Chapter 700: Just like now, just like this object, I, Luo Chen, will not yield!

The Mirage Dragon Cave-Heaven is of unknown length and width, and its boundaries are nowhere to be found.

The scenery within is incomparably realistic, seemingly no different from the outside world.

Five or six days have passed since the start of the grand competition.

Outside a valley.

Five or six Core Formation cultivators look warily at the scene in the valley, where a dozen white bighorn sheep are resting leisurely.

They observe for a while, and finally, they make up their minds.

"We are not as powerful as Qi Qi Shixiong Wang, who can hunt phantom beasts alone with a single sword; it is better to cooperate."

"Set up the formation first, then defeat them one by one. Any objections?"

"How will the obtained phantom cores be distributed?"

"Split equally! If the quantity is uneven, distribute them in turns, and make up for it later. If someone accidentally falls and is eliminated..."

At this point, Chang Song Fengzi pauses.

Wu Tao, beside him, takes over without hesitation, "Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth is determined by heaven. The spoils of those who leave will be divided among the rest. But as for companions, one must never use despicable means to deliberately harm them!"

Chang Song Fengzi blinks with satisfaction, then looks at the others.

"Do you all agree to this plan?"

Among the other four, Guan Guan Xiaoping is the first to respond, and the remaining three agree after a moment of hesitation.

However, they subtly stand a bit closer together.

The Liu, Guan, and Wu families have always been on good terms; even without resorting to schemes, their combined strength is something no single one of them could resist.

"Fine, since that is the case, let us begin!"

Chang Song Fengzi stops talking, takes out the formation disk and formation flags, and hands them to the others to set up one by one.

As for himself, he holds a talisman and cautiously flies above the valley.

When everything is ready.

He immediately uses his spiritual power to activate the talisman, and under its guidance, threads fly in from all directions, covering the entire valley.

"Do it!"

Chang Song Fengzi is the first to rush into the valley, and the others, unwilling to fall behind, follow immediately.

In an instant, loud noises erupt in the valley, and magic treasures fly everywhere.

Amidst the colorful lights, large swathes of white mist disperse.

But just as the white mist is about to fly out of the valley, it is blocked by the pre-arranged formation.

Half an hour later.

A slightly exhausted Chang Song Fengzi takes out a gourd and opens its mouth toward the white mist floating in the air.

"Collect!"

Wisps of white mist begin to be sucked into the gourd, albeit reluctantly.

After absorbing more than half, Chang Song Fengzi is still somewhat unsatisfied looking at the remaining thick white mist, but he shakes the gourd, hears the clinking sound inside, and reveals a smile.

Guan Guan Xiaoping approaches excitedly, "Qi Qi Shixiong, I'm afraid we'll collect over a dozen phantom cores this time!"

Chang Song Fengzi strokes his elegant long beard, "This is just the beginning."

Wu Tao nods excitedly as well, "Yes, this is just the beginning; we will collect even more phantom cores later!"

The remaining two also approach, but unlike the initial three, there are only two left now.

They look at each other, somewhat unable to accept it.

It had only just begun, and one person was already lost.

What about later on?

Cooperation with these three cannot continue!

They had already vaguely sensed before that although Chang Song Fengzi and the others did not use any schemes, there were clear signs of holding back when supporting others.

This was a plan to consume their companions to obtain more phantom cores!

The two exchange a look, reaching a tacit understanding.

Distribute the spoils of this time first, then go their separate ways afterward.

By then, the two of them can also cooperate, recruit others to hunt demon beasts together, and then imitate the methods of Chang Song Fengzi and the others.

"Qi Qi Shixiong, let's strike while the iron is hot and condense the remaining cloud energy into phantom cores too!"

"I have the same intention. However, the most powerful phantom beast here is at the late third stage; it will take some effort to condense it."

Chang Song Fengzi says so.

After a short rest, he forms hand seals to urge the gourd, continuing to absorb the cloud energy in the valley.

One, two...

The phantom cores in the gourd condense more and more, until finally, only the largest cluster of cloud energy remains.

Just at this moment.

Rumble!

A large blue-red hand reaches down from beyond the sky.

The formation covering the valley reacts, attempting to block it, but under the hand gathered with immense spiritual power, it crumbles in an instant.

The five people in the valley turn pale.

Chang Song Fengzi, in shock, blurts out: "Green Yang Great Handprint!"

The hand gathered from spiritual power has slender fingers and lifelike palm prints.

It grabs the largest cluster of cloud energy and retracts.

High in the sky.

Fu Fu Qinglan looks in surprise at this technique of the man beside her, executed in an instant without the slightest trace of effort.

To think someone could cultivate a spell to such a level of ease and control.

Luo Chen opens his right hand, and a small white pill, resembling a date pit, appears on it.

"Is this a phantom beast core?"

Having walked unhurriedly for five days, slowly entering from the periphery of the Mirage Dragon Cave-Heaven, he has finally seen a phantom beast.

Moreover, someone else helped disperse its main body in advance, saving unnecessary effort.

Fu Fu Qinglan smiles slightly, "This is merely a third-stage phantom beast, unable to condense a phantom core automatically. To me, it is of no use. However, if taken to the outside world, the talented people of my sect can use it to craft magic treasures, elixirs, talismans, and so on. Especially the magic treasures crafted from this, which generate numerous illusions, are particularly suitable for low-stage disciples to temper their Dao hearts."

Luo Chen looks at the phantom core in his hand, revealing a thoughtful expression.

He remembers clearly that he once found a treasure at a street stall in Mount Tianlan Immortal City.

Its name was the Ghost God Heart-Questioning Mirror!

Although it was only a damaged magic treasure, it was one of the few times he had picked up a bargain in his life.

Feeling the strange power within the phantom core now, combined with Fu Fu Qinglan's words, he vaguely feels that the main material for crafting the Ghost God Heart-Questioning Mirror might be this phantom beast core.

In this way, the relationship between the Ghost God Valley, a major Core Formation sect in the Eastern Wasteland, and the Ancestor Tianyuan Dao Sect of the Central Plains becomes even more intriguing.

He thinks again.

If he were to craft this phantom core, how should he go about it?

In the way of artifact refining, Luo Chen still has some accomplishments.

In a short time, he thinks of several types of formations suitable for being placed on this phantom core, and by finding another carrier and combining it with soul-path methods, he might be able to recreate the wonders of the Ghost God Heart-Questioning Mirror.

Fu Fu Qinglan does not interrupt Luo Chen's thinking; they will need Luo Chen's help to hunt phantom beasts and collect phantom cores later.

The more familiar he is with this object, the smoother things will go later.

However, the people below cannot wait.

Chang Song Fengzi grinds his teeth and raises his head, "Senior Uncle Fu, Senior... Senior Luo, that is our spoils of war!"

Luo Chen glances at him, unmoved.

Fu Fu Qinglan, however, smiles, "Do not worry, Brother Dao Luo is just curious upon seeing it for the first time; he will return it to you immediately."

Afterward, she whispers to Luo Chen, "Third-stage phantom cores are useless to me; only fourth-stage phantom cores can assist my cultivation. If Brother Dao wishes to study such things, after the grand competition ends, I can exchange for a few for you from within the sect."

Luo Chen says "hmm," then tosses it up with his hand.

In the valley, Chang Song Fengzi hurriedly catches this highest-grade phantom core.

When he looks up again, the figures of Luo Chen and the other person are already gone from the sky.

He opens his mouth, wanting to say something, but the other two fellow disciples beside him are already impatient to distribute the phantom cores.

Chang Song Fengzi has no objections, distributing the other phantom cores to them, while keeping the one Luo Chen helped condense for himself.

"Chang Song Fengzi, the cooperation ends here!"

"Farewell!"

Chang Song Fengzi is stunned, and before he can persuade them to stay, the two leave in a hurry.

Guan Guan Xiaoping wrinkles her small nose, "Those two are ungrateful."

Chang Song Fengzi waves his hand, "No matter, let them go; when we meet other fellow disciples later, we can invite them in to hunt phantom beasts together."

Wu Tao chuckles, "Exactly. With their help, hunting phantom beasts will be much easier. Once we have enough, we'll leave the Cave-Heaven. By then, our grand competition ranking will be ahead of these people."

Chang Song Fengzi nods with a smile, but the smile is quite forced.

He knows very well how powerful the formation he had set up above the valley was.

It was a powerful formation capable of completely withstanding a strike from a fourth-stage phantom beast!

Yet, under that unremarkable palm of Luo Chen, it had no power to resist at all.

"The former Green Yang Demon Lord has actually become this powerful now. If the Family Head encounters him, is there really no problem?"

Crossing the valley, Luo Chen and the other person head toward the center of the Mirage Dragon Cave-Heaven.

The conversation in the valley, under his spiritual sense, is heard word for word.

He naturally recognizes Chang Song Fengzi and these three old acquaintances from the North Sea at a glance.

At that time, these three still seemed quite immature; now, having been to the North Sea and returned, their cultivation base has not improved much, but their combat experience and scheming are quite impressive.

Sure enough, just as he had judged before.

These young disciples of the Ancestor Tianyuan Dao Sect have received excellent guidance since childhood, and their foundations are solid; as long as they are tempered a little, they can stand out.

By comparison, the Luo Tian Sect he operated back then had Qi Refining disciples going to the battlefield, which was truly a bit like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

However, halfway through his reflection, Luo Chen chuckles.

Times have changed, and besides, what kind of behemoth is the Ancestor Tianyuan Dao Sect? How could a mere Luo Tian Sect have the conditions to cultivate disciples like this?

His reflection is somewhat laughable.

Fu Fu Qinglan does not understand why he is laughing for no reason, but instead introduces the general situation of the Mirage Dragon Cave-Heaven on the side.

"On the periphery of the Cave-Heaven, a large number of low-stage phantom beasts are entrenched, but these are not our targets."

"Fourth-stage phantom beasts are the top priority!"

"But phantom beasts are completely different from the demon beasts seen in the outside world. These are transformed from the Mirage Dragon's energy, formless in gathering and dispersing, with unpredictable movements. The more powerful the phantom beast, the less likely they are to group together. They are scattered inside the Cave-Heaven, lurking and not coming out."

"Finding fourth-stage phantom beasts is the first major difficulty."

"And after finding them, killing the phantom beasts and collecting the phantom cores is even more troublesome. By then, I will need Brother Dao to contribute more effort."

Luo Chen's expression is calm, his gaze looking out over the mountains and ravines, his face full of confidence.

"If the late third-stage phantom beasts only have that much strength, then ordinary fourth-stage phantom beasts are nothing more than easy prey for me."

Fu Fu Qinglan's eyes light up, "In that case, I will have to trouble Brother Dao."

She feels more and more that her grandfather's choice of this person as her Dao protector was the most correct decision.

The doubts of the past have long since vanished.

"Xiaofan, are you sure there is a fourth-stage phantom beast in this forest?"

"Absolutely certain!"

Outside a dense forest, two figures stand side by side.

One has sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, with a long sword on his back.

The other has extremely lively features, looking as young as a teenager.

Lin Bufan looks at the forest in front of him and talks eloquently.

"Back then, the Pill Saint cultivated on Heaven and Earth Peak for ascension, drawing in many spiritual opportunities. Although I could not capture that kind of spiritual opportunity, I remembered the feeling. Later, I lingered on Heaven and Earth Peak for half a year, becoming very familiar with the scene when the spiritual opportunity appeared."

"When the Pill Saint ascended, the spiritual opportunity drawn in was intercepted by the Sect Master. A portion of it was actually cast by the Sect Master into the Mirage Dragon Cave-Heaven."

"These well-hidden fourth-stage phantom beasts have all awakened, absorbing those spiritual opportunities!"

"Jingtang, you make a move!"

Lin Jingtang trusts this person who is like a younger brother to him; regardless of combat strength and cultivation base, the other's talent in cultivation is something he cannot reach.

If he says there is a fourth-stage phantom beast inside, then there must be one.

The long sword on his back is slowly drawn.

"In that case, let me find it, seize its core for your cultivation, and help you take a step further on the path to Soul Transformation!"

While speaking, he lifts his foot and steps into the lush forest.

As soon as he enters, the creatures inside perceive his biting murderous intent.

In an instant, a large number of vines fly in from the sky and the ground with a rustling sound.

Lin Jingtang is fearless, his precious sword waving continuously, sword lights scattering, and the vines are all shattered.

He moves forward all the way, with Lin Bufan following closely behind.

Not long after.

"There!"

"To think it was disguised so well!"

Lin Jingtang praises, his precious sword slashing diagonally, and a huge sword light slashes toward a withered tree.

At this moment, the withered tree suddenly comes to life!

A tree branch breaks through the air and slaps horizontally.

The powerful force directly shatters the sword light.

Not only that, more branches rise up, covering the sky and the sun, enveloping the entire forest.

Lin Jingtang takes a deep breath, "Xiaofan, you step back a bit. This thing is tricky, and it seems unaffected by my Nascent Soul domain; I need to spend more effort to deal with it."

Lin Bufan nods and hurriedly steps back a bit.

Without needing to look after him, Lin Jingtang has no more worries, and all his abilities are unleashed.

In the vast forest, terrifying spiritual power fluctuations suddenly erupt.

Clang!

With a bell sound, the ancient forest stretching for a hundred miles turns into dust at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Amidst the floating powder, a flash of white light flies out suddenly.

The next moment, Lin Jingtang, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, rises into the sky holding a golden bell.

"Where are you running!"

The large bell emits golden light, shining from afar on that white light, leaving it nowhere to hide.

Lin Jingtang holds the large bell, trailing far behind, keeping it from leaving his spiritual sense range.

The two chase each other continuously.

Until another vast spiritual sense, like the sun in the sky, appears in Lin Jingtang's spiritual sense perception.

His expression changes, and he roars: "How dare you!"

Responding to him is a chuckle.

"What is there not to dare? Such a treasure should naturally be obtained by those with affinity."

Lin Jingtang's face turns livid; in his spiritual sense perception, he sees a middle-aged man in white robes and gray hair, a thousand miles away, reaching out toward that white light from afar.

Amidst the vast clouds, a monstrous giant claw suddenly appears.

Lin Jingtang's pupils shrink; is this a spell or a body technique?

But immediately, a sneer appears on the corner of his mouth.

If he thinks he can subdue a fourth-stage phantom beast with this, he is thinking too simply.

Sure enough, the monstrous giant claw emerging from the clouds had clearly grabbed that white light, yet in an instant, white cloud energy seeped out from between the giant claw's five fingers.

The seeped-out cloud energy gathered and merged again in an instant.

Luo Chen lets out a soft "eh."

The full-force Cloud-Exploring Divine Claw actually couldn't catch this heavily injured fourth-stage phantom beast?

However, he is not completely unprepared.

With a thought, his Nascent Soul domain envelops the world.

The white light's escape speed remains the same, completely unaffected.

Luo Chen frowns; the Nascent Soul domain is also useless?

"What exactly is this phantom beast? It seems I have to show some real skills."

Without seeing him make any movements, he just holds his right hand in front of his chest and forms a seal.

The next moment, five-colored brilliance permeates from his body, instantly turning into thick, crimson chains.

"Lock!"

With a soft shout, nine red chains pierce directly into the void, locking that white light.

No matter how much it struggles, it cannot break free.

Finally, it reveals its true form, which is surprisingly a white withered tree.

Is this what a fourth-stage phantom beast looks like?

Luo Chen is surprised, and then sees a handsome man arrive in front of him.

Looking at the large bell, he understands in his heart.

"Alarm Bell, are you Lin Jingtang, Lin Bufan's Dao protector?"

Lin Jingtang first looks at the phantom beast withered tree locked by the nine red chains, feeling incomparably surprised; his natal magic treasure, the Alarm Bell, has had its suppression ability greatly increased since it was promoted to a true artifact.

It is precisely because of this that the Family Head specifically sent him to be Lin Bufan's Dao protector, to facilitate the suppression and collection of phantom beast cores.

Yet he did not expect that the phantom beast he had spent all his effort to suppress could not be held down, but was captured by the other party with a casual move.

His gaze finally falls on the man in white robes and gray hair.

"Wild Wanderer!"

"Since you know that I am protecting Lin Bufan, then you should know that Xiaofan is a good friend of Fu Fu Qinglan, whom you are protecting."

"Since they are good friends, how can you snatch away what is loved?"

Luo Chen raises his eyebrows.

"Is that so?"

Behind him, Fu Fu Qinglan slowly appears.

According to the agreement, Luo Chen makes the decisions regarding combat matters.

But involving her friend...

Fu Fu Qinglan nods, "Little Lin is indeed on good terms with me; since this phantom beast was discovered by them first, then let's give it to..."

Luo Chen laughs.

He laughs somewhat disapprovingly, and the meaning revealed is so mocking.

Lin Jingtang, who had originally relaxed, suddenly has a bad premonition.

Sure enough!

"They are good friends, so you want to yield. Then if it were your fellow sect brothers, would you yield?"

"If it were the three sons of the Great House, especially that time of the torch, would you also yield?"

"This object involves your opportunity for Soul Transformation, and you can also yield it?"

"Fu Fu Qinglan, since you shoulder the responsibility of family revitalization, you should know that in many cases, many things cannot be yielded."

"Just like now! Just like this object!"

Since arriving in the Central Plains, Luo Chen, who has always been calm and indifferent, is now extremely aggressive.

Every heavy word, every question, catches Fu Fu Qinglan off guard.

Clatter...

The nine red chains roll the phantom beast withered tree and fly toward Luo Chen, while his hand has already pinched a seal, his eyes full of coldness.

"Since I am her Dao protector, then within this Cave-Heaven, everything related to her Great Dao, I, Luo Chen, will not yield!" ===== CHAPTER 701 =====