Chapter 695: Spiritual treasure Mount Lankeshan, illusion technique shows its power (6000-word chapter, small supplement!)

After arriving in the Central Plains, many things overturned some of Luo Chen's views.

For example, there are many strong people on this continent, and families are numerous.

Nascent Soul True Persons, who were rare to see in the past, are everywhere.

He convinced himself with the reason that the Central Plains gathers the essence of the Mountain Sea World.

But some high-grade cultivators here often made him sneer endlessly.

Clearly possessing the profound realms of Core Formation and Nascent Soul, but whether it is dealing with people or temperament and demeanor, they are far from the level of high-grade cultivators in other places outside the Central Plains.

Naive!

These two words are Luo Chen's evaluation of some "young" high-grade cultivators in the Central Plains.

He gradually understood later why this situation occurred.

The cultivators of the Central Plains have been at peace for a long time, their state of mind is relatively free and indifferent, and even if there is a dispute, it is often put into the square chessboard. Unlike "mud-legged" people like him, who were born unrelated to the clear wind and bright moon, and spent their whole lives accompanied by sword light and blood rain.

These cultivators of the Central Plains are just like immortals in storybooks, without robbery or struggle, cultivating freely.

But because of the lack of tempering, it led to these people having the realm but not the corresponding temperament.

Luo Chen doesn't know whether this cultivation mode is good or bad for cultivators, but he is ultimately unable to experience it, because if he wants to climb to the peak of this world, he has to walk up step by step, solidly.

Of course, Luo Chen also knows that these noble geniuses of the Heaven Origin Dao Sect are not without merits.

They have outstanding qualifications, and since childhood, they have been in an internal competition atmosphere of sect competition and family competition, so their state of mind is not bad.

Plus the foundation of a profound realm!

Later, as long as they are tempered a little, the uncut jade can bloom with brilliance and show the proper temperament of a True Person!

Luo Chen thinks this way.

Therefore, even if he disdains the Nascent Soul cultivators like Fu Fu Qinglan being on par with his True Person status in his heart, he has never shown it on the surface.

However!

That is based on the other party really being an uncut jade that has not been polished.

Right now, Luo Chen caught a glimpse of those ten fingers unconsciously intertwined and crossed, and his brows couldn't help but wrinkle.

Just because of one look, she is so unbearable; does this state of mind really count as uncut jade?

Does she really have the ability to shoulder Fu Fu Chaosheng's expectations and revitalize the fallen Fu family?

Even, does she have the qualification to peek into the Soul Transformation realm?

"Forget it, she is ultimately my employer, how can she be humiliated like this."

Luo Chen sighed in his heart, moved his footsteps slightly, and blocked in front of Fu Fu Qinglan.

While his tall body blocked the woman's figure, it also blocked the playful gaze cast from the opposite direction.

Fu Fu Qinglan was startled and looked up subconsciously.

Broad shoulders, thick spine, like a mountain blocking the wind and rain.

She opened her mouth, and a sense of gratitude arose in her heart.

But instantly.

Swish!

Visible to the naked eye, a flush spread from her slender neck to her cheeks.

That was a blush, a flush of shame and anger.

Because the cowardice she showed was discovered by a friend who had been interacting as equals recently, and even sheltered her, which produced shame and anger.

But this shame and anger didn't last long, and Luo Chen, who was good at socializing, soon guided her attention away with words.

"Time Ju? Could it be one of the thirteen people participating in the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven grand competition this time?"

"Yes. We chatted before; among the thirteen people, the great houses occupy three seats: Gu Yuan of the Gu family, Time Ju of the Time family, and Gu Daosu of the Gu family. Time Ju is the strongest among the three. It is said that this time he entered the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven without even bringing a protector, which shows his full confidence."

"How much do you know about him?"

"He is the most outstanding and talented person of our generation. Even to say, he shouldn't be counted as our generation, but should be a younger generation, but because his cultivation speed is too fast, he caught up with us. Since childhood, he has been cultivated with all the strength of the Time family of the great house, and after joining the Heaven Origin Dao Sect, he practiced the "Upper Profound Cave Bright Flame True Scripture" of the seven great true scriptures, winning first place in three small competitions, and by the time he formed the Core, he was barely two hundred years old!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing that it only took him two hundred years to form the Core, Luo Chen's heart moved.

He calculated, the time he formed the Core was also about two hundred years.

The reason why he was two hundred and sixteen years old when he left the Demon Sea was because he spent twenty years consolidating his realm.

Calculated this way, it was equivalent to his cultivation time!

"Could it be that he has Heavenly Spirit Root qualifications?"

Perhaps because of the turbulent emotions in her heart, Fu Fu Qinglan, who was usually cold, spoke a lot at this moment, telling him about this person's situation one by one through spiritual sense transmission.

"Heavenly Spirit Roots might be relatively rare in other places, but in our sect, they are not rare; at least among the thirteen people participating in the grand competition this time, there are seven Heavenly Spirit Roots."

"Such qualifications seem to have extremely fast cultivation speeds. But if they want to avoid the wall of the Purple Mansion being too thin after the Nascent Soul stage, delaying the Soul Transformation Great Dao, they cannot take too many elixirs to assist cultivation before the Nascent Soul stage. Therefore, their cultivation time is actually not small. To cultivate normally to the Nascent Soul realm, it takes at least three hundred years."

"The real reason why Time Ju is so outstanding, besides his fire-type Heavenly Spirit Root qualifications, is that he possesses an innate Nine Yang Dao Body, which can rely on refined Source-less Fire to temper his own magic power, only then can he not delay cultivation."

Luo Chen raised his brows, listening to the woman's words, but his eyes couldn't help but stare at the young man.

White clothes like snow, the same cultivation time, and even the physique is so similar!

The only difference is that his fire spirit body was cultivated artificially later, while the other party is an innate Nine Yang Dao Body.

Perhaps because Luo Chen blocked Fu Fu Qinglan's body, the man in the peach forest opposite only cast his gaze on Luo Chen.

It was an unintentional act, but Time Ju felt inexplicable annoyance as he looked.

He didn't look back and ordered.

"Go find Old Ghost Qi!"

The servant behind him was stunned, but soon responded and left the Peach Garden in a hurry.

And on Luo Chen's side, Fu Fu Qinglan's words continued.

Only towards the end, her tone became lower and lower.

"It is rumored that Time Ju has a heart of an innocent child; no matter how long he cultivates, he remains the same for a hundred years."

"But that so-called heart of an innocent child is not kind, just straightforward and willful without following the rules. He only wants to do what he wants to do, and never cares about others' perceptions."

"Among his peers, many have suffered a lot because of his so-called heart of an innocent child. The reason why Brother Liu Yuan fled to the North Sea, tempering himself was the main factor, but the secondary factor was not without Time Ju's targeting and suppression."

"Not only Brother Liu, but even other fellow disciples don't like Time Ju's style on weekdays. But because of the sect ancestor's appreciation, plus the blessing of the Time family's great house status, everyone dares to be angry but dare not speak."

Luo Chen shook his head secretly in his heart.

This is not a heart of an innocent child at all, it is clearly a naughty bear child!

If it were in the secular world, he would have been taught a lesson long ago.

But because it is in the cultivation world, the foundation of the sect and family, and the blessing of individual great power, made the malice brought by that naughtiness magnified a thousand times.

True Person Long Yuan is not a masochist; why would he give up the superior cultivation environment of the sect and run to the North Sea to go through life and death?

Thinking of this, his heart moved suddenly.

"How is this person to you?"

This time, Fu Fu Qinglan was silent.

Luo Chen didn't pursue the question, nor did he look directly at Time Ju again.

This kind of bear child, it's better not to provoke him; he doesn't want to get into trouble.

Therefore, Luo Chen put his attention on others in the field.

Visitors today, besides those servants and followers, and low-grade disciples of the Heaven Origin Dao Sect, are mostly Nascent Soul True Persons.

And Luo Chen is not familiar with the origins of these True Persons.

However, with True Person Winter Mountain and Lu Qiuzhen, these two Nascent Soul True Persons who arrived in the Central Plains first, he barely recognized a general idea.

This one is the patriarch of a certain family, that one is the current head of a certain family, and there are also cultivators from outside the continent mixed in.

Involving cultivators from outside the continent, the identity is even more complicated.

The ones Lu Qiuzhen and the others know are only some older generation Nascent Soul True Persons who came out of Heaven Earth Peak.

As for others?

"They should be major forces from outside the continent, specially sent to observe the ceremony!"

Observe the ceremony, observe what ceremony?

The ceremony of the Pill Saint's ascension!

At the same time, incidentally watch what kind of talents will appear in this Heaven Origin Dao Sect's five-hundred-year grand competition!

Based on the customs and clothing styles recorded in the classics, Luo Chen distinguished them carefully and saw clues from some people.

The Western Desert has come, not the high monks of the Holy Land Hanging Temple, but several Buddhist forces with great reputations. The shiny bald heads are quite conspicuous in the crowd, and they stand relatively forward, seeming very interested in the master chess match this time.

The Southern Border also sent one, but this person is quite mysterious, covered in black robes from head to toe, unable to see his true face or distinguish his gender. He stood behind the crowd, and if it weren't for the fact that no one around dared to approach him, Luo Chen would have found it hard to associate him with a Southern Border cultivator.

No one from the North Sea!

I don't know if they didn't come to watch the fun today, or if the North Sea is in a state of war, and after the destruction of the Primordial Demon Sect, no one cares about the major events in the Central Plains, so they didn't send anyone at all. In short, Luo Chen didn't see any North Sea cultivators other than the three of them.

However, the Eastern Wasteland sent a representative from the Mingyuan Sect during the fierce war between humans and demons.

That was a very young cultivator wearing a Daoist robe with the Mingyuan Sect's sect emblem, standing next to Time Ju and others, laughing and talking with others, but he was smiling very reluctantly.

It is understandable; the Pill Saint who is about to ascend was once a person of their Mingyuan Sect!

Now, they have to participate in her ascension ceremony as a cultivator from outside the continent; who can feel good in their heart?

Consequently, Luo Chen felt that the smile on Time Ju's face was provocative and gloating.

Just at this time.

In the field, the celebrity Dao Yin spoke loudly.

"It is truly Gu's good fortune that Brother Ke has the time today to open this game. Setting aside the outcome for now, Gu wishes to borrow a Lanke chess piece for my clansman, and I am willing to exchange it for the Gu family's treasured 'No-Amnesty Chess Manual.' I hope Brother Ke will grant this request."

As soon as these words came out, the chaos in the field suddenly became solemn.

The white-haired Ke Lianshan smiled, obviously showing interest in the so-called "No Amnesty Chess Manual."

"Black chess, or white chess?"

Gu Celebrity Dao Yin didn't hesitate, "Black chess!"

"Okay!" Ke Lianshan smiled slightly, but changed the subject, "However, I must first see if your chess skills have improved; otherwise, if I return disappointed, a mere "No Amnesty Chess Manual" won't move me."

Gu Celebrity Dao Yin breathed a sigh of relief, holding a black chess piece, and dropped it lightly.

"Brother, please!"

A simple conversation involved an exchange of goods.

But the influence it brought to everyone present was quite huge.

Like Time Ju, his expression changed instantly.

Luo Chen was also like this.

"Lanke chess piece, what is it?"

Fu Fu Qinglan also changed color, facing Luo Chen's inquiry, she answered immediately: "That is the spiritual treasure of our sect!"

The two words "spiritual treasure" came out, which was enough to explain the reason for the change in the expressions of the cultivators in the field.

But the real reason why Time Ju, Fu Fu Qinglan, and others were agitated was because of the function of the so-called black chess.

In Fu Fu Qinglan's explanation, Luo Chen also had more understanding of this spiritual treasure named 【Lanke】.

This is not a spiritual treasure, but a set of spiritual treasures.

It consists of a chessboard, chess pieces, and a remnant game in the legends.

These three together form the Lanke spiritual treasure, and each has different functions.

In legends, the Lanke chessboard in the hands of a Soul Transformation Great Power can suppress the foundation of a continent and prevent spiritual energy from leaking out.

The so-called chess pieces are divided into black and white; there are 181 black pieces, each with the effect of protecting the divine soul. There are 180 white pieces, each is a treasure for attack.

And that remnant game is even more mysterious.

Except for the one who refined this treasure, if others enter this game, they cannot escape at all and will be trapped in it for life.

Even, if one wants to completely refine this treasure, one must solve this remnant game.

The Lanke spiritual treasure has been hanging in the Heaven Origin Dao Sect for thousands of years, and no one has been able to refine and recognize it as master, at most borrowing one or two powers of the chessboard.

Until seven hundred years ago, Ke Lianshan emerged, showing shocking talent in chess, which caused the spiritual treasure to vibrate.

And he lived up to expectations; when he reached the Nascent Soul realm, he took a brand new step on the remnant game, thereby obtaining the recognition of the Lanke artifact spirit and becoming the master of Lanke.

The name of Chess Saint started from this!

The reason for Luo Chen's vibration was not the mystery of this treasure, but the so-called black chess.

"Is the Lanke black chess piece I obtained back then also a part of this spiritual treasure?"

"I don't think so, that's just a low-grade magic treasure, and there is a world of difference between it and a spiritual treasure."

"But according to the effect description, and even the division of black and white chess pieces, it is so similar; to say there is no relationship at all, I absolutely don't believe it."

"In this way, what kind of relationship should the Ghost God Valley, a Core Formation great sect in the Eastern Wasteland, have with this Heaven Origin Dao Sect?"

For a time, Luo Chen's heart fluctuated, and all his thoughts were not on the two playing chess.

"Almost there."

As time went to the afternoon, Luo Chen had the intention to leave.

His chess skills were not refined, and he didn't want to put his spirit on the deduction of the chess game, plus he had no heart to pay attention, so staying here continued to have no meaning.

And the purpose of this trip had already been achieved.

Through Fu Fu Qinglan's introduction, he had roughly seen the protectors of several contestants and had a preliminary impression.

After constantly estimating the odds of winning if he fought True Person Long Yuan in his heart, he asked casually.

Fu Fu Qinglan was about to answer when a hearty laugh came from behind them.

"Is that the Wild Scatterer? Long time no see!"

"Fellow Daoist Luo!"

Luo Chen turned his head, and sure enough, it was the familiar faces of True Person Winter Mountain and Lu Qiuzhen.

"So it is the two fellow Daoists, long time no see, how have you been lately?"

He returned the salute with a smile.

Although they were not close, at least from the surface, they were all from the North Sea cultivation world.

Now that they had all joined the Star Gate of Heaven Earth Peak, walking around occasionally was just human nature.

Fu Fu Qinglan greeted them coldly, not as easygoing as she was with Luo Chen.

After all, she was a disciple of a holy land and naturally had a sense of arrogance.

Usually, except for matters related to Go, she always appeared cold and arrogant. Luo Chen was an exception because he was a protector, and the matter concerned the grand competition, so she had to maintain a good relationship, thus taking the initiative to lower her posture and draw closer.

Regarding her cold attitude, the two didn't mind, and chatted with Luo Chen about the past in the North Sea and some of the latest intelligence.

They were formal Star Gate guest ministers and had the right to access some relatively new intelligence, unlike Luo Chen who had to rely on the Fu family's connections.

From Lu Qiuzhen, Luo Chen learned that the war in the North Sea was intensifying, the Ghost Immortal Pavilion was becoming more arrogant, and two Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators of the Li Canghai Righteous Alliance had personally taken action, but couldn't stop the Ghost Immortal Pavilion even from the front.

And the Great Power Li Li Canghai, who had always been elusive, had also begun to appear frequently in the North Sea cultivation world in the last two years.

The strange thing was that his appearance was not to support the war, but to collect spiritual mountains and seas.

This move undoubtedly confirmed Luo Chen's speculation from back then.

The Great Power Li Li Canghai was really refining treasures with the spiritual lands of the North Sea!

It's just that he didn't know if the Heaven Origin Dao Sect had discovered such clues.

Because of the two people's interruption, the conversation between Luo Chen and Fu Fu Qinglan had to be interrupted once, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the scene of the chess match.

That was in a peach forest.

Amidst the falling petals, two people, one old and one young, sat inside.

All around, figures were bustling, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic yet oppressive because no one was speaking.

Luo Chen hadn't yet focused his attention on the two playing chess when his heart moved, and he perceived a gaze landing on him... and Fu Fu Qinglan beside him.

At this moment, Luo Chen clearly felt a tremor in the woman's body beside him.

Luo Chen looked over generously; in an area of the peach forest most suitable for watching the game, a man dressed in luxury and outstanding temperament was holding a white fan and staring at them with great interest.

Facing Luo Chen's gaze, the young man's mouth corners lifted slightly.

"Who is that?"

Fu Fu Qinglan lowered her head, her black hair covering her eyes, her ten fingers unconsciously intertwined.

"Time family, Time Ju!" ===== CHAPTER 696 =====

"Absolutely true!"

Luo Chen frowned, "With such conduct, does no one within the Dao Sect question it?"

Fu Fu Qinglan pursed her lips, smoothed the strands of hair hanging by her mouth, and said with a pained expression, "Everything followed a logical course; even those clansmen of the same sect were willing to be annexed, so who would question it?"

Luo Chen understood.

Looking at it this way, that Shi Ju was truly a genius spoiled by the sect and his family!

Once a cultivator makes a promise, how could it be so easily reneged upon?

Even without mentioning contractual oaths, a normal promise should be treated with solemnity.

The word "teasing" used by the woman before him was quite apt.

Shi Ju was not at all coveting their beauty, and perhaps he was not even plotting against the small families behind them; he simply wanted to tease and toy with these women.

Holed up in this peaceful region where there was only internal strife, aside from cultivation, he was likely bored to death and just looking for some amusement!

Luo Chen thought to himself.

Fu Fu Qinglan explained a few more things, such as how she was the hope of the Fu family and it was absolutely impossible for her to marry far into another clan.

Luo Chen no longer had the heart to listen to these clichés, and instead, his expression turned stern.

"So, this is the reason why someone was specifically waiting for us."

Fu Fu Qinglan was stunned.

The next moment, an old farmer with his hands tucked into his pockets walked out from the corner of the mountain hollow.

His attire was simple, with no sign of silk or satin, only hemp clothes and cloth shoes, with white leggings tucked into his socks, and he even wore the white towel commonly used by spiritual farmers to wipe away sweat.

His body was hunched, and his expression was miserable.

Facing this person, Fu Fu Qinglan blurted out.

"Old Qi!"

"Miss Fu Qinglan is still so kind-hearted, unlike others who call me Old Ghost Qi at every turn."

Seeing Fu Fu Qinglan, the old farmer nodded in acknowledgment.

Afterward, he looked at Luo Chen, and while speaking, he straightened his back.

"Are you Miss Fu Qinglan's Dao Protector? This old man would like to test your abilities to see if you are qualified to protect her."

As his waist straightened, gale winds whistled, and his tall body instantly stood before them like a majestic city.

Without giving Luo Chen any chance to speak, he took a step forward and threw a punch.

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes. A Nascent Soul True Person? Or a body cultivator?

Or perhaps, both?

If he was not mistaken, that kind of rigid and fierce energy was something only a legitimate body cultivator could cultivate.

Facing such a powerhouse, if they were in the outside world, Luo Chen would naturally fight to his heart's content. In fact, he had always wanted to test whether his Desolate Beast Body Refining Method was stronger or weaker than a legitimate body cultivator's.

But this was the Lanke Mountain Range!

The location of the Heavenly Origin Dao Sect's mountain gate!

As an outsider, it would not be easy for him to act rashly.

If he were to act, the Fu family might not be able to protect him, and he feared the Heaven Peak would not exert much effort to protect a mere guest elder of external affairs.

And the other party, being so decisive, likely had no such concerns.

Since that was the case...

Facing the punch that smashed through the air, Luo Chen did not dodge or evade.

Boom!

On the ground, a shallow crater appeared.

It was so shallow that it showed the opponent's precise control of his strength, and also that the opponent had not used his full power.

But Qi Qi Xiongcheng was stunned.

Did he miss?

How could this be!

He looked up, and the white-robed Daoist before him had a calm expression; as his magic power surged, illusions surrounded him.

Those gentle eyes, at this moment, became like a bottomless abyss, drawing people into a fall.

"This..."

While Qi Qi Xiongcheng was stunned, his tenacious will instantly broke through the illusion.

When he opened his eyes again, where was the Daoist before him?

It was nothing more than a phantom image with residual magic power.

He looked back and saw that Luo Chen had already drifted away, with Fu Fu Qinglan following closely behind, though she frequently turned her head to look at him.

Qi Qi Xiongcheng's right hand hung in the void, and he stood there in a daze.

"An illusion?"

"Then when did I fall for it?"

He was clearly standing there with his back straight, but inexplicably, his waist seemed to have hunched over again.