Chapter 421: Internal Strife in the Flame Alliance, Luo Chen Approaches Fenxiang Valley

That night.

Qin Tairan, the Law Enforcement Elder of the Flame Alliance, openly tore up the rules of the Immortal City and personally took action within the city to destroy a black market.

Some said it was an industry owned by the Luoyun Sect, and this was the Flame Alliance's counterattack.

Some said Qin Tairan had grown covetous of an item being auctioned in the black market and, discarding all shame, had brazenly attacked to seize it.

There were also rumors that the black market had released a large number of reports unfavorable to the Flame Alliance, which was why Elder Qin of the Flame Alliance had struck with lethal intent.

Regardless, that very night, several Jin Dan True Persons from outside the region flew out of the black market, glaring angrily at Qin Tairan.

If not for the fact that the opponent had the advantage of being on home turf, a massive battle would likely have erupted right then and there.

Luo Chen, who had not personally attended the auction, only received the accurate news the next morning from a disheveled-looking Tian Xingzi.

"The message you wanted us to release has been released."

"Here, these are the spirit stones for the hundred-year Thunder Essence; there are twenty-three high-grade spirit stones in total."

Clutching the storage bag handed over by Tian Xingzi, Luo Chen looked at him with a half-smile.

It made the other party feel quite uncomfortable.

Thunder Essence is a fourth-tier material.

Ordinary magic treasures would not incorporate this; only when refining a life-bound magic treasure would one add a small amount of ten-year Thunder Essence.

Anything involving the refining of a life-bound magic treasure is not priced like an ordinary low-grade magic treasure.

As one of the primary materials, the price of Thunder Essence usually starts at one hundred thousand spirit stones.

And a hundred-year Thunder Essence is already considered a top-tier fourth-tier mineral!

Twenty-three high-grade spirit stones is equivalent to twenty-three thousand low-grade spirit stones.

This price, if one says it is low, it is not low.

But if one says it is high, it certainly cannot be considered high.

Facing Luo Chen's playful gaze, Tian Xingzi said unnaturally, "According to your requirements, besides releasing the news, we settled the payment in high-grade spirit stones. As for the identity of the guest who bought the Thunder Essence, it is not easy for us to say."

Luo Chen smiled and did not press for more.

As long as the main goal was achieved, a small loss was nothing.

Whether that hundred-year Thunder Essence was swallowed by the Zhenlong Black Market itself had nothing to do with him.

He clicked his tongue twice, "It seems Qin Tairan's sudden move last night really caught you off guard!"

Tian Xingzi said indifferently, "It was nothing more than a dog jumping over a wall in desperation, a display of impotent rage."

Luo Chen nodded in agreement.

Indeed!

The current Flame Alliance dares not retaliate against the Luoyun Sect, nor does it dare to bare its fangs at the Sword Sect; it can only shrink back home to lick its wounds.

A swarm of flies buzzes nearby, ready to come up and suck blood at any moment.

How could the Flame Alliance not be annoyed, how could it not be angry?

However, taking action within the Immortal City they built themselves, breaking the rules and destroying the commercial atmosphere they had cultivated for years—that was truly unexpected.

"It seems the people in the Flame Alliance are already very panicked now!" Luo Chen muttered.

Beside him, Tian Xingzi looked at him curiously.

"When do you plan to make your move?"

"Hasn't the time already been set?"

Tian Xingzi was stunned; he thought of the time point Luo Chen had mentioned earlier.

One month later!

He couldn't help but say, "You released the exact time in advance; aren't you afraid the Flame Alliance will make preparations early?"

"Make preparations early?" Luo Chen shook his head and sneered, "How much preparation can they make early? Call friends and invite guests? Within the Yuding Region, the Four-Sect Alliance led by the Luoyun Sect is their enemy, and the Hundred Flowers Palace remains neutral. In other words, the only one they can ask for help is the Yuding Sword Sect."

"And as for the Sword Sect, whether I release the news or not, if they want to help the Flame Alliance, they will always be able to. By then, let alone the small force I have gathered, even if the other sects came together, it is not certain they could take down the Flame Alliance."

"But if the Sword Sect does not help, then this month of time will only make the Flame Alliance cultivators increasingly desperate!"

"I just want to see the look of despair on their faces!"

By the end of his sentence, a cruel smile had unknowingly hung on the man's lips.

Watching this scene, Tian Xingzi couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

Luo Chen's mind was becoming increasingly profound, and his methods were becoming increasingly cruel and thorough.

He had considered everything, inside and out.

Even the enemy's state of mind was in his calculations.

Is this still a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Even a sect Daoist or a great sect Jin Dan would find it difficult to make such comprehensive considerations!

In his horror, he specifically gave a reminder.

"If the time drags on too long, the Flame Alliance will be able to recall all the sect members scattered outside; by then, I fear it will be even more troublesome."

However!

Luo Chen didn't care at all.

"So what!"

"It's just an opportunity for us to wipe them all out in one go!"

Tian Xingzi opened his mouth, unable to refute.

Looking at the incredibly confident Luo Chen, he finally said only one thing.

"Although the Luoyun Sect cannot take action, it can contact a few Jin Dan cultivators for you. But don't count on these people; whether they are willing to take action when the time comes will depend on the momentum of your victory on the front lines."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow.

This counts as an unexpected joy!

As for whether such fence-sitters are useful?

Naturally, the more, the better!

It was also while Luo Chen and Tian Xingzi were negotiating.

Flame Alliance, Fenxiang Valley.

The grand spectacle of the great sect, the magnificent scenery of the immortals, could no longer be recreated.

What remained were only broken walls and ruins, a scene of devastation.

Large swaths of buildings had collapsed, and one huge crater after another pockmarked Fenxiang Valley.

The low-level cultivators walking within all wore expressions of panic.

Any slightly larger disturbance would provoke a chorus of inquiries.

A streak of light flew in from the outside.

He paused in the air, slowing his speed, as if deliberately revealing his figure to let the low-level disciples notice.

After a while, he flew directly into the depths of Fenxiang Valley.

After entering, he passed through rows of empty stone pillars and arrived before a stone platform.

On it, a Daoist sat cross-legged.

Beside him, wisps of cyan flames steamed, occasionally expanding and contracting.

With this constant expansion and contraction, his weak aura was also constantly recovering.

Hearing the movement, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Elder Brother Qin!"

Qin Tairan gave a grunt, looking at him with concern: "Junior Brother Xuyang, how are your injuries?"

True Person Xuyang sighed, pointing his fingers like a sword, with cyan flames swirling around them, and in front of Qin Tairan, he plunged them into his own chest.

Afterward, with a ferocious look on his face, he forcibly pulled a silver thread out from within his body.

Hu!

After pulling it out, he let out a long sigh of relief.

"With the help of this Wither-Glory Fire, my injuries are constantly recovering."

"The Luoyun Sect's puppet arts truly exceeded our expectations; we never imagined they would have such strange and treacherous means."

As he spoke, the silver thread he had pulled from his body gradually melted under the scorching of the cyan flames.

Watching this scene, Qin Tairan's expression changed slightly.

Regarding the path of puppets, their Flame Alliance still understood it somewhat.

This is a method that integrates formations, weapon forging, and souls into one.

As a great sect of weapon forging, the Flame Alliance had not been without experience in refining puppets in the past.

But their understanding of puppets was still concentrated on close combat, long-range attacks, and releasing spiritual energy shockwaves.

No one expected that the Luoyun Sect's puppet arts had already developed to a level they had never imagined.

"This method of fusing weapons into puppets is definitely not something the Luoyun Sect could achieve on its own!"

True Person Xuyang sighed, "Indeed. On it, I discovered very distinct weapon-forging techniques from Tianfan City. These silver threads have a special material that can actually fuse with the spiritual sense of a Jin Dan cultivator. Once attached, it will instantly pose a huge threat to the bodies and souls of us Jin Dan True Persons."

"Even if one is lucky enough not to die, it is like a maggot on a tarsal bone, extremely difficult to clear away."

Qin Tairan's heart trembled.

A weapon that can fuse with the spiritual sense of a Jin Dan cultivator!

If hit, it is no less than enduring a direct spiritual sense impact.

And this kind of attack can be triggered multiple times.

No wonder the Flame Alliance had brought out all its heritage, with over a dozen Jin Dan cultivators, yet still suffered defeat under the siege of the Luoyun Sect.

It is also no wonder the Luoyun Sect dared to challenge the Sword Sect.

With such a killing weapon in hand, even if the sword cultivators of the Yuding Sword Sect are known for their formidable combat power, the puppet masters of the Luoyun Sect have nothing to fear.

"Give me some more time; as long as these tarsal-bone threads are cleared away, I will be able to recover eighty percent of my strength. By then, the burden on you, Elder Brother, will be lighter," True Person Xuyang said with a forced smile.

Qin Tairan shook his head, "I am fine; Nephew Disciple Xiao has already begun to take over the duties of the Sect Master to reorganize the Flame Alliance."

The Nephew Disciple Xiao he spoke of was the Daoist of this generation of the Flame Alliance, Xiao Lian.

He was at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

I should have set about pushing for the Core Formation stage, but I never expected the Yan Alliance to suffer such a great disaster; I had no choice but to leave seclusion early and take over as Sect Master.

Hearing this, True Person Xuyang nodded.

The situation is critical now, but at least the Flame Alliance has successors, and things haven't reached the absolute worst point.

Looking at Qin Tairan, who was in a hurry and still carried a hint of anger.

He couldn't help but ask curiously: "Elder Brother, have you been out?"

Qin Tairan snorted coldly, "The Luoyun Sect's desire to destroy our Flame Alliance remains, and they sent people to spread news unfavorable to our sect in the black market. I took a slight action to deter the petty thieves. Otherwise, others would really think our Flame Alliance is easy to bully."

True Person Xuyang opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Not easy to bully?

They had already been attacked at their doorstep and slaughtered on a large scale.

In the end, the others walked away, and they could do nothing but condemn them a few times.

I fear that in the eyes of everyone outside, the Flame Alliance has already become a soft persimmon!

Qin Tairan probably guessed what he was thinking, and his brow furrowed.

"Junior Brother, don't think too much; the Luoyun Sect will definitely not dare to take action again!"

"Is it a promise given by the Sword Sect?" True Person Xuyang asked.

Qin Tairan nodded, "Yes, I personally asked Yaoguang of the Yuding Sword Sect, and he promised me this."

However, facing this good news, True Person Xuyang still looked full of worry.

A promise from a superior sect is just a promise.

It is not a Great Dao oath; how can it be trusted?

Qin Tairan stood with his hands behind his back, pacing slowly in the empty underground stone forest.

"Now that our Flame Alliance has suffered a great disaster, it seems to be tottering, but isn't this also a golden opportunity for rebirth from the ashes!"

"The Jin Dan cultivators we supported in the past were too numerous, and they were just a bunch of decrepit waste who made no contribution to the sect."

"Now that they are dead, it is just the right time to free up various resources."

"Junior Brother, didn't the Flame Alliance start with just the Ancestor alone? If we work together, we might not be able to recreate our glory."

"Even, with this opportunity, we might have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage!"

Qin Tairan, speaking eloquently, showed a fanaticism on his face that was rarely seen.

It seemed he was not mourning the Flame Alliance's previous experiences at all.

True Person Xuyang watched this scene in silence.

He knew that this Elder Brother of his had always had a strong desire for power.

It was fine when he was suppressed by the Alliance Master in the past.

Now that so many people in the Flame Alliance have died, a momentary power vacuum has been created.

Qin Tairan, at the middle stage of Jin Dan, suddenly became a figure above ten thousand, and it was inevitable that he would become somewhat inflated.

He shook his head, having no intention to continue on this topic.

"Elder Brother, you said the Luoyun Sect spread news unfavorable to our sect in the black market. What news was it?"

Qin Tairan paused his steps and frowned: "It seems to be saying that some great enemy will come to our sect for revenge in a month. Hmph, just nonsense!"

Revenge!

Hearing this news suddenly, True Person Xuyang's expression changed.

"Elder Brother! How can such a major event be taken lightly?"

Qin Tairan frowned, "Our Flame Alliance has some enemies, but where would a great enemy come from?"

"What about Mount Ailao?" True Person Xuyang asked in return.

Qin Tairan snorted, "We have already handed over the Blackwater Swamp, plus the deterrence of the Sword Sect; how would they dare to take action?"

True Person Xuyang said anxiously: "It is better to be safe than sorry!"

"And what if it is?" Qin Tairan said confidently: "Mount Ailao has only four Jin Dan cultivators in total, and the strongest is only at the sixth level of Jin Dan. Even if they attacked with their whole sect, with our Flame Alliance's remaining means, we could handle it. Besides, would they dare?"

Even a dog will jump over a wall when desperate!

Although the Flame Alliance is now at its weakest, it still maintains the name of a great sect.

No one knows how many means they had left unused during the Luoyun Sect's surprise attack.

Moreover, Mount Ailao itself is not strong; it used to claim to have five great Jin Dan cultivators.

But in the Battle of Blackwater Swamp, one of them died together with a Flame Alliance Jin Dan; now that they are just holding on, how would they dare to attack with the whole sect?

However!

True Person Xuyang shook his head, "Don't forget, our sect's mountain-protecting formation has been destroyed; if a battle really breaks out, I fear this foundation of Fenxiang Valley will truly be doomed."

Qin Tairan hesitated.

Suddenly mastering a sect made him unprecedentedly inflated.

But he was not someone who didn't understand reason.

If there is no mountain-protecting formation, after the enemy kills their way into Fenxiang Valley, regardless of victory or defeat, it will be an even heavier blow to the Flame Alliance.

In that case, everything he fantasized about.

Would turn into flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water, becoming a castle in the air.

True Person Xuyang sighed and said: "It is better to be more prudent!"

"Then what do you think should be done?"

"First, let Nephew Disciple Xiao, in the name of the Sect Master, recall the sect members and disciples scattered in various industries. In the face of danger, it is time for everyone to work together to overcome the difficulties. Perhaps, we can even use this opportunity to rebuild the younger generation's confidence in the sect."

"Secondly, let Junior Brother Wang come forward to reorganize the Fenxiang Valley formation. Even if we cannot rebuild the mountain-protecting formation, at least we must construct a temporary third-tier defensive formation."

"Finally, I fear you still have to go to the Sword Sect."

Qin Tairan said unhappily: "The first two are not problems, but go to the Sword Sect? I don't think it's necessary!"

When he said this, his expression was very bad.

One can imagine that his previous contact with True Person Yaoguang of the Sword Sect was very unpleasant.

"Elder Brother!" True Person Xuyang shouted in a low voice.

Qin Tairan was helpless and waved his hand, "Fine, fine, I will go to Yuhuang Mountain again! Don't worry too much; just focus on healing your injuries."

After speaking, he prepared to leave the cave.

When he walked to the fire pit in the middle of the stone pillars, he paused.

"This Wither-Glory Fire, nurtured for so many years with the Fenxiang Spirit-Seizing Formation, not only failed to advance to the fourth tier but instead consumed much of the lifespan of our Flame Alliance's Jin Dan cultivators."

"What is the use of keeping it? Better to destroy it!"

As he spoke, he gathered magic power in his palm, about to take action.

"Elder Brother, you must not!"

Qin Tairan turned his head.

True Person Xuyang shook his head solemnly at him, "Left behind by the Ancestor, this item has great use; how can it be easily destroyed?"

Qin Tairan curled his lips, thinking that the Wither-Glory Fire would occasionally produce some Wither-Glory True Evil over time, so he dismissed the thought.

After he left.

True Person Xuyang looked through the rows of stone pillars at the deep green flame.

"Fourth tier?"

"Elder Brother, after so many years, your judgment is as poor as ever!"

He let out a breath.

That breath drifted into the pit, merging into the green fire, faintly connecting with him.

Time flowed slowly.

For some, day after day is just a snap of the fingers.

But for the Flame Alliance cultivators, it felt almost suffocatingly slow.

I don't know when it started, but more and more loose cultivators were spying outside Fenxiang Valley.

In Tianhuo Immortal City, there were also more and more unfamiliar faces.

And these unfamiliar cultivators were all trying every possible way to inquire about the Flame Alliance's recent situation.

Not only that, Flame Alliance disciples often noticed the spiritual sense of Jin Dan True Persons sweeping across Fenxiang Valley without restraint.

That unique spiritual pressure of high-level cultivators was extremely oppressive.

Qin Tairan had already returned from the Sword Sect.

It was another unpleasant parting!

In front of Yaoguang, he stated bluntly that if the other party did not provide support to the Flame Alliance, it would chill the hearts of their allies.

But True Person Yaoguang remained unmoved, smiling.

In the end, he only gave a statement that the Sword Sect had its own considerations.

What own considerations!

What great sect struggle, inconvenient to intervene!

All excuses!

Qin Tairan, full of anger, was extremely furious!

Whenever spiritual sense swept across Fenxiang Valley, he would rush out and roar.

Such a loss of composure was truly astonishing!

But when Fei Ming, the Jin Dan Elder of Mount Ailao, personally set foot within a hundred miles of Fenxiang Valley, everyone knew what Qin Tairan was afraid of.

The Flame Alliance's great enemy had arrived!

"Something is wrong! Something is wrong!"

Inside the Fenxiang Valley cave.

The three great Jin Dan cultivators and the current Sect Master Xiao Lian gathered together.

Their expressions were all very bad.

In recent days, more and more cultivators had been patrolling near the Flame Alliance.

Interspersed among them were streaks of spiritual sense sweeping across, making people even more terrified.

At first, Qin Tairan and the others didn't take it seriously.

But gradually, they discovered that those spiritual senses were not emitted by one person.

With careful observation, they actually discovered no less than ten spiritual senses!

What does this mean?

Ten Jin Dan cultivators!

And everyone still had fresh memories of what happened the last time so many Jin Dan cultivators came to Fenxiang Valley.

Could it be that they were going to repeat the same mistakes?

Among the four, Xiao Lian's cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection, and his seniority was the lowest, so even though he was the Sect Master, he was very respectful in front of the three.

He asked in panic: "Elder Qin, Uncle Xuyang, Elder Wang, what should we do now? With so many people gathered nearby, they wouldn't really attack, would they?"

Seeing his panicked look, Elder Wang shouted angrily: "What are you panicking about!"

Qin Tairan glared at Xiao Lian, "Soldiers come to block, water comes to cover; those people are not together, most are just fence-sitters who fall with the wind, what is there to be afraid of!"

True Person Xuyang sighed.

"Elder Brother, will the Sword Sect really not take action?"

It would have been better not to mention the Sword Sect.

As soon as the name was mentioned, Qin Tairan felt quite unhappy.

"They said that the struggle between great sects is limited by the five-hundred-year alliance of the New Region, and it is inconvenient for the superior sect to participate. Damn the alliance; when they dealt with the Qingdan Valley before, I didn't see them worry about this alliance."

True Person Xuyang frowned, "That time could be explained by the Luoyun Sect taking action, but this time it is indeed not easy to intervene. The only thing I wonder is, without our Flame Alliance, who will refine sword pellets for them?"

Elder Wang on the side hesitated: "There were rumors before that the Sword Sect has been trying to complete the original sword pellet refining method for years. Could it be that they have already succeeded?"

Have they succeeded?

Perhaps they have!

Only this reason can explain why the Sword Sect abandoned the Flame Alliance.

Firstly, the Flame Alliance is useless to them, and secondly, no one wants their lifeline to be controlled by people from another sect.

But in this way, the Flame Alliance has become an abandoned pawn!

Looking at the few people with sad faces, Elder Wang tentatively said: "Why don't we separate?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Tairan was furious.

"Do not mention this matter again!"

Elder Wang said helplessly: "The Flame Alliance was never a proper heritage sect; if we dissolve the Flame Alliance and separate, no one will covet us. When we each grow stronger and gather together again to restart the Flame Alliance, there shouldn't be any problem!"

"You!" Qin Tairan was so angry that his beard blew and his eyes widened, and the hand pointing at Elder Wang was trembling.

"Is dissolution necessary?" Although Xiao Lian feared the future, he was reluctant to give up the position of Sect Master he had worked so hard to get.

True Person Xuyang reached out and suppressed the furious Qin Tairan.

He took a deep breath and said: "The great enemy has not yet arrived, how can we mess up our own formation? Besides, the enemy on the surface is only Fei Ming's side from Mount Ailao."

"It is said to be one person, but who knows if he has colluded with other Jin Dan cultivators," Elder Wang muttered.

True Person Xuyang shook his head and said seriously: "The disciples who could be recalled these days have all been recalled, and although the vassal forces are wavering, they can barely be commanded. If we invite one or two Jin Dan friends, we might be able to survive this disaster. I still say the same thing: if we can work together to overcome this difficulty, our Flame Alliance can be reborn from the ashes."

Hearing this, Qin Tairan couldn't help but praise him greatly.

"Junior Brother sees things clearly!"

Elder Wang's expression eased slightly.

Indeed, if they could meet the conditions Xuyang mentioned, even if Mount Ailao colluded with a few Jin Dan cultivators, they might not be their match.

"Since that's the case, let's contribute one more time to the Flame Alliance!"

"Elder Brother Qin, suppressing the vassal forces is up to you."

"Elder Wang, contacting Jin Dan allies is up to you."

"Nephew Disciple Xiao, you command the disciples in the sect."

The three nodded respectively.

But before leaving, Xiao Lian looked at True Person Xuyang in confusion.

"Uncle, what about you?"

True Person Xuyang smiled slightly, "My injuries will be mostly healed soon; if there is a big battle, I will take action!"

Hearing this, Xiao Lian felt relieved.

The situation didn't seem to have reached the absolute worst point!

However!

When the month rumored by the outside world arrived, looking at the countless enemies outside Fenxiang Valley.

Xiao Lian's heart sank to the bottom instantly.

"How could that old dog Fei Ming gather so many allies? Even if Mount Ailao came out in full force, they couldn't reach this level!"

Just as he was in despair.

A roar came to his ears.

"What are you stunned for? Start the Fire-Burning Formation!"

Xiao Lian shuddered and immediately issued the order.

The next moment.

In the Fenxiang Valley cave, twenty stone pillars broke through the surface and rose from the ground.

One cluster of flames after another exploded like fireworks.

Amidst the fireworks filling the sky, a crimson light screen instantly enveloped the entire Fenxiang Valley.

On it, flames rolled, incense smoke filled the air, and it had the posture of melting everything.

Qin Tairan rose into the air, glaring at all directions, finally fixing his gaze on one person.

Facing this scene, many cultivators who came to watch subconsciously followed Qin Tairan's gaze and landed on an old man leading dozens of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.

Mount Ailao Jin Dan Elder—Fei Ming!

"Fei Ming, you defeated loser, how dare you come to provoke me? Are you tired of living?"

Facing this questioning filled with killing intent.

"Old bastard, today is your death day!"

Fei Ming did not show weakness and scolded back.

But in his heart, he was secretly cursing: I am not the one in charge, why is everyone looking at me!

He took a deep breath and shouted loudly: "Danchenzi, you called everyone here, why are you hiding your head and tail, why don't you show yourself?"

Countless cultivators were stunned.

The Flame Alliance's great enemy is not Mount Ailao?

Danchenzi?

This Daoist name sounds so familiar!

It seems he is a very powerful alchemist!

How did he become the Flame Alliance's great enemy, and why did he call multiple forces to gather here?

Just as they were wondering and speculating.

A voice full of energy came leisurely.

"It is not that this junior is hiding his head and tail, it is really that you, senior, were impatient and took the first step!"

"Luo Mou has arrived!"

This voice, initially leisurely, seemed to be extremely far away.

But by the time it arrived, the sound was like thunder, rolling like a tide.

It was not like spiritual energy amplification, but rather like a terrifying monster born and raised in the wild mountains, roaring out with pure physical strength.

Wherever it passed, thunder exploded, and boundless killing intent surged and filled the air!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to everyone!