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Chapter 448: The Calamity of Cang Lang, White Bones Emerge
Chapter 448: The Calamity of Cang Lang, White Bones Emerge
In the vast expanse of mountains, peaks gathered like a grand assembly.
The snow-covered landscape stretched as far as the eye could see, a vast white wilderness spanning tens of thousands of miles.
Amidst this majestic scenery, a low, unremarkable hill stood out for its lack of spirit veins and vegetation, a rare barren land in the Great Snow Mountains.
Even demonic beasts rarely gave this place a second glance.
For humans, however, it was a safe haven.
Indeed, this route was the secure path chosen by the five loose cultivators to gather fruits in the Great Snow Mountains for pill refinement.
Deep within the mountain's belly, a small cave had been manually excavated.
An aged figure sat cross-legged within, eyes tightly shut, his spirit perception extending as far as possible.
Suddenly, his eyelids trembled, and he opened his weathered eyes.
"It's out!" he muttered to himself.
His hands continuously formed intricate gestures, manipulating the spirit energy within his body.
In the center of the cave, a massive compass spun, its needle clicking as it rotated.
Surrounding the compass were numerous intermediate-grade spirit stones, and three high-grade spirit stones were embedded within the compass itself.
As the old man manipulated the spirit energy, the power from the numerous spirit stones converged.
The compass needle finally came to a stop, pointing in a specific direction.
This direction was none other than the Ten Thousand Serpent Cavern.
"It's almost here, almost..."
The old man suppressed his restlessness, focusing his mind on controlling the array beneath his feet.
Suddenly, he raised his right palm vertically in front of his chest, supporting it with his left hand.
"Array, activate!"
In the next instant, columns of light shot up from the ground, their majestic might spreading out with him at the center.
As the central pillar of light surged, he was propelled into the air, soaring out of the small mountain.
"Fellow Daoist, please stay..."
Fu Jiusheng's words trailed off.
Before him stood a colossal being, its true form over three zhang tall with wings spanning nearly ten zhang.
Its white, feather-like scales were tattered, and its powerful body was riddled with holes, as if pierced by sharp objects.
Blood hung in the air, about to fall, but a force of vital energy pulled it back.
If that were all, it might have been bearable.
But amidst the crimson escape light surrounding the person, there was also a faint trace of green flames.
These flames, even from a distance, made one feel as if their body would ignite and turn to ashes.
A pair of cold eyes, like bottomless pits, stared fixedly at Fu Jiusheng.
"Fellow Daoist Fu, why do you block my path like this?"
Fu Jiusheng's face lit up with excitement, but as he noticed Luo Chen's fluctuating and unstable aura, he hesitated.
Luo Chen gave a cold laugh, "Are you colluding with that Seven-Ring Snow Serpent to bury me in these mountains?"
"Seven-Ring Snow Serpent!" Fu Jiusheng exclaimed.
He immediately sensed a massive demonic aura rushing towards them from the direction of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cavern.
If it were just Luo Chen, in his current state, with the array's assistance...
No! Luo Chen's escape speed was too fast. Capturing him would not be a short-term endeavor.
And if the Seven-Ring Snow Serpent arrived, even Fu Jiusheng might not escape unscathed.
Fu Jiusheng's face contorted with uncertainty.
Especially when he noticed Luo Chen's aura suddenly condense and begin to rise, he finally calmed himself.
"Fellow Daoist, you've misunderstood!"
"I set up this grand array merely to support you."
"You have the grace of pill refinement upon me; how could I possibly do something that would hurt those close to me?"
Luo Chen's expression softened slightly, unsure if he truly believed him or was just pretending.
He turned to look behind him, and as his wings fluttered, he flew towards Fu Jiusheng.
Just as they crossed paths, Luo Chen's figure suddenly halted.
"Something else?"
Fu Jiusheng gritted his teeth and threw a roll of animal skin at Luo Chen.
"The Great Snow Mountains have changed; the path we took is no longer safe. This is a map of the Great Snow Mountains that I've collected and drawn. I hope it will be of some use to you."
After speaking, he cautiously watched Luo Chen.
Luo Chen gave him a deep look, grabbed the map, and then left without another word.
After he left, Fu Jiusheng heaved a sigh of relief.
If you don't kill the snake, it will turn on you.
He hoped that Luo Chen would live up to his reputation as Fire Spirit Lord and, considering he hadn't taken action and even tried to make amends, would not pursue the matter further.
"Being a yellow sparrow is not easy!"
With a bitter laugh, the light pillars surrounding him suddenly merged into one, forming a compass that enveloped Fu Jiusheng.
The light then plummeted into the ground, disappearing in an instant.
It was the Earth Subduction Technique, one of the most practical techniques among the Five Element Escape Techniques!
Just as the two figures vanished, a massive serpent emerged, slithering over mountains and across the land.
Instead of chasing Luo Chen by riding a demon cloud, it used its demonic power and physical strength to crawl, making it even faster.
Upon reaching its destination, it paused for a moment, seemingly lost.
But as it extended and then retracted its long tongue, its eyes glowed with murderous intent.
"Human, you're courting death!"
...
In the sky, a fiery beam of light tore through the air, moving at an astonishing speed that caught everyone's attention. However, in the Wilderness Snow Mountains, teeming with demonic beasts, such arrogance was excessive. If it weren't for its appearance resembling a Tier 3 Peng-like beast, many of the lurking beasts in the snow mountains would have already taken action.
Even so, wherever it passed, it still caused a commotion.
As Luo Chen flew, he unfurled the beast hide scroll.
It was indeed a map!
"That Fu Jiusheng sure is playing a clever game."
"Seemingly uninvolved in the fight between me and Yinsha Lady, he left with the Shadow Essence Pill, but in reality, he secretly set up a large formations outside, preparing to take advantage of his rested state and act as the opportunistic hawk."
"The power of that formation, though I've only seen a glimpse of it, is enough to threaten early-stage Golden Core Cultivators."
"If I hadn't revealed my most powerful form from the start and had the threat of the Seven-Ring Snow Serpent behind me, I might have had a fierce battle with him."
"But this person knows when to back down, trying to befriend me with a map of the Great Snow Mountain."
Looking at the map, Luo Chen quickly located his current position.
Then, he scanned the surrounding terrain with his Spirit Eyes, taking in the nearby landscape in an instant.
If he were to return the way he came, at his current speed and without any obstacles, it would take no more than ten days to fly out of the Great Snow Mountain.
But this was just an ideal scenario.
In reality, they had ventured deep into the inner regions of the Great Snow Mountain to gather the Nine-Striped Snake Saliva Fruit.
With such a long distance to cover, unexpected events were bound to occur.
Moreover, Fu Jiusheng had mentioned that the return route was no longer safe...
Luo Chen quickly devised three escape routes out of the Great Snow Mountain, with exits at the Howling Moon Mountain Range, the Ancient Original Mountain Range, and a small glacier.
The journey ahead was complex and unpredictable.
However, according to Fu Jiusheng's map, these were the routes with the least number of high-level demonic beasts.
Nevertheless, one should always remain vigilant.
Luo Chen maintained his Spirit Perception at all times, and his Spirit Eyes constantly scanned the surroundings using the Spirit Eye Technique.
Suddenly, Luo Chen halted, gazing at the direction they had come from, where a massive demonic cloud rose into the sky.
"The unexpected has arrived, as expected."
Was this an expected surprise or still a surprise? Luo Chen didn't know the answer.
He only knew that on top of the demonic cloud, a huge triangular snake head was staring at him intently.
Furthermore, the snake, having refined the Horizontal Bone, spoke in a human tongue.
"Human, you stole my brother's spirit fruit and still think you can get away?"
"Stay here!"
Luo Chen's heart sank.
Even though he knew that the Great Snow Mountain was the lair of the Boneless Black Snake, and there were numerous snakes and pythons within, he hadn't expected these snakes and pythons to form a brotherhood, almost like a distinct species.
Despite their species differences, he didn't hesitate. He flapped his wings vigorously and flew higher, heading towards one of the predetermined directions.
...
"Stay here!"
Suddenly, a huge black light shot up into the sky.
Luo Chen's face turned stern, and he flapped his wings rapidly.
A large amount of Burning Pestilence flew out, containing terrifying Earth Fire Malefic energy that collided with the black demonic light, emitting a sizzling sound.
An indescribable stench filled the air for several miles.
After the clash, Luo Chen's mouth bled, and he changed direction to escape.
In the original spot, a small golden snake coiled around a tree branch, its vertical pupils fixed on the departing red fiery figure.
"Indeed, such a fast flight speed!"
"But I've done enough by helping that Seven-Ring fellow once."
"From now on, it's no longer my concern."
As it muttered, the golden snake slithered down the branch and disappeared into the snow, continuing its sleep.
No one would have guessed that this small snake was a Tier 3 Demon King, comparable to the Golden Core stage.
Its casual attack earlier was also incredibly powerful.
With just one strike, Luo Chen suffered a minor injury.
Suddenly, the golden snake emerged from the snow, its vertical pupils filled with delight.
"Father King has returned!"
Wrapped in a cloud of excitement, a demonic cloud carried it away, rapidly flying in the direction Luo Chen had taken.
...
In the sky, the biting cold wind slapped against Luo Chen's cheeks.
Having exhausted his spirit energy, he could only rely on his sturdy demonic body, using a light shield to withstand the harsh wind.
His heart was filled with cold determination.
After several days of relentless escape, Luo Chen had encountered numerous low-level snakes and pythons blocking his path, and even three Tier 3 demonic beasts.
Two of them had boldly attacked him.
Luo Chen used all his skills to barely escape their pursuit.
If it weren't for his Grand Completion of the Tier 3 flight technique, Nine Myriad Li, and the Celestial Phoenix True Form, which granted him flight speed surpassing that of early-stage Golden Core Cultivators, he would have been caught.
Additionally, snakes and pythons weren't known for their long-distance rapid movement.
Luo Chen was certain he would have been stopped long ago.
Even so, he was reaching his limits.
After using up tens of thousands of Spirit Stones to unleash the Burning Pestilence several times, he could no longer activate it, as the Earth Fire Malevolent Energy had been completely exhausted.
His Spirit Energy reserves were also nearly depleted.
If that was all, it wouldn't be so bad.
But...
Luo Chen glanced back at his wings, which were covered in cracks.
In the end, the Fiery Cloud Wings, a flight technique, was only of Superior grade.
Under such reckless use, it was almost on the verge of collapsing.
Although he could still rely on the Celestial Phoenix True Form to fly for nine ten thousand miles, his speed would likely decrease significantly.
"This won't do!"
"If I continue like this, I fear I won't be able to escape the Great Snow Mountain."
Despair surfaced in his eyes.
However, the closer he was to the brink, the calmer Luo Chen became.
"These Demonic Beasts were able to track me down because of my unreserved display of the Celestial Phoenix True Form, and it's likely they also followed my aura."
"Now, I can't escape the Great Snow Mountain by speed alone, so there's only one other way."
As Luo Chen was estimating the odds of tricking the Tier 3 Beasts, a sudden event occurred!
Crackle!
Amidst the clouds, an electric arc was about to strike Luo Chen.
Luo Chen didn't intend to dodge it; being struck by lightning was a common occurrence when flying at high altitudes.
His body, tempered by the power of thunder in the Transformation Deity Relic, inherently possessed some resistance to lightning.
However!
The moment the electric arc touched Luo Chen's skin, his expression changed drastically.
"Something's wrong!"
As the arc entered his body, Luo Chen's entire body went numb.
In an instant, he lost control of his body and began to plummet towards the earth.
"Fly!"
As the distance to the ground rapidly decreased, Luo Chen gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage, and veins bulged on his face.
At that moment, the hidden spine on his back, which had been dormant for years, twitched.
The electric arc was forced into the spine with difficulty.
Free from the influence of the arc, Luo Chen instantly regained control of his body.
On a small hill, Luo Chen abruptly halted his massive falling body.
Boom!
The howling wind stirred up thousands of piles of snow.
Luo Chen looked up at the sky in terror.
The electric arc was not a natural phenomenon; it had appeared out of thin air between heaven and earth.
But what was this thing that even his body, tempered by the power of thunder, couldn't block?
It was just a mere electric arc!
Just then, a wondrous sight unfolded before his eyes.
In the sky, dark clouds gathered.
In an area spanning a thousand miles, Spirit Energy poured in reverse.
A giant upside-down vortex, with the power to destroy heaven and earth, was spinning frantically.
"This is... Tribulation Crossing?"
Luo Chen's voice was hoarse with difficulty.
It was clear that this Tribulation Crossing had reached its most critical juncture.
The Thunder Tribulation was about to descend!
The electric arc he had come into contact with earlier was undoubtedly a thread of Tribulation power.
In the Cultivation World, records of Tribulation Crossing only mentioned Human Cultivators crossing the Nascent Soul Tribulation or powerful Demon Clan members crossing the Fourth Rank Transformation Tribulation.
But in the depths of the Great Snow Mountain, where were the Human Cultivators...
"Huh?"
With his Spirit Eyes focused, Luo Chen could see the situation a thousand miles away.
In the undulating mountains that stretched for thousands of miles, a castle stood tall, reaching a height of a hundred zhang.
The moonlight in the sky, ignoring the tribulation, shone brightly within the castle.
"This is..." As he saw this peculiar artifact, a term popped into Luo Chen's mind, "Moonlight Ice Castle?"
The Moonlight Ice Castle, a Superior grade treasure, was the cornerstone of a powerful Core Formation Sect.
Rumor had it that it could absorb the power of the cool moon and frost, capable of suppressing a Spirit Vein.
"Why would the sect's cornerstone treasure appear in the depths of the Great Snow Mountain?"
As Luo Chen puzzled over this, Spirit Energy surged towards his eyes, and the image of the Moonlight Ice Castle gradually became clear in his pupils.
The castle had nine floors.
On each floor, a figure appeared and disappeared. On the topmost floor, there was a presence that Luo Chen could recognize with just a glance at their back.
"Cang Lang!"
Upon recognizing Cang Lang, a shocking thought burst forth.
Cang Lang Senior was crossing the Tribulation!
Crossing the Nascent Soul Tribulation!
Forcing a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage with the power of the only Fourth Rank Spirit Land in the depths of the Great Snow Mountain.
"But what about that Boneless Black Snake?"
Just as Luo Chen was wondering, someone provided an answer.
"How bold!"
A sharp voice pierced through the endless thunderclouds, rolling in from a distant place.
It was just a voice, but from a thousand miles away, it made Luo Chen dizzy and disoriented.
For a moment, he couldn't even see the scene beneath the thunderclouds.
Then, another voice, old and hoarse, sounded in his ears.
"White Bone Daoist, your observation ends here!"
(End of Chapter)
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