"Zhan Bingtao of the Tianyuan Dao Sect has come to pay respects!"
Accompanied by this arrogant proclamation, a domineering aura bore down upon all living beings, pressing straight toward the dais of the great hall.
Vaguely, spiritual energy could be seen surging forth like roaring waves.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort from Perfected Songyang, his Nascent Soul domain unfolded slowly.
A blazing sun rose with unquestionable authority above those continuous, rolling ocean waves.
"Fellow Daoist Zhan, this is Mount Mijie. You are not permitted to run wild here!"
Zhan Bingtao let out a hearty laugh. "Hardly running wild. I simply wanted to see whether your esteemed alliance possesses the qualifications to cooperate with our Tianyuan Dao Sect."
Even as he spoke, his Nascent Soul domain grew more aggressive, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth until it stood in direct confrontation with Perfected Songyang.
A late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator!
From this alone, one could see the profound depth of this stranger's cultivation.
Manifesting a domain phenomenon was not the pinnacle of techniques, yet ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators rarely mastered it.
To produce such a phenomenon, one required an exceedingly high degree of resonance between one's own legal power and the ambient spiritual energy of the world.
Back when Luo Chen had displayed the phenomenon of the Senluo Fire Prison in the early Nascent Soul realm, he had taken a shortcut by relying on the resonance of the Wither-Bloom True Fire.
In contrast, Zhan Bingtao and Perfected Songyang had derived theirs from solid, profound cultivation realms.
Of course, with Luo Chen's current cultivation, he could produce a similar domain phenomenon under a fully unsealed state.
Rumor had it that this was also a path of cultivation.
Domain manifestation at the early stage would, upon reaching the Soul Transformation realm, stir the world's primordial qi to form a unique phenomenon, which would gradually be contoured into a dharma idol to commune with heaven and earth.
Consequently, late Nascent Soul cultivators would gradually dabble in this aspect.
At that moment, under the clash of domains between Zhan Bingtao and Perfected Songyang, the Fierce Peak Great Hall atop Mount Mijie was plunged into a tempest that made breathing nearly impossible.
The other three Great Cultivators sat aloof on their elevated perches, looking on coldly and remaining largely unaffected.
As for the others...
"Break!"
A sudden explosive roar rang out.
A pillar of vitality beacon smoke soared into the sky, whipping forward like a fierce dragon's tail, forcibly tearing through the billowing waves and lunging straight for Zhan Bingtao.
Perfected Songyang froze for an instant before setting his lips tight. His legal power surged wildly as his Nascent Soul domain pressed forward in tandem.
Caught somewhat off guard, Zhan Bingtao found the stalemate abruptly broken by the unexpected intrusion of that unfamiliar vitality smoke.
He reflexively struck out with his palms.
Bang!
Bang!
With the stalemate broken, he staggered backward two steps.
Only then did he fix his gaze on a black-armored man in the hall.
The man sneered ferociously, glaring back without the slightest hint of fear.
"This seat truly dislikes your condescending attitude, acting as though everyone else were nothing."
Zhan Bingtao grinned. "Your name?"
The demanding query echoed through the hall.
Many could not help but break into a cold sweat for Luo Chen.
From Zhan Bingtao's surname alone, many could already guess his background.
There was only a single sect in the Central Plains, yet within it, aristocratic clans and humble families were strewn everywhere.
Among them, twelve colossal families reigned supreme, controlling everything.
The Zhan clan was one of the most powerful among them.
Now, this black-armored man sought the limelight by meddling in the clash between the Alliance Leader and the Zhan clan's foremost expert. Though he had helped Leader Songyang gain the upper hand, drawing this man's grudge carried dire consequences...
Ning Yuzhuo sneered in his heart, *Baxiu Qi Tian, courting death!*
Yet to everyone's astonishment, before the black-armored man could reply, Heavenly Master Li spoke with a smile from above.
"Fellow Daoist Zhan, this is our Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance's rising powerhouse, Baxiu Qi Tian. His temperament is somewhat eccentric, so I hope you will not take offense."
Perfected Songyang nodded in agreement as well.
The stance of these two made it abundantly clear that they intended to back Luo Chen.
Zhan Bingtao raised a brow, his gaze shifting back and forth between Luo Chen and Leader Songyang.
After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and remarked, "Hardly offended. Since your alliance has a peerless powerhouse like Leader Songyang presiding over it, as well as a rising star like Baxiu Qi Tian, it can certainly be said that talents abound. In that case, it is barely acceptable for us to cooperate with you."
The statement was arrogant to an extreme.
Yet in truth, that was simply reality!
The world knew that when the Tianyuan Dao Sect campaigned against the Northern Sea, the Penglai Immortal Sect had directly submitted, and later, the Canghai Righteous Path Alliance had joined forces with them.
One had to understand that the Canghai Righteous Path Alliance had a Soul Transformation almighty presiding over it.
Though the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance seemed to possess strength in numbers, it was entirely lacking at the Soul Transformation level.
Without demonstrating sufficient prowess, let alone cooperation, even becoming a vassal would depend on whether the Tianyuan Dao Sect consented.
Such was the arrogance of the Mountain Sea Realm's foremost sacred land!
"Fellow Daoist, please!"
Leader Songyang gestured in invitation.
Zhan Bingtao made no show of modesty, leaping up to take one of the main seats on the dais, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Leader Songyang.
With that, the previous tension vanished completely, and the subsequent discussion became markedly more amicable.
Unsurprisingly, what they discussed were the details of dealing with the Southern Border's sacred land, the Gate of Life and Death.
"The Gate of Life and Death has long fallen into decay," Zhan Bingtao stated as soon as he was seated, divulging a secret that stirred up a commotion throughout the hall. "According to our sect's Ancestor Liancheng, the current upheavals in the heaven and earth of the Southern Border are a chain reaction caused by internal shifts within the Gate of Life and Death. If everyone wishes to continue cultivating peacefully in your corner of the Southern Border, your only choice is to resolve this calamity. Only then can you find true freedom!"
Amidst this uproar, the attention previously centered on Luo Chen shifted away.
Luo Chen lowered his eyelids, having already reined in that eccentric, overbearing demeanor.
Making a scene before a crowd was not his nature.
However, it was the expected behavior of his identity as 'Baxiu Qi Tian.'
Moreover, such an abrupt display ought to draw Old Man Zangsheng's attention to him.
If the other party truly was the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor, then after Luo Chen had openly mobilized the Zombie Alliance's influence to search for intelligence on the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor, and had now made a move right in front of him, he would surely react in some way.
So long as there was action, Luo Chen could respond accordingly.
As for Zhan Bingtao?
Luo Chen admitted that the man was potent and possessed a formidable backing.
Yet the one who had offended him was Baxiu Qi Tian; what did that have to do with Luo Chen of the Alchemy Sect?
While Zhan Bingtao spoke with eloquent fervor about their upcoming plans to rally forces and attack the Gate of Life and Death, Luo Chen quietly kept his attention on Old Man Zangsheng.
*Completely indifferent?*
Luo Chen's heart gradually sank.
***
"Though the Gate of Life and Death has sealed its mountain gates for a long time, a starved camel is still larger than a horse. In this vast Southern Border, quite a few factions remain fiercely loyal to them. Take One-Horn Mountain, or the Golden Lion Empire... Among them, One-Horn Mountain, where King One-Horn resides, serves as one of the defensive gateways of the Gate of Life and Death. If we wish to storm in, we must first clip their wings to ensure we have no worries behind us."
"Such trivial matters can be left to our Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance!"
"Mm. As locals, you are far more familiar with the terrain than the cultivators of our Tianyuan Dao Sect, so it is indeed more appropriate to entrust it to you. In addition, there is one matter where we might require Leader Songyang's assistance."
"Does it concern placing the Fierce Peak Seal?"
"Precisely!"
In the hall, Leader Songyang represented the entire Zombie Alliance in discussing their future grand plan with Zhan Bingtao.
Conducting this discussion before all the Nascent Soul experts of the Zombie Alliance was clearly an intentional choice.
As for leaking intelligence, they had little fear of it.
This operation against the Southern Border's sacred land was an open, aboveboard scheme. Even if there were a few spies from the Gate of Life and Death in the hall, it mattered little.
When the time came, blood would have to be shed regardless!
Luo Chen, however, grew curious. "What is the Fierce Peak Seal?"
He posed the question to Marquis Ziyi beside him.
Facing Luo Chen's inquiry, Marquis Ziyi wore a complicated expression, his tone tinged with a trace of envy.
"The Fierce Peak Seal is a restriction developed by Leader Songyang, using his natal gu worm, the Fierce Peak Gu, as the core, aided by Heavenly Master Li's secret methods."
"When placed upon a Nascent Soul True Person, it reinforces the violet palace, preventing our Nascent Souls from being assimilated by heaven and earth and inadvertently escaping the violet palace during cultivation."
"One could say the Fierce Peak Seal is a lock. With this seal, we can unleash the power of our Nascent Souls in battle without restraint, unafraid of assimilation by heaven and earth. Yet despite this benefit, there is a drawback: our daily cultivation efficiency decreases significantly, rendering our cultivation speed far inferior to before."
"Even our divine sense becomes rigid and far less nimble than it once was. That is why our alliance is called the Zombie Alliance."
"Those who do not understand even refer to us as zombie cultivators."
Upon hearing this explanation, Luo Chen suddenly understood.
When he first arrived at Mount Mijie, he had wondered what methods Perfected Songyang used to quietly gather so many powerhouses under his banner.
So it turned out to be such an exquisite technique!
Using the Fierce Peak Gu as a core to establish the Fierce Peak Seal, locking the violet palace against the assimilating power of heaven and earth.
In terms of concrete manifestation, this method bore some resemblance to his own formidable violet palace barrier.
However, a man-made restriction was ultimately inferior to a natural violet palace barrier.
At the very least, Luo Chen suffered no negative effects; in fact, he had turned misfortune into a blessing, vastly increasing his cultivation efficiency.
"You are different," Marquis Ziyi remarked enviously. "You are a pure body cultivator. Your supreme might belongs entirely to yourself, breaking myriad dharmas with pure force. You have no need for this seal at all."
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "You flatter me. The path of body refinement declined long ago. Do you not see that even at my current realm, I must still run about in search of various body refinement manuals?"
Marquis Ziyi nodded; the logic was sound indeed.
After a period of discussion, the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance formally entered an alliance with the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
Yet when it came to the actual details of cooperation, they had not yet been fully laid out.
For instance, if they lost the upcoming war, the Tianyuan Dao Sect could simply retreat to the Central Plains, but how would the cultivators of the Southern Border endure the wrath of the Gate of Life and Death?
Or if they won, how would the vast territory of the Southern Border be divided? Where would the Southern Border's experts go?
And under what status would the Tianyuan Dao Sect establish itself in the Southern Border?
No one asked outright, yet everyone cared about these matters.
Zhan Bingtao, however, seemed intent on keeping them in suspense, showing a weary expression.
"Having traveled from afar, I am somewhat fatigued. Why don't we discuss the specifics at a later date?"
Leader Songyang swept his gaze over the restless crowd in the hall and merely gave a slight nod in the end.
"Today's conference ends here. Let us disperse for now!"
Amidst countless exchanged glances, the ten-day Mount Mijie Nascent Soul Exchange Assembly came to a close, and everyone filed out.
At the head of the hall, Zhan Bingtao's gaze lingered for a moment on the departing back of a figure in the crowd.
"Songyang, that Qi Tian is quite impressive!"
Perfected Songyang said calmly, "An expert of his caliber does not have the temperament to submit to others. If you wish to take him as a servant, I advise you to dispel that thought early."
Zhan Bingtao shrugged. "Even if he cannot be taken into personal service, recruiting him to the Heaven and Earth Peak as a guest elder is always an option. In the future, he might even become your fellow disciple."
Taking a deep breath, Perfected Songyang said, "The Heaven and Earth Peak is my final resort when all other paths are closed. If this campaign succeeds, you must abide by our prior agreement and grant me a tier-five spiritual vein from the Gate of Life and Death!"
Zhan Bingtao chuckled heartily. "That will depend on how much effort you exert in this battle, and whether you can gain Ancestor Liancheng's approval."
"How much effort..." Perfected Songyang murmured, his eyes gradually turning fierce. "What if we do not borrow Soul Transformation power, but breach the Gate of Life and Death ourselves?"
This 'Gate of Life and Death' referred not to the sect, but to the actual defensive threshold.
Evidently, Songyang was referring to the most hazardous line of defense of the Southern Border's sacred land.
Much like the Yuan Demon Sect's Arctic Yama Heavens, or the Mingyuan Sect's Netherworld Abyss.
Such defensive barriers could be called forbidden grounds, by no means easy to breach through ordinary methods.
Even Monarch Qixia had required the aid of Ancestor Tianyuan's avatar to quietly cross the Netherworld Abyss. For Perfected Songyang to make such a bold claim, how could it not be shocking?
Zhan Bingtao's smile gradually froze, and he peered suspiciously at Perfected Songyang.
"Truly?"
"If all goes smoothly, there should be a thirty percent chance!" Perfected Songyang replied.
"A thirty percent chance..."
As Zhan Bingtao turned the words over in his mind, his eyes steadily lit up.
"Thirty percent is enough! In that case, it can save Ancestor Liancheng some strength so he can concentrate his main power on dealing with that almighty being within the Gate of Life and Death. If you truly succeed, what harm is there in granting you a tier-five spiritual vein!"
Perfected Songyang felt as though a great weight had been lifted, yet an inexplicable apprehension rose in his heart.
Could that plan truly work?
***
The exchange assembly had concluded.
Yet Luo Chen did not leave; instead, he remained on Mount Mijie.
Just as he had thought earlier, the mountain was indeed full of naturally formed spatial restrictions.
It was precisely by relying on these natural spatial restrictions in combination with various formations that Granny Hongye had gradually quelled the spatial fluctuations to form a stable Mount Mijie.
*Of the seven basic restrictions of the array dao, my weakest is spatial restrictions. Furthermore, few texts regarding this aspect circulate in the world; most are closely guarded secrets of top-tier sects.*
*If I can observe these natural spatial restrictions to solidify my foundation in this regard, it will be of immense use whether I face Demon Empress Qingshuang in the future or deal with that spatial dead zone outside the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land!*
Carrying this thought, Luo Chen began wandering frequently across Mount Mijie after staying behind.
This behavior was actually quite reckless and impolite.
Because many Nascent Soul True Persons had remained on Mount Mijie, each possessing their own cultivation grounds.
With the slightest carelessness, he might intrude upon another's territory.
However, due to his previous extraordinary display and his reputed arrogance, most people showed him some tolerance.
After all, even Leader Songyang and Heavenly Master Li stood on his side; unless necessary, no one wanted to offend him.
One day.
Luo Chen stood between the precipices of a cliff, watching the howling winds and treacherous clouds beyond the mountain, light and shadow flickering within his golden pupils.
Suddenly!
Luo Chen whirled around and struck out with a palm, heavy and forceful.
Yet upon striking the target, it was like hitting a boundless ocean, meeting no resistance whatsoever.
*Splash...*
A blood spring dispersed before him.
Luo Chen's eyes lit up, but his hands did not slow in the least. Spreading his five fingers, he made a grasping motion across the void.
"Come out!"
A colossal force lunged straight into the depths of the blood spring.
Before his grip could firmly take hold, an alarmed voice rang out from within the blood spring.
"Enough!"
Hearing this, Luo Chen halted his hand immediately.
Immediately after, as the blood spring gurgled and flowed, it transformed into a purple-robed figure.
It was none other than Marquis Ziyi!
Looking at Luo Chen's hand with lingering dread, he said in shock, "This method of mine to transform into a blood spring can neutralize boundless brute force and prevent others from locating my true body. Why does it repeatedly suffer setbacks before you?"
Luo Chen smiled without answering, instead asking, "This method of transforming into a blood spring shouldn't be a native body refinement art of the Southern Border, right?"
Marquis Ziyi nodded. "Indeed not. It was something I comprehended from a remnant scroll. Later, upon making inquiries, I found it was very likely a body refinement art of the Northern Sea's Yuan Demon Sect, belonging to the Blood Sea Lineage. Unfortunately, I only obtained a remnant scroll, so I cannot reach the level where the blood sea never ends and the true body never perishes."
*So that's how it is.*
No wonder Luo Chen had felt a sense of familiarity.
Whether it was the past Blood Hermit or Blood Nightmare Moluo, both had shown similar abilities.
According to rumors, once a cultivator of the Yuan Demon Sect's Blood Sea Lineage brought the art to great success, they could cultivate a Blood Sea True Body, purportedly immortal and indestructible.
Moreover, they could nurture countless Blood God Children within the blood sea, matching thousands of troops and horses with a single person.
By comparison, Marquis Ziyi's mere spring of blood was indeed somewhat trivial.
"It seems that on the path of body refinement, there is indeed a great gap between me and you!"
Marquis Ziyi sighed with emotion, and before Luo Chen could offer any modest words, he produced a storage bag.
"Here, for you."
"What is this?" Luo Chen asked curiously as he took the storage bag.
Marquis Ziyi chuckled. "What else could it be? The item Heavenly Master Li promised you!"
Raising an eyebrow, Luo Chen retrieved an object from the storage bag.
It was an amber-like crystal.
Inside, a pure white gu worm was sound asleep.
"Is this the Hundred Poisons King Gu?"
Chapter 950