Chapter 685

Neither the Shark Emperor Liu Jun's spying nor the tragedy of the Nascent Soul battle had made Luo Chen lose his composure like this.

Even the abrupt appearance of the Soul Transformation great power Li Canghai was within reason, given the private friendship between Ji Hanzi and Li Canghai mentioned by the crowd earlier.

But Li Canghai's understated action of taking the Ice Soul Lingshan with that small seal painted with blurred mountain and sea patterns left Luo Chen unable to calm his heart for a long time.

Among Nascent Soul cultivators, when it comes to arrays, Luo Chen is far from being ranked.

Even if he can set up some fourth-tier arrays now, it requires complete array diagrams, enough preparation time, and suitable timing and location to set them up calmly.

However, Luo Chen's foundation in array Dao is extremely solid!

He considers himself a standout in array Dao foundation among his peers.

He began learning theoretical knowledge of arrays during the Foundation Establishment stage and officially started practicing in the early Core Formation stage.

Whether it's the seven basic prohibitions of array Dao or the principles of the five elements generating and overcoming each other, he knows them by heart.

He also had the personal guidance of Min Longyu, Han Zhan, and others.

Most importantly, foundations are often composed of proficiency; with the system's blessing, the solidity of his array Dao foundation became a matter of course.

Because of this foundation, when facing some less complex arrays, he can often go from easy to difficult, simplify the complex, and achieve quick understanding and mastery.

He once obtained a set of the method for forming an array by connecting islands.

Upon research, he felt this array was quite novel; its defensive power was secondary, while the essence lay in connecting heaven and earth and interacting with the energy of the respective earth veins.

For this reason, he once had the idea of searching for the Qingdan Valley's five-peak valley-covering technique after returning to the Eastern Wasteland, adding the Yaowang Sect's Core Formation Elder's mountain-moving technique, and combining them with this array to build a blessed land for his own sect.

But at that very moment, all his ideas were overturned.

Li Canghai's move to take the Ice Soul Lingshan was absolutely not some Soul Transformation means or great power divine ability!

Other Nascent Soul True Persons might be misled, but the most basic principles of array Dao would not deceive him.

That was the most basic array!

An array hidden beneath the means of a great power!

He saw it extremely clearly; at that moment, a large number of prohibitions emerged from the Mountain and Sea Seal, echoing the Ice Soul Lingshan, with the mountain prohibition, water prohibition, and space prohibition being the most intense.

It was precisely because of the array's echo that the complete Ice Soul Lingshan was pulled out without any damage, allowing it to perfectly integrate into the Mountain and Sea Seal.

When this realization dawned, Luo Chen's entire body trembled slightly.

There was fear and awe, but even more, an inexplicable excitement and anticipation.

"The method of forming an array by connecting islands became popular in the North Sea cultivation world within two hundred years, and every slightly larger human territory has this array set up."

"There must be many who, like me, consider themselves clever and think they have seen through the most powerful effect of nourishing spirit land beneath the first layer of defensive effects."

"Under the evolution of a long period of time, this array has almost been embedded and integrated with the spirit lands of all sizes in the North Sea."

"If Li Canghai harbors evil intentions and incorporates every spirit land into the Mountain and Sea small seal just like he did just now..."

While murmuring to himself, Luo Chen's trembling gradually ceased.

Clearly, there is no 'if'; Li Canghai has obviously already harbored evil intentions!

It could even be said that when this array was spread from his hands, it had already planted the seeds of disaster for today's events.

Otherwise, how could the array of a dignified Soul Transformation great power be easily learned by the hostile force Demon Luo Liu?

On the Molan Court, the restrained method of forming an array by connecting islands could not deceive people.

You must know, that was the lair of the Blood Nightmare Demon Luo, the nominal banner of Demon Luo Liu!

Even there, similar arrays were set up!

"Spread one array across the North Sea, incorporate ten thousand spirit lands into the treasure seal; Li Canghai wants to integrate all the famous mountains and seas of the North Sea cultivation world into his magic treasure to refine a spirit treasure."

In the end, Luo Chen reached this mind-boggling conclusion.

Don't look at spirit treasures as if they are worthless in the Fallen Demon Land.

That is because the Fallen Demon Land is the palace of the Heaven-Refining Demon Lord, a master refiner at the Void Refinement realm.

In reality, before Luo Chen stepped into the Fallen Demon Land, he had never heard the names of any powerful spirit treasures.

The closest thing to a spirit treasure was the Yuan Tu Blood Sword he currently held.

What is a spirit treasure?

A magic treasure that has given birth to self-awareness, breathes in the essence of heaven and earth, and even contains the true meaning of laws is a spirit treasure.

If one looks at the latter part of this description, doesn't it sound very much like a certain realm?

Yes, Soul Transformation great power!

A powerful spirit treasure is itself an existence corresponding to the Soul Transformation realm.

It is already extremely difficult for a cultivator to achieve Soul Transformation; where would one find the energy to cultivate another "Soul Transformation existence"?

Therefore, in the vast Mountain and Sea world, there are very few famous spirit treasures.

Even if there are, they only exist within the five great Holy Lands.

Now, Li Canghai wants to commit that act of great rebellion, refining all the famous caves and blessed lands of the North Sea cultivation world into one seal to achieve the power of a spirit treasure.

If this matter really succeeds, Luo Chen doesn't know what the power of the Mountain and Sea Seal will be, but the North Sea cultivation world will likely plummet, and there will be no more spirit lands suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators.

"Sigh..."

A sigh sounded, and Luo Chen's excitement ultimately turned into a sigh of emotion.

Even if he can see the big picture from a small clue and vaguely glimpse Li Canghai's purpose, what is the use?

He can neither expose it nor profit from it.

He can only bury this secret in his heart.

However, he also inadvertently had a similar thought.

"If one day I achieve Soul Transformation, and the timing is right, would I also be unable to resist imitating Li Canghai's actions?"

The answer is unknown.

The Sword-Halberd ship continued forward.

This time, there were no demon beast troops following, so the journey was very smooth, and they were getting closer and closer to the Sun-Moon Island.

The cultivators on the ship, those with lower cultivation, could not personally spy on the battle of the Ice Extreme Sect and could only know what had happened from the demon beasts stationed outside the Sword-Halberd ship and the oral accounts of their elders.

A generation of top-tier Nascent Soul sects had scattered like wind and clouds.

High-level cultivators, however, were gathering more and more frequently.

The next day, in the Bicha Palace where Fu Chaosheng was staying, there was a heated discussion about the battle of the Ice Extreme Sect.

There were seven Nascent Soul True Persons, with only Luo Chen missing.

But as the door opened and everyone looked over, the last missing True Person also entered the hall in person.

"Rogue Immortal Huang, Luo Chen!"

Fu Chaosheng introduced him briefly.

Luo Chen nodded to the crowd and sat down peacefully.

Afterward, he acted as a bystander, listening to the heated discussion about yesterday's battle.

"Old monsters like the demon monk Kong Chan have appeared; it seems the North Sea demon beasts are determined to counterattack our human territory!"

"Now that there is no Yuan Demon Sect suppressing the North Sea, and that great power Li is not one to manage things, the North Sea is in danger!"

"Does your sect have any thoughts on this matter?"

The so-called 'your sect' was none other than the Heaven Origin Dao Sect.

To this, Fu Chaosheng smiled and remained silent.

From the smile that had hung on his face for years, the crowd could not see any information, so they had no choice but to continue.

"In my life, I have never seen such a large-scale Nascent Soul battle, five famous Nascent Soul True Persons, seven demon cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm..."

Luo Chen glanced at Fu Chaosheng's smile, and gradually had a count in his heart.

It's not that the Heaven Origin Dao Sect has no thoughts; it's just that they likely already have secret arrangements, and corresponding backups have all been arranged one by one.

The Heaven Origin Business Alliance is the arrangement on the surface, while the Penglai Immortal Sect is the backup hidden for thousands of years, only surfacing during the righteous-demonic war.

However, it is unclear when the Heaven Origin Dao Sect will officially begin to interfere in the North Sea cultivation world.

"I know the Ghost Immortal Tower is strong, but it is ultimately just a fourth-tier desolate beast, equivalent to us at the Nascent Soul realm; why was the dignified Great Cultivator Ji Hanzi so vulnerable under its hands?"

"One roar, just the power of one roar, and Ji Hanzi was captured!"

"Yes, that scene almost shook the beliefs in my heart. A late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator is absolutely an unmatched existence among us; how could he be defeated so easily?"

What the crowd discussed the most was not the demon monk Kong Chan stationed in front of them, nor the Soul Transformation great power Li Canghai who appeared briefly.

But that extreme battle that occurred in a very short time!

The desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower versus the Ice Extreme Sect's Supreme Elder Ji Hanzi.

The latter's defeat was simply too tragic!

So tragic that they couldn't imagine it, fearing it would shake their Nascent Soul path.

This time, Fu Chaosheng sighed softly.

"Ji Hanzi was already extraordinary and did his best."

Then, he shook his head and said: "Do you know which kind of existence is the strongest in the Nascent Soul realm?"

The crowd subconsciously wanted to answer 'late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator,' but thinking of the previous battle results, everyone's mouths seemed to be blocked.

Fu Chaosheng stroked his beard and said: "Yes, it is not the Great Cultivator we usually think of, but an existence that has comprehended the true meaning of laws!"

Zhou Yunshen couldn't help but ask: "Can one really comprehend the true meaning of laws in the Nascent Soul realm without getting lost in heaven and earth?"

Fu Chaosheng asked back: "If one doesn't comprehend it, how can one achieve Soul Transformation?"

Zhou Yunshen's expression froze.

Such cultivation essentials have always been debated.

Some say one must first achieve the Primordial Spirit, using a powerful Primordial Spirit to guard the original heart, so that one can comprehend the laws of heaven and earth without hindrance. That is, achieve Soul Transformation first, then comprehend the Dao.

Others say, comprehend the laws of heaven and earth first, cross this threshold, and then become a true Soul Transformation great power. This is comprehending the Dao first, then breaking through the realm.

The difference between the two vaguely distinguishes two paths of cultivation.

From the mouths of the six Nascent Soul True Persons of the North Sea, the answer Luo Chen received was the former.

And from the mouth of Fu Chaosheng, a disciple of the Holy Land, the answer received was the latter.

The former is a smooth road for those with average comprehension and excellent aptitude, with relatively fewer risks.

The latter is extremely demanding on comprehension, but it is the path most revered by disciples of the Holy Land.

"The reason I say Ji Hanzi has already done his best is that there are precedents to follow."

"You may not know that in the Eastern Wasteland cultivation world, a similar battle occurred not long ago."

"There was a peerless Demon Emperor whose true form was the divine bird Qingluan. She was only at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul realm, yet she could instantly defeat five Nascent Souls and kill her way into the human heartland, as if entering an empty land. Even the genius of the Mingyuan Sect, the eighth-level Nascent Soul cultivator Zhang Che, did not dare to act rashly in front of her, watching her kill people."

"And in all this, what the Demon Emperor relied on was the true meaning of space laws she had comprehended in advance!"

"By comparison, Ji Hanzi pointed from a distance, exploding the Ghost Immortal Tower's head, and finally forcibly escaped his Nascent Soul, retaining a glimmer of life; how can one say he was vulnerable?"

The crowd listened with incredibly colorful expressions.

As the top batch of people standing at the peak of the Mountain and Sea world, their intelligence channels were not bad.

But compared to the Heaven Origin Business Alliance, which does business in the four regions, it was a world of difference.

They all knew a little about the war in the Eastern Wasteland, but they only truly understood a little bit of the inside story now.

Therefore, they all asked about the real situation at that time.

Luo Chen was also extremely curious.

At that time, he was only in the early Core Formation stage and had long since become a prisoner, having no idea about the outside situation.

Now, in Fu Chaosheng's words, he finally looked at that battle from a higher perspective.

"That divine bird Qingluan is named Master Qing Shuang."

"Master Qing Shuang's strength is beyond your imagination!"

"Instantly defeating five Nascent Souls and intimidating Zhang Che was just a small part of her many battle achievements."

"In order to deal with her, the Eastern Wasteland Holy Land Mingyuan Sect gathered three Great Cultivators and killed their way into the Million Great Mountains, but beneath the Cangwu Mountain, the three were still no match for the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang."

"Those three Great Cultivators were definitely not weak, and their true abilities were on par with Ji Hanzi; they only lacked the advantage of terrain."

"Even they were defeated, so you know what kind of monsters Nascent Soul cultivators who have comprehended the true meaning of laws in advance are."

"Later, it even forced the Mingyuan Sect to personally dispatch a Soul Transformation great power."

Speaking to this point, it came to an abrupt end.

The crowd present felt as if their hearts were being scratched by a cat, unable to stop asking.

And then?

Fu Chaosheng shook his head. "More detailed inside stories are not something my authority can know. I only know that in that battle, the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang did not die, but the Feather Clan Holy Land, Cangwu Mountain, disappeared mysteriously."

The crowd felt somewhat dispirited.

Luo Chen showed the same expression, but his heart was as clear as ice.

In that final battle at Cangwu Mountain, the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang indeed showed her full ability, even holding her own for a few rounds in the hands of the Mingyuan great power.

Later, she even activated the means of the Qixia Yuanjun, the Nirvana Holy Fire, forcing back the Mingyuan great power.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but compare the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang with the desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower.

Who is stronger and who is weaker?

The Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang, who mastered the laws of space, was elusive. Her attainment in body refinement, in the eyes of Luo Chen, who is now a fourth-tier desolate beast, was also shocking.

The desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower, seemingly physically powerful, but from the fact that Ji Hanzi pierced its head with one finger, it doesn't seem to be strong in that area.

What it is truly powerful at is somewhat unexpected.

It is the way of soul refinement!

Whether it's the ghostly illusions beside it that can disturb the spiritual sense of cultivators, or the soul-shaking attack of the roar, it all explains this.

If the two were to really clash, the latter would be stronger than... no, Master Qing Shuang has battle achievements to follow; she could hold her own for a few rounds under the Mingyuan great power, but the Ghost Immortal Tower's roar to Li Canghai was just a breeze brushing the face.

Subconsciously, Luo Chen placed Master Qing Shuang, who had a relatively lower cultivation, on the more powerful side.

Perhaps it was the battle achievements, perhaps it was the experience of being captured by her, or perhaps it was the awe of Cangwu Mountain; Luo Chen really didn't want to face those women from Cangwu Mountain.

But if he really returned to the Eastern Wasteland, could he avoid those people?

If he really clashed with them, what would he rely on to no longer repeat the shame of being a prisoner?

Luo Chen tightened his fair and handsome face and bid farewell to the crowd.

This was somewhat unexpected; he hadn't said a word since he arrived, and now he was leaving?

However, considering his consistently solitary style of conduct, no one tried to persuade him to stay.

Fu Chaosheng also just comforted him: "We will arrive at Sun-Moon Island soon, and then we will take the teleportation array back to Zhongzhou; the North Sea situation will have nothing to do with you anymore, don't think too much."

Luo Chen nodded with a smile, his tense face seemingly relaxing.

Once back in the secret room of the Kunxiao Palace, Luo Chen couldn't wait to devote himself to cultivation.

Through frequent elixir refining, he had already raised the proficiency of the Hongyuan Elixir to the mastery level, and could already refine mid-grade Hongyuan Elixirs.

With the assistance of cultivation, his original cultivation speed was greatly improved.

According to his deduction, if he used high-grade Hongyuan Elixirs to assist his cultivation, he would definitely be able to shorten the time originally required to advance to the second level of the Nascent Soul from seven or eight years to four or five years.

Such speed, if spoken out, probably no one would believe it.

But this is the true cultivation speed under the combination of terrifying aptitude and terrifying elixir refining skills, as fast as a dream.

However, when Luo Chen finished his cultivation late at night, he felt no joy or relaxation.

"Not enough, still not enough!"

"Relying on this alone is far from enough for me to catch up with those women!"

Quantified cultivation speed makes one feel grounded, but it also makes Luo Chen clearly realize the huge gap between himself and those top-tier powerhouses.

That is not something that can be bridged by relying on a few years or decades.

"I need more powerful means!"

"Sword, cauldron, armor—with these three treasures by my side, I have no more requests for external objects."

"Although array Dao is strong, it is complex and slow, and the reaction is not fast enough in battle."

"The White Tiger puppet can be a trump card, but a true late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator is vulnerable in front of the Demon Emperor Master Qing Shuang, so the White Tiger probably won't work either."

"It cannot be all external objects; I need to master true killing moves."

"Techniques!"

Luo Chen's restless heart seemed to have found something to rely on, and it immediately calmed down.

Only the techniques that have accompanied him through battles and can be cast at any time give him enough confidence when facing anyone.

Even Han Zhan, who killed his way into his sea of consciousness, was defeated by his Dragon-Slaying Technique.

Yes, soul techniques!

Luo Chen seemed to have found a direction, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

Emotionally, he felt Master Qing Shuang was stronger, but rationally, he felt the Ghost Immortal Tower could fight Master Qing Shuang.

His confidence in the Ghost Immortal Tower lay in that soul attack.

"If I can master a similar powerful technique, can I achieve victory by surprise?"

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind constantly recalling all the actions of the Ghost Immortal Tower in the Ice Extreme Sect battle.

Beneath his long eyelashes, the 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon' technique emerged, and ghostly shadows circled, with illusions of immortals dancing.

Later, as his magic power surged, evil energy lingered.

Even the source power lurking deep in his flesh began to operate spontaneously.

The illusions in his eyes spread slowly from the inside out.

In a trance, Luo Chen murmured to himself.

"Is it like this?"