Chapter 316: The Battle of Gaoling Plains (II)

As the twilight glow descended, it bathed the entire world in a warm golden hue. Luo Chen scanned the surroundings, his gaze sharp and watchful, yet he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Could I be overthinking it...?

Behind him, Sima Huiniang stepped forward. “President, let’s set up camp at Gaoling Plains tonight.”

"Gaoling Plains?"

“Yes. That area sits high above the surroundings, with dense stone pillars. It’s excellent for concealment, reduces the risk of ambush, and is easy to patrol.”

"That sounds reasonable." Luo Chen nodded.

The Skyhawk Flying Boat glided steadily toward a towering plain that jutted out from the surrounding landscape. As they drew nearer, the terrain came into clearer view—rugged and uneven, scattered with jagged boulders. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of massive stone pillars rose from the ground like ancient sentinels.

At first glance, it resembled the ruins of a fallen palace, the stone columns standing like the fractured beams of a once-grand structure.

But as they drew nearer, an unsettling feeling began to take root in Luo Chen’s heart. The scene before them, once seemingly ideal, now felt inexplicably off. A vague sense of unease stirred within him, growing sharper with each breath.

High vantage point... Dense cover...

ait—something’s wrong.

Suddenly, Luo Chen’s eyes locked onto the plains below, sharp and unblinking.

In that very instant, three devastating attacks erupted out of nowhere, howling through the air as they raced straight toward the Skyhawk Flying Boat.

“Damn it!” Luo Chen barked. “Duan Feng, activate the defensive formation!”

Buzz!!!

A deep, resonating hum filled the air as the ship’s defensive formation surged to life. A translucent jade-blue barrier rippled outward, wrapping around the entire boat in a cocoon of defense.

This was the Skyhawk’s built-in formation, a defensive measure meant to barely withstand a single full-force strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

But what they were facing... was three!

Without hesitation, Luo Chen swept his sleeve, unleashing a surge of overwhelming spirit power. He targeted the fiercest of the incoming strikes, a blue flood dragon charging straight for the boat. Under his sweeping force, the dragon let out a mournful screech before shattering into glowing fragments.

Though the residual spirit energy still rippled outward, Luo Chen’s continued motions dispersed it into little more than a passing breeze and scattered drizzle.

To Luo Chen, it caused no harm whatsoever. Yet the familiar style of that spell stirred a faint suspicion in his mind—he had seen this technique before.

At that moment, a crimson tornado erupted from the flying boat, colliding with a black-red beam of energy.

Boom!

As the forces clashed, Wang Yuan’s expression darkened slightly. All around them, several narrow beams of black and crimson energy spiraled through the air before flowing back down, vanishing into the heart of the Gaoling Plains below.

That accounted for two of the attacks.

But the third, unintercepted and roaring with deadly intent, was still hurtling straight toward the Skyhawk Flying Boat.

At the helm, Duan Feng’s face turned pale. “Foundation Establishment-level strike! Max out the defensive formation!”

The azure barrier encasing the ship flared and thickened, struggling desperately to absorb the oncoming impact.

Bang!

The sound echoed across the sky like a mountain collapsing. The final, earthen-yellow beam struck with immense force.

At the last second, the yellow light bounced off—the source revealed to be a small, stamp-shaped enchanted treasure. Somehow, they had blocked it.

But before anyone could celebrate, the Skyhawk Flying Boat began to lurch violently, spiraling into an uneven descent.

“President, the formation’s core has been destroyed!”

“Land immediately—prepare for battle!” Luo Chen ordered, his voice cold and steady.

He remained standing mid-air, his expression grim as he looked down at three figures now emerging atop the massive stone pillars.

"Huo Hu!

"Tu Shan!

"Wang Haichao!"

He practically ground his teeth saying the last name.

A treacherous, backstabbing wretch. Even after parting ways, he still clung like a rabid dog, utterly revolting.

As if blind to Luo Chen’s gaze of contempt and disgust, Wang Haichao laughed heartily and said, “What is that technique of yours, anyway? Twice now, you’ve shattered my Water Dragon Twist after it launched. Not bad.”

Luo Chen didn’t respond. He merely shot Wang Haichao a cold glance before shifting his focus to the other two.

"I can understand Tu Shan making a move on me; this is all for the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method, after all.

"But Huo Hu... aren’t you worried this move will make enemies for the Huo family?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Wang Haichao and Tu Shan both tensed, their expressions slightly shifting.

Generally speaking, Foundation Establishment cultivators from noble families avoided direct conflict with rogue cultivators of the same realm. Because if they failed to kill their target, the consequences could be endless.

Especially if that rogue cultivator had no moral restraint. They might never touch the family’s heirs, but instead pick off Qi-Refining juniors who ventured out. And who could guard against that forever?

A single rogue cultivator could wear down even a powerful family in less than a century.

The warning in Luo Chen’s tone was unmistakable. If Huo Hu faltered now, the other two would be in a very awkward position.

But Huo Hu merely gave a cold smirk. "If we kill you, then there’s no enemy left to worry about, is there?"

...Fair enough!

“No more talking,” Huo Hu snapped. “Finish this quickly, if we delay too long, and variables will appear!”

He slammed his fists together. Each arm bore a heavy bracer, and when they struck, twin beams—one crimson, one black—burst forth like concentrated killing intent and fiend qi. And those attacks were aimed straight at Wang Yuan.

Choosing his opponent already, huh?

Wang Yuan didn’t even spare the attacks a glance. Instead, he looked to Luo Chen.

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish Huo Hu quickly and come help you.”

Luo Chen nodded calmly.

With a low growl, Wang Yuan exploded forward in a blur of red, transforming into a whirlwind of blood and spirit power. He charged head-on into the beams without flinching, his speed matching that of a Foundation Establishment Initiate’s flight.

Huo Hu’s expression flickered.

Fighting a Physical-Refining cultivator... better not let him get too close!

He quickly retreated, bracers flashing as he launched a series of explosive blasts. One after another, the black and crimson beams streaked through the air like lightning.

Each time a beam came close, Wang Yuan countered it with a thunderous punch. One chased, the other evaded, and soon both vanished into the depths of the stone forest.

That left only Luo Chen, Tu Shan, and Wang Haichao standing in the clearing.

Luo Chen ignored the mocking glint in Wang Haichao’s eyes and glanced down at the Skyhawk Flying Boat, which had fallen into the forest below. Hundreds of Luo Tian Society cultivators had already surged out, weapons drawn, ready for battle.

What awaited them at the front was a force of over a thousand rogue cultivators from the Dajiang Gang. Formation arrays ignited with a hum, dragging the massive stone pillars into precise patterns that cut off retreat—forming a deadly trap.

“Min Longyu, I’ll leave these people to you,” Wang Haichao said lazily. “Do well, and Young Master Huo will reward you with a Foundation Establishment pill.”

From somewhere deep within the stone forest came a low grunt in response, though not a trace of Min Longyu’s figure could be seen.

Just then, Sima Huiniang’s voice rang out sharply.

"All Luo Tian Society cultivators, heed my command!

"Sima Xian, Zhou Yuanli—lead the charge!

"Gu Caiyi, open a path out of the stone forest!"

Gu Caiyi, leading the assault? It sounded almost absurd, but all skepticism vanished the next moment.

A massive bear puppet, three-zhang-tall, burst into motion under Gu Caiyi’s command. Its sheer presence sent tremors through the battlefield, crushing forward with the fury of a divine beast. It wasn’t just an intimidating sight; this puppet was powerful enough to match a cultivator at the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining.

It had once been spoils from the battle at Xiao Huan Mountain, later gifted by Luo Chen to Gu Caiyi as the guardian treasure of Gold Hall. Now, unleashed in full, it carved a path of destruction through the enemy ranks, every step shaking the stone forest.

Behind it, Sima Xian and Zhou Yuanli led the elite cultivators of the Battle and Enforcement Halls. They surged forward like a crashing tide, cutting through rogue cultivators without pause.

In the very first moments of the battle, blood sprayed like crimson mist, filling the air with the sharp scent of iron and the shrill wails of the wounded. The Luo Tian Society struck with devastating precision and brutal speed; their ferocity left even seasoned enemies stunned.

But no matter how fierce their momentum, they were few in number. The strength would not last long.

What’s more, an invisible threat loomed in the shadows—Min Longyu, the array master, had yet to reveal himself. Somewhere in the chaos of stone pillars and shifting terrain, he waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Luo Chen’s eyes narrowed sharply. His Spirit Eyes glinted as he swept the battlefield with piercing focus, trying to sense Min Longyu’s location.

But before he could hone in, a cold voice echoed across the clearing.

"Don’t waste your energy. To ambush you, Young Master Huo lent us the Huo family’s supreme-grade concealment array. You won’t find Min Longyu."

"And besides," Wang Haichao sneered, "maybe you should worry less about your people—and more about yourself."

Luo Chen raised his head, his gaze cold and unyielding as it locked onto the two approaching figures.

Wang Haichao stood tall, his cultivation at the third stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Supreme-grade water-element flying swords floated protectively around him. Though his demeanor was relaxed, Luo Chen knew all too well that with years of leadership over a gang, his methods surely ran deeper than they appeared.

Beside him stood Tu Shan, also in the Foundation Establishment Realm, albeit only at the first stage. He held in his hand a yellowish-brown seal, its grade unmistakably supreme-grade, emanating a steady pressure that spoke volumes of its power.

Luo Chen took a deep breath.

Just as he was about to speak, a faint breeze brushed past his ear. Without drawing attention, he cast a brief, subtle glance toward its source—then shifted his gaze back, eyes cold and locked on the two figures before him.

A surge of spirit power rippled through Luo Chen's body, causing his white robe to swell and billow like a wind-filled sail.

His voice rang out, cold and even. "You’re that confident? So sure you’ve already got me in the palm of your hand?"

"I know you—" Wang Haichao replied flatly.

Whoosh!

A streak of silver light tore through the air as Wang Haichao’s flying sword surged forward like lightning.

"Your combat prowess is undeniable. I’d be a fool to underestimate you," Wang Haichao admitted, voice calm yet cold.

As he spoke, he directed his supreme-grade flying sword to launch a fierce assault.

But Luo Chen didn’t flinch. Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out a gleaming sword orb. It hovered briefly in the air, then burst into hundreds of golden swordlights that spun outward, swirling in an intricate formation. The brilliant flares clashed directly with Wang Haichao’s blade, meeting its assault head-on.

Then, in an instant, Luo Chen's figure blurred.

He shot backward like a bolt of white light, his movement impossibly fast, leaving behind only a ripple of spirit energy.

"Hm?" Wang Haichao blinked in surprise. "He’s retreating?"

Tu Shan, who had just begun to lift his seal, froze mid-motion. Luo Chen had seemed poised to fight to the death just moments ago, yet now he was retreating—before the battle had even properly begun?

A sharp voice echoed from the other end of the battlefield.

"Don’t let him escape! If he gets away, the Huo family will never know peace!" It was Huo Hu. Clearly, he had the upper hand in his clash with Wang Yuan and had the leisure to observe the wider battle.

Wang Haichao and Tu Shan exchanged a glance, then nodded in silent agreement.

"He’s not getting away," Tu Shan said coldly.

With a thud, he dropped to the ground, his palms slapping against the soil. "He may be fast, but he’s still limited by the Foundation Establishment Realm. Watch closely. Earth Escape!"

A dull yellow light burst out, enveloping his body. In the next moment, he sank into the earth like a stone into water. It tunneled like an earth-dragon unleashed, devouring distance with terrifying momentum.

Wang Haichao, still watching from above, narrowed his eyes.

"Five Element Escape..." he murmured.

He stepped onto his flying sword and shot forward, tearing through the sky in ruthless pursuit.