Chapter 108: Every tree and bush is an enemy, one person forms a formation

Boom!!!

The pitch-black light hit the huge light shield, immediately emitting a huge roar.

The earth-yellow light shield now looked like an earth dragon rolling, undulating and shaking continuously, unloading that majestic momentum layer by layer.

Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang looked at each other, saying astringently: "Ninth level of Qi Refining!"

The Qi Refining realm is divided into early, middle, and late stages.

Each stage is clearly distinct from the others.

If you don't look at things like spiritual soul foundation, meridian apertures, and physical strength, which are dispensable for low-grade cultivators.

Then the amount of spiritual power in the body is the best dividing standard.

Early-stage cultivators can't cast many spells, and most can only use one magic tool, and it's a low-grade one at that.

By the middle stage, spiritual power has multiplied several times, and everything begins to change.

Spells can be released in various ways, and magic tools can also control two or three.

If you encounter special top-grade magic tools, you can barely control them in battle.

But in general, the battles of middle-stage Qi Refining cultivators are always too rigid.

Sometimes it looks like a turn-based game to outsiders, you hit once, I hit once.

This situation only changes completely when one reaches the late stage of Qi Refining and possesses a rich spiritual power foundation.

Various magic tools can be used at will, and during battle, the Wind-Riding Art and flying magic tools are added to the hands, becoming agile and light.

At this time, it truly has some of the atmosphere of an immortal family!

And among the three small levels of late-stage Qi Refining, ninth-level cultivators are undoubtedly the existence at the top of the food chain.

Because the time to advance to the perfection of Qi Refining is too long, many ninth-level cultivators will deliberately polish their combat methods, striving to have no shortcomings.

In contrast, seventh and eighth-level cultivators still have to consider breaking through, so their methods naturally aren't as round and smooth.

It is precisely because of this that only the ninth level of Qi Refining can resist the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Back then, on the Dao Discussion Platform, eighteen cultivators fought to the death, and seventeen were ninth-level Qi Refining.

The only exception—Wang Yuan—followed the path of a body cultivator.

The strength of a body cultivator depends not only on the cultivation base but also on physical strength and blood energy.

Perhaps the cultivation base is low, but because the physical body is too strong, the combat power displayed is even stronger than that of a high-level cultivator of the same level.

In reality, there aren't that many exceptions.

Therefore, when the black-robed cultivator unscrupulously displayed the spiritual power fluctuation of the ninth level of Qi Refining, Zhou and Liu knew they were in trouble.

But they weren't panicked at all.

Zhou Yuanli took a step back, Liu Qiang went to the very front, controlling that top-grade defensive magic tool alone.

Luo Chen watched with his own eyes as Zhou Yuanli took out a jade pendant from his storage bag, his lips moving.

"Gang Leader, southwest of the outer city, attacked in the Green Hemp Small Forest."

"Four enemies, the leader is ninth level of Qi Refining."

Just after the urgent words were finished, a muffled grunt came from Liu Qiang in front.

"Old Zhou, I can't hold on!"

Zhou Yuanli stared at Luo Chen: "We will drag this ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator to death, you find an opportunity to escape; I know your flying speed is very fast."

After speaking, without waiting for Luo Chen to reply, he rushed to the front.

Joining forces with Liu Qiang, they jointly sacrificed a blade and a sword.

The spiritual light of the two magic tools burned brightly, emitting the sound of dragons roaring and tigers howling, flying towards the enemy.

Always hearing that his two bodyguards had powerful combat power and could rival ninth-level Qi Refining when joining forces.

Now it seems they indeed had some skills; those two top-grade magic tools were actually a set.

Luo Chen relaxed in his heart, his gaze falling to the ground.

Under the blessing of the Spirit Eye Technique, he had already seen through the other party's cultivation base.

The leader, the black-robed cultivator, was ninth level of Qi Refining, and the three wearing gray robes were all seventh level of Qi Refining.

It was quite a strong force.

Just at this time, the black-robed cultivator also looked over.

"Dan Chenzi of the Broken Mountain Gang, right!"

"Today our brothers are passing by your market and want to borrow a sum of spirit stones from you."

After speaking, he smiled and waved his hand.

The three cultivators wearing gray robes behind him each used their methods, and three spiritual lights bypassed Zhou and Liu and struck at Luo Chen.

Luo Chen grinned, didn't say any harsh words, and without hesitation, withdrew and retreated.

One moment he was like floating catkins, the next he was like a great roc, rising with the wind.

His speed was so fast that in the blink of an eye, he was out of the attack range of the three spiritual lights.

The three were stunned, and before they could react, they heard their boss's exasperated voice.

"Chase, what are you waiting for!"

"He is the alchemist, he must be very wealthy!"

The black-robed cultivator couldn't leave; Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang had pushed their magic tools to the limit, trapping him tightly.

The three gray-robed cultivators gave a low shout, each driving their magic tools, exploding with extreme speed to chase Luo Chen.

It's just that with their speed, after chasing for a few breaths, they found that Luo Chen was getting further and further away from them.

"This Dan Chenzi flies so fast!"

"Didn't use a magic tool to fly?"

"No, look at his boots!"

"Bad, can't catch up, how to explain to Big Brother?"

"Doesn't matter, keep chasing!"

Although the speed couldn't catch up with Luo Chen, his back was still in their line of sight.

Suddenly, that figure seemed to be out of breath and fell into the forest.

The three were overjoyed, thinking Luo Chen had used some explosive secret technique earlier and was now exhausted, his speed slowing down.

Overjoyed, the three accelerated and chased after him.

I saw a figure in the small forest running in a hurry, with a panicked and fearful expression.

Among the three, one smiled grimly.

"Can't escape now!"

The three's escape lights shone brightly, passing Luo Chen and blocking him in front and on the left and right, faintly surrounding him.

The only remaining escape direction became the direction they first came from.

And over there, there was still a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

However, before they could stand firm, Luo Chen had already stopped his steps.

"Who said I was going to escape?"

With heavy snow for many days in winter, the small forest was already white.

As Luo Chen's face became serious, he clapped his hands.

The forest in front seemed to come alive.

The thick snow fell with a rustle, and large swaths of green vines rose from the ground, spreading like dragons and snakes.

In an instant, the environment here changed greatly, no longer a forest covered in heavy snow, but a green jungle overflowing with killing intent.

At this moment, this place became Luo Chen's battlefield.

The one bearing the brunt changed his face greatly, wanting to rush into the sky.

However, just as he flew into the sky, seven beams of emerald light shot out from the nearby snow, dancing and crisscrossing.

A blade storm had already taken shape.

Luo Chen didn't look at this battlefield and beckoned with his hand.

Ten tiny sparks flew towards the enemy on the right.

"A mere Fireball Technique, dare to be so presumptuous?" The man sneered, unfolding a round wooden shield, intending to block the Fireball Technique and then counterattack.

However, the next moment, those ten sparks grew with the wind.

In less than a breath, they expanded into huge fireballs the size of a face.

Amidst his astonishment, they smashed down like a storm.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The violent explosions, the snow filling the sky, and the miserable screams didn't make Luo Chen relax at all.

He knew the danger came from the enemy on the left.

Sou!

A crystal-clear and snow-white long sword slashed through the air.

"Ice-type top-grade flying sword?"

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, his mid-grade magic robe fluttering without wind, appearing to want to withstand this blow head-on.

The cultivator showed a ferocious expression; daring to withstand a top-grade flying sword with a mere mid-grade magic robe, it seemed he was at his wit's end.

"Go to hell!"

However, the next moment, a scene that shocked him appeared.

Dang!

A miniature cauldron appeared from Luo Chen's palm.

In the blink of an eye, the small cauldron kept expanding, finally evolving into a one-zhang-high large cauldron, blocking above Luo Chen's head.

Not only did it block the top-grade flying sword, but it also scattered rays of light.

Gold, red, blue, and green rays, like tassels, enveloped Luo Chen.

"Top-grade defensive magic tool! How could..."

Just as he was shocked, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

The Spirit Eye Technique entered his eyes, and upon looking, his soul flew away.

I don't know when, but the surrounding space was densely covered with colorful stone beads.

Each stone bead was plain and unremarkable.

But in such quantity, it truly gave him a sense of nausea from dense dizziness.

"Hunyuan as one, explode!"

Countless stone beads, with the enemy as the center, flew toward him like young swallows returning to their nest.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A rapid sound, like rain hitting banana leaves, rang out incessantly.

Even though this person had pushed his defensive magic treasure to the limit, it shattered inch by inch amidst the constant explosions of the stone beads.

He reached out and cast a talisman, but the talisman's defensive light barrier lasted for only three breaths.

It collapsed once more under the self-detonation of those stone beads.

Pfft!

Following the first mouthful of blood spat out, the sound of stone beads entering flesh rang out one after another.

Once they entered the body, the power of the self-detonation multiplied several times over.

In just a few breaths, nothing remained on the spot but clouds of blood mist.

Luo Chen indifferently withdrew his gaze, reached out to grab back that ice-snow flying sword, and then stopped looking at this battlefield.

The power of the jade marrow waste beads was actually quite average; even with an ambush set in advance, it would at most catch the enemy off guard.

However, if the quantity reached hundreds or thousands, the power would be incomparable.

That was a terrifying quantitative change capable of causing a qualitative one.

Turning his head back, Luo Chen looked toward the very front.

The person who dared to block the very front was indeed no weakling.

Even though he had buried the Jade Blade in the woods in advance, instantly activated the Mother-Child Blade Array, and coordinated it with a master-level Entanglement Spell.

It still allowed the opponent to break free, albeit in a somewhat disheveled state.

At this moment, seeing him look over, the man's eyes were filled with panic, his whole body shuddered, and he immediately fled.

"I knew it, those in the late stage of Qi Refining are not easy to deal with."

The spiritual light of his Cloud-Stepping Boots trembled; the Wind-Riding Technique and the Carefree Roaming were all fully applied.

Luo Chen rose with the wind, and as he passed that huge fire pit on the right, he casually flicked out a stone bead.

Pfft!

Amidst the raging fire, under the gaze of the dying cultivator's painful eyes, a small hole appeared on his forehead.

Then, the stone bead burst open.

He blinked, a strange smile appearing on his face.

Boom!

Like a watermelon exploding, brains scattered everywhere.

And Luo Chen's figure had already disappeared above the woods.

"Damn it!"

"Isn't it said that alchemists have weak combat ability, far inferior to cultivators of the same rank?"

"When did he bury the blade array? It actually made me suffer such a huge loss."

The gray-clothed cultivator, like a stray dog, fled for his life.

His figure, without any concealment, was extremely conspicuous as he ventured deeper into the outer city area.

Behind him, a young white-clothed cultivator with a large tripod hanging above his head, shrouded in four-colored tassels, was constantly closing the distance.

The gray-clothed cultivator's expression turned fierce, and he suddenly looked back.

"Go to hell!"

A long spear suddenly flew out.

Its sharp momentum seemed capable of piercing the void, and surging firelight erupted from the spear body, resembling a fire dragon.

A returning horse spear?

Just as this thought flashed through Luo Chen's mind, the fiery red spear pierced the sky in the blink of an eye and arrived before him.

Creak, creak!

A teeth-grinding sound rang out as the layers of four-colored tassels shattered.

Luo Chen's expression finally turned tense; the Four-Image Tripod was ultimately a jack-of-all-trades, and its defensive power barely reached the high-grade level.

And this long spear was clearly also a high-grade magic treasure.

With his heartstrings taut, Luo Chen patted his storage bag, and four or five talismans immediately appeared in his hand, all of the defensive type.

Just as he was about to activate them, his expression shifted, and he stopped the action.

Whoosh...

A breeze blew past, the long spear lost its momentum, and under the gentle brush of the last golden tassel, it fell listlessly.

Luo Chen reached out and beckoned, and the long spear landed in his hand.

Looking up, Mi Shuhua was carrying a corpse, dead or alive, and was looking at him with concern.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but if you had been any later, I reckon I'd have to collect the corpses of Old Zhou and Old Liu."

Luo Chen smiled slightly and put away the Four-Image Tripod hanging above his head.

Mi Shuhua didn't waste words; a surge of magic power enveloped Luo Chen, and they flew toward the southwest at lightning speed.

During the flight, they remained silent.

Only when passing that small grove did Mi Shuhua look back at Luo Chen in surprise.

Luo Chen shrugged and said nothing.

However, his gaze remained fixed on the storage bag of the person Mi Shuhua was holding.

Understood!

I understand what you mean!

Mi Shuhua's face twitched, and he transmitted his voice: "After I finish interrogating this person, all his belongings will be yours."

"The Gang Master is generous!"

Luo Chen gave a thumbs up; he knew his Gang Master didn't care for these small things.

Soon, the two arrived at the original green hemp forest.

The forest, originally covered in heavy snow, was no longer recognizable after the intense battle.

Large swaths of dead trees had fallen, blocking the ground in a crisscross pattern.

Deep holes several meters wide were shockingly spread across the forest, as if they could lead to the abyss of the earth.

Luo Chen's eyelids jumped wildly; was this the destructive power of a ninth-stage Qi Refining cultivator?

Back on the Dao-discussing platform, because the environment was restricted and the array was shrouded, the destructive power of a ninth-stage Qi Refining cultivator hadn't been fully displayed.

But now, he finally understood why Zhou Yuanli had told him to run away immediately.

Under this intensity of attack, how many rounds could he last?

"Gang Master!"

"Cough, cough... Greetings, Gang Master!"

Zhou Yuanli stepped forward to pay his respects, his expression normal.

But Liu Qiang's state was not so good; his whole body was covered in gruesome wounds.

Even when greeting, his teeth were chattering, as if he had been frozen.

Mi Shuhua looked around and said coldly, "Where is he?"

"He just escaped!"

"Hmm?"

Zhou Yuanli gritted his teeth and said, "It's not that we didn't want to keep him, but this person had a second-tier Water Escape Talisman. He risked his life to trade injuries with Liu Qiang just now and used the force to escape."

His gaze falling on Liu Qiang's wounds, Mi Shuhua took a deep breath.

He closed his eyes, and his vast spiritual sense spread out, constantly tracking along the traces of wind and snow in the surroundings.

"It's this direction!"

Mi Shuhua suddenly opened his eyes and threw the unconscious gray-clothed cultivator to the ground.

"Watch him and wait here. Ceng Yilong has already brought people here; he will take Luo Chen back to the main altar."

After saying this, he shot out, a crescent moon accompanying him on both sides.

The speed was astonishing!

After he left, Zhou Yuanli stood guard nearby, and Liu Qiang seized the time to heal his wounds.

Luo Chen's mind stirred, and he quickly squatted down to search the unconscious cultivator.

Storage bag, taken!

The clothes were also high-grade magic robes; no wonder he could survive the Mother-Child Blade Storm Array.

Taken off!

Is that it?

Luo Chen stood up and spat with a lack of class.

"Pah, poor ghost!"

Zhou Yuanli couldn't help but ask, "Hall Master Luo, what about the other two enemies?"

"Dead. One left no bones behind, and the other was burned to ashes by me."

"Those two were also poor ghosts; no storage bags, not even their magic robes were left."

Luo Chen cursed and kicked the unconscious cultivator, "What kind of people are these? Robbing in broad daylight. Don't they know that I am invincible among my peers?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

How do we remember that when you were running away just now, you disappeared in the blink of an eye?

Luo Chen twitched his mouth, too disdainful to explain!

Slipping to the side, he happily played with the magic treasure he had just obtained.

A high-grade spear magic treasure; these are not common.

It's also fire-attributed; although it doesn't quite match the Changchun Gong, he has five spiritual roots, so he can barely use it!

It's a pity that after the big battle just now, repeatedly activating the Jade Blade and the Four-Image Tripod, and performing large-scale Entanglement Spells and Firefly Flashes, his internal spiritual power was more than half consumed.

Otherwise, he would have had to try out this spear magic treasure.

Oh, he had also collected an ice-snow flying sword earlier; it seemed to be high-grade as well.

Its power was quite impressive, only slightly inferior to this spear. Fortunately, he had been prepared at the time and used the Four-Image Tripod to block it.

"This battle has been a bountiful harvest!"

"Two high-grade attack magic treasures, one high-grade magic robe, plus a storage bag that hasn't been checked yet. Who knows how many good things are inside."

There was no time to count carefully, because many people had already rushed over from the distance.

The leader was, without a doubt, the old acquaintance Ceng Yilong.

He landed in the woods in a hurry and looked at Luo Chen with concern.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Can you still refine elixirs in the future!"

The last sentence is the point, right!

Luo Chen rolled his eyes, "Do I look like I'm in trouble? Send someone to take Liu Qiang back to heal his wounds first!"

After saying this, he flicked his large sleeves and rode the wind away.

Ceng Yilong arranged for someone to send Liu Qiang away, then hurriedly followed Luo Chen.

While flying, Ceng Yilong asked in a low voice, "Why did you only refine Jade Marrow Elixirs last month? I didn't see a single Wonder Pill."

"What did you say?"

"I said Wonder Pill!"

"The wind is too strong, I can't hear you!"

"Bastard, I won't come to save you next time."

"Oh, I originally had a few Wonder Pills in stock and planned to give them to you. High-grade ones, too. What a pity..."

"Fellow Daoist Luo Chen, please this way!"

As soon as they arrived at the Poshan Gang's main altar, Ceng Yilong started shouting.

"Where is everyone? Where did you all die!"

"Light the furnace! Serve hot tea! Bring the Qi-replenishing elixirs and healing elixirs quickly. Don't you know our Hall Master Luo Chen was frightened today!"