Luo Chen had been planning his departure from Soul Island all along.
Unlike an ordinary voyage to sea, he could not wait for calm waters; he had to do the exact opposite.
Beneath its placid surface, the Yellow Springs Sea harbored surging undercurrents and exerted an overwhelming suppression on the soul. Given the disadvantage that his divine sense could not extend very far, he could easily blunder into grave danger.
Conversely, when raging winds and towering waves churned, those undercurrents were stirred to the surface. Though it appeared far more perilous, the danger remained strictly on the surface.
Under such conditions, so long as he remained vigilant enough to counter each obstacle as it arose, an opportunity to escape would always present itself.
Over these past days, Luo Chen had been refining the Myriad Formations Gu left behind by Granny Hongye.
He had to admit that while the gu cultivator lineage of the Southern Border might be somewhat lacking in direct combat prowess, their approach of employing gu insects to aid both cultivation and battle was truly commendable.
Take this formation gu, for example!
Ordinary formation masters could naturally use treasures such as formation flags and formation plates to assist in laying formations, but both efficacy and speed depended entirely on the formation master themselves.
With a formation gu, however, the dynamic was completely altered.
Such living gu insects inherently harbored a vast array of fundamental restrictions. A formation master merely needed to rearrange, distribute, and recombine them to swiftly assemble the desired formation.
Even if something was lacking, they could supplement it with additional restrictions to piece together a new formation.
This kind of synergy was far greater than the sum of its parts.
For adept formation masters like Luo Chen and Granny Hongye, it was truly like giving wings to a tiger.
Refining the Myriad Formations Gu was also Luo Chen's way of securing a fallback measure.
If he found himself unable to hold out within the Yellow Springs Sea, he could at least deploy the defensive formations prepared within the Myriad Formations Gu to buy himself a brief moment of respite.
Originally, Luo Chen had always had another safeguard prepared for this role—namely, Black King!
Whether cultivating, traveling, or fighting, the reason Luo Chen kept Black King by his side was so the beast could suddenly appear and secure a breathing window for him in critical moments.
Yet when the waves of the Yellow Springs Sea surged abruptly, the two of them had been forced apart.
Now, he had no choice but to seek an alternative.
The Myriad Formations Gu was a splendid choice.
"I wonder how Black King is faring right now?"
At dawn, Luo Chen put on his damaged Xuanchen Armor and stood in silent stillness by the coast.
Thinking of Black King, a rare trace of worry stirred within his heart.
The Southern Ocean was mysterious and treacherous. Without Luo Chen's protection, strong though Black King was, he would find it difficult to take a single step.
Moreover, wherever the Yellow Springs Sea had swept through back then, all living creatures were obliterated. Could Black King truly have escaped that calamity unscathed?
Within his sea of consciousness lay a drop of Black King's soul blood.
Under normal circumstances, he could use it to sense whether Black King was alive or dead.
Yet on this Soul Island, he could feel nothing. After all, if his own divine sense could not extend very far, how could he hope to perceive a faint resonance from a drop of soul blood?
Only by leaving the Yellow Springs Sea could he once again sense Black King's condition!
And the day of his departure was today!
With a shift of Luo Chen's thoughts, a sudden change occurred over his body.
*Hiss!*
Azure flames drifted forth, coalescing into a wispy gossamer robe that draped over his entire body.
It was none other than the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire!
Yet it was different from before.
At present, the divine fire's raw intensity had not increased much, but in terms of fine manipulation, it far surpassed what he had previously achieved.
In the past, Luo Chen could never have achieved such meticulous variation.
The robe of fire was gossamer-thin and translucent.
Yet it enveloped him from head to toe, leaving not the slightest opening.
This was precisely the benefit of having a vastly strengthened soul foundation: he could command a fifth-tier divine fire with microscopic precision.
Consequently, though its outward might seemed unchanged, the drain on his magic power was drastically reduced.
And this was also the very foundation of Luo Chen's confidence in braving the crossing of the Yellow Springs Sea!
If the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire could safely shield his arrival on Soul Island, it should naturally do the same for his departure.
*Whoosh...*
The waves in the Yellow Springs Sea had grown exceedingly turbulent lately, churning day and night without pause.
Luo Chen stepped cautiously forward into the turbid waves.
The moment he entered, crackling sounds erupted from the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire on his body as the manifested robe of fire was continuously worn down.
Yet sustained by the constant feed of Luo Chen's magic power, the fiery mantle replenished itself uninterruptedly.
"Even if it exhausts every drop of my Nascent Soul magic power, I will make it out!"
Steeling his resolve, Luo Chen pressed forward unyieldingly into the vast yellow expanse of the sea.
...
*Crash!*
Another monstrous wave slammed against Soul-Severing Cliff.
As the spray receded, Luo Chen's figure reappeared on the black beach.
A mere cup of tea's time had passed since his departure.
Had he failed?
Yet there was no disappointment on Luo Chen's face; instead, he looked thoroughly astonished.
Leaving the black sands, he stepped onto an adjacent reef and gazed into the distance, as if waiting for something.
His wait did not last long.
Roughly a cup of tea's time later, a colossal object loomed into view.
A streak of vivid crimson rose and fell amid the yellow sea.
Luo Chen's eyes flashed, and he blurted out, "It really is it—Ghost Immortal Tower!"
As another enormous surge crashed ashore, a resounding thud reverberated across Soul Island.
*Boom!*
Once the tide receded, the colossal frame of Ghost Immortal Tower was fully revealed.
A single glance brought forth phantom silhouettes of towering pavilions and swirling, eerie ghostly miasma.
In a daze, one might even see immortals wandering amidst jade palaces and celestial towers, high above the chilling heights of the world.
Yet with a low shout from Luo Chen, the illusions dispersed entirely.
"As expected of the desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower. Even in death, its mind-beguiling illusions persist unceasingly."
Luo Chen voiced his praise, unperturbed.
With his current soul foundation, he remained entirely impervious to such passive illusions.
With the illusions stripped away, Luo Chen finally saw the true appearance of this desolate beast clearly.
Even lying prostrate, it measured dozens of zhang in height!
Its legs, thick as elephant pillars, stretched for hundreds of zhang, trailing deep into the Yellow Springs Sea.
Shifting his gaze upward, massive tentacles splayed outward across its form.
Luo Chen knew these tentacles belonged to the Northern Sea's renowned monster beast, the giant squid.
Ghost Immortal Tower preyed upon giant squids, deliberately preserving their tentacles after feeding; over time, similar appendages would even grow directly from its own flesh.
Yet the tentacles that had once struck terror into hearts were now shattered and scattered, most of them severed in a wretched state.
Witnessing this, Luo Chen felt a tremor in his heart.
When he had encountered Ghost Immortal Tower years ago, it was merely at the late fourth tier.
Yet during the war between humans and demons in the Northern Sea, Ghost Immortal Tower was said to have advanced to the fifth tier, rivaling Soul Formation mighty figures.
A fourth-tier Ghost Immortal Tower had already been terrifying enough; how immensely formidable must it have been at the fifth tier?
And yet, such a being had met this tragic end. It was difficult to imagine just how devastating the recent battle in the Central Plains had been!
What kind of powerhouse could have beaten Ghost Immortal Tower to death with raw force?
Swallowing hard, Luo Chen shifted his gaze toward Ghost Immortal Tower's head.
Upon its head, which resembled an overgrown tumor, were two hollow cavities.
Those were eye sockets, where the parasitic beasts known as Blood Lanterns had once nested.
Now, only sunken pits remained, devoid of any glimmer.
"To think a supreme fifth-tier desolate beast would end up like this."
Sighing with emotion, Luo Chen cautiously moved closer to Ghost Immortal Tower.
This was precisely why he had temporarily abandoned his attempt to leave!
The carcass of a desolate beast was an invaluable material in the Mountain Sea Realm.
Whatever it was utilized for, it would be of immense value.
Most importantly, since this corpse had managed to drift across the Yellow Springs Sea, if he harvested its hide, flesh, and bones to craft a Dharma vessel, he could save an immense amount of strength and escape these waters far more easily.
Yet just as Luo Chen drew near, the corpse of Ghost Immortal Tower, which should have been devoid of life, suddenly erupted with a reddish halo.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen pulled back.
Not only that, the Myriad Formations Gu concealed upon his person flared with spiritual radiance, cloaking him beneath layer upon layer of aura-concealing formations.
Only after putting sufficient distance between them did Luo Chen come to a halt.
Looking back, the gargantuan corpse began to quiver bizarrely.
A massive swelling bulged outward upon its tumorous head, rising higher and higher.
Suddenly!
*Puff...*
The bloody bulge burst open, and a doll-like creature crawled out from within.
This doll had stubby limbs and an exceedingly slender neck, dominated entirely by an unnaturally oversized head.
It sat dazed atop Ghost Immortal Tower's head, staring blankly for a moment as if unaware of what had happened, until its gaze finally fell upon the beach.
It opened its mouth, and a torrent of black sand immediately flew toward it.
*Crunch, crunch.*
*Crunch, crunch.*
Chewing noises issued steadily from its mouth, and its previously feeble aura gradually grew stronger.
This sight left Luo Chen thoroughly astonished.
"Is this the true form of Ghost Immortal Tower?"
"It can chew Soul Stones raw!"
"And it doesn't seem unfamiliar with this place at all. It clearly knows the properties of Soul Stones, devouring them the moment it emerged."
Thinking of this, Luo Chen could not help but suppress his aura even deeper.
For good reason!
There were barely any Soul Stones left on that beach.
Most of them had already been harvested by him beforehand.
What remained was pitifully scarce.
The big-headed, doll-like Ghost Immortal Tower seemed to realize this as well. After feeding on Soul Stones for a brief spell and finding no more, it actually began to wail loudly.
It sounded just like an infant weeping.
It clambered down with difficulty from the corpse, attempting to search for more Soul Stones.
Suddenly!
It lifted its massive head and gazed into the distance.
Across the Yellow Springs Sea, wind and waves churned as before, showing nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet within its large, dark eyes, a look of distinct dread appeared.
Then, as if making up its mind, it spun around without hesitation and bolted toward Soul-Severing Cliff.
Watching this from afar, Luo Chen felt his eyelids twitch violently.
An unexpected sight unfolded before him.
When the big-headed doll slammed headfirst into the cliff face of Soul-Severing Cliff, it actually melded straight into the stone, vanishing without a trace.
Instantly, all signs of life in the area vanished once more.
Watching this, Luo Chen drew a deep breath.
Several speculations surfaced in his mind.
*Could the birthplace of the desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower be this very Soul-Severing Cliff? Could it be that Soul-Severing Cliff drifted across the ocean over tens of millions of li straight toward the Central Plains precisely because of Ghost Immortal Tower?*
Luo Chen was not entirely certain of this conjecture; it was merely an inference drawn from the creature's seamless blending into Soul-Severing Cliff.
Right now, what truly put him on high alert was the reason behind the creature's hiding.
What on earth was out there on the Yellow Springs Sea that frightened Ghost Immortal Tower to such an extent?
Luo Chen began to retreat.
He backed away with utmost care, heading toward a secluded spot he had scouted over the years.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on the surface of the Yellow Springs Sea, straining to catch sight of whatever was coming.
In the haze, a solitary bone vessel seemed to traverse the sea toward him.
...
*Whoosh!*
Cleaving through layers of turbid waves, a Dharma vessel crafted of white bone came from the east.
Two graceful figures stood at the prow, their robes fluttering as they gazed into the distance.
The foremost of them was dressed as a married woman, her appearance demure and her demeanor gentle.
Looking upon the towering solitary peak ahead, she sighed softly. "Is that the legendary Soul-Severing Cliff?"
The aloof woman behind her said coldly, "It is also the burial ground you chose for yourselves."
The beautiful woman sighed softly. "Were it not for the main sect's decree, who would wish to fight to the death with that sister of yours? Besides, even if the fish dies, the net will not necessarily tear. Your sister is severely wounded; she may not be a match for us."
The aloof woman spoke no more.
The beautiful woman gave a helpless smile.
"Qingshuang, if you are willing to surrender to our Tianyuan Dao Sect, this seat can spare your life after this battle. If you will protect the Central Plains..."
At the mention of the Central Plains, the beautiful woman's voice hitched, a tinge of sorrow welling in her eyes.
Pausing, she continued, "And if you will guard the Tianyuan Dao Sect for five hundred years, the main sect in the Mystic Realm can even guide you in ascending to the upper realm in the future. I, Chunyuan, can vouch for you!"
Qingshuang sneered and gave no answer.
Seeing this, Chunyuan did not press the matter, merely sighing over the depth of their sisterly bond.
Then, she shifted her full attention to Soul-Severing Cliff in the distance, her expression turning solemn.
Whether this place would be the ideal ambush ground as Sect Master Senior Brother claimed, or the burial place of the Tianyuan Five Elders as Qingshuang insisted, would depend on the outcome to come.
Suddenly!
Her gaze narrowed, fixing on a collapsed, tower-like mass.
"Ghost Immortal Tower?"
"To think that Ghost Immortal Tower, which fled, actually washed up here."
The white bone vessel accelerated immediately, parting the turbid waves, and before long arrived upon that barren beach.
The moment she stepped onto the island, Chunyuan released her divine sense.
To her surprise, however, its reach extended only about a hundred li or so, unable to cover the entire island.
*The rumors that Soul-Severing Cliff possesses the power to suppress the soul are indeed true.*
Muttering to herself, she walked straight up to the colossal corpse of Ghost Immortal Tower.
After a thorough examination, she was completely reassured.
The desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower was dead; only its carcass remained, buried upon Soul Island.
She turned around to look at the tall woman, who stood a head taller than herself, and smiled faintly.
"Monarch Qixia led four Great Desolate Beasts and nine Great Ghost Spirits to launch a surprise attack on our sect. In the end, she was severely wounded, the ghost spirits were all annihilated, and of the four desolate beasts, one died, one was injured, and one fled—and even this Ghost Immortal Tower died right here."
"Our Dao Sect's foundation is far beyond anything you could imagine."
"Now, do you still believe your sister can rescue you?"
Qingshuang still did not reply, but the light in her eyes visibly dimmed.
She had not participated in that battle personally; she had been in the Eastern Desolation pinning down a portion of the Tianyuan Dao Sect's forces.
Yet judging by the outcome, her sister seemed to have underestimated the Tianyuan Dao Sect's foundations after all, resulting in grievous mutual losses.
This time, the Tianyuan Five Elders intended to use her as bait to ensnare Monarch Qixia. If they truly succeeded...
Qingshuang dared not contemplate the consequences.
Seeing her like this, Chunyuan's heavy heart eased slightly.
Surging with magic power, she took Qingshuang up toward the ridge above.
She had arrived ahead of the others and needed to select the battlefield for her fellow disciples in advance.
Meanwhile, in a concealed spot at the base of the cliff.
Luo Chen, who was straining with all his might to conceal his aura, was completely dumbfounded.
Her divine sense had not detected him, but his vision could reach her; by reading the beautiful woman's lips, he had gathered some sense of the momentous events unfolding in the outside world.
Yet none of that mattered!
What truly mattered was—how in the world had Soul-Severing Cliff become the battleground for a clash between Soul Formation sovereigns?
How was he supposed to make his escape now?!
Chapter 976