https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-400-A-Vicious-Secret-Art-The-Prelude-to-Kingship/12932561/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-402-Confidence-Stems-from-Strength-Driving-Away-Tigers-and-Devouring-Wolves/12932563/
Chapter 401: The Thriving Luo Tian Association, Trouble Brewing
Chapter 401: The Thriving Luo Tian Association, Trouble Brewing
After thoroughly studying it, Luo Chen put down the 'Escape Shackles' with a hint of regret.
The secret technique provided by Ailao Mountain did have its unique merits.
It emphasized the concept of the body as a cage and the condensation of Qi into a Golden Core.
If one could break free from the shackles with a Golden Core, they would then comprehend the Great Path.
This aligned with the saying, "Ingesting a Golden Core into the body, my fate is in my hands, not determined by heaven."
However!
The key point here was that it had some similarities with the Ice Fortress Dragon Phoenix Tribulation technique in the Spirit Bead Curtain.
Both required the assistance of external pills to form a Golden Core seed within the body.
The initial steps of Core Formation were simple, as long as one had the right pills.
But the success rate wasn't that high.
After forming the Golden Core, it would still be in its embryonic form, requiring a period of time to absorb sufficient Spirit Energy to achieve the true Golden Core realm.
It was far from comparable to the description in the Spirit Bead Curtain, which stated, "It already possesses the characteristics of a Golden Core, and once the Core is formed, it becomes a genuine Golden Core Senior."
"It is said that regardless of the cultivation method, Core Formation only differs in its level of difficulty, not in the strength after Core Formation. But from what I've seen so far, although the Upper Core Formation Secret Art is challenging, it is indeed much stronger than the Lower Core Formation Secret Art."
"I wonder how the Middle Core Formation Secret Art compares?"
Luo Chen shook his head and put down the 'Escape Shackles', turning his attention to the 'Mixed Primordial Method' from Qingdan Valley.
Having experienced the Dragon Phoenix Tribulation and the Escape Shackles, both Lower Core Formation Secret Techniques, Luo Chen didn't have high expectations for the Mixed Primordial Method, which was also a Lower Method.
However, it was always beneficial to gain more knowledge.
Perhaps there might be some useful information within.
Aside from researching Core Formation techniques, Luo Chen had other matters to attend to.
He supplemented his cultivation with nourishing food, familiarized himself with the transformations of the Celestial Phoenix True Form, and occasionally refined large batches of pills himself.
His Spiritual Energy had also fully recovered, and he had resumed his orderly cultivation.
Time passed by as Luo Chen immersed himself in his secluded cultivation.
...
In the blink of an eye, another year had gone by.
In a desolate mountain, a hundred miles away from the former Geng family territory, a place devoid of any Spirit Energy.
For some reason, a thick fog had enveloped the area since the early morning.
Initially, it was thought to be ordinary morning mist.
But as the sun rose, the dense fog lingered, and the cultivators hidden within it realized something was amiss.
They tried to break free, only to discover that they had already fallen into a maze.
Outside the desolate mountain, three figures stood silently, all Foundation Establishment Cultivators! If someone approached, they would recognize that these three were high-ranking members of the Luo Tian Association.
Elder Min Longyu, Elder Luo Wang Su Xiaolin, and Pavilion Master Wang Yuan of the Skill Transmission Pavilion.
"Over the past year, spies have been constantly lurking around our Luo Tian Association!"
"Thanks to Pavilion Master Wang's repeated interventions, we have managed to ensure the safety of our association."
"The cultivators in this desolate mountain are quite powerful, reaching the Ninth Level of Foundation Establishment. If not for Elder Min's intervention, they might have escaped."
Su Xiaolin sincerely admired the power of Min Longyu's formations.
With just the Fourth Level of Foundation Establishment, he was able to temporarily trap a Ninth Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator and two Intermediate Foundation Establishment Cultivators after setting up the formation.
It was truly baffling.
Min Longyu smiled.
His cultivation progress was considered fast within the Luo Tian Association.
In less than twenty years, he had already reached the Intermediate Foundation Establishment stage!
Excluding Chu Kui and Xu Huanzhen, the two external cultivators, his current cultivation level surpassed that of Wang Yuan, Duan Feng, and others.
However, this was only to be expected.
After all, he had started his Foundation Establishment cultivation a few years earlier and was proficient in formations.
Setting up some auxiliary cultivation formations tailored to his needs was not a difficult task.
He casually said, "It's not solely my achievement. Elder Su, by gathering intelligence and discovering these spies early on, gave me the opportunity to set up the formation in advance. This accomplishment should be credited to you first!"
Su Xiaolin waved his hand modestly, indicating his humility.
"My current progress is also largely thanks to the Foundation Establishment Pills that you obtained from the battlefield."
He had successfully established his Foundation last year, surpassing Zhou Yuanli, Feng Xia, Yuan Xiaoyue, and others.
After establishing his Foundation, he became even more adept at leading the intelligence department of the Battle Pavilion.
Now, he had become a significant asset to President Sima Huiwang.
Seeing Wang Yuan's eagerness to take action, Su Xiaolin asked, "Pavilion Master Wang, the enemies are quite strong. Should I notify Elder Chu?"
After Sima Xian's demise, Luo Chen had been temporarily appointed as the acting Pavilion Master of the Battle Pavilion.
However, three years ago, Chu Kui joined the Luo Tian Association.
President Sima Huiwang, after a period of observation, "privately" appointed him as the Pavilion Master of the Battle Pavilion.
This decision faced criticism from some within the association.
But the Luo Tian Association's top leaders unanimously approved, and no one voiced any objections.
After all, he was a powerful Ninth Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator and a well-known loose cultivator in Heavenly Wave Immortal City. He had even fought against Golden Core Seniors.
Taking on the role of Pavilion Master in a second-rate sect was well within his capabilities.
In response to Su Xiaolin's question, Wang Yuan shook his head.
Su Xiaolin was perplexed.
Wang Yuan showed no signs of taking action himself, nor did he ask Su Xiaolin to summon Elder Chu.
Could it be that they intended to trap those loose cultivators inside and give them a warning?
"Wait a moment!" Wang Yuan said calmly.
Su Xiaolin suppressed his curiosity and waited quietly.
It wasn't a long wait.
After just a few minutes, a green escape light arrived overhead.
Wang Yuan looked up, exchanged glances with the person, and nodded slowly.
Then, the escape light directly penetrated the formation shrouded in white clouds.
As he flew, the white mist parted, creating a path.
Watching this, Su Xiaolin's mind stirred with a thought.
"So, the President has truly returned!"
"That person must be the President!"
"But should we just stand by and watch while he handles it alone?"
Su Xiaolin kept this question to himself.
Years of working in intelligence had instilled in him the habit of asking fewer questions, saying less, and taking action.
He only needed to gather the necessary intelligence from the information above.
As for what to do next, someone would naturally make that decision.
However, the thought of the President facing the enemy alone still worried him.
In this state of mind, he could only focus his attention on the desolate mountain shrouded in white mist. As soon as he detected something amiss, he was ready to charge in.
Even if it meant risking his life, he had to ensure the President's safety!
Just then, a change occurred within the mountain.
The three enemies seemed to have noticed the shift in the formation, and they all rushed out simultaneously.
At the same time, an enormous creature suddenly appeared, vaguely visible through the white mist.
In an instant, the giant creature waved its massive claws, releasing a burst of red light.
Wherever the red light passed, it stained the white mist, transforming it into layers of pestilential mist that enveloped the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
In the blink of an eye, screams of agony filled the air.
Seeing this, the other person's heart trembled with terror.
With his advanced cultivation, he fled with incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, he soared out of the confusing formation on his sword.
As he emerged, Su Xiaolin, standing at the foot of the mountain, paled.
"Not good! He's escaped!"
"President Wang, should we step in and stop him?"
Wang Yuan didn't answer his question.
Instead, a giant claw emerged from the depths of the white mist, responding to his inquiry.
Whoosh!
Facing the colossal claw, the Grand Cultivator's face turned ashen, and he immediately activated his prepared defensive measures.
A brown-yellow light bloomed, and three earthen walls resembling mountains rose one after another.
The Triple Defense Earth Talisman!
This talisman's defense was so formidable that only a Golden Core Cultivator could break through it!
After deploying the talisman, the Grand Cultivator's heart steadied, and only then did he have the leisure to observe their attacker.
However, what he saw left him utterly astounded.
"A demon beast?"
assistant
"No, it seems like a Tier 3 Demon Beast!"
Just as he was shocked, the colossal claw had already reached the Triple Defense Earth Walls.
Puff!
Puff!
Puff!
Like a knife slicing through tofu, the supposedly impenetrable Triple Defense Earth Talisman shattered in an instant under the might of that single claw.
And the power of that claw didn't stop there.
It directly grabbed the Grand Cultivator's body.
Boom!
With a single strike of ferocious force, the cultivator was blasted several li away.
Only then did the giant claw slowly retract.
Su Xiaolin's mouth hung open, his eyes wide with disbelief as he witnessed this scene.
Faintly, he seemed to see a Tier 3 Beast King from the depths of the East's million-mile mountains.
When still, it swallowed clouds and exhaled mist.
When moving, it unleashed thunderous strikes.
But how could this be possible?
"He's not dead. Go and capture him, bring him back to the Luo Tian Association for a thorough interrogation, and squeeze out every bit of value from him."
Wang Yuan's faint instruction reached Su Xiaolin's ears.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Su Xiaolin hurried in the direction where the Grand Cultivator had fallen.
When he arrived, he indeed saw a middle-aged man, unconscious, lying in a massive crater.
Seeing the horrifying sight of the man's sunken chest and abdomen, Su Xiaolin couldn't help but swallow hard.
"That's definitely not a Tier 3 Beast King!"
"In other words, it's one of the President's formidable abilities?"
"But this is too powerful! A single strike rendered a Ninth Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator immobile!"
"That's right! The President personally killed a Golden Core Elder of the Flame Alliance. How could a mere Ninth Level Foundation Establishment Cultivator compare?"
In a short time, Su Xiaolin's emotions shifted from shock to affirmation of Luo Chen's strength.
This psychological transformation was indeed swift.
Only Luo Chen's undefeated record over the years could bolster Su Xiaolin's faith in him.
...
In the desolate mountain, the clouds gradually dissipated.
Luo Chen stepped out, smiling at the two men.
"President!" Min Longyu put away the formation plate and respectfully bowed.
"Hmm, not bad! I haven't seen you use this formation before." Luo Chen praised with a smile.
Min Longyu smiled slightly, "I have used it before; it's just a variation of the formation I employed in the battle at Gaoling Plain."
"Oh, it does feel a bit familiar."
Luo Chen suddenly understood.
Although he hadn't participated in the battle at Gaoling Plain, he had heard about it later.
That formation indeed possessed the ability to conceal one's tracks.
If not for Min Longyu secretly giving them a break, the Luo Tian Association's cultivators would have had a hard time escaping quickly.
"You're becoming more and more adept at the Celestial Phoenix True Form, even being able to control your strength and spare that person's life," Wang Yuan remarked with emotion.
The ability to control and release power at will indicated a high level of skill!
Luo Chen stopped and glanced back at the desolate mountain behind him.
"This is also thanks to your strategic planning; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to master these techniques so quickly."
Wang Yuan shook his head.
He had merely offered some suggestions and provided improvement methods.
It was Luo Chen's own diligent research that made the real difference.
Luo Chen furrowed his brows, "It's been a year, and there are still so many loose cultivators after the Core Formation Art Secret Technique. Why is that?"
Min Longyu continued, "After all, it's related to the Great Dao; no one can remain unmoved."
Luo Chen shook his head firmly, "It's not that simple!"
Min Longyu was taken aback.
Wang Yuan, our whereabouts were never exposed, so there's no way it could be kept secret on a large scale.
"Perhaps someone deduced it based on the sudden disappearance of our achievement points from the achievement list?" Min Longyu offered.
However!
Luo Chen and Wang Yuan both shook their heads.
At that time, the Divine Transformation Ruins were open, and everyone's attention was focused on it.
If not for Ling Yuzhi knowing Chu Kui, they wouldn't have found them so quickly.
And at that time, it was clearly an opportunity for an impending ceasefire.
Many vassal forces were squandering and redeeming their accumulated merit points, exchanging them for what they needed.
Although the Luo Tian Association's merit exchange caused a bit of a stir, it was only slightly out of the ordinary among the various forces.
This problem currently had no solution.
Luo Chen clapped his hands, "Let's go back to the Crimson Cloud Peak. Next time we encounter a tricky enemy, inform me early so I can practice my new combat style with them."
As he spoke, he smiled at Wang Yuan, "I'm taking some of your work."
Wang Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth, unconcerned.
Currently, he was stuck at the bottleneck of comprehending the Enlightened Sinew Transformation, and combat was no longer very effective.
After years of accumulation, he had achieved great success in his hidden power on the battlefield and even caught a glimpse of the Enlightened Sinew Transformation level.
But now, his accumulation was exhausted, and he needed to start accumulating again.
His current focus was on the "Myriad Paths Converging" given to him by Luo Chen.
If he could apply its essence to his own Body Refinement Technique, he might achieve great success in the Enlightened Sinew Transformation and directly break through to the Dan Sinew level!
As the three of them walked, they soon passed by the former Geng family's Spirit Land.
This Spirit Land had long been rented by the Luo Tian Association and turned into a Spirit Beast breeding base.
The main focus was on breeding silk worm-type Spirit Beasts.
Over the years, under the leadership of Sima Huiwang and Xu Huanzhen, they had expanded to include some high-meat-yielding Tier 1 Demon Beasts.
Currently, the Spirit Beast Pavilion had become one of the Luo Tian Association's important sources of income.
Luo Chen spread out his Spirit Perception and sensed the surroundings briefly, revealing a satisfied expression.
After passing the Spirit Beast breeding base, seeing that Luo Chen was still walking with them, Min Longyu couldn't help but ask, "President, are you returning to Crimson Cloud Peak today?"
"Yes, don't make a fuss later. I'll just slip in quietly." Luo Chen paused, his lips curling slightly, "And I'll pick someone up from work while I'm at it."
Min Longyu's expression stiffened, and he faintly smelled a hint of sour and stinky odor.
...
"Why are you here?"
"To pick you up."
Sima Huiwang was startled, then asked, "Are we going to my place tonight?"
"That's not impossible." Luo Chen lazily sat down on a chair and waved his hand, summoning a bamboo slip.
"It's like you're forcing me." Sima Huiwang hummed and looked down at the intelligence report on the table, saying softly, "Wait a little longer. I'll finish reading the report that Su Xiaolin submitted, and then we can go back."
"Sure, take your time."
Luo Chen nodded, his gaze falling on the content of the bamboo slip.
What was written on it was precisely in Luo Chen's area of expertise.
Pill business!
After reading it, Luo Chen's brows furrowed.
"Didn't Zheng Tianfang of the Dragon Backbone Zeng Family die? Currently, the Zeng Family only has two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, so why haven't we taken over their market share after several years?"
Sima Huiwang raised her head and smoothed the hair that was hanging at the corner of her mouth.
"It's not that simple. Something is off about the Zeng Family recently!"
"Hmm?"
Sima Huiwang's expression turned slightly solemn, "According to my previous plan, I intended to take advantage of the heavy losses suffered by the vassal forces of various sects and merge some small forces, expanding our business scope in the process."
"The initial progress was relatively smooth, especially with the intelligence support from you and Chu Kui. Even the mineral business managed by the Iron Sword Hall was swallowed up by us in collaboration with the Raksasa Market."
The head of the Iron Sword Hall, Zuo Song, had died at Luo Chen's hands!
This intelligence was locked within the Divine Transformation Ruins, unknown to many.
Under Sima Huiwang's leadership, the Luo Tian Association quietly launched a merger, catching the other side off guard.
With no clear leader among the various forces and the cooperation of the Luo family from the Raksasa Market, the merger process was extremely smooth.
However, when it came to the seemingly weaker Zeng Family, they hit a snag!
"According to Luo Wang's intelligence, numerous foreign Foundation Establishment Cultivators have appeared within the Zeng Family, totaling no less than five. Unless the Luo Tian Association launches a large-scale attack, it will be difficult to eliminate them quietly."
A full-scale war was out of the question!
Currently, the two Nascent Soul Upper Sects were only secretly observing the ceasefire, and a formal ceasefire treaty had not yet been reached.
Under such circumstances, no vassal force dared to openly attack the vassal forces under the various sects.
It was too sensitive!
To carry out such a task, it had to be done quietly.
Moreover, it was best not to act alone but to join forces with allies to share the pressure.
Luo Chen was surprised, "There's an additional batch of Foundation Establishment Cultivators? Strange!"
The Zeng Family's pill business was decent, but it was just barely passable.
Just like the Luo Tian Association in the beginning, it could only support the consumption of two or three Foundation Establishment Cultivators at most.
It was impossible to support more Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and hiring offerings was out of the question.
It was strange that so many people suddenly appeared.
Just as he was pondering, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the hall.
Sima Huiwang glanced at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen nodded, indicating that there was no need to be overly cautious.
Soon, the person outside received the notification and stepped into the hall.
"President, from the captured cultivator just now... President?"
Su Xiaolin was surprised to see Luo Chen and quickly paid his respects.
The other party's appearance here was unexpected yet within reason.
Luo Chen nodded, "What intelligence did you obtain? Let's hear it."
Su Xiaolin's expression turned solemn, "It's about Core Formation Secret Art! According to that foreign Loose Cultivator, the news of our Luo Tian Association exchanging the four secret arts has been widely publicized!"
Sima Huiwang's face changed slightly, and she slapped the table.
"Who is it?"
Luo Chen's expression also turned slightly gloomy as he stared at Su Xiaolin.
Under their gazes, Su Xiaolin felt a tremendous pressure.
He struggled to utter two words.
"Flame Alliance!"
(End of Chapter)
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