Somber black armor.
A dazzling jade belt.
A tall crown like a towering peak.
Golden plumes like razor-sharp blades.
As he stepped forward, his Floating Wave Steps were elusive and unpredictable, yet between movement and stillness he possessed the vigor of a soaring dragon and leaping tiger, an imposing presence that choked the breath from one's chest.
When Luo Chen, who had been refining his magic treasure in seclusion within the unnamed barren mountain, emerged into view, Cheng Bai felt as though a demon king had stepped out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, bearing a suffocating stench of slaughter right before him.
*Gulp...*
Cheng Bai swallowed hard despite himself and dropped to his knees without hesitation.
"Junior Cheng Bai greets Senior!"
Luo Chen looked down at the man at his feet and said in a gruff voice, "Your name matters not. This seat wishes to know who this Cave Master Minglei is, and which faction he hails from."
With his head bowed low, Cheng Bai replied in a trembling voice, "Cave Master Minglei belongs to no sect or school. He achieved the Dao as a rogue cultivator, and he is the sole Nascent Soul Perfected cultivator among the Thirty-Six Cave Masters of Wind-Thunder Gorge."
"A rogue cultivator?"
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. Since when was it so easy for rogue cultivators to attain the Nascent Soul realm?
In the vast North Sea, the only famous Nascent Soul rogue cultivators were the Three Great Loose Cultivators.
Now, having just arrived at the Southern Border, had he already run into another dragon rising from the common grass?
Cheng Bai nodded repeatedly and recounted Cave Master Minglei's rise to prominence.
Wind-Thunder Gorge had originally been a perilous, desolate place that no major faction looked upon with favor.
Only because of its numerous scattered, fragmented spirit veins did it attract many helpless rogue cultivators who risked coming here to cultivate.
Over time, the title of the Thirty-Six Cave Masters arose.
Back then, most of the Thirty-Six Cave Masters were merely in the Foundation Establishment realm, with an occasional Golden Core master being a rare exception.
They gathered together, minding their own business. If oppressed by major outside factions, they would huddle together to weather the storm and resist foreign enemies.
However, in the last two or three centuries, things had gradually begun to change.
Many cave masters inexplicably made remarkable progress in their cultivation, their realms surging.
In particular, Cave Master Minglei had weathered countless trials and tribulations to finally become a Nascent Soul Perfected cultivator, dominating the thirty-six caves.
Listening to this, Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Over the last two or three centuries..."
While he muttered to himself, Cheng Bai breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted, cautiously looking up.
Gazing at that youthful countenance, he voiced the question in his heart.
"Junior boldly asks: could Senior also be a Nascent Soul Perfected cultivator?"
"Oh?" Luo Chen looked at him with a faint smile that was not a smile. "What if I am, and what if I am not?"
Cheng Bai forced a smile. "My cave master loves making friends with—"
"Speak the truth!"
Cheng Bai shuddered and hurriedly said, "Wind-Thunder Gorge has seen an abundance of experts emerge in recent years, and rogue cultivators have enjoyed rapid breakthroughs. The nearby Feng clan, the largest Nascent Soul clan in the region, believes Wind-Thunder Gorge is a hidden treasure trove and intends to seize it. Although my cave master is formidable, he only achieved his Nascent Soul recently and lacks connections. Facing the Feng clan's covetous eyes, he is at his wit's end. In particular, the Feng clan has been making frequent moves of late, inviting allies far and wide in an attempt to invade and occupy Wind-Thunder Gorge, which has become my cave master's greatest worry. His painstaking cultivation of the *Flashing Thunder Art* is precisely because the Feng clan's Grand Supreme possesses outstanding movement techniques and remarkable escape speed, and my cave master sought to make up for his own shortcomings..."
"Cut the chatter!" Luo Chen snorted softly. "You might as well say outright that you wish to enlist this seat's help."
Cheng Bai nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, it is as Senior says! If Senior could lend a hand, the thousands of cultivators across the thirty-six caves of Wind-Thunder Gorge would be eternally grateful. And if this lowly one introduces a powerful master, it would be considered a great contribution, perhaps earning me a modest reward."
This last remark was at least candid.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen asked bluntly, "Are there benefits?"
Cheng Bai opened his mouth, momentarily stunned by such an unvarnished demand for compensation.
Seeing this, Luo Chen waved his hand. "Forget it. When the time comes, this seat will claim them directly from Cave Master Minglei."
With that, he turned and walked toward the cave dwelling.
"Wait outside!"
Cheng Bai breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he had survived this ordeal.
He had feared that this old monster would slaughter him out of hand without asking any questions.
As for whether introducing a powerful expert to his cave master would bring fortune or disaster, that was a matter for later and had nothing to do with him; he only cared about surviving the present.
The only remaining question was whether this old monster was truly strong enough.
The man had not even confirmed whether he was a Nascent Soul Perfected cultivator.
Just as Cheng Bai was feeling uneasy, a voice boomed in his ears like a clap of thunder.
"Though this seat is not in the Nascent Soul realm, an ordinary Perfected cultivator cannot withstand my bare fists!"
Cheng Bai's mouth dropped open slightly as two words echoed in his mind.
*A body cultivator!*
***
Inside the crude cave dwelling, Luo Chen looked at the utter shambles—appearing as though gouged by blades, hewn by axes, struck by lightning, and scorched by fire—and his heart sank.
With a thought, the Hunyuan Cauldron materialized before him, spinning smoothly.
Spiritual qi welled deep within it, its brilliant light restrained.
Though not ostentatious, anyone who saw it would know at once that it was a rare treasure of the world.
Naturally, there was nothing wrong with the Hunyuan Cauldron; its condition was exceptional, far surpassing its former peak.
Especially after smelting the Living Earth from the Five-Colored Pagoda and most of the five elements materials into it, its weight and solidity had reached an indescribable level. Even in their heyday, True Artifacts focused on weighty suppression like Motian Cliff or Baizao Mountain could hardly compare.
The problem lay in the smelting process.
At that time, it had inexplicably drawn down a 'heavenly tribulation'!
The gathering dark clouds and flashing lightning that Cheng Bai had witnessed earlier were simply the anomalies produced while Luo Chen was refining his natal magic treasure.
Although it was not a genuine heavenly tribulation—merely drawing upon a bit of stray lightning power lingering between heaven and earth—the Hunyuan Cauldron was still only a True Artifact, far from the level of a Spirit Artifact!
*How could it summon even a faint lightning tribulation?*
Luo Chen naturally did not believe the fault lay with the Living Earth. No matter how extraordinary Living Earth was, the amount was minuscule, and it was merely a crafting material.
If it had such a side effect, how would Shenyuan have dared to use it in combat all these years?
Soon, he realized the two anomalies residing in his natal magic treasure.
One was the gray light from the Land of the Fallen Demon. To this day, he had not deduced what it was; he only knew that after it merged with his treasure, his success rate in refining treasures and pills became astonishingly high, and it could even assist in refining lightning power.
If the gray light had drawn it down, that was certainly possible.
The other was the rank-five divine gu extracted from his son Luo Lingxi's body—the Tribulation Gu!
Thinking of the latter, Luo Chen's mood darkened considerably.
The hidden peril of the Tribulation Gu was far greater than ordinary people imagined.
Even Valley Immortal Feng Jiang could not suppress it and had been forced to lock himself inside Fengxian Valley.
Even so, Fengxian Valley suffered from constant earthly calamities day in and day out, leaving no peace.
*Could it be that after absorbing the Tribulation Gu, my natal magic treasure gained the property of attracting calamities and summoning tribulations?*
*This is definitely not a good thing. If I summon the Hunyuan Cauldron in battle and end up drawing down heavenly tribulation strikes instead, I will only bring disaster upon myself.*
With shifting expressions, Luo Chen's mood wavered as he began a series of actions.
He cast one restriction after another onto the Hunyuan Cauldron, temporarily sealing it away.
This was the best method he could think of for now.
Sealing his natal magic treasure would prevent it from causing trouble during daily cultivation or sudden battles.
Fortunately, what Luo Chen lacked least at the moment was weapons.
Perhaps those other treasures were not as versatile as the Hunyuan Cauldron, but in terms of singular destructive power, they were not far behind.
Especially the Yuantu Sword, a slaughtering True Artifact that was already infinitely close to becoming a Spirit Artifact. It was never drawn lightly, and once drawn, it invariably tasted blood, surpassing even the Hunyuan Cauldron in pure lethality.
*However, I must also consider the possibility that my reputation has spread to the Southern Border. If someone recognizes my habitual methods, it will hinder my travels here.*
As he pondered, Luo Chen flicked his wrist, and several treasures appeared before him.
There was a slender needle glowing with brilliant golden light, five dull, pitch-black awls, a sword pellet spinning ceaselessly, and a thick, grayish-white stone club.
The stone club bore a prominent sword mark—the very scar left when the Yuantu Sword had slashed it years ago.
After some thought, Luo Chen swallowed the sword pellet into his Violet Palace.
While the Great Five Elements Sword Formation was formidable, it was unmistakably an immortal path method, hardly fitting his current persona as a 'body cultivator.'
Moreover, during the great battle at Lingtian Pass, he had repeatedly employed the fledgling Great Five Elements Sword Formation, so certain people were already aware of it.
That left the other three treasures.
The Soul-Weaving Needle and the Law-Suppressing Five Elements Awls came from the hands of the Great Demon Emperor, Commander Baizu; one attacked the divine soul, while the other sealed Dharmic power.
The stone club, named the Huantian Staff, originated from the Great Demon Emperor Huang Man. It had undergone almost no refinement, relying purely on its extraordinary material to become a mighty weapon comparable to a True Artifact.
*Using these three as my primary offensive methods, combined with the Xuanchen Armor, the Nine Luminaries Jade Belt, the Mountain-Leveling Crown, the two Life-Snatching Golden Plumes, and the Cloud-Stepping Boots, should be more than enough.*
Muttering to himself, Luo Chen moved swiftly.
The golden needle slipped beneath the base of his tongue.
The black awls were embedded within the lining of his belt.
As for the thick stone club, it shrank steadily in his hand until Luo Chen, struck by a sudden whimsical thought, playfully tucked it into his ear.
Patting his ear, Luo Chen broke into a grin.
"All set!"
Only then did he boldly step out of the cave dwelling that had served as his brief shelter.
If outsiders learned that Luo Chen had prepared eight True Artifacts just to travel the Southern Border, their jaws would surely drop.
With such lavish assets, where under heaven could he not go?
He was simply too cautious!
***
"What is this?"
The sudden inquiry nearly made Cheng Bai's hand tremble, almost crushing the illusory little insect.
Turning around, he saw the senior from before.
Taking a deep breath, he respectfully presented the little insect in his hand.
"This is a Formless Gu larva. It prefers to parasitize crawling demon beasts and devours their essence and blood once mature."
Luo Chen frowned and took the larva, inspecting it closely; it looked much like an earthworm.
"What use does it have?"
Cheng Bai was somewhat astonished. Was this senior unfamiliar with gu insects?
The Formless Gu was renowned throughout the Southern Border; there was no one who did not know of it!
Perhaps noticing his confusion, Luo Chen said indifferently, "The path this seat walks is different from that of ordinary gu cultivators. I walk the path of a body cultivator, and I have spent these years wandering through the wild wastes, so I am not very familiar with such little trinkets."
*So that's how it is.*
Cheng Bai nodded, then could not resist saying, "This is no mere trinket! Once mature, if a cultivator refines it, they can shift formlessly and move with extraordinary agility."
"The Grand Supreme of the Feng clan possesses an exquisite wind escape technique that ordinary people cannot even touch. My cave master has been deeply troubled by this. With great difficulty, he obtained the *Flashing Thunder Art*, but because he lacks a Formless Gu, he has been unable to get started."
"Though the Formless Gu in Senior's hand is still a larva, if accelerated with secret methods, there might be a chance to mature it ahead of time to help my cave master master the art."
Luo Chen was surprised. *Using gu insects to aid in cultivating spells?*
He knew that the Southern Border had such cultivation practices.
Using various gu insects to aid cultivation was standard; from Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, the shadow of gu insects permeated the entire lives of Southern Border cultivators.
Yet he had not expected they could also be used to assist in mastering spells.
Inexplicably, he recalled his brief clash with Perfected Tianshan.
The man had once unleashed swordsmanship, and thinking back now, that sword art seemed to have been executed using a gu insect.
A sword gu?
And now a movement technique gu?
Then were there suitable gu insects to aid body cultivation?
At that thought, Luo Chen's heart thudded rapidly.
Ever since reaching the mid-fourth rank, his body cultivation progress had been excruciatingly slow.
His self-created *Convergence of Myriad Paths* yielded meager results.
Later, it was only through the batch of thousand-year Five Temples Immortal Brew procured by the Black King that his body cultivation advanced bit by bit, beginning with his internal organs, until it barely reached Desolate Ancient Stage Four 61/100.
Measured by immortal cultivation realms, this was roughly equivalent to the sixth layer of Nascent Soul.
While this appeared comparable to his current Qi Refinement realm, one had to remember that Luo Chen's body cultivation had once far outstripped his Qi Refinement; when he reached the fourth rank in body cultivation, he had only been in the mid-Golden Core realm.
After all these years, his Qi Refinement had actually caught up with it.
One could see just how sluggish the progress was.
Furthermore, the stock of thousand-year Five Temples Immortal Brew was limited. Every jar drunk was one fewer, and after all these years, only five jars remained.
Luo Chen could not bear to keep drinking them, deliberately saving them for emergencies.
If he could find a method in the Southern Border to make his body cultivation progress soar once more, then this trip would be well worth it, regardless of whether he could locate the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor.
Of course, Luo Chen suppressed the urge and did not press Cheng Bai with further questions.
A senior expert naturally had to carry the poise and demeanor of a senior expert.
An old monster who had remained secluded from the world could not behave like an ignorant newcomer.
In particular, his current persona was entirely distinct from that of Luo Chen the Alchemy Grandmaster.
Under Cheng Bai's eager gaze, Luo Chen tossed the Formless Gu larva back to him.
Then!
He turned!
And pressed down into empty air!
*Boom!*
Before Cheng Bai's widening eyes, the unnamed barren mountain that had previously drawn countless demon beasts in worship was crushed into fine powder by a colossal force.
Dust billowed across the earth, and shockwaves shattered the void.
A surging wave of air rolled forward relentlessly.
Luo Chen brushed his sleeve and said calmly, "Let us go!"
Cheng Bai swallowed hard as a gust of wild wind swept him up, carrying him into the clouds alongside Luo Chen.
Without any flying magic treasure, nor any visible display of vast Dharmic power, they simply soared rapidly through the sky.
Cheng Bai pointed out the direction, and Luo Chen sped swiftly toward it.
After a long silence, Cheng Bai finally asked with profound reverence and caution, "Junior boldly asks: how should I address Senior?"
Amidst the howling wind, Luo Chen's voice rang out like forged steel into his ears.
"This seat is Qi Tian. Before their deaths, some enemies also said my conduct was exceedingly overbearing and tyrannical, so I gained the Daoist title Baxiu."
Baxiu Qi Tian!
Cheng Bai firmly etched this wildly arrogant name—one claiming equality with the very heavens—deep into his heart.
Chapter 935