Amid the azure void, a shuttle gleaming with a dull, dark light drifted forward like a phantom.
It moved at astonishing speed, yet because its hull was draped in the pelt of a Wuguang beast, it gave off virtually no aura.
Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator were present in the area, it would be difficult to detect the Frost Eagle Shuttle without spreading their divine sense and scouring their surroundings with great care.
Inside the shuttle, once the initial wave of excitement over Luo Chen's safe return had subsided, an unsettled murmur gradually took over.
"Why did we leave the Luotian Domain all of a sudden after running it for eighteen years?"
"It came out of nowhere! One moment we were listening to Martial Uncle Qu's sermon, and the next, the Supreme Elder appeared out of thin air and hustled us onto the shuttle."
"I still have a rare high-tier spirit herb planted in my cave estate!"
"Junior Brother, that's nothing! I placed a custom order at Lingtian Pass for a cultivation-assisting treasure, and I already handed over both the materials and the deposit! Leaving now means I lost everything!"
"Will Xiaowan wait for me to come back?"
"The Panshi Gang and the Tianlang Society have been fighting tooth and nail lately. They paid a hefty sum to ask me to mediate as a neutral party! Now that I've left without a word, I'm afraid they'll..."
"So, where on earth are we heading?"
When that final question was tossed out, it seized everyone's attention in an instant.
Immediately, a heated debate broke out.
In contrast to the noisy cabins where the disciples stayed, Luo Chen's quarters were relatively quiet.
Only Qu Lingjun stood by his side, listening attentively to Luo Chen expound upon various points of caution regarding cultivation in the Core Formation stage.
These were the duties expected of a master, and Luo Chen was no exception.
At this moment, Qu Lingjun had not only achieved the Core Formation stage, but he had also changed into the robe Luo Chen had given him. Draped over him, it gave him a vibrant, spirited air, finally sweeping away the weariness and exhaustion of years past and replacing it with a dash of untrammeled ease.
"As I thought, this robe never suited me—it suits you much better."
The Snowfall Frost Robe was a water-attribute True Artifact crafted specifically for alchemists to ward off the encroaching fire poison that one might contract over years of refining pills.
Yet Luo Chen's attainments in fire arts were already profoundly deep; he had no need for such protection.
In fact, wearing it for long periods even made him feel faintly uncomfortable.
Qu Lingjun gave a slight smile, then glanced outside with a hesitant look.
"Master, shouldn't you step in and manage things out there?"
Luo Chen waved his hand and replied calmly, "There is no need to interfere. When we left Dahe Mill all those years ago, didn't we go through the exact same thing?"
Qu Lingjun nodded in understanding, an expression of nostalgia entering his eyes.
Back then he had been just a child, but having lost both of his parents early on, he had matured far ahead of his years.
He knew the tale of the Luotian Sect leaving its ancestral home like the back of his hand.
In those days, the Luotian Association had only a handful of members and possessed hardly any cohesion, boasting few experts to speak of.
When they set out, many had found it just as agonizing to tear themselves away from their homeland.
After their departure, they had encountered demon kings barring their path, faced disdain from the locals of Taishan Market, and suffered grievous losses when ambushed along the way.
Yet in the end, hadn't they settled down in Tianlan Immortal City all the same?
Furthermore, adapting to a new environment had allowed the Luotian Association to achieve new breakthroughs, eventually growing into the Luotian Sect of today.
He firmly believed that whatever decision his farsighted master made would certainly prove best for the sect's present development.
However, just because Luo Chen chose to ignore the disciples' anxieties did not mean no one would address them.
Right on cue, Li Yingzhang appeared before the gathered disciples.
"Sect Master!"
"Sect Master!"
Facing pair after pair of curious, puzzled eyes, Li Yingzhang paused briefly before explaining the reason for their departure and the destination of their journey.
"The demon race has massed its armies beyond the Far East Six Domains. You are all surely aware of this news.
"What you may not know is that the Tianyuan Dao Sect has landed in the Eastern Wastelands.
"Yes—that very colossus from the Central Continent, a power that even eclipses the Mingyuan Sect!
"From here on, whether the demons mount a fierce resurgence or the Dao Sect fights to secure its foothold, the Eastern Wastelands' cultivation world will inevitably be plunged into a tempest of blood and gore.
"Our Luotian Sect has endured countless trials. Even after eighteen years of rest and recuperation, we have yet to fully recover our strength, and we can hardly compare to those established Nascent Soul upper sects. Were we to be dragged once more into the vortex of a war between two races, you can all imagine what our fate would be.
"Surely none of you wish to return to those days of living hand to mouth, never knowing if you would see tomorrow!
"Therefore, looking out for the future of our sect, the Supreme Elder risked his life to cross the Ming Abyss and secure a blessed land for the Luotian Sect—one that is in no way inferior to the Luotian Domain.
"Once there, our Luotian Sect will simply withdraw into our blessed land to form a realm of our own, undisturbed by the changing of the seasons outside!"
A disciple asked curiously, "Where are we going?"
Li Yingzhang answered steadily, "To the former grounds of Mingyuan, the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land!"
At this answer, gasps of astonishment rippled through the shuttle.
They might not understand the significance of the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land, but who did not know the sheer weight carried by the words "former grounds of Mingyuan"?
That was the cultivation sanctuary of the Mingyuan Sacred Land, the former hegemon of the Eastern Wastelands!
"But haven't we heard that the Mingyuan Sect was submerged beneath boundless Ming Water? How will we get inside? And must we hide there for the rest of our lives?"
Having once asked these very questions himself, Li Yingzhang now answered with absolute confidence.
Luo Chen had long since given him the answers.
"As for how we shall cross the Ming Abyss, the Supreme Elder naturally has his methods; you need not worry on that front.
"As for when we will throw open our gates and reestablish contact with the outside world?"
Li Yingzhang paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd filled with earnest expectation.
"When your cultivations reach fruition and you are capable of weathering any tempest the cultivation world can throw at you, that will be the day the Luotian Sect opens its gates, and its disciples walk the Mountain and Sea Realm once more.
"Everyone, devote yourselves to cultivation!"
...
Li Yingzhang made no effort to soundproof his address to the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement disciples.
Many Core Formation cultivators and high-ranking figures of the Luotian Sect extended their divine sense and heard every word.
This saved Luo Chen the trouble of having to explain it to each of them individually.
Only after listening did they truly understand the Supreme Elder's painstaking intentions.
Although the Luotian Sect boasted a good number of formidable experts, in terms of foundational heritage, it genuinely lagged behind the older, established Nascent Soul upper sects.
Were they to be thrust into another brutal war between humans and demons, their fate would likely be far grimmer than before.
Seeking out a secluded refuge to focus on diligent cultivation—was that not entirely aligned with the worldly wisdom of "amassing grain, building high walls, and delaying claiming the throne"?
In truth, this move was also made possible by the fact that the Luotian Sect currently had relatively few members.
Had they been a slightly larger Nascent Soul upper sect, executing such an exodus would never have been so simple.
As the saying went, a small boat turned easily!
Inside the cabin, Luo Chen withdrew his divine sense and looked at Qu Lingjun.
"At ease now?"
Qu Lingjun gave a smile. "With Master here, my heart is always at ease. It's just that I previously promised Qin'er that once I formed my core, I would accompany her back to Fenghua Palace for a visit. Now, I'm afraid that journey won't come to pass."
"There will be opportunities in the future."
Luo Chen rose with a sigh and walked alone to the window.
Before his eyes stretched the boundless, featureless expanse of the azure void, punctuated only by scattered starlight, evoking an inexplicable sense of loneliness.
Fortunately, with his disciples, his family, his friends, and several hundred grand-disciples who revered and admired him around him, he was not nearly as lonely as he might have imagined.
"Still, once I break through this azure void in the future and ascend to the Immortal Realm, I suppose I will become a solitary figure all over again, won't I?"
Thinking of what lay so far ahead, Luo Chen could not help but chuckle.
That was far too distant!
...
Several months later, a flying vessel charged intrepidly into the forbidden peril of the Ming Abyss without anyone noticing.
At that moment, celestial thunder ignited earthly fires and spatial rifts appeared layer upon layer, leaving every cultivator of the Luotian Sect trembling in fear.
Under these perilous circumstances, Luo Chen stepped out of the shuttle alone.
"Come out!"
Releasing his divine sense, the black turtle lingering in the area gradually surfaced beneath the waters.
Seeing it, Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief.
Without this black turtle to carry them, ferrying all the Luotian Sect cultivators inside by himself would have required an immense amount of effort.
Now, things were far more convenient.
The Nirvana Holy Fire unfurled, enfolding the Frost Eagle Shuttle as it plunged into the Nether Abyss.
Then, it landed atop the black turtle's back.
At the same time, Luo Chen stowed the shuttle away, allowing all the members of the Luotian Sect to lay eyes upon the black turtle.
Cries of awe and astonishment immediately rang out.
The black turtle seemed somewhat displeased by so many people standing on its back, snorting jets of hot breath from its nostrils.
"Remember their auras—they are all members of my sect,"
Luo Chen said calmly, then waved his sleeve.
"Let us go. To the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land!"
The black turtle let out a low bellow, black light radiating from its body to shroud everyone. With a great plunge of its massive frame, it dove deep into the depths of the Ming Abyss.
The once-renowned Luotian Upper Sect vanished completely from the eyes of the world, swallowed beneath the surging waves.
Some said they had been wiped out by enemies of Luo Chen, the Master of Alchemy, leaving not a single soul alive.
Others said that experts from the Tianyuan Dao Sect had arrived and carried the Luotian Sect cultivators away, claiming someone had truly spotted Dao Sect powerhouses near Motian Cliff.
Still others claimed that Luo Chen had not perished at all, but had survived, and that fearing retribution from the Tianyuan Dao Sect for changing his allegiance, he had led his entire sect into hiding within some spiritual paradise in the Myriad Mountains to cultivate.
All manner of conjectures circulated, none agreeing with the other.
Yet hardly anyone could have guessed that the most dangerous place was the safest, or that Luo Chen had actually led his followers into the Nether Abyss—a realm now regarded as a death trap of this world.
...
Crossing the Nether Abyss this time proved far easier than before.
Luo Chen knew the general route, had the black turtle that had grown up here to carry them, and kept his divine sense extended to guard their surroundings. In barely two months' time, they arrived at the entrance to the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land.
Under the curious gazes of the gathered cultivators, a sudden light flared from within the Alchemy Saint Hall, which had been so eroded by Ming Water that its original form was unrecognizable.
A massive dragon head poked out from within.
"Master, you've returned!"
"Yes."
Luo Chen nodded, waving his hand for everyone to enter.
Sima Huiniang was the very first to rush forward, unable to wait another moment to see her son, Luo Lingxi.
Luo Chen called Li Yingzhang to a halt, the two of them trailing at the very rear.
"Supreme Elder?" Li Yingzhang looked at Luo Chen in confusion.
Luo Chen retrieved a thick sheet of beast hide.
"Recorded here are the detailed conditions of the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land: the grades of the various spirit veins, the general distribution of medicinal herbs and ore deposits, as well as the hazardous areas I have already scouted. I leave this map in your hands. The rest of the sect's construction will fall to you."
Li Yingzhang respectfully accepted the blessed land's map. At a single glance, his eyes went wide.
No wonder the Supreme Elder had claimed earlier that the new sect grounds would only be superior to the Luotian Domain, never inferior.
In that single glance, he spotted the five most prominent landmarks.
All five were fourth-tier spirit veins!
To think that the vast Luotian Domain possessed only a single fourth-tier spirit vein, with so few cave estates that could be developed for Nascent Soul cultivators to cultivate in.
Yet within this blessed land, there were five of them!
Any single one was on par with Motian Cliff, and carving out a few cave estates would easily accommodate a dozen or two dozen Nascent Soul True Persons cultivating side by side.
His shock naturally did not escape Luo Chen's notice.
Had Luo Chen himself not reacted the exact same way at first?
Later, upon reflection, he had realized it was only natural.
As a spiritual haven held in high esteem by all three founding patriarchs of the Mingyuan Sect, the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land had served not merely as a sanctuary in times of cataclysm; the fact that it had nurtured a fifth-tier spirit mountain like Mount Yanfu was proof enough of its profound reserves.
Later, it had been sealed away for centuries by the Alchemy Saint Chu Yan, allowing its internal spiritual energy to become even more abundant.
In the future, it might even have the hope of ascending to a fifth-tier spirit vein once more!
For such an extraordinary domain to support a mere few hundred cultivators of the Luotian Sect was more than enough.
After handing off the various administrative affairs of the sect to Li Yingzhang, Luo Chen entered the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land as well.
The first thing he saw was Luo Lingxi standing with his arms held out as Sima Huiniang embraced him, completely flustered and looking thoroughly embarrassed.
The others watched the scene with curiosity.
They thought to themselves that after eight or nine years apart, the Supreme Elder's son had grown even more handsome and extraordinary, especially those eyes of his, which were practically a mirror image of the Supreme Elder's.
However, the onlookers were soon called away by Li Yingzhang.
They did not dwell on him either; after all, he was merely an "incapable" youth who could not cultivate.
At eighteen years of age, he had yet to manifest a shred of spiritual power. If that wasn't an incapable weakling, what was?
Near the exit, only Luo Chen's family gradually remained.
Gu Caiyi stood beside Luo Chen, smiling. "Huiniang, stop clutching your precious son. He's grown so big now—save him some face in front of others!"
"Mother?"
Luo Lingxi called out sheepishly, and Sima Huiniang, as if jolted from a dream, finally loosened her tight embrace.
"My son, you have no idea how much your mother worried about you all these years. Especially when I heard that the Mingyuan Sect..."
Luo Chen walked over and said calmly, "He has grown up and matured. There is no need to treat him like a child anymore."
Sima Huiniang caressed Luo Lingxi's cheek, which was now framed by firm, defined contours, no longer bearing the sickly, frail appearance of his youth.
Matured?
In her eyes, Luo Lingxi was still far from being a grown man!
"Father!" Luo Lingxi greeted Luo Chen respectfully.
"Mm. Spend some good time keeping your mother company over the coming days. She has missed you terribly."
"Your child understands."
Luo Chen nodded and moved past him.
Yet the moment their shoulders brushed, a faint ripple stirred in Luo Chen's heart. He turned back and scrutinized Luo Lingxi closely.
The young man could hardly be called broad-shouldered or burly, but having practiced some martial arts, he had indeed shed his former frail appearance.
Why, then, had a trace of unease just surfaced within him?
Sweeping his divine sense over the boy, Luo Lingxi seemed completely transparent before him.
There was nothing abnormal anywhere across his body, save for that most familiar Demon Heart Gu.
"Father, is there anything else?"
Facing Luo Chen, Luo Lingxi appeared somewhat nervous.
Luo Chen furrowed his brows slightly and said it was nothing.
Yet as he departed, he beckoned Black King over.
Man and dragon soared into the boundless, open sky.
"During the time I was away, did anything happen in the blessed land?"
"Reporting to Master, nothing major occurred. We merely suffered an assault by a wave of low-tier ghosts midway through. But their target wasn't the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land itself; it was just that after the formations of the Alchemy Saint Hall were eroded, the medicinal fragrance of countless pills leaked out, inciting them to scramble for it."
"What about Lingxi?"
"With me around, there's no way anything could happen to the young master!"
"That is good, then!"
Luo Chen suppressed the unease in his heart, convincing himself that it was merely because he had not seen Luo Lingxi for a while, causing the rapport they had so painstakingly built between father and son to grow slightly distant again.
Black King asked curiously, "Master, where are we heading now?"
Luo Chen's gaze sharpened, fixing upon a mountain peak bustling with busy figures.
"An old friend has slept for far too long. It is time to wake her."
The massive dragon descended upon a third-tier spirit mountain brimming with pure spiritual energy, drawing the eyes of a gathering of female cultivators.
Fairy Jueqing walked out from among them and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder. Greetings, Lord Black King."
Luo Chen waved his hand. "No need for formalities. Take me to see Fellow Daoist Canglong!"
Fairy Jueqing's eyes lit up, and she promptly led the way.
Chapter 919