Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 611: The So-Called Soul Essence, Duan Li's Promise - Novel Cool

Chapter 611: The So-Called Soul Essence, Duan Li's Promise

Chapter 611: The So-Called Soul Essence, Duan Li's Promise

Peng Island was quite large, and it also had mountains.

When cultivators chose a Spirit Land, they usually preferred the mountain slopes and peaks because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth could be clear or turbid, and when it gathered in large quantities, it formed Spirit Veins.

At this moment, the turbid energy sank, and the clear energy rose.

Although both could be absorbed and utilized, cultivators naturally preferred the clear and pure spiritual energy. Therefore, Cave Mansions were often built in areas with higher elevations.

However, Luo Chen was different. Relying on the power of arrays, he had confined the high-quality spiritual energy within the Star Palace, leaving the tall mountain on Peng Island unused.

It wasn't entirely unused, though.

Occasionally, Tianxuan would transform into her Seagull form and fly freely above the mountain, so she had casually built a Lakeview Pavilion there.

At this moment, inside the Lakeview Pavilion.

Three Daoists, aided by the gentle breeze, sipped tea and discussed the Dao.

From a distance, they indeed exuded an air of immortality as described in secular legends.

However, Xiao Bohuan, one of them, was still in a state of shock and had yet to fully recover his senses.

He gazed at the vast and boundless marshland, where fish swam playfully, birds soared, and countless large and small islands dotted the landscape like stars.

Such a magnificent place had been entirely rented out by the Daoist before him! Before coming here, he had assumed that the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly would lift the restrictions and allow the Spirit Land on Peng Island to be rented out in parts. He had never imagined that Qingyangzi would have such financial resources to rent out the entire island in one go.

As he was still in a daze, Qingyangzi's gentle voice reached his ears.

"Daoist friend? Daoist friend?"

Xiao Bohuan shook his head and snapped out of his reverie. "What is it?"

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "It's nothing. I just wanted to understand the details of the Quyang Defense mission."

"Didn't you stay there for half a month?" Xiao Bohuan asked, puzzled.

Luo Chen replied, "I'm interested in the specific details of the mission, such as personnel arrangements and daily tasks, rather than the local customs and war situation."

"Oh."

Xiao Bohuan suddenly understood.

Then, he explained everything to Luo Chen in detail.

The matter at hand was not overly complicated.

After all, they were Golden Core Cultivators! When stationed in a place, they couldn't possibly handle everything personally.

Quyang Island, as the central hub of the Quyang Defense, was permanently garrisoned by over a thousand cultivators.

Most of these cultivators were wandering cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, and they were rotated annually.

They were divided into several teams, each led by a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

There were array teams, patrol teams, enforcement teams, logistics teams, and more.

These teams were the main force in handling various trivial matters.

The actual task of the Golden Core Cultivator stationed there was to provide combat support. With their Golden Core cultivation, they could withstand the initial wave of attacks in case of emergencies, buying time for reinforcements to arrive.

There were a total of three Golden Core Cultivators assigned to the Quyang Defense line.

The duration of their tasks varied greatly. For instance, Xiao Bohuan's previous mission was a long-term defense mission, while the other two were short-term missions with annual rotations.

The reason they hadn't met the other two during his previous visit to Quyang Island was that they had been temporarily reassigned to the first defense line, which was the Liuyang Defense.

"Isn't it a mission in the Quyang Sea? How come they were also deployed to the Liuyang Sea?"

Luo Chen was puzzled. Could the mission location be changed?

Xiao Bohuan helplessly explained, "The rules within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly are not yet fully established, so sometimes tasks can be quite flexible. Especially for short-term missions like rotating defenses, Golden Core Cultivators are like bricks that can be moved wherever they are needed."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, it's also related to the fact that those two Daoist friends are only Fourth-Rank Demon Hunters who want to go to the front lines to hunt and kill demons, thus improving their star rank."

So that was the case.

Luo Chen nodded to himself, taking note of these details.

Xiao Bohuan suddenly realized, "Qingyangzi, why do you ask?"

Luo Chen smiled, "To prepare for the upcoming mission!"

Xiao Bohuan and Duan Li were taken aback, then they understood that Qingyangzi had accepted a short-term defense mission!

After chatting for a while longer, Xiao Bohuan bid farewell and left.

He had just returned and hadn't had a chance to rest, feeling mentally exhausted.

Especially at Xiushan Cave Mansion, there were still matters awaiting his attention.

Wandering cultivators who spent a fortune to rent a Spirit Vein Cave Mansion didn't do so solely for cultivation.

The abundant spiritual energy could be utilized for various purposes. For example, on Luo Chen's side, he had the Zhang Jia Di family engage in aquaculture.

Xiao Bohuan was no exception. He had hired several wandering cultivators to cultivate a large number of Spirit Plants on Xiushan Mountain during his absence. Although he had some knowledge of the corresponding profits over the years through letters, he still needed to conduct a thorough inventory upon his return.

After Xiao Bohuan left, the atmosphere in the Lakeview Pavilion became subdued.

Luo Chen remained silent, merely sipping his Spirit Tea.

Duan Li stared at the steam rising from the cup on the stone table, his expression filled with hesitation.

After a long while, he finally spoke with difficulty, "Daoist friend, could you do me a favor?"

Luo Chen's lips curved up slightly, as expected! Duan Li had a request, which was why he had taken the risk to help earlier.

However, he had a favorable impression of this person, and if he could help, he wouldn't hold back.

"Go ahead and ask. As long as it's within my ability, I'll do my best to assist."

Duan Li's expression relaxed slightly, then he said solemnly, "During the assessment mission, the remnant of the Demon Origin Sect used vicious and cruel means. I was careless and was struck by their attack.

I had thought that a little recuperation from the injuries would suffice, but I never imagined that that battle concealed a profound mystery. The longer it dragged on, the more his injuries seemed to fester like maggots in the tarsal bones, stubbornly refusing to leave."

"Over the years, I have gathered numerous healing methods, and in the end, I chose one."

"For this method to take effect, I need a Nascent Soul cultivator with a profound spiritual foundation, far surpassing my own, to assist me from the side."

"After much thought, among the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, only you, fellow cultivator, possess such ability, and I trust you."

After speaking, Duanli looked at Luo Chen expectantly.

If he remembered correctly, during that assessment mission, he had faced the remnants of the Demon Origin Sect's soul techniques head-on, showing no fear.

The day before, when facing Huangfu Song, a 7th layer Golden Core cultivator, there was an invisible contest between them that outsiders couldn't perceive. But as he was standing very close, he was also affected by Huangfu Song's Soul-Calming Emperor's Sound attack. At that moment, he had struggled to maintain his composure.

However, Luo Chen was unaffected and instead displayed mysterious techniques, causing Huangfu Song to lose his composure.

This showed that the person before him had far surpassed himself in terms of spiritual cultivation.

To resolve his injuries, within the vast Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, Duanli could only choose Luo Chen.

After listening, Luo Chen replied without hesitation, "First, tell me the method, and I'll see the specific situation."

"Hmm."

A jade slip was handed to him.

Luo Chen carefully examined it.

After a while, he withdrew his divine sense.

"It's not too difficult. According to the description, with sufficient preparation, it can be resolved in half a day if everything goes smoothly."

"Then..." Duanli looked at Luo Chen anxiously, and to prevent him from having second thoughts, he added, "I've already made the necessary preparations. You just need to come to the Concealing Wind Cave."

As Duanli watched anxiously, Luo Chen thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

Duanli finally breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and thanked him with a bow.

"Thank you, fellow cultivator!"

...

On that day, Luo Chen followed Duanli to the Concealing Wind Cave.

This was his second visit to Duanli's cave abode.

When he had come before, there weren't many formations, and in the past five years, there hadn't been much change, indicating that Duanli was preoccupied with his injuries and had no heart for cave abode arrangements.

After arriving at a subsidiary cave with almost no spiritual energy, Duanli raised his hand and cast several spirit arts.

In an instant, the cave floor lit up with spiritual lights.

Under his control, formation patterns began to emerge.

In the center, a spot was left open, with a meditation cushion quietly placed there.

Duanli glanced at Luo Chen, then leaped and sat on the cushion, his entire body surrounded by the formation.

"Qingyangzi, I'll trouble you from here on."

Luo Chen smiled slightly, holding a small white flag in his hand, "Fellow cultivator, rest assured!"

The next moment, Duanli closed his eyes, with one palm upright on his chest and the other palm pressed on the ground.

Instantly, the formation's light blazed brightly.

The white flag in Luo Chen's hand also began to tremble violently.

At the same time, Duanli's body in the center of the formation began to shake, his face contorting in pain.

Witnessing this, Luo Chen muttered to himself.

"The Soul Extraction Array, with such a method, forcibly removing the hidden dangers attached to the body."

"What a brilliant strategy of attacking poison with poison, well done, Duanli!"

One could imagine how threatening this method would be to cultivators.

Duanli's risky move even placed the initiative in Luo Chen's hands, showing his resolute determination.

However, this was also a desperate attempt.

Usually, no cultivator would readily trust a friend with whom they didn't have a deep relationship, and even Luo Chen wouldn't.

Duanli was truly at his wit's end!

Luo Chen rarely disappointed those who trusted him.

Taking a deep breath, he released the white flag in his hand and sat cross-legged on the ground, manipulating spirit arts.

An invisible pulling force emanated from the formation, like a rope connecting Luo Chen and Duanli.

Luo Chen pulled with all his might! Instantly, Duanli's body trembled in the center of the formation.

A strand of black energy, like an earthworm, appeared on his face and was instantly pulled out by Luo Chen.

As soon as the black energy was extracted, it eagerly tried to return to Duanli's body, but Luo Chen wasn't going to let it have its way. The floating white flag in the air rolled up, and the black energy was immediately absorbed into it.

The first step was successful!

This thought simultaneously flashed through the minds of both Luo Chen and Duanli.

And then...

Luo Chen repeatedly performed the method, repeating the previous operation.

However, from the initial instant of pulling, it gradually became slower.

Even after half a day!

"Ah..."

A low roar, like that of a wild beast, escaped from Duanli's mouth.

Luo Chen struggled slightly as he manipulated his spiritual power.

It wasn't that his spiritual foundation was insufficient, but he had to strictly control the force, or else what he would pull out wouldn't be the black energy, but Duanli's own soul.

Just as he was about to succeed, Luo Chen suddenly had a thought.

"This black energy is almost identical to the soul essence described in the classics. Attacking enemies with this method is extremely vicious."

"If I use the Dragon Severing Technique at its peak, can it achieve the effect of the Soul Extraction Array?"

A thought flashed through his mind.

The next moment, Luo Chen abruptly stood up, shouting.

"If not now, then when?"

Instantly, Duanli's body trembled.

A thick strand of black energy, as thick as a finger, suddenly emerged from his crown.

The white flag in the sky flapped in the wind, absorbing all the black qi. Now, it was no longer a white flag but a black one.

The array's light gradually faded.

Duanli emerged from the water, drenched in sweat and slumped on a meditation cushion.

Though his expression was twisted in pain, a slight smile tugged at his lips, revealing his immense relief.

Luo Chen grabbed the black flag.

"Friend, clean up a bit, I'll wait for you outside."

Duanli blinked, silently acknowledging the request.

At this moment, he couldn't even open his mouth.

After a while, Duanli, having freshened up, finally arrived at his cave mansion.

As soon as he entered, he saw Luo Chen examining the black flag.

"What's wrong?"

Luo Chen pointed at the flag, "If I'm not mistaken, these black qi should be the soul essence from the rumors."

All living beings possess three souls and seven spirits.

They are formless and intangible, silent and invisible.

Only when one's cultivation reaches a profound level, the souls and spirits condense into a tangible form, revealing themselves.

So-called ghost generals and ghost kings, though appearing solid, are mostly filled with yin energy.

Cultivators, with their exceptional wisdom, extract the essence from a vast number of souls and spirits using secret techniques, thus forming the so-called soul essence.

According to rumors, this soul essence is an extremely rare divine medicine!

When taken with secret techniques, it can significantly enhance a cultivator's divine soul foundation.

Additionally, if someone refines the soul essence and uses it as an offensive method, its power will far surpass ordinary soul attack techniques.

Duanli was taken aback, but then his face lit up with realization.

"No wonder I've tried so many methods without success. If it's truly soul essence, even though the master has perished, it still retains its spirituality and continuously attacks my divine soul."

"Defeated by this move, I, Duan, have no complaints."

Luo Chen became interested and directly asked for it, "Give me these soul essences!"

Duanli hesitated, but thinking of the pain he had endured over the years, he finally nodded.

"Friend, you've helped me a lot this time. These soul essences are just a small token of gratitude."

At the same time, he also sighed, "With the maggot in the bone gone, I truly feel like a burden lifted. I feel refreshed and clear-headed, not this relaxed in five years."

Although his face was still pale, it wasn't as ghastly as before.

A hint of rosy color on his face was proof of his success.

Facing Luo Chen, Duanli bowed deeply.

"This time, I really troubled you, Luo Chen. I owe you a favor!"

Luo Chen stepped back, "It's no trouble at all. When Huangfu Song provoked you, didn't you also come to help?"

Duanli straightened up and shook his head.

"It's different."

Indeed, it was different. Some favors were more significant than others.

Duanli's help to Luo Chen was like adding flowers to brocade, but Luo Chen's help to Duanli was like sending charcoal in the snow.

"In the future, if you need my help, Duanli will assist you with all my strength, and I won't break my promise!"

Seeing Duanli's solemn expression, Luo Chen swallowed his polite words.

Having a Golden Core Cultivator's assistance during a critical moment would indeed be a significant help.

Duanli was no weakling.

He had the ability to forcefully break through the Dark Domain of the Yuanmo Sect's remnant, even when facing an opponent of the same cultivation level. It was no ordinary achievement, considering the opponent was a direct disciple of a sacred land!

After reminding Duanli to rest well, Luo Chen left the Concealing Wind Cave and returned to Penghu.

Upon his return, he first summoned Zhang Jiadi, praising his calmness in the face of a formidable enemy and inquiring about the progress of the golden dragon carp breeding.

Then, he met Tianxuan and discussed some trivial matters.

Finally, after meeting Han Zhan, he set off for the Qu Yang Sea with Black King, riding a flying vessel.

The teleportation array in Dragon Abyss Immortal City required a considerable amount of spirit stones for regular use, which Luo Chen was unwilling to spend.

Fortunately, the Qu Yang Sea wasn't far from the Flying Dragon Mountain Range. Although traveling by sea would be slower, a flying vessel would be much faster.

As he controlled the vessel's normal consumption of spiritual power, it headed north.

Wherever they passed, a white trail appeared in the sky.

...

Five days later.

In the Qu Yang Sea, a team of patrolling cultivators halted their steps.

They gazed at the sky, where a ball of spiritual light was tearing through the air.

As it approached, they could see it was a flying vessel.

Those who dared to ride a flying vessel across the Northern Sea were either on a short journey in a safe area or were confident in their abilities or had powerful backing.

Clearly, this area, constantly battling with demonic beasts, was not a safe region.

The second possibility was more likely.

The patrol captain took the initiative to greet them.

"Senior, this place is the second defense line of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly. Please state your origin and intentions."

The Red-Robed Daoist on the flying vessel casually threw out an object.

"Qingyangzi, the Fourth Rank Monster Hunter, has arrived to execute the defense mission."

The patrol captain was taken aback, glanced at the identification token in his hand, and instantly understood everything.

A flattering smile appeared on his face.

"Please follow me, senior. The other cultivator has already arrived, and you are the second one. I can introduce you to him."

Luo Chen's eyebrows rose slightly. He knew who the first cultivator was.

It was the monster hunter who replaced Xiao Bohuan, undertaking a ten-year-long mission. If he was correct, it was a loose cultivator with the Dao name Lushan Jun.

What surprised him was that the other cultivator, who was also on a short-term defense mission like him, hadn't arrived yet.

"Take me there first!"

(End of Chapter)

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