"Related to me?"
Luo Chen was taken aback. How could a distinguished guest of the Mingyuan Sect have anything to do with him?
Filled with intense curiosity, Luo Chen lingered on Mount Yanfu.
Tan Sheng emerged from Tianming Palace and walked up beside Luo Chen.
"Wait just a moment. Those guests are still far away, so it will take a little while for them to arrive."
Curious, Luo Chen asked, "May I ask who is coming?"
Tan Sheng smiled. "Once you see them, you will know."
'Well, leaving me hanging even at a time like this.'
Somewhat speechlessly amused, Luo Chen steered their banter in a different direction. "Fellow Daoist Tan, with your formidable cultivation, why trouble yourself acting as an usher here on Mount Yanfu? With your abilities, whether you pursued quiet cultivation inside the sect or took charge of a territory outside, your talents wouldn't go to waste."
Tan Sheng shrugged and answered helplessly, "Naturally, I wouldn't choose to do this either. But Mount Yanfu is currently under martial law, and all the disciples on the mountain have been sent down. The Ancestors still need one or two disciples whom they trust and can order about comfortably to remain by their side."
His words sounded helpless, yet his tone brimmed with pride.
In the vast Mingyuan Sect, the three revered elders placed their trust in him alone. While it looked like hard menial labor, was it not an exclusive honor?
Basking in the Ancestors' favor, he might very well become the next Chongming, the next Lei Daozi!
Among the Nascent Soul cultivators Luo Chen had met, this Tan Sheng could be considered relatively innocent.
He was unlike those seasoned old Nascent Soul monsters of the North Sea or the Eastern Desolation who had weathered countless storms; instead, he was somewhat similar to those newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators of the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
Flowers raised in a greenhouse, lacking true tempering.
Whatever competition they faced mostly remained within established rules, unlike the unscrupulous struggles Luo Chen and his peers were accustomed to.
Earlier, Luo Chen had merely shown a wisp of goodwill, and Tan Sheng's arrogant demeanor had vanished completely, turning noticeably warm.
Drawing information out of him would only be simpler now.
"Why the martial law?" Luo Chen asked with wide, innocent eyes under his thick brows.
Tan Sheng hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice. "You should know about Immortal Qinghe, right?"
Luo Chen's brows twitched, his heart jolting violently!
'As expected!'
From the formidable pressure that leaked out from time to time as he climbed the steps of Tianming Palace, to the waves churning violently in the black water pool inside the hall, every sign pointed to the presence of a powerful entity apart from the three Ancestors.
Now corroborated by Tan Sheng, Luo Chen could finally confirm that the one suppressed there was none other than Immortal Qinghe, one of the Eastern Desolation's three ancient demons!
'Even a dignified Soul Formation ancient demon meets such a miserable end. If I hadn't agreed to join the Mingyuan Sect back then, would I have ended up like that as well?'
Luo Chen asked himself, and promptly reached an answer.
Naturally not!
Given his strength, the three Ancestors would never have needed to expend such effort.
A casual flick of the hand would have wiped him out!
Thinking along those lines, had Ancestor Heize's somewhat discourteous gestures toward him actually been relatively restrained?
As the two conversed in hushed tones, three streaks of escape light approached from the distance.
Tan Sheng went out to welcome them, guiding the trio through layer upon layer of formations up onto Mount Yanfu.
With his sharp eyesight, Luo Chen had already recognized the newcomers.
Indeed, they were related to him.
Every single one of them was an acquaintance!
Perfected Qideng, one of the Star Gate's nineteen elders; Fu Chaosheng, head of the Fu clan; and Gu Zuokai, head of the four elders of the Eastern Desolation's Tianyuan Commerce Alliance.
Under Tan Sheng's lead, the three ascended the mountain path.
When they looked up, their gazes met the eyes looking down from above, and the figure clad in white.
The moment he came to a halt, Perfected Qideng let out a cold sneer.
"Luo Chen, you have been well since we last met!"
Luo Chen parted his lips, only to offer a bitter smile. "A man in the Eastern Desolation cannot always act on his own wishes. Please forgive me, Elder."
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Perfected Qideng waved his sleeve and brushed past Luo Chen, ascending the lofty steps toward Tianming Palace under Tan Sheng's guidance.
However, the visibly aged Fu Chaosheng and Gu Zuokai lingered behind.
Standing face to face, the atmosphere grew rather awkward.
Gu Zuokai spread his hands in an "I told you this would happen" manner.
Luo Chen shook his head gently and met Fu Chaosheng's complicated gaze.
"Fellow Daoist, it has been a long time."
Fu Chaosheng said with tangled emotions, "Indeed, long time no see. I still remember your spirited demeanor on Heaven and Earth Peak when you bested every chosen prodigy of the Dao Sect. Who would have thought that in just a few short decades, you would be standing on Mount Yanfu."
Heaven and Earth Peak, Mount Yanfu—both stood at the pinnacle of this world.
The same Luo Chen, the same dashing spirit.
Yet his allegiance had completely changed!
Luo Chen could only repeat his earlier words: "Circumstances forced my hand; it was never my wish."
"Excusable though it may be," Fu Chaosheng murmured, "the fact remains that you set foot on Heaven and Earth Peak first, and were a person of the Tianyuan Dao Sect first!"
Luo Chen gave a helpless, wry smile.
The status of a Guest Elder of the Tianyuan Dao Sect's Star Gate carried weight anywhere, except here in the Mingyuan Sect.
First, the Dao Sect had spirited away the Mingyuan Sect's Alchemy Saint, Chu Yan. Now, the Mingyuan Sect was returning the favor by taking Alchemy Grandmaster Luo Chen into their fold—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Yet while the Mingyuan Sect had swallowed their pride back then, the Tianyuan Dao Sect might not be willing to stomach such an insult!
Even if they cared little for an insignificant pawn like Luo Chen.
"Why are you two here today instead of formal representatives from the Dao Sect?"
"Do the two of us not count as members of the Dao Sect?" Gu Zuokai teased from the side.
Luo Chen waved his hand. "That's not what I meant. I'm just curious why Elder Qideng is leading the delegation. Merely because I was a Star Gate Guest Elder?"
Fu Chaosheng nodded. "Correct. Sending official Dao Sect representatives directly would be too provocative. Perfected Qideng's status is just right. He is one of the Star Gate's nineteen elders and had a decent relationship with you in the past. Coming here, his primary purpose is to state our position—that we will never allow the Star Gate's prestige to be tarnished. Second, to see if he can bring you back."
"That is naturally impossible," Luo Chen replied without hesitation.
If the three Soul Formation Ancestors handed someone over merely because a Great Cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage came asking, wouldn't they become the laughingstock of the Eastern Desolation?
Moreover, Luo Chen had just been publicly inaugurated as the Master of the Alchemy Saint Hall in plain view of everyone!
Handing Luo Chen over now would be a repeat of the Alchemy Saint affair.
At least the Alchemy Saint had made her own choice; Luo Chen had not.
No one in the Mingyuan Sect would tolerate such humiliation.
"If negotiations fail, then courtesy will give way to force," Fu Chaosheng said mildly.
Yet beneath his calm words lay turbulent undercurrents.
Luo Chen's expression tightened. "Does the Tianyuan Dao Sect truly dare?"
Gu Zuokai declared confidently, "There is nothing we dare not do. Our Tianyuan Dao Sect is the foremost power in the entire Mountain Sea Realm. We will brook no loss of face!"
Luo Chen frowned. "Yet as far as I know, the Dao Sect is currently waging war on the North Sea, and has even dispatched forces to the Southern Border and Western Desert. Do you truly dare to make enemies on all sides?"
Fu Chaosheng explained, "We haven't committed many forces to the Western Desert, and only sent one Soul Formation Ancestor to the Southern Border. As for the North Sea, we have already reached an accord with Almighty Li Canghai. As long as he helps us repel the North Sea Demon Alliance, our Tianyuan Dao Sect has promised to grant him the Arctic Yama Heavens as his cultivation sanctuary."
Gu Zuokai chimed in, "Before long, our Tianyuan Dao Sect will have our hands free. If the Mingyuan Sect remains obstinate, I believe our Sect Master won't mind drawing swords once more!"
Luo Chen drew in a sharp breath.
He truly had not expected the Tianyuan Dao Sect to act with such swiftness and sweeping boldness.
Yet on second thought, was it really merely because of an insignificant pawn like him?
Most likely, he was just a righteous pretext to justify war!
They had probably set their sights on the Eastern Desolation long ago.
If the Tianyuan Dao Sect truly succeeded, wouldn't it be a monumental feat of swallowing the entire Mountain Sea Realm whole?
Fu Chaosheng urged, "Luo Chen, take an old man's advice: it is not too late to turn back now. You can simply follow the precedent of Perfected Longyuan joining the Myriad Immortals Association back then—treat it as a temporary stay. We will give the Mingyuan Sect an honorable way out as well."
Perfected Longyuan joining the Myriad Immortals Association had merely been for worldly experience and could not be considered defecting to another sect.
Under such a pretext, both sides could just barely save face.
Yet it was far too strained!
One side had likely coveted the Eastern Desolation for ages.
While the other would never tolerate another blow to their prestige, not even the slightest blemish!
Luo Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air. "Enough. I cannot make decisions on matters of this scale; fellow Daoists, please urge me no more. Tell me about your granddaughter. How is Qinglan doing these days?"
Seeing that Luo Chen refused to discuss the matter further, Fu Chaosheng felt rather helpless.
Had he not shared a close relationship with Luo Chen, why would he have bothered making this trip?
Yet before the great tide of events, personal friendship could hardly shift anything.
With a touch of gratification, he said, "With your help, Qinglan took first place in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven Competition. She has now entered Mount Lanke to cultivate. She was taken as a disciple by Ancestor Chunyuan of Zuowang Peak, received the true scriptures, was granted divine abilities, and is about to reach the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Once she emerges from seclusion, she will likely travel the outside world for experience. If you have the chance then, you can meet with her."
"Almost mid-Nascent Soul? That cultivation speed is truly remarkably fast!"
Luo Chen was quite pleased as well. Knowing that woman was doing so well meant his efforts back then had not been in vain.
Fu Chaosheng explained, "A Nascent Soul cultivator who comprehends Law True Intent in advance naturally cultivates far faster than ordinary Nascent Souls. They can leverage that Law True Intent to stir the world's origin qi, absorbing and refining the spiritual qi best suited to them, advancing their progress by leaps and bounds."
A simple explanation, yet it completely resolved the doubts that had puzzled Luo Chen regarding his slow cultivation over the past decades.
Was this the foundation of the Mountain Sea Realm's greatest power?
Luo Chen naturally understood the principle now.
Had the Law True Intent he comprehended back then also been fire-attributed, his cultivation efficiency would have surpassed Fu Qinglan's.
Yet contrary to desires, he had taken a divergent path, leaving him stumbling along despite possessing an immense foundation.
"What about the others?" Luo Chen asked about the past.
He had left the Central Plains in great haste at the time, and had never learned the final outcome of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven Competition.
Over the years, the intelligence he received had been sporadic due to the Dao Sect's military campaigns; the fact that a single letter from Perfected Tianshan took so long to arrive was proof enough.
"Aside from Qinglan, the only ones who succeeded in the grotto-heaven competition were Mingyan, Gu Yuan, and Shi Ju."
"Mingyan goes without saying; she is the representative of the master-disciple lineage. In the end, Perfected Longyuan's efforts merely paved the way for her."
"As for Gu Yuan's situation, you've probably heard Fellow Daoist Gu speak of him, yes?"
"As for Shi Ju..." Fu Chaosheng paused, cautioning, "You must be wary of him. He bears grudges deeply. You destroyed his lightning-path avatar, and that enmity will not be easily set aside—especially since the Shi clan dotes heavily on this junior."
Luo Chen chuckled dryly. "Hearing you put it like that, I dare to return to the Tianyuan Dao Sect even less."
While they were speaking, two figures appeared above Tianming Palace.
The three halted their conversation.
Before long, Perfected Qideng hurried down.
His face was pale, as if badly shaken, yet his overall aura remained intact.
Even in war between two armies, emissaries were not put to the sword.
Earlier, when Chongming of the Mingyuan Sect visited the Tianyuan Dao Sect to attend the ceremony, he too had returned unharmed.
Naturally, Perfected Qideng faced no real danger on this trip.
Yet that pale face suggested he had faced the Almighty directly and had received a severe scolding.
Perfected Qideng cast Luo Chen a resentful glare.
"The mountains are high and the waters flow far—we shall meet again. Farewell!"
Before his words had faded, he flung his sleeves and departed in anger and fright.
Fu Chaosheng looked at Luo Chen and said with a complicated tone, "Luo Chen, take care."
Luo Chen parted his lips, but in the end could only offer: "Fellow Daoist, take care!"
Tan Sheng watched this with a genial smile. When the trio was halted by the formation barrier, he turned to Luo Chen and said, "I shall go see them off. Hall Master Alchemy Saint, feel free to head back; just treat the Mingyuan Sect as your own home."
Luo Chen gave a wry smile.
He had gained yet another home!
With tangled emotions, Luo Chen descended Mount Yanfu and flew toward the Alchemy Saint Hall.
One heading south, one heading north, two streaks of escape light flew in opposite directions.
To Heaven and Earth Peak, he truly could not return.
Suddenly!
A furious roar erupted on Mount Yanfu, blasting through the heavens!
"To come uninvited is to be a hostile guest!"
Luo Chen spun around sharply, thinking at first that Perfected Qideng and the others had done something to enrage the Mingyuan Ancestors.
Yet in the very next moment, a peerlessly breathtaking golden fire phoenix soared into the sky!
That golden fire phoenix engulfed everything in sight.
Swift as a clap of thunder.
Violent as a raging tidal wave.
Wherever it passed, the void shattered inch by inch, spreading black fissures thousands of feet long.
The grand formation of Mount Yanfu, tightly guarded to shut out all outside forces, disintegrated instantly under this devastating impact.
Three auras, imposing as the might of heaven and earth, surged upward in unison, each unleashing an attack at the golden fire phoenix.
Boom!
A deafening collision reverberated across millions of li.
Luo Chen felt as though he could hear nothing at all; blood seeped from his ears, his facial features contorted violently, and his formidable physical body was battered and torn by the terrifying upheaval of origin qi.
Through his blurred vision, Tan Sheng, Fu Chaosheng, Gu Zuokai, and even the late Nascent Soul Perfected Qideng, who had not yet traveled far and were caught directly in the path, were pulverized in an instant, reduced to ash and blown away!
Alarm bells blared madly in his mind. Forcibly stabilizing his body, Luo Chen fled in wild panic like a madman.
And in his heart, there was only one answer.
'Monarch Qixia has arrived!'
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Amid the agonizing sounds of splintering, void fissures danced wild like black serpents, and boundless origin qi swept across all directions.
And Mount Yanfu, which had stood proud in the nine heavens for three thousand years without falling, collapsed and plummeted!
Three figures shot out of Mount Yanfu like arrows released from a bowstring, barring the way before an extraordinarily beautiful woman in shock and fury.
"Master of Mount Cangwu!"
"Ancient Demon Phoenix!"
"Monarch Qixia!"
Faced with their furious shouts and demands, the woman remained completely unmoved.
Dressed in crimson, she stood in the sky, her gaze seemingly contemptuous, yet equally indifferent.
Unlike the languid state of having just awakened that Luo Chen had seen on Mount Cangwu years ago, Monarch Qixia was now bathed from head to toe in an overbearing majesty that brooked no defiance.
Her sword-like brows slanted high into her temples, while the corners of her eyes were adorned with three gilded phoenix plumes in dark patterns. Her phoenix eyes, when half-closed, resembled an ancient pool reflecting the moon, yet upon snapping open, they revealed amber vertical pupils gleaming with needle-sharp brilliance.
Paying no heed whatsoever to the three, she cast her gaze into the falling Mount Yanfu, her melodious voice carrying a mild reprimand.
"I told you long ago not to meddle in Di Tian's affairs, or you would never have fallen to such a state."
Amid the churning black waves on Mount Yanfu, a wisp of cyan light gradually rose.
From within came a feeble voice.
"Qinghe had no desire to vie for supremacy between the two races, but I had to carve out a sanctuary for the Qinghe spirit clan."
"Overestimating your strength!"
Monarch Qixia gave a cold snort and swept her wide sleeve; offering no resistance at all, the cyan light flew into her sleeve.
Then, on her striking, majestic face, her willow brows bristled with wrath.
"Now, it is time for this Monarch to settle the score of your repeated provocations against my Mount Cangwu!"
Chapter 907