https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-949-The-Ancient-Secret-Realm-Dao-Zong-s-Mountain-Visit/13463499/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-951-The-Bottleneck-Loosens-Storms-Rise-Again/13463508/
Chapter 950: Breaking the Stalemate, the Toxic King Insect
Chapter 950: Breaking the Stalemate, the Toxic King Insect
"Warrior Zhan Bingtao of the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect, paying respects to the mountain!"
As this arrogant voice echoed, a formidable aura swept over the crowd, pressing down on the grand hall above.
Faintly, one could see spiritual energy surging like a tide.
"Hmph!"
Songyang Zhenren sneered, his Nascent Soul domain slowly unfurling.
A blazing sun rose steadily over the endless waves, its presence undeniable.
"Friend Zhan, this is Mijie Mountain; you must not act recklessly!"
Zhan Bingtao laughed heartily. "I am not being reckless. I simply want to see if your alliance truly has the qualifications to cooperate with the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect."
As he spoke, his Nascent Soul domain intensified, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy and matching Songyang Zhenren's domain with equal force.
A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
This alone revealed the depth of this unfamiliar powerhouse's cultivation.
Forming a domain image was not an advanced technique, but it was rarely mastered by ordinary Yuan Yin cultivators.
This required a high degree of resonance between one's mana and the surrounding spiritual energy.
Years ago, Luo Chen could manifest the Sundering Flame Prison phenomenon at the early Nascent Soul stage, thanks to the resonance with the Wilted Flame, which gave him a shortcut.
In contrast, Zhan Bingtao and Songyang Zhenren had achieved this through their solid and profound cultivation.
Of course, with Luo Chen's current realm, he could also manifest a similar domain phenomenon if he unleashed his full power.
It was said that this was one path of cultivation.
From the initial formation of the domain image, to the Hua Shen realm where one could harness primordial energy to create a unique phenomenon, and then gradually form a Dharma Image to communicate with heaven and earth.
Thus, late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would gradually explore this aspect.
At this moment, under the clash of Zhan Bingtao's and Songyang Zhenren's domains, the summit of Mijie Mountain and the Xiongyue Hall were plunged into a storm, the pressure making it hard for people to breathe.
The other three great cultivators sat high above, coldly observing, seemingly unaffected.
But for the others...
"Break!"
A sudden explosion echoed.
A surge of vital energy rose like a dragon's tail, forcefully breaking through the surging waves and charging straight at Zhan Bingtao.
Songyang Zhenren was taken aback, then pursed his lips, mana surging as his Nascent Soul domain pressed forward.
Zhan Bingtao seemed caught off guard; the sudden intrusion of this unfamiliar vital energy broke the stalemate.
He instinctively clapped his hands.
Bang!
Bang!
The stalemate shattered, and he staggered back two steps.
Only then did he turn his gaze to a man in black armor within the hall.
The man grinned fiercely, staring back without fear.
"I do not like your attitude of looking down on everyone as if they are nothing."
Zhan Bingtao smiled, "Name?"
His question echoed through the hall.
Many people couldn't help but worry for Luo Chen.
Just his surname was enough to make many guess his background.
In the Central Region, there was only one sect, but within the sect, noble and common families were widespread.
Among them, twelve giant families stood above all, controlling everything.
The Zhan family was one of the most powerful.
Now, this man in black armor, eager to stand out, had intervened in the conflict between the sect leader and the strongest of the Zhan family, helping Songyang Zhenren gain the upper hand. However, the consequences of drawing this person's attention...
Ning Yuzhuo sneered inwardly, "Qi Tian, you're courting death!"
However, to everyone's surprise, before the man in black armor could answer, Litian Shi above spoke with a smile.
"Friend Zhan, this is our Stiff Mountain Alliance's new rising star, Qi Tian. He has a somewhat eccentric personality, I hope you won't be angered by him."
Songyang Zhenren nodded in agreement.
Their stance clearly supported Luo Chen.
Zhan Bingtao raised an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between Luo Chen and Songyang Zhenren.
After a moment's contemplation, he smiled and said, "I won't be angered. With an exceptional powerhouse like Songyang Zhenren and a promising young talent like Qi Tian, your alliance is indeed capable. Thus, it might be barely worthy of collaborating with the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect."
His words were overly arrogant.
But in reality, it was true!
All knew that the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect had conquered the Northern Sea, with the Penglai Immortal Sect directly submitting and the Canghai Righteous Alliance joining forces.
The Canghai Righteous Alliance had a Soul Transformation Expert as its guardian.
The Stiff Mountain Alliance, while numerous, had no Soul Transformation Experts.
Without demonstrating sufficient strength, not only would cooperation be out of the question, but even becoming a vassal would depend on the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect's approval.
This was the pride of the first holy land of the Mountains and Seas!
"Friend, please!"
Songyang Zhenren extended his hand in invitation.
Zhan Bingtao didn't hesitate, leaping to one of the main seats beside Songyang Zhenren.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, and the subsequent conversation became much more amicable.
As expected, they discussed the details of how to deal with the Southern Frontier's Life and Death Sect.
"The Life and Death Sect is already rotten. According to our Dao Zong, Elder Liancheng, the recent changes in the Southern Frontier are due to internal shifts within the Life and Death Sect. If you wish to continue cultivating in this region, the only way is to resolve the root cause and bring peace!"
As soon as Zhan Bingtao sat down, he revealed a secret, causing a stir in the hall.
Amid the commotion, the attention of the crowd shifted away from Luo Chen.
Luo Chen lowered his eyelids, his earlier arrogant and flamboyant demeanor now reined in.
Exposing himself before the crowd was not in his nature.
But it was the behavior expected of "Qi Tian."
Moreover, such a sudden change would likely draw the attention of the Elder Zangsheng!
If the other party was indeed the Heart Demon Insect Emperor, and Luo Chen had openly used the Stiff Mountain Alliance's power to search for information on the Heart Demon Insect Emperor, and then acted in front of him, there would surely be some response.
As long as there was a response, Luo Chen could react accordingly.
And as for Zhan Bingtao?
Luo Chen acknowledged that the other party was very powerful and had considerable influence.
But it was Qi Tian who had offended him, what did it have to do with Luo Chen of the Dan Sect?
While Zhan Bingtao was eloquently discussing plans to gather forces and attack the Life and Death Sect, Luo Chen’s attention remained subtly focused on the Elder Zangsheng.
"Unmoved?"
Luo Chen’s heart slowly sank.
...
"The Life and Death Sect may have sealed its mountain gate for a long time, but a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. In the vast Southern Frontier, there are still many loyal factions to the Life and Death Sect, such as the Unicorner Mountain and the Golden Lion Empire. Among these, the Unicorner Mountain, where the Great Unicorner King resides, is one of the Life and Death Sect’s guard posts. If we want to break in, we must first cut off their wings, so we can act without any worries."
"Such trivial matters can be left to our Stiff Mountain Alliance!"
"Hmm, you are locals and are more familiar than our Heavenly Origin Dao Sect cultivators. It is indeed more appropriate to leave it to you. There is one more thing, perhaps we need the help of the Patriarch Songyang."
"Is it about the Xiongyue Seal?"
"Exactly!"
In the hall, Patriarch Songyang, representing the Stiff Mountain Alliance, was discussing the future plans with Zhan Bingtao.
This discussion, held in front of all the nascent soul experts of the Stiff Mountain Alliance, was clearly deliberate.
As for the leakage of information, they were not too concerned.
This move against the Southern Frontier’s sacred ground was a public strategy. Even if there were a few spies from the Life and Death Sect in the hall, it made no difference.
In the end, a confrontation was inevitable!
Luo Chen, however, was somewhat curious, "What is the Xiongyue Seal?"
He asked this question to the Purple Robe Marquis beside him.
The Purple Robe Marquis’s expression was somewhat complex, and there was even a hint of envy in his response to Luo Chen.
"The Xiongyue Seal is a restriction that Patriarch Songyang developed using his life-bound Xiongyue Insect as the core, with the help of the secrets of the Master Litian."
"When applied to the Nascent Soul cultivators, it can reinforce the Purple Mansion, preventing us from being involuntarily drawn into the harmony of heaven and earth and unintentionally escaping the Purple Mansion during our cultivation."
"In a sense, the Xiongyue Seal is a lock. With this seal, we can freely unleash the power of our nascent souls in battle without fear of being subsumed by heaven and earth. However, there is a downside: daily cultivation efficiency is greatly reduced, slowing our progress."
"Even our Shenxi is more rigid and less agile than before. That’s why our alliance is called the Stiff Mountain Alliance."
"Even more unknowing people call us stiff cultivators."
After listening to this explanation, Luo Chen was instantly enlightened.
When he first arrived at Mijie Mountain, he had been puzzled about how Songyang Zhenren managed to gather so many powerful cultivators without anyone noticing.
So this was the ingenious method!
Using the Xiongyue Insect as the core to set the Xiongyue Seal, sealing the Purple Mansion to prevent subsumation by heaven and earth.
This technique, in its specific application, somewhat resembled his formidable Purple Mansion Barrier.
But a man-made restriction was ultimately not as effective as a naturally occurring Purple Mansion Barrier.
At least Luo Chen was not greatly affected and even benefited, with his cultivation efficiency significantly improved.
"You are different."
The Purple Robe Marquis said enviously, "You are a pure Body Refiner, with true power residing within yourself. One force can break all laws; you don’t need this seal at all."
Luo Chen smiled slightly, "You flatter me. The path of Body Refinement has long declined. Haven’t you seen that even someone as advanced as Qi Tian is still busy seeking various Body Refinement techniques?"
The Purple Robe Marquis nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words.
After this exchange, the Stiff Mountain Alliance officially formed an alliance with the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect.
However, the detailed specifics of the true cooperation had not been fully discussed.
For example, if they lost the coming battle, the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect could retreat to the Central Region, but how would the Southern Frontier cultivators face the wrath of the Life and Death Sect?
And if they won, how would the vast Southern Frontier be divided, and what would become of the Southern Frontier’s powerful cultivators?
What stance would the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect take in settling in the Southern Frontier?
No one deliberately asked, but everyone was concerned about these matters.
Zhan Bingtao, as if trying to build suspense, showed signs of fatigue.
"I have traveled a long distance and am somewhat tired. Can we discuss the specifics in more detail later?"
Patriarch Songyang’s gaze swept over the restless crowd in the hall, and he finally nodded slightly.
"The discussion for today is over. Let’s disperse for now!"
Amid the mutual glances, the ten-day Mijie Mountain Nascent Soul Exchange Conference came to an end, and the crowd filed out.
In the main hall, Zhan Bingtao's gaze lingered on one of the departing figures in the crowd.
"Songyang, that Qi Tian is quite impressive!"
Songyang Zhenren replied calmly, "A powerhouse like him won’t settle for being anyone’s subordinate. If you want to make him your servant, I suggest you give up that idea."
Zhan Bingtao shrugged, "Even if I can’t recruit him, I can at least bring him to Heaven and Earth Peak as a guest elder. In the future, he might even become a fellow cultivator like you."
Songyang Zhenren took a deep breath, "Heaven and Earth Peak is my last resort. If this mission succeeds, you must grant me a fifth-stage spirit vein in the Life and Death Sect as agreed."
Zhan Bingtao chuckled, "That depends on how much you contribute and whether Liancheng Patriarch approves."
"How much I contribute..."
Songyang Zhenren muttered, his eyes gradually turning fierce.
"What if we don’t rely on Soul Transformation power and open the Life and Death Sect ourselves?"
This Life and Death Sect is not the same as the other.
Clearly, Songyang was referring to the most perilous defense line of the Southern Frontier's Life and Death Sect.
Just like the Polar Night Heaven of the Yuanmo Sect or the Nether Abyss of the Abyss Sect.
Such defenses are considered forbidden zones, impossible to breach with ordinary means.
Even Qixia Yuanjun needed to rely on Tianyuan Patriarch’s avatar to stealthily cross the Nether Abyss. So, how could Songyang Zhenren’s bold claim not shock everyone?
Zhan Bingtao’s smile gradually faded, and he stared at Songyang Zhenren suspiciously.
"Are you serious?"
"If everything goes smoothly, we have a thirty percent chance!" Songyang Zhenren responded.
"Thirty percent..."
Zhan Bingtao’s eyes brightened as he repeated the words.
"Thirty percent is enough. This way, we can save Liancheng Patriarch some effort and focus on the powerful expert within the Life and Death Sect. If you succeed, granting you a fifth-stage spirit vein won’t be a problem!"
Songyang Zhenren felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, but he also felt an inexplicable unease.
Is that plan really feasible?
...
The exchange ended.
But Luo Chen did not leave; he stayed in Mijie Mountain.
As he had suspected, the mountain was filled with various naturally occurring spatial prohibitions.
The Red Leaf Granny relied on these natural spatial prohibitions, combined with various formation techniques, to gradually stabilize the spatial fluctuations and form the stable Mijie Mountain.
"Among the seven fundamental prohibitions in array Dao, spatial prohibition is my weakest. There are few records of this in the world, mostly kept as secrets by top sects."
"If I can strengthen my foundation by observing these natural spatial prohibitions, it will be of great use in the future, whether facing the Blue Frost Demon Emperor or dealing with the spatial Jue Di outside Dan Sheng Paradise!"
With this in mind, Luo Chen began to frequently wander through Mijie Mountain after staying behind.
His actions were actually quite reckless and impolite.
Many Nascent Soul True People remained in Mijie Mountain, each with their own cultivation areas.
If he wasn’t careful, he would intrude on someone else’s territory.
However, due to his previous bold actions and his reputation for being arrogant, most people tolerated him.
After all, even Songyang and Litian supported him. There was no need to offend him unless absolutely necessary.
One day.
Luo Chen stood on a cliff, watching the howling wind and unpredictable weather outside the mountain. His golden eyes flickered with light.
Suddenly!
Luo Chen turned and struck with a powerful palm.
When it landed, it was as if he had struck into an ocean, meeting no resistance.
Splash...
A pool of blood gushed out in front of him.
Luo Chen’s eyes brightened, but his movements did not slow. He spread his fingers and grabbed the air.
"Come out!"
A powerful force grabbed toward the depths of the blood pool.
Before he could truly make contact, a shocked voice came from within the blood pool.
"Enough!"
Luo Chen immediately stopped.
Then, the blood pool flowed and transformed into a purple figure.
It was Purple Robe Marquis!
He looked at Luo Chen’s hand with lingering fear and exclaimed, "My technique of transforming into a blood pool can neutralize immense power and make it impossible to find my true form. Why do I keep failing in front of you?"
Luo Chen smiled but did not answer, instead asking, "This technique of transforming into a blood pool isn’t a native body refinement method from the Southern Frontier, is it?"
Purple Robe Marquis nodded, "Indeed, it isn’t. I learned it from a fragment. Later, I found out it’s likely from the Blood Sea lineage of the Northern Sea Yuanmo Sect. Unfortunately, I only have a fragment and can’t achieve the level of an unending blood sea and an indestructible true form."
That makes sense.
No wonder Luo Chen found it familiar.
Both the Blood Scattered Man and the Blood Nightmare Demon had similar abilities.
According to legend, when the Blood Sea lineage of the Yuanmo Sect masters their techniques, they can achieve the Blood Sea True Body, claimed to be indestructible.
Moreover, they can cultivate countless Blood Deity Spawns in the blood sea, making one person as formidable as an army.
In comparison, Purple Robe Marquis’s blood pool seemed like a minor trick.
"It seems I still have a significant gap to bridge in body refinement compared to you!"
Purple Robe Marquis sighed, then, without waiting for Luo Chen’s modesty, he took out a storage pouch.
"Here, for you."
"What is this?" Luo Chen curiously took the storage pouch.
Purple Robe Marquis smiled, "What else? The item Litian promised you!"
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and took out an object from the storage pouch.
It was a crystalline body that resembled amber.
Inside, a white insect was sleeping soundly.
"Is this the Toxic King Insect?" (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
