Chapter 1041

The funeral was held at the Dan Sheng Blessed Land.

The scale was not particularly grand, as the sect was currently in a phase of rapid development, advancing toward the position of the number one sect in the Eastern Wasteland.

But those who should have come, all came.

All the high-level members of the Luo Tian Sect, whether they worked in the foreground or behind the scenes.

Even cultivators whose cultivation base had already reached the Nascent Soul realm rushed back to participate in this funeral, to see Sima Huiniang off on her final journey.

Such solemnity was not only because she was Luo Chen's Dao companion, but also because she was the first Sect Master of the Luo Tian Sect!

She was the Sect Master who led the Luo Tian Sect from a time when it only had a few Foundation Establishment cultivators, all the way to becoming a great Core Formation sect.

She was also the heroine of the chaotic times who, when the demon race invaded and hearts were scattered, gritted her teeth to bind the leaderless Luo Tian Sect into a single rope, holding on until Luo Chen returned!

Even though there were some muddled actions later on, they could ultimately not cover up her contributions to the sect.

Before the grave.

Figures stepped forward one after another to pay their respects, and among them, there was no lack of sighs and expressions of regret.

Even Gu Caiyi, who had fought with her for a lifetime and once became Sima Huiniang's inner demon during her Core Formation, had only a sigh when she reached the grave.

She did not know what to say, so she inserted a stick of incense and silently withdrew from the crowd.

Outside the crowd, Luo Chen, dressed in black with a silent expression, stood alone under a tree, not knowing what he was thinking.

Unlike his usual young and handsome appearance, over the past year, Luo Chen had grown gray hair, and many wrinkles had appeared on his face, making him no different from a middle-aged man.

Gu Caiyi walked to his side and whispered, "Husband, please restrain your grief."

Luo Chen pursed his lips and said nothing.

Was he sad?

A little, but far less than he had imagined.

Perhaps the moment Huiniang failed her Core Formation, he had already guessed that this day would come.

Or perhaps, long ago, he had anticipated that similar things would happen, happening again and again!

If he wanted to move forward, it was destined that some people would not be able to keep up with his pace.

In the past, it was subordinates, sect members, friends, and even enemies, but this time it was just replaced by family, one of his closest people.

His gaze fell on Gu Caiyi, and then on the crowd of people who had come to pay their respects not far away.

Among them were his friends, old acquaintances, and younger generations.

In the future, would it be their turn?

Within the crowd, the sound of sobbing echoed continuously.

Huiniang's personal disciple, Yao Mingyue, brought a group of disciples and grand-disciples to pay their respects.

She was the saddest among them; Sima Huiniang was like a teacher and a mother to her, not only teaching her cultivation but also how to conduct herself and handle affairs, and her passing now was heartbreaking.

But this atmosphere of sorrow would eventually dissipate with time.

Even now, after the mourners and those paying respects had left one after another, as the morning sun shone down, it had already dispelled a portion of the grief.

Among the sparse crowd, a figure moved against the flow.

That was an ordinary person without a trace of spiritual energy, dressed in coarse gray hemp clothes, attracting no attention at all.

If it weren't for the fact that he was moving against the flow in the crowd, it is estimated that no one would have noticed him.

"How could a mortal climb this mountain?"

Someone was curious, but before they could get to the bottom of it, they were pulled away by the older generation of Luo Tian Sect cultivators.

Before the grave.

Luo Lingxi looked at the newcomer with suspicion, especially scrutinizing the face that bore some resemblance to his mother's.

"You are..."

The newcomer lit a stick of incense and bowed three times to the tombstone with great solemnity.

"Sister, go in peace!"

Finally, he raised his head, looked at Luo Lingxi earnestly, and then looked past the grave at the man who was watching him from afar.

Their eyes met, and the man in gray averted his gaze.

He hesitated, reached out, and patted Luo Lingxi on the shoulder.

"Work hard, don't let your mother down."

Luo Lingxi could have avoided this pat; with his Core Formation realm, he could indeed have done so, but for some reason, he did not.

Because this pat was full of the concern and exhortation of an elder.

When the man in gray turned and walked down the mountain in a lonely manner, Luo Lingxi was still somewhat bewildered.

"Who is he?"

"Sima Wenjie is actually still alive?"

Gu Caiyi looked at the back of the man in gray in surprise, seemingly not expecting the other party's appearance and existence.

Luo Chen said calmly, "He has always been alive, under Wang Yuan's nose, inside the Library Pavilion."

Gu Caiyi was stunned, "But didn't he become a sinner, and his cultivation was abolished?"

Luo Chen did not explain too much.

With his insight, he could naturally see that Sima Wenjie seemed to have other opportunities; even though his sea of Qi was empty and lacked a trace of magic power, that mediocre body seemed as if it could acquire infinite power at any time.

But this ultimately had nothing to do with him.

The mistakes Sima Wenjie made back then had long since vanished with the severe punishment.

Now that even Huiniang had left, it was even more impossible to pursue it.

Luo Chen was also not afraid that Sima Wenjie would cause trouble again in the future; the Luo Tian Sect had plenty of strong people, and the Sect Master, Luo Lingxi, was the other party's own nephew, so Sima Wenjie should be able to weigh things clearly, whether in terms of strength or sentiment.

Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Luo Chen took a step forward.

With this step, his graying temples returned to their original state, the wrinkles on his face vanished, and his once young and handsome face reappeared.

And on him, an aura that had been silent for more than thirty years permeated out again, even better than before, with a hint of something profound and mysterious.

His injuries had already healed.

Looking at his back, Gu Caiyi seemed to realize something and called out subconsciously.

"Husband!"

Luo Chen said without looking back, "I am leaving; the sect has been handed over to Lingxi, and you will look after the Blessed Land here."

Gu Caiyi showed reluctance, murmuring, "Husband..."

Luo Chen's gentle voice came again, "Rest assured, on the day I truly leave, I will return."

This was a contradictory sentence.

Returning on the day of departure; ordinary people would not understand its meaning.

But Gu Caiyi understood the meaning of this sentence; she bit her lip and bowed gracefully to Luo Chen's back.

"This concubine wishes my husband success in Soul Transformation and a prosperous immortal path!"

That day.

Amidst the sorrow of the Dan Sheng Blessed Land, an unnoticeable tremor appeared briefly.

Two figures flew out from the Blessed Land, leaped out of the sea of the Nether Abyss, and bowed respectfully before Luo Chen.

"Master, the Penglai Octagonal Pavilion has been retrieved, and that Demon-Heart Tree and the Black Obsidian Lotus Pod have been transplanted inside."

Tian Xuan said this while holding a small building with octagonal flying eaves.

Luo Chen took a look, "Give me the Black Obsidian Lotus Pod; you can look after the Heart-Tree for the time being, as I may not have much time next."

"Good!"

The Black King rolled over, stretching its massive body before Luo Chen.

Luo Chen stepped on, and Tian Xuan followed closely behind.

"Let's go!"

Not long after.

In the Luo Tian Sect mountain gate of Shangyou City, a brilliant light shot into the sky and then briefly dissipated.

Those in the know could tell at a glance that it was a sign of a teleportation array being activated, and looking at its scale, it must be the kind that only a large-scale teleportation array could achieve.

They could not help but sigh that the current Luo Tian Sect was becoming more and more prosperous, having even mastered such a large-scale teleportation array that only top-tier major forces could possess.

And in a place very far from the Luo Tian Sect, in the million mountains of the Eastern Wasteland.

A familiar humming sound rang out.

He Qingzi's eyes lit up, and she arrived outside the formation in advance to wait.

When three figures appeared on the formation platform, she bowed.

"He Qingzi greets the Hall Master!"

Luo Chen walked off the high platform, asking about some things while walking out.

He Qingzi recounted them one by one, her expression slightly serious.

"Since Yuan Jun and the other two ascended, Cangwu Mountain has indeed changed a lot."

"Niu Gui stayed in the station, and he did execute the transfer order I sent over, clearing out some small demon tribes, but he did not agree to come to Cangwu Mountain for an audience. There are quite a few demon cultivators like him, such as Blood Vulture Daoist, White-Browed Immortal Ape, and so on."

Luo Chen nodded slightly, "Listening to orders but not attending the summons; it's within expectations."

He Qingzi sighed, "It would be one thing if others were just watching, but Juan Kuang has left. Not only did he leave Cangwu Mountain, but he also left his original territory and disappeared into the million mountains. According to my guess, he might have gone to look for the Di Tian lineage."

"The Di Tian lineage, Jinxiu Xian and the others?" Luo Chen frowned, but then relaxed, "No matter, they are just some remnants that cannot amount to anything. What about Bi Zheng?"

Mentioning Bi Zheng, He Qingzi's expression became solemn.

"Tianlang Mountain!"

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, "This is going to Ao Kuang's territory!"

He Qingzi nodded, "Yes, he was always very close to Ao Kuang in the past, and whether it was submitting to the ancient demon Di Tian or Cangwu Mountain, it was only a temporary submission. In his heart, he has always revered the Heavenly Wolf Ao Kuang!"

Heavenly Wolf Ao Kuang, the co-lord of the wolf race!

The once Ao Xiao Wolf Emperor was just a junior he thought highly of.

This person had been famous for a long time, even before Qixia Yuan Jun, and once contended with Di Tian before he attained the Dao.

In the million mountains, most of the demon race were his juniors, and all had seen his prestige.

It was a matter of course that Bi Zheng revered him.

Now that Di Tian had fallen, Qixia had ascended, and there was no Soul Transformation expert sitting in the Eastern Wasteland human race, Bi Zheng was more willing to defect to Ao Kuang than to submit to Luo Chen.

Luo Chen was not surprised, just asked about another person.

"Yue Nu?" He Qingzi hesitated slightly, saying as if very puzzled: "She has not made any moves in the Tongxuan Hall, and is very quiet and well-behaved."

Luo Chen smiled lightly.

At this moment, being so well-behaved, that was the greatest lack of behavior.

He did not ask too much, just learned from He Qingzi about the demon cultivators who were still guarding Cangwu Mountain.

Mainly the Thunder Prison God Peng, supplemented by Hua Mei, the Qinghe sisters, and He Qingzi herself.

As for the White Bone Mysterious Snake, it was seriously injured in the battle of Lanke Mountain and was guarding the Snow Mountain to heal, not coming to Cangwu Mountain.

"This Cangwu is much colder and clearer!"

Luo Chen sighed, his figure having already left the teleportation array palace.

Not long after.

Thunder Peng, Hua Mei, and others who received the news rushed to the Duzhen Hall to see Luo Chen.

The once arrogant and unruly Thunder Peng was now wholeheartedly submissive to Luo Chen, and even though Qixia Yuan Jun had ascended and left, he still chose to acknowledge Luo Chen's position as the Hall Master of Duzhen Hall.

Fairy Hua Mei was nominally Luo Chen's registered disciple, having inherited part of Luo Chen's alchemy.

As for the Qinghe sisters...

"Since Qinghe Xian has already ascended and left, why don't you two learn from others and return to your territory, instead of staying at Cangwu Mountain?"

He Zhi bowed respectfully to Luo Chen.

"The Qinghe clan was only able to gain a foothold in the million mountains because we received the support of Qixia Yuan Jun. Now that the Yuan Jun has ascended and the ancestor has left, if we two do not want to become cultivation materials for the human and demon races, we should naturally attach ourselves to the Hall Master."

The Qinghe clan, grass and wood with spiritual intelligence.

Although they obtained the creation of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon, their combat power was low, and they were almost the weakest among the same rank.

Low-level Qinghe demons were often used as firewood for alchemy and casting, and Luo Chen had done plenty of such things back then.

And high-level spiritual Qinghe demons had even more peculiar uses.

Their body of grass and wood essence could heal hidden injuries and also help people make great progress in their cultivation.

Especially such spiritual existences; when they ascended, they would attract a large amount of spiritual opportunity, and if someone took the opportunity to kill them, those spiritual opportunities would become wedding clothes for others.

Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly, "Quite straightforward; is that what you think too, He Xiang?"

The other of the Qinghe sisters bowed solemnly.

"The Qinghe clan is willing to attach ourselves to Cangwu Mountain and serve the Lord!"

"Good!"

Luo Chen responded heavily.

His majestic gaze swept over the crowd, and for a moment, there was silence.

Amidst the unspeakable pressure, Luo Chen suddenly said: "Next, I will be in seclusion at Cangwu Mountain to sprint for the Soul Transformation realm; you all must not leave this mountain, stay and guard it for me!"

Everyone was shocked, even though they knew Luo Chen had the strength to rival Soul Transformation experts, they did not expect him to be in seclusion to impact the Soul Transformation realm in such a short time.

How many years had he been cultivating?

Counting it all up, it was not even five hundred years!

As everyone looked at each other, they felt surging emotions.

If it went smoothly, wouldn't Cangwu Mountain produce another Soul Transformation expert, becoming the only holy land in the million mountains?

For a time, everyone agreed in unison.

After dismissing the crowd, Luo Chen paced leisurely in the Duzhen Hall, walking step by step toward the sealed fifth-order cave dwelling.

He did not choose the Tongxuan Hall, nor did he choose the Zhoukong Hall, but stayed in the Duzhen Hall.

It was not that those two places were bad, but he felt more at ease here.

Duzhen Hall, he had been a prisoner here, he had also subdued demons here, and in the future, he would definitely advance to the Soul Transformation realm here.

Arriving in front of the cave dwelling, Luo Chen took out the Duzhen Seal and opened the cave dwelling's restriction.

In an instant!

The surging spiritual energy made his robes rustle!

Luo Chen's eyes lit up; such dense spiritual energy was truly rare in the world.

For a thousand years, this cave dwelling had been shelved and never used; the density of the spiritual energy inside had almost condensed into dew drops, and taking one or two orally could restore one's entire magic power.

Especially the spiritual opportunity!

Scanning with his eyes, a large amount of spiritual opportunity was wandering inside, clearly visible.

Such a treasure land was like divine help for breaking through to Soul Transformation!

But Luo Chen was not in a hurry.

Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out his natal magic treasure—the Hunyuan Cauldron.

He was ten percent sure about breaking through to the Soul Transformation realm.

But Soul Transformation was not just as simple as breaking through a realm; it was also an opportunity.

It was rumored that many Nascent Soul cultivators, when breaking through to Soul Transformation, would roam the world and touch the tip of the iceberg of the true meaning of the Dao, which could lay a good foundation for comprehending the true meaning of the Dao after Soul Transformation.

Although Luo Chen had already comprehended three true meanings of the Dao, namely the withering and flourishing of wood and the two major sources of water and fire, he still did not think it was enough.

If he could touch or even comprehend a fourth true meaning of the Dao while breaking through to Soul Transformation, it would definitely be of great benefit to his cultivation path after Soul Transformation.

And for this point, he had two preparations!

Flicking his finger to cast a spiritual formula, the Hunyuan Cauldron bloomed with light.

A golden light flew out slowly from within.

This was the first preparation, the Yanfa Elixir!

During the final stage of the Alchemy World assessment back then, he spent great effort, not hesitating to eat the body of the Tai Sui, and used the source blood to refine this fifth-order divine elixir.

Its efficacy was already recorded in the Alchemy Book of the Refining Heaven Demon Lord.

It could help Soul Transformation cultivators comprehend a completely different true meaning of the Dao!

Luo Chen did not doubt this point; after all, the Refining Heaven Demon Lord had shockingly comprehended more than a dozen true meanings of the Dao in his life, and the credit lay in this heaven-defying Yanfa Elixir.

And the second preparation would still take Luo Chen some time.

With a wave of his hand, a black lotus pod as deep as ink floated before him.

The Black Obsidian Lotus Pod, a spiritual medicine cultivated in the Dan Sheng Blessed Land for thousands of years, had long since matured.

The place where it grew was free of filth.

It breathed in spiritual energy and removed the dross to keep the essence.

It could be said that wherever such spiritual medicine existed, the place itself would be nourished into a spiritual land.

But its true function was that after being used as medicine, it had a great nourishing effect on a cultivator's Nascent Soul, which could make the Nascent Soul more solid and not disturbed by external demons.

Even many water-type Soul Transformation experts would cultivate this kind of medicinal material to temper their Primordial Spirit.

According to Luo Chen's guess, this should be a spiritual plant cultivated by the Dan Sheng for the Black Swamp Ancestor before he left the Mingyuan Sect, but now it was cheap for himself.

The Alchemy Book of the Refining Heaven Demon Lord happened to record a fifth-order elixir formula with the Black Obsidian Lotus Pod as the main ingredient, named the Danghun Elixir.

Its efficacy was precisely to wash away the filth of the Primordial Spirit and condense the essence of the soul.

"If I supplement it with Soul Stone as medicine, the effect will definitely be twice the result with half the effort!"

Luo Chen was full of anticipation.

Comprehending the true meaning of the Dao during Soul Transformation was a very small probability; often one could only make contact and leave a lead, and it was very difficult to truly comprehend it on the spot.

But he had the Yanfa Elixir, and the success rate was very high.

The only drawback was probably that the newly achieved Soul Transformation realm's Primordial Spirit was not stable enough to persist.

But if there was the Danghun Elixir refined from the Black Obsidian Lotus Pod, he could quickly stabilize the Primordial Spirit and then use the Yanfa Elixir to comprehend a new true meaning of the Dao.

If he succeeded.

He might be the first person in history to master four true meanings of the Dao when first entering Soul Transformation!

Luo Chen took a deep breath and began his actions.

Flicking his finger, the Nirvana Holy Fire suddenly emerged and began to wrap around the Hunyuan Cauldron.

The dense spiritual energy all around, like a dragon, poured into the cauldron.

Luo Chen moved his hands repeatedly, the Black Obsidian Lotus Pod was thrown in, along with a fist-sized Soul Stone, and many auxiliary materials he had specially prepared over the years.

With these actions, an aura that made one intoxicated and soul-stirring gradually radiated from the Hunyuan Cauldron.