Three days later.
An ordinary-looking man with dark skin walked out of Lingtian Pass along with the surging crowd.
His footsteps paused for a moment beside the boundary stone carved with the two characters "Lingtian."
"Ye Lingtian may be dead, but at least he left behind a few traces in this world."
Muttering to himself, the man set off toward the nearest region, the Spirit Severing Domain.
Today's Spirit Severing Domain was utterly devoid of spiritual energy, long since unfit for cultivators to dwell in.
Therefore, several large nearby factions had relocated a vast number of mortals here to multiply and thrive.
Every decade or century, these factions would regularly hold Immortal Ascension Assemblies here to recruit youths endowed with spiritual roots.
In a way, it ensured that this formerly treasured land did not go entirely to waste.
The man's figure descended into a canyon.
The canyon was deep and long, stretching for a hundred li.
Within it, miasma hung thick and wild beasts roared unceasingly, making it resemble a forbidden zone for the living.
This place was now called "Fallen Immortal Valley." Rumor had it that several decades ago, a mighty immortal had perished here.
Before dying, he had split the mountains and earth with a single saber strike, carving out this awe-inspiring chasm.
And Luo Chen knew that the figure in question was the former master of the Spirit Severing Domain—the sect master of the Tyrant Saber Sect.
He stood in Fallen Immortal Valley for a short while, glanced behind him with a faint, knowing smile, and then his figure flickered, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
A moment later, three figures cloaked in black robes appeared where he had just vanished.
They exchanged glances in disbelief.
"The fat sheep slipped away?"
"How is that possible? Didn't we plant Butterfly Lure Powder on him?"
"If he could detect the Butterfly Lure Powder and vanish into thin air right under the noses of three Core Formation cultivators, I'm afraid he is far from as simple as he appears on the surface."
"Then what do we do now?"
"He spent with lavish extravagance, tossing around high-grade magic treasures and rare materials like water. He must have reaped a massive harvest from the Netherworld Abyss. Letting him slip away like this leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."
"Forget it. At least it was a fair trade, and given how capable he is, let's leave it at that!"
The three dark figures talked for a moment before departing Fallen Immortal Valley with lingering reluctance.
After they departed, high up in the empyrean, Luo Chen slowly withdrew his gaze.
"Truly, in a great forest, every kind of bird can be found."
"Back when Lingtian Pass was under military martial control, freedom was restricted, but transactions never had such troubles."
Shaking his head, Luo Chen could not be bothered to wipe out these juniors.
Black-market trading carried risks, as everyone knew.
One common scheme was when sellers sold goods only to turn around and rob both the buyer and their merchandise back—pure zero-cost brigandage.
He had already gained more than enough; taking action would only complicate matters needlessly.
Indeed.
During his three days in Lingtian Pass, relying on lavish spending in the black market, Luo Chen had gathered a massive amount of Soul Essence.
In quantity, it amounted to at least three bottles of Ten-Million Soul Essence.
And that was in just three short days.
Given enough time, he could have gathered far more!
It might sound exaggerated, but upon careful thought, it was only natural.
The method for refining Soul Essence had originally been disseminated with Lingtian Pass at the center.
Later, during the war between humans and demons, how many tens of millions of demon beasts and cultivators had perished?
Through the clandestine gathering of opportunistic figures, and even the illicit refinement by extremist demonic cultivators, vast quantities of Soul Essence had entered black-market circulation over mere decades.
Luo Chen had once personally witnessed cultivators collecting souls on the battlefield to refine Soul Essence.
It was easy to imagine that once someone devised a method to utilize Soul Essence, its value would skyrocket even further.
Mighty figures strapped for resources would surely take reckless gambles to refine Soul Essence for exorbitant profits.
"I wonder if I, the instigator of it all, will face karmic retribution in the future?"
Luo Chen chuckled softly and flew toward the Luotian Domain.
He had already gathered almost all the necessary intelligence regarding the Luotian Sect.
All in all, during the eight years since his departure, the Luotian Sect had made no grand moves. Adhering to his instructions before leaving, they had not aggressively recruited hordes of new disciples after the war like other Nascent Soul upper sects.
Likewise, no major disasters had befallen them.
They had merely acted as mediators, stepping in a few times to reconcile disputes between Core Formation factions within the Luotian Domain.
That was more than enough.
...
Several days later, Luo Chen's figure appeared atop Motian Cliff.
His divine sense swept across the mountain, cast toward several locations.
Instantly, it provoked a wave of startled, wary responses.
"Who is it? Who dares spy on this old man!" Lingfengzi awoke abruptly from his secluded cultivation.
"Master's divine sense?" Bai Meiling was both shocked and delighted, recognizing Luo Chen immediately.
"Husband!" Gu Caiyi was cultivating on Motian Cliff herself and was the first to rush out of her seclusion chamber. The familiar white robes caught her eyes.
Luo Chen smiled and took her into his embrace.
Her voice choked with tears. "Why didn't you give us any warning before coming back?"
"Isn't this me saying hello?" Luo Chen chuckled, then furrowed his brows. "Where are the others?"
Wiping the corners of her eyes, Gu Caiyi said rapidly, "Two years ago, Huiniang heard that a major incident occurred over at the Mingyuan Sect. She set off with people without a moment's rest, and I don't even know if she has arrived yet. Shalongzi and Qin Yuanjiang personally escorted her, along with her disciple Yao Mingyue."
Luo Chen had anticipated that such a situation might arise and was not surprised.
What was strange was that he hadn't detected Wang Yuan.
Right at that moment, a figure flew in from the distance, astride fierce astral winds.
Only when the man was visible to the naked eye did Luo Chen detect his approach.
Luo Chen was thoroughly astonished.
Once the visitor touched down, Luo Chen asked, "You've stepped into the fourth realm of body refinement and achieved the Flawless Golden Body?"
For a fourth-realm body cultivator, the transformation went far beyond a massive extension of lifespan.
Most importantly, one could seal all circulation of qi and blood within the body, maintaining peak condition until the very end of one's natural lifespan.
Unlike qi-refining and spirit-refining cultivators, whose physical aging was impossible to halt due to their focus on qi and soul, a fourth-realm body cultivator remained physically timeless.
It was precisely because Luo Chen's vast divine sense had swept past without sensing Wang Yuan's presence at all that he had deduced Wang Yuan must have attained the Flawless Golden Body.
Wang Yuan nodded. His expression was calm, though a hint of gratification shone in his eyes.
"I knew you wouldn't fall so easily."
Luo Chen laughed heartily. "You certainly have confidence in me!"
Wang Yuan sighed helplessly. "What choice did I have? I heard that the battle over at the Mingyuan Sect involved Soul Formation grandmasters. No matter what moves we made, it would have been utterly futile."
Luo Chen agreed wholeheartedly.
Before Soul Formation grandmasters, all were mere ants.
Sima Huiniang's frantic departure was born of excessive worry for him and their son; Luo Chen understood it well.
As they spoke, the other two arrived quietly.
Lingfengzi looked at him in disbelief. "You're still alive?"
Bai Meiling stepped to Luo Chen's side in excitement. "Master!"
Luo Chen nodded in acknowledgment, greeting them before waiting for the final person.
After quite some time, Li Yingzhang's figure finally appeared atop Motian Cliff.
Seeing Luo Chen again, his face was filled with equal excitement.
"Yingzhang pays respects to Supreme Elder!"
"No need for formalities." Luo Chen waved his hand and walked toward the palace in the mountains. "Let's sit down and talk. There is a matter that requires your agreement."
Snapping out of their joyful shock at Luo Chen being alive, everyone curiously followed him into the palace.
Before long, Li Yingzhang's reluctant voice drifted from inside:
"We have to abandon the Luotian Domain that we fought so hard to conquer?"
...
Luo Chen's return caused little stir.
In the entire Luotian Sect, only his intimate Dao companion, the Nascent Soul cultivator Lingfengzi, and a few others were aware.
Li Yingzhang was privy to it only because of his special status as Sect Master of the Luotian Sect.
Apart from them, the sect's five hundred disciples remained entirely in the dark that their Supreme Elder was not only alive, but had already returned to the sect.
Much less the scheming outsiders.
They were all still immersed in the immense shock brought by the destruction of the Mingyuan Sect.
In just three short years, concrete news had only gradually filtered to such remote regions.
Whenever the various factions of the Luotian Domain discussed the situation, they invariably brought up Luo Chen, the Alchemy Master, who had departed the Luotian Sect years ago for the Mingyuan Sect with great fanfare.
With even the Mingyuan Sect destroyed, Alchemy Master Luo Chen was surely dead as well.
In that case, without their greatest backer, did the other factions now have a chance against the Luotian Sect?
Yet after evaluating the situation, everyone discovered to their despair that there was no opportunity at all.
The Luotian Sect still had Nascent Soul True Person Lingfengzi holding the fort.
Though Battle Demon Wang Yuan had kept behind closed doors all these years, he had once accomplished the terrifying feat of battling a Nascent Soul expert.
Moreover, it was said that Ghost Chant Peak within the Luotian Sect occasionally saw the haunting presence of a Ghost Emperor.
Three Nascent Soul combatants were more than enough to suppress any petty troublemakers in the domain.
Even the Lin and Gu clans, stationed in the two neighboring domains to monitor the Luotian Sect, had not dared make the slightest move over the past three years.
From this alone, one could see the sheer depth of the foundation Luo Chen had left behind.
Under these circumstances, news of moderate significance began to circulate.
Qu Lingjun, the sole direct disciple of Alchemy Master Luo Chen, had successfully broken through to the Core Formation stage before his lifespan expired!
Whether to dispel the gloom surrounding the Supreme Elder's supposed death or to stabilize morale, the Luotian Sect used the occasion to hold a Core Formation Grand Ceremony.
However, this ceremony was strictly internal, with no outsiders invited to attend.
Upon receiving the notice, Luotian Sect cultivators scattered across the region dropped what they were doing and rushed back to the sect.
...
Half a year later.
A sea of clouds surged atop Motian Cliff.
A hundred-zhang jade platform rose from the ground, flanked by sixty-four suspended coiled-dragon pillars.
Green banners cascaded from the sky like waterfalls, and grand flags embroidered with talismans snapped fiercely in the wind.
All of this grandeur had been prepared for a single person.
Yet as Qu Lingjun walked through it, there was no joy on his face; instead, he was steeped in gloom.
Meng Qin'er took his arm and comforted him, "Husband, today is your great day. Why look so crestfallen?"
Qu Lingjun sighed. "Forming a golden core and living up to Master's expectations is indeed a joyous occasion for me. But with Master now having passed to the Netherworld, how could I possibly be happy?"
He gestured toward the surrounding red silks and colorful streamers, anger tinging his face.
"We should be clad in plain mourning white. Why make it so celebratory?"
Meng Qin'er explained in a soft voice, "These were all arranged by Sect Master Li. He wants to use your Core Formation Grand Ceremony to dispel the sorrow and solidify the hearts of the sect. After all, you are the Supreme Elder's only direct disciple."
Qu Lingjun opened his mouth, yet said nothing. He could understand the Sect Master's good intentions, but it was hard to accept that the moment he emerged from secluded cultivation, he was greeted with news of his master's demise.
On his most glorious day, the person he wanted to see most was that man who was like a master and father to him.
Yet now, his own glory was being used to overshadow that man's influence within the sect?
As Luotian Sect cultivators walked up the mountain on foot and saw Qu Lingjun on the square, they bowed respectfully one after another.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle Qu!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Qu!"
While cultivators judged seniority and status by cultivation realm, when realms were comparable, the order of sect entry dictated generational hierarchy.
Qu Lingjun was undoubtedly an elder statesman of the Luotian Sect; anyone who met him had to address him with respect.
Meng Qin'er squeezed Qu Lingjun's solid hand. "Cheer up, husband. You still have to take the stage later to lecture on the Dao and share your insights on Core Formation."
Qu Lingjun sighed. "What is there to say? I merely piled up resources to reach this point..."
As the words left his mouth, an idea struck him.
He would never allow his master's existence to be forgotten, least of all overshadowed by his own success.
In that case, he would seize this day to preach the very insights his master had shared upon forming his core all those years ago!
...
As sandalwood incense curled upward and all disciples assembled, the ceremony commenced.
Lingfengzi led the disciples of Misty Peak into the venue; Wang Yuan, accompanied by Shalongzi who had rushed back, took high seats at the elders' bench; and beside Li Yingzhang stood Qin Yuanjiang, Yao Mingyue, and other Core Formation cultivators who had disappeared for the past two years. With their arrival, this strictly internal Core Formation Grand Ceremony was declared officially open.
Qu Lingjun drifted onto the platform and looked around.
Countless thoughts swirled in his heart.
Although the sect had not actively recruited new blood over the years, they had still replenished their ranks somewhat, numbering around five hundred people now.
It was roughly comparable in scale to when they had left Dahe Mill years ago.
Regrettably, that most familiar face was missing after all.
Even his two master's wives hadn't shown their faces.
Steadying his mind, Qu Lingjun recalled the scene when his master had emerged from seclusion after forming his core all those years ago, and slowly spoke:
"The Great Dao flows from deep and ancient springs, the exalted secrets of the True Immortals; how could common ears discern their grace?
The Innate Qi of Pre-Heaven naturally parts the clear from the turbid.
Without knowing the inversion of Kan and Li, who can tell the sinking and floating of Metal and Wood?..."
Inside the palace, Luo Chen, having just comforted Sima Huiniang after her hurried return via teleportation formation, was taken aback as the chanting outside reached his ears.
"That kid..."
Wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, Sima Huiniang choked out, "Isn't that the Core Formation verse you chanted when you came out of seclusion back then?"
Luo Chen nodded. The more he listened, the more certain he was.
That poem had been written on a whim, born of his insights before and after forming his core. Once it spread, it had indeed exerted immense influence.
Many low-level cultivators in Tianlan Immortal City who lacked methods for Core Formation had later pieced together their own path by deciphering that very verse.
The soaring renown he later enjoyed as the Alchemy Master owed some of its credit to that poem.
Now, Qu Lingjun had borrowed it word for word without changing a single syllable.
Whether he was being lazy or doing so deliberately, Luo Chen could only guess.
"Husband, Lingxi..."
"He's alive as well. You'll be able to see him before long."
"Alive is good... As long as he's alive," Sima Huiniang murmured.
"Furthermore, I've also found a path regarding his cultivation."
Sima Huiniang froze, radiance bursting in her eyes once more.
Luo Chen did not elaborate, however, merely handing her a small booklet. In it were recorded the cultivation methods for Demonic Heart Gu cultivators taught by Feng Jiang, the Valley Immortal, back then.
"It's time for me to make an entrance."
Luo Chen strode outward. Gu Caiyi and Sima Huiniang followed close behind, as though terrified he might vanish again.
On the square.
The Luotian Sect disciples wore puzzled expressions.
Why was Qu Lingjun expounding on the Core Formation Dao that the Supreme Elder had already disseminated all those years ago?
Wasn't this old news?
Why would this sect senior keep his own insights to himself instead of sharing them?
Seeming to sense the discontent below, Qu Lingjun paused atop the jade platform.
"What I spoke of just now was the Core Formation Dao of our Luotian Supreme Elder."
"Perhaps you are already familiar with it, but by no means should you look down upon this treatise passed down through the realm. The deeper one studies it, the greater the harvest."
"I hope that once you return, you will pay closer attention to the many treasures left behind by the Supreme Elder."
"Of course, I also have insights of my own. Though they may not compare to those of the Supreme Elder, I am willing to share a few with you all."
With that, he plainly shared his experiences and insights from before and after his breakthrough: the preparations made, the difficulties encountered, how he broke through the bottleneck, and how he swiftly stabilized his cultivation realm.
His words might not have been as profound or complex as Luo Chen's had been, but they were more detailed and carried a distinctly personal touch.
The square gradually quieted down as high-level cultivators and low-level disciples alike listened attentively.
When Qu Lingjun finished speaking, the crisp sound of someone clapping in admiration suddenly rang out.
"Well said!"
"Truly worthy of being my disciple!"
"I bestow upon you a True Artifact, the Snowfall Frost Robe, capable of warding off fire poison."
"I bestow upon you a Cauldron of Fortune, once used by the Alchemy Saint, capable of greatly enhancing pill quality."
Amid Qu Lingjun's disbelief and the clamorous uproar of the crowd leaping to their feet, Luo Chen slowly stepped into view.
Meeting pair after pair of stunned eyes, Luo Chen smiled faintly.
"I'm back!"
Chapter 917