Across the tranquil mountain summit, winds and clouds suddenly surged.
Tens of thousands of archaic seal characters rose from the void, drifting skyward to weave a golden net amidst the clouds.
Streaks of escaping light descended one after another onto the plaza outside the grand palace atop the summit.
Luo Chen was among them.
Exchanging a glance with Cave Master Minglei, he turned his attention to their surroundings.
A swift look was all it took for him to take measure of the gathering.
"Counting newcomers like us, there are a full forty True Persons!"
This was no small number. In the Eastern Desolation's cultivation world, excluding the powerhouses of the sacred lands, there had been merely seventy or eighty Nascent Soul experts even at its peak.
Yet now, this Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance accounted for roughly half that amount!
By comparison, even the largest cultivator league Luo Chen had ever witnessed—the Canghai Righteous Path Alliance—fell somewhat short.
"I wonder what means Alliance Leader Songyang used to gather all these people together."
While Luo Chen pondered, exclamations of surprise sounded across the plaza from time to time.
"Fellow Daoist Xie, how are you at Mount Mijie as well?"
"The Hidden Sword Tower Master... the world believed he had retired to cultivate his temperament, keeping his sword sheathed, yet who knew he had already joined the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance."
"Brother Guan, long time no see!"
What had surfaced of the colossal behemoth known as the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance was still merely the tip of the iceberg.
Only now did the newcomers realize just how many Southern Border powerhouses had secretly joined the Zombie Alliance over the past two hundred unnoticed years.
Luo Chen recognized few of them, so the realization left no deep impression on him.
Yet comparing it to the leagues he had seen in the past, he understood the sheer weight behind this assembly.
"The Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance is truly bent on opposing the Gate of Life and Death!"
While marveling inwardly, Luo Chen suddenly sensed gazes fixing upon him.
And not just one!
He swept a calm glance back, not retreating in the slightest.
There was Ning Yuzhuo, whose calm expression concealed simmering resentment; Marquis Ziyi, eager to test his mettle; and Daoist Zhengguan, nodding with a smile.
By contrast, Bei Puti, the Left Envoy of the Luo Cult, looked slightly puzzled, as if having realized something belatedly, and offered a friendly nod upon meeting Luo Chen's eyes.
Luo Chen paid them no mind, his attention instantly snapping back.
For the heavy doors of the archaic palace atop the mountain peak were slowly grinding open.
Three figures gradually emerged before everyone's eyes.
Two men and one woman, all possessing formidable auras.
The leader wore deep crimson-purple Daoist robes, his countenance awe-inspiringly majestic. His sword-like brows seemed capable of cleaving the morning mist, and anyone meeting his gaze felt a tremor in their heart.
Of the other two, one was an old Daoist with crane-white hair and a youthful complexion, benevolent eyes, and snow-white longevity brows draping down either side of his face, exuding an immediate aura of virtue and distinction.
The female cultivator, by contrast, had not preserved her youth quite so well. A hunched frame, layer upon layer of deep wrinkles, and vibrant scarlet robes that made her look distinctly out of place.
"Perfected Songyang has come out!"
A faint stir rippled across the plaza upon seeing the trio.
Cave Master Minglei leaned closer to Luo Chen and whispered uncertainly, "According to the rumors, the one leading them is Perfected Songyang. That crane-haired, youthful-faced elder is the renowned Heavenly Master Li, and the female cultivator is Granny Hongye."
Luo Chen nodded and asked, "Wasn't it said that there is another exceptionally formidable Great Cultivator within the alliance?"
"You mean Old Man Zangsheng?" Cave Master Minglei realized, then replied warily, "His temperament is extraordinarily eccentric, and he rarely shows his face. If you join the Zombie Alliance, you'd best avoid dealing with him."
"Why?" Luo Chen asked.
Before Cave Master Minglei could answer, Perfected Songyang spoke from above.
"Fellow True Persons, today marks the first public appearance of our Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance. It is my hope that every one of you gains something from this exchange gathering.
"Without further ado, I will lay down only three rules!
"First, all transactions during the exchange gathering are strictly voluntary. None may use their cultivation realm to suppress others, nor rely on force to buy or sell against another's will.
"Second, the gathering will last for ten days. After ten days, anyone who has not joined the Zombie Alliance must depart voluntarily and may not linger.
"And finally..."
Perfected Songyang swept his majestic gaze across the crowd, his tone turning frosty.
"Within Mount Mijie, fighting is strictly forbidden. Violators will be executed without mercy!"
As the words "executed without mercy" left his lips, a terrifying aura erupted outward, centered on Perfected Songyang.
A Nascent Soul domain as heavy as a mountain slammed down atop everyone present.
Those with weaker magic power felt as though they could scarcely breathe.
Even Luo Chen felt his body grow somewhat sluggish.
His heart tightened slightly. Seeing the whole from a single grain of sand, he immediately gained a clear estimate of Perfected Songyang's prowess.
*A genuine Great Cultivator!*
*Judging purely from the surface, his imposing presence is in no way inferior to the likes of Moon Hermit or Tianduzi.*
*Were his domain fully deployed, he would surely rank among the very pinnacle of late-stage Nascent Soul experts.*
Above them, the crane-haired, youthful elder smiled gently and said, "Fellow Daoist Songyang, we are all fellow Daoists of the Southern Border. What need is there for this?"
Perfected Songyang pressed his lips together. Seeing that everyone below had been properly cowed, he gave a faint nod.
The colossal Nascent Soul domain snapped back in an instant.
He cupped his hands. "Everyone, please!"
With that gesture, the stiff atmosphere instantly loosened.
Figures filed into the grand palace one after another.
The moment they stepped inside, attendants came forward to greet them and guide them to their assigned seats.
The same went for Luo Chen.
The attendant softly explained the itinerary for the next ten days beside him: "Each day, a high-realm True Person from the Zombie Alliance will deliver a public sermon. If Seniors have insights, you may also go up to share your cultivation reflections.
"In the side halls, separate chambers have been prepared. If Senior wishes to converse privately or trade resources, you may inform us at any time, and we will arrange an appropriate chamber.
"For any other needs, Senior need only tell me, and this humble servant will do everything to fulfill them."
Luo Chen glanced at the attractive attendant, nodded slightly, and took a seat in a prominent spot near the center of the hall.
His seating immediately drew numerous looks.
Though it was called an exchange gathering, seating arrangements were evidently apportioned according to strength and status.
Luo Chen was merely a powerhouse who had recently made a name for himself, yet he was given such a prominent position—showing how much the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance valued him.
Even Bei Puti was only seated at a comparable level.
One had to remember that Bei Puti possessed not only formidable personal prowess, but also his identity as Left Envoy of the Luo Cult.
Behind him stood a great cult passed down through millennia in the Southern Border, yet Luo Chen had attained comparable standing through personal strength alone.
Who would dare look down on him?
No sooner had he sat down than Bei Puti could not resist striking up a conversation.
"Fellow Daoist Qi, earlier you nearly mistook me, saying I bore some resemblance to an acquaintance of yours. Might I ask who that person was, and where they might be?"
*Did he only just realize?*
*Or did he only dare make inquiries after investigating me behind the scenes?*
Luo Chen replied calmly, "That person's true name is untraceable. Daoists of the Northern Sea only refer to him as Old Ghost Nanqi. The aura of his magic power truly shares a few similarities with Fellow Daoist Bei."
"Old Ghost Nanqi..." Bei Puti murmured the name under his breath, his eyes growing brighter. "Did he truly flee to the Northern Sea?"
He was keen to ask more, but Luo Chen was already conversing with Marquis Ziyi beside him.
Seeing this, Bei Puti refrained from intruding, merely feeling that Marquis Ziyi was terribly impolite.
And indeed, Marquis Ziyi wasn't particularly polite.
The moment he caught Luo Chen's eye, he eagerly asked, "Qi Tian, I hear you specialize in the path of body refinement. As it happens, I too cultivate body refinement techniques on the side. How about we find time for a spar to verify our progress?"
Luo Chen's lips twitched. "Alliance Leader Songyang just stated that fighting is forbidden within Mount Mijie. What, do you wish to defy the alliance leader's command?"
Marquis Ziyi waved a hand dismissively. "No matter. A full-blown clash is naturally out of the question, but if we merely exchange a few moves inside my cave abode, who could possibly complain?"
Luo Chen's brow rose, and without hesitation, he agreed.
"I would also like to see just how accomplished Southern Border cultivators are in the path of body refinement!"
Marquis Ziyi was overjoyed. "Then you've found the right person! The path of body refinement withered long ago in the Southern Border. Had it not been for my martial physique, I wouldn't have bothered cultivating it either. But even as a secondary path, this marquis is confident I fall no shorter than orthodox body cultivators."
In just a few words, the two exchanged message gu.
Luo Chen's message gu was the most common gu dove.
He had specifically requested and refined it from Cave Master Minglei before leaving Wind Thunder Gorge.
Cultivators of the Southern Border were unaccustomed to using voice transmission jade tokens, and flying sword letters were limited by distance.
By contrast, various message gu possessing a degree of sentience and capable of traveling long distances had become widespread.
The gu dove was the most common and widely circulated.
Beyond that, there were special, proprietary message gu.
The one Marquis Ziyi traded to Luo Chen was a purple blood mosquito, specked with faint, mysterious spots.
Marquis Ziyi had not expected Luo Chen to be so straightforward, agreeing to a spar in just a few brisk sentences.
Yet soon enough, he realized why the man was so forthright.
"You want that high-tier body refinement technique I failed to trade away last time?"
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced toward the remote corner where Cave Master Minglei sat.
At the previous private gathering, that fellow had indeed been present, introduced by Lantern Lord.
His brows knitted immediately. "That high-tier body refinement technique is extraordinarily arduous to practice and carries enormous risks. I would not advise you to take it up."
"Oh?" Luo Chen chuckled. "You brought it out to trade, yet you advise against it?"
Marquis Ziyi shrugged. "It's not mine anyway. I'm merely helping someone handle it in exchange for usable resources. If you truly want it, we can talk privately once we have free time later."
"Good!"
Luo Chen agreed decisively.
Meanwhile, the sermon in the hall officially commenced.
The first lecturer was not the leader of the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance, but Heavenly Master Li of the Moon Worship Cult!
Over the past five hundred years in the Southern Border, he was the preeminent gu refinement master.
Even before the Gate of Life and Death sealed its mountain gates, they had frequently invited him to exchange insights on the dao of gu refinement.
In the Southern Border cultivation world, he was truly a figure of immense prestige and respect.
Countless powerhouses took pride in possessing gu worms he had personally refined.
Now that he was lecturing in person, everyone cast aside distracting thoughts and listened with undivided attention.
Even Luo Chen listened intently, holding the mindset that stones from other hills could serve to polish one's own jade.
At the head of the hall, Heavenly Master Li—crane-haired, youthful-complexioned, and benevolent-featured—sat cross-legged upon a prayer mat. Wisps of sandalwood incense rose before his table, making him resemble an immortal preaching the Dao.
Clear, resonant tones flowed from his lips, bearing a subtle power that invigorated the mind and imparted profound enlightenment.
"We cultivators do naught but refine qi into spirit, and refine spirit to return to the void.
"Yet though the Great Dao shares a common origin, its paths diverge.
"In our Southern Border, we forged a different path, using gu worms as an auxiliary aid to walk a way of gu cultivation distinct from the other four continents.
"That you have cultivated to the Nascent Soul realm suggests you have all studied gu worms considerably. Yet in this old man's observation, you often seek only whether a gu is powerful, failing to understand its true nature. Consequently, you know what it does but not why it does so, swallowing your cultivation whole. Your realms advance swiftly, yet you remain blind to the true principles.
"This is one of the reasons why among the True Persons of our Southern Border, rarely do prodigies grasp the true intent of laws while in the Nascent Soul realm!"
As these words flowed smoothly, the already attentive cultivators in the hall perked up even further.
Even Luo Chen could not help but nod silently.
In his eyes, while Southern Border cultivators were exceedingly mysterious and their methods rather peculiar, when it came to actual combat prowess, they were not necessarily superior to their peers of the same realm from the other four continents.
In fact, throughout his travels, he had not encountered a single person who had grasped law true intent ahead of time.
From this alone, one could see that using gu worms to assist cultivation was a shortcut, yet one that made reaching the Deity Transformation Dao exceedingly difficult!
He refused to believe the Southern Border lacked brilliant geniuses, yet the reality was this stark.
Even within the Gate of Life and Death, there was only a single Deity Transformation mighty figure—falling far short of the glory of the Northern Sea, where the Yuan Demon Sect had three Patriarchs and Li Canghai stood independently outside. Even the Mingyuan Sect had once possessed three Deity Transformation Patriarchs. To say nothing of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, which alone boasted six Deity Transformation mighty figures.
The sole issue likely lay in the reliance on gu worms as cultivation aids.
And now, Heavenly Master Li, the Southern Border's most formidable gu refinement master, laid this issue bare upon the table.
Did he have a solution?
Under everyone's expectant gazes, Heavenly Master Li spoke with calm confidence.
"Gu worms are auxiliary tools for our cultivation to connect with the Great Dao. But can the true Dao ever be comprehended merely by relying on tools?
"After many years of refining, raising, and employing gu, this old man gradually realized that even gu worms are themselves products of the Great Dao and nature's creation.
"To regard them merely as tools is to cast aside the Dao.
"Thus, in my view, only by truly discerning the innate nature of one's gu and cultivating one's life and soul in tandem with it can one draw near to the Great Dao and comprehend the legendary true intent of laws.
"As for how to discern and merge, and dual-cultivate until neither can be distinguished from the other, this old man has a few insights, which I might as well share for your reference."
...
Inside a side hall.
Luo Chen waited quietly.
After half an incense stick had burned down, two sets of footsteps sounded outside.
He stood up and cupped his hands in greeting toward Marquis Ziyi and Heavenly Master Li as they pushed the door open.
"Qi Tian pays respects to Heavenly Master Li!"
The benevolent-featured Heavenly Master Li smiled faintly and teased, "My name is Li Tian, while yours is Qi Tian—does that not put us at complete odds?"
Luo Chen hurriedly replied, "It is merely a name, what taboo could there be?"
"Haha!"
Heavenly Master Li laughed heartily, then his expression grew solemn.
"Marquis Ziyi tells me you wish to purchase my Hundred Poisons Body Refinement Technique?"
Chapter 948