https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-634-The-Battle-of-Blood-God-against-the-Vine-King-Fishing-at-the-Abyss/12942470/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-636-Shattered-Island-Breaking-the-Array-and-the-Mountain-Lord-s-Demise-/12942483/
Chapter 635: Celestial Earth Maze, Mountain Lord Bai Zao
Chapter 635: Celestial Earth Maze, Mountain Lord Bai Zao
A streak of light shot through the sky from west to east, tearing through the air.
Wherever it passed, winds and clouds churned, leaving behind traces of its path.
When it reached a mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, it suddenly vanished without a trace.
Three days later, the streak of light reappeared, but it was dim and hard to detect, slowly flying just above the sea's surface.
"No one is following us."
Luo Chen's divine perception spread in all directions, confirming that Old Fisherman and the others were not tracking him, and the heavy burden in his heart was lifted.
This mission was initiated by Old Fisherman, aiming for Blood Scattering Person's Incarnation Cultivation Insights. Luo Chen's next destination was also for Nascent Soul resources.
There was no difference between the two, and neither wanted unnecessary trouble.
He retracted his Moonbreak Wings and pinched a spiritual technique, activating the Concealing Array that was once engraved on his body.
In an instant, Luo Chen's aura became almost completely hidden.
Even if there were low-level demonic beasts rushing through the sea beneath him, they couldn't detect his presence.
With this, his journey to Purple Spirit Island might be significantly slower, but the confidentiality and safety were undoubtedly maximized.
At this moment, Luo Chen finally had time to reflect on the battle at Withered Wood Ridge.
There wasn't much to review; in that battle, among the five Golden Core Cultivators, except for Huang Pu Song, who had less combat experience, the others, including Luo Chen, didn't use any trump cards.
Even with Starlight Envoy's brilliant Starmark Technique and Dao Lan's domineering Golden Lion Saber, Luo Chen's mind remained unshaken.
What troubled him was witnessing the Nascent Soul battle up close! The fight between Blood God Son and Vine King had devastated Withered Wood Ridge, even causing the earth vein to collapse.
Especially the final scene, where all life force on Withered Wood Ridge dissipated, was deeply etched in Luo Chen's memory.
Recalling this now, it was clear that Blood God Son's various methods were aimed at weakening Vine King's vital energy, forcing it to absorb all the life force scattered on Withered Wood Ridge, making it easier to defeat.
Even in such a situation, the residual battle waves from their fight still made the five Golden Core Cultivators tremble as if walking on thin ice.
This demonstrated the might of the Nascent Soul stage!
However, this was not the true power of the Nascent Soul.
One was a plant spirit, and the other was an external incarnation, neither being the most orthodox Nascent Soul True Monarch.
But it was precisely because of their imperfections that Luo Chen held even greater reverence for the capabilities of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
"If even Nascent Soul incarnations and spirit monsters are this powerful, what if I encounter a rampaging Nascent Soul in the ancient cultivator's ruins in the Sinking Sea? How can I protect myself?"
Luo Chen asked himself, but he had no confidence at all!
Even though Ding Yi had explained that the entrances were different and that the treasures sought by Nascent Soul True Monarchs and Golden Core Cultivators were not the same, so they might not clash directly, Luo Chen still couldn't bring himself to believe it.
What if!
What if a powerful cultivator wanted to clear the place and casually destroy them? Could he ensure his own safety? Could Han Zhan, who had recovered seven to eight-tenths of his strength, truly protect him?
It was common knowledge that even in his prime, Han Zhan was just a beginner at the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, Han Zhan's most relied-upon Two Instruments Five Elements Sword Array and the Nascent Soul Puppet had been destroyed.
Could a damaged Nascent Soul truly protect Luo Chen's safety?
Perhaps with all his might, Han Zhan could save Luo Chen's life, but would he really risk everything for him?
The battle at Withered Wood Ridge gave Luo Chen a clearer and more direct understanding of the strength of Nascent Soul True Monarchs. At this moment, the red-faced man rushing on his journey had his brows tightly knit, and his eyes were filled with worry.
"Perhaps it was because I was refining a supreme treasure, and after many years of effort, I became overconfident and was lured by my desire for valuable medicinal ingredients, and then deceived by Ding Yi's sweet words."
"Now that I think about it carefully, maybe I shouldn't have taken the risk, or maybe I shouldn't have taken it so early?"
Luo Chen examined himself; he was just over a hundred years old, and the Golden Core deadline was still far off. It was too early to risk his life in a secret realm.
As for the Five Elements Lotus Platform, if I get it, it's my luck, and if I don't, it's my fate. Why rush at this moment?
If I can't find it later, I can always take the risk and go to the Sinking Sea.
Surely, by then, Luo Chen's cultivation would have reached a new level, making the trip to the Sinking Sea safer.
Ding Yi also mentioned that the ancient cultivator's ruins in the Sinking Sea didn't open just once; although the timing was unpredictable, it had opened quite frequently over the past thousand years, so Luo Chen could wait until he was fully prepared.
"But if I do that, I won't have a good explanation for Ding Yi."
Luo Chen's thoughts were a bit muddled at this moment, but he seemed to have made a decision.
In any case, let's finish the task at hand first!
"With Black King leading the way, Lu Shan Jun and the others should have arrived at Purple Spirit Island. I need to speed up as well."
Luo Chen muttered, slightly increasing his speed by a third.
...
Two months later.
On the vast sea, a gust of wind suddenly blew, stirring up waves.
Then, the strong wind subsided, and a figure slowly flew, holding a new map and identifying the direction.
"There are three places where Black King took a detour: Withered Wood Ridge, a strait with raging undercurrents, and an ancient forest with towering trees."
"According to him, these places either made him feel deep-rooted fear or were home to formidable and tricky demon kings."
"I've already bypassed these places, and from now on, the path ahead will be smooth sailing."
Luo Chen exhaled a breath of turbid air, his tense mood from the past few days finally easing up a little.
He put away the map and gazed at the faintly visible silhouettes of several small islands ahead.
There weren't many, just seven of them.
Not too large, each one roughly the same size as the inner city of the former Dahefang.
Connected together, they resembled a spoon.
"Beyond the Seven Stars Island, there should be the Purple Spirit Sea shrouded in purple mist."
Luo Chen smiled and strode forward.
He didn't choose to fly but instead opted to walk.
This was because of what Black King had said earlier; these seven small islands, connected like pearls, formed a natural maze array due to their unique terrain.
From high up, it was extremely easy to lose one's sense of direction.
On the contrary, if one walked on solid ground, passing through each island, it would only take a few days to reach the Purple Spirit Island.
It was precisely because of these Seven Stars Islands that the Purple Spirit Island, covered in Purple Monkey Flowers, had remained undiscovered by high-level humans and demonic beasts for countless years.
Only some low-level demonic beasts and humans, in their ignorance, would unknowingly pass through the Seven Stars blockade and reach the Purple Spirit Island shrouded in purple toxic mist.
The reason that wandering cultivator was able to discover it was also because of his low cultivation level, allowing him to pass through by chance.
This logic was actually quite easy to understand.
High-level cultivators who could fly wouldn't bother running, and those who could run wouldn't bother walking. Who would want to slowly walk for two or three days?
Luo Chen didn't mind.
Even without high-altitude flight, his carefree speed wasn't necessarily slower than Foundation Establishment cultivators, or even some early Golden Core cultivators.
After entering the first small island of the Seven Stars, Luo Chen's Spirit Eye Technique activated.
As he flew, he observed this so-called natural array formed by heaven and earth.
Every array master, when initially learning array techniques, would be told by their teachers or through ancient texts that the essence of arrays was a manifestation of the principles of heaven and earth.
By capturing the essence of mountains and rivers, the shape of swirling clouds, and the vastness of the starry river, one could deduce and arrange corresponding arrays for human use.
This was also the first time Luo Chen witnessed a purely natural array.
"Is this maze array caused by the extreme similarity of the seven islands?"
"But this array shouldn't pose a problem for Golden Core cultivators with Divine Perception."
The Divine Perception of Golden Core cultivators had an extremely wide range.
Using this as a reference, with a specific object, there shouldn't be any deviation in direction.
As Luo Chen walked, his doubts grew.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, standing motionless.
Closing his eyes, he opened them slowly after a long while.
"Am I moving?"
"No! It's the land beneath my feet that's moving!"
With a thought, his immense Divine Perception spread out, enveloping the entire small island.
Upon careful observation, he confirmed that the island was indeed moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
After noticing this, Luo Chen was slightly startled.
If the island was moving, then the fixed reference point chosen by cultivators would also be moving.
Even if the movement was slow, the cultivator's speed was too fast, which could lead to a slight deviation resulting in a significant deviation in destination.
This was the so-called maze! The longer one spent in this process, the greater the deviation from the intended destination.
What about in the sky? Luo Chen looked up, and amidst the rolling clouds, he felt like the clouds were also shifting!
After observing this phenomenon, Luo Chen couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Not only can these Seven Stars Islands move like living beings, but even the surrounding clouds, water currents, and wind direction are changing along with the islands' movement."
"Is this the wonder of nature's craftsmanship?"
Amidst his exclamations, Luo Chen waved his hand, and a white silk paper appeared before him.
As he flew, he drew peculiar lines on the paper.
This naturally formed maze was indeed marvelous.
He was determined to record it, and after returning, he could deduce it in his free time. Perhaps he could even arrange a similar array.
Later, he could set up this array in his cave abode, palace, or even his secluded cultivation site, and it would be a formidable array.
Time passed slowly.
By the time the night curtain fell, Luo Chen had already set foot on the second island.
The white silk paper in front of him was filled with dense lines, capturing the essence of the Seven Stars Island maze array, though not completely.
However, the gloom on Luo Chen's face deepened.
The ink on the paper grew sparser.
"Something's wrong!"
"According to my understanding, the earth energy flow and water veins should conform to the Earth Trigram, with virtuous earth nurturing all things, endlessly flowing without boundaries. It should flow smoothly, but why does it rupture layer by layer halfway through, as if in defiance?"
Amidst his growing doubts, his rapid flight abruptly halted.
Luo Chen stood in the center of the vast, dark forest, his eyes glowing with intense light.
He held the silk paper tightly, muttering, "This naturally formed array seems to have been altered by someone.
"As he spoke, Luo Chen didn't hesitate and swiftly retreated."
"With wings sprouting from his back, his speed was like thunder, like lightning!"
At that moment, the lush forest came to life.
Towering trees blocked his path of retreat.
In the empty sky, a regretful voice whispered, "What a pity, stopping at the second island."
Luo Chen's expression turned cold, and without any noticeable movement, his wings trembled as blades of air tore through the sky.
With a single slash of his Moonbreak Wings, ancient trees, hundreds or even thousands of years old, were severed at their waists.
In an instant, the moonlight descended, and his field of vision opened up.
On a distant mountain peak, a figure stood under the moonlight's glow, coldly observing him.
"Azure Sun Demon Lord, you've finally arrived!"
Swish!
Luo Chen's wings trembled, and he slowly flew into the sky, his gaze meeting that of the old man on the small mountain.
With just a glance, despite having met only once before, Luo Chen quickly recognized the man's identity.
"Mountain Lord Liang Bai Zao!"
"I never thought you'd remember me, your defeated opponent." Liang Bai Zao let out a bitter laugh.
Luo Chen's lips curled, "Hehe."
In the eyes of the world, it was Luo Chen who had struck down the Mountain Lord with a single blow, sending him flying to the horizon. But only he knew that after that strike, he was nearly exhausted, his energy depleted. If not for Han Zhan and Tianxuan rescuing him, he would have been captured on Cold Light Island long ago.
Of course, in the heat of battle, he couldn't possibly explain this, lest he weaken his own momentum.
He surveyed his surroundings but found no sign of the old man's allies. With a slight relief, he recalled the old man's first words upon appearing.
Luo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The news about the Purple Monkey Flower, was it intentionally given to me by you?"
Liang Bai Zao admitted, "Indeed, it was."
Luo Chen frowned, "But I've thoroughly examined him, and that Foundation Establishment cultivator doesn't seem to be faking it."
"He's genuine, but the opportunity was given by me."
"That's not right either. I've checked that miscellaneous book, and whether it's the paper's age, the handwriting, or the ink stains, they all date back over a hundred years."
"I know you have a reputation as a master artificer in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, but my casting technique, Liang Bai Zao's casting technique, surpasses yours. This trivial ancient artifact forgery technique is nothing to me."
Looking at the old man's confident demeanor as he spoke, Luo Chen fell silent.
He had been proud of his modest success in one particular skill, only to find himself in a pitfall dug by someone else, despite his initial self-satisfaction.
But...
"Why bother?"
Luo Chen gazed at the old man, whose aura was growing stronger by the moment.
"I did kill two Golden Core Cultivators from your Hundred Artifacts Mountain, but that was because they were besieging me first. I bear you no grudge or enmity. Why go to such lengths for revenge after so many years?"
At this point, he sighed.
"It's been over twenty years, and your cultivation hasn't improved, even slightly regressing. You say you're old, but what are you after?"
"Do you think I want to?"
The old man roared, his teeth bared, his expression fierce.
"If not for Blood Nightmare Demon King's forceful command, do you think I'd willingly waste twenty years, abandon my destroyed sect, halt my already challenging cultivation, and wait for you in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly for so long?"
"Especially since you've been hiding in the Fuyong Mountain Range, barely taking a step outside, making it impossible for me to act, forcing me to use the news of the Purple Monkey Flower to slowly lure you out, you little turtle!"
"The life of a True Monarch is as heavy as a mountain, and I dare not defy it in the slightest!"
Luo Chen furrowed his brows, was it the Blood Nightmare Demon King's order?
He recalled the final battle before leaving Cold Light Island.
Together with Han Zhan, they had struck a blow to the soul of He Yuan, who was possessed by the Blood Nightmare Demon King.
Who would have thought that a revered Nascent Soul like the Blood Nightmare Demon King would hold a grudge against a junior like him!
Liang Bai Zao's fierce expression gradually softened, "Fortunately, after tonight, I can end these twenty years of wandering. Azure Sun Demon Lord, I give you two choices. One, I'll set up a restriction, and you'll obediently return with me, apologize to the Blood Nightmare Demon King, and thus avoid the outcome of death. Two, die here on Seven Stars Island."
Luo Chen stared at him, and the fluctuations of his mana rippled like waves.
"Do you really think you have me cornered?"
"It seems you've chosen the second option." The old man raised his hands, and behind him, rays of treasure light appeared. Upon closer inspection, they were all sword artifacts!
Luo Chen's expression turned grim, and his body soared straight into the sky.
"If I want to escape, there's a way everywhere!"
His speed was astonishing, like a thunderclap.
With such speed, he could cross hundreds or even thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, seemingly without any difficulty.
However, Liang Bai Zao showed no intention of stopping him.
He merely played with the seven treasure swords behind him, their sword lights swimming around him like fish.
"After this battle, I wonder how many will remain."
He murmured and looked up at the sky again.
As he expected, the Crimson Robe Daoist's speed was slowing down, eventually becoming as slow as a crawling turtle.
"Don't waste your energy. You fought so valiantly on Cold Light Island, but don't assume I wasn't prepared! You can't escape this battle."
At the edge of the sky, Luo Chen's expression darkened.
He stopped his futile struggle and slowly descended.
As he landed, the terrifying suppression force gradually weakened.
He looked up.
Under the deep night sky, a majestic mountain stood at the horizon, its streams of light scattering like chains, linking the seven islands beneath his feet.
(End of Chapter)
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