https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-610-Embryo-Formation-Theory-Soul-Fusion-Secret-Technique/12942416/
Chapter 609: A Good Show? A Farce!
Chapter 609: A Good Show? A Farce!
A Life and Death Struggle!
These four words, though simple in concept, rarely lead one to take such a drastic step unless they are truly desperate.
When high-ranking sect disciples or family cultivators venture out to broaden their horizons, their elders often bestow upon them various protective techniques to avoid such a dire situation.
Compared to them, solitary cultivators value their lives even more.
Unlike sect and family cultivators who have the backing of a powerful organization, solitary cultivators have to work tirelessly and exert several times the effort to achieve the same results.
In a life-and-death struggle, the loser would have to abandon all their previous efforts, rendering them futile and even benefiting others at their expense.
Huangpu Song, as a descendant of the Great Zhou royal family, had lived a privileged life since childhood.
Even after experiencing a dramatic change in his life, becoming an exiled solitary cultivator in the North Sea, he still had the support of people like Sir Gui and Elder Ye, and even the protection of powerful Golden Core cultivators like the Purple Empress.
He wouldn't risk his life for just 800 li of Penghu.
However, Luo Chen was the exact opposite.
In his younger years, he had to carefully calculate every bit of cultivation resource, squeezing out spirit stones from his teeth.
In every battle, unless it was a sudden outbreak, he would try to plan ahead as much as possible.
Even so, he rarely underestimated his opponents and often exerted his full strength when taking action.
Just like in the past at Little Huan Mountain, when he annihilated the Duan family, he had been hiding in the background, and when he finally made his move, it was with the culmination of his cultivation, the Great Round Full Fireball Technique.
Similarly, in the recent battle on Lengguang Island, facing the siege of several enemies, he didn't hesitate to activate the Sky Roc Transformation and display his strongest power, not even considering saving these techniques for later.
A trump card is only a trump card when it's used.
If he died, these trump cards would be wasted.
Listening to Luo Chen's intimidating words and sensing the steadily rising spiritual pressure from him, Huangpu Song also released his immense spiritual pressure as a 7th layer Golden Core cultivator.
He tried to suppress his anger and said, "Qing Yangzi, why must we resort to such violence? I presented the invitation card with the intention of peacefully resolving this dispute."
Luo Chen coldly smiled and said, "Since you didn't respond to my invitation, and I had to eat a closed-door meal, why must you forcefully intrude upon my cultivation ground?"
Huangpu Song paused, then said, "This 800 li of Penghu is of great importance to me, but you don't seem to have any followers or spiritual pets. Why not just exchange it for a lower-grade third-rank spirit land?"
"Haha, you're clearly a 7th layer Golden Core cultivator, and this lower-grade spirit land probably won't be of much help to your cultivation. Why insist on it?"
His question went unanswered, and it was clear that he was being challenged.
Luo Chen's attitude was unyielding.
At the same time, Huangpu Song was also shocked by what he witnessed.
His spiritual pressure had reached its limit, and logically, it should have intimidated cultivators below the 7th layer Golden Core.
However, Qing Yangzi's spiritual pressure at the 5th layer Golden Core was not only equal but also showed signs of countering Huangpu Song's pressure.
Furthermore, as it continued to rise, it seemed to have the potential to overpower him.
Could it be that Qing Yangzi was only at the 5th layer Golden Core?
Huangpu Song took a moment to calm himself, but despite his efforts, his voice still carried a hint of impatience.
"What do you want in order to give up these 800 li of Penghu?"
Negotiate? Luo Chen's face showed a mocking smile, and he slowly shook his head, uttering two words.
"No!"
After saying this, his released spiritual pressure reached its peak.
In the void, the two forces of spiritual power collided.
As a result, Huangpu Song's body trembled, and his stance momentarily faltered.
In contrast, Luo Chen remained as steady as Mount Tai, unmoving.
Seeing this, the six Golden Core cultivators behind Huangpu Song were all startled.
They knew exactly what this meant.
Luo Chen's spiritual power, in terms of purity and robustness, surpassed even Huangpu Song's at the 7th layer Golden Core. Even if it was just slightly higher, it was still superior to his.
At this moment, Huangpu Song's face turned extremely ugly.
Since Luo Chen's appearance, he had been forced to use his protective techniques, and in their verbal sparring, neither had given an inch. Now, even in the clash of spiritual pressures, he was at a disadvantage.
All of this had completely exceeded his expectations.
Even though he was confident that with his own trump cards, he could win in a direct confrontation, the rumors about Qing Yang Demon Lord's techniques being incredibly sharp were also well-known. If it came down to using their trump cards, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
But now, with everyone's attention on them, Huangpu Song found himself in a difficult situation.
Perhaps using that move would be more suitable?
Lowering his head, with his right hand behind him, he made a subtle hand gesture.
Suddenly, Huangpu Song shouted, "Qing Yang Demon Lord, why cling to this 800 li of Penghu when the world is so vast?"
Luo Chen's eyebrows furrowed, and he replied, "Although Penghu is not that big, I've been cultivating here for many years. If I were to give it up, how could it be that easy... Hmm?"
As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed.
A layer of black light flashed and disappeared from his body.
Within him, the Black Chess of Rotten Stump was slightly trembling, as if it had been attacked.
"Is it a soul-subduing technique that confuses the mind? Or one of the rumored Yuanmo Sect's several speech-based killing techniques?"
While Luo Chen was pondering this, Huangpu Song stared at him intently, not missing a single change in his expression.
When Luo Chen spoke those words, Huangpu Song felt a huge weight lift from his heart.
The fact that it wasn't that easy meant there were conditions to negotiate!
Sure enough, the royal secret technique he had learned was effective. Unbeknownst to him, his words had already shaken his opponent's will.
The next moment, Luo Chen let out a soft exclamation, and Huangfu Song immediately sensed something amiss.
"I thought Qingyangzi's spiritual power would be no match for mine, but his divine soul foundation is so formidable. It's unaffected by my Soul-Calming Emperor's Tone, and he reacted so quickly."
"This won't do, I need to say more to break his will. Whether it's negotiation or battle, the initiative will be in my hands."
Just as Huangfu Song was about to speak further, his body suddenly stiffened.
He locked eyes with Luo Chen.
His gaze was as deep as an abyss and as cold as ice.
In a daze, a vision seemed to appear within Huangfu Song's Sea of Consciousness.
"Illusion!"
A purple light emerged from his chest, blocking Luo Chen's line of sight.
Huangfu Song felt slightly relieved, knowing that he had a treasure left by his ancestor, capable of resisting illusions below the Nascent Soul stage.
Such a shallow attack on the divine soul was merely a simple trick in the face of that treasure.
However, the vision in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly changed.
A celestial palace hung high in the sky, filled with ethereal clouds and immortal-like figures.
Beautiful celestial maidens, shrouded in flowing silk sleeves, danced gracefully.
Immortals with feather fans and tall crowns strolled and chatted, coming and going.
But as these fairy-like maidens and immortals flew out from the tall tower, they transformed into vengeful ghosts and spirits, rushing towards him.
Upon closer inspection, those celestial palaces were not immortal abodes but ghostly towers and spirit houses.
Hiss...
The purple light intensified, surging into his Sea of Consciousness and frantically dispelling the illusions.
Huangfu Song suddenly shook, snapping out of the illusion.
Within the vision, it seemed like a long time had passed, but in reality, it was just a brief moment of eye contact.
Cold sweat trickled down his back, and Huangfu Song instinctively avoided Luo Chen's gaze.
Luo Chen's calm voice reached his ears.
"Please, Fellow Daoist Huangfu."
Huangfu Song opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time.
It was clear that in that instant, his Soul-Calming Emperor's Tone had failed to intimidate Luo Chen. Instead, it was Luo Chen's illusion that stirred his heart, almost causing him to lose control of his soul.
If not for the means left by the Nascent Soul ancestor before his demise, he would have likely been killed by Luo Chen countless times in that fleeting moment.
A sense of fear arose within him.
He feared the lingering shadows of ghosts from his memories and Qingyang Demon Lord's endless tricks.
Unconsciously, he turned around.
"Let's go!"
"Master, what are you saying?"
Huangfu Song was taken aback by Ye Lao's questioning. He shook his head instinctively.
"No, I..."
"Fellow Daoist Huangfu, the weather is unfavorable today, so I won't see you off. Please go."
This time, Luo Chen's voice was even colder.
It was evident that he had reached his limit in restraint, and any further delay would lead to a fight.
It was like a volcano about to erupt!
Huangfu Song's face contorted into an ugly smile. "My apologies for the disturbance."
Then, ignoring the dissatisfaction of Ye Lao and Gui Gong, he left with his four Golden Core cultivators.
As they departed, he continued to explain to the two elderly ministers.
He spoke of the disunity among his own people, the difficulty of dealing with Qingyang Demon Lord, the limited resources of Penghu's spirit land, and the stronger cultivators in the Flying Dragon Mountain Range.
The onlookers, unaware of the brief confrontation between Huangfu Song and Luo Chen, half-believed his words.
However, the two elderly ministers, who were well aware of their young master's temperament, sighed inwardly.
Sometimes, taking a step back doesn't mean a vast sky but rather an irreversible calamity!
Does the young master truly understand the severity of the situation?
After reaching the lakeside, Zhang Jiadi and his men returned the cloud boat, along with the hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators who had been suppressed by the array, unharmed. Huangfu Song and his group left Penghu in embarrassment.
The spectators felt extremely uncomfortable witnessing this.
Where was the promised grand battle?
Where was the promised life-and-death struggle?
The show had just begun, and it was already over before it even started?
Luo Chen, the person involved, watched coldly as Huangfu Song and his group left.
After they were out of sight, Tianxuan couldn't help but ask.
"Master, should we really let these impolite enemies go?"
Her words implied that Luo Chen had always been decisive in killing, and she wondered why he tolerated such provocation.
Luo Chen merely lifted his gaze slightly.
"At the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, some people's faces still need to be saved."
He looked towards the direction where the clouds had dissipated, as if gazing at someone.
Tianxuan seemed to understand Luo Chen's concern. She quickly grasped who he was being cautious about.
She also realized that Luo Chen, who had been unyielding, had been restraining himself. Otherwise, according to his usual style, he would not have tolerated such provocation.
Tianxuan still felt worried.
Although their master had forced Huangfu Song and his group to retreat under the watchful eyes of the crowd, increasing his prestige, letting go of such late-stage Golden Core enemies...
"What if they seek revenge later? Huangfu Song is a seventh-layer Golden Core cultivator!"
Hiss...
The mocking laughter was unconcealed.
Even Duanli, who had been silent, found it unbelievable that a high-level cultivator was being treated with such disregard.
Luo Chen waved his hand, "It's fine. Huangfu Song may have the title of a high-level cultivator, but he's just an empty pillow."
An empty pillow?
Duanli was perplexed. Huangfu Song's cultivation was undeniable, and his purple sword energy had almost taken Luo Chen's life.
All of this was done with the skill of a late-stage Golden Core Cultivator, yet he's just a pretty pillow with no substance?
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Luo Chen sighed.
"Although I've only met this person once, his shallowness is evident, and his true nature is easily discernible."
"Bold in words but timid in action, good at planning but indecisive, ambitious but self-preserving, greedy for small gains and forgetful of life. How could such a person become a trusted confidant?"
Regardless of how the two understood his words, Luo Chen didn't feel that this would be much of a problem.
When he seized the Spirit Land in the Flying Swallow Archipelago, he acted with a plan and gave Yan Nan no chance, directly confronting him without hesitation.
At that time, his foundation wasn't even as solid as Yan Nan's, and his cultivation might not have been higher.
But what about Huangfu Song?
Clearly, his strength and the number of powerful subordinates far surpassed Luo Chen's side.
Yet, he chose to use the strategy of first courtesy then force, reasoning and persuasion.
And when he couldn't win with words, he resorted to underhanded tactics, hoping to turn the situation around.
If not for the Eight-Star Monster Hunter backing him, Luo Chen would have killed him on the spot in the Penghu Marsh.
Forget about the Nascent Soul trump card!
There was indeed a Nascent Soul Cultivator in his Penghu Daoist Temple.
Han Zhan, nourished by the Soul-Nurturing Wood over the years, had an increasingly stable soul body, and his strength had likely recovered by a third.
If pushed to the brink, Han Zhan would also take action for him.
"Forget it!"
Luo Chen turned around and looked at Duanli.
"Thank you, fellow cultivator, for your righteous assistance today. I've taken note of this favor."
Duanli quickly waved his hand, "It's nothing to be grateful for, and I've only caused you more trouble."
He finally understood.
With Qingyangzi's abilities, these enemies were not even worth considering in his eyes.
By abruptly helping, he had instead forced Qingyangzi to take action, disrupting his other plans.
Luo Chen didn't mind, "I appreciate your intentions. But now is not the time for idle chat. I have other guests to attend to, let's talk again in a couple of days!"
Duanli was taken aback.
There were still guests coming to visit?
He scanned the surroundings, wondering if these were the wandering cultivators who had come to pay their respects.
"Old Fisherman."
The voice echoed in his mind, and he suddenly understood.
"Tianxuan, see off Duanli for me."
"Yes, Master!"
After Tianxuan saw the guest off, Luo Chen flew back to Peng Island.
Soon, a streak of light descended beside him.
"Today, we've witnessed quite a show!" Old Fisherman smiled.
Luo Chen shook his head, "It was just a farce."
Old Fisherman tugged at the corners of his mouth. A farce? Not necessarily.
"I didn't expect that the rumored Qingyang Demon Lord is also proficient in artifact forging!"
Luo Chen wasn't surprised that Old Fisherman had revealed his alias in the Northern Sea, as he had never concealed it and had even openly proclaimed it.
After this incident, those who coveted the Penghu Spirit Land would likely give up their ambitions.
At the very least, they would inquire about Qingyang Demon Lord's achievements in the Cold Light Island battle, where he had killed several cultivators of the same rank and managed to kill one and repel one while being besieged by two late-stage Golden Core Cultivators.
Such a formidable existence was rarely matched even within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
Apart from the three Eight-Star Monster Hunters, perhaps only those dozen or so Seven-Star Monster Hunters could compare.
"A mere trivial artifact forging skill. I, Luo, only practice it in my free time to pass the time."
Luo Chen humbly replied, then asked with a hint of meaning, "How did that person react?"
Old Fisherman knew who he was referring to and told him the truth.
"Dissatisfied, yet satisfied."
"Hmm?" Luo Chen furrowed his brows.
Old Fisherman laughed, "Don't worry. The Purple Empress is dissatisfied with Huangfu Song's character, but she's satisfied with your handling of the situation. Don't overthink it. Although the Purple Empress has a connection with Huangfu Song, her years as a wandering cultivator have faded that bond. Now, she's focused on perfecting her Golden Core and breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, and she wouldn't want to start a war for the sake of an old acquaintance."
This short conversation conveyed a lot of information, especially the last part, which reassured Luo Chen.
Cultivators in the late stages of each realm generally prefer peaceful cultivation and avoid conflicts unless absolutely necessary.
Just like Luo Chen, after the late Foundation Establishment stage, he had secluded himself on Tianlan Peak for cultivation, only venturing out after advancing to the Golden Core stage.
The transition from Golden Core to Nascent Soul stage required even more caution than advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core.
Such beings would not act lightly.
"It seems that my actions today were well-measured," Luo Chen chuckled, feeling relieved. He bowed to Old Fisherman, "And of course, I must also thank you for your assistance."
Old Fisherman waved his hand, "Calling me 'adult' is too formal. Let's just address each other as fellow cultivators."
What does it mean to be a fellow cultivator?
Only those who walk the same path are friends.
Old Fisherman's intentions were clear—he was referring to Luo Chen's guidance in the path of body refinement.
Luo Chen understood and extended an invitation.
"I mentioned wanting to set a time and place to exchange a few things. Why wait? Let's do it today!"
Old Fisherman smiled, delighted, "I couldn't ask for more!"
The two smiled at each other and stepped into the palace on Peng Island.
(End of Chapter)
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