Chapter 607: Do You Really Want to Die?

Chapter 607: Do You Really Want to Die?

Penghu Island is vast, with lush forests and birds circling above.

Even after Luo Chen's arrival, it retains its original charm, with only a few palaces built.

Aside from the Xing Dou Dian where Luo Chen cultivates, Tian Xuan's residence, and the Qing Yang Dian, there are no other additional constructions.

The Qing Yang Dian is where Luo Chen's side palace for pill refining and artifact forging is located.

At this moment, inside the Qing Yang Dian, the Hunyuan Cauldron stands tall, with the Origin True Fire burning fiercely within.

Dressed in black, Luo Chen gazes at the large cauldron, his spiritual techniques flowing as he continuously channels various base materials into it like a flowing stream.

"Choosing the Hunyuan Cauldron as my primary magical treasure was indeed the right decision."

"This treasure can be used not only for pill refining but also for artifact forging, saving me the trouble of acquiring auxiliary tools for forging."

Luo Chen focuses intently on the reactions within the cauldron.

Suddenly, he frowns and, with a wave of his hand, a palm-sized golden stone flies out of the cauldron.

"Was this meteorite stone not processed properly?"

"I knew it; cheap things never turn out good."

Muttering to himself, Luo Chen tosses the meteorite stone into the Flourish with Withering True Fire, subjecting it to extreme temperatures for smelting.

After about half an incense stick's worth of time, he retrieves the meteorite stone and places it on a large stone pedestal within the Qing Yang Dian.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, a small hammer appears in his hand.

It is the same Flowing Fire Hammer obtained from the Golden Core stage cultivator from the Hundred Creations Mountain.

This fire-attributed attack spell is not of a high grade, only a lower-grade one, but it has an excellent effect on carrying fire-attributed magical power.

After erasing the original owner's spiritual imprint, Luo Chen refines it and uses it as a substitute for the Xuan Huo Jian.

In battle, its offensive power is slightly lacking, mainly due to its slow flight speed, making it difficult to hit enemies.

However, it shines during artifact forging.

Holding the small hammer, Luo Chen removes his black robe, revealing his muscular physique.

As he flexes his arm muscles, Luo Chen wields the Flowing Fire Hammer, striking the meteorite stone repeatedly.

Amidst flying sparks, the impurities within the meteorite stone gradually diminish.

Simultaneously, the proficiency of the Forging Technique—Flowing Fire Hammer Technique, on the attribute panel, is steadily increasing bit by bit.

"I wonder, in a few years, when my mastery of the Flowing Fire Hammer Technique reaches its peak, if I'll be able to control this spell even better than its original owner?"

Artifact forging is quite exhausting for magical power.

In fact, Luo Chen finds it more complicated than pill refining.

However, there are benefits as well.

At the very least, when refining high-grade magical artifacts, the daily hammering of materials has an excellent tempering effect on his physique.

The 4th-grade Black Emperor Ointment is incredibly potent!

Even with Luo Chen's perfect cultivation of the Ten Thousand Paths Confluence and the assistance of the Flourish with Withering True Fire, he still cannot perfectly absorb the 4th-grade Black Emperor Ointment.

But through high-intensity artifact forging, he discovers that his body gradually absorbs the residual Black Emperor Ointment, accelerating his body refinement progress.

It is this realization that has led Luo Chen to increase his frequency of artifact forging in recent years, resulting in a higher output of magical artifacts.

It is a win-win situation, after all.

The hammer's shadow dances, and sparks fly like rain.

Clang!

With the final strike, Luo Chen examines the meteorite stone in his hand, now reduced to two-thirds of its original size, and smiles in satisfaction.

"With this quality, it can be used to refine the Mystic Crystal Armor."

If other renowned artifact forgers were here, they might wonder about Luo Chen's mention of the "Mystic Crystal Armor."

Isn't this a 3rd-grade defensive formation?

How did it become the name of a magical artifact?

In truth, Luo Chen is simply being clever with his naming.

The method for refining the defensive magical treasure of the Penglai Immortal Clan, provided by Yu Gao, combines ancient artifact forging techniques with modern mainstream methods.

It is a challenging process, whether in terms of material selection or the requirements for forging techniques.

Luo Chen has been trying to overcome these challenges one by one over the years.

While he cannot directly refine the Demon Monarch's Legacy, he can experiment with Penglai's methods step by step.

Luo Chen believes that once he perfects each aspect, he will significantly increase his chances of success when he attempts to refine the Demon Monarch's Legacy directly!

Among these complex challenges, the most difficult is the requirement to set up a 4th-grade formation for refining magical artifacts, known as the Two-Yin Six-Jia Formation!

When Luo Chen first saw it, he couldn't help but curse; what kind of magical treasure needs a 4th-grade formation, as if it were the Hunyuan Cauldron?

However, after years of research, he discovers that the Two-Yin Six-Jia Formation has a hidden mystery.

Although it is a 4th-grade formation, it is actually a combination of seven 3rd-grade formations.

The core is the Two-Yin Formation, which is simple; it can represent yin and yang, heaven and earth, odd and even, hard and soft, or clear and turbid water and fire, all as pairs of opposites. In essence, the formation embodies the true meaning of duality.

Han Zhan is very proficient in this!

Luo Chen, of course, easily grasps this concept as well.

The challenging part is the so-called Six-Jia!

It consists of six 3rd-grade defensive formations.

The Mystic Crystal Armor Formation is one of them, and it is a well-known water-attributed defensive formation among 3rd-grade formations.

Additionally, there are the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation, the Yi Wood Green Armor Formation, and more.

Each of these formations is an excellent defensive formation among 3rd-grade formations, and ordinary people find them challenging to cultivate.

In comparison, the Mystic Crystal Armor Formation is already the easiest among them.

After years of study, Luo Chen has already grasped its fundamentals.

His current goal is to follow Penglai's methods and refine a defensive magical treasure!

Although he cannot directly engrave the Two-Yin Six-Jia Formation, he plans to set up one of its components, the Mystic Crystal Armor Formation.

Using the same refining method, he will create a similar magical artifact with partial formations and materials.

Even if he failed, the costs wouldn't be high, and if he succeeded, he could accumulate relevant experience.

These were Luo Chen's true thoughts.

As Luo Chen examined the falling star stone, his eyebrows furrowed, and he turned to look towards the direction of Penghu.

"The unwelcome guests have finally arrived!"

...

The Fulong Mountain Range was vast, stretching endlessly for thousands of miles.

According to ancient legends, this was the place where a primordial beast fell and slumbered.

It was for this reason that it became the base camp for the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, with countless solitary cultivators hiding within.

The mountain range was filled with undulating peaks and deep ravines.

There were lush forests reaching towards the sky, as well as cascading waterfalls and streams.

Great rivers and lakes flowed through the area, and birds and beasts were a common sight.

If not for its remote location and proximity to the Yuanmo Sect in the past, which deterred other sects from claiming it, how could this place have fallen into the hands of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly so easily?

The Eight Hundred Li Penghu was a spiritual land located in the southern part of the Fulong Mountain Range.

Over the years, this spiritual land had gained quite a reputation within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, and many were aware of its existence.

The main reason for this was its awkward situation.

Within it were several third-rank spirit veins and more than twenty second-rank spirit veins, making it a dreamland for ordinary Golden Core Cultivators and Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

However, the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly did not lease it out individually!

The rental price was almost indistinguishable from that of high-grade third-rank cave residences.

As a result, ordinary Golden Core Cultivators would naturally not choose this place as their first option.

And those Golden Core Cultivators with ample wealth would never select this place as their long-term cultivation site.

It wasn't that they couldn't afford it, but rather, it lacked value for the price.

After all, not everyone could be like Luo Chen, capable of setting up array formations to elevate the spirit veins to high-grade levels.

Due to these reasons, the Eight Hundred Li Penghu had remained vacant for many years.

Until the rumored Qingyang Demon Lord took residence!

And today, the Eight Hundred Li Penghu had an unexpected group of visitors.

In the sky, a dazzling cloud vessel slowly descended, its immense aura causing the lake waters to surge and roll backwards.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator guarding Fengbo Pavilion was tense, carefully approaching to inquire.

"May I ask for the esteemed name of the senior and if there is a visiting card? I need to notify Master Qingyangzi."

He didn't mention the Zhang family of Lianyan Island.

This cloud vessel was clearly a treasure-level artifact, and its owner would never stoop to visit a Foundation Establishment family. The most likely reason for their arrival was to meet with Master Qingyangzi, the master of Penghu.

Just like the visit to Moyun Cave not long ago.

On the cloud vessel, over a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators stood, their expressions cold and indifferent, showing no intention of responding to the Foundation Establishment Cultivator's inquiry.

Suddenly, these people dispersed, making way for seven figures to appear.

There were old and young, men and women.

Each of them exuded a powerful spiritual pressure.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator at Fengbo Pavilion swallowed hard, trembling, almost unable to stand steady.

Seven Golden Core Cultivators!

The leader, dressed in a purple robe, had a full and dignified face, and his eyes were filled with a divine light.

He glanced at the Foundation Establishment Cultivator and nodded to an elderly man beside him.

The old man didn't hesitate and threw an object into the Foundation Establishment Cultivator's hand.

"This is my master's visiting card!"

"Junior, quickly inform your master and do not delay my master's important matters."

Hearing this, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still tense but also relieved.

Fortunately, they didn't force their way in.

He took the visiting card, entered the pavilion, and placed it on a stone platform inside, along with a spirit stone.

Instantly, a spiritual light blossomed.

The golden visiting card slowly floated in the air before gently descending after a moment.

On the lakeside, on the cloud vessel, the seven Golden Core Cultivators were conversing.

"Master, the master of Penghu is also a stingy person. The cultivator guarding the entrance is only at the Qi Condensation Stage, and they don't even have a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to spare."

"It's truly laughable! Any Golden Core sect would have at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivator guarding the entrance. How could they have a Qi Condensation Stage cultivator?"

Although there were seven people talking, only two of them, two elderly men, were doing most of the talking.

They addressed their leader as "Master."

As for the others, although they smiled and chatted, when speaking to the purple-robed man, they called him "Fellow Daoist," "Senior Brother," or "Brother Huangfu."

Huangfu Song watched this scene with a smile on his face.

"Such a prime location, whoever obtains it is fortunate. For someone like Master Qingyangzi, living here alone is indeed a waste."

However, when his divine sense sensed the fluctuations of the array formation in the pavilion, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

"This array formation is quite interesting. It's similar to the beacon towers of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but with unique features, allowing it to transmit messages from the visiting card."

Someone nearby heard this and shared their thoughts.

"I heard that the master of Penghu is a master artificer, proficient in artifact forging. Artificers and array masters often go hand in hand. Most of them possess array formation skills, and this might be a modified low-level array formation!"

Huangfu Song glanced at the speaker but didn't respond.

An elderly man in black beside him scoffed, "You've been deceived. Master Qingyangzi is only slightly more renowned among low-level solitary cultivators. His true abilities are limited to refining high-grade artifacts. With dedication and a century of effort, anyone from our generation could achieve such a level. How can you call him a master artificer?"

Although the others smiled and nodded, they didn't agree too much.

Someone pointed towards the distance.

In the mountains, amidst the clouds, there were intermittent flashes of teleportation lights, observing this place from afar.

Huangfu Song was secretly annoyed in his heart. Most of the Golden Core Cultivators he had gathered were attracted by the Great Zhou Dynasty's infant transformation technique, and they had no loyalty to speak of. The only ones he could truly rely on were these two elderly ministers.

On the other hand, he was secretly pleased.

Flying slowly and conspicuously towards Penghu, Huangfu Song attracted the attention of many solitary cultivators who had been in secluded cultivation in the Flying Dragon Mountain Range. This was exactly what he intended, as it would make it easier for him to negotiate with Qingyangzi later when more people gathered to witness the spectacle.

Even if they couldn't reach an agreement, with so many witnesses present, if a battle ensued and Qingyangzi was defeated, he wouldn't be able to refute it.

High-level cultivators also had their pride to consider.

...

In the midst of the mountains, numerous solitary cultivators who had heard the news gathered by the lake, forming small groups and discussing the situation.

"What are they doing? Are they going to fight? If they want to fight, why don't they just start? Why are they waiting so obediently?"

"If they're not fighting, they must be here for a visit."

"Who visits with their entire family? Seven Golden Core Cultivators and over a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, this is quite a spectacle. If they said they were going to raze a mountain and exterminate a sect, I would believe it."

"That's true. I heard from a cultivator from Moyun Cave that when the Master of Moyun Cave visited Qingyangzi, he traveled lightly with only a few servant girls accompanying him."

"So, is this a case of first showing respect and then taking action?"

"It seems so."

The lower-level cultivators gathered in one place, while the higher-level cultivators had their own plans.

Or perhaps, Huangfu Song had chosen the perfect time.

Recently, a few active Golden Core Cultivators among the solitary cultivators had been organizing private gatherings for exchange. Hearing the commotion today, they decided to join forces and come to see the spectacle.

At this moment, several Golden Core Cultivators stood atop a peak, gazing at the clear waters of Penghu.

"It's said that Huangfu Song is a descendant of the Great Zhou royal family. When the Demon Origin Sect suffered a minor punishment but a major warning, they destroyed the Great Zhou Dynasty, but they didn't eradicate them completely, allowing these remnants to gain power."

"It seems like he's looking for a spiritual vein in Penghu to make a comeback."

"My friend, you are well-informed!"

"Haha, I'm not that knowledgeable! These rumors have been circulating for many years. I thought Huangfu Song would choose the Hundred Ghosts Cave in the Flying Dragon Mountain Range, but I never expected him to set his sights on the 800-li Penghu."

"You don't know the whole story. Guiling Tongzi, one of the three top officials in the Monster Hunting Bureau, has given up on advancing to the Nascent Soul stage and plans to establish a family, spreading his bloodline. The Hundred Ghosts Cave is the place he has chosen, and he has been secretly making arrangements for years."

Over the years, the Monster Hunting Bureau has had three Eighth Rank Monster Hunters, all at the ninth layer of the Golden Core stage.

They are Diao Su, Zixian, and Guiling Tongzi.

After reaching the Eighth Rank, these three gained control of the Monster Hunting Bureau and rarely went on missions.

The term "official" is a respectful title for them.

Upon learning that Guiling Tongzi had chosen the Hundred Ghosts Cave, the Golden Core Cultivator suddenly realized the situation.

The Flying Dragon Mountain Range has numerous scattered spiritual veins, with countless small-scale spiritual lands and many high-grade ones.

However, there aren't many large-scale spiritual lands like the Hundred Ghosts Cave and Penghu.

They had also been searching for such spiritual lands over the years, knowing that these places were reserved by the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly for solitary cultivators who wanted to establish their own power.

It was clear that Huangfu Song had set his sights on Qingyangzi, the "lonely" cultivator.

"If this matter escalates, do you think the Monster Hunting Bureau will get involved?"

"Who knows? Maybe those three officials have been secretly watching from the shadows."

As the crowd chatted, someone noticed a man in the corner whose face was unnaturally pale.

"Friend Duoli, I remember you joined the assembly with Qingyangzi, right?"

Duoli nodded slightly, his face a bit unnatural.

He had joined this gathering of solitary cultivators to seek a way to treat his injuries, but he never expected that halfway through the gathering, everyone would rush out to watch the spectacle.

What he didn't expect even more was that one of the people causing the commotion was Qingyangzi, someone he knew.

Upon careful consideration, this was an expected turn of events.

The 800-li Penghu was coveted by many.

As soon as Duoli learned that Luo Chen had chosen this place, he guessed that this might happen and even tried to persuade Luo Chen at one point.

But Luo Chen was determined, and this day had finally come.

Duoli sighed, "I did join the assembly with Qingyangzi, and we've kept in touch over the years."

Someone beside him laughed, "If he can't hold on later, will you help him?"

Duoli was startled and opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.

...

Lianyan Island.

As a large island with a medium-grade second-rank spiritual vein in the 800-li Penghu, it was not located in the center of the lake but closer to the shore.

Therefore, it was the first to notice the cloud ship.

Zhang Jiadi held his daughter Qingqing, his expression filled with worry as he watched the scene.

Behind him were some solitary cultivators who had joined the Zhang family this year.

A family of cultivators couldn't be established overnight.

Among them were some of his wife Wenxiu's relatives from her early years, and even more were solitary cultivators with meager wealth and no one to rely on.

They willingly joined the Zhang family, seeking the protection of a powerful family and access to spiritual lands.

Perhaps in a hundred years, when the Zhang family is thriving, these people will become marginalized, but for now, they are still the main force of the Zhang family.

At this moment, the people behind him were whispering, mostly expressing worry and despair.

The buzzing sound was like mosquitoes, irritating to the ears.

Zhang Jiadi suddenly turned around and glared fiercely.

The aura of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator burst forth.

"Silence!"

Everyone was startled.

In recent years, Zhang Jiadi had been gentle and mild-mannered, even more so than Wenxiu, and they had almost forgotten that he was the highest-cultivation member of the Zhang family.

Zhang Jiadi's gaze was like a torch, sweeping across the crowd.

"There may be a great battle soon, and life and death can be decided in an instant. As vassals of Qingyangzi, we will stand together."

"I don't want to hear any more defeatist talk."

"Those who disobey will be executed! Those who flee from the battle will also be executed!"

Those with their own thoughts paled.

Someone wanted to dissuade him, but before they could speak, they looked at Zhang Jiadi's dark face and swallowed their words.

Zhang Jiadi took a deep breath, but his heart wasn't filled with panic.

After making numerous inquiries and thoroughly understanding the details of the battle on Cold Light Island, his admiration for Qingyang Immortal had already run deep into his bones.

However, they were merely seven Golden Core Cultivators.

During the battle on Cold Light Island, Qingyang Demon Lord faced more than just this number of enemies.

Additionally, and most importantly, he had already staked everything on Peach Blossom Island.

If Qingyang Immortal truly retreated, where would he go from there?

Would he return to being a wandering cultivator? He didn't mind, but what about his wife and daughter?

For these reasons, he had made up his mind in an instant after his initial panic.

In this battle, he would share the fate of Qingyang Immortal, life and death together!

...

Not to mention the reactions of various parties.

On the banks of Penghu, on the cloud vessel, the group of cultivators who came with Huangfu Song had gradually stopped communicating.

Everyone's faces became more solemn.

This was because, on Peng Island, they had not received any response.

Huangfu Song stepped forward, stood at the bow of the vessel, and stood facing the wind.

"I intended to resolve this matter peacefully, but I never expected that the owner of this place wouldn't even meet us, let alone talk."

"Since it's come to this, let's see the truth in action!"

With a wave of his hand, the cloud vessel roared to life, soaring into Penghu like a landmass, blocking out the sun and sky.

Initially, the cloud vessel flew at an extremely fast speed.

But gradually, its speed slowed down.

An invisible force of stagnation covered the cloud vessel.

Not only that, within the lake, there was also a powerful pulling force that dragged the cloud vessel lower and lower.

"Old Night, what's going on?" Huangfu Song asked the black-robed elder beside him, who had once been the chief supervisor of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau of the Great Zhou Dynasty and was well-versed in array formations.

Old Night's expression remained calm, "It's a sky-blocking array, a type of formation commonly set up in large cities and important immortal cities. Our cloud vessel, being a treasure-grade artifact, is not affected."

Then, he looked towards the lake with a doubtful gaze.

"However, within this sky-blocking array, there is another hidden formation, which is why the cloud vessel's speed is slowing down, and its altitude is decreasing."

He slightly moved his fingers, constantly forming hand seals, as if trying to deduce the operation rules of the hidden formation.

But after a while, he shook his head.

"It's no use, the time is too short. The owner of this place has made preparations, and I can't deduce it in a short time."

The gray-robed elder beside him spoke with a sharp voice, "Since that's the case, let's forcefully cross Penghu!"

Huangfu Song nodded, "We'll follow the words of Elder Gui."

The next moment, on the cloud vessel, over a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators knelt down, injecting their spiritual power into the cloud vessel according to the pre-arranged formation.

In an instant, the cloud vessel shook violently, and its speed increased again.

Huangfu Song's face showed a smile.

"Just a few hundred miles, we'll be there in the blink of an eye. Qingyangzi, I hope you won't disappoint me later!"

Just as he was feeling proud.

Suddenly!

Within the eight hundred li of Penghu, a massive amount of heavenly spiritual energy surged out.

It formed eight chains, tightly binding the cloud vessel.

An overwhelming force pressed down.

"How could this be?"

Old Night's face changed drastically. With the combined efforts of over a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the cloud vessel's formation, not to mention an ordinary sky-blocking array, even a Golden Core Cultivator's intervention would struggle to stop it.

But at this moment, as the cloud vessel rapidly descended, there was no time for further thought.

"Master, let's abandon the vessel and go!"

Huangfu Song's proud smile had long disappeared, as he watched the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators swaying left and right on the cloud vessel.

"What about these people?"

Under the influence of such an array, except for Golden Core Cultivators, Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn't fly at all.

"We can't worry about them! Unless Qingyangzi wants to make an enemy of us, he won't take our lives." Old Night shouted in persuasion.

Huangfu Song hesitated, seeing that the cloud vessel was about to fall into the water, and finally made up his mind.

"Follow me out of the vessel."

In an instant, his spiritual pressure as a seventh-layer Golden Core Cultivator burst forth, soaring into the sky.

Behind him, six Golden Core Cultivators followed closely.

Although the power of the formation was still suppressing them, the combined efforts of the seven were enough to break through the sky and fly.

On a solitary island within the eight hundred li of Penghu.

A black wooden block slowly floated.

After sensing this, he let out a light hum.

"Luo Chen, you'll have to deal with the rest yourself!"

Over the years, Luo Chen had taken too much from him, from the Yuan Dan Secret Technique to the Nascent Soul Pill Formula, and even the Soul Nurturing Wood Cultivation Method and the Spirit Vein Enhancement Method bestowed by the Mingshen Sect.

Not to mention the array formation knowledge and the insights into the cultivation world.

He, Han Zhan, was not a fighter, and helping Luo Chen get rid of these insignificant opponents was already a great act of kindness.

With just seven Golden Core Cultivators, one late-stage, two mid-stage, and four early-stage, with Luo Chen's current foundation, it was completely manageable.

Especially in the Flying Dragon Mountain Range, where there was also a Nascent Soul Cultivator in seclusion, he didn't want to expose too much.

...

The seven flew higher and higher, and after escaping the suppression of the formation, they revealed a lingering fear.

Indeed, forcefully breaking into someone else's mountain gate was not an easy task.

They hadn't even met the main person, and they almost lost their entire force, which was too dangerous.

They could feel that the power of the formation had not yet reached its peak.

If it were to fully unleash its power, one or two of the seven would definitely be injured.

Just as the seven stabilized their bodies.

A voice suddenly echoed.

"Do you really want to die?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end