Chapter 136

Wang Yuan is the only friend Luo Chen can rely on.

Even when he refined the somewhat demonic Blood-Burning Pill, the first thing he did was have Wang Yuan find someone to test the pill.

If one were to delve into the relationship between the two, it was nothing more than a bottle of Grain-Bigu Pills and a storage bag.

When Wang Yuan was down and out, Luo Chen gave him a bottle of Grain-Bigu Pills.

When Luo Chen was seriously injured and possessed a rich amount of spoils, Wang Yuan did not resort to robbery, and even sent the other Soul-Breaking Nail to Luo Chen with quite a bit of spirit.

Which one is lighter and which one is heavier, it's clear at a glance.

But true friendship cannot be fully described by the value of things.

Running away is Luo Chen's plan, but he definitely has to give Wang Yuan an explanation.

Even if it's just a simple "goodbye"!

After another day of alchemy, Luo Chen held the "Qingyuan Pill Explanation" in his hands, sitting on the cliff platform sipping tea and reading.

He had already made plans to quietly head to the Jiao Hall tonight to say goodbye to Wang Yuan.

Then, he would use the next half month to complete the refining of the Jade Marrow Pills and accumulate the spirit stones before leaving.

Doing this wouldn't attract attention.

And when he left, he could be as composed as possible.

"The only pity is that my cultivation is still far from reaching the ninth level of Qi Refining; otherwise, I would have more self-preservation power."

In the realm column, the progress bar was slowly advancing to 【50/100】.

To complete the purification of his spiritual power once and break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, it would take at least several months.

Unfortunately, Luo Chen couldn't wait that long.

He didn't know how long it would take for Hearing Mi Shuhua to recover from his injuries.

These recent days were the best opportunity for him to run away.

Otherwise, if he really waited until the other party recovered, the determination to catch him back would only be greater.

Delay brings change!

Luo Chen sighed in his heart, quietly waiting for the Alchemy Hall cultivators to leave one by one.

Suddenly, Zhou Yuanli, who had been lurking in the dark, walked in.

"Hall Master, something's wrong!"

Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat; he had concealed himself well enough, so logically, others shouldn't be able to see his intention to leave!

However, Zhou Yuanli's next words made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Outside, something's not right!"

The big stone that had just landed was lifted back into his heart.

Luo Chen frowned and looked at him, "What's not right?"

"The two brothers arranged to patrol outside have no news."

"Hmm?"

Hearing Mi Shuhua had arranged five bodyguards for Luo Chen.

On the surface, it was still Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang, these two experts at the eighth level of Qi Refining, who could rival a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator when joining forces.

Privately, three bodyguards each undertook the work of scouts and rear guards.

Usually, two bodyguards would patrol outside at all times to ensure Luo Chen's safety when he went out.

Zhou Yuanli would also regularly contact them.

Now, suddenly, there was no news.

What did this mean?

"Bad!" Luo Chen was horrified, "Quickly go and call Hall Master Murong and Deacon Gu back!"

Just now, right under his nose, the two women had left together.

Less than two minutes had passed.

And to be able to make two eighth-level Qi Refining experts disappear without a sound meant there was a danger outside that could threaten a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator!

Zhou Yuanli was stunned, his face changing uncertainly.

He turned and left, but as soon as he got outside, he blew a whistle.

Many mid-to-late Qi Refining cultivators who usually guarded Xieyue Valley suddenly appeared, numbering over twenty.

Among them, one even had the realm of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

Luo Chen recognized the other party, the only deacon of the Medicine Hall, named Yuan Yuejiao.

She was quite old, nearly a hundred years old, and usually responsible for managing the medicine fields, spirit plant cultivation, and the latest beast-skin clothing production.

The spirit plant cultivator Yuan Dongsheng, whom Luo Chen was familiar with, was her eldest son.

Usually, it was mostly she and Sima Shoujia who took turns staying at Xieyue Valley at night.

Everyone respected her quite a bit and called her Granny Yuan.

"Activate the array!"

A vigorous voice sounded, coming from Zhou Yuanli.

"Zhou Yuanli, what are you doing?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at him.

"Hall Master, your safety is the primary task!"

Zhou Yuanli said neither humbly nor arrogantly, while beckoning Dongfang Liang to move closer.

"You go outside to check the situation; if you encounter Hall Master Murong and Deacon Gu, please ask them to come back."

Dongfang Liang was a bit nervous, nodded, and flew out cautiously.

Turning back, Zhou Yuanli looked at Luo Chen and Yuan Yuejiao, saying cautiously: "Those two brothers have average combat methods, but their concealment methods are extremely strong. Now that they've lost contact, it's highly likely the other party is coming for you, Hall Master."

"In all things, caution is the priority!"

Luo Chen looked at him deeply, then his gaze fell on Xieyue Valley.

He saw a curtain of earthy yellow light slowly expanding, and then, like an inverted bowl, slowly covering Xieyue Valley.

The large-scale first-tier array, the Earth-Defense Array, built on the foundation of the mountain's terrain and earth veins, was often the first choice for a small immortal cultivation family's clan-protecting array.

Luo Chen was very clear that after the Alchemy Hall settled in Xieyue Valley, the Poshan Gang had set up this array to guard the two major halls here.

Usually, the Earth-Defense Array was rarely activated because it consumed a huge amount of spirit stones.

Activating it once required at least a hundred spirit stones.

If it were to be maintained, a hundred spirit stones would have to be continuously invested every incense stick of time.

But this time, Zhou Yuanli activated it without the slightest hesitation.

From this, one could see how high Luo Chen's importance was!

With the activation of the array, the scenery outside, originally shrouded in the sunset's afterglow, became even more dim and yellow.

Luo Chen's pair of spiritual eyes scanned the outside repeatedly.

Suddenly, he raised his hand.

Zhou Yuanli was stunned, then realized something and quickly flew to the edge of the array.

Fairy Xuanji, figures appeared before him.

They weren't enemies, they were all familiar people!

He breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing the bloodstains on many of them, his face became even uglier.

Especially seeing Gu Caiyi, who was covered in blood and being supported by Murong Qinglian, he only felt a chill running down his spine.

"Hall Master Murong, what exactly happened outside?"

"There are enemies, many of them!"

Murong Qinglian looked anxious, her palace-style dress also stained with blood.

It was unclear whether it was her own or if it had been stained by the unconscious Gu Caiyi beside her.

"What kind of enemies could hurt you and Deacon Gu?"

Murong Qinglian looked back, but couldn't see any sign of the enemy.

She could only give a bitter laugh, "I'm not clear on the specific situation, but there are at least four ninth-level Qi Refining experts. As for the mid-to-late Qi Refining ones, they are countless."

"Elder Sima left the valley before us, but when we saw him, he was being hunted by a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator wearing iron claws, looking extremely wretched."

"It was precisely by relying on his warning that we avoided the sneak attack aimed at me and Caiyi."

Zhou Yuanli's eyes widened; how could such powerful enemies appear for no reason?

Moreover, since they had such powerful strength, why would they let Murong Qinglian and the others escape back?

Especially outside the array, those Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall cultivators only had early-to-mid Qi Refining realms.

"Quickly let us in!"

"Those people are so terrifying, killing without blinking; Chen Yuan died right before our eyes, leaving no bones behind."

"Senior Zhou, can you open the array? I'm injured, it hurts so much."

"Quickly open the array!"

Cries and shouts rang out, and towards the end, there were almost sounds of cursing and resentment.

Zhou Yuanli's expression changed uncertainly, not knowing how to make a decision for a moment.

"Let them in!"

A steady voice reached his ears, and Zhou Yuanli turned his head.

"Hall Master! You can't!"

"Among these people, there might be spies mixed in!"

Luo Chen's expression was solemn, "It's fine, just let me make the decision."

With a wave of his large sleeve, he came to the front of the array.

Looking at those familiar faces outside, he said loudly: "Before entering the array, show your Poshan Gang identity tokens."

"After entering the array, do not move around, accept questioning, and do not offer any resistance."

"Anyone who violates the order will be killed without mercy!"

The commotion outside finally stopped.

One by one, they shouted things like "Long live the Hall Master" and "Thank you, Hall Master."

Luo Chen remained unmoved, his gaze fixed intently on the cultivators outside.

Zhou Yuanli sighed; Luo Chen's experience was too shallow, and he was too benevolent.

Suddenly letting so many people in, if there were spies inside, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But here, Luo Chen indeed had the highest status, so he couldn't disobey him.

Especially under the eyes of everyone, if he refused, he would not only anger Luo Chen but also provoke public outrage.

Among those cultivators outside, quite a few had relatives and friends inside.

For example, the spirit plant cultivator Yuan Dongsheng was chatting with Medicine Hall Deacon Yuan across the array.

Sigh, forget it!

I'll just pay more attention later!

Zhou Yuanli had no choice but to have someone open the array, revealing a gap that allowed one person to enter.

The first to enter were naturally Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi.

Luo Chen glanced at them and nodded slightly.

"Deacon Yuan Yuejiao, please treat their injuries."

"I don't need it; I reacted in time and didn't suffer any injuries."

Murong Qinglian sighed and handed Gu Caiyi over to the aged female cultivator.

Afterward, she stood by Luo Chen's side.

Next, the low-level cultivators of the Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall entered the array one by one.

Under the requirements of Zhou Yuanli and others, they each showed their Poshan Gang identity tokens and accepted questioning.

Suddenly, Luo Chen looked at a cultivator who had just been questioned, his brow furrowing.

"Catch him and question him carefully!"

That person was stunned, then his face changed drastically, and he tried to run away.

The others didn't react in time, but Luo Chen had already taken action.

With a flick of his finger!

Pfft!

That person fell to his knees, two small holes in his kneecaps, blood flowing like a fountain.

Murong Qinglian was stunned, "This is Zheng Baotai from the Medicine Hall; he shouldn't be..."

"He is not Zheng Baotai!"

Luo Chen struck out with a strand of spiritual power, and a black mist suddenly emerged from the man's face, revealing an unfamiliar face.

Disguise! Transformation!

While Zhou Yuanli was surprised, his actions were not slow at all, and he immediately grabbed the man.

"Not only him, but this one too."

Luo Chen looked at a cultivator shrinking behind the crowd, and with another flick of his finger.

That person seemed to have anticipated it and immediately summoned a magic tool.

Bang!

It was blocked!

Just as he felt happy in his heart, he saw two stone beads attacking from the left and right, hitting his kneecaps directly.

Pfft! Pfft!

Kneel!

"Catch them all! Question them carefully and see which force they come from."

"Also, place restrictive methods on the rest of the cultivators who entered, including Yuan Dongsheng."

Luo Chen ordered indifferently, his gaze falling on Yuan Yuejiao not far away as he spoke.

The old woman pursed her lips and nodded slightly at him.

Zhou Yuanli took a deep breath and immediately followed suit.

He was just curious in his heart, how exactly did Luo Chen distinguish between friend and foe?

Moreover, Luo Chen didn't seem as naive as he had thought, arranging everything in an orderly manner.

Luo Chen naturally wouldn't explain to him; under the blessing of the double Spiritual Eye Art, such simple spiritual power transformation methods were too easy to identify.

However, one couldn't rule out the possibility that the Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall cultivators had been bought off by the enemy.

That was why he had people impose restrictions after questioning.

After dealing with these two, Luo Chen's gaze fell on the dozens of people remaining outside.

As his cold gaze projected over, the crowd of dozens of people suddenly became restless.

Almost instantly, seven people scattered and ran in several directions.

Luo Chen sneered; a few mid-stage Qi Refining ones, and they still wanted to leave after coming!

The Earth-Defense Array was for the outside, not the inside.

He didn't hesitate, flicking his ten fingers in succession!

In an instant, dozens of Jade Marrow waste beads shot out.

Although the "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers" had only reached the second stage of proficiency, in terms of this one hidden weapon technique, the "Mixed Origin Bead," he was definitely a master, worthy of being called the pinnacle.

Under the control of his pure eighth-level Qi Refining spiritual power, the power erupted by these dozens of Jade Marrow waste beads was not inferior to a strike from a low-grade magic tool.

In the blink of an eye, pfft-pfft sounds rang out loudly.

In mid-air, beautiful blood flowers bloomed.

The only cultivator who relied on a mid-grade magic robe to block the attack was also blasted into fragments by the siege of twenty Jade Marrow waste beads.

Facing this scene of wanton slaughter, the cultivators of the two halls were silent as cicadas in winter.

The Alchemy Hall Master, who was usually easygoing and free-spirited, and friendly to everyone, actually had such thunderous means.

Killing mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators was like slaughtering chickens and dogs.

But as the remaining surviving cultivators entered, cheers rang out again.

"Hall Master is mighty!"

"Hall Master's strength is so strong!"

"No wonder he can manage one of the nine halls; I didn't expect the seemingly ordinary Hall Master to be so powerful!"

The more dangerous it is, the more worthy a strong person is of reliance.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, comforted everyone, and then had people bring the two captives into the Alchemy Hall.

"Did they confess?"

"Not yet." Dongfang Liang scratched his head, "I'm not very proficient with the Soul-Killing Needle I learned from Elder Sima. If he were here, that would be even better."

"Forget it, I'll do it myself!"

Luo Chen stood up and took a silver needle from Dongfang Liang's hand.

He didn't know any Soul-Killing Needle, but he knew the "Bright Spirit Breaking Evil"!

This set of exercises for tempering the will required stimulating thirty-six acupuncture points, causing people to suffer extreme pain.

Luo Chen had spent several months just to barely get started.

He hadn't seen the specific results yet.

But now, taking it to interrogate low-level cultivators was just right.

Coming before the first cultivator he had captured, the man's face was pale, but his eyes revealed a look of disdain.

Luo Chen shook his head, not using words to shake his will.

He stabbed down with one needle directly!

He didn't choose the acupuncture points that would cause pain gradually, but went straight for the Quchi point!

"Ah!!!"

With just one needle, the cultivator's pupils dilated, and he let out a heart-rending roar.

Dongfang Liang, standing to the side, trembled all over; it was just stimulating one acupuncture point, was there a need for such a big reaction?

Of course, he didn't know that Luo Chen's technique didn't stop there.

Secretly, with the help of the silver needle, Luo Chen had already permeated a strand of spiritual power.

Now, it was an attack from both inside and outside; the Qi Refining cultivator was still within the category of humans, so how could he resist such sudden pain?

Swish!

The silver needle was removed, and Luo Chen looked at the other party quietly.

Two breaths later, he shook his head.

"It seems you still don't want to talk."

Shhh!

In the terrified gaze, he stabbed down with another needle.

"Ah!!!"

Removing the silver needle, Luo Chen looked at the other party quietly.

Shaking his head.

"A hero with an iron will, what a pity."

In the terrified gaze, Luo Chen reached out and took two silver needles.

His hands stabbed down like lightning.

"Eh, why aren't you screaming anymore?"

Only then did Luo Chen discover that the other party had already gone limp on the ground, with a faint smell of urine coming from his crotch.

"Even like this, you still won't talk?"

"I'm really curious, what kind of experience created such a powerful will in you."

Luo Chen sighed and reached out to take a third silver needle.

Just as he raised the silver needle high, the cultivator on the ground had dull eyes, his lips muttering:

"You ask... you ask me..."