"Yes, I have arrived."
Through the hazy morning mist, a white-robed figure stepped forth like a banished immortal.
Still so young, still so unhurried, and what was more...
"Still as cautious as ever, are you?"
Sensing Luo Chen's divine sense sprawling out in all directions, Old Fu couldn't help but chuckle.
Having confirmed there were no other Nascent Soul cultivators within the Divine Talisman Sect, Luo Chen drew back his divine sense and gave an apologetic smile. "My situation is a bit complicated. Please bear with me, Elder."
Old Fu nodded. "I know. Guest Elder of the Central Plains' Star Gate, Hall Master of the Minyuan Alchemy Saint Hall, after all."
That Luo Chen had ties to the Tianyuan Dao Sect was no secret; many were aware of it.
After all, back when the Luotian Sect had established the Luotian Treasure Pavilion, it was backed by the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance.
However, very few people knew that he was a guest elder of the Star Gate—only Castellan Lingtian and a handful of others.
Hearing Old Fu mention this, Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly.
"Cultivators from the Dao Sect have been here?"
Old Fu made no attempt to conceal it, answering frankly, "These days in the Eastern Desolation, which major force of any renown hasn't received a visit from the Tianyuan Dao Sect's cultivators?"
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to press further, Old Fu shifted the topic.
"However, the one who came to visit me was a woman. Her name—Fu Qinglan."
"So it was her!"
Luo Chen's expression turned slightly complicated. He had not expected her to come to the Eastern Desolation as well.
In all likelihood, she hadn't come solely for him, but for her grandfather as well!
Seeing that Luo Chen indeed knew her, Old Fu clicked his tongue in admiration. "From what I know, that woman is an influential figure of immense standing within the Tianyuan Dao Sect, and her master is an exalted Soul Formation expert. To have such a dazzling prodigy travel ten thousand li just to seek you out—you truly live up to your name as Danzong Luo Chen!"
Luo Chen gave a bitter smile. "Elder, don't tease me. If we really were to cross paths, we might end up drawing blades against each other."
Old Fu furrowed his brows in confusion. "Surely not. Her attitude seemed decent enough to me; she appeared only to want to meet you once. In fact, because of you, my Divine Talisman Sect even received some measure of protection."
Luo Chen suddenly asked, "Then did you arrange to meet me this time on her behalf?"
Old Fu quickly waved his hands. "How could I ever expose your whereabouts? Holding onto my last breath just to wait for you to appear was nothing more than my own final wish."
As he spoke, the aura of decay clinging to him became increasingly difficult to conceal.
Old Fu was already quite advanced in years, yet he had fought battles time and again.
In particular, during a major battle at Lingtian Pass, he had been severely wounded by a Demon Emperor. Even with the aid of Luo Chen's pills, his lifespan had inevitably suffered.
Now his end was nigh, poised between dawn and dusk.
Amid the heavy atmosphere, Old Fu managed a faint smile.
"You've traveled far and exerted yourself. Come, have a cup of warm wine!"
It was midwinter; outside, snowflakes swirled thick and fast, wrapping the world in silver.
Scenic as it was, the biting chill was unavoidable.
More importantly, for a Nascent Soul upper sect to lack the formations and barriers needed to alter the climate and temperature was enough to lay bare the Divine Talisman Sect's current plight.
Luo Chen remained silent, drinking the spiritual wine Old Fu had warmed.
Once the warmth settled in his stomach, he asked, "You asked to meet me—surely it wasn't just to see an old friend one last time before departing?"
Old Fu sighed. "The reason behind it goes back to the matter I mentioned earlier."
That matter?
Luo Chen was puzzled for a moment, but quickly realized.
The Tianyuan Dao Sect cultivators visiting the various major sects of the Eastern Desolation!
Seeing that Luo Chen understood, Old Fu nodded.
"With Minyuan's destruction, Tianyuan took over the Eastern Desolation. Their first act was to bring the Dongyang Sect, formerly Minyuan's vassal, under their heel. Their second act was to relentlessly hunt down the remnants of the Minyuan Sect, ensuring that this hegemon who reigned over the Eastern Desolation for three thousand years would never rise from the ashes. People you and I have seen before, such as Gu Hong and Lin Yonghua, are either dead or on the run. And as for the third matter—cough, cough..."
Old Fu coughed twice, his gaunt, withered face flushing slightly red.
Once he smoothed his breathing, he gave a self-deprecating smile. "My apologies. This frail frame of mine truly can't hold out much longer."
Luo Chen showed his understanding, a trace of sorrow in his eyes.
Old Fu's condition was beyond the reach of medicine.
His ailments had accumulated to an irremediable degree, and on top of that, he had already reached the limit of his lifespan.
Even if Luo Chen offered him longevity-extending herbs, it would be a drop in the ocean, granting him mere days or months at best.
It was even likely that Old Fu had long tried various longevity techniques, rendering ordinary methods utterly ineffective.
Old Fu exhaled a long breath of turbid air and continued slowly, "The third matter: due to unusual movements among the demons of the Million Mountains, who have deployed their armies outside the Far East Six Domains, the Tianyuan Dao Sect must shoulder the burden of confronting the demon beast host if they wish to rule the Eastern Desolation.
"They possess the strength, but clearly, their heart is not in it.
"They pay lip service to the duty, but in practice, they issue directives to our various sects, intending to use us as cannon fodder to battle the demons.
"The Dao Sect cultivators who visited previously came with that very objective.
"My Divine Talisman Sect had it slightly better. Thanks to you, Fairy Qinglan merely instructed us to craft more talismans rather than deploying to the front lines. But..."
Old Fu looked up at Luo Chen, bitter resignation writ across his face.
"As you know, once a war devolves into a quagmire, who could truly remain untouched?"
Luo Chen agreed with this view.
Hadn't the ancient sects of the Eastern Desolation held similar hopes in the past?
Yet under the rampage of the demon armies, hadn't the sects residing safely in the rear ended up swept into the turmoil all the same?
"As for my Divine Talisman Sect's present state, you just swept through with your divine sense, Luo Chen, so you must have a general idea!"
Luo Chen replied frankly, "The disciples are quite numerous. A cursory sweep showed well over a hundred thousand, so it seems you haven't been idle at all these past years, Elder."
At its weakest, the Divine Talisman Sect had been reduced to barely ten thousand members.
To multiply that number so drastically in just over a decade was testament to Old Fu's tireless efforts in his twilight years.
Most likely, his current exhausted state was heavily tied to that mental and physical drain.
"Yet among them, worthy talents are few and far between!" Old Fu murmured. "Long ago, I began nurturing successors, but they either died or were crippled, or like Yehua, whom I finally managed to groom with great difficulty, departed for the Yellow Springs before me.
"Even if I've built back our foundation, once I pass away, what difference is there between a massive Nascent Soul upper sect without a Nascent Soul cultivator to oversee it and an empty shell?"
Luo Chen frowned in confusion. "Back then, didn't I give you three entire Nascent Soul Formation Pills?"
Old Fu smiled bitterly. "They were all used. The remaining two were given to others, but both attempts failed. In the end, our foundation was too shallow."
Without hesitation, Luo Chen said, "If they weren't enough, I still have spares on hand. I can give you one or two more, Fellow Daoist."
"You are generous indeed!" Old Fu evidently hadn't expected Luo Chen to be so openhanded as to offer more Nascent Soul Formation Pills on the spot. However, he waved his hand. "Forget it. My Divine Talisman Sect has its own methods for forming a nascent soul, and the pill is merely a helpful supplement. The biggest issue right now is the lack of suitable candidates to nurture!"
What good were pills?
Without suitable talent, no matter how many Nascent Soul Formation Pills one had, they could never raise a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Considering how much effort and time Luo Chen had expended helping Canglong through her tribulation, one could imagine how arduous the path was.
Back then, Old Fu had poured everything he had into nurturing Master Yehua.
Yet the youthful Master Yehua, lacking sufficient prowess, had preceded Old Fu into death.
Consequently, the Divine Talisman Sect now faced the precarious predicament of having no Nascent Soul cultivator to anchor it.
And for a Nascent Soul sect, the consequences of a severed succession of top-tier experts were unimaginable.
"Luo Chen, I have an unreasonable request. I hope you will agree to it!" Old Fu said with utmost solemnity.
Luo Chen vaguely guessed his intent and hesitated. "Do you want me to shelter the Divine Talisman Sect after you pass?"
Old Fu nodded, then shook his head.
"At first, that was indeed my thought. But your circumstances are complicated, and showing yourself might be inconvenient, so I abandoned the idea. Besides, how long could any shelter last? In the end, one must rely on oneself.
"Therefore, I wish to entrust a few people to you.
"You won't need to worry about their future cultivation resources; from Foundation Establishment all the way to Nascent Soul, I will arrange everything.
"All you need to do is take them away and settle them within your secluded Luotian Sect. Let them live and cultivate alongside the Luotian disciples, growing together.
"When their cultivation reaches fruition, regardless of what becomes of the Divine Talisman Sect in the future, they will be able to rely on our heritage to rebuild our sect."
An act of entrusting one's successors could go no further than this.
The scene felt somewhat familiar to Luo Chen.
He looked at the elderly man. "Aren't you afraid I might swallow those resources, or forcibly keep the promising seeds you chose for yourself?"
Old Fu looked at Luo Chen with a faint, knowing smile. "Would you?"
Luo Chen shook his head. He wouldn't.
Once he made a promise, he always did his best to fulfill it.
Hadn't it been the same with the Li family of Qinhua back then? Outsiders assumed Luo Chen would swallow the Li family whole, yet in the end, Li Yingzhang had become the Sect Master of the Luotian Sect.
Not only was the clan preserved, but Li Yingzhang's personal cultivation and status far surpassed the Li family's past peak.
Clearly, Old Fu had investigated these matters.
Moreover, he trusted that he hadn't misjudged Luo Chen!
After pondering for a moment, Luo Chen nodded. "Since this is an entrustment from a friend, and for me it is merely a small favor, I can agree to your request. However, I must inspect the candidates personally, lest someone undesirable slip in..."
Before Luo Chen could finish, Old Fu sent out a divine sense transmission.
Three figures walked in from outside the room.
"I know your concerns, which is why the three I selected all have clean backgrounds and grew up in the Divine Talisman Sect from childhood. Aside from their aptitude, I have tested their character and temperament; they won't cause any trouble for your Luotian Sect," Old Fu explained thoroughly.
Luo Chen hummed in acknowledgment and looked at the three young people who had entered.
Two men and one woman, all at the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Their cultivation wasn't high, but since Old Fu had chosen them as seeds for the sect's future, they had to possess extraordinary qualities.
Old Fu called out, "Why haven't you paid your respects to Senior Danzong?"
Without hesitation, the three bowed respectfully to Luo Chen, announcing their names one after another.
In particular, the young woman unexpectedly dropped to her knees before Luo Chen, performing a full kowtow.
"Junior Chen Dongling greets Senior!"
Though it was a great ceremony of respect, it also breached propriety.
A cultivator knelt only to heaven and earth, and bowed only to parents and masters.
While Luo Chen was a senior, he was not their master or kin, so such a grand gesture was unwarranted.
Unless they discarded their identity as Divine Talisman Sect disciples and fully joined the Luotian Sect, such a formal kneeling salute was out of place.
Of course, if someone had been frightened out of their wits and chose to grovel before the strong, that was another matter.
Old Fu frowned in displeasure. "Dongling, why be so discourteous?"
However, Luo Chen raised his hand, cutting Old Fu off.
His sharp gaze fixed intently upon Chen Dongling's face, which bore a striking familiarity.
He asked softly, "You resemble an old acquaintance of mine."
Chen Dongling spoke without hesitation: "My late mother was Chen Shuyi, hailing from Dahe Mill. During her lifetime, she often spoke of an elder brother who looked after her greatly when she lived in the market town. She rarely mentioned his name, but she frequently brought up the Daoist title Dan Chenzi. If I am not mistaken, Senior Danzong must be the elder brother my late mother spoke of!"
At these words, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators beside her turned to look at her in astonishment.
Even Old Fu was surprised, having never expected such a connection.
If that was truly the case, then Chen Dongling's deep bow just now was by no means an overstep.
For a moment, everyone turned their eyes to Luo Chen to observe his reaction.
Under their gazes, Luo Chen slowly nodded. "So you are Little Shuyi's daughter. No wonder your features felt so familiar."
Then, he asked, "The last time I saw your mother was on Danxia Mountain. After that, we went our separate ways to take part in the Luoyun Sect's opening war. What became of your mother afterward?"
Speaking of past events, a look of sorrow appeared in Chen Dongling's eyes.
"The opening war was manageable, but later, when vast swarms of demon beasts poured out of the Million Mountains, Mother and the others were trapped in Poyue Immortal City. Although she eventually broke out under the lead of the sect's seniors, she was gravely wounded. For decades afterward, her injuries flared up repeatedly, and after giving birth to me, her vitality was further depleted. Before she could ever reach Lingtian Pass, she passed away."
Hearing of her fate, even with Luo Chen's steadfast mind, a faint sense of daze and melancholy welled up within him.
Old Daoist Chen, Chen Shuyi, Fu Xiuxiu... The faces of those past friends surfaced in his mind one after another.
Each had their own fortunes, each their own end, but those who could ever meet again were few and far between.
Amid the somber atmosphere, Luo Chen looked toward Old Fu.
"I have seen the three of them. When I depart, I will take them with me."
Old Fu was overjoyed and urged the three, "Why haven't you thanked your Martial Uncle Luo?"
Martial Uncle Luo?
Luo Chen was taken aback. As the three offered their bows, he looked at Old Fu.
Old Fu replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "As the last seedlings of the Divine Talisman Sect, I have naturally taken them as my disciples. You and I are friends, and your realm is higher than mine. Is it not only right for my disciples to address you as Martial Uncle?"
What an opportunist, striking while the iron was hot!
Luo Chen smiled wryly, though he wasn't angry.
The man was at death's door; let him have his way.
In the next moment, in front of the three disciples, Old Fu placed a storage bag into Luo Chen's hands.
Luo Chen's brow furrowed. "This is?"
"Don't misunderstand. I know you possess noble integrity, Fellow Daoist, and would not covet such worldly possessions. But the resources within are simply too precious for their current realm. A man's wealth can bring him ruin!
"Therefore, I ask you to keep it safe on their behalf and distribute it as you see fit.
"The ancient texts inside record eight or nine-tenths of the essence of my Divine Talisman Sect's heritage. I fear that if they read them before their cultivation matures, it might harm their future path. Thus, I also hope that after you peruse them, you might offer them some guidance."
The heritage of the Divine Talisman Sect!
Luo Chen said in astonishment, "Isn't this gift far too precious?"
Old Fu said solemnly, "It is not a gift, but an old man's plea. I hope you will grant it, Fellow Daoist!"
In silence, Luo Chen accepted the storage bag.
"I may be somewhat busy in the days ahead, unable to lecture and instruct them constantly. However, their cultivation will not be neglected; I will have people watch over them."
Old Fu did not insist that Luo Chen teach them personally. "That is enough."
One could not place all eggs in a single basket.
Old Fu intended to live and die with the Divine Talisman Sect; even when his lifespan ended and he passed away, it would be within the Divine Talisman Sect.
Yet considering the fathomless future, sending out three seedlings and entrusting them to a friend was a necessity.
With matters settled, there was nothing else left.
Luo Chen prepared to leave with the three.
Old Fu naturally did not try to detain them, though a look of reluctance lingered in his eyes.
Whether he was reluctant to part with Luo Chen, reluctant to say goodbye to the Divine Talisman Sect's future hopes, or simply reluctant to leave behind the splendid world, words could not tell.
Suddenly.
Reaching the doorway, Luo Chen turned around, a smile gracing his face.
"I don't know if you prefer quiet or a lively scene, Elder, but I have a major matter to attend to. Would you care to come watch the show?"
Chapter 928