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Chapter 697: Luo Chen's Fall
Chapter 697: Luo Chen's Fall
For cultivators, what kind of technique can be considered the most powerful?
Is it a bombardment of spells?
Or the sharpness of magical treasures?
Or perhaps, an unstoppable soul attack that catches one off guard?
No!
Strictly speaking, none of these can be considered the most powerful move.
The most formidable and lethal move is one that even cultivators cannot control themselves, and it is the "self-detonation" that can affect dozens of miles and shock a hundred li!
Yes, it's self-detonation!
Especially for Golden Core cultivators who have condensed their Golden Core, once they actively shatter it, the attack unleashed will be a terrifying bombardment without discrimination.
Under such an attack, even enemies of higher realms would have to retreat.
The main reason for this is that the "Golden Core" is the ultimate culmination of a cultivator's hundreds of years of cultivation.
It represents the essence of day and night arduous cultivation.
This essence, refined over countless days and nights, bursts forth in an instant, and its power is extremely terrifying. Only in a desperate situation with no way out would a Golden Core cultivator willingly take this step.
In fact, many Golden Core cultivators have never even thought of self-detonating their Golden Core, even when facing death.
Once they self-detonate their Golden Core, it's a situation where ten will die and none will survive! It's a sure path to defeat!
Subconsciously, there is resistance, and even at the brink of death, few would dare to have such a thought.
Over the years, Luo Chen had only heard of one cultivator self-detonating their Golden Core, and he had only witnessed it once.
The first instance was during the war-torn period of the Eastern Wilderness Falling Cloud Sect, when a Supreme Elder of the Omnipresent Sect faced the siege of a Demon King and resolutely self-detonated, covering the retreat of his disciples and followers.
The second time was after Luo Chen arrived in the North Sea, at the Jade Cold City wharf, where a cultivator from the Wu family named Wu Di attempted to kill him by self-detonating his Golden Core, but Luo Chen had anticipated it and managed to escape the blast range.
Luo Chen didn't want to face the might of a self-detonation from a peer cultivator, and he had never imagined that he would one day find himself in such a predicament.
But now, he was indeed forced into this situation.
Although it wasn't his Soul Core, this second Essence Core, which was derived from the third-stage Great Perfection Hidden Dust Sand Refinement, was of a quality no less than that of a late-stage Great Cultivator's Golden Core!
The power contained within, if released gradually, would still be considered normal.
But when it suddenly exploded...
At this moment, an unimaginable spell power storm was ravaging Luo Chen's body.
If it were anyone else, they would have died and their cultivation would have been extinguished, turning into a cloud of blood mist when the Nine Refinement Blaze detonated the second Essence Core.
But he, with sheer force, managed to endure it.
Everything relied on the powerful physique of the fourth-stage Ancient Beast.
The scene was akin to a Great Cultivator comparable to a Golden Core cultivator self-detonating within the body of a small-sized Ancient Beast.
And precisely because of the body's "small size," the power of the self-detonation was incredibly concentrated.
In an instant, Luo Chen's body began to falter and crumble inch by inch.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the grand hall, clouds of blood mist suddenly appeared.
Streams of blood beads shot out from the openings in Luo Chen's body.
Visible to the naked eye, his condition was deteriorating rapidly, and he was barely holding on.
Not only that, but the intense pain from the collapse of his Qi Sea was also reverberating in Luo Chen's Mind Sea, causing him to faint momentarily.
Then, the excruciating pain would jolt him awake.
This was a terrifying agony that even Luo Chen, known for his unwavering determination, found difficult to endure.
Between moments of unconsciousness and awakening.
"Ah..."
A low roar, like that of a wild beast, escaped from Luo Chen's mouth.
His contorted face revealed bulging veins.
"I won't accept it!"
"I absolutely won't accept this ending!"
In the chaos of his soul, a silent scream howled within him.
Luo Chen had never slacked off, tirelessly devoting himself to his cultivation for hundreds of years, which led to his current realm.
He had weathered countless life-and-death crises, walking on thin ice, and only then did he seize countless opportunities.
Especially after enduring such hardships, he had finally obtained the True Monarch's inheritance and acquired the Quintessence Body, which could directly advance to the Nascent Soul Stage and even the Soul Transformation Stage. How could he allow it all to crumble in an instant?
He refused to accept it!
Streams of Primordial Energy were channeled from all over his body, barely stabilizing his precarious condition.
Not enough!
Still not enough!
Luo Chen clenched his teeth, ignoring the chaos in his mind, and drew out the essence of life from the depths of his flesh, forming Primordial Energy to forcibly suppress the spell power storm within his body!
The crimson spell power and the relentless Primordial Energy clashed within Luo Chen's body, creating a scene of explosion and suppression.
All of this could be blamed on the Nirvana Holy Flame and the Nine Refinement Blaze.
The former, borrowing his body, was fighting against the latter.
The latter, knowing it was no match, decided to destroy the "home field" of the Nirvana Holy Flame.
And Luo Chen was left to bear the bitter fruit.
Gradually, Luo Chen felt his already scarce Primordial Energy, which he had barely managed to gather, dwindling even further.
He was almost unable to suppress the rampaging spell power of the second Essence Core.
This situation was not because Primordial Energy was weaker than spell power, but because there was too little of it!
In the end, Luo Chen's achievement of the fourth-stage Ancient Beast was simply too short-lived.
Almost immediately after his advancement, he had come to the Demon Annihilation Land with Ding Yi and Mo Yun, leaving him with little time to extract and accumulate Primordial Energy.
During the battle with the Whale Emperor and the pill refinement in the Pill World, Luo Chen had consumed a portion of his primordial energy.
This had led to the awkward situation of his primordial energy being severely depleted.
"That's right!"
"Replenish the primordial energy!"
In a daze, Luo Chen struggled to focus his mind and took out an object from his storage ring.
It was the Great Year's true body!
Previously, he had consumed about one-tenth of it for pill refinement, and now there was still nine-tenths of the crystal-clear white meat jelly left.
This time, in his desperation, Luo Chen was about to swallow it whole.
He formed a hand seal with his left hand.
A thunderous roar echoed...
Luo Chen's head suddenly enlarged, as if a giant monster's head had suddenly emerged from his human body.
His mouth opened wide, and he swallowed the entire Great Year's true body, which was about one zhang in size.
As the Great Year entered his mouth, his sharp teeth chewed frantically.
Juices flowed everywhere, and a rich, overwhelming vitality entered Luo Chen's flesh.
Before those spell powers could contaminate it, the primordial energy began to seize and refine this vitality.
As a fifth-grade spirit plant, one that had once been sentient and had comprehended a portion of the Wood Element's laws, the Great Year's true body contained a vast amount of vitality. Even among ten thousand spirit medicines, it was considered top-notch.
Even the Heaven-Demon Lord, back in his heyday, had relied on the terrifying vitality contained within the Great Year's true body to nurture and save the hybrid spirit plants from his experiments.
At this moment, Luo Chen, having obtained the complete vitality of the Great Year, suddenly burped.
"Burp..."
The primordial energy surged, and in an instant, Luo Chen felt a sense of relief.
Now, he finally had the peace of mind to pay attention to his physical body.
However, when he looked within, he saw a scene of devastation.
His Qi Sea was completely destroyed.
His meridians were almost entirely gone, with only a fraction remaining.
The hundreds of acupoints that he had painstakingly opened, once shining like stars within his body, were now either destroyed or blocked by chaos.
As for his organs, they were in a sorry state, too painful to look at.
If not for the vast vitality provided by the Great Year, Luo Chen would have been a dying man, merely a shell of a person, empty and with only a breath left.
"My Quintessence Body!"
...
"My true body!"
In one of the worlds of Bright Heaven, a fat cultivator was struggling to move forward. Suddenly, he clutched his head and let out a mournful howl.
Just a moment ago, he had felt a heart-wrenching pain in his spirit soul.
After the pain, he was horrified to discover that his connection with his true body was gone!
It was gone!
That body was the shell he had painstakingly cultivated for ten thousand years and only gained sentience three thousand years ago! Without it, not only would he be unable to transform and cultivate to glimpse the Great Dao, but even his promotion to the Soul Transformation Stage would be utterly impossible.
"How could this have happened..."
"What has Luo Chen done!"
Between anger and despair, the fat cultivator no longer proceeded with caution. He began to charge recklessly through this world, determined to find Luo Chen and reclaim his true body.
He had to get out!
He had to find Luo Chen!
He had to retrieve his true body!
...
"Impossible!"
"The meridians can be reshaped, and the organs can be restored. Even the acupoints can be recreated. But without the Qi Sea, my path is forever severed."
"Although the body is strong, the future is uncertain."
"Especially, my Quintessence Body!"
Luo Chen's body trembled uncontrollably, unable to accept the scene before him.
Just then, in his inner vision, he noticed a glimmer of golden light flickering within a blocked acupoint.
In an instant, Luo Chen recognized that guy.
The root of all evil—the Nirvana Holy Flame! If it hadn't invaded his body, how could it have attracted the Nine Refinement Blaze, leading to his current predicament?
"You're well hidden!"
Luo Chen gritted his teeth, determined to force it out of his body.
But as he was about to act, he suddenly stopped.
"Nirvana Holy Flame... The Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra... Nirvana..."
In a moment of divine inspiration, Luo Chen forcibly adjusted his body and assumed the lotus position, with his five chakras facing the sky.
Then, he began to circulate the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.
At this moment, with his Qi Sea in ruins, meridians severed, and acupoints either destroyed or blocked, it was impossible to smoothly circulate his cultivation technique.
However, Luo Chen, relying on his instincts, forcibly manipulated his spell power to cultivate in the void of his body.
The Second Essence Core, hidden within the Primordial Cauldron, suddenly appeared, a red-hot golden core leaping into his body.
The Soul Core emerged, and like a blazing sun, it suppressed the raging spell power within his body, guiding it like a raging flood being channeled.
Luo Chen finally had the opportunity to begin constructing the circulation path of the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra in the void.
Time passed slowly.
After an unknown duration, relying on his innate memory, Luo Chen finally managed to recreate the circulation path of the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra.
"Reverse!"
A wild determination shone in Luo Chen's eyes as he resolutely reversed the practice of his Soul Core Art.
Such a reckless action would only earn ridicule from other cultivators, calling him a madman.
Who would dare to reverse their Soul Core Art?
It was akin to suicide!
Just like self-detonating one's Golden Core.
But for Luo Chen, this might be his only chance for survival.
No!
It wasn't about survival, but rebirth!
The "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra" was the cultivation technique practiced by Qixia Supreme Monarch, and its true essence originated from the rebirth technique of the Phoenix clan.
To truly attain that realm of rebirth, one had to go through three stages.
Seriously speaking, it was known as the "Nine Tribulations and Three Rebirths"!
Luo Chen had obtained a fragmented version of the Golden Core Art, which didn't elaborate on the Nine Tribulations but recorded the method of the Three Rebirths.
Luo Chen clearly knew that he had once experienced a rebirth.
It was a rebirth of his magical energy.
It encompassed the transformation of his Essence Root, Qi Sea, and Golden Core.
This process was also known as the Essence Root Tribulation, Qi Sea Tribulation, and Golden Core Tribulation.
By overcoming these three tribulations, his Quintessence Spirit Roots could be transformed into a Flame Spirit Root comparable to a single Heavenly Essence Root. His Qi Sea was also transformed into a Flame Sea, and even his Five-Colored Golden Core became a Crimson Golden Core. His entire magical energy underwent a complete rebirth, becoming the domineering Heavenly Phoenix Magical Energy.
After passing through the three tribulations, he achieved rebirth.
From this point on, Luo Chen entered the realm of the "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra."
This was the first rebirth!
After passing through the three tribulations, he achieved the first rebirth!
The second rebirth that Luo Chen knew of corresponded to the rebirth of the flesh!
If he could complete the rebirth of his flesh, his ordinary body would be transformed into a Flame Spirit Body, making it more suitable for cultivating the "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra."
All this time, Luo Chen had never thought about this aspect.
For him, the rebirth of the flesh was a risky endeavor akin to courting death.
Especially since the stronger his physical body was, the greater the danger he would face during the rebirth process.
So, he had never dared to consider it.
Especially!
After soaking in the unique Spirit Spring within the Bright Heaven Pill Palace, he had obtained the Quintessence Body.
This was an even more exceptional physique compared to the single Flame Spirit Body.
It would allow his Nascent Soul path to be smooth and unobstructed, no longer hindered by cultivation restrictions.
If he were to undergo the rebirth of the flesh and transform into a Flame Spirit Body, the Quintessence Body would become like a mirage, gaining an advantage in the path of fire cultivation but ultimately losing more.
Therefore, he had buried the idea of the so-called Nine Tribulations and Three Rebirths deep in his heart.
But now!
"I am already at the brink of death, and the Quintessence Body is like a withered flower, a castle in the sky. What future is there to speak of? How can I discuss the Great Dao?"
"Only by seizing the opportunity for rebirth can I have a glimmer of hope!"
"Can this broken body recover once more? It all depends on this life-or-death gamble."
Luo Chen never lacked determination when it came to life-or-death situations.
With his mind made up, he no longer hesitated.
Luo Chen fiercely reversed the "Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra"!
Within his Soul Core, a torrent of magical energy surged forth, carrying the rampaging magical energy from the shattered Second Essence Core, and began to scour every inch of Luo Chen's body.
As the scouring continued, his bones began to shatter inch by inch.
His muscles started to peel off in chunks.
Suddenly—
Boom!
A deafening explosion reverberated through the grand hall, and Luo Chen's body abruptly exploded!
Amidst the blood mist filling the sky, countless blood beads seemed to freeze in time, floating in midair.
Even his head was nowhere to be found.
Only a spinal bone, emitting faint thunderous light, stood erect like a dragon in the void.
A wailing sound echoed simultaneously.
"Master!"
The wind howled as Tian Xuan suddenly appeared.
Behind her, rumbling crawling sounds continuously reverberated, as if some giant creature was rampaging.
Suddenly, a massive unicorn horn head penetrated the grand hall, witnessing this scene with eyes nearly popping out of its sockets.
"Master!"
"Tian Xuan, what's wrong with the master?"
Tian Xuan's eyes were filled with disbelief as she tremblingly reached out to touch the intact thunder bone.
It was the spinal bone that Luo Chen had refined during the Foundation Establishment Stage in the White Night Mansion of the Accumulated Thunder Nine Mountains, using the power of heavenly thunder to temper his body.
Although it hadn't shown any mystical signs over the years, it had remained rooted in Luo Chen's body.
And now, all that remained of Luo Chen's body was this single intact bone...
"Crack!"
Tian Xuan's hand froze.
In her tearful eyes, the intact thunder bone developed a crack.
Then, the crack rapidly spread and splintered.
The sound of cracking continued.
Until it completely disintegrated into numerous small bones.
At this moment, a fleeting sense of liberation and confusion flashed through the minds of the two.
It was the enslavement restriction that Luo Chen had set upon them in the past.
The lifting of this restriction meant something that the two demons understood in their hearts.
In the silent grand hall, the woman held a complete set of black armor, her eyes filled with despair as she murmured,
"Master, has perished."
(End of Chapter)
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