https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-940-Shadowlight-Sect-Lantern-Master/13463466/
Chapter 939: Turning Enemies, Southern Frontier Storms
Chapter 939: Turning Enemies, Southern Frontier Storms
As the saying goes, those who see the fish in the deep waters are not lucky, and those who foresee the hidden are doomed.
Being too smart often leads to a bad end.
Curiosity can be fatal!
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord’s expression stiffened as he sensed the subtle threat in Luo Chen’s words.
He forced a smile, “Brother Qi, you’re overthinking it.”
Luo Chen waved his hand, “Actually, you don’t need to speculate too much. Whether it’s for Thunder Pass or the Feng Family, I’m just a passerby. Why delve into my background? Besides, since Thunder Pass can produce a Nascent Soul expert like you, it’s quite normal for it to produce someone like me!”
He blinked his eyes.
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord understood and said in a deep voice, “Indeed, Brother Qi should have always been one of Thunder Pass’s independent cultivators, who has practiced diligently for many years and finally emerged with incredible abilities!”
Luo Chen smiled.
With the Thunder Echo Cave Lord’s cover, his background now had a plausible origin.
In the future, he could freely use the identity of the Second Cave Lord of Thunder Pass while traveling in the Southern Frontier.
Even if someone wanted to investigate further, with this added layer of concealment, few would associate him with the Dong Huang Dan Sect’s Luo Chen.
Of course!
There would certainly be many inconsistencies.
But to Luo Chen, it didn’t matter.
Just as he said, he was only a passerby. Once his business was done, the rest was irrelevant.
Currently, Luo Chen was more concerned about something else.
“When will we set out for Miji Mountain?”
Miji Mountain was not the location of the Southern Frontier Yuan Yin Cultivation Practitioner Exchange Gathering that the Thunder Echo Cave Lord attended last time.
But it was the venue for the next similar gathering.
Rumors had it that it was also the base of the Stiff Mountain Alliance!
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord immediately replied, “Once I finish the trivial matters here, we can set out immediately!”
“Very well, I’ll be waiting.”
Luo Chen didn’t press further. He believed that after displaying his formidable strength, the other party wouldn’t dare to deceive him.
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord took his leave.
Luo Chen didn’t see him off but instead began reviewing the numerous body refinement techniques submitted by the Thunder Pass cultivators.
These body refinement techniques were not of particularly high grade.
But they all had a distinct Southern Frontier style.
What was the Southern Frontier style?
The answer was obvious: they used various kinds of parasites to aid in body refinement.
The Strength Parasite that the Thunder Echo Cave Lord gave him earlier was the most basic and orthodox type.
The techniques submitted by the independent cultivators, however, were diverse and varied.
Some used extreme weights to oppress the body, refining endurance, requiring the assistance of the Heavy Earth Parasite.
Others opened the Life and Death Gates to unleash human potential, bursting with several times the strength in critical moments, requiring the Eight Gates Parasites to open the eight gates. These eight gates were not the same as those in the Eight Doors of the Qimen Dunjia, but rather the eight pressure points on the human body: Blood Qi, Reality, Cold Heat, Wind Dampness. Each gate, when opened, had different cultivation methods and unleashed unique powers in battle.
There were also techniques for rapid movement, refining qi, and more.
The variety was endless, each unique in its own way.
Many of these techniques were completely at odds with orthodox body refinement methods.
However, Luo Chen found them interesting because he himself didn’t follow the orthodox path. He had entered the realm of body refinement through a method similar to that of beasts, gradually advancing to the path of wild beast cultivation. Therefore, encountering the somewhat peculiar Southern Frontier body refinement techniques piqued his interest.
“Oppressing the body? Given the strength of my current body, I doubt the Southern Frontier has any powerful parasites that can put me under pressure.”
“Opening the Life and Death Gates, intriguing, very intriguing. It somewhat mirrors the Withering Divine Prohibition I’ve been pondering, offering some useful insights.”
“Qi, no thanks! I don’t even know what that thing is.”
“This technique for rapid movement is quite interesting. It attempts to stimulate the major acupoints on the soles of the feet using parasites, enabling Body Refiners to achieve ultra-high speeds, thus narrowing the gap with cultivators’ escape techniques. The level is a bit low, but the corresponding parasites are still available, making them easy to gather. Moreover, with my solid foundation, even a slight enhancement would be a significant boost for me!”
...
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord went to handle his trivial matters, while Luo Chen immersed himself in the study of body refinement techniques.
Time passed, and before he knew it, Luo Chen had been at Thunder Pass for over a month.
One day.
A figure stood on the vast plain in front of Thunder Pass, as immovable as an ancient pine tree.
Suddenly!
The black-armored cultivator lifted his leg and took a step.
His entire body moved.
It wasn’t an explosive burst, but the speed was incredibly fast, leaving trails of afterimages in the air, dazzling to the eye.
Luo Chen felt the speed, his face filled with satisfaction.
“Excellent, a third-stage Swift Travel Parasite, actually enhancing my current body’s abilities.”
In recent days, Luo Chen had been pondering the cultivation technique that enhanced speed, and he had made some progress.
After a series of experiments, he discovered that his normal movement speed had indeed improved significantly.
Compared to the explosive burst of his self-created Fire Escape technique, it was a bit slower.
However, the Fire Escape technique also placed a considerable burden on Luo Chen's mana.
Now, with this "Divine Speed", the burden was much lighter, with the only cost being the third-stage Swift Travel Parasite.
This parasite was easy to purchase, whether in Thunder Pass or the outside world.
He could stock up on a large supply, and whenever one was used up, he could simply replenish it.
"This trip to the Southern Frontier wasn’t in vain!"
"The four techniques of 'Wind and Moon Thundercloud Path to Immortality' have been completed over the years, with three fully mastered. The only one lacking progress is the Cloud Step. Now, with this Divine Speed technique, I might be able to integrate it."
Luo Chen was quite excited.
He placed great importance on movement speed.
For escaping, he had the extreme Fire Escape technique.
In battle, whether it was the explosive burst of the Thunder Kick, the continuous strikes of the Wind Leg, or the unpredictable changes of the Moon Step, he had no significant weaknesses.
The only slight shortcoming was the long-distance travel of the Cloud Step.
This Divine Speed technique could indeed make up for that.
As he was contemplating, a beam of light came from the distance, heading straight for Thunder Pass.
As it passed over the vast plains, it suddenly turned and headed toward Luo Chen.
Without needing to use Shenxi to scan, Luo Chen recognized the figure by sight—it was the Thunder Echo Cave Lord.
"Have you finished the matter?"
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord's expression was somewhat unnatural, but he nodded.
"Everything is done. Soon, I will be able to accompany you to Miji Mountain without any concerns."
With that, he changed the subject, looking at Luo Chen curiously.
"Brother Qi, are you cultivating a body technique?"
Luo Chen smiled. "Exactly! As you know, the biggest gap between us Body Refiners and Nascent Soul cultivators is in escape techniques. While high-level Body Refiners can match the burst speed, the endurance is still lacking."
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord nodded, looking at Luo Chen with admiration. "Brother Qi, you didn’t reveal any weaknesses in your previous battles. Have you made some progress now?"
"Yes!" Luo Chen didn’t hide it, admitting it openly. He then suddenly had an idea. "When I saw how you handled Feng Buyan, your body technique was impressive. How about we have a little competition?"
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord was taken aback, initially reluctant to agree.
But under Luo Chen’s eager gaze, he ultimately consented.
"Let’s use the journey back to Thunder Pass for a simple contest."
They both stood still, and as a leaf drifted down, they moved in unison.
Luo Chen took a step, and a burst of lightning flashed beside him. When he reappeared, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord was already ahead.
He laughed heartily, urging the Swift Travel Parasite on his body to work with his escape speed, quickly catching up.
Despite the Thunder Echo Cave Lord’s rapid flashes, Luo Chen managed to overtake him.
Luo Chen even had the leisure to observe the other’s body technique.
That must be the Lightning Flash Technique Cheng Bai mentioned, indeed a sophisticated escape technique.
However, it was clear that the Thunder Echo Cave Lord was still a beginner, far from mastering it.
Thus, even at his normal speed, Luo Chen could easily outpace him.
Moreover...
A moment later, Luo Chen stopped at the entrance to Thunder Pass, waiting for the Thunder Echo Cave Lord.
After two breaths, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord stopped.
He smiled wryly. "I still can’t match Brother Qi!"
Luo Chen waved his hand, curious. "Cave Lord, I noticed a significant flaw in your Lightning Flash Technique!"
The Thunder Echo Cave Lord’s expression stiffened, then he said solemnly, "Please enlighten me!"
Luo Chen spoke frankly. "I haven’t practiced this body technique, but in battle, the key is the transition between movement and stillness. It should be like lightning—silent and sudden, with the thunder echoing only after you appear, making it hard to defend against. But when you start or reappear, your movements are too abrupt and loud. If an enemy gets used to your technique, they can easily capture the gap in your mana transitions using Shenxi, and restrict you."
Upon hearing this, the Thunder Echo Cave Lord’s mouth opened slightly, a look of disbelief on his face.
He never imagined that Luo Chen would spot the flaw with just one simple race.
The essence of the Lightning Flash Technique was precisely this.
It mimicked the appearance of lightning in nature.
A flash of light, silent and sudden.
By the time the enemy heard the thunder caused by the mana activation, you would already be at their weak spot, ready to strike.
But now, both the start and the reappearance were too loud.
With the sensitivity of a cultivator’s Shenxi, a little familiarity would easily reveal the flaw, allowing them to escape your attack range.
If Luo Chen had just spoken about it, he would have dismissed it as mere theory.
But yesterday, that flaw had already been exploited!
Thunder Echo Cave Lord said with a strained voice, "Brother Qi, you have a keen eye. It was precisely because of this flaw that Demon Buddha Jueni managed to escape our encirclement."
Ning Yuzhuo had not been in the Southern Frontier for long, but he had already made a name for himself.
He was none other than Demon Buddha Jueni.
Luo Chen was taken aback, "You and Ning Yuzhuo had a confrontation?"
"It wasn't just me, it was us!" Thunder Echo Cave Lord sighed, "Do you remember the condition Feng Buyan asked for when he asked me to join him?"
Luo Chen nodded.
"Yesterday, that condition was fulfilled. I accepted his invitation and joined in the encirclement of Demon Buddha Jueni. Despite being ambushed by Feng Buyan's parasites, he still managed to break through my defenses and escape. He exploited the flaw in my movement technique."
Luo Chen marveled at the situation.
He hadn't expected Ning Yuzhuo to have such keen eyes, quickly spotting the flaw in Thunder Echo Cave Lord's technique, just as he had.
What was even more surprising was that Feng Buyan, who had fought alongside them, would turn against Ning Yuzhuo and invite others to attack him.
The cultivators of the Southern Frontier were indeed as unpredictable and hard to trust as the rumors suggested!
Luo Chen asked for more details, and Thunder Echo Cave Lord told him everything.
Feng Buyan had previously invited Ning Yuzhuo and Shepherd Daoist to attack Thunder Pass, promising them generous rewards.
They failed to capture Thunder Pass, and Shepherd Daoist withdrew in disappointment, too embarrassed to demand his payment.
However, Ning Yuzhuo continued to pressure Feng Buyan.
Moreover, due to a mishap in his cultivation, Ning Yuzhuo caused significant harm to many members of the Feng family in Pine Wave Mountains.
Feng Buyan could no longer tolerate this, leading to the decision to take action against Ning Yuzhuo.
It made sense!
But it didn't quite add up!
Luo Chen remembered that when Feng Buyan negotiated the ownership of Thunder Pass with Thunder Echo Cave Lord, he had proposed the condition of inviting the other party to join the attack.
At that time, he and Ning Yuzhuo hadn't yet fallen out.
Clearly, Feng Buyan had already planned to deal with Ning Yuzhuo and had only later fabricated the charges.
"Interesting!"
Luo Chen smiled, but it was just a smile.
He didn't care about their internal squabbles.
Now that the matter was settled, it was time to head to Miji Mountain.
As the headquarters of the largest force in the Southern Frontier, aside from the Life and Death Sect, it would be the place with the most current information. He might find clues about the Heart Demon Insect Emperor there.
They agreed to set out in three days, once Thunder Echo Cave Lord's magic power had recovered, and Luo Chen returned to his cave abode.
Behind him, Thunder Echo Cave Lord hesitated but finally mustered the courage to ask:
"Brother Qi, do you have any way to help me make up for the weakness in the Lightning Flash Technique?"
Luo Chen stopped and turned around.
"I don't have the original cultivation text for the Lightning Flash Technique. How can I help you improve it? If you show me the technique, perhaps I can find a solution. However, I can't guarantee anything."
Thunder Echo Cave Lord hesitated again.
Seeing this, Luo Chen shook his head and returned to his cave abode.
On the mountain path, Thunder Echo Cave Lord clenched his fist in frustration.
Under the pressure of a formidable enemy, to save time, he had used a sacrificial method, sacrificing his subordinate Cheng Bai to forcibly catalyze the Invisible Parasite Larva.
This allowed him to quickly master the Lightning Flash Technique.
But he hadn't expected such a glaring flaw in the technique as a result.
However, he couldn't bring himself to let Luo Chen examine the Lightning Flash Technique, which he had spent a fortune to acquire.
It wasn't just about the cost; it was also about the relationship between them, which hadn't reached that level of trust.
If he let Luo Chen find his flaw, his life would truly be in someone else's hands.
Compared to Luo Chen, he trusted himself more.
"I'll refine it slowly. Perhaps I can find a solution on my own!"
With these thoughts in mind, Thunder Echo Cave Lord returned to his cave abode, sat in meditation, and focused on recovering his magic power.
Three days later.
Two beams of light emerged from Thunder Pass, circled briefly in the air, and then headed south.
At the same time.
Numerous cultivators set out from various parts of the Southern Frontier, converging on Miji Mountain.
The Southern Frontier, which had been seething with hidden tensions for centuries, was now stirring with new turmoil. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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