Chapter 443: Canglong Tribulation, White Bone Arrives

The rolling mountains gathered like peaks.

A vast expanse of one hundred thousand miles, covered in a boundless, snowy white.

A plain, unremarkable low hill, devoid of spirit veins or vegetation, was a rare barren spot within the Great Snow Mountains.

In such a place, even demonic beasts couldn't be bothered to cast a glance.

Therefore, for humans, it was a safe zone.

In fact, this route was indeed the safe path used by the five rogue cultivators to enter the Great Snow Mountains to gather fruit and refine elixirs.

Inside a small cave artificially excavated into the mountainside.

An aged figure sat cross-legged, eyes tightly shut, spiritual sense extended as far as possible.

Suddenly!

His eyelids trembled slightly, and he opened those world-weary eyes.

"They've come out!"

Muttering to himself, he continuously formed seals with his hands, his spiritual power constantly being mobilized.

In the center of the cave dwelling, a massive compass had its needle spinning with a rhythmic clicking sound.

Surrounding the compass were spirit stones of at least mid-grade quality, and embedded upon the compass itself were three high-grade spirit stones.

At this moment, as the old man channeled his spiritual arts, the vast spiritual power from the numerous spirit stones converged.

The compass needle finally stopped in one direction.

And that direction was none other than the Ten Thousand Python Cave.

"Almost there, almost there..."

The old man suppressed the agitation in his heart, manipulating the formation beneath his feet with the utmost focus.

Suddenly!

He held his right palm vertically before his chest, his left hand supporting his right.

"Formation, rise!"

The next moment!

Pillars of light shot up from the ground, a vast power spreading continuously with him at the center.

As for the man himself, as the central pillar of light erupted, he was carried out of the small hill and into mid-air.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay... hm?"

Fu Jiusheng's words came to an abrupt halt.

Before his eyes, a behemoth with a body three zhang tall and a wingspan of nearly ten zhang was staring at him coldly.

Its white, feather-like armor plates were tattered and broken, and its formidable flesh was riddled with holes, as if pierced by sharp objects.

Blood hung on the verge of falling, only to be pulled back by a force of vitality brimming with life.

If that were all, it would be one thing.

But within the fiery red light of his escape, wisps of green flame lingered around him.

Even from a great distance, such flames made one feel as if their body were about to ignite and turn to ash.

A pair of cold eyes, like bottomless pools, stared fixedly at him.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, what is the meaning of blocking my path like this?"

A colorful expression appeared on Fu Jiusheng's face, but seeing Luo Chen's fluctuating aura, he felt a bit restless.

Luo Chen sneered as he looked at him, "Could it be that you are colluding with that Seven-Ring Snow Python to bury me here in the Great Snow Mountains?"

"Seven-Ring Snow Python!"

Fu Jiusheng blurted out.

Subsequently, he clearly sensed a massive demonic aura rushing toward them from the direction of the Ten Thousand Python Cave like a bolt of lightning.

If it were just Luo Chen alone, in his current state, if he were to coordinate with the formation...

No!

Luo Chen's escape speed was too fast; to take him down, he feared it couldn't be done in a short time.

And if the Seven-Ring Snow Python arrived, he feared he would be in deep trouble himself.

Fu Jiusheng's expression shifted constantly.

Especially when he noticed Luo Chen's aura suddenly condense and begin to rise continuously, he finally steeled his heart.

"Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand!"

"I set up this great formation merely to receive you."

"Fellow Daoist, you have shown me kindness in alchemy; how could I do something that would grieve friends and gladden enemies?"

Luo Chen's expression softened slightly, though it was unclear if he truly believed it or was merely pretending.

He turned his head to glance behind him, his wings trembling as he flew toward Fu Jiusheng.

Just as the two crossed paths, Luo Chen suddenly stopped.

"Anything else?"

Fu Jiusheng gritted his teeth and tossed over a scroll of animal hide.

"The Great Snow Mountains have changed; the path we came by is no longer safe. This is a map of the Great Snow Mountains I have collected and drawn; I hope it may be of some use to you, Fellow Daoist."

Having said this, he watched Luo Chen cautiously.

Luo Chen looked at him deeply, grabbed the map, and then departed directly.

After he left.

Fu Jiusheng couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

If you don't kill the snake, you will suffer the consequences.

He hoped this Luo Chen truly possessed the demeanor of the Fire Spirit Lord and, seeing that he hadn't attacked and had even made amends, would not pursue this matter.

"Being the oriole is truly not easy!"

Muttering a bitter laugh, the pillars of light that had permeated all directions suddenly merged into one, transforming into a compass that enveloped Fu Jiusheng.

Then, the ball of light slammed downward, and upon falling into the earth, it vanished in an instant.

It was none other than the most practical of the Five Elements Evasion Arts: the Earth Evasion Art!

Not long after the two had disappeared.

A massive giant python came over the mountains and across the land.

It did not use the method of riding demonic clouds to hunt down Luo Chen, but instead used its demonic power in coordination with its physical body to crawl, which was actually faster.

Upon arriving at this place, it was momentarily bewildered.

But as it flicked its long snake tongue and retracted it, a fierce light erupted in its eyes.

"Human, you are seeking your own death!"

In the sky.

A streak of fiery red light tore through the air.

The speed was extremely fast, drawing many eyes.

But in these wild, snowy mountains where demonic beasts were everywhere, it was too overbearing and rampant.

If not for its appearance, which looked like a third-tier Roc-type demonic beast, many of the dormant demonic beasts in the snow mountains would have already attacked.

Even so, wherever it passed, it still caused a series of commotions.

While flying, Luo Chen unfolded the animal hide scroll.

It was indeed a map!

"That Fu Jiusheng certainly had a good plan!"

"He appeared not to get involved in the battle between me and Lady You Sha and the others, leaving satisfied with the Nether Origin Pill. In reality, he was secretly setting up a great formation outside, preparing to wait at ease and play the role of the oriole."

"The power of that formation, though I only saw the tip of the iceberg, I imagine it was enough to threaten a Core Formation early-stage cultivator."

"If I hadn't revealed my most formidable form from the start, and if there hadn't been the threat of the Seven-Ring Snow Python behind me, I might have truly had a fierce battle with him."

"However, this person is sensible, attempting to turn enemies into friends with a map of the Great Snow Mountains."

Looking at the map, Luo Chen quickly determined his current location.

Then, his gaze swept wildly, and in an instant, he took in the surrounding terrain.

If he were to return the way he came, with his escape speed fully unleashed and no obstructions, he could fly out of the Great Snow Mountains in at most ten days.

But this was an ideal situation.

In order to gather the Nine-Pattern Snake Saliva Fruit, they had actually penetrated deep into the relatively inner reaches of the Great Snow Mountains.

Over such a long distance, accidents were inevitable.

And Fu Jiusheng had mentioned that the path he came by was no longer safe...

As Luo Chen pondered, he quickly decided on three routes out of the Great Snow Mountains, with the specific exits leading toward the Xiaoyue Mountain Range, the Guyuan Mountain Range, and the direction of another small glacier.

The journey here was complex and ever-changing.

But these were already the routes marked on Fu Jiusheng's map that had the fewest high-tier demonic beasts.

However, one must always guard against others!

Luo Chen not only kept his spiritual sense extended at all times, but his pair of spiritual eyes also maintained the Spiritual Eye Art, scanning in all directions.

Suddenly!

Luo Chen's figure paused as he looked in the direction he had come from, at the massive demonic cloud surging into the sky.

"An accident, it has arrived after all."

Is an expected accident still an accident?

Luo Chen did not know the answer to this.

He only knew that above that demonic cloud, a massive triangular snake head was protruding, staring fixedly at him.

Having refined its throat bone, it was even speaking in human language.

"Human, you stole my Seventh Brother's spirit fruit, and you still want to leave?"

"Stay behind!"

Luo Chen's heart sank.

Even knowing that the Great Snow Mountains were the lair of the White Bone Mysterious Snake, and that there were many snake and python-type demonic beasts inside.

He had not expected that these snakes and pythons could call each other brothers, as if they formed a single group.

Even though snakes and pythons were clearly different species.

Without the slightest hesitation, he flapped his wings, flew to a higher altitude, and turned his head to fly in one of the selected directions.

"Stay behind!"

Suddenly, a large mass of pitch-black light surged into the sky.

A fierce look flashed across Luo Chen's face, and his wings flapped repeatedly.

Large swathes of Blazing Fire Miasma flew out, the terrifying Earth Fire evil energy contained within colliding with the pitch-black demonic light, immediately emitting a hissing sound.

An indescribable stench permeated the area for several miles.

After the two sides exchanged a blow, blood spilled from the corner of Luo Chen's mouth, and he changed direction to flee again.

At the original spot.

A small golden snake coiled on a tree branch, its vertical pupils staring at the departing red fiery figure.

"Indeed, such fast flight speed!"

"However, making one move for that fellow Seven-Ring is enough."

"From here on, it's none of my business."

Muttering, the small golden snake crawled down along the tree branch, finally entering the snow layer to continue sleeping.

No one would have expected that such a small snake was actually a third-tier Demonic King comparable to the Core Formation stage.

And the casual strike it had just made was also immensely powerful.

With just one blow, it had caused Luo Chen to suffer minor injuries.

Suddenly!

From within the snow layer, the small golden snake crawled out with a rustle.

In its vertical pupils, a look of joy appeared.

"Father King has returned!"

With a look of surprise, a demonic cloud rolled it up and flew rapidly in one direction.

And that direction was none other than the direction in which Luo Chen had departed.

High in the sky, the biting cold wind slapped against his cheeks.

Luo Chen no longer had excess spiritual power to release a light shield to resist the cold wind, and could only rely on his formidable demonic body.

At this moment, his heart was already cold.

Several days had passed since the night of non-stop fleeing.

During these few days, he had encountered many low-tier snakes and pythons blocking his path, and had also encountered three third-tier demonic beasts separately.

Two of them had even attacked him fiercely.

Luo Chen had used all his means to barely escape the range of their pursuit.

If not for the Great Perfection third-tier flight art "Ninety Thousand Miles," combined with the Heavenly Roc True Body, which gave him a flight speed exceeding that of the early Core Formation stage.

Plus the fact that snake and python-type demonic beasts were not known for their long-distance speed.

He feared he would have been intercepted long ago.

However, even so, he was nearing the point of exhaustion.

After several strikes, the Blazing Fire Miasma, nurtured with hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, could no longer be activated because the Earth Fire evil energy had been completely consumed.

The spiritual power within his body was even more depleted.

If that were all, it would be one thing.

But unfortunately...

Luo Chen looked back at the wings on his back, which were covered in cracks.

In the end, the Lieyun Wings flight magic treasure was only of high-grade quality.

Under such desperate activation, it was already on the verge of collapse.

Although he could still activate "Ninety Thousand Miles" by relying on the Heavenly Roc True Body, his speed would likely be greatly reduced.

"No!"

"If this continues, I fear I won't be able to escape the Great Snow Mountains."

A look of despair appeared in his eyes.

But the closer he was to the brink of despair, the calmer Luo Chen became.

"The reason these demonic beasts can track me, besides my reckless display of the Heavenly Roc True Body, must also have to do with them tracking my aura."

"Now, relying on speed alone won't get me out of the Great Snow Mountains, so there is only one other way."

Just as Luo Chen was calculating the probability of that method deceiving the third-tier demonic beasts.

Suddenly!

Crack!

In the clouds, an arc of electricity was about to strike Luo Chen.

Luo Chen did not intend to dodge; flying too high, it was common to be struck by lightning.

This body of his was tempered by the thunder power from the Soul Transformation ruins, and it possessed a certain resistance to lightning.

However!

The moment that arc of electricity touched Luo Chen's skin, his expression changed drastically.

"Something's wrong!"

As the arc entered his body, Luo Chen felt his whole body go numb.

His entire body instantly lost control, and he fell toward the ground involuntarily.

"Rise!"

Seeing the ground getting closer and closer, Luo Chen gritted his teeth, his face ferocious, veins bulging on his face.

It was at this moment.

The spine on his back, which had been hidden for many years, trembled.

That wisp of electricity was arduously swallowed into his spine.

With the influence of the electricity gone, Luo Chen instantly regained control of his body.

On a small hill, Luo Chen abruptly stopped his massive body that was about to crash.

Boom!

The gale pressed down, whipping up a thousand piles of snow.

Luo Chen looked at the sky in terror.

That arc of electricity was definitely not owned by anyone; it was born out of thin air between heaven and earth.

But what kind of thing was this, that even his ancient third-tier physique, tempered by thunder power, couldn't block it?

And that was just a tiny wisp of an arc!

It was also at this moment.

A wondrous sight of heaven and earth came into view!

Above the nine heavens, dark clouds gathered.

For a thousand miles, spiritual energy poured backward.

A massive inverted vortex was spinning madly with a world-destroying posture.

"This is... Tribulation Crossing?"

Luo Chen said with difficulty, his voice hoarse.

And it was very clear that this Tribulation Crossing had already reached the most critical juncture.

The lightning tribulation was about to descend!

The tiny wisp of an arc he had just been tainted with was clearly a wisp of lightning tribulation power.

In the cultivation world, records of Tribulation Crossing either referred to human cultivators undergoing the Nascent Soul tribulation, or demonic race powerhouses undergoing the fourth-tier transformation lightning tribulation.

And here in the depths of the Great Snow Mountains, where would there be humans...

"Eh?"

With his spiritual eyes focused, Luo Chen was able to see the situation a thousand miles away.

Where the mountain range undulated for a thousand miles, a castle a hundred zhang tall stood amidst it.

The moonlight in the sky, ignoring the lightning tribulation, was shining brightly upon it.

"This is..." Seeing this peculiar artifact, a term emerged in Luo Chen's mind, "Moonlight Ice Castle?"

The town-sect artifact of the Core Formation great sect, the Ice Castle—the high-grade magic treasure, Moonlight Ice Castle.

It was rumored to absorb the power of the cold moon and frost, and could suppress the spirit veins of a region.

"Why would the Ice Castle's town-sect magic treasure appear in the depths of the Great Snow Mountains?"

As Luo Chen wondered, spiritual power surged toward his eyes, and gradually, the scene of the Moonlight Ice Castle was completely reflected in his pupils.

The castle had nine levels.

On each level, a figure was faintly visible, and on the very top level, there was a presence Luo Chen could recognize just by looking at her back.

"Canglong!"

Upon recognizing Canglong, a shocking thought erupted.

Canglong Shangren, she was undergoing Tribulation Crossing!

Undergoing the Nascent Soul tribulation!

Using the only fourth-tier spirit land in the depths of the Great Snow Mountains to forcibly break through to Nascent Soul!

"But, does that White Bone Mysterious Snake not care?"

Just as Luo Chen's heart was filled with doubt.

Someone gave him the answer.

"How bold!"

A sharp voice pierced through the boundless thunder clouds, rolling in from far away.

Just a single voice, from a thousand miles away, left Luo Chen dizzy and dazzled.

For a time, he couldn't even see the scene beneath the thunder clouds.

In his ears, however, another aged voice suddenly sounded.

"Fellow Daoist White Bone, the distance for viewing the ceremony ends here!"