https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-529-Rebuilding-the-Combat-System/12942096/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-531-The-Demon-Lord-s-Initial-Display-of-Power/12942126/
Chapter 530: Azure Sun Demon Lord, I Want It All!
Chapter 530: Azure Sun Demon Lord, I Want It All!
The information within the jade slip was not complicated.
It detailed the intelligence on the Southern Heaven Ascendant who occupied the Feiyan Archipelago, named Yan Nantian.
His original name was Yan Nantian, and he came from a cultivation family on a third-stage large island in the Demon Domain called Layan Island.
Later, Layan Island suffered a great calamity, and the Yan family was nearly annihilated, with only Yan Nantian's lineage managing to escape alive.
Even so, powerful enemies continued to pursue and hunt down Yan Nantian's lineage.
During the pursuit, the lineage's numbers dwindled, and eventually, only Yan Nantian remained.
However, this person was either extremely fortunate or had a ruthless personality.
Not only did he survive, but he also grew stronger, integrating and comprehending his family's cultivation techniques. He even cultivated the Soul Refining Lineage's secret techniques, which were spread outside of the Yuanmo Sect.
After forcefully counter-attacking and killing several pursuers, he temporarily suppressed the enemies' pursuit.
But even so, he himself was also injured.
To prevent enemies from taking advantage of his weakened state, he deliberately left the prosperous areas of the Demon Domain and quietly retreated to the remote Feiyan Archipelago, where he claimed kingship over the islands.
His specialty was in sword techniques, a single stab, and the Soul Refining Banner.
The sword was his lifebound treasure, a water-attributed flying sword that he had cultivated in his early years.
The stab technique was called the Water-Splitting Spear, a unique treasure with the ability to divide water and summon dragons.
The Soul Refining Banner was a signature treasure of the Soul Refining Lineage of the Yuanmo Sect. Unlike ordinary cultivators who used a large number of sea demon souls to refine their banners, his Soul Refining Banner was infused with a vast number of cultivators' souls!
Within it were eight major souls, all of which belonged to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The main soul was astonishingly the soul of a Golden Core cultivator!
This was the reason why Yan Nantian's strength increased with every battle, making him more courageous with each fight.
His cultivation base was at the third level of the Golden Core stage, just one step away from the middle stage.
After reading through this intelligence, Luo Chen couldn't help but marvel.
It was clear that this information wasn't hastily gathered by Cheng Dou; it must have taken a significant amount of time and effort to collect it bit by bit.
In other words, this intelligence wasn't even prepared specifically for Luo Chen from the beginning.
"Perhaps if I hadn't come, he would have found a way to hire someone else to deal with Yan Nantian, this mountain of a problem."
"External reinforcements... the enemies who pursued and killed the Yan family on Layan Island?"
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
He now understood why Cheng Dou believed he had the strength to deal with Yan Nantian.
Calling himself the Azure Sun Ascendant, he possessed the Essence True Flame, which was suspected to be the origin of the Azure Sunfire, and he paid special attention to the intelligence of the Yuanmo Sect. Nine out of ten times, he was a cultivator from the Yuanmo Sect.
With the strength of a cultivator from a demonic sacred land, dealing with a mere remnant from a family should be a sure victory.
"However, he's not afraid of making a wrong judgment. What if I fail and bring disaster upon the Cheng family?"
As these questions arose in Luo Chen's mind, he quickly answered them himself.
It seemed that Cheng Dou had been pushed to the brink.
The opponent had been stuck before reaching Great Perfection, unable to make any progress, and the pressure of his cultivation base was driving him insane.
He was even willing to gamble with his family's future.
When they first met, Cheng Dou had immediately offered his younger sister as a way to win Luo Chen over.
Indeed, he had the courage to take a desperate gamble.
"It's somewhat similar to when I was at the late-stage Foundation Establishment and dealt with the Flame Alliance."
Luo Chen smiled slightly and put away the jade slip.
Seeing the smile on his face, Cheng Haixin, who had been quietly observing, felt her spirits lift.
Was this confidence?
A faint voice reached her ears, carrying Luo Chen's calm and carefree attitude.
"I've understood the situation, and now I only have one question for you to answer."
A look of joy appeared on the woman's face, "Please ask, Venerable!"
"It's simple. Asking me to deal with Yan Nantian is not impossible, but the problem is, what can you offer as compensation?"
Cheng Haoxin subconsciously replied, "The Cheng family has some savings, and we can offer several hundred thousand spirit stones."
Luo Chen shook his head. In his heyday, he had over ten million spirit stones in his possession.
Even now, when his finances were tight, he didn't lack these mere tens of thousands.
"Magical treasures..."
"Cultivation resources..."
"Cultivation techniques..."
One by one, Cheng Haoxin proposed conditions she deemed valuable, but they were all met with a shake of the head.
By the end, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the woman's face.
"What if I include myself?"
Luo Chen looked at her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "From the first day we met, haven't you already belonged to me?"
Cheng Haoxin bit her lip, and a sense of helplessness suddenly rose within her.
"Never mind, go back and discuss this with your brother first. Come back to me once you've made up your mind!"
Luo Chen waved his hand, and a gust of wind carried the woman out of the cave mansion.
Rumble...
The two stone doors slowly closed, leaving only the dazed expression on the woman's face.
...
On Black Swan Island, mortals came and went, creating a bustling atmosphere.
Due to a maritime disaster, the Demon-Hunting Ship of the Cheng family had lost a large number of skilled mortal crew members, and it was time for a new recruitment drive.
Even though maritime work was extremely dangerous, the high wages offered by the Cheng family were hard to resist!
As a result, this recruitment drive attracted many formidable mortals from other islands.
The recruitment was held on the outskirts of the Little Mirror Lake Estate.
From a distance, one could see a long line of people.
Looking around, everyone participating in the recruitment possessed powerful vitality.
If they were to be categorized by secular martial arts standards, the weakest among them would be second-rate, and the strongest could even rival Grandmaster-level existence.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the end of the line, causing those at the front to turn and look back.
In their line of sight, a tall and beautiful woman walked slowly, seemingly deep in thought, oblivious to the attention she was attracting.
The occasional furrow of her brows added a touch of delicate sorrow to her stunning beauty.
It wasn't until she completely disappeared into the depths of the estate that the long line of people began to murmur softly.
"That must be Sea Heart Fairy!"
"You're right, with such a tall and exceptional figure, and a face that evokes pity, she's one of the top few among the many female immortals on the Flying Swans Thirty-Six Islands."
"Brother, it's shallow to judge by looks alone. Isn't the most remarkable thing about Sea Heart Fairy her terrifying talent, reaching Foundation Establishment at the age of thirty-six?"
"Indeed, after the century-long great tribulation, the Flying Swans Archipelago has been in turmoil, only stabilizing thirty years ago. In these thirty years, only a handful have successfully reached Foundation Establishment. Sea Heart Fairy's ability to rise against the odds and establish seven Foundation Establishments in the Cheng family is truly admirable!"
"Given time, Sea Heart Fairy might even ascend to the Golden Core peak. Let's not discuss immortal matters carelessly, my friends!"
"Yes, yes, let's not talk about immortal affairs!"
Cheng Haixin, who was seen as a proud immortal by outsiders, paid no heed to the discussions behind her.
At this moment, her mind was filled with thoughts of Luo Chen's attitude.
What does he not want?
Then what does he want?
Soon, she arrived outside her eldest brother Cheng Dou's door.
As if sensing her arrival, the main door opened automatically.
Cheng Dou saw Cheng Haixin and frowned slightly, wondering why she had returned.
Cheng Haixin understood her brother's thoughts but didn't say anything. Instead, she recounted the previous situation in detail.
Cheng Dou's face first showed joy, but he soon fell into deep thought.
What does the Azure Sun Ascendant want?
No, or rather, what can the Cheng family offer? His mind raced with these thoughts, and after a moment, Cheng Dou sighed bitterly.
"What can a mere Foundation Establishment family like us offer that a Golden Core Cultivator would find valuable?"
"Nothing!"
Cheng Haixin was taken aback, "Ah!"
Cheng Dou shook his head, "You say there's nothing, but in reality, we must give everything. In other words, to convince the Azure Sun Ascendant to take action, my Cheng family must submit unconditionally to him, allowing him to command us. Whatever he asks for, we must provide, be it people or objects. That's all there is to it."
Cheng Haixin's expression changed instantly, "Isn't this behavior akin to that of a demon? I thought he wouldn't be tempted by beauty and would adhere to principles, assuming he was a gentleman."
Cheng Dou sighed, "He's a demon cultivator, and even if he were a gentleman, he'd still be a Demon Lord."
The Azure Sun Demon Lord? Cheng Haixin said weakly, "Then we..."
"Give!" Cheng Dou seemed to have made up his mind, gritting his teeth, "We'll give him whatever he wants. Even if it means becoming a dog for the Cheng family, the master will still throw us a bone. With his way of doing things, he should be able to tolerate me striving for the Golden Core stage in the future."
Cheng Haixin worried, "Big brother, isn't it too risky to place everything on a stranger, a Golden Core Cultivator?"
"I have no choice!" Cheng Dou sighed, "Moreover, at this point, the arrow has already left the bow, and we have no say in the matter."
The wolf had entered the room!
When one's cultivation is inferior, they have no control over their situation.
On the shore of Little Mirror Lake, the siblings stood facing each other in silence.
...
Atop the Sea Gazing Cliff.
Luo Chen held a bamboo scroll in his hand, reading it at a steady pace.
After re-planning his combat system, his abilities were no weaker than when he first started the war.
With his cultivation reaching the third layer of Golden Core, his various techniques and powers had become even more formidable.
With strength comes confidence, and with confidence comes the heart to research other things.
The Star Essence Pill was no longer sufficient to support his upcoming cultivation.
One reason was the mismatch in medicinal properties with his fire attribute.
And another reason was that the required medicinal ingredients were too complex and the quantities too vast.
With the abundance of resources in the Northern Sea, if there were enough people, it would indeed be possible to gather them all for him. But when it came to processing, it was a different story.
Back in the Jade Cauldron Domain, it was because his Luo Heavenly Sect had a group of pharmacists and pill apprentices who had been trained from a young age. These people were tasked with processing various medicinal ingredients for him, saving him from the tedious work.
Now, that was no longer an option.
Moreover, Luo Chen didn't trust others!
The pills he refined were for his own consumption!
He could inspect the raw materials for any issues, but if there were problems with the processed materials, the trouble would be far more serious.
Therefore, regardless of the reason, the Star Essence Pill no longer met his requirements.
Luo Chen had another solution—switch to a different pill, one that was more in line with his attributes and had fewer main and auxiliary ingredients.
That was the pill formula he held in his hands—the True Flame Pill!
Originating from the Flame Alliance, it was a third-rank fire-attribute pill!
Throughout the four-hundred-year history of the Jade Cauldron Domain, this pill had never been renowned. Even within the Flame Alliance, only a small number of people were able to refine and consume it.
The reason for this was the pill's domineering nature and the endless troubles it caused as an aftereffect.
After consuming the True Flame Pill, a strand of fire malevolent Qi would remain in the body.
This fire malevolent Qi was invisible and formless, making it difficult to dissolve with spiritual power. Long-term consumption would cause irreversible damage to the Aura Sea.
This particular fire malevolent Qi was part of the pill's nature and wasn't considered pill poison, so it couldn't be easily resolved by typical detoxification methods.
This was why the True Flame Pill wasn't widely circulated.
However, after Luo Chen's research, he had ways to overcome these shortcomings.
The pill's domineering nature mainly manifested in its impact on the body. With his early-stage Ancient Desolation physique, he could withstand such a powerful impact.
As for the so-called fire malevolent Qi, he had two methods to deal with it.
One was the Dust Essence Technique from the Clear Source Marvelous Alchemy Art, and the other was the fourth-rank Dragon Slaying Technique.
With these two methods, he was confident he could handle the aftermath of a mere third-rank pill.
After making up his mind, the next steps were simple.
Study the pill formula and try to master it as quickly as possible.
Find suitable helpers to gather the various materials for him, allowing him to refine a large quantity of True Flame Pills.
The latter was also one of the reasons he chose to stay temporarily in the Flying Swan Archipelago.
The remote location of the archipelago and the lack of many Golden Core experts made it an ideal place for him to expand his influence.
After reading through the True Flame Pill formula once more, Luo Chen put away the jade slip.
He took out a Spirit Nourishing Pill from his storage ring and casually tossed it into the vast sea below the Sea Gazing Cliff.
Watching the Blue Ring Fangtooth Sea Snakes swimming back from all directions to snatch the Spirit Nourishing Pill, Luo Chen pondered the Cheng Family's reaction.
He didn't want to give up everything; he wanted it all! With Cheng Dou's cunning and ingenuity, he should be able to understand.
With no other options available, he would have no choice but to agree.
A cultivator family was the easiest to control and the fastest to develop into a powerful force.
With numerous members, blood ties, and a fixed residence, they wouldn't roam around unless their family was destroyed.
Additionally, Luo Chen had no blood ties with them, nor any master-disciple or familial relationships. Their connection wasn't deep, and if something happened, he could easily leave without any burden.
Such a force wouldn't restrict him and was, in fact, the best option.
"They should be making their choice now!"
Luo Chen smiled slightly, clapped his palms, and waved his hand to dismiss the well-fed Blue Ring Fangtooth Sea Snakes, reforming the array that guarded the Sea Gazing Cliff.
He let the sea breeze caress his face, lifting his black hair in the wind.
"As for me, it's time to consider how to deal with Yan Nantian."
Turning around, Luo Chen's gaze fell on the lake center island a thousand miles away.
Moon Invitation Island!
Surrounded by flying swans, the island was shrouded in a vast black mist that covered an area of ten li, forming an absolute forbidden area in the Flying Swan Archipelago.
No mortals or cultivators were allowed to set foot there.
With Luo Chen's experience, he could tell that the black mist was an enormous concentration of ghost Qi.
Occasionally, low roars and howls of Ghost King-level entities could be heard from within.
To enter Moon Invitation Island, one must first break through the Demon-Subduing Stream Array with the Soul Seizing Banner as its array eye.
Luo Chen assessed his options and finally settled on a viscous, blood-red substance within the Primordial Cauldron.
(End of Chapter)
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