https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-643-The-Six-Empyrean-Flying-Cloud-A-Visitor-from-Zhongzhou/12942505/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-645-Dark-Turbid-Sea-Water-Void-Inferno-Wind-Where-is-that-Giant-Oversea-Demon-Serpent-/12942514/
Chapter 644: Tranquil Fortress, Oversea Demon Serpent
Chapter 644: Tranquil Fortress, Oversea Demon Serpent
The Six Empyrean Flying Cloud Chariot, which had been the mount of the generations of Mountain Lords of Bai Zao Mountain, was not only luxurious and grand in appearance but also had numerous functions.
It was capable of flight, the most basic and prominent feature.
It also had both offensive and defensive capabilities, but these required a large number of people to operate, which was a bit embarrassing for Luo Chen at this moment.
However, the "eavesdropping" function of this magnificent chariot was quite suitable for the current situation.
Relying on the Water Mirror and Jade Chime, Luo Chen learned a lot of secrets from the three of them during the journey.
They all came from the Central Plains.
Although they addressed each other as fellow disciples, they did not have the same teacher but were from three different families.
Liu, Wu, and Guan.
According to them, the newly emerged Dragon Spring True Man from the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly was not an ordinary wandering cultivator but was from the Liu Family in the Central Plains, where Chang Fengzi was from.
The reason they had traveled thousands of miles from the Central Plains to the Northern Sea was to emulate the Dragon Spring True Man and obtain the qualifications of a Nine-Star Monster Hunter within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, thereby acquiring resources for Core Formation.
Except for Chang Fengzi, who seemed a bit worried, the other two were full of confidence, as if obtaining the Nine-Star Monster Hunter status was a piece of cake.
Their words were filled with arrogance, as if the Northern Sea was some remote and backward place.
Luo Chen didn't understand where their confidence came from. Although the Central Plains was known for its talented individuals and spiritual land, the Northern Sea was also renowned for its abundant resources and strong cultivators. Where did this sense of superiority come from? Luo Chen didn't pay much attention to this.
For the rest of the journey, he devoted himself to adjusting his state.
Although this trip was merely a test of his sword skills and the enemies he would face were only demonic beasts, he couldn't afford to be careless.
He had to take every enemy seriously!
Otherwise, he might face unexpected setbacks.
Moreover, these demonic beasts were not ignorant and stupid creatures. They were powerful members of the Demon Clan who had survived the battle that led to the destruction of the Demon Origin Sect!
...
The chariot continued its journey, passing through the Flowing Ocean Sea and the Bent Yang Sea, and finally arriving at the first defense line, the Flowing Ocean Sea.
In front of a massive stone fortress, the Six Empyrean Flying Cloud Chariot slowly descended.
Through the Water Mirror, Luo Chen observed the bustling crowd outside the fortress and sensed a solemn and restless atmosphere.
As soon as they landed, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator approached them.
"Junior Zeng Xiong greets the four seniors!"
Luo Chen put away the chariot and waved his sleeves, walking forward.
"Take us to see the person in charge here, Fellow Daoist Shen Tu!"
As he spoke, he presented his brand-new Five-Star Monster Hunter waist token.
When Chang Fengzi and the other two saw the star level on the waist token, their expressions changed.
Chang Fengzi was puzzled. He had thought that Qingyangzi, who had a Daoist name, was powerful, but why was the Monster Hunter star level only five stars?
Wu Tao and Guan Xiaoping looked at each other, then their mouths twitched slightly.
In their opinion, within the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, a cultivator's strength was linked to the star level of a Monster Hunter.
Below seven stars, it wasn't impressive, just an ordinary wandering cultivator.
Previously, Senior Brother Chang Fengzi had asked them to show some respect to Luo Chen, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Zeng Xiong, after inspecting Luo Chen's waist token, turned his gaze to the three behind him.
"To prevent enemies from the Demon Clan who are skilled in transformation techniques from infiltrating Tranquil Fortress, all newcomers must present their identity tokens. Please forgive us, seniors."
Luo Chen turned around and looked at the three of them, his eyes signaling them to cooperate a little.
Chang Fengzi responded with a sound of acknowledgment and presented his waist token, infusing it with mana to activate it, proving that he was the holder.
Three white stars flickered slightly.
Wu Tao and Guan Xiaoping did the same, and as the three stars flickered, their faces looked a bit unnatural.
Perhaps, in their opinion, such a low star level was a bit embarrassing! Especially under Luo Chen's gaze.
Luo Chen didn't feel much about it. It was just that the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly had undergone reforms; otherwise, anyone who joined the Demon Hunting Bureau would have to start from one star and gradually ascend.
Three stars were actually quite good.
The guarding cultivator, Zeng Xiong, couldn't help but brighten up when he saw this.
With the arrival of four more Golden Core cultivators, the pressure to clear out the demonic beasts from the Sinking Sea would undoubtedly be greatly reduced.
"This way, seniors," Zeng Xiong said, gesturing for them to follow.
Luo Chen nodded and strode forward.
The three of them followed closely behind, their eyes taking in the scenery of the fortress.
Luo Chen did the same, occasionally asking Zeng Xiong about the situation in Tranquil Fortress.
"I see bloodstains everywhere in this fortress, and the bloodthirsty atmosphere is overwhelming. Why is the name so peaceful?"
"The name 'Tranquil' was given by the founder of our Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, with the intention of holding off the Demon Clan's invasion here and ensuring peace for the humans in the rear."
"How many people usually stay here?"
"I haven't had a detailed understanding of that, but usually, there are at least three thousand people stationed here. Recently, Blood Scatterer issued an order, and the number of cultivators has increased several times. There are now over ten thousand cultivators coming and going."
However, most people went to the Sinking Sea, and there aren't many left here."
"There are three Gold Cores permanently stationed at the two rear defense lines. What about this side?"
"Also three, but Dao Lan is an exception. He stays here year-round to refine his skills by hunting demons, so there are effectively four."
"How many Gold Core cultivators have come here recently?"
"The exact number isn't clear. Some seniors who have completed their demon-hunting tasks return early. But as far as I know, there should be around forty to fifty."
"That many? Half of the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly's Gold Core cultivators."
"It's not quite like that. Not all of the Gold Core seniors here are from our Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly. Some are from the three families of Wuzhong Valley."
Luo Chen nodded thoughtfully.
The Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly has nearly a hundred Gold Core cultivators, including many Pseudo-Core cultivators, but this count doesn't include the experts from Wuzhong Valley, the Chen family of Tianqu, and the Zhou family of Coral Sea.
The Gold Core experts from these three families usually cultivate on their own territories and only join forces with the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly during wartime.
As they reached the entrance of the fortress, Luo Chen looked up at the blood-red fortress, seemingly cast from steel, and his gaze fell on the square openings in the middle of the fortress walls.
"Why are there these openings in the middle of the fortress walls?"
It was no wonder Luo Chen was curious. In his life, he had seen many immortal cities, and for the integrity of their formations, apart from the necessary four gates, they were usually solid walls without openings.
Seeing the openings in the Tranquil Fortress, he wondered if they were concerned about formation flaws and being forcibly breached.
Zeng Xiong immediately explained, "These openings are reserved for the Celestial Origin Spirit Energy Cannons. When the number of demons becomes overwhelming and threatens the fortress, the cannons will be activated for large-scale coverage attacks."
"Celestial Origin Spirit Energy Cannons?" Luo Chen was surprised. He had heard of this type of magical artifact, which was first used by the Heavenly Sail City on the Tiangu Plains battlefield. But why did the cannons on the Tranquil Fortress side have a name, and such a sensitive one at that?
Zeng Xiong's answer confirmed Luo Chen's guess.
"These Celestial Origin Spirit Energy Cannons were purchased in bulk by our Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly from the Celestial Origin Commercial Alliance. It's said that they were developed by the Celestial Origin Dao Sect in Zhongzhou and are formidable magical artifacts. Seventy years ago, during the most severe Beast Tide, they were used, and that time, a thousand cannons fired simultaneously, creating a might almost on par with a Nascent Soul True Monarch's full-power attack. It was truly terrifying!"
As Zeng Xiong spoke, he couldn't help but praise repeatedly.
Luo Chen also clicked his tongue in admiration, but when he caught a glimpse of the three people behind him in his peripheral vision, looking as if they were proud, he raised his eyebrows.
Seeing their behavior, he wondered if they were from the Celestial Origin Dao Sect or had some connection to it.
Luo Chen's speculation didn't last long before they soon entered the Tranquil Fortress and met the person in charge.
Shen Tu, an Eighth Stage Golden Core cultivator and one of the few Seven Stars Monster Hunters in the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly.
He wore casual clothes, and his face had a golden hue, contrasting with Luo Chen's ruddy complexion.
Upon seeing Luo Chen, Shen Tu showed great enthusiasm.
Luo Chen didn't put on any airs of being a master artificer and engaged in a friendly conversation with him.
After some pleasantries, he stated his purpose.
"Are you going to the Sinking Sea?" Shen Tu nodded as if he understood, "Most of the fellow cultivators who have come here recently are heading there. It's simple if you want to go. However, there's something I need to clarify beforehand."
"Yes, please go ahead, Fellow Daoist Shen."
"It's actually the rule that was implemented in the Demon Hunting Bureau years ago. Demons hunted on the battlefield must be sold to the Demon Hunting Bureau unless you intend to use them personally."
Luo Chen wasn't surprised, "Alright."
Shen Tu looked at the other three, "What about you? Are you also going to the Sinking Sea battlefield?"
The previous conversation between Shen Tu and Luo Chen had been quite pleasant, but their cold attitude towards Chang Fengzi and the other two had already made two of them feel discontent.
Wu Tao hummed, "Of course. Otherwise, why would we have come all this way?"
Guan Xiaoping also impatiently said, "We've met the person and verified their identity. Can't we just leave now?"
Chang Fengzi's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded.
Shen Tu's expression remained unchanged. He didn't get angry at the dissatisfaction in their tone but instead waved to Zeng Xiong outside and instructed him to take the three to the Sinking Sea battlefield.
With the three of them gone, the hall became quiet.
However, the conversation between Luo Chen and Shen Tu remained as lively as before.
"This is a bottle of pills I refined in my free time. The quality is not bad. As a small gift for our first meeting, I'll give it to you, Fellow Daoist."
Shen Tu was a little surprised. He had always heard that Master Qingyangzi was aloof and detached from worldly affairs, so it was a bit unexpected to see him acting so "worldly".
Taking the jade bottle and smelling the rich scent of pills within, he couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly.
"A mid-grade third-stage pill! I never expected that Master Qingyangzi, renowned for his artifact crafting at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, would also be a formidable pill concocting master!"
Luo Chen smiled slightly, "Pill concocting and artifact crafting do have some commonalities, but I only dabble in it occasionally. I don't deserve your praise, fellow daoist."
Shen Tu put away the pill bottle, his expression turning solemn.
"I won't take your gift lightly, if there's anything you need, just ask."
Luo Chen appreciated his straightforwardness.
"The war in the Sinking Sea has been ongoing for two to three years, consuming a significant amount of resources from the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly, yet the demons within are still not eradicated. I need to know the reason behind this."
"Additionally, I'd like to know the distribution of demons in that area and the abilities of some powerful demon kings."
Shen Tu furrowed his brows upon hearing this, then slowly nodded.
"This matter is rather simple."
...
The next day, after some rest, Luo Chen set off alone, riding a flying light towards the northwest.
He recalled the intelligence Shen Tu had shared with him.
"The monster-sealing grand array in North Polar Nighmara Heaven originally had two layers. One layer was set up by a divine soul transformation ancestor of the Demon Origin Sect before his death, and the other was later arranged by the new powerful figure Li Canghai from the North Sea. The former restricted fourth-stage and above powerful beings from escaping, and it's still effective to this day. However, the latter was mostly broken thirty years ago."
"Therefore, over the past thirty years, the number of lower-stage demons escaping has been increasing."
"Initially, we were very concerned about their escape. But later, we observed that they were gathering in the Taohai Abandoned City and not attacking the Three Oceans Defense Line. It was only recently that we discovered they weren't just idling, but had instead moved to the Sinking Sea."
"The constant escape of demons from North Polar Nighmara Heaven is the main reason for the unending war in the Sinking Sea."
After obtaining this intelligence, Luo Chen didn't doubt its authenticity.
He had heard related news back when he was on duty at the Quyang Sea Defense Line.
Now, putting the pieces together, it all made sense.
Luo Chen's only concern was probably the number of demons sealed within North Polar Nighmara Heaven!
Over a hundred years ago, the Demon Clan had supposedly gathered an army of millions to attack the Demon Origin Sect.
That battle directly led to the Demon Origin Sect's destruction!
The Demon Origin Sect had three divine soul transformation ancestors. Aside from the Blood Sea Ancestor, who wasn't in the sect at the time, the Divine Soul Ancestor used his remaining body to set up the array, combining the advantages of the terrain to isolate the inside from the outside. As for the Demon Origin Ancestor, his life or death was unknown.
Aside from the divine soul transformation ancestors, all other disciples within the Demon Origin Sect, except for a few who were out and about, perished within the sect.
This battle sounded terrifying, and the Demon Clan had achieved great results.
But the Demon Origin Sect wasn't an easy target; as a top-tier sect renowned for its demonic path, the power they unleashed in their final counterattack would surely be earth-shattering.
How many of the millions of Demon Clan's army could have survived that battle? In such a small number, even if a thousand years later the two sealing arrays in North Polar Nighmara Heaven were broken, the escaped powerful demons wouldn't have much impact on the human side.
If that was the case, then Luo Chen could continue his cultivation at the Ten Thousand Immortals Assembly with peace of mind.
But if the Demon Origin Sect didn't take many demons with them before their destruction, then Luo Chen would have to consider changing his cultivation ground.
"It's all too distant, perhaps I'm just worrying unnecessarily."
Luo Chen shook his head, and his flying light stopped at a solitary peak.
Looking out, the vast sea seemed to have a long, winding line drawn across it.
The line clearly divided the sea into two distinct parts.
One side was azure, and the other was turbid.
"Is that the Sinking Sea?"
Luo Chen gazed at the turbid sea surface, took a deep breath, and then took out a beast map from his storage artifact.
It was a simple distribution map of the Demon Clan's forces in the Sinking Sea, sent by Shen Tu before Luo Chen's departure.
The map was filled with numerous star points, and in dozens of places, red dots were specifically marked.
These red dots indicated the locations of formidable third-stage Demon Kings!
Luo Chen's divine perception probed into the map, and soon corresponding information appeared in his mind.
Suddenly, Luo Chen's perception stopped at one of the red dots.
【Oversea Demon Serpent, a powerful late-stage third-stage Demon King, skilled in water control. The single horn on its head can release demon techniques for attack. It has a strong suppression against fire attribute cultivators, and upon encountering one, it is advised to flee unless you are at the late Golden Core stage.】
"It's this one!"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up, and strands of battle intent emanated from his body.
This would be a good opponent to test his sword skills against!
(End of Chapter)
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