https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-631-Lu-Shan-Jun-s-Arrival-Severing-Worldly-Ties/12942447/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-633-Individual-Battles-The-Vine-King-Emerges/12942452/
Chapter 632: Withered Blood Vine, Withered Wood Ridge, Let's Go!
Chapter 632: Withered Blood Vine, Withered Wood Ridge, Let's Go!
"Qingyangzi, are you sure?"
"Of course. Duan Li, do you not wish to join me?"
In a side hall of the Monster Hunting Bureau, Luo Chen and Duan Li conversed in hushed tones.
The latter's face showed hesitation.
"It's not that I'm unsure, but using this favor for such a trivial matter seems like a waste."
Luo Chen smiled faintly, "How can it be a waste? This matter is extremely important to me, and the more people, the more strength we have. Especially your Flower Basket Artifact, it's crucial to my plan, and I can't do without you."
"If that's the case, then I'll follow your instructions."
Although Duan Li felt puzzled, he also heaved a sigh of relief.
As Qingyangzi's reputation grew, the favor he owed him became increasingly difficult to repay.
After all, he had initially promised to do his utmost to repay the life-saving grace, but if he were asked to risk his life, would he be willing?
Now, a trivial matter had prompted the other party to choose to expend that favor, and he had no choice but to agree.
"I've just completed my task and need to submit the mission proof, so I'll take my leave first." Duan Li clasped his fists and left the side hall early.
After he left, Luo Chen remained in the hall, silently planning for the journey to Purple Spirit Island.
There were three issues regarding Purple Spirit Island.
First was the poisonous fragrance emitted by the Purple Monkey Flowers.
Second, the dozen or so Third Stage Purple Aura Venomous Monkeys perched on the island.
Third, if a battle broke out, it would extend to Purple Spirit Island, affecting the growth environment of the Purple Monkey Flowers.
Luo Chen had been working on solving these issues one by one.
The improved Fourth Stage Poison Resistance Pill had been refined, and the quantity was more than sufficient to counteract the so-called poisonous fragrance.
Then, he invited Sang Jiugong, a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, Lu Shan Jun, and Duan Li, a Third Layer Golden Core cultivator, to join him. With the addition of himself and Hei Wang, they would form a formidable team of five Golden Core cultivators!
With such a lineup and careful planning, they could easily deal with those resource-deprived Purple Aura Venomous Monkeys.
The last issue was also the most crucial one.
After much contemplation, Luo Chen also devised a solution.
Using Duan Li's Flower Basket Artifact as the core, he would set up an array to stabilize the island's spirit vein.
Additionally, he would utilize a set of mountain-securing talismans previously researched by Lu Shan Jun to minimize the impact of the battle's aftermath on the environment of Purple Spirit Island.
Of course, these preparations were based on the assumption that they would attack Purple Spirit Island.
After taking over the island, Luo Chen still needed to refine the subsequent handling approach.
Purple Spirit Island was located deep within the Demon Sea, far from the human territory. He couldn't stay there long-term to oversee it, so he needed to leave some backup measures.
"Initially, I planned to leave Hei Wang on Purple Spirit Island to watch over the spirit herbs for me. But with the Abyssal Sea Mystic Realm involved, I need more help, so I'll have to find another way."
"An array might be one solution."
"But I haven't personally visited Purple Spirit Island yet, so it's not appropriate to prepare the array in advance."
"Let's find a few sets of arrays as backup and prepare the corresponding array setup tools."
As Luo Chen pondered, footsteps echoed outside the hall.
He initially thought it was Duan Li returning after completing his task.
However, before the person entered, a weathered laughter sounded from outside the door.
"I was thinking of going to Penghu Island to look for you, but I didn't expect that we would be of one mind, and you've come to me first."
As the laughter reached his ears, the long-unseen Old Fisherman appeared before him.
Luo Chen's eyebrows furrowed, then he smiled, "Old Fisherman, it's been a while. I heard you've been busy running errands for Blood Immortal, how do you still have time to look for me in Penghu Island?"
He wanted to change the topic.
But unexpectedly, it was exactly what the Old Fisherman intended.
"Coincidentally, I'm looking for you regarding the Blood Immortal's matter!"
Luo Chen's expression turned solemn.
The Old Fisherman didn't keep him in suspense and spoke directly.
"I've located the Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vine, and I'm gathering people to retrieve the treasure for Blood Immortal. Qingyangzi, with your vast abilities, I ask for your assistance."
Fifth Stage Withered Blood Vine! Luo Chen's expression changed slightly, "Old Fisherman, are you joking with me? I didn't accept the Blood Immortal's task."
The Old Fisherman's smile faded, "What, you're unwilling?"
Luo Chen shook his head, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but I have other matters to attend to. Besides, wasn't it decided in Wu Zhong Valley that I'd be exempt from Monster Hunting Bureau tasks?"
The Old Fisherman snorted, "Such matters are not worth mentioning. When there's no task, you're free to do as you please. But now, this is a significant task specifically requested by the Blood Immortal, and for us, it's a mandatory summons."
As he spoke, his weathered eyes narrowed slightly.
"Qingyangzi, don't forget, you're a Four-star Demon Hunter!"
Luo Chen fell silent.
The Old Fisherman didn't rush him and merely found a chair to sit beside him.
After a while, a faint voice echoed within the hall.
"Is this the Blood Immortal's order?"
"Yes, he granted me full authority to mobilize the Monster Hunting Bureau's forces. As long as I wish, everyone must follow my commands."
The Eight-star Demon Hunter was already the de facto leader of the Monster Hunting Bureau, but he still had to obey the orders of the three wandering cultivators who founded the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
Now that the Blood Immortal had delegated authority, the Old Fisherman could act as he pleased.
Among the task rewards previously offered by Blood Scattering Person, there was knowledge related to the Incarnation Insight, which was a tempting offer for Old Fisherman, who had been desperately seeking the method to transform into a Nascent Immortal without success.
The friendly relationship with Luo Chen in the past was as fragile as paper in the face of this task.
Luo Chen regretted coming to the Monster Hunting Bureau today.
But after a second thought, even if he hadn't come, Old Fisherman would have personally come knocking on his door.
Peng Lake was right there.
He could escape the monk, but not the temple.
Since the matter was already set in stone, there was no use in further resentment or regret.
Luo Chen slowly voiced his concerns, "A Fifth-Stage Withered Blood Vine, with the might of a Nascent Soul, is not something we can contend with. Old Fisherman, you wouldn't be so foolish as to try and smash an egg against a rock, would you?"
Old Fisherman looked at Luo Chen in surprise, never expecting that he would consider such a thing in such a short time.
He once again revealed a smile.
"Rest assured, I wouldn't seek my own demise."
"For this task, aside from you and me, I've also gathered two Seven-Star Demon Hunters and a late-stage Golden Core grand cultivator."
Luo Chen's heart trembled!
The Seven-Star Demon Hunters were undoubtedly late-stage Golden Core cultivators.
And that grand cultivator, even if not a Seven-Star Demon Hunter, was indeed a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
With such a lineup, it was absolutely considered a high-end combat force, excluding Nascent Soul cultivators, among the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
How could he, Luo Chen, be of the same caliber as those people in Old Fisherman's eyes?
"It's my cultivation in body refinement!"
Luo Chen suddenly realized this point as if blessed by good fortune.
Old Fisherman had privately exchanged body refinement techniques with him many times in the past. Although his progress was not significant, his understanding of Luo Chen had increased day by day.
The body refinement technique, comparable to a grand cultivator's combat strength, was the reason why Old Fisherman held Luo Chen in such high regard.
Moreover, with the renowned might of Azure Sun Demon Lord, how could Old Fisherman not utilize such a powerful fighter?
"Qingyangzi, you don't need to worry too much either."
"Aside from the five of us, Blood Scattering Person has also bestowed additional means specifically to deal with the Fifth-Stage Withered Blood Vine."
"This task is not dangerous for you; it's just a long journey. You can even earn merit points and increase your Demon Hunter star rank after completing the task. Their Seven-Star Demon Hunter rank is already too high to increase significantly, but you're only at Four-Stars, so you can easily advance by a large margin."
Old Fisherman spoke with confidence, his words filled with assurance of the task's success.
Under his persuasion, Luo Chen's resistance gradually lessened.
However, before that, he had a question.
"Where is the task location? I also have an urgent matter to attend to, so I can't afford to delay for too long."
"What's your urgent matter?" Old Fisherman asked casually.
Luo Chen didn't answer.
Old Fisherman chuckled and took out a jade slip from his bosom.
Seeing Luo Chen reaching out to take it, he paused and held onto the jade slip.
"Let's make a small oath to keep this matter confidential."
Luo Chen frowned and, together with Old Fisherman, used their spiritual senses to establish a small oath of secrecy.
This oath wasn't very binding.
But if it were to be leaked, the other party would sense it.
Consequently, the consequences of the leak were imaginable.
Taking the jade slip from Old Fisherman, Luo Chen immersed his spiritual sense within it and carefully examined it.
"From the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, head east... passing seven mountains and five seas... until Withered Wood Ridge."
"You're done, give it back to me!"
Old Fisherman wanted the jade slip back and said, "I'll notify you of the exact departure time in three months. During this time, you can prepare and adjust your state. The task is said to be non-dangerous, but if there's an accident, you'll have to rely on yourself. I can't guarantee anything."
"By the way, you probably don't know the other three companions since you've been reclusive these years. They are..." Old Fisherman chuckled, "I'm so busy that I forgot that you're already familiar with Huang Pu Song."
As Old Fisherman mentioned the three companions' names and backgrounds, Luo Chen's expression became peculiar.
Old Fisherman assumed that Luo Chen felt awkward about traveling with Huang Pu Song and didn't think much of it. After giving a few instructions, he hurriedly left.
Luo Chen left the Monster Hunting Bureau on his own.
As he walked down the street, Luo Chen's peculiar expression gradually faded.
"It's on the way!"
If he hadn't misread it, the map on the jade slip clearly showed the same direction as his intended route to Purple Spirit Island.
It was just a matter of before and after.
Withered Wood Ridge was ahead, and Purple Spirit Island was behind.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Luo Chen.
"That's right, Black King mentioned that he took a long detour on his way to Purple Spirit Island to avoid a highly dangerous mountain ridge. Now it's clear that it was Withered Wood Ridge, where the Fifth-Stage Withered Blood Vine resides."
After understanding this point, Luo Chen's mind became active.
As a renowned Artificer, he had been mostly reclusive in Peng Lake these years.
If he suddenly left, it would not only attract attention but also make it difficult to explain to the Wu Zhong Valley and the Zhou and Chen families.
If someone with a keen eye noticed and learned about the Purple Monkey Flower incident, there might be knowledgeable individuals who could guess Luo Chen's plan.
That would more likely invite disaster.
If it's a task under the name of Blood Scattering Person, then there's naturally not much controversy.
Even if someone is curious, they'll only focus their attention on the renowned Blood Scattering Person.
"Three months?"
"We should let Lu Shan Jun and the others take the lead."
Luo Chen muttered to himself.
...
After returning from the Monster Hunting Bureau, Luo Chen once again secluded himself, not stepping outside.
Only large batches of materials, collected from the Zhang family, were sent into the Elixir and Artifact Hall through Tian Xuan's hands.
Outside, there were indeed people keeping a close eye on Luo Chen's movements.
For Wuzhong Valley and the Zhou family, they assumed Luo Chen was refining defensive artifacts for them.
As for Ding Yi and the Cloud Soaring Cave Master, they thought Luo Chen was in a hurry to refine the Divine Turtle Artifact for crossing the Abyssal Sea.
The Old Fisherman also learned of Luo Chen's activities through his subordinates and merely smiled upon hearing the news. Luo Chen's busyness seemed to indicate his dedication to the task.
Three months passed in a flash.
One day, Ding Yi found some free time and took the initiative to visit Luo Chen.
However, Tian Xuan informed him that Luo Chen had already left.
"It's a compulsory task from the Monster Hunting Bureau. My master had no choice."
Ding Yi was taken aback, his expression fluctuating between gloom and cheerfulness. He left with a single sentence, "When your master returns, ask him to come to Cloud Soaring Mountain immediately."
It seemed he was in a hurry.
Aside from Ding Yi, Zhou Shanshan also brought along a young Golden Core Cultivator from the Zhou family to visit, but they too were turned away.
The two were displeased.
However, after returning to the Zhou family, they learned some inside information, and their resentment gradually dissipated.
The domineering nature of the Blood Scattering Person was well-known within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
The tasks he assigned were rarely defied by other cultivators in the Assembly, except for the Moon Scattering Person.
Even powerful factions like Wuzhong Valley and the Coral Sea Zhou family, which had Nascent Soul Cultivators, dared not go against him.
The reason was that the Blood Scattering Person was a mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator and had the illustrious history of escaping from a Grand Master's grasp.
The patriarchs of Wuzhong Valley, Coral Sea Zhou family, and Tianqu Chen family were only early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivators; how could they dare to disobey him?
No matter how many troubles they had behind them.
For the time being, under the Old Fisherman's introduction, Luo Chen met two fellow Seven-star Demon Hunters.
"Starlight Envoy, skilled in Starlight Techniques, from the long-lost Heavenly Demon Star Sect."
Luo Chen was astonished as he looked at the extraordinary man wearing a dazzling star robe.
"Is this the Heavenly Demon Star Sect, renowned for killing countless demons and using demon cores as stars, three hundred years ago?"
Hearing someone reminiscing about his deceased sect, a bitter smile appeared on the Starlight Envoy's face.
"It's just past glory now, reduced to a handful of dirt, and even the sect's mountain gate has sunk into the ocean."
"My condolences."
Luo Chen sighed, expressing his heartfelt sympathy.
The abundance of spirit veins in the Northern Sea had led to numerous sects and families.
The Heavenly Demon Star Sect was one of the most renowned among them.
This sect had an excellent relationship with the Demon Origin Sect, and even their former sect territory was close to the Demon Origin Sect's realm. Their inner disciples possessed various methods to deal with demons, taking pride in the number of demons they killed.
However, three hundred years ago, the Heavenly Demon Star Sect was destroyed by a powerful demon beast, resulting in numerous casualties and few survivors.
At that time, outsiders believed that the Heavenly Demon Star Sect had provoked a formidable demon they shouldn't have.
Later, it was realized that the Northern Sea demons might have eliminated them to retaliate against the Demon Origin Sect, preemptively cutting off their support.
After the Starlight Envoy, the other person was a taciturn and silent man.
Luo Chen only knew that his name was Dao Lan, a well-known solitary cultivator in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly who rarely ventured outside.
Or rather, it wasn't that he rarely went out, but that he had been stationed at the Flowing Ocean Defense Line, carrying out his guarding duties.
According to outside rumors, Dao Lan was also the next most likely candidate to advance to an Eight-star Demon Hunter.
He was a dedicated cultivator among solitary cultivators!
Moreover, he honed himself through combat as his cultivation method.
His intense killing intent made him an intimidating figure.
After meeting the two Seven-star Demon Hunters, Luo Chen couldn't help but exclaim.
The Old Fisherman had indeed put a lot of thought into this task!
A former Upper Sect powerhouse, a top-notch expert from the first defense line, and a fellow cultivator skilled in body refinement, oh, and one more person.
Luo Chen glanced at the tightly shut room on the flying boat.
Huang Pu Song was inside, acting arrogantly, not even bothering to come out and greet them.
However, this arrogance seemed somewhat out of place at the task's critical juncture.
"Speaking of which, Princess Zi had once asked him to come and serve me tea as an apology. Could this be the reason he doesn't want to come out?"
Luo Chen chuckled inexplicably.
The Old Fisherman gave Luo Chen a strange look. With a Nascent Soul True Monarch's task ahead, everyone else was being cautious, but Qingyangzi seemed rather relaxed.
He clapped his hands and said loudly, "The task is imminent, so I'll first give you a detailed introduction to the situation at Withered Wood Ridge to avoid any unexpected situations."
As he spoke, a divine sense extended from the tightly closed door.
The four Golden Core Cultivators looked at each other.
They weren't fools!
(End of Chapter)
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