https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-427-The-Yan-Meng-in-Turmoil-Luo-Chen-Arrives-at-Incense-Fragrance-Valley/12934795/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-428-Breaking-the-Formation-and-Entering-the-Valley-Luo-Chen-s-Frenzy-of-Slaughter-Part-2-/12934797/
Chapter 428: Breaking the Formation and Entering the Valley, Luo Chen's Frenzy of Slaughter (Part 1)
Chapter 428: Breaking the Formation and Entering the Valley, Luo Chen's Frenzy of Slaughter (Part 1)
Under the clear sky, thunder rumbled like a surging tide.
A massive force, riding various escape lights, approached from afar in a mighty surge.
Among the crowd's gaze, at the forefront, stood a young man with a handsome and imposing demeanor, his brows exuding a murderous aura.
As he drew closer, his sword-like eyebrows arched into his temples, his nose seemed to hang like a gallbladder, and his entire being radiated a heroic aura, as if a lone star shining brightly in the night sky.
When he came to a stop, his long white robe fluttered in the wind, making a crisp sound.
A pair of deep, cold eyes, like a bottomless cold pool, fixedly stared at Qin Taoran within the Incense Fragrance Valley.
"Old dog!"
"I never thought you'd end up like this!"
Qin Taoran clenched his teeth and said with resentment, "I never thought it would be you! If I had known this, back then on Crimson Cloud Peak, I would have fought through injuries to squeeze you to death!"
"Haha!"
At these words, Luo Chen burst into laughter.
"Elder Feng Ming was right, you old dog, all you can do is talk big."
Not far away, Elder Feng Ming's mouth twitched. When did he ever say such a thing?
However, it did sound quite good.
Suddenly, Luo Chen's tone shifted, his voice turning stern.
"You should take a look at the current situation; it's time to consider how to survive, and that's you!"
Qin Taoran's heart skipped a beat, and he looked towards the people behind Luo Chen.
Not only him, but the cultivators who had come to spectate upon hearing the news also realized the massive force that Luo Chen had gathered.
Just at first glance.
Everyone's gaze subconsciously fell on the woman standing side by side with Luo Chen.
Dressed in a frosty white skirt, she exuded an aura that warned others to stay away.
Ice Fortress Fairy, Mid-stage Golden Core!
She didn't come alone but was accompanied by some Foundation Establishment True Cultivators from Ice Fortress's vassal forces.
The Qiu, Xue, and You families...
Their numbers were not many, just around twenty or so.
But this was only one side, the Ice Fortress.
There was also Green Cauldron Valley!
Led by the current Master Dan Yangzi!
On his left and right were two Golden Core Seniors as escorts.
Qiu Daopure, who had been in the Core Formation stage for over a hundred years, possessed an exceptionally solid cultivation base.
As for Che Xiang, he had also achieved Core Formation over a decade ago, wielding the might of a Golden Core Cultivator.
Under their leadership, there were over forty Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, all from Green Cauldron Valley's vassal forces.
No wonder Green Cauldron Valley was known as the wealthiest sect in the Jade Cauldron Domain, second only to Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
If Falling Cloud Sect hadn't risen, Green Cauldron Valley would have been the most powerful sect under Jade Cauldron Sword Sect! Even without mobilizing the thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators within the sect, they could easily gather over forty Foundation Establishment True Cultivators from their vassal forces.
At this moment, the two sides combined had over seventy Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
If you added the group that Elder Feng Ming had brought from Ailao Mountain, the number exceeded a hundred.
Don't forget, Luo Chen wasn't alone either.
Behind him, Wang Yuan and Chu Kui stood on either side, guarding him like bodyguards.
Additionally, rising stars like Min Longyu had also come to Incense Fragrance Valley with Luo Feng and Yue Chong.
This was no small matter.
After a quick calculation, everyone was startled.
Dan Chenzi, without anyone noticing, had gathered over a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators and four Golden Core Seniors with his connections alone.
Moreover!
Who knew how many potential allies he had among the tens of thousands of cultivators flying in the surrounding airspace?
"Is this the network of a pill concocting master?"
"I've never seen a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who could invite so many helpers for revenge, even Golden Core Seniors are willing to fight for him."
"Tsk tsk! This Dan Chenzi is extraordinary!"
"Yes, even before reaching Core Formation, he's already a guest of honor among various sects. After he successfully forms his core, I'm afraid even the Upper Sect of Nascent Soul will personally invite him with respect and humility!"
"This battle is going to be exciting!"
While others discussed Luo Chen's formidable strength, Luo Chen himself was also assessing the situation.
According to the intelligence sent by Tian Xingzi from Falling Cloud Sect.
After the Yan Meng's annihilation, they had lost almost eighty percent of their strength!
There were only three Golden Core Cultivators left: Qin Taoran at the Mid-stage Golden Core, Xu Yang at the Second Layer of Golden Core, and an elder surnamed Wang who had recently entered the Golden Core stage.
At the Foundation Establishment level, there were at most sixty or seventy cultivators remaining.
As for Qi Condensation disciples, they were not worth considering!
In such a major battle, Qi Condensation disciples would play a minimal role.
According to the intelligence, Luo Chen's side should have a clear advantage over Yan Meng.
However, through a sound transmission from the Heartless Immortal, he learned that Yan Meng had also gathered no less than a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators within its ranks.
"I wonder if these are disciples recalled from the outside or vassals forcefully conscripted by Yan Meng."
"The foundation of a great sect is indeed formidable!"
"Even in such circumstances, they can still gather a force ten times larger than the Luo Tian Association."
As he marveled, Qin Taoran also quickly assessed the strength of both sides.
After getting the answer, a smug smile appeared on his face, and he shouted, "Luo Chen, is this the best you can do?"
"Our strengths are evenly matched, and I have the advantage of terrain. With this Flame Annihilation Array, how can you, Yan Meng, hope to withstand me?"
"In my opinion, you should kneel and surrender. I'll give you a chance to keep your life, considering the presence of so many fellow cultivators here."
Hearing this, Luo Chen scoffed.
He had come today, and unless Jade Cauldron Sword Sect personally intervened, he wouldn't leave until he saw rivers of blood flowing.
He didn't bother to engage in verbal sparring with Qin Taoran anymore.
Luo Chen's gaze shifted, looking towards the group from Ailao Mountain.
"Elder Feng Ming, I'm counting on you!"
Feng Ming chuckled, "It's no trouble at all. I'm here on the sect's orders, and it's time for Yan Meng to disappear."
"Fellow cultivators, listen to my commands and lend me your strength!"
After a brief explanation, he led a group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to the ground.
Luo Chen turned his head and said to Min Longyu, "Go and help out, follow Elder Feng Ming's instructions, and remember to protect yourself."
Min Long Yu's eyes flashed, and after nodding to Luo Chen, he also flew towards the Ailao Mountain cultivators.
When the others saw this, they instantly realized what Luo Chen's group was about to do.
Break the array!
Without breaking the array, no one dared to charge into Incense Fragrance Valley.
In the cultivation world, arrays are often a combination of physical formations and those constructed with earth vein energy and spiritual Qi, with the exception of some solid arrays.
Powerful cultivators could charge in, but if the array remained intact, they would face the combined might of the entire formation, which could weaken and even sever the connection between a cultivator and their treasures.
This would be a costly mistake.
Therefore, in large-scale sect battles, defending and breaking arrays are eternal themes.
In the vast Jade Cauldron Domain, there were few sects skilled in array mastery, only Falling Cloud Sect, Yan Meng, and Ailao Mountain.
One focused on puppetry, another on artifact forging, while Ailao Mountain integrated arrays with their mountain's spirit land, feng shui architecture, and more, carving out a unique path for Spirit Construction Masters.
Usually, others didn't think much of Ailao Mountain's array mastery.
But they were like people living in the mountains, unaware of the mountain's true face.
From small pill chambers and cultivation rooms to large marketplaces and immortal cities, even the construction of an entire sect, Ailao Mountain cultivators were involved.
The array mastery hidden within was far from mediocre.
At this moment, to break Yan Meng's mountain-protecting array, Feng Ming was the best choice!
Inside Incense Fragrance Valley.
Qin Taoran watched this scene, and his expression changed slightly.
"Junior Brother, Feng Ming is going to break the array!"
Deep underground, Xu Yang Elder was seated in meditation.
He was one of Yan Meng's few array masters.
The main reason he survived the Falling Cloud Sect's surprise attack was that he was behind the scenes and didn't engage in direct combat.
Now, with the help of Yan Meng disciples, he had rebuilt a third-stage defensive array.
And he would personally oversee it!
"Senior Brother, don't panic!"
"The Flame Annihilation Array is no less powerful than the original mountain-protecting array. Even if it's hastily constructed, under my command, it won't be easily broken!"
"Wait for me to stall them for a few days, and you can take the opportunity to lead your people out for a few battles."
"As long as we dampen their morale, this mob will scatter like birds and beasts!"
Xu Yang's mental transmission was calm and unhurried.
The confidence in his words calmed Qin Taoran.
His tiger-like eyes gazed into the distance.
"Junior Brother's brilliant plan!"
"Since that's the case, I'll follow the plan. Let me know when it's time to make a move."
...
After a brief exchange, the battle entered the conventional phase of array defense and offense.
It seemed tedious, but for the observing cultivators, it was an intriguing spectacle.
Everyone knew that once the array was broken, a great battle would ensue.
For now, it was just a gentle breeze before the storm.
Luo Chen stood in the air, his cold eyes fixed on Incense Fragrance Valley.
Beside him, Heartless Immortal frowned and asked, "Can this array be broken? If it takes too long, there might be other complications."
Luo Chen was confident.
"Senior, don't worry!"
"The information Falling Cloud Sect gave me is clear. In that battle, they not only killed eight out of ten Yan Meng cultivators, but under the heaven-shattering attacks, Yan Meng's earth vein was severed. Even if it's forcibly repaired, it won't be fully functional for a short time."
"With Feng Ming's strength, at most two days, this array will be broken!"
Hearing this, Heartless Immortal's expression relaxed slightly.
Breaking a major sect's mountain-protecting array in two days was already very fast.
Just then, they heard Feng Ming's mental transmission.
Heartless Immortal spoke softly, "I'm going to help attack the array's nodes. Be careful over there."
"Okay, thank you, Senior."
Luo Chen nodded and retreated slightly to avoid being attacked by Incense Fragrance Valley's cultivators.
Next, under Feng Ming's command, Heartless Immortal, Qiu Daopure, and Che Xiang took turns attacking the critical nodes of the Flame Annihilation Array with the capabilities of Golden Core Cultivators.
Explosions rang out from time to time.
Moreover, over a hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivators were mobilized by Feng Ming.
Luo Chen coldly observed, mentally calculating the battle after the array was broken.
His gaze occasionally drifted to the distant loose cultivators who were eager to join the fight, and his heart filled with anticipation.
With their strength alone, they could inflict heavy damage, but to annihilate Yan Meng, it might be beyond their reach. Moreover, to achieve his other goal based on Falling Cloud Sect's information, he still needed more.
However, if he could mobilize these fence-sitters, it would be the final straw that broke Yan Meng.
He had also instructed Xing Zonghan and others to make corresponding arrangements in this regard.
Additionally, with Tian Xingzi's promise of assistance from Falling Cloud Sect,
when the time came, it would be a group attack, and Yan Meng would be overwhelmed.
After days of planning and plotting, this situation had finally come to fruition.
For a moment, Luo Chen's heart swelled with ambition! In his memory, he had also experienced a similar simulation in the Ghost-God Heart-Questioning Mirror.
However, that time, he had united multiple forces to attack Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, which had lost its Primordial Soul Master.
He had thought it was a pipe dream, but now, in reality, he was doing something similar.
The difference was that he was attacking the Golden Core major sect, Yan Meng, and the forces he had united were completely different from those in his simulated memory.
Ice Fortress, Green Cauldron Valley, Ailao Mountain, and even the hidden Falling Cloud Sect...
For Ice Fortress, he offered benefits; for Green Cauldron Valley, he exposed their harm; for Falling Cloud Sect, it was a mutual need; for Ailao Mountain, it was a natural progression.
As for the loose cultivators, they were like grass swaying with the wind, leaning wherever it blew.
What he needed to do next was to blow this wind even stronger!
Just as he was thinking about this, Feng Ming's array-breaking actions were accelerating.
...
Time passed quickly.
In less than half a day, Luo Chen suddenly heard Feng Ming's surprised voice in his ear.
"Strange!"
"What's wrong?" Luo Chen frowned. "Are there any difficulties in breaking the formation?"
"That's not it," Feng Ming replied, "It's actually good news. According to the Falling Cloud Sect's intelligence, the Yan Meng Incense Fragrance Valley's terrain has been severely damaged, the earth's energy flow is disrupted, the spirit veins have shifted, and the spiritual energy is in complete disarray."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It is good news, which is why I dared to boast that I could break the formation in just two days. But we just tested it and found that the Flame Annihilation Array seems to have been weakening all along. It doesn't even need two days to break it."
This good news, however, left everyone a bit unprepared.
Could it be that Yan Meng, experts in formation paths, had even messed up their formation arrangements?
Luo Chen thought for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the many cultivators in all directions.
Finally, he clenched his teeth.
"Forget it, let's break it!"
"The advantage is on our side!"
"After breaking the formation, we'll launch an assault. Let's see if Yan Meng can withstand it!"
On the other side, Feng Ming furrowed his brows, gazing at the dry, cracked mountains and land.
After some thought, he could only agree with Luo Chen's words.
Next, under Feng Ming's command, teams of cultivators continuously bombarded the foundation of the Flame Annihilation Array.
Especially at critical nodes, they endured the attacks of several Golden Core Senior cultivators.
Gradually, the crimson light curtain covering the Incense Fragrance Valley grew weaker.
The rolling flame streams slowly reversed, flowing back into the underground cave along with the twenty stone pillars.
Anyone could see that the formation was about to be broken.
Inside the Incense Fragrance Valley.
Qin Taoran stared at this scene in astonishment.
From the initial confidence to the growing anxiety, he even frequently inquired about Xu Yang Senior's situation in the underground cave.
"Junior Brother, what's going on?"
Xu Yang Senior's strained voice came from the other side, "Junior Brother, I underestimated Feng Ming's formation prowess. I'm barely holding on."
"You!"
"Junior Brother, prepare for battle. In at most an incense stick's time, this Flame Annihilation Array will be broken."
These words made Qin Taoran's heart sink.
How could this be!
Not even half a day had passed!
Would the Golden Core allies they invited arrive in time?
...
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crisp sounds kept echoing.
Everyone knew that the Flame Annihilation Array was about to break.
Four figures flew up from below, standing beside Luo Chen.
Feng Ming laughed, "This formation will break with a light strike. Are you all ready?"
The other three nodded in unison.
Then, under the gaze of thousands, the four of them launched a combined attack.
The surging power transformed into a vast strike, converging into one.
In an instant!
Boom! With a deafening roar, the crimson light curtain covering the Incense Fragrance Valley, stretching for hundreds of miles, shattered in a flash.
In that instant, the situation inside the Incense Fragrance Valley was revealed to everyone.
Qin Taoran, Elder Wang, and a dark red figure slowly emerging from the ground—the third Golden Core cultivator of Yan Meng, Xu Yang Senior.
Additionally, over a hundred Yan Meng Foundation Establishment cultivators and thousands of Qi Condensation cultivators stood in various locations, coldly watching their enemies outside.
Qin Taoran took a deep breath and then roared:
"Today, we fight side by side to restore Yan Meng's glory!"
"Bury the invading enemies in the Incense Fragrance Valley!"
The next moment, a thunderous response echoed.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Compared to their side, Luo Chen's group seemed less imposing.
After all, in this battle, they hadn't brought any Qi Condensation disciples.
However, the more numerous Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators, standing in all directions, were unaffected by the formation's might. Their eyes, like wolves and tigers, fixed on the enemies in the Incense Fragrance Valley.
Feng Ming stepped forward, his sleeves fluttering, and his eyes flashing with determination.
"Old man, let's settle our unfinished battle today!"
Qin Taoran coldly smiled, "Even you alone are not my match. Come at me together!"
As he spoke, he soared into the sky, reaching a thousand feet high in the blink of an eye.
Feng Ming flew out simultaneously.
Heartless Immortal's lips moved slightly, "Feng Ming alone isn't Qin Taoran's match. I'll help him. You be careful."
Beside him, Luo Chen nodded slightly.
The next moment, Heartless Immortal waved her hand, and a talisman ignited without wind.
Then, a white dragon with a single horn on its head emerged.
Riding the white dragon, she closely followed Feng Ming.
After the two of them left, the two subordinate Golden Core Seniors from Green Cauldron Valley frowned. They had planned to leave one to watch over Danyangzi.
After all, with four against three, they still had some leeway.
But they didn't expect Qin Taoran to be so formidable, requiring both Heartless Immortal and Feng Ming to deal with him.
The two exchanged glances and quickly reached an understanding.
"I'll take on Xu Yang Senior, and you handle Elder Wang," Qiu Daopure said.
Che Xiang nodded, and his divine sense locked onto Elder Wang, who had a hesitant expression.
This was a challenge.
If they didn't accept, it would be an all-out attack.
The battlefield would be within the Incense Fragrance Valley.
Regardless of the outcome, with a group of Golden Core cultivators acting without restraint, this sect's Spirit Ground would face another catastrophe.
"Be careful. You've just entered the Golden Core stage, and your techniques aren't fully mature yet," Qiu Daopure reminded, "After I deal with Xu Yang Senior, I'll come to assist you."
"Thank you, Qiu Daoyou, but I believe I have some skills," Che Xiang said with a slight smile.
He took a step and ascended into the sky.
At the same time, Xu Yang Senior and Elder Wang also flew into the high sky.
Qiu Daopure glanced at Danyangzi with some concern.
Danyangzi waved his hand, "Don't worry about me. With the Grand Elder's methods, even if a Golden Core Senior attacks, I'll be safe."
Hearing this, Qiu Daopure was reassured.
Azure Pill Valley's Supreme Elder, Azure Pill Zi, was not renowned for his combat prowess, but as a renowned alchemy master in the Jade Cauldron Domain, he possessed immense wealth and had many hidden trump cards.
(End of Chapter)
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