Chapter 185: Soul-Refining Hermit, Foundation Establishment in the Path of the Soul, An Unforeseen Path (I)

Tonight was the longest night in the history of Dahe Market.

Thousands of rogue cultivators, whether by choice or by circumstance, had been swept into a chaotic battle. No one knew how many had lost decades of cultivation in a single night. Nor could anyone say how many lucky individuals had seized the moment, taking a decisive step forward in their cultivation journey.

Luo Chen only knew that when the smoke cleared and the first light of dawn crept across the horizon, the ground beneath him was littered with countless corpses.

Some bodies remained intact, their features still recognizable. Others were so mutilated that, if not for the Poshan Gang's iron token, no one would have known their identities. And this was already considered fortunate.

The most unfortunate had been obliterated entirely, leaving behind not even bones to piece together, merely traces of scorched earth and shattered stone from spellfire and enchanted weapons.

Gu Caiyi face paled, the coughing Granny Yuan, Murong Qinglian held in Qin Liangchen's one-armed embrace, and over twenty remaining Qi-Refining cultivators, all of their eyes were on Luo Chen.

They watched as he crouched down and lifted a white cloth. One familiar face after another emerged from beneath it. At the very front lay a man whose features were all too familiar, his presence still lingering as if his voice could be heard echoing in the wind. Yet the terror and unwillingness frozen in his lifeless eyes, even after an entire night had passed, left those who looked upon him with a deep sense of sorrow.

"Elder Sikong... may you rest in peace."

Luo Chen reached out, gently closing the elder's lifeless eyes. As he stood up, he barely had a moment before Zhou Yuanli stepped forward to report.

"Last night's battle cost us thirty-one lives in the Alchemy Hall and forty-three in the Medicine Hall. We lost one ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator, Elder Sikong Shoujia, slain by Fuzhang.

"Five eighth stage Qi-Refining cultivators fell in battle; only Liu Qiang and I survived.

"As for the seventh-stage...

"Excluding a handful who managed to escape, the Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall now have only thirty-six members left."

The number of casualties stunned everyone.

A heavy silence followed. The numbers were staggering. So many once-vibrant lives, reduced to nothing more than cold statistics.

Luo Chen's face remained impassive as he inquired about the Dajiang Gang's losses.

"We found forty-seven corpses, mostly mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators. More than ten late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators were also killed, mostly by you and Duan Feng.

"Three ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivators , Gao Tingyuan, Lan Tianyun, and Shan Xiu."

A grand and brutal battle had concluded, with over a hundred cultivators slain and four ninth-stage Qi-Refining cultivators fallen.

Luo Chen pressed his lips together and instinctively rubbed his forehead. "What about the other halls?"

Zhou Yuanli gave a bitter smile. "I wouldn't know. That sound-transmission jade token could only connect me to Gang Leader Mi, and he..."

He left the rest unsaid. But everyone knew what it meant.

Mi Shuhua was gone.

That much had been clear from the brief exchange with Wang, Zhou, and Miao, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators. They had come to Crescent Moon Valley for one reason alone, Luo Chen.

If Mi Shuhua had still been alive, they wouldn't have shown up. Their arrival meant that Mi Shuhua had most likely perished. The sudden release of the restrictions placed on Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang further confirmed this.

"Hall Leader, what should we do now?" Zhou Yuanli couldn't help but ask.

Luo Chen lifted his head and realized that it wasn't just Zhou Yuanli, everyone else was looking at him as well.

Eyes filled with hope and trust.

That's right!

In last night's battle, whether in preparation or in combat, Luo Chen had displayed qualities that inspired confidence. Be it decision-making or sheer strength.

Especially when Steward Miao from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had spoken with him at length in the Alchemy Hall. Subtly, they had begun to see Luo Chen as their pillar of support. And it wasn't just the low-tier cultivators, Gu Caiyi, Murong Qinglian, and others shared the same thoughts.

Luo Chen recalled the conversation he had with Miao Wen the previous night and couldn't help but show a hint of contemplation.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen met their gazes and spoke firmly, "If you don't mind, you may temporarily follow me. The spoils from last night's battle will be distributed fairly.

"As for what comes next, we'll have to wait a few days and observe how Dahe Market changes. I will make no promises to you!

"As Steward Miao said, fate governs life and death, but the Great Dao lies within oneself! The future depends entirely on your own choices. Take these next few days to consider your path carefully."

After saying this, he fell silent, waiting for their reactions.

There was no promise, not even a word about ensuring their safety. The surviving cultivators didn't know how to react for a moment.

Would life be better if they followed Luo Chen?

His alchemy skills were indeed formidable, but his cultivation was only at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining, not nearly as reassuring as Mi Shuhua's presence had been. But if they left Luo Chen and returned to being lone rogue cultivators, what would become of them?

For a moment, the atmosphere turned silent.

Luo Chen did not press them. Instead, he returned to the Alchemy Hall and began sorting the spoils of war.

Duan Feng squatted on the ground, his expression filled with excitement as he rummaged through the pile of enchanted artifacts.

"Luo Chen, there are twenty-five intact top-grade enchanted artifacts! There are also dozens of low and mid-grade enchanted artifacts.

"The damaged ones aren't useless either, some can be repaired, and others can be melted down to extract valuable materials.

"We've struck gold!"

It was rare to see Duan Feng this exhilarated. Not even during last night's battle, when he was cutting down foes left and right, had he been this excited.

Luo Chen sat down nearby, showing signs of exhaustion for the first time.

Last night's battle had seemed effortless, with Luo Chen single-handedly securing a massive victory. But in truth, the toll on him had been immense.

After all, he had wielded the Flame Spear, Four Symbols Cauldron, Soul-Breaking Nail, Jade Blade, and detonated thousands of discarded Jade Essence Beads.

Every one of these was a technique that drained an enormous amount of spirit power. But the most mentally exhausting moment had been his final battle with Gao Tingyuan, where he had forcefully executed the Divine Breaker of Malevolence.

The pain was bearable when he was prepared. But in the midst of battle, it had been too abrupt, he still felt a lingering ache in his soul.

"Luo Chen, are you alright?" Duan Feng noticed his fatigue.

Luo Chen forced himself to focus, gazing at the pile of enchanted artifacts and the storage pouches beside them.

This was a fortune! A sum that could allow any Qi-Refining cultivator to train to Foundation Establishment without financial worries. Even after Foundation Establishment, this wealth could sustain cultivation for a long time.

Unfortunately, Luo Chen couldn't just take the fortune and leave.

It wasn't a matter of lacking courage. But if he left, where would he go?

Behind him lay the vast wilderness, teeming with demonic beasts. Ahead stretched the Jade Cauldron Domain, spanning tens of thousands of li, a territory under the nominal control of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and Miao Wen was a disciple of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Coupled with what Miao Wen had said last night, along with his promises.

Luo Chen had no intention of taking the spoils and fleeing. Staying here was far better than wandering elsewhere as a lone rogue cultivator.

Here, he understood the rules, knew many friends, and now had a hidden yet solid backing of true allies. As long as he handled things properly, he could navigate this situation with ease.

The hardships of a fugitive's life were clear just by looking at Shan Xiu. Always restricted in action, constantly wary of being hunted down.

"Luo Chen?" Duan Feng's voice called to him again, snapping Luo Chen out of his daze. He shook his head forcefully.

"Gather all the top-grade enchanted artifacts and storage pouches first. The rest will be distributed later by Murong Qinglian and Zhou Yuanli.

"Also, set aside some resources, I have important plans for them."

After saying this, he slowly stood up and staggered back to his stone chamber. Activating the formation, he collapsed onto his bed.

Duan Feng stood outside, watching him with concern.

Soon after, Murong Qinglian and the others arrived. Gazing at the shimmering blue formation protecting Luo Chen's chamber, each of them was lost in thought.

That night, Luo Chen slept deeply.

No nightmares. No dreams. Just pure, uninterrupted rest.

There was no need to fear an ambush, his friends stood guard, and the formation would alert him to any danger.

And so, an entire day and half a night passed in a blur. When Luo Chen finally awoke, he felt completely refreshed. His energy surged within him, almost making him want to howl at the sky.

As he stretched, he instinctively examined his body with his inner sight. Before he even checked his physical state, he noticed something else, his thoughts were clearer, sharper, moving faster than before.

Has my soul's foundation strengthened? Or has my willpower grown stronger?

Both the soul and willpower were intangible concepts, at least at the Qi-Refining Realm.

For now, Luo Chen couldn't pinpoint the exact change.

After carefully examining his body, he realized that not only had his spirit energy fully recovered, but it had also become more refined.

Satisfied, Luo Chen opened his eyes. He took out two storage pouches, one belonging to Gao Tingyuan and the other to Shan Xiu.

Zhou Yuanli had personally delivered the latter, making it his rightful claim.

As for the seven late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators who had died in the explosion, none had left behind any possessions.

Under such a violent blast, low-tier storage pouches couldn't maintain their structure. Their formation seals had shattered, and everything inside had been consumed by the void.

With no expectations, Luo Chen opened Shan Xiu's storage pouch first.

There wasn't much inside, some bottles and jars, spare clothes, five mid-grade spirit stones, and a large, jet-black pair of scissors.

"Damn, he really was broke!

"Probably spent most of his wealth while being hunted down."

Luo Chen examined the bottles, most contained healing pills like Laurel pills. There were also two bottles of cultivation pills called Snow Soul pills, highly beneficial for cultivators with water or ice spirit roots. Their market price was about the same as Dust Transformation pills. They weren't made by the Medicine King Sect but were instead produced by a local family in Snow Lotus Market.

Not expecting much from Shan Xiu's belongings, Luo Chen moved on to Gao Tingyuan's storage pouch.

"For this thing, I nearly got screwed over, this better be worth it."

As soon as his spirit energy entered the pouch, Luo Chen let out a surprised exclamation.

A two-fang-meter storage space!

Gao Tingyuan truly lived up to his reputation as Wang Haichao's top enforcer in the Dajiang Gang. He was quite wealthy.

Carefully, Luo Chen poured out the contents. There were also three or four types of pills related to meridians, the dantian, and acupoints. Gazing at the pills, Luo Chen fell into deep thought.

Back at the Debate Platform, Gao Tingyuan had suffered a dantian injury, an incident witnessed by all.

A shattered dantian meant that Foundation Establishment was out of reach.

It seemed that Gao Tingyuan had been unwilling to accept his fate and had secretly purchased many healing pills in an attempt to restore his dantian.

Well, these will come in handy now. Big Brother Qin, Caiyi, and the others overexerted their spirit energy yesterday, damaging their meridians. Splitting some among them should help in the short term.

As for the other cultivation pills, Luo Chen sorted them into what he needed and what he didn't.

Next, he turned his gaze to another pile of items.

A wine gourd, the Swallowing Waves and Oceans Jar, several array flags, a set of talismans, and a few books.

The sheer variety of miscellaneous items nearly dazzled Luo Chen.

He picked up one of the books and glanced down at its cover.

The Memoirs of Gu Yue

"A personal memoir? Who is Gu Yue?"

Curious, Luo Chen flipped open the book and began scanning through it rapidly.

I, Gu Yue, was born in the year three thousand one hundred seventy nine of the Mountain and Sea Calendar. My childhood was one of abundance, my father was strict but kind, my mother loving, and my seven older siblings doted on me.

However, fate is unpredictable. Bandits coveted my family's wealth and wiped out my entire family, leaving me as the sole survivor.

The memoir was lengthy, almost overly so. Some parts of the text even felt incoherent and jumbled.

Luo Chen found it rather dull, until the author, Gu Yue, stepped into the world of cultivation.

What was the cultivation world like two hundred years ago?

Was it more prosperous and peaceful, or was it an era of hardship and strife?

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He continued reading,

In the battle of Tianlan Immortal City, they clearly outnumbered me, yet in the end, I was branded as someone who walked the paths of devils. The three great families issued a bounty on my head.

I refused to accept this injustice. I fled, killing many pursuers along the way, until I finally reached Glowing Stream Market.

Compared to an immortal city, the market town was poorer, but it lacked those powerful figures. At last, I could cultivate in peace.

Yet, how cruel is the world, and how difficult is the path of cultivation.

In my early years, I trained martial arts for revenge, which drained my physical foundation. The cultivation techniques I obtained were also missing key parts, deliberately removed by the great sects. Because of this, I could never glimpse Foundation Establishment, let alone take the first step onto the Great Dao.

Reading up to this point, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sympathy. The struggles of rogue cultivators weren't just idle talk. Cultivation required wealth, companions, techniques, and territory.

Without wealth, one could not nurture their Dao.

Without companions, one had no peers to learn from and would remain ignorant.

Without proper techniques, one could never glimpse the secrets of the heavens nor set foot on the Great Dao.

Without a stable place to cultivate, one would be like a rootless weed, floating aimlessly. Whether in daily cultivation or attempting breakthroughs, one would always feel ungrounded, as if building castles in the sky.

The hardships Gu Yue endured in his memoir far surpassed those of ninety-nine percent of rogue cultivators. When he entered the cultivation world, he had no wealth, no companions, no proper techniques, and no territory, only his passion.

But in this world, passion alone was worthless. In the end, he walked the path most rogue cultivators were forced to take.

Gu Yue, after fleeing from the so-called Tianlan Immortal City to Glowing Stream Market, had finally and inevitably become a raiding cultivator!

"Soul-Refining path?" Luo Chen furrowed as he continued reading. When he finally reached the last page his expression grew thoughtful.

I did it! This hermit has finally succeeded! Refining nine hundred and ninety-nine souls into one, I have at last broken through to Foundation Establishment. Hahaha...!

The memoir ended on this triumphant note, the wild joy practically leaping from the ink.

Luo Chen had no idea whether the Gu Yue hermit, who had earned the moniker Soul-Refining cultivator, had ultimately lived or perished. All he knew was that Gu Yue had indeed carved out a path unlike any other. He had neither an innately powerful physique nor supremely pure spirit energy, he didn't even possess a single Foundation Establishment pill.

Yet, he had still managed to achieve Foundation Establishment!

"Soul-Refining path to Foundation Establishment?" Luo Chen licked his dry lips, a surge of uncontrollable excitement rising in his chest.

Although the memoir did not specify the exact method, it described the general approach, Gu Yue had used a heretical technique called Soul-Refining path Foundation Establishment by killing nine hundred and ninety-nine late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators and merging their souls with his own.

In the end, he had forged a different path to reach Foundation Establishment.

There's actually such a method in this world?

Suddenly, Luo Chen recalled Gao Tingyuan's final desperate strike. Those eerie, green-glowing eyes.

Gao Tingyuan's dantian was destroyed. By conventional means, even with a Foundation Establishment pill, it would be impossible for him to break through.

This was evident from the large number of meridian-nourishing and dantian-repairing medicines he had bought, most of which remained unused.

Could it be that, in his despair, he too had embarked on this path? In other words, he possessed this Soul-Refining path Foundation Establishment!

Luo Chen jolted in realization and quickly sifted through the pile of books.

That's right, Gao Tingyuan had mentioned exploring a secret realm with others. Li Zixiong and Chen Xiao had been part of that group. Even the Soul-Breaking Nail had come from that place.

According to Gu Yue's memoir, the Soul-Refining hermit had discovered several suitable cultivation sites during his raiding years. If he had died in the end, it was likely in one of those locations.

It would make perfect sense if Gao Tingyuan had found his way there and claimed the inheritance.

Tidal Sea Dragon Devil Art, not this one.

Records of the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects, just a travelogue similar to the Scenes of the Six Domains. Introduction to Spirit Consciousness, hmm, this seems promising.

Luo Chen flipped through a few pages but found the contents obscure and difficult to comprehend. This wasn't a book meant for the Qi-Refining Realm. It was likely intended for cultivators who had reached Foundation Establishment and unlocked their spirit sense.

Luo Chen continued his search.

It had to be said, Gao Tingyuan, once the second-in-command of the Dajiang Gang, had indeed been quite wealthy. This wealth was not reflected in his spirit stone savings but in his extensive collection of books. Luo Chen found several first-tier spells suitable for the Qi-Refining stage, most of which were water-element techniques.

After thoroughly searching through everything, Luo Chen furrowed his brows. "No? Could it have been destroyed in the battle, or did he simply not bring it with him?"

Last night's battle at Crescent Moon Valley had pushed both sides to reveal their trump cards.

After racking his brain, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel deeply regretful. He had missed out on a rare, alternative Foundation Establishment technique!

Luo Chen shook his head and prepared to store everything in his three-fang storage pouch.

Just as his hand touched a dark wooden token, his heart stirred. His eyes, glowing faintly with spirit light, fixed upon it.