https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-145-The-Soul-Refiner-Foundation-Establishment-in-the-Path-of-Souls-an-Unimagined-Path-Pa/12900141/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-146-Luo-Tian-chud-ing-Four-halls-divided-cultivators-return-to-heart-soul-collapses-Par/12900146/
Chapter 145: The Soul Refiner, Foundation Establishment in the Path of Souls, an Unimagined Path (Pa
Chapter 145: The Soul Refiner, Foundation Establishment in the Path of Souls, an Unimagined Path (Part 2)
Luo Chen killed seven late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators in one move, and Gao Tingyuan was among the injured.
Under the power of such an explosion, Gao Tingyuan must have used all his means to survive.
This was evident from the fact that only a few magical treasures could be found in Gao Tingyuan’s storage bag.
"Was it those two short halberds?"
"Or the magical robe he was wearing?"
"Or perhaps that defensive magical bead that shattered last?"
After deep contemplation, Luo Chen couldn’t help but feel immense regret.
He had missed out on a unique method for Foundation Establishment! Shaking his head, Luo Chen prepared to put these items into his storage bag.
Just as his hand touched a dark wooden token, his mind suddenly stirred, and his eyes, which were shining with spirit light, fell upon it.
...
"Luo Chen, this is all the loot we confiscated. Please... take a look."
Luo Chen clearly heard the sound of swallowing saliva.
He looked at Murong Qinglian, noticing that her eyes were red, and her hands were trembling as she handed over the ledger.
Confused, Luo Chen took the ledger.
The first number he saw made him subconsciously swallow.
"Twenty-seven thousand low-grade spirit stones, ninety-eight medium-grade spirit stones!"
Lifting his head, Luo Chen couldn’t help but ask, "Is there a counting error?"
Murong Qinglian slowly shook her head, "Absolutely not, we counted three times."
Amidst Luo Chen’s shock, she continued, "It’s quite normal to have such a large amount of spirit stones. After all, over a hundred and thirty people from both sides died last night."
"Among them, thirty were late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators."
"Additionally, three thousand spirit stones came from Blue Sky Cloud’s storage bag, which Duan Feng handed over voluntarily."
"How to distribute them is up to you."
Luo Chen was in a daze; he had never seen such a large amount of spirit stones in his life.
In fact, he had only experienced three transactions involving over ten thousand spirit stones.
One was at an auction organized by the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion, and the other two were related to the Jade Marrow Pills he refined.
But at that time, the Jade Marrow Pills were just pills, and he hadn’t seen the actual profits.
In the end, he received only a couple of thousand in dividends.
Now, he was the one who would be dividing the spoils?
"Besides the spirit stones, there are magical treasures, talismans, pills, medicinal herbs, cultivation techniques, and various strange gadgets."
"Luo Chen, take a good look. We will follow your instructions on how to distribute them."
After Murong Qinglian finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.
Actually, this was a rather strange situation.
In general, the loot from battles should belong to the cultivators themselves.
Thus, it was rare to see such a large pile of loot gathered together.
But in last night’s battle, many late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators died.
Early-stage cultivators were almost entirely wiped out, with only a few experienced mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators surviving by leveraging the terrain.
Therefore, the main force in the final battle was Luo Chen and his group.
Among them, Sikong Shoujia died, and Yuan Laopo, apart from Min Longyu, did not engage in much combat.
The entire battlefield was dominated by Luo Chen and Duan Feng.
After the battle, too much loot belonged to the two of them.
Thus, how to distribute it became a problem.
It just so happened that Luo Chen and Miao Wen were having a secret meeting in the Alchemy Hall.
In the end, after discussions between Duan Feng, Murong Qinglian, and Zhou Yuanli, they collected all the loot and handed it over to Luo Chen to decide.
After all, nominally, the ones in charge here were Luo Chen and Murong Qinglian, the two Hall Masters.
Luo Chen scanned through the ledger, and even with the shock of the previous thirty-five thousand spirit stones, the other resources still made his mouth dry.
What a massive amount of loot.
If all of it were converted into spirit stones, combined with what he already had, it would almost reach a hundred thousand.
Killing and plundering truly was the fastest way to make money in the cultivation world!
What alchemists and artifact makers could create such enormous wealth in a single night?
But upon reflection, it seemed reasonable.
The deaths in the Alchemy Hall and Medicine Hall were relatively minor, as most of them weren’t particularly wealthy. The main wealth came from the dozen or so late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators and Sikong Shoujia.
The majority, however, came from the Great River Gang.
Primarily mid-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators, with late-stage cultivators as support, and five ninth-level Qi Cultivation cultivators as the leaders.
This was undoubtedly an elite force of the Great River Gang!
Half of them were lost in the Moonlit Valley, and many things were damaged in the battle.
But what remained was the result of a lifetime of hard work for these people.
Of course, the true value wasn’t calculated like this.
The most valuable items were the magical treasures, but second-hand magical treasures were not highly priced and would be discounted significantly.
Despite appearing to be nearly a hundred thousand, it could easily be reduced by several tens of thousands.
If they were to sell, they would also need to consider the time cost and whether there were enough buyers.
Even so, it was still a massive fortune!
Luo Chen looked up, suddenly coming to his senses.
Seeing Murong Qinglian’s exhausted appearance, Luo Chen was suddenly alarmed.
He shook his head forcefully, "Sister, are you okay?"
Seeing that he still cared about her well-being despite the enormous profit, a warm current flowed through Murong Qinglian’s body.
"I’m fine. I wasn’t injured at all during the battle yesterday. Although Blue Sky Cloud was strong, you sent Caiyi and Zhou Yuanli to help me, so I was unharmed."
"Where’s Caiyi?"
"She’s with Yuan Laopo, recovering. Yes, apart from being a seasoned spirit plant master, Yuan Laopo also has excellent medical skills."
"But she fought with Min Longyu yesterday?"
"Min Longyu wasn’t as strong as imagined. An array formation master needs preparation to be most effective. The Moonlit Valley is a place the Medicine Hall has cultivated for years, and Yuan Laopo had the advantage of the terrain, so she wasn’t as intimidated from the start."
Thinking about how Yuan Laopo calmly descended into the valley and faced Min Longyu yesterday, Luo Chen suddenly understood.
To think, when Han Dang, the Heart Devouring Tiger, was easily defeated by Min Longyu, and the latter forcefully broke through the Earth Guard Array yesterday, it created an impression that Min Longyu was invincible.
But in reality, array formation masters were not among the strongest types of cultivators.
After all, array formation masters heavily relied on terrain and preparation.
In this regard, Elder Yuan, a seasoned Ninth Level Qi Cultivator from the Medicine Hall, had a clear advantage.
If the positions were reversed, Yuan Laopo would have no chance against Min Longyu.
The array disk in the other party's hands subtly contained the principles of the Five Elements' mutual generation and restraint, and its quality was likely very high!
On the other hand, Sikong Shoujia, who was solely focused on escaping, voluntarily abandoned his familiarity with the terrain of the Moonlit Valley.
He ran outside and was hammered to death by Fu Zhang.
Yesterday, they only saw his terrified and defiant face, but under the white cloth, Sikong Shoujia's body below the chest had been pounded into a pulp.
It was truly a tragic sight!
Luo Chen, holding the ledger, asked about another person with concern.
"Where is Brother Qin? He rushed here this morning, covered in blood, which was quite frightening."
Mentioning Qin Liangchen, Murong Qinglian's expression turned grim.
Luo Chen, sensitive to the mood, felt a heavy heart upon seeing this scene.
...
...
Through Murong Qinglian's account, Luo Chen learned what had happened last night.
Qin Liangchen received a plea for help from Mi Zifan, a third-generation member of the Mi Family, and immediately rushed to the Moonlit Valley.
However, before leaving, he left a message for Feng Xia.
This led to Duan Feng's timely support.
Qin Liangchen set out first, but on the fastest route, he encountered enemies in the Green Hemp Forest, where Luo Chen had once been ambushed.
Nan Gong Qin!
This young prodigy of the Nan Gong Family, with the greatest reputation and the strongest power, led a group to intercept Qin Liangchen.
He had a temper.
Instead of immediately surrounding and attacking, he proposed a one-on-one duel with Qin Liangchen.
The main reason was the word "fame."
Before the Dao Forum Platform closed, Qin Liangchen ranked first on the Great River Elite List.
He had earned this ranking through one battle after another.
However, some of the elders in the Great River Market still did not fully recognize him.
They often brought up the past when the Dao Forum Platform opened and the two groups of cultivators engaged in an eighteen-man bloodbath.
Among them, Min Longyu, who had ruthlessly killed Han Dang, Qin Liangchen, who had risked his life to kill Bai Qi, and Wang Yuan, who had crushed the Blood Path cultivators, became the benchmarks for comparison.
Even though Nan Gong Qin continuously demonstrated higher realms and better battle records, he still could not win the hearts of the people.
Their reasoning was simple!
"You are just sparring and discussing the Dao, but they were fighting for their lives. If it came to a life-or-death struggle, could you definitely win?"
Nan Gong Qin had always been unconvinced.
In fact, not just him, but others like Li Ao, Yan Mingxia, and Duan Feng were also unconvinced.
Unfortunately, that batch of people had all been busy pursuing cultivation resources and no one had stepped onto the platform to fight again.
People like Zeng Wen, who had personally experienced the bloodbath, merely came to watch.
Last night, such an opportunity arose.
Nan Gong Qin, sword in hand, challenged Qin Liangchen!
Unfortunately, Nan Gong Qin came for fame and profit.
But Qin Liangchen was fighting for his dao companion's life.
As soon as they engaged, Qin Liangchen used the life-or-death combat style he had displayed on the Dao Forum Platform.
This made Nan Gong Qin very uncomfortable, and he frequently made mistakes.
However, thanks to his solid foundation, he gradually adapted to Qin Liangchen's fighting style and began to gain the upper hand.
The current First Qi Cultivator of the Great River Market was not a fake.
Qin Liangchen, of course, was not willing to sit and wait for death. Seeing a group of Nan Gong Family cultivators watching from the sidelines, he directly used his trump card.
"That hand?"
Luo Chen recalled the empty sleeve on Qin Liangchen's right arm when he arrived.
"Yes!" Murong Qinglian said with a hint of melancholy. "The Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion was relatively fair when they made the deal with Liangchen. They opened Bai Qi's storage bag in front of him, and the contents were very valuable."
"Therefore, when they handed over the items to Liangchen, they also compensated him with a life-saving technique."
"At a critical moment, Liangchen used this technique, and with one strike, he carved out a bloody path."
"The cost was that hand, which was completely lost."
Hearing this, Luo Chen opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to say.
The Nan Gong Family had moved from the Snow Lotus Auction House to the Great River Market last year, a new and emerging Foundation Establishment Family.
The old patriarch, Nan Gong Jin, was only 105 years old, quite young.
The younger generation of the family was not mediocre, with many geniuses emerging.
However, the environment at the Snow Lotus Auction House was indeed harsh, and the resources were not as abundant as those in the Great River Market. Therefore, they decided to move for the long-term benefit.
It was easy to imagine that the group of Nan Gong Family cultivators who intercepted Qin Liangchen last night were not weak.
Qin Liangchen could carve out a bloody path, but it was impossible without a cost.
But he never expected the cost to be so great.
"Can the severed hand be reattached?" Luo Chen asked with concern.
Murong Qinglian shook her head with sorrow.
It couldn't be reattached.
The first time a limb was reattached, it was already a miraculous technique of the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.
Even so, Qin Liangchen spent a long time gradually adapting to it.
He even had Luo Chen help him test the technique.
Now, with the limb severed again, the damage had reached the root. Even if a prosthetic hand were attached, it would never function as well as before.
Moreover, why would the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion do it for him?
Could he find other physicians?
Even Dan Xiu, who only lost a hand, could only attach a medium-grade magical treasure claw, which allowed him to use it barely.
This led to a significant loss of strength for Dan Xiu, making it easy for Luo Chen to kill him with a sneak attack.
The woman's face, filled with sorrow and frustration, was strikingly noticeable.
Luo Chen was at a loss for words for a moment.
His gaze fell on the pile of war spoils, and he finally clenched his teeth.
"Call everyone over!"
...
Injured or not.
Wearied or full of energy.
Thirty cultivators stood in the open field of the Moonlit Valley, looking up at the person on a large stone, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Facing their gazes, Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, but then his eyes became resolute.
Looking at everyone, he spoke clearly.
"Uncle Mi, the gang leader, is dead."
Silence!
The originally bustling atmosphere instantly became dead quiet.
A group of low-tier cultivators listened in shock to this news.
They had been expecting Hall Master Luo Chen to distribute the war spoils from last night, even if some of the resources came from their former colleagues.
But Luo Chen did not expect that Hall Master Luo would immediately deliver a shocking announcement.
The protective umbrella over the Mountain Breaker Gang had fallen!
After ten breaths, Luo Chen spoke again.
"That night, the nine major halls of the Mountain Breaker Gang, along with the main headquarters and the Mi Family Ancestral Land, were all attacked by several times the number of enemies."
"Currently, the outside situation is unclear, but the Mountain Breaker Gang is now a mere shadow of its former self."
Luo Chen paused, giving the low-rank cultivators enough time to digest this reality.
With his sharp eyesight, he could see panic, unrest, confusion, and various other emotions on everyone's faces.
Among them were worry, fear, and concern.
It seemed that many of them were not alone, and had family and friends in other halls.
For example, Tang Quan was trembling all over, almost ready to turn and leave.
He must be worried about his uncle, Zeng Wen!
Luo Chen thought, and then, as everyone's eyes turned to him, he spoke clearly and firmly:
"The Mountain Breaker Gang is no more, but our path of cultivation must continue."
"The life of a solitary cultivator is hard, tiring, and..."
Damn, why are you thinking about rhymes at a time like this?
Luo Chen pursed his lips, "The life of a solitary cultivator is tough, and I understand that, as do you."
"So, I, Luo Chen, though not very capable, wish to form a small force to provide us all with a place to gather and support each other."
"I’ve already thought of a name for it: the Luo Tian Assembly, which means the highest and broadest of the Nine Heavens, symbolizing our hope that all cultivators in the assembly will step onto the Nine Heavens and reach the Great Dao."
"Of course, this is just a hope, as we are all the weakest cultivators in the Qi Cultivation Stage."
As he spoke, all the cultivators gradually came out of their confusion and began to understand.
Hall Master Luo Chen was planning to establish a new base, a new Mountain Breaker Gang!
However, he was only at the Eighth Level of Qi Cultivation. Could he really protect everyone?
Suddenly!
Many people recalled the scene where the three Foundation Establishment cultivators met.
In the end, the Foundation Establishment true cultivator from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, Miao Wen, talked with Luo Chen in the Alchemy Hall for half the night.
Could it be that the new Mountain Breaker Gang... no, the Luo Tian Assembly!
The backing of the Luo Tian Assembly is that person?
For a moment, many of the more perceptive cultivators became excited.
"I won't say much more, as the Luo Tian Assembly is currently just a name."
"Right now, I will discuss two matters, which can also be considered one."
Luo Chen looked at everyone with deep affection.
"Do you want to join the Luo Tian Assembly?"
"In the battle two days ago, we fought together to repel the enemies. I have seen everyone's efforts."
"Even those who do not join the Luo Tian Assembly will receive a share of the spoils, and perhaps even more than those who stay!"
"Those who stay will not receive less, and I will ensure that everyone is satisfied."
"Moreover, we should look to the future."
"I will use this large amount of spoils for the future development of the Luo Tian Assembly, and the heavens can bear witness to this!"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
Those who leave will receive more spoils.
But those who stay will receive less?
What kind of logic is this?
This time, they were given almost no time to think.
Because someone immediately expressed their willingness to join.
"I, Zhou Yuanli, am still willing to follow the president!"
At the same time, Liu Qiang also made his stance clear.
Furthermore, Gu Caiyi, Yuan Laopo, and Murong Qinglian, representing Qin Liang Chen, also joined.
The only Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivator who had not yet expressed a stance was Duan Feng.
Feng Xia, who had rushed over early in the morning, immediately nudged him in the waist.
Duan Feng then came to his senses and bowed deeply to Luo Chen with heartfelt respect.
"I, Duan Feng, will follow President Luo Chen’s lead!"
The group of low-rank solitary cultivators were stunned.
The Luo Tian Assembly, which had been a solitary entity just moments ago, now had five Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivators joining.
Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang were known for their teamwork against enemies, and they were not afraid of ordinary Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivators.
Moreover, they all remembered that Luo Chen had single-handedly killed two Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivators, Dan Xiu and Gao Tingyuan, that day.
In other words, Luo Chen himself had the strength to rival a Qi Cultivation Ninth Level expert.
With this calculation, the initial scale of the Luo Tian Assembly already had the combat strength of seven Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivators.
This kind of strength was already considerable, no matter where it was placed.
Ordinary solitary cultivators would not dare to challenge them!
At this moment, almost no one hesitated.
Who would want to be a solitary cultivator without any backing?
"I, Tang Quan, wish to join the Luo Tian Assembly!"
"I, Yuan Dongsheng, wish to join the Luo Tian Assembly!"
"I, Qu Hancheng, wish to join the Luo Tian Assembly!"
Hearing this name, Luo Chen's eyes lit up.
This old man was still alive!
Amidst the chaos, he had thought that the old man had died in the battle.
Indeed, the older, the wiser.
Seeing the cultivators voluntarily join the Luo Tian Assembly, the heavy weight in Luo Chen's heart finally lifted.
The conversation with Miao Wen the night before was not complicated.
The core of it was one thing:
Cooperation!
This chapter is a large one, combining five chapters.
Due to the excessive updates the day before, the average subscription rate dropped significantly, and the editor said it was a hard requirement to maintain the average subscription rate for the recommendation.
So I combined several chapters into one to see if it could boost the average subscription rate, without reducing the word count.
Subsequent updates will likely continue to be large chapters for a few days, and once the average subscription rate is restored, I will return to the usual three to five thousand words per chapter to provide a better reading experience.
Well, although the word count hasn't decreased, I still feel a bit guilty about this chapter, so I won't ask for monthly votes today.
Almost forgot, since May, the brothers have given great support, and here is the list of donations.
Fireworks Xiao Min: 10,000 Qidian coins, Book Friend 20181030134737845: 1,000 Qidian coins, Labula: 100 Qidian coins, Flashing Phantom: 100 Qidian coins, Book Friend 20200215042611229: 100 Qidian coins, Book Friend 20200705202932045: 100 Qidian coins, Book Friend 20191208165053939: 100 Qidian coins.
Thank you all very much!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
