Chapter 431: Breaking the Formation, Repelling the Enemy, What Crumbling Walls?

The Ironclad Bastion Formation, battered by days of relentless assault, finally began to melt under the surge of overwhelming spirit energy. Before countless watchful eyes, it flowed in streams of molten gold like smelted metal. The formation was broken!

Inside the Grand Hall, the Grand Elder of the Divine Craftsman Sect stared ahead, despair etched into his face.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Beside him, the late stage Qi Refinement cultivators who had been aiding him all exploded simultaneously. Days of maintaining the formation had tightly bound their life force to it. Now that the formation had collapsed, they perished with it.

The Grand Elder let out a bitter laugh. "It seems it is my turn now..."

He looked toward the doorway, where a familiar figure had appeared, and his laughter broke into a rasp.

"Sect Master, one last—"

The final words of farewell never left his lips. A horrifying backlash tore him apart in an instant.

Boom!

A spray of blood mist blanketed the entire hall.

Fei Changqiu’s pupils narrowed, and spirit energy surged violently through his entire body. With a single motion, a great furnace materialized before him. He gripped the furnace in one hand and soared into the sky like a blazing meteor.

His voice trembled with fury and grief as he roared, "Luo Chen! Come meet your death!"

***

"How dare you?!"

"Outrageous!"

Zuo Song and the others were completely caught off guard by Luo Chen’s sudden assault. When the hundred-zhang flame dragon tore through the Divine Craftsman Sect’s formation, both Zuo Song and Ling Yuzhi shouted in fury.

Luo Chen only met their cries with a cold glare. Behind him, the grand formation shifted. A terrifying current of spirit energy began to gather with ominous intensity.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Fellow Daoists," Min Longyu’s voice boomed across the battlefield, "this formation of ours has one final turn, the ninth. Consider your next step carefully!"

Min Longyu’s voice echoed across the land like the thunderous sound of a great bell. And even as he spoke, the energy fluctuations of the formation showed that its power had reached the level of a ninth-stage Initiate’s full-power strike. Its might was staggering.

Zuo Song and Luo Feng turned pale, and even the proud Ling Yuzhi lost all color in her face.

Just then, Fei Changqiu’s furious voice thundered from within the canyon. "Luo Chen, come meet your end!"

Luo Chen turned his head. From ten li away, Fei Changqiu was charging forward with overwhelming momentum, gripping the handle of a massive furnace in one hand.

A cold grin spread across Luo Chen’s face. "Perfect timing."

Without looking back at the three behind him, he launched himself forward. As he passed the Ninefold Flame Dragon Formation, he stretched out his hand, as though drawing something out.

With a sharp chime, the Mystic Flame Sword burst into motion. It transformed into a blazing meteor that streaked after him, tearing through the sky with a deafening boom. The air was scorched, twisting wherever it passed.

"Go!"

Luo Chen pointed with two fingers, and the fiery comet shot forward at lightning speed.

Whoosh!

Fei Changqiu hurled the furnace with all his strength, unleashing a vast surge of spirit power. He held nothing back. With the full force of a fourth-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, he pushed the Sunfire Furnace to its limit.

This strike was not meant to kill Luo Chen outright but to drag him into mutual destruction. If both fell, the three cultivators he had invited would obviously take the chance to intervene. In that chaos, he might find a slim chance of survival.

But just as the fire comet and furnace were about to collide, it suddenly veered in an unnatural arc, slipping past the furnace entirely. Beneath Fei Changqiu’s horrified eyes, the sword pierced straight into his chest.

The harder the attack, the greater the opening it left behind.

Although both stood at the fourth stage of Foundation Establishment, Fei Changqiu had grown soft from years of idleness and peace. Luo Chen had risen through endless battles, his edge sharpened with every fight.

By now, the Mystic Flame Sword had undergone a complete transformation. Its fire-element spirit energy erupted violently, wrecking Fei Changqiu’s body from within.

In despair, Fei Changqiu looked ahead.

He’ll be injured too, won’t he?

Under his gaze, Luo Chen and Wang Yuan struck together, relying on their powerful physiques and profound cultivation to withstand the desperate attack. Behind them, Zuo Song and the others stood in silence, their expressions cold and indifferent.

You all...

thought Fei Changqiu.

Bang!

The fire comet drove itself into the plaque of the Grand Hall, leaving the slender blade of the Mystic Flame Sword embedded within it. Skewered upon the blade was the corpse of Fei Changqiu, his eyes still wide open in death.

Luo Chen grunted and hurled the furnace-type enchanted treasure heavily onto the ground.

Wang Yuan looked at him with concern. Although they had blocked that strike together, he had a way to deflect the force. Luo Chen, on the other hand, had been forced to endure it.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Luo Chen drew a steady breath, suppressing the pressure in his chest. He waved his hand dismissively. "From here on, you’ll handle the rest of the Divine Craftsman Sect’s affairs."

Without waiting for a reply, he rose into the air and flew toward Zuo Song and the other two. The Mystic Flame Sword followed behind him like a fledgling returning to its nest. The seamless control with which he wielded the treasure made Zuo Song’s heart jolt.

How can this be?

Zuo Song thought.

He’s only mid-stage... How can he wield an enchanted treasure with such ease? Just how deeply has he refined it?

He was not alone in his shock. Luo Feng’s expression had also grown grave. As Luo Chen advanced, Ling Yuzhi instinctively stepped back, her fair face now pale and uneasy.

When Luo Chen stood before the three once more, the situation had completely changed. The man they had come to support was dead.

"Fellow Daoists, you may leave now," Luo Chen said with a calm that bordered on indifference, as if killing Fei Changqiu had been no more troublesome than swatting a fly.

Luo Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding quietly and leaving without another word. Ling Yuzhi shot Luo Chen a venomous glare before following, clearly unwilling to accept the outcome.

However, Zuo Song suddenly let out a hearty laugh. "As expected of the Fire Spirit Lord! Such thunderous methods, you’ve truly broadened this old man’s horizons!"

Luo Chen allowed a faint smile. "I am nothing compared to your sword control, Fellow Daoist Zuo."

"Not at all, not at all," Zuo Song replied modestly. "Every cultivator learns to guide a sword using qi. I have only studied it more deeply than most."

Luo Chen made no further reply, simply watching him in silence.

Zuo Song glanced down at the formation below, still charged and humming with potential, then finally let out a long sigh.

Well, it is what it is. What can I do...

Just before departing, he could not restrain himself from asking, "Fire Spirit Lord, about that ore deposit..."

"We will speak of it once matters here are resolved," Luo Chen answered smoothly.

He understood well the principle that one does not slap a smiling face. Though Zuo Song had stood against him earlier, it had been under the lure of Fei Changqiu’s bribes. Now that the tide had turned, there was no need to sever ties. After all, Zuo Song was still a late-stage Foundation Establishment grand cultivator.

Zuo Song lingered for a breath, then cast one final look at the Divine Craftsman Sect’s territory before departing into the distance.

Luo Chen remained in the air, watching in silence as the three figures vanished toward the horizon. Only when they were a hundred li away did he finally let out a slow breath.

"Min Longyu, withdraw it!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the blazing formation that had blanketed the battlefield evaporated, melting away like snow under the sun.

The scene that came into view was utter devastation. Over a hundred formation flags had ignited and been reduced to ash. The late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators who had supported Luo Chen now lay scattered across the ground, their bodies drained of all strength.

The initial five hundred mid-grade spirit stones had already crumbled to powder, and the additional three hundred he had added were nearly drained of energy. In other words, simply sustaining the formation had cost them more than eighty thousand low-grade spirit stones, and that figure did not even account for the other losses.

War is always a contest of resources.

At the heart of the formation, Min Longyu clutched the Wandering Eighteen-Formation Disc. His face was ghostly pale, and his entire body was soaked in sweat as though he had been pulled from a river.

Seeing this, Luo Chen said, "You’ve done well."

Min Longyu forced a strained smile. "It wasn’t so much hardship as it was my own overconfidence. Trying to control the Ninefold Flame Dragon Formation with only early Foundation Establishment cultivation... I didn’t expect it to be this difficult."

"You’ve done an excellent job," Luo Chen replied reassuringly.

And indeed, he had. Min Longyu’s contributions to this battle had been nothing short of outstanding. Not only had he successfully shattered the Ironclad Bastion Formation, but he’d also used the lingering momentum to feign a ninth strike, stalling two late-stage Initiates in the process.

"President, what now?" Min Longyu asked.

"No need to worry. That’s someone else’s responsibility," Luo Chen replied, not even glancing toward Wang Yuan.

Instead, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where a top-grade flying boat was racing toward them. At its bow stood a graceful figure, her expression taut with anxiety. Before the vessel even came to a stop, the figure leapt into the air and flew directly toward him.

"President, I am sorry for being late!" she called, her voice flustered.

But Luo Chen simply clasped his hands in greeting from afar.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Sima, on reaching Foundation Establishment. May you rise ever higher."

Sima Huiniang froze for an instant. The energy fluctuations around her body revealed her advanced cultivation beyond doubt. Then her expression softened, and a bright smile spread across her face.

"Likewise, Fellow Daoist Luo, congratulations for conquering the Divine Craftsman Sect and spreading the name of the Luo Tian Society throughout Tianlan Immortal City!"

"Hahahaha!"

They exchanged a look and broke into shared laughter. No further words were needed.

***

Cleaning the battlefield and transporting the spoils took an entire day and night.

The Luo Tian Society did not trouble the remaining disciples of the Divine Craftsman Sect. After a simple search, they were allowed to leave. With all of their leaders annihilated, the survivors were mostly early- and mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. A few had reached the late stage, but not enough to pose a threat.

Sometimes, total annihilation wasn’t the wisest move.

The Luo Tian Society had been bold enough to destroy multiple sects in such a short time for two reasons. First, they always acted with clear justification. Second, they were backed by the mighty Ice Fortress. Had they overstepped, even a justified action could have drawn heavy criticism. By sparing weaker cultivators amidst their ruthless campaigns, they balanced ferocity with restraint and avoided needless backlash.

Min Longyu and the hundred late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators had already been sent back to Danxia Peak with Wang Yuan on the first day. The only people on site were Luo Chen and Sima Huiniang.

Aboard the Langqi Flying Boat, Luo Chen examined a piece of crystal-clear ore with surprise in his eyes. If his guess was correct, this was Profound Link Celestial Crystal.

Its grade wasn’t exceptionally high, just fourth-tier. Well, that was already quite high. What made it extraordinary was the property hinted at in its name: Profound Link.

According to what Luo Chen had read, this material was among the best for forging enchanted treasures. It harmonized spiritual attributes, allowing materials of different natures to fuse seamlessly into a single whole. That alone was enough to send any artifact forger into a frenzy.

Moreover, the crystal had another impressive property: If used as the core of a life-bound enchanted treasure, it could raise the treasure’s future growth potential!

Beyond that, as a fourth-tier material, the crystal had many other applications such as ventilation, melting, spirit infusion, purification, and more. Its use ultimately depended on the artifact forger’s skills.

No wonder Zuo Song was so eager for this. He specializes in controlling swords with qi, but enchanted-treasure flying swords aren’t something Foundation Establishment cultivators can fully control. If he fuses something like this into his sword, it might boost his control by ten to twenty percent. But I have no such needs for now.

After a moment’s thought, Luo Chen carefully tucked the crystal deep into his storage pouch. Its worth was not in simply boosting a weapon’s strength; that would be too shortsighted. It was best suited as the core material for forging a life-bound enchanted treasure.

As he pondered, footsteps approached from outside. Moments later, Sima Huiniang stepped inside.

She looked at him with helpless exasperation. "President, you were far too reckless! A wise man avoids sitting by crumbling walls. How could you treat two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators as if they were nothing?"

Faced with her complaint, Luo Chen only laughed. "What crumbling walls are you talking about?"