https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-179-Soul-Suppressing-Interrogation-Blazing-Sun-Technique-Success/12920502/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-181-Enslaving-a-Tier-2-Explosive-Ape-You-re-All-Pushing-Me-/12920504/
Chapter 180: Heavenly Star Master's Departure, The Beast Taming Scripture
Chapter 180: Heavenly Star Master's Departure, The Beast Taming Scripture
In the ancient forest of the mountains, the ground was covered in white snow, and the cold wind was biting. Two figures walked side by side, one with a white robe and tied-up hair, their eyes shining like stars, and their body slender. The other had loose hair, wearing a hemp robe and straw shoes, their muscles well-defined, and their build robust.
"How's the conversation going?"
"It's going well. We've cleared the Nan Gong family of suspicions and confirmed that Nan Gong Jin has intentions of forming an alliance."
"And where did this beast wave come from?"
"The Li family, the Duan family... I'm more inclined to believe it's the Duan family."
"Oh?"
Crack!
The man's footsteps crunched on the dry branches, and he paused.
Looking ahead, there was a small mountain, and the snow at its base showed signs of melting.
Luo Chen spoke calmly, "The Li family doesn't have any direct conflict with us, and we even have close dealings in the pill business."
"If they only wanted to target the Nan Gong family, with Li Yixian's style, she wouldn't be so simple and crude."
Wang Yuan stopped in his tracks.
After all this scheming, framing, and scapegoating, are they still being simple and crude?
These people have such dirty minds!
"In comparison, the Duan family has too many reasons to target us."
"Is it that many?" Wang Yuan furrowed his brows and said subconsciously, "Isn't it just because of Duan Feng?"
Luo Chen nodded slightly.
"Duan Feng is indeed a reason. His progress is incredibly fast, and his hatred is intense. If I were in his shoes, I'd also want to kill him to relieve my anger."
"But besides being a reason, it can also be a bait."
"Using Duan Feng to draw Duan Qiankun's attention to our Luo Tianhui."
Wang Yuan was puzzled, "Luo Tianhui, is there something about it that a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator would value so highly?"
Everyone knew that Luo Tianhui seemed powerful.
But in reality, it was built around Luo Chen, the alchemist.
Without Luo Chen, this sect would be nothing more than a loose collection of individuals.
Even if they were to establish a Magical Tool business with Duan Feng at its core, given his forging skills and personality, it wouldn't be enough to support the sect.
Therefore, those Foundation Establishment Cultivators didn't truly value Luo Tianhui.
What they valued was "Danchenzi"!
Coincidentally, Luo Chen had been bluffing, using the reputation of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect to intimidate these Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Hence, this short-lived peaceful situation was created.
Facing Wang Yuan's confusion, Luo Chen gazed at the not-so-tall or dangerous mountain in the distance.
This mountain, named Little Heavenly Mountain, was the Duan family's territory.
"A typical Foundation Establishment Cultivator wouldn't pay much attention to a small sect like Luo Tianhui. But Duan Qiankun is no ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator."
"You mean... his lifespan?"
"Yes, his time is almost up!"
Luo Chen sighed, "For someone whose time is almost up, there's no doubt that they would be most concerned about their legacy."
"The Duan family is his weak point."
"If Duan Rui successfully establishes his foundation, then even if Duan Qiankun passes away, the Duan family can continue. But unfortunately, Duan Rui is useless."
"And once that situation arises, the Duan family will become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered."
"Brother Wang, you can take the knife and slaughter this lamb, but it's not just a matter for a few Foundation Establishment sects!"
With these final words, Wang Yuan instantly understood.
The root of this matter still lay in the initial incident of Luo Tianhui attacking the Fu family.
At that time, there was Miao Wen's interference from above and blocked channels below.
To break the stalemate, Luo Chen chose the relatively weakest Fu family.
After succeeding, it did have some effect.
But now, with this precedent, it was natural for Duan Qiankun to be wary.
If he went there, with dozens of Qi Refinement Late Stage cultivators and numerous Qi Cultivation Ninth Level cultivators in Luo Tianhui, the Duan family would be no match.
It could be said that Luo Tianhui, having absorbed the essence of Po Shan Gang, held an absolute advantage in strength compared to most sects.
"This is the second reason."
"As for the third reason..."
A cold smile appeared on Luo Chen's lips, "If Luo Tianhui falls, I will naturally be isolated. At that time, the major sects will undoubtedly focus their attention on me."
"In that case, won't the Duan family be able to avoid the attention of the big players?"
"If Duan Qiankun is skilled enough, and if he can recruit one or two external Foundation Establishment Cultivators as Offerings, then the Duan family will be even more worry-free."
After hearing this analysis, Wang Yuan was amazed.
"If that's the case, there's no doubt that it's the Duan family's doing."
"So, what should we do now? Should we take revenge and settle scores by attacking the mountain directly?"
These words surprised Luo Chen.
"Brother Wang, you seem a bit overconfident lately!"
Wang Yuan laughed, "I've almost figured out those few Body Refinement Second Stage techniques, and I really want to test them out."
"Human Foundation Establishment is different from those dull and sluggish demonic beasts." Luo Chen specifically reminded him, fearing that Wang Yuan might become arrogant.
Wang Yuan smiled confidently, "If it were before, I would have been worried. But as of now, I really want to test my Foundation Establishment sword skills!"
Seeing his confidence, Luo Chen didn't dissuade him further.
Confidence is a good thing, as it means Luo Tianhui truly has Foundation Establishment battle prowess.
But for now, it's not the right time to take action.
"No rush, I just need a little more time."
Luo Chen said briefly and then turned to leave.
Wang Yuan didn't press the issue, and outside of combat, he remained calm and composed.
...
Time!
The time Luo Chen needed wasn't actually that long.
It was just a year or two.
He needed this time to cultivate to the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation and obtain the three Foundation Establishment Pills from Tian Xingzi to attempt Foundation Establishment.
If he succeeded in Foundation Establishment, even without Wang Yuan, he would have enough confidence to face the various Foundation Establishment powers.
However, facing the very likely possibility that the Duan family had ill intentions, Luo Chen wasn't completely unprepared.
In the market, surveillance and monitoring of the Duan family's actions became more frequent.
As a precaution.
In private, Luo Chen spent more time on cultivation.
After cultivating the Fireball Technique to the Great Perfection, Luo Chen further refined and optimized it to perfection.
With this, he had more time to research other techniques.
It was during this period of quiet cultivation that Duan Feng, after some hesitation, came to visit.
In the quiet stone house, after hearing Duan Feng's purpose, Luo Chen asked:
"You mean to say that the beast tide might have been caused by the Duan family?"
"It's not a possibility, it's very likely."
Duan Feng's expression was not pleasant; he hadn't expected that his actions would bring such a great disaster to the Luo Tianhui.
Eleven brothers died in battle, and two late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators lost their combat abilities.
Such losses were significant.
Looking at Luo Chen's calm and collected demeanor, Duan Feng was taken aback.
"You're not surprised?"
Luo Chen was, of course, not surprised, as the circle of suspicion was small.
It was just a matter of verifying a few things with some people.
However, Duan Feng's next words were indeed quite surprising to him.
"They thought that after dismantling the Luo Tianhui, I would return to the Duan family."
"They even offered more tempting conditions to persuade me."
"But I won't be swayed; the blood debt must be repaid!"
Luo Chen was taken aback.
From the sound of it, it wasn't about killing Duan Feng but rather isolating him and forcing him back to the Duan family.
Suddenly, he recalled the Duan family's frequent contact with Duan Feng recently.
Of course, Duan Qiankun wouldn't bear to kill his former grandson.
What he wanted most now was for Duan Feng to put aside past grievances and return to the Duan family, perhaps offering numerous generous conditions to achieve this.
"In that case, the beast tide might have been more of a warning, intending to make Duan Feng see the Luo Tianhui's weakness."
"But they underestimated me and Wang Yuan; we endured the beast tide."
Luo Chen was deep in thought.
However, instead of relaxing, he became even more furious.
The warning from the higher-stage cultivators was a life-and-death test for them as low-stage cultivators.
"I still need more time; I must endure!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
...
Another month passed, and the Black Market Auction began at the designated location.
Luo Chen, familiar with the process, sat in the VIP seats, observing the gradually thinning auction hall with a solemn expression.
The decreasing number of attendees had a reason.
It was related to the decreasing number of items offered by the Zhenlong Black Market.
This phenomenon made Luo Chen increasingly uneasy.
It meant that the Zhenlong Black Market was wrapping up its operations, and their future actions would become smaller in scale.
There was a high possibility that it would affect his cooperation with Tian Xingzi.
Suppressing his unease, Luo Chen quietly observed the auction proceedings.
One magical tool after another, various materials, were auctioned off like flowing water.
Tian Xingzi's pursuit of high prices wasn't as intense, giving off a sense of a grand clearance sale.
"Next up for auction is a beast taming technique manual—the Ten Thousand Beasts Sutra."
"This manual was passed down from a foreign realm, and although it's only a second-tier technique, its methods are quite extraordinary."
"With the corresponding techniques and specific pills, cultivators can control low-level demonic beasts."
"It is rumored that this manual originated from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, a powerful sect that surpasses the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!"
"The starting bid for this second-tier technique is three thousand spirit stones, with a minimum increment of one hundred."
Upon hearing the name of this technique, the cultivators became interested.
It wasn't because the technique's tier matched the corresponding second tier of the Foundation Establishment stage.
Rather, it was because this technique could enslave demonic beasts.
For the Dahexian Market wanderers who frequently dealt with demonic beasts, this technique would indeed be beneficial.
Moreover, the price wasn't too high.
Typically, second-tier techniques started their bidding at five thousand spirit stones.
Three thousand was indeed a significant reduction.
Looking at the jade slip, Luo Chen's eyes flickered.
"Beast taming?"
"There's still a second-tier Explosive Ape imprisoned beneath Crescent Moon Valley; I wonder if I can subdue it with this technique?"
A few thousand spirit stones weren't a significant amount for him at this point.
So, he joined the bidding.
In the end, he successfully acquired it for five thousand and five hundred spirit stones.
This price wasn't high, but it wasn't cheap either.
After all, it wasn't their primary cultivation technique, so the cultivators didn't have a must-have mindset.
After obtaining the Ten Thousand Beasts Sutra, Luo Chen lost interest in the remaining auction items.
The good items had already been auctioned off in the previous months.
The remaining items might be attractive to ordinary wanderers.
To him, it simply wasn't worth his attention.
Soon, Heavenly Star Master finished handling the auction matters and came to Luo Chen's side.
"This is the number of Blood-Boiling Pills for this month, Senior. Please count them."
Without any hesitation or pretense of generosity, Heavenly Star Master sincerely used his Spirit Perception to scan the pills, confirming the quantity before exchanging the payment with Luo Chen.
The two sat in the VIP seats, leaning against the soundproof barrier, ensuring their conversation remained private.
Heavenly Star Master sighed, "Without the presence of major sects, although it has given many Wanderers a chance to thrive, the number of cultivators is still continuously decreasing!"
This was the truth.
The number of Wanderers in Dahan Sect had been declining.
Threatened by the Ghost City within and frequently invaded by demonic beasts from the outside, even the Spirit-Rich Land wasn't that safe.
Many Wanderers had already left Dahan Sect.
Those who remained were mostly waiting for spring to arrive before deciding on their next move, considering the specific situation in Dahan Sect.
However, this only applied to solitary Wanderers!
For large factions with numerous members, the current situation was exactly what they hoped for.
Without the restrictions of sects, various resources could be acquired and sold, leading to immense profits.
"Little friend, this might be our last cooperation."
These ordinary words echoed abruptly.
In Luo Chen's heart, they were as startling as a thunderbolt.
"Are you leaving?"
Heavenly Star Master nodded, his expression a mix of apprehension, anticipation, and regret.
He spoke with a complex tone, "It will be in the next few days."
"It's a pity that there are still many matters that haven't been resolved."
Luo Chen's mouth hung slightly open, caught off guard by this sudden development.
No matter how he looked at it, Zhenlong Black Market seemed to have long-term plans, so why were they leaving so abruptly?
Or perhaps, was the "war" he had predicted about to begin?
Sensing Luo Chen's bewilderment, Heavenly Star Master didn't beat around the bush.
He took out a large pile of pills from his storage bag.
"This is the Brightness Elixir I promised you, three bottles in total, which will last you a long time."
"This is the Spirit Elixir your friend wanted, a second-stage one. As for the first-stage Spirit Elixir you requested, I'm sorry, someone else bought it, and there's nothing I can do."
Whether it was first or second stage didn't matter, as he could use both.
Luo Chen took the two portions of pills, his eyes filled with anticipation as he stared at Heavenly Star Master.
Under Luo Chen's gaze, Heavenly Star Master felt a bit uncomfortable.
Both parties were well aware of what Luo Chen desired the most.
He awkwardly said, "The Foundation Establishment Pills are indeed arranged for you, but I mentioned it would take some time, so..."
Damn it!
Luo Chen knew that the concept of time for high-level cultivators was vastly different from that of Qi Condensation cultivators like him.
For Qi Condensation Wanderers, 'soon' meant ten days or half a month.
But for Foundation Establishment cultivators, 'soon' could very well be in terms of years.
If Zhenlong Black Market ceased operations here, how would he find Heavenly Star Master in the future?
"So, the three Foundation Establishment Pills are just an empty promise?"
This thought flashed through Luo Chen's mind, and even his forced smile appeared strained.
Heavenly Star Master also knew he wasn't being fair.
However, some changes were beyond his control, even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
In front of Luo Chen, he took out a silver-white five-pointed star.
Made of wood, a puppet? Luo Chen looked at him in confusion as he held the five-pointed star.
"This is my token."
"I'm not someone who goes back on my word. I will never break a promise."
"Keep this token, and in a few months, or even a few years, someone will surely deliver the Foundation Establishment Pills to you, using this token as proof."
Towards the end, Heavenly Star Master seemed slightly more at ease.
Stroking his beard, he smiled, "With your age, little friend, I believe you can still wait, right?"
Luo Chen was helpless; with the situation as it was, what else could he do? At least, this Foundation Establishment cultivator had sincerely kept his word.
Even with their cooperation coming to an end, he didn't say that the Foundation Establishment Pills were out of the question.
"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Senior," Luo Chen said reluctantly.
Heavenly Star Master didn't mind Luo Chen's tone.
With so many Blood-Boiling Pills collected, it was enough for him to account to certain people.
On Luo Chen's side, he had also done his best.
Before the black market closed...
Heavenly Star Master stopped Luo Chen, who was about to leave.
"March is approaching, and the ice and snow will melt. Jade Cauldron Sword Sect will most likely be unable to return."
"Little friend, you and your alchemist friend should make preparations early."
"If you can't stay here any longer, you can come to the Puppet Tower in Jade Wave Immortal City and find me using this token."
Luo Chen's eyes flickered.
Puppet Tower, a subsidiary of Falling Cloud Sect.
Was Heavenly Star Master not trying to hide it at all?
He nodded lightly, holding the small five-pointed star puppet.
...
Upon returning to Luo Tianhui, Luo Chen faced the mountain breeze, his mind clear and calm.
March was approaching, and the ice and snow would melt.
Spring brought new life to all things.
However, for Luo Tianhui and Luo Chen, the greatest challenge was also approaching.
"Am I prepared enough?"
Luo Chen took out the newly acquired Ten Thousand Beasts Sutra, deep in thought.
(End of Chapter)
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