Chapter 212: A blazing sun presses upon the heart, a single word of 'fellow Daoist' bids farewell to the world

Powerful! Scorching!

That massive fireball truly seemed like a rising sun, constantly expanding, constantly growing stronger.

Fear, shrinking away.

It instantly shrouded the female cultivator's head.

Yu Rou stopped immediately, her eyes looking with uncertainty and shock at that figure beneath the blazing sun.

"Dan Chenzi?"

As she stopped, the blazing sun also slowly dissipated.

A cold, sharp gaze looked straight over.

Looking directly into this person's eyes was like looking into a cold, deep abyss—bottomless and incomparably frigid.

Yu Rou said in a strained voice, "Huo Hu cannot die. You all cannot kill him."

She glanced at the unconscious body inside the vine prison.

Luo Chen sneered, "In this world, where is the logic that one can only be killed and not resist? Fellow Daoist Yu, am I not right?"

"But, the Huo family... Huo Quan!"

Mentioning the name Huo Quan seemed to give Yu Rou confidence.

She gradually regained her composure, "If you dare to kill Huo Hu, the Huo family will definitely not let it go. Huo Quan has been at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment for many years; this seclusion was specifically to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Once he breaks through and emerges..."

"He is not before us." Luo Chen interrupted her, "The one blocking our path is you."

That's right!

It is me!

The calm, waveless words made Yu Rou's entire body tremble.

Her gaze wandered; nearby was the murderous Dan Chenzi.

In the distance stood Wang Yuan, perched upon a stone pillar like a Shura demon tiger.

Behind her, there was also Li Yixian, holding a long sword.

Just now, she had seen clearly that Li Yixian truly had the intention to stop her.

In other words, she had already decided to stand on Dan Chenzi's side!

If it were ordinary times, she would have the confidence to rely on the extreme speed of the Emerald Feather White Eagle to escape this place.

However, the Dan Chenzi before her, with that aura of slaughter, was truly terrifying.

He was able to return alive.

This meant that two great Foundation Establishment True Persons could not take him down, and were even killed by him in return!

Under such an encirclement, she did not have the slightest bit of certainty that she could snatch Huo Hu and escape calmly.

"Forget it! Forget it!"

She gave a bitter smile and slowly retreated.

"As for today's matters, you all had best look after yourselves. Huo Quan's rage is something you cannot withstand."

Watching her retreating figure.

Luo Chen suddenly spoke up.

"Wait!"

Yu Rou's expression changed; it was no longer bitter, but became fierce.

"What?"

"Fellow Daoist, could it be you still want to keep me here too!"

As she said this, spiritual light surged from her entire body, and a feather fan fell into her hand.

This scene.

Was just like a bristling hawk.

However, Luo Chen only shook his head.

He said indifferently, "I can let you go. But, after returning, you must not mention the details of the battle here to Huo Quan. If he pursues the matter, just say Huo Hu is in my, Dan Chenzi's, hands. If he dares to act rashly, then he can wait for the Huo family to have no successors!"

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to two different places.

One was deep underground in the stone forest, the other was the figure standing atop the stone pillar.

Yu Rou naturally understood his meaning.

But these threatening words still made her, who had always been high and mighty, feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps sensing her dissatisfaction, Luo Chen smiled lightly and spat out a sentence.

This sentence made her heart jump wildly, and she had no choice but to agree.

"The Luo Tian Society is, to me, merely a means to collect cultivation resources, but the Yu family is your lifeblood."

Yu Rou looked at him deeply.

"I will remember this!"

Afterward, the white eagle flapped its emerald feathers and flew into the distance.

Li Yixian watched this scene, feeling that the ball of gloom that had been accumulating in her chest all night suddenly dissipated.

That friend with whom she had a fairly good relationship in the past, calling each other sisters.

Had been using the "Li family" to manipulate her all night.

Truly manipulating her to the point of suffocation.

That feeling, family, who understands!

Unexpectedly, Luo Chen understood!

The "Yu family" two words spat out at the end, I fear, made Yu Rou tremble all over, her hands and feet turning cold!

Luo Chen was no kind soul.

Fighting two great Foundation Establishment True Persons alone and returning safely, intimidating one person and one beast.

Even daring to speak harsh words to the late-stage Foundation Establishment Huo Quan.

Such a ruthless person, if truly pushed to the limit, would at worst abandon this Luo Tian Society, cast aside his dignity, and focus on slaughtering the Yu family.

By that time, how would the Yu family's clansmen go out for training? How would they do business?

It can be said that family cultivators are strong because of their family, but also weak because of their family.

Hu!

Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Li Yixian felt refreshed.

She looked at the unconscious Huo Hu in the green cage.

"Is he not dead?"

Luo Chen nodded, his gaze falling on Wang Yuan, who was approaching.

The other party's condition was not good; a palm-sized piece of flesh on his lower abdomen was gone, and his overall state appeared somewhat withered.

It was evident that this battle was not as easy for him as Li Yixian and the others had said.

Wang Yuan said in a muffled voice, "He was hit by one of my Blood God Tribulation Fingers; even if he didn't die, he's severely injured."

Blood God Tribulation Finger!

That was the attack method for the second stage of body refining that Wang Yuan had told Luo Chen about, which he had finally researched after many years of study.

The attack area was not grand.

But the speed was fast, the power was highly concentrated, and it could be released from a distance.

Especially that last point, which was exceptionally important.

The reason why second-stage body refiners were not the match of Foundation Establishment True Persons.

Was because their methods were mostly close-range; even relying on the release of Qi and blood, it was only a distance of ten-plus zhang.

It was very difficult to threaten Foundation Establishment True Persons who relied on flying swords and could attack from super-long distances of dozens of zhang.

Back then, Duan Qiankun had relied on hovering in flight and long-range attacks to torture Wang Yuan to the point of wishing for death.

Now, he could be considered to have barely made up for his lack of long-range methods.

Luo Chen shook his head, "He cannot die!"

Neither Wang Yuan nor Li Yixian refuted this; instead, they quite agreed.

Having offended the Huo family now, if Huo Hu were to die, the Huo family ancestor would surely be furious upon emerging from seclusion.

That was a sixth-level Foundation Establishment, perhaps even a late-stage Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator upon emerging!

A living Huo Hu could better restrain him!

"If Huo Quan fails his seclusion and instead suffers from Qi deviation, that would be good." Li Yixian smiled.

The laughter was like heavenly music, yet the appearance was ordinary.

Luo Chen glanced at her and said indifferently, "One cannot pin one's hopes on such ethereal luck."

As he spoke.

He withdrew the cage and tossed the unconscious Huo Hu to Wang Yuan.

"This person is your spoils of war, so I leave him to your custody."

"Rest assured, I have a hundred ways to imprison him." Wang Yuan said in a muffled voice.

Without delay, he carried Huo Hu and landed among the Luo Tian Society cultivators.

"Fellow Daoist, I will return first, later..."

Facing Li Yixian's eager gaze, Luo Chen nodded.

"We will wait for you all for a little while, be quick!"

Li Yixian looked at Luo Chen gratefully and hurriedly flew back to the Li family camp.

This place was not a place to stay for long.

That Luo Chen was willing to wait for them to set off together was already very friendly.

This also proved that her choice of side was correct.

In this world of cultivation filled with deceit, people like Wang Haichao and Huo Hu were everywhere.

On the contrary, people like Luo Chen, who were both powerful yet maintained a set of principles, were very few.

She would rather trust Luo Chen than believe that Huo Hu and the others would show mercy to her Li family in the end.

Watching her departing figure.

Luo Chen nodded imperceptibly.

He had returned long ago, but had not rushed to make a move.

After surveying the battlefield, he determined that the overall advantage was on his side.

The only variables were Yu Rou and Li Yixian.

That Yu Rou tried to make a move at the end was within his expectations.

And Li Yixian's attempt to intercept was a pleasant surprise.

If Li Yixian had turned against him, relying on himself after a great battle and the injured Wang Yuan.

I fear it would have been very difficult to take down the two women.

After all, there was still a second-stage Emerald Feather White Eagle that could come and go as it pleased.

If that scene had truly occurred, he would not have been stingy about secretly unleashing a long-accumulated Blazing Sun Art, which could at least severely injure one of them.

Now, since Li Yixian had shown goodwill.

Then he did not mind making their relationship even closer.

After Li Yixian left.

Only then did Luo Chen have time to pay attention to the battlefield.

In reality, there was nothing left to pay attention to.

When Huo Hu fell to the ground and Luo Chen returned, the battlefield had already presented a one-sided situation.

The Dajiang Gang cultivators were trying their best to shake off their enemies and fleeing frantically toward the surrounding wild mountains and ridges.

Those without ability were all put to death under President Sima Hui Niang's encirclement.

At this moment.

Below Gaoling Plain, corpses littered the field, and blood flowed like a river.

Releasing his spiritual sense, Luo Chen surveyed the entire battlefield.

Afterward, a large handful of colorful little beads appeared in his hand.

Jade Marrow Waste Beads!

He snorted coldly and threw them in all directions.

With the overall situation settled, the Luo Tian Society cultivators, under the leadership of Murong Qinglian, were scavenging for spoils, counting casualties, and dealing with the remains of their own fallen cultivators.

Just as a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator wanted to lower his head to pick up a magic tool tightly gripped in a corpse's hand.

Pu!

A soft sound.

A flower of blood bloomed on the forehead of that corpse.

A pair of eyes widened in shock, and then died with eyes wide open.

That Luo Tian Society cultivator was greatly startled and hurriedly retreated.

Beside his ear came Luo Chen's cold voice.

"Watch out for those feigning death; do not let your guard down."

Before the words fell.

From all directions, pu-pu sounds rang out one after another.

Many Dajiang Gang cultivators feigning death had nowhere to hide after his spiritual sense swept over them.

Having received his reminder, the subordinates cleaning the battlefield also became cautious.

Before collecting spoils, they would first poke the enemy's head with a magic tool.

Suddenly.

A figure shot up, turning into a stream of light and fleeing.

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, "There are capable people even among low-level cultivators; they actually managed to evade even my spiritual sense detection."

Flicking his finger.

A spark of fire streaked across like a meteor.

That figure kept changing shape in the air, dodging left and right, trying to evade.

However...

Pu!

Luo Chen reached out and summoned, and a dusty storage bag flew over from afar, landing in his hand.

He did not care about the gazes of worship and respect from the Luo Tian Society cultivators.

Luo Chen landed gracefully.

"How is the situation?"

President Sima Hui Niang said excitedly, "A great victory, hundreds of enemies killed, countless spoils captured!"

After this battle, the foundation of the Luo Tian Society could be considered completely solidified.

The Fu family, the Duan family, plus the belongings of hundreds of Dajiang Gang cultivators.

It was enough to arm the Luo Tian Society cultivators to the teeth.

Even complete defensive magic tools, they had found more than a dozen.

Looking at her excitement, Luo Chen shook his head.

"What are our casualties?"

President Sima Hui Niang was startled, and facing Luo Chen's deep gaze, she couldn't help but shiver.

She hurriedly said, "Hall Master Murong is still counting; there are simply too many injured. As for the confirmed dead, there are already one hundred and fifty-seven, and this number is still increasing. Granny Yuan is taking the female cultivators from the Medicine Hall and Gold Hall to treat their companions as much as possible, striving to reduce the number of those who die from severe injuries."

"Among the dead cultivators, what is the proportion of their realms?"

"Mostly early and middle-stage cultivators, but late-stage cultivators also suffered heavy casualties. Even three great experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining were killed in battle."

Three!

Luo Chen frowned, looking at her.

"Which three?"

"Xiang Yan, Peng Yuanyu..."

Luo Chen knew these two; they were loose cultivators from Dahe Square who had joined the Luo Tian Society along with Bian Zhen during his three years of seclusion.

In reality, they were formerly the second and third leaders of Panshan Fortress.

It was only because the leader, Fang Chengshan, had overreached during the Battle of Xiaohuan Mountain and was beheaded by Luo Chen with a single sword strike, which led to the disintegration of Panshan Fortress.

After struggling for a few years, they finally chose to join the Luo Tian Society.

In terms of strength, they could be considered capable hands.

Unexpectedly, they died in...

"Zeng Wen."

"Hmm?"

"And Zeng Wen."

"Who did you say?" Luo Chen's calm expression fluctuated.

How could Zeng Wen possibly die?

Even if all the Qi Refining cultivators of the Luo Tian Society died, it would be impossible for it to be his turn.

Regarding this fat fellow Daoist who was the first to buy Zhongmiao Pills from him, Luo Chen understood him better than anyone.

High strength, varied methods.

Even when Luo Chen's realm was low, he had sought his advice on quite a bit of knowledge regarding earth-type spells.

Moreover, Zeng Wen's personality was a bit cautious.

To put it bluntly, he was greedy for life and afraid of death.

He was often the first to retreat when he saw the situation was not right.

Even when the Poshan Gang was destroyed back then, and even Wang Yuan was severely injured, he remained unscathed.

How could such a person die in this kind of chaotic battle?

He should be living better than anyone!

Under Luo Chen's disbelieving gaze.

President Sima Hui Niang swallowed her saliva and said with immense regret, "Fellow Daoist Zeng Wen suffered multiple wounds to protect his wife and children. After Hall Master Gu fought his way out of Gaoling Plain, he could no longer hold on and fell..."

"Take me to see him!"

"Forget it, you go busy yourself."

Luo Chen waved his large sleeve and walked toward the rear.

President Sima Hui Niang bit her lip, looking at Luo Chen's back, her eyes containing complex emotions.

No one knew what she was thinking.

Sighing, President Sima Hui Niang threw herself into the busy post-battle processing work.

"The Society Leader is here!"

"It's the Society Leader!"

"The Society Leader is mighty, invincible among his peers!"

"Greetings, Society Leader!"

Luo Chen passed through the crowd silently; those compliments and praises were like passing clouds.

Soon, he arrived at the camp where the wounded were concentrated.

On the left side, there was an area covered by white cloth.

Faintly, the sound of sobbing could be heard incessantly.

His gaze shifted slightly, and Luo Chen entered the crowd.

At first glance, he saw a little one.

Lying beside a bloody, chubby corpse.

"Daddy..."

"Daddy..."

"Little Long, your daddy is just sleeping."

The little one looked at his mother in confusion, then tremblingly lay down beside the corpse, mumbling with a giggle.

"I... also... want to sleep..."

"Yes, sleep, sleep."

Watching this scene, Luo Chen took a deep breath.

He approached slowly.

Pairs of sorrowful and grieving gazes all fell upon him.

Luo Chen bent down and gently gathered the little one, Ceng Yilong, into his broad embrace.

There was no resistance, no noise; he just fell asleep quietly like that.

Lowering his head.

Looking at the corpse whose face was almost unrecognizable, he opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping.

Finally, he said softly, "Fellow Daoist Zeng, do you have any last words?"

At this moment, he familiarly said those words "Fellow Daoist Zeng," just as when they first met.

There was no difference in realm, no difference in rank.

There was only a farewell between friends.

Xiu Gu sat paralyzed on the ground, wiped her tears, and sobbed, "No last words, only time to say, 'live on'."

"Live on..."

Luo Chen pursed his lips, smiling bitterly inside.

"As expected of you, Fellow Daoist Zeng! Even before dying, you passed down the family motto."

He held Ceng Yilong, gently patting the child's back.

His lips parted slightly.

Softly, but with absolute certainty, he said:

"His son will live on!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 213 =====