https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-937-A-Single-Palm-Buddha-and-Demon-United/13459503/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-939-Turning-Enemies-Southern-Frontier-Storms/13463465/
Chapter 938: Come at Me All at Once!
Chapter 938: Come at Me All at Once!
On the plain.
The white-robed monk held a Vow Blade in one hand and a Seal Palm in the other.
The Vow Blade was pitch-black, emitting rolling black mist.
The Seal Palm was solemn, a golden bell-like shadow emanating from it.
These two extreme energies converged within him, yet they harmonized perfectly.
Facing the towering Luo Chen, he remained calm and spoke softly, "This humble monk is known as Jue Ning, though of course, benefactor, you may also call me by my lay name—Ning Daoyou!"
When the name "Ning Daoyou" was mentioned, Luo Chen felt a strange blend of the surreal and the real, a collision of memory and the present.
During his travels with Han Zhan in the North Sea, he had spoken of a young man he had seen in Dong Huang, a cultivator of the North Sea Demon Sect who wielded pure demonic aura.
In Cang Long’s dream, he had seen that demon cultivator, but the man hadn’t been rampant for long before being suppressed by the great monk Huiping.
That man's name was also Ning Daoyou!
Now, looking at the man before him, whether in demeanor or in the power he wielded, everything matched the fragmented impressions he had.
It must be him!
Luo Chen laughed carelessly, "Very well, I do not kill the nameless. Since you have a name and a surname, then take another blow from me!"
His words were incredibly arrogant.
What did it mean to have a name and a surname, and thus take another blow?
However, Luo Chen’s actions were even more arrogant.
He stepped through the air as if on a celestial ladder, each step producing a lotus flower.
When he reached a great height, he suddenly kicked out.
He shot forward like an arrow, heading straight for Ning Daoyou, the wind and thunder roaring around him.
The momentum was even greater than when the Thunder Echo Cave Lord had summoned heavenly lightning.
Thunder Kick!
Faced with this kick, Ning Daoyou remained calm. The seal he held in his left hand bloomed once more.
A massive golden bell appeared, enveloping him.
All of this, though it seemed lengthy, happened the moment Luo Chen finished speaking.
Their clash was instantaneous.
Dong!
A heavy sound echoed, and Ning Daoyou stood firm, unmoving.
Luo Chen’s kick was blocked by the golden bell.
However, the ground began to tremble violently from where Ning Daoyou stood.
Waves of earth spread out like ripples.
Ten miles, twenty miles, and even a hundred miles away, the tremors continued.
Ning Daoyou grunted, dragging his heavy long blade and slowly chopping down at Luo Chen.
"Benefactor, turn back from the sea of suffering!"
His face was serene, like a deity, and his blade swung as if chopping wood.
This strike was plain and unremarkable, far less impressive than the previous one.
However, Luo Chen, who was at the center of the attack, eyes lit up.
In the blade’s light, there were whispers of demons and chants of deities, voices that bewitched the mind constantly entering his consciousness.
If it were an ordinary person, they would have lost their mind, unable to resist this blade.
But with the constant defense of the Soulbinding of the Underworld, Luo Chen remained unmoved, laughing loudly, "If you wish to help others escape the sea of suffering, why do you swing your blade at them?"
Ning Daoyou, who had been calm, showed a look of surprise for the first time at Luo Chen’s composure.
He hadn’t expected that the other would be unaffected by his demonic sounds and Buddhist chants.
But having made his move, he couldn’t stop halfway.
Ning Daoyou murmured, "People are often lost, drowning in suffering, unwilling to escape. If they won’t, then this humble monk must cut away their sins for them."
As he spoke, the blade’s light changed!
Gone was the patience to guide others to goodness, replaced by a violent, almost demonic ferocity.
The power was much greater than before, but Luo Chen felt the danger decrease, making it easier to handle.
He stepped forward, both palms striking out.
With pure physical strength, he shattered the blade’s light.
Demonic aura was violent, but origin power was no less dominant!
The overwhelming palm force continued relentlessly, heading towards Ning Daoyou.
Even with the golden bell’s shadow reappearing, this time, under Luo Chen’s intensified origin power, it could no longer hold firm.
Boom!
In the deafening explosion, Ning Daoyou was pushed back as if by an invisible force.
He only stopped after retreating several hundred feet, his face stiff and pale.
Luo Chen straightened, one hand behind his back, and tsked, "If you’re going to be a demon, be a demon. If you’re going to be a monk, be a monk. Ning Daoyou, mixing them together like this is truly bizarre!"
As he spoke.
Ning Daoyou, unable to suppress his internal injuries, his face flushed momentarily, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
His gaze, which had been calm, now revealed a hint of confusion.
Luo Chen paid no attention.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he loudly addressed Feng Buyan and the others in Thunder Pass, "Just three of you, wanting to target my brother Lei Ming’s cultivation grounds? Why not come at me all at once? I, Qi Tian, am more than enough to handle you!"
His confident declaration was clear and powerful.
But no one doubted his arrogance.
From suddenly injuring the Shepherd Immortal to forcing Ning Daoyou back in the valley, his few moves had revealed immense strength.
Even the Thunder Echo Cave Lord, who had initially been skeptical of Luo Chen, now felt a tremor of unease.
Could it be that the other’s earlier boasts were not empty?
Could he truly battle anyone below the Hua Shen stage?
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord, who knew the Shepherd Immortal well, knew that he was the abbot of the Blue Sheep Temple, having achieved the Nascent Soul stage for three hundred years, with his realm at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage, just a step away from the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
Such a figure, unable to withstand Qi Tian’s two fleshly palms, demonstrated a significant gap in strength.
Now, with such a declaration, how would the enemies respond?
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord stopped his attack on Feng Buyan, making way for them.
Feng Buyan's face was a mix of shock and suspicion, his gaze shifting between the vengeful Shepherd Immortal and the surging demonic aura of Ning Daoyou.
Suddenly, a voice boomed out.
"Neither fighting nor retreating, what are you waiting for!"
The voice was like a thunderclap, shaking the hearts of all who heard it.
The tens of thousands of Feng family disciples, under this shout, were thrown into disarray, their heads spinning and their vision blurred.
Feng Buyan shuddered, "Enough!"
Shepherd Immortal couldn't believe it, "Brother Feng, he's just one man. If the three of us fight together, we might stand a chance!"
Ning Daoyou remained silent, his surging demonic aura enveloping his white robe as he slowly raised his long blade.
Feng Buyan sighed, "It's hopeless. Retreat the troops!"
With that, he left Thunder Pass.
Shepherd Immortal, clutching his broken wooden staff, was filled with resentment.
But under Luo Chen's gaze, he involuntarily averted his eyes, unable to meet his stare.
Buddhist light reappeared around Ning Daoyou, suppressing the demonic aura. The blade hesitated, then returned to its sheath.
At the entrance of Thunder Pass, Thunder Echo Cave Lord approached Luo Chen, his face showing a natural expression of flattery.
"Brother Qi, thank you!"
Luo Chen waved his hand, "Don't thank me yet. Driving them back this time was just a temporary solution. If they come back with their eyes on this place after I leave, how will you deal with it?"
Thunder Echo Cave Lord was taken aback.
Then, he quickly realized the importance of this moment.
"We should sign a treaty, a non-aggression pact. Also, this Thunder Pass should, in name, belong to... us!"
Luo Chen's smile was half-mocking, "Us?"
Thunder Echo Cave Lord replied matter-of-factly, "Yes, Brother Qi is one of the Thirty-Six Cave Lords of Thunder Pass, so you have a stake in this place."
Luo Chen pointed to the sky, "Doesn't this kind of territory division involving Nascent Soul realms require the approval of the Life and Death Sect?"
"Indeed, it did in the past, but now..." Thunder Echo Cave Lord shook his head, "Though we don't know what's happening with the Life and Death Sect, they are too preoccupied to care about such trivial matters."
Luo Chen was curious, wondering what had happened to the Life and Death Sect, but his face remained calm.
"Since that's the case, go ahead and negotiate!"
Thunder Echo Cave Lord bowed and left, clearly pleased.
In the distance, the Feng family army, which had come with high hopes and left in disappointment, was in a state of dejection.
No one expected such a grand expedition to end so anticlimactically.
Lower-level cultivators couldn't understand the balance of power in the battle.
All they knew was that after a brief exchange, their Tai Shang Elder had admitted defeat.
This was a severe blow to their morale.
Feng Buyan could feel the resentment from his subordinates but couldn't explain it.
Luo Chen's strength was truly unexpected.
During the brief confrontation, the two experts he had invited were both injured to varying degrees.
At his age, engaging in a life-or-death struggle was one thing, but even a minor injury could mean no one would protect the Feng family afterward.
"That Thunder Pass must not be as unique as we thought. It's just because Lei Ming is a newly ascended Nascent Soul, and the impact on him is minimal. It's not worth risking the future of the family over this."
"Qi Tian..."
Feng Buyan muttered this name, his heart filled with doubt.
He had never heard of such a person in the Southern Frontier!
Could he be another powerful figure from another continent, like Ning Daoyou?
As he pondered, he glanced at Ning Daoyou's room, where large amounts of Buddhist and demonic auras occasionally emerged, making it difficult for any living being to approach.
"He has only been in the Southern Frontier for a few decades, yet his cultivation has progressed at an astonishing rate, a true symbol of prosperity."
"But from today's events, it seems he is starting to show signs of change."
"Should I..."
Just as he had this thought, a clansman reported from outside.
"Tai Shang Elder, there is a message insect floating outside."
"Who sent it?"
"Thunder Echo Cave Lord!"
Feng Buyan frowned, gesturing for the insect to come closer. A moment later, a bird-like creature landed in his hand.
After a quick read, he sneered.
"This guy knows how to take advantage of the situation!"
After the sneer, he was about to reject the negotiation, but his hand paused.
"If I can use their two powers, even if Ning Daoyou is strange, I should be able to handle him easily, right?"
...
"Senior Qi, this is your cave abode."
A Golden Core Disciple respectfully introduced Luo Chen to a cave abode that was neither new nor old.
With Luo Chen's discerning eye, he could see that the cave abode had been occupied before and was only recently vacated.
In terms of spiritual energy concentration, it was already a top-tier third-class cave abode, but it hadn't reached the threshold of a fourth-class one.
Thunder Echo Cave Lord's arrangement here was not out of disrespect, but a genuine effort to follow through on his earlier words.
Luo Chen was now one of the Thirty-Six Cave Lords of Thunder Pass!
As a guest, he could temporarily stay in Lei Ming's cave abode.
But now that he was the master, he should have a cave abode of his own.
"Senior, are you satisfied with this?" the Golden Core Disciple asked cautiously, his gaze full of reverence as he looked at Luo Chen.
The previous battle, though brief, had left a deep impression.
Yuan Yin True People were already figures they had to look up to, and Luo Chen, who could easily defeat a Yuan Yin True Person, was an unparalleled powerhouse, far beyond their reach!
Luo Chen nodded, not particularly satisfied, but not dissatisfied either.
It was just a temporary residence.
He asked casually, "Where is Cheng Bai?"
The Golden Core Disciple hesitated for a moment before answering somewhat uneasily, "Cheng Bai has gone to the Mistwilds to seek treasures."
"Hasn't he just come out of there?" Luo Chen was a bit surprised.
"If Senior has any important matters to delegate, you can entrust them to me."
"There are indeed some trivial matters. I need you to gather some Body Refinement Techniques for me. Any grade will do, no restrictions. Just collect everything related to Body Refinement."
Luo Chen didn't mention any reward, but the other party respectfully accepted the task.
Helping the Thunder Echo Cave Lord secure Thunder Pass was already the greatest reward.
Gathering a few techniques was trivial in comparison.
After the junior left, Luo Chen finally calmed down.
At this moment, he no longer had the arrogance and ruthlessness that others saw; his expression was calm and collected.
"The strength of the Southern Frontier's Yuan Yin cultivation practitioners is weaker than I imagined!"
A sense of doubt arose within him.
The strength he had displayed was that of a typical mid-stage Fourth Rank Body Refiner.
In terms of Daoist realms, it equated to the mid-stage Nascent Soul.
Regarding the two opponents, Ning Daoyou was not a concern. He, like Luo Chen, came from another continent and performed reasonably well, managing to face Luo Chen head-on.
But the third-layer Nascent Soul Sheep Immortal was far from impressive.
His control over his Life-bound treasure was unsatisfactory, and his use of mana was exceedingly cautious, giving the impression of being... restrained!
"Yes, restrained!"
"Even Feng Buyan's later retreat seemed to be out of caution for a real life-and-death battle."
"I had already prepared to unleash all my True Artifacts and even transform into my true form to suppress them with overwhelming power, but none of that was necessary."
"What are they afraid of?"
Luo Chen couldn't figure it out.
Unable to find an answer, Luo Chen decided to wait for the Thunder Echo Cave Lord to return and ask about the situation.
With some free time, he thought about his previous encounter with Ning Daoyou.
Truly a remarkable disciple of the North Sea Demon Sect! His talent was indeed outstanding!
Imprisoned in the Heavenly Zen Sect for hundreds of years, he not only broke through to the Nascent Soul Period but also cultivated Buddhist techniques.
"Practicing both Buddhist and demonic arts, I look forward to our next meeting and a proper exchange."
Luo Chen's eyes showed a hint of anticipation. It was said that the Body Refinement techniques of the Western Desert's Buddhist sects were the only complete ones in the Mountain and Sea Realm.
He wondered if Ning Daoyou had also cultivated these techniques?
Time passed quickly, and before long, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord returned.
"It's settled!"
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord couldn't hide his joy.
Luo Chen smiled, "So smoothly?"
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord laughed heartily, "With you as a deterrent, that old man Feng Buyan naturally spoke politely."
The older one gets, the more cautious they become.
This saying applied equally to the cultivation world.
Luo Chen's display of killing intent was extremely rare, and Feng Buyan feared that any disagreement might lead to a battle on the Pine Wave Mountains.
After laughing, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord's expression turned slightly serious.
"Although Feng Buyan acknowledges that Thunder Pass will belong to me in the future and is willing to cooperate and exchange resources, he has one condition. He hopes that we will help him with a task that doesn't involve life-threatening danger."
Luo Chen shook his head without hesitation.
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord wasn't surprised, "I anticipated your reaction and already told him about this possibility. I don't think he will insist."
Then, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord added naturally, "Feng Buyan is quite curious about your background. The Southern Frontier is vast, but a Body Refiner of your caliber is not an unknown figure. He asked me to find out more about you."
After saying this, the cave abode fell silent.
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord's smile gradually faded, and he looked at Luo Chen uncomfortably.
Luo Chen looked at him with a faint smile, his expression enigmatic.
"Brother Lei Ming, have you ever heard the saying, 'Those who see the fish in the deep waters will meet with misfortune; those who foresee the hidden will face danger'?" (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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