"It's that monster!"
The moment the Qingyang Great Handprint appeared, Yan Qianji instantly recognized who had unleashed it.
It was the nightmare that had brought him ten agonizing years of torment!
From his frantic shriek, the others vaguely gathered that the newcomer was likely the mighty figure who had gravely wounded Yan Qianji a decade ago. Yet beneath the overwhelming pressure of the palm print, there was no time to ponder.
Every single one of them unleashed their ultimate techniques—some seeking to wear down the strike, others countering head-on, and still others hunkering down in desperate defense, all merely to withstand that earth-shattering palm.
In an instant, the foot of Mount Yanfu was consumed by deafening detonations.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seven blasts erupted simultaneously.
The terrifying shockwaves even overturned the prostrate Black Tortoise.
Had Bai Meiling not been shielded by that Xuanhuang Great Seal, she would likely have been blasted out of existence, body and soul, right then and there.
The violent tremors shook heaven and earth, rumbling all the way up the mountain slopes.
The disturbance seemed to reach the heights above as well. Gaze after gaze glowing with eerie green ghostfire peered down toward the mountain base, though the dense remnants of ancient restrictions obscured their view.
Those above could not see clearly, but the participants in this clash saw everything with dreadful clarity.
Wisps of scattered ghost qi howled as they converged, reconstituting into their original forms.
Yet compared to before, their figures had become far thinner and more ethereal.
After having already suffered grievous wounds from Wang Yuan earlier, Yan Qianji could not even pull his ghostly form back together.
Seven sets of eyes snapped upward in unison.
A handsome young man clad in a magnificent feather robe looked down upon them with cold detachment.
His eyes were fathomless, drawing anyone who looked into their depths.
His gaze shone brilliantly, seemingly capable of piercing straight into the Nine Netherworlds—a sight none dared meet directly.
Because his aura was so overwhelming, the yellow-robed man standing beside him was subconsciously overlooked altogether.
Gasp after astonished gasp spilled from the mouths of the Ghost Sovereigns.
"Who is he?"
"How could such a powerful figure exist in the Netherworld Abyss?"
"One palm... with just a single palm strike, he actually shattered the defensive treasure I went through so much hardship to acquire!"
Their cries were laden with unadulterated terror.
All because of that single palm strike he had hurled toward each of them—not one of the seven Ghost Sovereigns had managed to take it head-on.
This meant the feather-robed man's might did not merely surpass any single individual among them; it surpassed them all collectively!
Right at that moment!
The aloof man slowly spoke.
"Thinking of running?"
He reached out and made a grasping motion across the void, as though seizing something out of thin air.
In an empty patch of space, a translucent figure stumbled out unsteadily. No matter how the surrounding ghostly mist churned to coalesce, it could not shake off that stifling, crushing force.
The figure screamed in wretched desperation, "Spare my life! Spare my life!"
It was none other than Yan Qianji!
The other Ghost Sovereigns had never imagined that his inability to reconstitute his soul body had merely been a ruse.
In truth, he had secretly slipped away, seeking to flee the area.
Such meticulous caution truly befitted Yan Qianji's origins as an old snapping turtle.
Yet what terrified them most was that none of them had noticed, while the feather-robed man had not only spotted it in advance, but had forcibly dragged him out into the open.
Just what level of soul foundation was required to accomplish such a feat?
The next instant.
The corner of the feather-robed man's mouth twitched faintly, and he uttered a quiet scoff.
"Too late!"
His right hand clenched abruptly.
Yan Qianji's screams cut off without a trace, leaving only a wisp of azure smoke to dissolve into Mount Yanfu.
With no soul left to hold it together, a vast quantity of ghost qi began to churn and howl through the air.
Witnessing this scene, reminiscent of King Yama claiming a life, the six surviving Ghost Sovereigns were chilled to the bone.
Ghost cultivators discarded their physical flesh to cultivate the yin soul, gathering copious ghost qi to form a physical vessel.
Though this path possessed many shortcomings—such as slow cultivation, a mortal dread of supreme yang and unyielding power, and relatively weak offensive strength—it also offered perks that ordinary immortal cultivators could never enjoy.
Chief among them was a potent immunity against physical strikes, whether from magic treasures, True Artifacts, spells, or bare fists.
After all, since their very bodies were made of ghost qi, whenever they were blasted apart, they could simply reconstitute themselves in short order.
Yet right now, that advantage had been rendered completely meaningless before this man.
His magic power was righteous, grand, supreme, and pure yang!
His spells carried a wisp of azure flame, and the moment that fire brushed against their soul bodies, it unleashed a boundless, surging vitality that swiftly eradicated the death qi, ghost qi, and yin qi they relied upon.
*This man is far too terrifying—he cannot be opposed!*
That single thought flashed through the minds of the six Ghost Sovereigns almost at the exact same instant.
The next breath!
One struck out, conjuring a black flood dragon that bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it pounced toward Luo Chen.
Another turned and fled outward without looking back.
Still another bolted upward, dispersing his entire body into cloud and mist so that his true form could not be pinpointed.
They scattered like startled beasts and birds!
The feather-robed man snorted coldly, raised both hands, and barked softly.
"Go!"
A fire phoenix soared into the sky from behind him, annihilating the oncoming black flood dragon, incinerating the slowest Ghost Sovereign into cinders, and then surging relentlessly onward toward the remaining foes with undiminished momentum.
In merely a few breaths, a succession of shrill screams echoed around the foot of Mount Yanfu.
In the end, though its power had waned considerably, the fire phoenix pursued the stragglers relentlessly, chasing them straight toward the mountaintop.
Luo Chen did not linger on the final outcome. His gaze swept toward the far distance, where a silhouette swiftly reassembled its soul body and vanished out of sight, causing his expression to darken slightly.
"These ghost cultivators truly are difficult to kill!"
Beside him, Deng Taiyue, dressed in his yellow Daoist robe, moved his lips, completely at a loss for words.
A single move heavily wounded seven Ghost Sovereigns!
A single move wiped out five ghosts, leaving only one to escape Mount Yanfu and another fleeing up the mountain with its life still hanging in the balance.
With a result like that, you call them difficult to kill?
Just what more do you want?!
In the end, he could only squeeze out five words:
"Fellow Daoist is far too modest!"
Deng Taiyue then gestured with his hand, and the Xuanhuang Great Seal shielding Bai Meiling shrank at once, spinning as it flew back into his palm and vanished in the blink of an eye.
It was his intervention that had kept Bai Meiling safe earlier.
"My thanks," Luo Chen said, acknowledging the gesture before turning his eyes toward the woman drifting over to him.
"Xiao Bai, are you alright?"
"Master!" Bai Meiling's expressive eyes blinked in boundless delight, that simple two-word address seemingly laden with thousands of unspoken sentiments.
*Thud!*
A dull rumble echoed from below.
The overturned Black Tortoise had finally managed to right itself with great difficulty.
Wang Yuan stood beneath, gazing up at Luo Chen.
"You're back."
Luo Chen nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes, I'm back!"
Suddenly, he looked up toward the summit of Mount Yanfu, a sharp glint flashing across his eyes.
The others were perplexed.
Yet soon after, a muffled boom drifted down from above, accompanied by the dying wail of the fire phoenix.
Someone had stepped in to break Luo Chen's Prairie-Blazing Fire Phoenix technique!
"There is an expert on the mountain!" A ferocious gleam flickered in Luo Chen's eyes, yet the corners of his lips curved up into an involuntary smile.
Beside him, Bai Meiling's joy at reuniting with Luo Chen vanished instantly. Her expression turned anxious as she said, "Master, we must hurry and stop them. The Ming Water Springhead is about to coalesce. If those Ghost Sovereigns seize it, there will no longer be any foothold for our Luotian Sect in the Netherworld Abyss!"
"Oh?" Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. "Explain everything to me in detail!"
Bai Meiling nodded and promptly recounted the situation from start to finish.
***
Inside the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land.
The upper echelon of the Luotian Sect gathered together, concern plainly etched upon every face.
Seated at the very head, Li Yingzhang spoke in a heavy voice, "It has been six months!"
He swept his gaze across everyone, his tone laden with gravity yet carrying a note of resolve.
"Elder Bai and Elder Wang have been gone for half a year, and to this day, no word has returned. We must organize a force and go reinforce them!"
Several figures sat below, all familiar faces.
Lingfengzi sat on the left and Canglong on the right; the two were the only remaining Nascent Soul elders of the Luotian Sect today.
Beside them were Gu Caiyi, dressed in an elegant palace gown, and Tianxuan. One was the Dao companion of Supreme Elder Luo Chen, while the other was his former spirit beast; both could represent a portion of the Supreme Elder's will.
As for the Supreme Elder's other Dao companion, Sima Huiniang, it was inconvenient for her to appear here at this time.
Rumor had it that before the Supreme Elder departed, she had been ordered into confinement for ten years.
Though her period of confinement had nearly elapsed by now, she had rarely shown her face in public.
Further down sat two members of the Luotian Sect's younger generation.
Luo Chen's disciple, Qu Lingjun, and Wang Yuan's disciple, Zeng Yilong, known as Shalongzi.
One had tasted the fruits of hard labor by advancing to the Golden Core stage, overseeing all matters concerning pills within the Luotian Sect.
The other had achieved success in body refinement, shouldering the responsibilities of the Luotian Sect's disciplinary punishment and patrols.
Seven people in total!
In the absence of Luo Chen and the pair of Wang Yuan and Bai Meiling, these seven were the core leadership of the Luotian Sect.
Facing Sect Master Li Yingzhang's proposal, Lingfengzi stroked his beard and was the first to speak: "The place they went to is Mount Yanfu, where a large number of high-tier ghost cultivators are entrenched. Though our Luotian Sect's strength has grown considerably after resting and recuperating over the years, we are still far from being a match for them. Sect Master Li, your proposal is somewhat reckless. In my view, it is better to wait until Senior Brother Luo Chen returns!"
Li Yingzhang replied coldly, "This is not a proposal—it is a decision!"
Lingfengzi's brows knitted. "And if the reinforcement team also meets with disaster, what will become of the Luotian Sect?"
Li Yingzhang countered, "If the Ming Water Springhead is seized by a formidable Ghost Sovereign, where will our Luotian Sect go from there?"
That question rendered Lingfengzi speechless at once.
Over the past years, rumors concerning the Ming Water Springhead had grown increasingly fervent among the countless ghost creatures of the Netherworld Abyss.
Legend had it that in ancient times, the Mountain Sea Realm possessed no Netherworld Abyss.
This boundless abyss that imprisoned countless ghostly creatures had only appeared ten thousand years ago.
It was born because of a single springhead!
The reason the Mingyuan Sect had established its sect foundation here was, first, for the natural defense of the Netherworld Abyss, and second, precisely for that springhead.
A Ghost Emperor had once claimed that the Ming Water Springhead harbored the power of creation!
The Mingyuan Sect's unbroken lineage of Soul Formation experts over three thousand years, along with the continuous emergence of geniuses among its younger disciples who comprehended the true meaning of laws ahead of their time, was all tied to the Ming Water Springhead.
Had Monarch Qixia not launched a sudden assault on the Mingyuan Sect, forcibly shattering the Ming Water Springhead to rescue Qinghe Xian, the Netherworld Abyss would never have deteriorated into such an unruly state.
Fortunately, Monarch Qixia had not directed her full might against the springhead back then. Thus, mere decades after its collapse, it had gradually begun to coalesce once more, bit by bit, through the lingering restrictive powers of the Three Yanfu Heavenly Palaces upon Mount Yanfu.
At this stage, the Ming Water Springhead was at its weakest and easiest to subdue.
Once subdued, one could command the Ming Water.
If the host possessed sufficient personal strength, this vast Netherworld Abyss would also fall under their control.
When that time came, the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land concealed within the Netherworld Abyss would have nowhere left to hide and would be exposed in an instant.
The upper echelon of the Luotian Sect had naturally caught wind of this intelligence, which was why they were finding it so hard to sit still.
Facing a choice that concerned the very survival of the sect, the usually amiable Sect Master Li Yingzhang made a resolute, unshakeable decision.
Even as a revered Nascent Soul elder, Lingfengzi found it difficult to object.
A gentle, warm voice rang out, soothing the restless agitation in everyone's hearts like a clear spring.
"Sect Master Li is correct. Reinforcing Elders Wang and Bai is not merely about preserving our fellow disciples—it is also for the sake of the sect. This journey must be undertaken. I, Canglong, am willing to act."
Everyone looked toward the gentle woman who spoke, their hearts steadying considerably.
Fairy Canglong was not particularly close to them.
Yet everyone knew she had been revived by the Supreme Elder, and under his backing, she had made a second breakthrough, forcibly congealing a Nascent Soul with success.
In a sense, she too could represent the Supreme Elder's will.
Some even believed she would become the Supreme Elder's third Dao companion!
With her now endorsing the Sect Master's decision, the others harbored no further hesitation.
"I concur!"
"I concur!"
Finally, after careful consideration, Gu Caiyi also endorsed Li Yingzhang's decision.
All eyes turned in unison toward the elderly man of ethereal bearing.
Seeing this, Lingfengzi could only offer a wry smile.
"Since it has come to this, this old man has no objections either."
Li Yingzhang breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let us discuss the composition of the reinforcement force! I propose that the two elders lead the vanguard, dispatching all disciples above the Golden Core stage within the sect to join the battle."
To this, Canglong, who had just supported Li Yingzhang, shook her head.
"Golden Core cultivators may be strong, but upon Mount Yanfu, they are no more than ants. In my assessment, only those with late Golden Core combat prowess can exert even a slight influence on the battlefield. In addition, Elder Min Longyu of the early Golden Core stage may also join; with his formations assisting us, we can maximize our overall strength. Lastly, should we fail, the numerous remaining Golden Core cultivators will at least preserve a sliver of foundation for the Luotian Sect."
She, too, had once governed a sect; her eye for the broader picture was in no way inferior to Li Yingzhang's.
Faced with this suggestion, Li Yingzhang hesitated. "This..."
Lingfengzi nodded. "Elder Canglong is correct. You who are not of the Nascent Soul realm cannot fathom the capabilities of a Nascent Soul. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators are utterly useless in clashes of that level. Even late Golden Core cultivators can only barely hold their ground."
With both Nascent Soul elders speaking in agreement, the others naturally raised no objection.
Li Yingzhang knew the entire sect inside and out, and he immediately named the reinforcements.
"Min Longyu, Elder Tianxuan, Fairy Jueqing, Ye Suifeng..."
Apart from Min Longyu, every name called belonged to the current late Golden Core powerhouses of the Luotian Sect.
That Ye Suifeng was a disciple under Lingfengzi, a genius nurtured by Piaomiao Peak over the years who had also been an exceptional true disciple of the Piaomiao Sect in his earlier days.
However, when it came to the final name, Li Yingzhang appeared somewhat hesitant.
Yet though he hesitated, the person in question did not.
Under everyone's gaze, Gu Caiyi stood up with poised grace.
"Having received the sect's benevolence and my husband's bestowals, I stepped into the late Golden Core stage three years ago. Today, it is only right that I do my part for the sect!"
"But..."
"There are no buts!"
Canglong looked upon the radiant, poised woman, inwardly praising Luo Chen's discerning eye!
This Dao companion who had supported him since their humblest beginnings might not possess extraordinary talent and might display some jealousy in ordinary times, but before matters of great consequence, she showed not a shred of selfishness.
With her taking the lead, no one else could possibly raise any objections.
"In that case, assemble our people and set out at once!" Li Yingzhang sighed, making the final decision.
Yet regarding this expedition, he still could not suppress the worry weighing upon his heart.
Reinforcing Wang Yuan and Bai Meiling was secondary; seizing the Ming Water Springhead was paramount.
However, the strength the Luotian Sect had scraped together was simply too frail compared to the thousands of years of accumulation within the Netherworld Abyss.
*Too little time has been given to me!*
*If only we had nurtured a few more late Golden Core grand cultivators, we would not be stretched so thin right now.*
Amidst his sigh, his gaze shifted between Lingfengzi and Canglong before he finally arrived at a resolve.
"Elder Canglong, please come with me for a moment!"
A short while later.
Inside the rear hall, Fairy Canglong looked with astonishment at what Li Yingzhang had produced.
"This...!"
"I have heard that Elder was once on good terms with the Luoyun Sect. I wonder if you have dabbled in the art of puppetry?"
Fairy Canglong drew a deep breath. She had truly never imagined that the Luotian Sect, founded less than five hundred years ago, possessed such a foundation.
Reaching out to accept the heavy storage bag, she nodded solemnly.
"I will make good use of this item!"
Chapter 999