Chapter 572: Jade Cauldron Past Events, Han Zhan Resolves Doubts

At the time of the rising sun.

The red waves of Red Tide Port have gradually faded, only the gentle rosy light sprinkled on the sea, a piece of light gold and bright yellow.

At the pier, it was busy early in the morning.

At the time of the intensifying righteous and demonic war, all merchant routes were cut off, and the shipping lanes were unstable, so it was not suitable for business.

However, the bigger the wind and waves, the more expensive the fish.

Under the current situation, the prices of various resources have soared, and once a business is done, the profit is higher.

Therefore, as one of the nearby traffic points, several merchant ships docked early in the morning and set off for various places impatiently.

A small merchant ship with a blue and white emblem stopped there leisurely in the busy schedule.

Although it had the posture of setting sail, the unhurried appearance gave people a leisurely feeling.

Under the ship, an old man was talking carefully with a sallow-faced young man.

"This ship is quite fast, but its long-distance capability is very poor, and it is generally used by our Mount Langya Mountain for short-distance transportation."

"It is eight hundred miles from Red Tide Port to Mount Langya Mountain, and it will take about half a day."

"I have already contacted the other side, and when you arrive there, there will be elders of my clan to contact you and arrange a ship for you to go to Whale Port."

"However, the business scope of my Mount Langya Mountain merchant fleet is only limited to the Li Canghai Alliance Whale Port, and if you want to go to the Wan Xian Association, you will have to find another way by then."

The young man with a hunched waist listened carefully, not letting go of any details.

From time to time, he would ask questions.

However, it was clear that this Mount Langya Pharmacy shopkeeper was only at the late stage of Qi Refining, and had never been far away in his life.

Many things were hearsay, and he could not give Luo Chen a more detailed answer.

After exhorting for a long time, the shopkeeper finally looked at the woman standing behind Luo Chen.

Her face was pale without a trace of blood, her figure was slender, as if a gust of wind could blow her down.

Plus Luo Chen's sallow face and hunched posture.

The shopkeeper sighed, "Actually, with the state of your master and servant, it is not suitable for long-distance travel at all. Why not settle down in Red Tide Port and wait until the illness is cured before leaving."

Luo Chen shook his head and explained: "My servant's illness cannot be cured by ordinary medicine, it must be good medicinal materials, Red Tide Port is ultimately a bit barren."

"That's true." The shopkeeper nodded.

He glanced at the cargo ship of Mount Langya Mountain, "Everything is packed, you can go up."

Luo Chen said hmm, and beckoned to Seeing Tianxuan behind him.

"Let's go!"

Just before leaving, he paused and turned back to say: "Shopkeeper Wang, I think I should remind you."

Shopkeeper Wang was stunned, then smiled: "You say."

"Currently, the Demon Luo lineage and Penglai Immortal Sect joined forces to deal with the Li Canghai Alliance, seemingly powerful and unstoppable, and the Li Canghai Alliance can only shrink passively. But the Li Canghai Alliance is a force with Transformation God Great Ability after all, and it may repeat itself in the future. As a southeast hub, Cold Light Island will inevitably be a point of contention. But this Mount Langya Mountain also spans the southeast, I don't know what your family's True Person thinks, but the neutral situation will inevitably be unable to continue, and will eventually join one side in the future. By then, Mount Langya Mountain will join the war, and this Red Tide Port will not be peaceful. You, old man, have to consider the retreat."

After speaking, Luo Chen boarded the ship without nostalgia.

Shopkeeper Wang stood by the pier, looking dazed.

By the time the sailors on the ship greeted him and left, he suddenly realized, and a bitter smile hung on his face.

If that really happened, he, a mere late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, how could he stay out of it?

"However, this Fellow Daoist Murong, his vision and knowledge are extraordinary, being able to think of such distant things."

After sighing, the shopkeeper walked back to the small town with his hands behind his back, under the awe of some mortals.

Because of these awe-inspiring gazes, the heavy mood also relaxed a lot.

Change!

Let the future situation change!

He doesn't have many years to live, whether he can see that scene is still a matter of two things.

After boarding the ship, Luo Chen was a bit silent.

Han Zhan's voice entered his mind.

"What's wrong, that cultivator is just a relationship of interest with you, not talking about any friendship, you don't usually talk so deeply?"

Luo Chen pulled the corners of his mouth, a bit melancholy.

"Just remembered some past events."

"Past events?"

"Hmm, when I was in the Qi

Speaking of this, Luo Chen suddenly became interested.

"Come to think of it, I haven't really chatted with you about the Yuding civil war all these years. You are a leader of a faction, so you must be extremely clear about the inside story. Are you interested in telling me about it?"

"What do you mean 'am I interested'? It's clearly you, kid, who is interested!"

Han Zhan scolded him with a laugh, then fell silent.

After a long while, he said in a low voice, "Ask whatever you want to know! I will tell you everything I can."

Luo Chen licked his lips.

"First, regarding the Yuding civil war, did Lin Tianfan City intervene at all?"

"Isn't that common knowledge? Do you even need to ask?"

"Just tell me, old man. It will take at least half a day to get to Mount Mount Langya anyway, so consider it a way to pass the time."

Han Zhan sighed helplessly, "Fine. As you suspected, Lin Tianfan City did intervene. In fact, this matter was directed by Lin Tianfan City from the very beginning."

Directed by Lin Tianfan City from the very beginning?

Luo Chen was stunned.

Back when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, he had analyzed and deduced the Yuding civil war countless times.

After all, under such a grand trend, if a small character could not go with the flow, they would surely die without a doubt.

Therefore, combining the fact that inferior magic treasures were flooding the Yuding Domain with the war artifacts Lin Tianfan City had prepared in advance, he had formed some related guesses.

Yet he had not expected the matter to be even deeper than he had guessed.

"How so?"

"How else? How do you think I advanced to the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Wasn't it that Core Formation Elixir?"

"I obtained a ready-made Core Formation Elixir and the formula from an ancient ruin, but I lacked a spiritual land for breaking through! The sect forces in the Eastern Wasteland were already deeply rooted; without the support of a superior sect, it is extremely difficult for a Jin Dan cultivator to advance to the Nascent Soul stage. The Jin Dan cultivator from Lin Tianfan City who was exploring with me reported my acquisition of the Core Formation Elixir to the Lin Tianfan City True Person. Their original intention was to snatch it back, but the Lin Tianfan City True Person changed their mind and instead took the initiative to provide me with a fourth-tier spiritual vein to help me break through. The condition, of course, was that after I succeeded, I would initiate a civil war in the Yuding Domain so they could profit from it."

This matter sounds brief, but one can imagine the danger at the time.

The Lin Tianfan City Jin Dan cultivator had even shamelessly called upon their own elders.

Yet he had not expected Han Zhan to turn misfortune into fortune in the end.

Of course, the consequence was that the Luoyun Sect behind him was dragged into the quagmire of war.

From this, Luo Chen roughly understood why the Luoyun Sect had been pressing step by step before, while the Yuding Sword Sect had never dared to go all out.

The other side was actually wary of Lin Tianfan City!

"Second question, what is your relationship with Master Fairy Canglong of the Ice Fortress?"

"Uh..."

Han Zhan was caught off guard; he had not expected Luo Chen to ask about this.

Subsequently, Luo Chen told Han Zhan what he had seen and heard at the Snowy Mountains.

Especially that scene where Han Zhan had acted as a protector for Fairy Canglong.

After a long while, Han Zhan smiled bitterly: "We do have a relationship. Didn't I tell you before? My relationship with Fairy Canglong is not shallow. To be honest, I almost became her Dao companion. It's just that because she had outstanding talent, she was heavily cultivated by the Ice Fortress and was not allowed to marry out. And I myself was proud of my own talent and did not want to marry into the Ice Fortress, so we parted ways from then on."

"That's it? So, you protected her and fought against the White Bone Mysterious Snake?"

"The entanglements here are not as simple as you think. However, romantic feelings are secondary. The most important thing is that Fairy Canglong once secretly borrowed the sect's Ice Prison to help me cultivate the 'Soul Splitting Scripture' to the entry level. This favor is truly too heavy, and it was crucial to my later success in crossing the Nascent Soul tribulation. If I don't repay it, my mind will not be at peace."

Ice Prison?

Luo Chen suddenly realized.

Come to think of it, he had also cultivated in the Ice Fortress's Ice Prison.

That place was indeed a good spot, allowing him to subdue the fourth-tier Withered Glory Fire, thereby benefiting greatly in alchemy, spells, and even Qi refining and body tempering.

He had not expected that before him, Han Zhan, an outsider, had already been there.

The 'Soul Splitting Scripture' must be one of the three techniques among the Luoyun Sect's three techniques and two arts.

"Then what happened later? I heard that Senior Sister Fairy Canglong failed her tribulation. How is she?"

"You call her Senior Sister?"

"Yes, the Luo Tian Sect I founded was a vassal of the Ice Fortress, and later I became a guest elder of the Ice Fortress, so it was easier to just call her Senior Sister."

"Her..."

Han Zhan sighed, his tone filled with immense regret.

"The tribulation failed, and her essence, Qi, and spirit were all damaged. I used a unique secret technique to restore her soul, supplemented by the Ice Fortress's treasure coffin to stabilize her physical body, and managed to save her life. However, she needs to sleep for a hundred years, or even longer, before she will wake up. As for the Nascent Soul path? Unless there are top-tier spiritual elixirs, she basically has no chance in this lifetime."

Luo Chen opened his mouth, speechless for a moment.

Fairy Canglong was a very good person.

He had not been in contact with her for long, but he could feel her sincerity.

Hearing the truth now, he felt endless regret in his heart.

Is Core Formation really that difficult?

Previously in Fairy Feileng City, when he was at the fourth level of Jin Dan, he had realized the method of Core Formation and thought that as long as he was fully prepared, there would be no risk.

But by comparison, Fairy Canglong, who had the support of a major Jin Dan sect and even Han Zhan protecting her, had failed her Core Formation.

Then what about his own future?

Discouragement arose spontaneously.

He did not know if it was because his injuries had not fully healed, or if the escape had worn down his sharpness, making him somewhat sentimental lately.

But soon, Luo Chen adjusted himself.

Future matters can be dealt with in the future.

For now, he still had to walk one step at a time!

"Third question! Regarding the Soul Transformation ruins on Mount Mount Jilei!"

"Are you talking about the palace of the great power Bai Ye?"

"Yes!" Luo Chen asked with great confusion: "I heard that many treasures of the Soul Transformation great powers were left inside, and there are even several True Artifacts. But why, after the ruins were opened, did both of your sects only send Jin Dan cultivators in to compete, while you and True Person Yuding did not go in person? Could it be that you are not tempted by the legacy of a Soul Transformation great power?"

This doubt had been hovering in Luo Chen's mind for a long time.

Before, it was either because he had no time or he felt his relationship with Han Zhan was not deep enough, so he had not asked.

But after getting along for so many years, especially recently, when Han Zhan discovered He Yuan and chose to endure, finally taking action for Luo Chen, he felt that his relationship with Han Zhan had drawn much closer.

That was why he asked solemnly.

Han Zhan did not seem surprised that Luo Chen would ask this, or perhaps he had heard similar questions many times.

Immediately, he began to explain to Luo Chen personally.

However, this explanation took a long time.

From the cultivation of a cultivator to the evolution of realms, he spoke in detail.

Cultivator cultivation begins with Qi Refining.

During the Qi Refining stage, one inhales the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, continuously purifying it, and finally, the spiritual power purified to the extreme causes the dantian to transform into a sea, building the foundation of the Great Dao.

After Foundation Establishment, spiritual sense is derived, and the body undergoes marrow cleansing, allowing it to withstand more spiritual energy.

In this process, the spiritual power in the body goes from gaseous to liquid, and even to solid after reaching the Jin Dan stage, which is a progressive process.

But the most important thing is actually not spiritual power or magic power.

It is the soul!

From Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, to Jin Dan, in the process of continuously transporting external spiritual energy, the cultivator's soul grows continuously under day and night training.

Until the Nascent Soul stage, the three flowers gather at the crown, the five energies return to the origin, and the illusory soul condenses into a substantial Nascent Soul!

The so-called sea of Qi will also become a Purple Mansion, becoming the residence of the Nascent Soul.

After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, the cultivation of an immortal cultivator becomes very different.

Condensing magic power is the eternal keynote, but beyond that, the birth of the Nascent Soul domain allows cultivators to control the external spiritual energy of heaven and earth that is compatible with their own lineage.

From then on, Nascent Soul cultivators truly possess a fraction of the power to move mountains and fill seas, and chase stars and the moon, as rumored in the secular world.

"You have witnessed many high-level battles, so you must know what this means!"

"Controlling the trends of heaven and earth?"

"Yes, controlling external spiritual energy for one's own use, so that magic power is inexhaustible." Speaking of this, Han Zhan paused, "But this is only the surface. What is the trend of heaven and earth? Is it just those scattered and drifting spiritual energies?"

"Laws?" Luo Chen hesitated.

"As expected, you are a genius of cultivation. Those spells come easily to you, so surely your future cultivation of laws will also advance by leaps and bounds."

Han Zhan praised him, then explained seriously: "The most important cultivation for a Nascent Soul cultivator is to perceive the power of the law that best suits them while continuously controlling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Once realized, advancing to Soul Transformation is just around the corner!"

Luo Chen was puzzled, "But I have never seen any Nascent Soul cultivator who could master the power of laws during the Nascent Soul stage... Actually, there is one."

As he spoke, a tall and cold figure appeared in Luo Chen's mind.

Standing on Mount Mount Cangwu, powerful and invincible!

Han Zhan knew who he was talking about, but skipped the topic for now.

"You are right. Ninety-nine percent of Nascent Soul cultivators indeed cannot perceive the power of laws. Generally, only after advancing to the Soul Transformation stage, when spiritual sense turns into thought, and spiritual thoughts and the domain act simultaneously, can they naturally perceive the laws that suit them."

"But this cultivation process must never be skipped!"

"The reason why True Person Yuding and I do not enter the Soul Transformation ruins is that such places where Soul Transformation great powers have fallen contain too much of the power of laws perceived by the great powers during their lifetime. Once we enter, we will inevitably be influenced, thereby affecting our own path, and there will be absolutely no hope for future Soul Transformation!"

Luo Chen's head felt a bit swollen. He frowned tightly and summarized uncertainly: "Nascent Soul cultivators must not enter Soul Transformation ruins?"

"Correct, and also incorrect. The premise is that if no great power has fallen inside the Soul Transformation ruins, we can still enter ordinary Soul Transformation ruins."

Luo Chen asked, "Is it really impossible to enter?"

"Really! Unless you can ensure that you are not affected... there are exceptions." Han Zhan seemed to be thinking of someone.

Under Luo Chen's curiosity, he added: "If the path a Nascent Soul True Person cultivates is the same as the fallen Soul Transformation great power, they can enter. Perhaps they can even obtain the legacy of their predecessors and perceive the power of laws in advance during the Nascent Soul stage."

While Luo Chen was suddenly enlightened, he also firmly remembered these common sense facts about higher realms in his mind.

So as not to accidentally step into some great power's ruins in the future and go astray.

While silently reciting the memories, Luo Chen's thoughts wandered, and he suddenly had new questions on this issue.

"What about the ruins of predecessors in even higher realms? For example, above Soul Transformation, can you Nascent Soul True Persons enter?"

Han Zhan was stumped by this question.

He pondered for a long time before saying helplessly: "The Shanhai World is ultimately just a lower realm. That it can have Soul Transformation beings stationed here or occasionally taking action is already because the spiritual energy of this world is extremely abundant. I fear this world cannot accommodate existences of higher realms. Well, a small temple cannot accommodate a big Buddha."

"So, how would I know if we can enter?"

"However, existences stronger than Soul Transformation must have reached a very deep level of understanding of the power of laws, perhaps already being masters of a law. Such existences should not affect us."

"Just as Soul Transformation ruins have no effect on you Jin Dan cultivators, we cannot feel stronger powers until we reach that level, so naturally we will not be affected and led astray."

This time, Luo Chen listened in a daze.

Or rather, he couldn't understand it at all.

No one knows what the cultivation path of an existence stronger than Soul Transformation is like.

At least, with Luo Chen's knowledge and Han Zhan's knowledge, it cannot be speculated.

"Alright, this question ends here. If you keep asking, I'm going to show my ignorance." Han Zhan scolded him with a laugh, but there was no sense of shame or anger in his words.

Seriously speaking, although he often calls himself an old man, his age is indeed considered young among Nascent Soul cultivators.

Therefore, there is no "generation gap" when dealing with Luo Chen.

Luo Chen smiled and asked the last question.

However, this question made Han Zhan silent for a long time.

"How strong is the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang?"

After a long while, Han Zhan replied bitterly: "Our generation of Nascent Soul cultivators is far behind. Unless a Soul Transformation appears, she is invincible in the world!"

Facing this answer, Luo Chen's mood could not be calm for a long time.

He knew Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang was very, very strong, but he did not expect such a high evaluation from a cultivator of the same rank.

Recalling the battle at Mount Mount Cangwu.

Three late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivators were injured and two retreated by her, and it even provoked a Soul Transformation cultivator to take action personally, which indeed perfectly matched Han Zhan's evaluation.

After a long while, Luo Chen sighed: "There are mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people. Our cultivation is truly like climbing a mountain; there is always a higher one!"

Han Zhan gave a hum.

Then, he fell silent.

It seemed this exchange had completely ended.

As dusk approached, Han Zhan suddenly spoke again.

"You didn't just ask these things to pass the time, did you?"

Luo Chen said lightly: "Worldly affairs and ancient affairs are often similar. The Yuding civil war and the battle between the two gangs at Dahefang are essentially no different; both are struggles for interests. Now the righteous-demonic war in the North Sea is even larger in scale, but in essence, it shouldn't be much different from the Yuding civil war."

"Through the oral account of you, a participant, I can see the whole picture from a glimpse, have a more appropriate speculation about the trend of this war, and naturally be able to go with the flow and avoid misfortune in the future."

Han Zhan understood. Indeed, it was just as he thought.

Luo Chen rarely did things without a purpose.

As for what Luo Chen planned to do after understanding those things?

The answer had already been given by the other party.

This territory is not peaceful. Since there are no attachments, it is better to flee.

Finally, Han Zhan reminded him: "Luo Chen, sometimes, do not use your experience to speculate on the schemes of higher realms. Even if what is being fought for is interest, if the essence of the interest is different, the means of struggle will also be different."

"Be careful, cleverness may lead to being misled by cleverness!"

Luo Chen frowned.

Although he did not quite understand these words, it was a well-intentioned reminder from the heart, so he kept it in his mind.

Just at this moment.

The swaying of the ship stopped.

Luo Chen walked out of the cabin and came to the deck.

As far as the eye could see, a high mountain shaped like a sharp wolf's tooth came into view.

Mount Langya gets its name from the wolf's tooth.

"The first stop has been reached. I hope everything goes smoothly from here on!"

(End of chapter)