Chapter 125: Paranoia and Formation Mastery (II)

“Damn it!” the grey-robed cultivator cursed, stumbling over broken branches and half-frozen roots as he fled deeper into the outer district. “Aren’t alchemists supposed to be weak in combat, far inferior to cultivators of the same tier? When the hell did he set up that blade formation?”

Blood caked his sleeve, and his spiritual energy fluctuated wildly with panic.

Behind him, a white-robed young man floated steadily through the air, the Four Symbols Cauldron hovering above his head, draped in shimmering golden, red, blue, and green tassels. He was gaining ground—fast.

Grinding his teeth, the fleeing cultivator’s expression twisted into desperation. In a flash, he whirled mid-flight and roared, “Go die!”

From his sleeve shot forth a blazing spear, a top-grade enchanted artifact wreathed in crimson flame. The fiery aura surged, forming a long streak through the air like a wrathful dragon hurtling toward its prey.

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes.

A retreating spear strike?

Before the thought could fully form, the weapon was already upon him.

Creak, creak!

The four-colored tassels around the cauldron flared and began to shred, one layer at a time, under the devastating force of the spear. The protective barrier groaned with strain. Luo Chen’s brows finally knit—this spear wasn’t ordinary. The Four Symbols Cauldron could only barely match such power.

Heartstrings taut, Luo Chen slapped his storage bag, producing four or five talismans in his hand, all of them defensive.

Without hesitation, he slapped his storage bag and drew out a fistful of talismans. Just as he prepared to activate them, his instincts screamed—and he paused.

Whoosh...

A sudden breeze rolled in.

The moment the golden tassel completed its final sweep, the fiery spear abruptly lost all momentum. The terrifying energy dissipated, and it clattered harmlessly to the ground.

With practiced ease, Luo Chen reached out and caught the spear mid-fall.

Looking up, Luo Chen saw Mi Shuhua carrying a limp body and looking at him with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Luo Chen nodded calmly, brushing snow from his sleeves. “I’m fine. But if you’d shown up any later, you’d probably be collecting Old Zhou and Old Liu’s corpses.”

The Four Symbols Cauldron shrank into a miniature and disappeared into Luo Chen’s storage bag. With nothing more to say, Mi Shuhua swept him up in a surge of enchanting wind and shot southwest like a streak of light.

Neither spoke during the flight.

As they passed over the forest battleground, Mi Shuhua glanced down at the wreckage below, his expression subtly shifting when he noticed the scope of destruction. He turned to Luo Chen, clearly impressed.

Luo Chen only offered a nonchalant shrug, his eyes, however, drifting toward the storage bag in Mi Shuhua’s grasp. His meaning was obvious.

Got it! I see what you mean!

Mi Shuhua's face twitched as he transmitted, "Once I'm done interrogating this person, everything of his will be yours."

"You're so generous, Gang Leader!" Luo Chen gave a thumbs-up; he knew his gang leader wouldn't care for these trivial items.

Soon, the two arrived at the green hemp forest. The forest, once blanketed in snow, had lost its original form amidst the fierce battle. Large swaths of deadwood lay scattered across the ground, crisscrossing in disarray. Several deep pits, each spanning meters, scarred the forest floor, as if led straight to the abyss below.

Luo Chen's eyelids twitch violently.

Was this the destructive power of a ninth stage of Qi-Refining cultivator?

Back on the Debate Platform, the environment's restrictions and the enveloping formations had muted the full extent of a ninth stage of Qi-Refining cultivator's power.

Now he understood why Zhou Yuanli had insisted on him escaping immediately.

Against such overwhelming power, how many rounds could he possibly withstand?

“Gang Leader!” Zhou Yuanli stepped forward, still composed despite the bloodstains on his robes.

"Cough... Greetings, Gang Leader!" Liu Qiang stumbled behind him, his entire body covered in gashes and bruises. His lips were pale, and as he bowed, his teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Mi Shuhua’s gaze swept the ruined battlefield. His voice was low and cold.

Zhou Yuanli turned his head slightly and replied, “Just fled.”

Mi Shuhua’s eyes narrowed.

Hmm?

Zhou Yuanli gritted his teeth and explained, “It’s not that we didn’t want to stop him. He had a second-tier Water Evasion Talisman. He forced an exchange of injuries with Liu Qiang, then used the impact to break free and escaped.”

Mi Shuhua’s gaze swept toward Liu Qiang, whose entire body bore the marks of that brutal exchange. The gang leader inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. A moment later, an enormous spiritual sense burst outward like a tidal wave, spreading across the snow-blanketed terrain.

His eyes snapped open.

"This direction!"

He didn’t wait for confirmation. With a flick of his sleeve, he tossed the unconscious gray-robed cultivator onto the ground. “Keep an eye on him. Zeng Wen is already on his way with reinforcements. He’ll escort Luo Chen back to the base.”

And with that, he vanished, a crescent-shaped arc of light tracing the sky behind him. His speed was utterly breathtaking—like a meteor streaking through the heavens.

Once the space settled, Zhou Yuanli took up watch while Liu Qiang immediately sat down to focus on healing. Luo Chen, however, wasted no time. He squatted beside the unconscious cultivator and began rifling through his belongings.

Storage pouch, taken! Even his clothing is a top-grade enchanted robe—no wonder he survived the Matron Blade Formation. Off with it!

Anything else?

Luo Chen stood and spat disdainfully on the ground. “Ugh. Pauper.”

Zhou Yuanli couldn't help but ask, “Hall Leader Luo, what about the other two enemies?”

“Dead,” Luo Chen said without missing a beat. “One’s body was vaporized, and the other was burnt to ash. They were paupers too. No storage pouches, no enchanted robe, not even decent clothes left.”

He gave the unconscious man a light kick and muttered, “What kind of people are these? Robbing folks in broad daylight. Don’t they know I’m invincible among my peers?”

Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang shared a glance, their expressions unreadable.

Didn’t he disappear the moment the fight started?

the thought passed silently between them.

But Luo Chen simply grinned and didn’t bother clarifying. With a bounce in his step, he strolled a few paces away and began inspecting his new prize.

A top-grade enchanted spear—this is rare.

Fire element. Beautifully crafted. Intricate inscriptions traced the shaft, still warm to the touch from the earlier clash. It didn’t perfectly match the attributes of the Long Spring Art, but with his five-spirit-root constitution, he could still use it—barely.

Unfortunately, after the fierce battle earlier—activating the jade blade, Four Symbols Cauldron, large scale Entangle, and Blazing Fireflies—his spirit power was mostly spent.

Otherwise, he'd definitely give this enchanted spear a try.

Oh, and earlier he had also snagged an ice-element flying sword, which seemed to be top-grade too. Its power was impressive, just slightly inferior to the spear. Luckily, he had been prepared and used the Four Symbols Cauldron to block it.

"This battle was quite fruitful!

"Two top-grade offensive enchanted artifacts, one top-grade enchanted robe, plus an unopened storage pouch—I wonder how much good stuff is inside."

There was no time to linger—the sound of footsteps and rustling robes grew louder by the second as a group approached from the distance. At the forefront was none other than Zeng Wen, his old acquaintance.

Flustered and red-faced, Zeng Wen landed in the snow-dusted woods and immediately zeroed in on Luo Chen, worry etched across his face. “Are you alright? Hurt anywhere? You’ll still be able to refine pills, right?”

That last question is the main point, isn't it?

He rolled his eyes. “Do I look hurt to you? Stop fussing. Just send someone to take Liu Qiang back to rest.”

With a flick of his sleeve, he rose into the air, riding the wind back toward the Poshan Gang’s headquarters.

Zeng Wen barked a few quick orders, assigning a pair of cultivators to escort the injured Liu Qiang. Then, without wasting time, he launched into the air and caught up to Luo Chen.

As they flew side by side, Zeng Wen leaned closer and muttered, “Hey... why’d you stop refining Myriad Wonders pills last month? I didn’t even get a whiff of one.”

“What?” Luo Chen tilted his head dramatically. “Can’t hear you. Wind’s too strong.”

“I said—Myriad Wonders pills!”

“Sorry, what was that?”

"You bastard, I'm not coming to save you next time."

Luo Chen chuckled. “Oh, I actually had a few Myriad Wonders pills saved up. Planned to give you some. Top-grade, too. What a shame...”

"Daoist Luo Chen, this way, please!"

As soon as they arrived at the Poshan Gang headquarters, Zeng Wen started shouting.

"Where is everyone? Did you all die or something?"

“Light the stove! Serve hot tea! Get the qi-boosting pills and healing salves here—now! Don’t you all know our precious Hall Leader Luo Chen nearly got himself assassinated today?”

Luo Chen swept past the bustling attendants with a calm, bemused expression, hiding the satisfaction that twitched at the corners of his lips.

Being important has its perks.