in a single word.
In a Soul Formation sacred land, there were simply far too many of that caliber.
Halfway down, Luo Chen was surprised to see Tan Sheng hurrying up the stairs.
As they passed each other, before either could speak, Tan Sheng merely gave a slight nod and continued upward.
...
Inside Tianming Palace.
A momentary silence settled after Luo Chen's departure.
Ancestor Tianyuan broke the silence of his own accord, asking, "Why did you not dispel the Water of the Celestial One from Luo Chen?"
Ancestor Heize countered, "Didn't you two withhold the recipe for the Liyuan Pill from him as well?"
The Liyuan Pill was the primary pill the three of them used for cultivation. Ever since Chu Yan departed back then, no one in the Mingyuan Sect had been capable of refining it.
Mister Xuan Yan had succeeded once or twice by chance, but it was merely by chance; he could not form the pills reliably and instead squandered vast quantities of precious ingredients.
Several centuries had passed, and the Liyuan Pills Chu Yan left behind had long been exhausted.
They had originally counted on Luo Chen, yet during their first meeting, they had not even mentioned the matter.
"When one's very life is at stake, how could we be careless?" Ancestor Tianyuan sighed and looked toward Senior Brother Yuming, the current master of Mingyuan. "Senior Brother, what do you think?"
Ancestor Yuming produced the token once more, his eyes narrowing slightly. "He told no lies, but he may not have told the whole truth either."
Ancestor Heize gave a cold snort. "Though he hid it well, for a dignified Nascent Soul True Person to behave so pitifully, his acting was far too clumsy."
Sometimes, acting too well made it all the less authentic.
Ancestor Yuming nodded. "No matter. The man is here, and the blessed land is opened. Keeping him beneath our watch from now on, time will reveal a person's true heart. Junior Brother, take this key. Aren't your things still inside?"
Ancestor Heize took the token. He indeed had several medicinal herbs planted inside.
Back then, he had entrusted Chu Yan to nurture them, and now that centuries had passed, by his reckoning they should be ripe.
Afterward, Ancestor Yuming directed his attention to the pool before them.
Earlier, when Luo Chen unleashed the Wither-Bloom True Fire, for some reason this pool had stirred restlessly.
Had it sensed the powerful force from outside and sought to break the seal?
The other two also pulled their attention back.
"Only two or three years remain before great success is achieved. During this time, not the slightest mistake can be permitted."
"I sensed something amiss earlier and immediately had Luo Chen withdraw that fifth-tier divine fire. At this critical juncture, we cannot tolerate the slightest mishap. Otherwise, not only will our prior efforts be wasted, but if Immortal Qinghe breaks free, it will bring tremendous backlash upon the three of us!"
Just as the three were conversing, Tan Sheng requested an audience.
...
Walking down the long flight of stairs, Luo Chen finally let out a sigh of relief.
Matters from here on would be far simpler.
In truth, he had a very enduring temperament; as long as he could survive and be granted a degree of dignity, many small details could be overlooked.
At the very least, before outsiders, the three Ancestors had given him sufficient respect.
They gave him status and bestowed rewards upon him.
Even if they asked him to help refine some pills later on, he wouldn't mind.
For now, it was better to return to the Alchemy Saint Hall; he felt more at ease there.
Still, that dark pool of water, which had stirred restlessly because of him earlier, continued to replay in his mind from time to time.
*What exactly is in there?*
Just as Luo Chen was about to leave Mount Yanfu, a voice transmission suddenly reached his ears:
"An honored guest has arrived, and it concerns you!"
Chapter 906