Inside the cave dwelling, bloody light shone brilliantly as a heavy crimson haze filled the air.
Yet this bloody mist carried no foul stench. Instead, it gave off a strange, mouthwatering fragrance.
Black King shrank back to the side, swallowing nervously, a hint of relief flickering in his eyes.
*Thank goodness I didn't drink that Zhenling Millet back then. With such terrifying corrosiveness, not even Master's physical body could withstand it, let alone me.*
The poison of Zhenling Millet was extraordinarily rare in the world.
If it were merely a trace, Luo Chen might have endured it. But amplified by the Hundred Poisons King Gu, its corrosive power had reached an incomparable extreme.
Yet witnessing this scene, Luo Chen showed little panic.
His gaze remained fixed on the puddle of blood on the ground, a pensive look crossing his face.
Amidst the pool of blood, a knuckle-sized white jade Gu worm slowly opened its tiny eyes.
It was the Hundred Poisons King Gu!
It looked around and finally locked eyes with Luo Chen's Nascent Soul.
With a single shift of intent, the white jade Gu parted its mouth slightly and drew a breath from the outside world.
Instantly!
Wisp after wisp of toxic vapor was pulled from the blood and sucked straight into its mouth.
Its white jade hue grew increasingly pure and translucent.
Able to release, yet also able to retract!
This was the definitive mark of advancing to tier four!
It meant that from now on, the potency of the toxins it devoured and fed back to Luo Chen could be perfectly regulated, allowing his Hundred Poisons Body Refinement Technique to enter a truly virtuous cycle.
With the corrosive poison of the Zhenling Millet drawn away, the pool of blood abruptly surged with life.
Bubble after bubble formed and burst in rapid succession.
Watching this, the miniature Nascent Soul slowly curled its fingers, formed a hand seal, and uttered a clear, melodious cry.
"Nirvana!"
As if an invisible giant hand had swept across the ground, the blood began to boil violently, surging upward into a roaring crimson fountain.
A hazy silhouette gradually took shape within the bloody spring.
A moment later, as the final bead of blood seeped into the jade-white skin, Luo Chen's physical body sat cross-legged, manifesting once more in the world!
Watching from the side, Black King felt a pang of awe and terror.
Even with his innate Undying Body talent as a desolate beast, achieving such regeneration in a mere breath was almost impossible.
Just what height had his master's body refinement reached?
Little did the beast know that this was no longer merely a matter of body refinement.
In this endeavor, Luo Chen had used his desolate beast constitution as the foundation, the Hundred Poisons King Gu as the core, and the poisonous wine of Zhenling Millet as the catalyst, concluding with the physical nirvana art from the *Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture*.
In doing so, he not only helped the Hundred Poisons King Gu advance to tier four, but his own physical vessel had also reaped immense benefits.
"If not now, when?"
With a flicker, the miniature Nascent Soul sank into the crown of his physical head, vanishing into the Purple Mansion.
His soft, dark eyelashes trembled slightly, and Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.
The instant his eyes opened, an aura resembling the primordial ancient wilderness erupted outward, centered on him, expanding uncontrollably.
*Crack!*
Under the impact of this terrifying pressure, the defensive formation shrouding the cave dwelling gave way like brittle tofu.
*Boom!*
A majestic aura surged straight into the heavens, pressing down across the entire realm!
Upon Mount Mijie, Alliance Leader Songyang, who had been deep in discussion over the impending war with Zhan Bingtao, underwent a dramatic change of expression.
A sharp light flashed in Zhan Bingtao's eyes, and he blurted out, "Your alliance harbors such a hidden expert?"
Alliance Leader Songyang said nothing, his divine sense instantly fanning out to trace the origin of the aura.
Inside a grand palace, Heavenly Master Li gazed with satisfaction at the miniature pavilion resting in his palm. Tiny Gu worms crawled within it, each radiating an extraordinary presence.
Were they placed in the outside world, every single one would ignite frantic bidding and bloodshed.
Yet here, they served merely as building blocks for the small pavilion.
"This Immortal Gu house, built according to an otherworldly Gu formula, has finally taken embryonic shape. If only I had a tier-five divine Gu to anchor it, its might would rival a spirit treasure.
"Even as it is now, this Fengbo Pavilion is enough to crush ninety percent of the True Artifacts under heaven!
"For our expedition into the Yin-Yang Fragmented Realm, all that remains missing is Qi Tian's piece of the puzzle."
Just as he was brimming with pride and satisfaction, that majestic aura swept across the wilderness.
Heavenly Master Li froze, and then a grin spread across his face unbidden.
"Good! Good! Good!
"The grand undertaking shall succeed!"
The moment that terrifying aura manifested, figures emerged from their secluded caves one after another, their divine senses sweeping across the mountains to trace its source.
None who could reside upon Mount Mijie were weaklings.
And precisely because all of them were mighty figures, they felt the weight of that aura all the more acutely.
It was not pressure born of magical power, divine sense, or a Nascent Soul domain, but a suppression inherent to the most fundamental level of existence.
An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator could never hope to stand against it; perhaps only a Great Cultivator possessed the power to challenge him!
This terrifying aura arrived suddenly and vanished just as swiftly.
After a single breath of violent eruption, it surged back like an ebbing tide, ultimately disappearing into a cave dwelling perched halfway up the mountain.
Wisps of divine sense lingered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dwelling's master.
Marquis Ziyi's divine sense was among them. When he traced it back to Luo Chen's abode, the shock in his heart was beyond measure.
Sure enough!
In the next instant, beneath the watchful gazes of all present, the cave's stone doors slowly ground open.
A tall, imposing figure stepped out calmly.
He merely cast a sweeping glance across the empty air, and every wisp of divine sense shrank back involuntarily.
"It's Baxiu Qi Tian!"
"Could his body refinement have made a breakthrough just now, causing his aura to leak?"
"Can the path of body refinement truly possess such terrifying might?"
In the void, divine senses hummed as they exchanged thoughts in an uproar of astonishment.
Finally, with Marquis Ziyi voicing a congratulation mixed with bitterness and envy, all doubts and confusion gave way to formal greetings.
"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Qi on the completion of your divine art!"
Luo Chen grinned and cupped his hands toward the mountain.
"Many thanks!"
With a flick of his broad sleeves, he turned and stepped back into the cave dwelling.
Only after the stone doors sealed shut once more did the various divine senses slowly withdraw in wonder and bewilderment.
Leaving aside the discussions among the masters of Mount Mijie, Luo Chen let out a self-deprecating chuckle upon returning inside.
*A divine art?*
*A poison art, more like!*
Facing empty space, he casually threw out a palm strike.
It appeared utterly ordinary, yet faint traces of a fragrant musk aroma hovered indistinctly about it.
A palm print appeared on the cave wall, followed immediately by large swathes of stone melting away into sludge.
One had to remember that the caves on Mount Mijie were reinforced with all manner of precious, resilient materials.
High-ranking cultivators might be able to destroy them with raw force, but to dissolve them effortlessly as Luo Chen had just done was completely unheard of.
"Who would have thought that besides tempering the physique, reaching the Grandmaster realm in the *Hundred Poisons Body Refinement Technique* and pairing it with a tier-four Hundred Poisons King Gu would yield such an unexpected harvest?"
Luo Chen looked down at his palm, which was enveloped in black light, the faint musky fragrance still clinging to it.
After reforming his physical body, Luo Chen was startled to discover that his origin power had mutated at some point.
It now carried an intensely virulent property!
This toxicity was not merely that of Zhenling Millet, nor was it ordinary corpse poison, feather poison, or Qianji poison.
Rather, it resembled a composite toxin, blending the most lethal advantages of nearly every poison Luo Chen had ever cultivated with the *Hundred Poisons Body Refinement Technique*.
As for its true potency?
Luo Chen's gaze drifted instinctively toward Black King in the corner.
In that split second, Black King went rigid all over.
He looked at Luo Chen in sheer terror. "Master, you wouldn't..."
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Rest assured. You possess an Undying Body. I will exercise a bit of restraint; it won't harm you."
Black King wanted to weep but had no tears left, forced to sacrifice himself for the sake of Luo Chen's experiment.
...
Half a year later.
Mijie opened, and war broke out!
When the gates of Mount Mijie swung wide and Nascent Soul True Persons from across the Southern Border ceased concealing their identities, marching out in the name of the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance, the grand curtain on this civil war among humanity was thoroughly pulled back.
The Songshan Sect, Red Leaf Cult, Moon Worship Cult, Buried Life Valley, Baiyun Daoist Temple, Purple Blood Cult, Hidden Sword Tower...
Only when the cultivators of these premier Southern Border sects assembled massive armies did the common people realize that the heavens above the Southern Border were truly changing.
Not only that, but after the army of cultivators from the Tianyuan Dao Sect joined forces with them, the world learned that external aid was also involved in this internal conflict.
Their numbers were beyond estimation, and their strength was impossible to fathom.
The cultivator armies assembled by the major sects acted like a relentless war machine; once set in motion, it could no longer be stopped.
The first to suffer the assault was the Imperial Sword Villa, a longstanding vassal of the Gate of Life and Death.
In a single night, the Imperial Sword Villa, which boasted eighty thousand sword cultivators, fell in ruin beneath the onslaught of the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance.
Without pausing for breath, the army split into two spearheads, hurtling toward the Golden Toad Sect and the Xuanhua Cult respectively.
Their speed was swift, and their momentum savage.
Like a roaring river surging forward, they intended to swallow the Gate of Life and Death whole.
Yet within this surging tide, a few brilliant waves were notably absent.
"Songyang, where is Heavenly Master Li?"
"He has some personal matters to attend to. When the time comes, he will rendezvous with us on the battlefield of the Gate of Life and Death. Fellow Daoist Zhan, there is no need for haste."
"Does that mean Hongye and the others have gone with him as well?"
"Indeed!"
"And Qi Tian? I was hoping to see his prowess firsthand when we assault Single Horn Mountain."
Single Horn Mountain was a premier Southern Border Nascent Soul sect guarding the sacred ground of the Gate of Life and Death.
Its terrain was treacherous and its defensive formations extraordinary.
Without an overwhelming vanguard capable of breaking fortified lines, taking it down in an instant as they had with the Imperial Sword Villa would be exceedingly difficult.
In Zhan Bingtao's mind, Baxiu Qi Tian was the finest blade for shattering Single Horn Mountain.
To this, Alliance Leader Songyang smiled and shook his head.
"Single Horn Mountain is of no concern; I shall take the field personally when the moment arrives. As for Qi Tian..."
Alliance Leader Songyang countered with a question: "Do you think Single Horn Mountain is more important, or the Gate of Life and Death?"
Zhan Bingtao's brow arched. The "Gate of Life and Death" the other spoke of did not refer to the sacred ground, but the very gate that shielded it!
"Can Qi Tian pull it off? Even the ancestors of my Dao Sect have little confidence in forcing that gate open."
"Let us wait and see," Alliance Leader Songyang replied cryptically.
...
Without a rallying call from the sacred ground, its many vassals were like loose sand, utterly incapable of organizing effective resistance.
Conversely, having planned their campaign meticulously, the combined forces of the Zombie Alliance and the Dao Sect swept across the land with crushing force, toppling several powers in rapid succession.
The army surged forward like a pincer, relentlessly clipping the wings of the sacred ground as it advanced toward Single Horn Mountain.
Once past Single Horn Mountain, they would stand directly before the Gate of Life and Death.
Meanwhile, in another direction, a streak of light left Mount Mijie and sped toward the southeast.
The light parted the clouds and mist like a sleek vessel.
Several figures stood tall upon its deck.
The most striking among them was a black-armored man standing seven feet tall.
His headpiece was majestic as a mountain peak, and the plumes upon it rose like pillars supporting the heavens.
His skin was fair as polished jade, and his eyes were like cold, fathomless abysses capable of swallowing a person's soul.
It was none other than Luo Chen!
Marquis Ziyi sighed in admiration. "In just a single year, Brother Qi's progress in body refinement has reached such heights. It can only be called a miracle!"
Beside him, a middle-aged scholar carrying a sword box nodded in agreement, though a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.
That aura Baxiu Qi Tian had released that day had shaken every True Person across the Southern Border, yet that was merely the tip of the iceberg of his true strength.
It had forced many cultivators who looked down on body refiners to cast aside their contempt.
Luo Chen remained unmoved. Only he knew the truth of his journey.
What others saw was the miracle of a total metamorphosis within a single year.
What they did not know was how many decades he had languished in the mid tier-four realm.
At age one hundred and sixty, he had broken through to Desolate Ancient Tier 4. By age two hundred, he had already reached the mid Desolate Ancient Tier 4 stage.
From then until now, over a hundred years had passed!
Never in his life had he been trapped in a single minor realm for so long.
Coming to the Southern Border, securing the right cultivation method, acquiring vast resources, and drawing upon his profound foundation, it was only natural for the breakthrough to arrive like a burst of accumulated might!
Now, his body refinement had reached late Desolate Ancient Tier 4, rivaling a late Nascent Soul Great Cultivator!
Dispensing with pleasantries, Luo Chen directly addressed Heavenly Master Li, who was conversing with Granny Hongye.
"Now that we are on our way, Heavenly Master Li, isn't it time you explained our specific itinerary?"
Having her chat interrupted, Granny Hongye frowned slightly.
Had this been in the past, she would have snapped at him immediately.
Yet the strength Luo Chen currently displayed was more than enough to command her respect.
Heavenly Master Li smiled. "It is indeed time to explain, but let us wait until everyone arrives so we can discuss it together. It will save the trouble of repeating ourselves."
Indeed, there were still helpers to come!
Heavenly Master Li had mentioned earlier that there was one more person.
Who it was remained unknown.
Yet now, that person was due to appear.
As if sensing something, Heavenly Master Li looked out into the distance.
"He... they are here!"
There was a trace of displeasure in his tone.
The flying boat slowed slightly. A moment later, two streaks of light descended onto the deck.
One had a face lined with deep wrinkles, his hands resembling withered chicken claws.
The other was clad in white, with white hair and an arrogant, sweeping gaze.
The withered old man led the way. Seeing the assembly of experts upon the boat, he laughed heartily. "Heavenly Master, we haven't met in a century. How fares your health?"
"Old Meng, why the sudden concern for my health?" Heavenly Master Li offered a mild smile, returning a polite salute before glancing with slight displeasure at the white-haired man. "Was it not agreed that you would come alone? Why have you brought another fellow daoist?"
Old Meng smiled faintly. "Bai Xuanjun is hardly a stranger. Thinking you were short on hands, Heavenly Master, I casually invited him along. What, is he not welcome?"
Heavenly Master Li's expression stiffened.
Then, he drew a deep breath.
"Welcome, of course he is welcome! The esteemed Cult Master of the White Bone Cult is an immense boon to our cause. I ought to thank you, Old Meng, for being so considerate on my behalf."
Turning around, he introduced the two newcomers to the group, directing his words especially toward Luo Chen.
"Supreme Elder Meng Shentong of the Luo Cult!"
"Cult Master Bai Xuanjun of the White Bone Cult!"
That first name immediately piqued Luo Chen's curiosity.
His spirit eyes instinctively fell upon the somewhat diminutive old man.
*This is the Supreme Elder of the Luo Cult?*
*Could he be the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor?*
Just then, the old man's gaze happened to meet Luo Chen's as well.
"There is no need to introduce the others; I know them all. But this fellow daoist here looks rather unfamiliar! Heavenly Master Li, won't you introduce him?"
Chapter 954