The cultivation forces across the five continents of the Mountain and Sea Realm each possessed distinct characteristics.
The Eastern Desolation was dominated by sects; the Western Desert was dotted with monasteries; the Northern Sea was ruled by major island forces; and while the Central Plains nominally fell under the authority of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, it was largely divided among cultivation clans of various sizes.
As for the Southern Border, its myriad forces were mostly organized as cults and sects.
For example, Perfected Tianshan, whom Luo Chen had known in the past, hailed from the Tianshan Sect.
The present Shadow Reflection Sect was no different.
From his brief contact with the Southern Border's cultivation world, Luo Chen had vaguely come to understand the reason behind this.
The crux of it lay in a single word: "Gu"!
Gu insects were deeply mysterious creatures. When it came to an unfamiliar Gu, ordinary cultivators would never dare use it as an aid in cultivation.
Only with trust from the bottom of one's heart would anyone dare to host a Gu within their own body.
Hence, the forces of the Southern Border took unique Gu insects as their foundation, developed doctrines around them, guided their disciples, and gradually formed all manner of sects and cults.
The Shadow Reflection Sect was precisely one such power.
Before a grand hall, two large red lanterns hung high above the entrance, while outside, shadows of trees rustled in the breeze.
Inside the hall, Luo Chen was toying with a shadow Gu he had casually asked from the Lantern Master out of curiosity earlier.
"I see!"
"By using the Gu's five senses, it records the general scene. A cultivator can then extract its memories, achieving an effect akin to painting imagery and capturing sound."
"Quite ingenious."
Luo Chen showed a hint of admiration, yet it was merely admiration.
It possessed ingenuity in abundance, but lacked true grandeur.
To a cultivator, it was little more than a trinket to pass the time when bored.
Just as he was about to put the shadow Gu away, a sudden thought struck him.
The Lantern Master had only given him the most basic rank-one shadow Gu. If it were a higher-ranked variety, might it possess other miraculous effects?
What if what it recorded was not merely sights and sounds, but other, far more extraordinary things?
'If I find the time, it might be worth inquiring about.'
Luo Chen stowed the shadow Gu away and prepared to rest.
He had no friendship with the Lantern Master; after a brief banquet, the two had parted ways.
By now, Cave Master Minglei was likely deep in conversation with the man.
"For a friend who stood by and watched in a time of great peril... had it been me, I doubt we'd exchange two sentences. It must be quite an ordeal for Minglei."
Luo Chen chuckled softly and made his way to the cultivation chamber.
Sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, he assumed his posture, and the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture immediately began to circulate.
Ever since he recommenced cultivating this natal cultivation method, Luo Chen's progress had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Soaring from the fifth layer of Nascent Soul to the sixth layer certainly owed much to the advantage of comprehending the Fire Origin, but it was also inseparable from the aid of this world's paramount fire-attribute cultivation method.
Moreover, possessing the Fire Spirit Body, his efficiency in drawing in and swallowing world spiritual qi far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.
At this moment, vast amounts of spiritual qi converged within the abode.
Without Luo Chen exerting much effort, it was effortlessly refined and absorbed.
Within his purple mansion, the miniature figure of his Nascent Soul had developed significantly compared to its initial infant state.
Looking at the contours of its facial features, it already faintly carried the appearance of a youth.
It was said that a cultivator's Primordial Spirit was nearly identical to the person themselves in demeanor, temperament, and appearance.
If his own Nascent Soul could reach such a stage, it would be no different from reaching Soul Formation!
At this moment, as Luo Chen continued to cultivate, the Nascent Soul miniature showed a serene expression—and was even extraordinarily lively, stirring with an urge to leave the purple mansion and roam across this vast heaven and earth.
Lively...
The instant the tiny Nascent Soul brushed against the thick barrier of the purple mansion, Luo Chen snapped to his senses with a jolt.
'Strange!'
'Why is my Nascent Soul so active?'
The so-called Nascent Soul was the fusion of the three treasures: essence, qi, and spirit.
When a Nascent Soul cultivator cultivated, the greater part of their divine soul was merged within it, governed by the cultivator's own will.
Under normal circumstances, during methodical, step-by-step cultivation, it could never be so active.
Otherwise, during prolonged cultivation, no matter how profound a cultivator's divine soul foundation might be, they would eventually feel fatigued.
It was just like even the cleverest person constantly racking their brains to solve problems—they would inevitably grow tired.
Yet now, without any deliberate prompting from Luo Chen, the Nascent Soul was this lively; it was truly abnormal.
Had the barrier of his purple mansion not been sufficiently sturdy, his Nascent Soul might well have slipped out to embrace this world.
'How could this be?'
Just as Luo Chen was about to delve deeper into thought, a faint stir came from outside the palace hall.
Frowning, he walked out of the cultivation chamber.
"Come in."
Cave Master Minglei, who had not waited long under the lamplight, walked inside carrying a faint scent of wine.
"My apologies for disturbing Brother Qi's cultivation."
Luo Chen waved a hand. "No matter. Did you and the Lantern Master have a good conversation?"
Cave Master Minglei offered a self-deprecating smile. "What good or bad could there be? It was nothing more than polite pleasantries and pretense."
At this, he sighed, full of wistful sorrow.
"I believed that rising from an obscure rogue cultivator to the Nascent Soul realm through sheer bitter effort would earn me everyone's respect. But only upon reaching this realm did I realize it isn't so simple."
"Those in the same realm still look down on me. With my humble origins and shallow foundation, anyone feels they can pinch and push me around."
"Feng Buyan was like this, which is why he chose to force my hand. The Lantern Master is the same, which is why he stood by and did nothing; he had no reason to offend the Feng clan for my sake."
"Thinking back, it was only by sheer stroke of luck that I managed to take part in that Nascent Soul gathering. When others refused to sell me the resources I wanted to buy, was that not also for this very reason?"
Luo Chen's brow furrowed tightly. Coming to find him in the middle of the night just to vent about this?
He spoke bluntly: "Are the opinions of others truly so important? In this cultivation world, it ultimately comes down to the weak falling prey to the strong, where might makes right. If you display sufficient overwhelming power, who would dare overlook you?"
Cave Master Minglei smiled wryly. "What you say is truth indeed, but increasing one's strength isn't as simple as eating or drinking water. Away from Wind Thunder Gorge, I am nothing more than an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator."
That was indeed true.
Because Wind Thunder Gorge accumulated vast quantities of thunder and lightning year-round, it provided ideal terrain and circumstances for cultivators who practiced that path in battle.
Yet once he departed, Cave Master Minglei's combat strength would suffer a steep discount.
Luo Chen gave it some thought and suggested, "If strength cannot be raised swiftly, prestige can. If you establish a force of your own, in time you will become the lord of a domain, and others will no longer ignore you."
This was a path Luo Chen had walked before.
Although troublesome, it was indeed effective.
Cave Master Minglei nodded in agreement. "In truth, I had that exact intention for this journey. But establishing a faction requires many things. For instance, heritage cultivation methods, core Gu insects, and even a spirit stone crafting method, among others."
"As for cultivation methods, that is fine; I possess my own set. Core Gu insects are far trickier, especially those that assist disciples in their cultivation—most of those are closely guarded secrets of various sects."
"The reason I swallowed my disgust and spoke with the Lantern Master just now was because I hoped to purchase some low-rank spirit-illuminating Gu from his Shadow Reflection Sect. As for going to Mount Mijie, it is because the Gate of Life and Death is sealed now, and rumor has it that the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance also possesses the spirit stone crafting method. I intend to obtain it from them."
Listening to these rambling words, Luo Chen felt a faint sense of familiarity.
It seemed just like when he had founded the Luotian Sect back in the day.
Whenever he came across a suitable cultivation method, he collected it.
Whenever he found suitable resources, even if he was in the distant Northern Sea, he brought them back.
It was through such pinching and scraping, bit by bit, that he had accumulated such vast wealth and foundation for the Luotian Sect.
He no longer felt the impatience he had earlier, and listened patiently as the other man continued to ramble, chiming in now and then.
"Spirit-illuminating Gu? What kind of Gu is that?"
"It is one of the core Gu insects of the Shadow Reflection Sect. Once refined into the body, it can replicate every internal condition of a cultivator during cultivation. When a cultivation session concludes, the cultivator can review all the details of the preceding session through the spirit-illuminating Gu to identify flaws and make adjustments. With this Gu's assistance, low-rank cultivators can lay an exceptionally solid foundation. Even for high-rank cultivators like us, having a high-rank spirit-illuminating Gu to aid us would save a great deal of trouble."
"The Shadow Reflection Sect would sell them?"
"They certainly wouldn't sell high-rank ones. But for low-rank ones, as far as I know, the Lantern Master has sold quite a few under the table to major forces, specifically to maintain his social connections."
"Did you succeed, then?"
"The Lantern Master hasn't agreed yet. But because he didn't lend a hand earlier, he feels somewhat guilty. I reckon if I wear him down for another day or two, he will sell me some low-rank ones."
"Then I wish Cave Master success! Gathering rogue cultivators in Wind Thunder Gorge to build a faction of your own in the future would indeed be a fine endeavor."
"I appreciate Brother Qi's auspicious words!" Cave Master Minglei smiled, his gloomy mood lifting considerably.
For rogue cultivators like them who had drifted for far too long, being able to establish a faction and rule as its master was indeed a wonderful thing.
If one could pass down their heritage so that people still praised the patriarch's name thousands of years later, that would be even better.
Luo Chen chuckled. "In my view, the rogue cultivators of Wind Thunder Gorge won't refuse you. When the time comes, take on a few personal disciples... that Cheng Bai seems quite good!"
At the mention of Cheng Bai, Cave Master Minglei's expression stiffened unnaturally for a fleeting moment.
Steering the conversation away, he looked around with an expression of surprise.
"It seems the Lantern Master didn't treat us poorly after all, arranging quite a fine residence for you as well!"
It was indeed a fine residence!
The spiritual qi in this palace hall was quite rich, reaching the fourth-rank level.
As hospitality standards went, this was exceedingly generous.
"I have basked in your light, then..."
Luo Chen nodded with a smile, but as he spoke, his voice trailed off, ripples stirring in his heart.
Cave Master Minglei waved his hand. "What light could I offer? It was only because the imposing aura you revealed earlier was so extraordinary that he thought highly of us. Ah well, the night grows late. Brother Qi, you should rest early. Over the next two or three days, we may have to remain here, so please bear with it."
Luo Chen made no attempt to urge him to stay, letting the man take his leave.
The moment the hall doors shut, Luo Chen swept his paired fingers across his eyes.
Open!
Golden pupils gleamed, bloodshot veins spidering across the whites of his eyes.
Scarlet Eyes and Golden Pupils reappeared on Luo Chen's face.
He stared fixedly at the hall, especially tracking the flow of spiritual qi around the cultivation chamber.
Gradually, Luo Chen discerned the anomaly.
'This is merely an ordinary fourth-rank spiritual vein, so why is the spiritual qi so rich?'
'There are even wisps of pure world origin qi drifting around.'
'Could my Nascent Soul's liveliness earlier have been caused by this external environment?'
The moment this thought occurred to him, Luo Chen's expression darkened.
A Nascent Soul becoming overly active was by no means a good thing.
At this stage, the Nascent Soul was still far from possessing the strength of a Primordial Spirit.
It was like the difference between an infant and an adult.
Excessive activity would instead harm the soul!
Moreover, if it truly slipped free of the purple mansion to roam heaven and earth, over time it would become lost within it, leading to the dreaded outcome captured in those four words: assimilation by heaven and earth!
Those words sounded lightweight when spoken, seemingly devoid of gravity.
Yet after witnessing the scene of Perfected Shenyuan's demise with his own eyes, Luo Chen could not dread them more.
In that state of lost self-awareness, no matter how profound one's magic power or how powerful one's physical body, it was all utterly insignificant.
A gust of wind, a shower of rain, and everything returned to nature.
Luo Chen absolutely refused to walk that path.
'Is the Lantern Master trying to harm me?'
'Or is he unaware of it himself?'
Amid suspicion and uncertainty, Luo Chen returned to the cultivation chamber.
First settling his mindset, Luo Chen began his preparations.
With a flick of his sleeve, several formation flags landed in the corners of the cultivation chamber.
Within his sea of consciousness, his three divided souls detached and emerged, turning into three streaks of nether light that circled his body.
With a flip of his hand, a mottled stone mirror appeared above his palm.
It was none other than the Dust-Karma Immortal Mirror that Luo Chen had painstakingly crafted!
Speaking of which, ever since this treasure had been refined, Luo Chen had rarely used it on himself, mostly employing it on Canglong.
Yet he was already thoroughly familiar with its miraculous functions.
Without needing commands, the three telepathically connected divided souls acted immediately.
Each emitted nether light into the precious mirror, held ready without being released, suspending it above his head.
Only now had Luo Chen made complete preparations.
Taking a deep breath, he once again circulated the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.
Breathing in and out, with divine sense flowing, massive amounts of world spiritual qi surged into his body.
Passing through the eight extraordinary meridians and cycling through his apertures and spirit acupoints, it gradually refined into magic power.
Finally, it entered the purple mansion and merged into the miniature Nascent Soul.
Time slipped by bit by bit.
One day, two days, three days...
Cave Master Minglei lingered at the Shadow Reflection Sect longer than previously expected.
As for Luo Chen remaining indoors, while not strictly conventional, it fell entirely within the expectations of certain people.
Under the shroud of night, lantern shadows flickered, and figures moved in silhouette.
Figure after figure gradually gathered outside the palace hall where Luo Chen resided.
To all this, Luo Chen paid no heed.
He remained entirely focused within his own world, his magic power growing at an unimaginable rate!
Even if it did not quite match the efficiency of cultivating in that peak-grade fourth-rank abode on Mount Cangwu, it vastly outstripped ordinary spiritual veins.
Yet those eyes of his were hazy and chaotic.
The magic power fluctuations on his body rippled outward uncontrollably.
Had it not been for the concealment of the formation flags prepared in advance, once these deep, abyssal magic power fluctuations spilled outward, the entire Shadow Reflection Sect would have been alarmed.
Yet even so, an oppressive, formidable aura exerted immense pressure under the darkness of night.
It was as though an ancient behemoth were crouching within the hall!
Suddenly!
The mottled stone mirror suspended above his head shed a broad radiance.
"Awaken!"
"Awaken!"
"Wake up at once!"
The three divided souls barked in unison, waves of soul resonance churning and jolting the Nascent Soul.
All at once, the confusion vanished from Luo Chen's eyes, and he snapped out of the muddled haze.
Instinctively pressing a hand against his lower abdomen, lingering dread remained on his face.
"Something is wrong!"
"There is an anomaly in this land's heaven and earth!"
"The density of world origin qi is far too high, almost bearing the semblance of an ocean of origin qi."
"Cultivating within it yields extraordinary efficiency, yet with the slightest lapse in vigilance, one would sink into deep slumber and gradually suffer assimilation by heaven and earth."
"How could this be?"
Chapter 941