Come at Me All at Once!

On the plain. The white-robed monk held a monastic cleaver in one hand and raised an upright palm seal with the other. The monastic cleaver was pitch-black, exuding billowing demonic qi. The palm seal was solemn and austere, the source of the golden bell's phantom image. Two extreme auras converged upon a single person, yet they blended with extraordinary harmony. Facing Luo Chen high above, his expression remained tranquil as he spoke mildly, "This poor monk's Buddhist Dharma name is Juening. Of course, Benefactor may also call me by my secular name before taking monastic vows—Ning Yuzhuo!" When the name "Ning Yuzhuo" was spoken, Luo Chen felt a jarring sensation of illusion intertwining with reality, of memory colliding with the present. Back when he traveled the Northern Sea with Han Zhan, Han Zhan had mentioned encountering a Northern Sea demonic cultivator in the Eastern Desolation in his youth who wielded pure, unadulterated demonic qi. In Canglong's dreamscape, he had witnessed that very demonic cultivator. Yet the man had not run rampant for long before an eminent monk of his generation, Monk Huiping, personally intervened and suppressed him. His name, too, was Ning Yuzhuo! Now looking closely at the man before him, whether in bearing and demeanor or the magic power he wielded, everything aligned with those fragmentary impressions. It had to be him! Luo Chen gave a free and easy laugh. "Very well. I do not kill the nameless. Since you have a name, take another move from me!" These words sounded utterly unreasonable and overbearing. What did having a name have to do with being forced to take another move? Yet Luo Chen's actions were even more domineering than they appeared. He trod upon empty air as if ascending a heavenly staircase, lotuses blooming with every step. Upon reaching the highest point, he suddenly whipped out a kick. His entire form streaked like an arrow loosed from a bow straight toward Ning Yuzhuo, wind and thunder roaring wherever he passed. Its momentum even surpassed the heavenly thunder summoned by Cave Master Minglei. Thunder Kick! Facing this kick, Ning Yuzhuo remained calm. The incantation seal pinched by his left hand bloomed anew. A massive golden bell materialized from his body, enveloping him. All of this took long to describe, but in truth it occurred the instant Luo Chen's words fell. Their collision was instantaneous. *Dong!* A resonant, heavy toll rang out. Ning Yuzhuo stood firmly in place, unmoving. Luo Chen's kick was held off outside the golden bell. Yet with Ning Yuzhuo's feet as the epicenter, the earth began to convulse violently. Ripples of soil and earthen waves spread outward like ripples on water. Ten li, twenty li, on through a hundred li, they rolled ceaselessly on. Ning Yuzhuo let out a muffled grunt. Dragging the heavy blade in his hand, he swung it slowly down toward Luo Chen. "Benefactor, the sea of suffering is boundless; turn back and the shore is at hand!" His expression was as benevolent as a Buddha or deity, while his swing was like a woodsman chopping firewood. This strike appeared utterly unremarkable, far lacking the grand momentum of before. Yet Luo Chen, at the center of the attack, had his eyes light up. Within the blade light, evil fiends whispered and divine Buddhas chanted, wave after wave of soul-beguiling sounds penetrating relentlessly into his sea of consciousness. Had it been an ordinary person, their mind would have unraveled on the spot, leaving them unable to resist this blade in the slightest. Yet Luo Chen, guarded at all times by the Prison-Suppressing Soul Art, remained entirely unfazed. He merely laughed aloud, "If you wish to help people cross the sea of suffering, why turn a blade against them?" Ning Yuzhuo, previously so composed, showed surprise on his face for the first time upon seeing Luo Chen move about completely unaffected. He clearly had not expected the other man to be impervious to his demonic whispers and Buddhist hymns. But now that the move was unleashed, how could he abandon it halfway? Ning Yuzhuo murmured, "Mortals are deluded, drowning in the sea of suffering, ever unwilling to depart. Thus this poor monk can only sever their sins for them." As he spoke, the blade light shifted once more! Gone was the patience meant to guide others toward virtue; instead, it turned wildly ferocious, as if a great fiend had descended upon the world. Its might was far fiercer than before, yet Luo Chen felt that the real danger had diminished significantly, making it much easier to counter. He surged forward, thrusting out both palms simultaneously. With pure physical power alone, he shattered the blade light to pieces. Demonic qi was violent, but was source power any less overbearing? The surging palm force pressed ceaselessly forward, assailing Ning Yuzhuo. Even when the golden bell phantom manifested once more, under the bombardment of Luo Chen's augmented source power, it could no longer hold its towering, unshakeable stance. *Boom!* Amid an earth-shaking roar, Ning Yuzhuo was shoved backward in a flat skid. Only after sliding hundreds of zhang did he finally come to a halt, his complexion stiff and frozen. Luo Chen straightened up and withdrew his stance, resting one hand behind his back as he clicked his tongue. "If you fall to the demonic path, fall to the demonic path. If you cultivate Buddhism, cultivate Buddhism. Fellow Daoist Ning, conflating the two like this truly makes for an unsightly mishmash!" As the words fell, across from him, Ning Yuzhuo seemed unable to suppress his internal injuries any longer. An unnatural flush flashed across his face, and blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth. The gaze he directed at Luo Chen was no longer peaceful as before, faintly tinged with a look of bewilderment. Luo Chen paid him no heed at all. Under the watchful eyes of thousands, he called out clearly to Feng Buyan and Daoist Yang inside Wind-Thunder Gorge: "Just the three of you dare covet my Brother Minglei's place of cultivation? Why not come at me all at once? I, Qi, am more than enough on my own!" His clear, ringing shout was laced with unmatched confidence. Yet none suspected him of empty bravado. From his sudden intervention that severely crippled Daoist Yang to exiting the gorge to face Ning Yuzhuo and force him back, in just a few exchanges he had revealed boundless, terrifying strength. Even Cave Master Minglei, who had harbored doubts about Luo Chen earlier, felt his heart quiver at this moment. Could it be that the man hadn't been boasting before? Anyone below Soul Formation could be fought? He could not see through the white-robed monk Ning Yuzhuo, but he knew Daoist Yang well. Yang was the Abbey Master of Qingyang Abbey, having attained the Nascent Soul stage three hundred years ago. His cultivation was around the peak of early Nascent Soul, merely half a step away from breaking through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Such a figure could not withstand a pair of flesh-and-blood palms from Qi Tian—a testament to the vast chasm in their strength. Now, with Luo Chen issuing such a proclamation, how would the enemies respond? Cave Master Minglei ceased his attacks on Feng Buyan and stepped aside to clear a path. Feng Buyan's expression flickered with suspicion and hesitation. He looked at the venomous, resentful Daoist Yang, and then at Ning Yuzhuo, whose demonic qi was surging. Suddenly, a shout rang out: "You neither fight nor retreat—what is the meaning of this?!" The voice boomed like a thunderclap, shaking everyone to the core. Under this single roar, tens of thousands of Feng clan disciples were thrown into turmoil, staggering and dizzy. Feng Buyan shuddered. "Forget it!" Daoist Yang was incredulous. "Brother Feng, he is only one man! If the three of us strike together, we might still win!" Ning Yuzhuo said nothing. His soaring demonic qi shrouded his white robes as he slowly raised the long blade in his hand. Feng Buyan sighed. "The matter cannot be accomplished. Withdraw the troops!" With that, he walked straight out of Wind-Thunder Gorge. Daoist Yang clutched his snapped wooden staff, unwilling to yield. Yet under Luo Chen's gaze, he instinctively averted his eyes, not daring to meet his look at all. Buddhist light resurfaced around Ning Yuzhuo, suppressing much of the demonic qi, and after a moment's hesitation, he sheathed his blade. At the entrance of Wind-Thunder Gorge, Cave Master Minglei stepped up to Luo Chen's side, a natural ingratiating smile on his face. "Brother Qi, thank you!" Luo Chen waved his hand. "No need to thank me yet. Repelling them this time is only an expedient measure. If I leave and they covet this place again, how will you respond?" Cave Master Minglei froze. Then, he quickly realized the critical importance of this window of opportunity. "We must sign a treaty and establish a non-aggression pact. Furthermore, Wind-Thunder Gorge must nominally belong to me... to us!" Luo Chen gave a faint smile. "Us?" Cave Master Minglei replied as if it were only natural, "Indeed. Brother Qi is one of the thirty-six cave masters of Wind-Thunder Gorge. Naturally, this place belongs to you as well." Luo Chen pointed a finger upward. "Does a territorial division involving Nascent Soul domains not require notification to the sacred ground, the Life and Death Gate?" "It was needed in the past, but now..." Cave Master Minglei shook his head. "Though I know not what has occurred with the Life and Death Gate, they can barely take care of themselves these days and have no patience to bother with such trivial matters." Luo Chen grew curious and wondered what could have happened to the sacred ground, the Life and Death Gate. Yet his face stayed calm, showing nothing. "If so, then go ahead and negotiate freely, Fellow Daoist!" Cave Master Minglei cupped his hands and left in high spirits. In the distance, the Feng clan army that had arrived in high spirits now returned dejectedly. None had expected that an expedition mounted with such fanfare would end so anticlimactically. The low-tier cultivators could not truly fathom which way the scales of battle had tipped. They only knew that after a brief clash, their Supreme Elder had backed down. This was a massive blow to morale. Feng Buyan naturally sensed the resentment below, but he could hardly explain. Luo Chen's prowess had exceeded all expectations. In just a fleeting clash, both experts he invited had suffered varying degrees of injury. He was well on in years. If he risked his life in a desperate fight, whether he could win was one question, but should he sustain any lasting injury, there would be no one left to shield the Feng clan. 'Wind-Thunder Gorge probably isn't that special anyway. It's just that the brat Minglei reached Nascent Soul too recently and has suffered minimal influence. There's no need to gamble the clan's future on it.' 'Tyrant Cultivator Qi Tian...' Feng Buyan murmured the name, his heart filled with doubt. No such figure had ever been heard of in the Southern Border! Could he also be an expert from an outer province like Ning Yuzhuo? Amid his speculations, he could not help but glance toward Ning Yuzhuo's quarters. From time to time, plumes of Buddhist qi and demonic qi billowed forth, making it impossible for living creatures to draw near. 'He has only been in the Southern Border for a dozen-odd years, yet his cultivation has progressed at breathtaking speed, a picture of blooming prosperity.' 'Yet judging from today, I fear he too has begun to show mutations.' 'Should I...' Just as a certain thought sprouted in his mind, a clansman reported from outside the room: "Supreme Elder, a message gu is hovering outside." "Who sent it?" "Cave Master Minglei!" Feng Buyan frowned and beckoned toward the outside. A moment later, a swift-like bird alighted upon his palm. After scanning its contents, he sneered. "The fellow certainly knows how to take advantage of a crisis!" Following his sneer, he was about to reject the negotiation when his hand suddenly froze. 'If I could borrow the strength of those two, no matter how bizarre Ning Yuzhuo is, taking him down should be child's play, shouldn't it?' ... "Senior Qi, this is your cave dwelling." A Golden Core cultivator respectfully presented a half-new, half-weathered cave dwelling to Luo Chen. With Luo Chen's discerning eye, he could naturally tell someone had inhabited it before, having vacated it only recently. In terms of spiritual energy density, it was considered top-grade among tier-three abodes, though it had not reached the threshold of tier-four. Cave Master Minglei's arrangement was not a slight, but an earnest fulfillment of his earlier promise. Luo Chen was now one of the thirty-six cave masters of Wind-Thunder Gorge! As a guest, he could temporarily lodge in Minglei Cave. Yet now that he was one of the masters, he deserved an abode of his own. "Senior, are you satisfied with it?" the Golden Core cultivator asked tentatively, his gaze toward Luo Chen brimming with reverent awe. Though the earlier battle had been exceedingly brief, it had left an indelible impression on everyone. A Nascent Soul True Person was already a being they had to revere, and Luo Chen, who had effortlessly thwarted Nascent Soul True Persons, was a pinnacle expert far beyond their reach! Luo Chen nodded. He wasn't particularly satisfied, nor was he displeased. It was merely a temporary dwelling. He casually asked, "Where is Cheng Bai?" The Golden Core cultivator paused, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he replied, "Cheng Bai has gone to the Wilds of Mist to seek treasures." "He only just emerged from there, yet he went back in?" Luo Chen was somewhat surprised. "Does Senior have an important matter to entrust? Junior can handle it on your behalf." "I do have some minor matters. Go and gather body refinement techniques for me. There are no restrictions on grade or type—as long as it involves body refinement, gather every single one you can find." Luo Chen mentioned no compensation, but the junior respectfully accepted the order nonetheless. Helping Cave Master Minglei secure Wind-Thunder Gorge was already the greatest repayment. A trivial errand like collecting techniques was nothing in comparison. Once the junior departed, Luo Chen finally quieted his mind. At this moment, the overbearing arrogance he displayed before outsiders was entirely gone, replaced by profound calm. "The strength of the Southern Border's Nascent Soul cultivators is weaker than I imagined!" A doubt arose unbidden. The strength he had displayed earlier was merely at the normal level of the mid-tier-four body refinement stage. In immortal cultivation terms, that was equivalent to the mid-Nascent Soul stage. As for the two enemies he faced, setting Ning Yuzhuo aside for the moment—Ning Yuzhuo, like him, came from an outer province, and his performance had not been poor, barely managing to hold his ground against Luo Chen head-on. Yet Daoist Yang, a cultivator of the third layer of Nascent Soul, had been utterly clumsy. His control of his lifebound magic treasure was clumsy, and his circulation of magic power was stingy and hesitant, giving off a distinct feeling of... being bound hand and foot! 'Right, bound hand and foot!' 'Even Feng Buyan's voluntary retreat later—was he apprehensive about an all-out battle of life and death?' 'I had prepared to deploy all my True Artifacts, perhaps even assume my true form to suppress all three with thunderous force, yet I didn't need to use any of it.' 'What in the world are they so apprehensive of?' Luo Chen found it completely baffling. Finding no answer after hard thought, Luo Chen decided to wait until Cave Master Minglei returned to inquire about the situation. Having some leisure now, he thought of Ning Yuzhuo, with whom he had just crossed blows. He was indeed worthy of being a true disciple of the Northern Sea's Yuan Demon Sect—his talent was truly exceptional! Suppressed beneath the Tianji Zen Sect for hundreds of years, once freed, he had not only broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, but had even cultivated Buddhist arts alongside his demonic ways. "Cultivating both Buddhism and demonism... I rather look forward to exchanging insights with him when we meet properly next time." Expectation showed in Luo Chen's eyes. Rumor had it that the Buddhist body refinement path of the Western Desert was the only one fully preserved in the Mountain Sea Realm. Who knew whether Ning Yuzhuo had cultivated arts in that area as well? Time flowed swift. After just one cycle of sunset and moonrise, Cave Master Minglei came knocking at his door. "It's settled!" Cave Master Minglei wore an irrepressible smile of delight. Luo Chen gave a faint smile. "That smoothly?" Cave Master Minglei laughed heartily. "With you intimidating him from behind, that old fellow Feng Buyan was naturally all polite words and pleasantries." The older one grew in the jianghu, the smaller one's courage became. This saying held equally true in the cultivation world. The murderous aura Luo Chen displayed earlier was exceptionally rare. Feng Buyan feared that if negotiations soured, they would take the fight straight to the Songtao Mountain Range. After laughing, Cave Master Minglei's expression turned slightly solemn. "Although Feng Buyan acknowledges that Wind-Thunder Gorge will belong to me henceforth and is even willing to trade and cooperate, he raised a condition. Provided it does not involve life-threatening danger, he hopes the two of us can take action on his behalf once." Luo Chen shook his head and refused without a second thought. Seeing this, Cave Master Minglei was not surprised. "I guessed you would react this way and warned him of the possibility in advance. I don't think he will insist." Then, Cave Master Minglei casually added, "Feng Buyan was quite curious about your origins. Great as the Southern Border is, a body cultivator with accomplishments as profound as yours could never be an unknown, so he asked me to inquire about your background." Once those words were uttered, silence fell over the cave dwelling. The smile on Cave Master Minglei's face slowly faded. He looked at Luo Chen somewhat uneasily. He saw Luo Chen looking back with a faint, knowing smile, an inscrutable expression upon his face. "Brother Minglei, I wonder if you have ever heard the saying: 'He who peers into deep abysses invites misfortune; he who fathoms hidden secrets courts calamity'?"