Chapter 514: Raising the Enemy’s Head High

"Stay?" Boss Hu spat out the word like venom. "Stay on your mother's ass!"

With this curse, he veered sharply, switching direction in a desperate bid to flee. Behind him, the swirling storm of sword light that had just torn Kou Ji to pieces suddenly condensed, turning into a crimson sword orb.

Buzz!

The sword orb quivered in place before erupting forward at breakneck speed. It streaked across the sky like a meteor, far too fast for any ordinary Initiate to escape.

Boss Hu's soul trembled. He hastily summoned his flying sword to intercept. Yet the sword orb moved with impossible agility, weaving past his blade as if mocking his control.

"Damn it!"

In panic, Boss Hu slapped out a talisman that erupted into a yellowish earthen shield. It was a second-tier Vajra talisman, renowned for its defensive power. Not stopping there, he summoned his defensive item, the Dark Yellow Iron Shield, dropping it before him like a fortress wall.

"That should be enough... right?" Boss Hu muttered to himself.

Though long to describe, it had all happened in an instant. The next instant, the sword orb slammed into the Vajra barrier with a sharp swish, and under Boss Hu's horrified gaze, the second-tier defensive talisman shattered on impact like glass.

Next, the orb struck the Dark Yellow Iron Shield.

Skrrk... Skrrk...

The piercing screech of metal against metal tore through the air, causing ears to ring as sparks burst in all directions, dazzling and violent. Yet in the end, the shield endured.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Boss Hu panted heavily; cold sweat plastered his hair to his scalp. "So this... this is the might of a grand cultivator..."

The sword orb drew back slightly, its glow sharpening as it prepared for another strike. Boss Hu trembled, turning in desperation to flee. But at that instant, a crushing sense of doom welled up from the depths of his mind.

He jerked his head upward and saw something vast blotting out the sky. Unbeknownst to him, a massive mountain had appeared at some point and was hovering above, descending with deceptive slowness. The immense spirit pressure churned the clouds into a thousand layers.

Boss Hu collapsed under that crushing might; his body was entirely unable to resist the pressure. With great effort, he lifted his head and shouted, "No!!!"

The Heavy Recast Seal came crashing down, threatening to flatten him into paste. Yet, at just three chi above his head, it suddenly halted.

Boom...

Though the enchanted artifact had stopped, its sheer pressure still pressed the earth one zhang down, forming a massive yet shallow crater. Boss Hu lay right in the middle of it, splayed on his back and trembling, drenched in sweat.

The looming threat of death... had paused.

Whoosh!

A figure appeared before him. It was the very man who had moments earlier slaughtered Boss Hu's underlings. He said coldly, "Get up, you're coming with me. Our president wants a word."

As he spoke, the mountain above shrank into a tiny seal and spun back into the air. Only then did the suffocating pressure gradually dissipate. Boss Hu trembled as he got up, looking like a man who had seen death itself.

"Who is this president of yours?" he rasped.

"You'll know when you meet him."

Qin Liangchen gave him a single glance, then turned and walked away.

Boss Hu staggered behind, but a calculating glint flashed in his eyes. Clearly, he was not as frightened as he seemed. Yet just as he began turning over a plan to strike and escape, a humming sound rose beside his ear.

He turned his head slowly. The sword orb had begun spinning lazily by his side. It occasionally pulsed with sword light, making his hair stand on end. Boss Hu flinched instinctively as the image of Kou Ji's brutal death flashed across his mind.

That wasn't a sudden surprise attack... It was planned! Otherwise, not even a late-stage Initiate could have chopped down an early-stage opponent so swiftly and silently. And that mountain-shaped item... it was clearly set up in advance along our escape route. But that's impossible... unless they already knew about our ambush?

Boss Hu no longer dared to entertain thoughts of trickery. That kind of existence wasn't someone he could deceive with petty schemes.

They didn't kill me like they did Kou Ji. That must mean they want something from me. I just hope that president or whatever is reasonable... But how did they even know about us?

***

"President, he's here."

The voice rang clearly across the deck of the flying boat as a figure was escorted forward. Boss Hu raised his head and saw the man whom everyone seemed to revere.

A young cultivator stood before him, clad in a crimson Daoist robe embroidered with clouds. His skin was pale as jade, his brows sharp as blades, and his features strikingly refined. For a moment, Boss Hu felt his heart ease; surely, someone so young could not be too bloodthirsty. Yet the moment their eyes met, a cold shiver ran down his spine. The young man's gaze was like an ancient abyss, cold and bottomless, piercing straight into his soul.

"Clean up the battlefield," the man commanded, his tone calm yet carrying an unquestionable weight. "Do not waste time. We continue forward."

Then, he looked at Boss Hu. "You—come with me."

Still dazed, Boss Hu followed him into the central cabin of the Langqi Flying Boat.

Thud!

The moment he stepped inside, he fell to his knees, casting aside all concern for his dignity as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Senior, I beg you to spare my life! I was just... momentarily misled by greed. Please, I caused you no real harm..."

"Raise your head."

The command cut through the air like a blade. Boss Hu lifted his head instinctively. The moment his gaze met Luo Chen's, it was as if those cold, abyssal eyes were imprinted straight into his sea of consciousness. An oppressive weight descended, shaking his spirit. Fear, confusion, and a desperate urge to resist surged within him.

A tidal wave of force crashed into his mind, drowning him. In the depths of his sea of consciousness, only a pair of vast, indifferent eyes stared him down with merciless detachment.

"Name?"

"Hu Wei...'Wei' as in 'misdeeds.'"

"Where are you from? Who sent you?"

"From Great Radiance Immortal City. No one sent me. I was tempted by profit."

"What do you know about the Jilei Nine Mountains? Tell me everything."

"At the Jilei Nine Mountains battlefield, the leader is Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's late-stage Golden Core cultivator, Adept Yaoxing. There are five other Adepts from the Sword Sect, and three hundred Foundation Establishment sword cultivators. The allied forces are mostly Flame Alliance members, along with the Sword Sect's vassals like Heavenly Blade Fort, Cold Moon Temple, Quicksand Sword Sect..."

Within the quiet hall, only Hu Wei's voice could be heard. At first, he spoke clearly and quickly. But as he continued, his speech slowed, and his words became less certain. His information grew hazier, replaced more and more with vague guesses, approximations, and speculations. When pressed about fortification placements or troop movements, he had nothing at all to offer.

At last, exhausted and drained, Hu Wei slumped forward and whispered, "That's all I know..."

A single sound answered him. "

Hm.

"

With that single syllable, the eyes vanished from his mind, and Hu Wei jolted as if waking from a nightmare. In a daze, he glanced around the hall, and the memory of every word he had just spoken crashed back over him. His face was drained of all color.

He had stumbled into an unbreakable wall of iron.

The man before him was not simply powerful. His divine soul alone was enough to suffocate him, and he wielded it with flawless precision. In front of such power, Hu Wei had no secrets.

No wonder the ambush had failed. With divine soul strength like his, the man's spirit consciousness could easily stretch over a dozen li. To such a powerful soul, their presence must have been like torches in the night, visible to him from the very beginning.

Hu Wei swallowed hard and remained kneeling. His voice rasped, hoarse with fear. "Senior, I've told you everything I know. Please, I beg you to spare my life. Surely a man of your stature doesn't need to—"

"I'll ask you just one more thing." Luo Chen's voice was gentle, almost casual, as a faint smile played on his lips.

Hu Wei nodded so vigorously he resembled a pecking chicken. "Please ask away! I swear, I'll tell you everything I know, no lies, no omissions!"

"It's a simple question. Don't be afraid."

Hu Wei exhaled, relieved, and listened as if his life depended on it.

Luo Chen twirled the sword orb between his fingers and asked offhandedly, "If I hadn't been here... what were you planning to do with the cultivators on this boat?"

Hu Wei froze. The question hit him like a thunderclap. He opened his mouth, instinctively glancing up to speak. A flash of sword light burst from Luo Chen's fingers.

"I—" Hu Wei's vision spun. He barely had time to process what happened. The next moment, he found himself staring at the grotesque sight of his own headless body, still kneeling upright on the floor of the hall.

Luo Chen shook his head. "You shouldn't have hesitated."

Hu Wei died with his eyes wide open, disbelief and terror frozen in his final expression.

After disposing of him, Luo Chen fell into thought.

Just now, he had used Soul Intimidation to intimidate the target, followed by Spirit Beguilement to cloud his thoughts. Though not as invasive as the soul-search of the devil path, it had been enough to extract the truth.

This group of raiders was nothing special. Only two of them had barely reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment. They were far too weak to make any real difference on the front lines of the Jilei Nine Mountains battlefield. So they'd changed their approach, turning to ambushing supply lines and preying on the Falling Cloud Sect's logistics. They could earn spirit stones and merit from the Sword Sect's bounty lists. To Luo Chen, they were nothing more than ants. Even in a proper head-on confrontation, they wouldn't survive more than three exchanges with him.

What intrigued Luo Chen was not their strength but the structure of the Sword Sect's allied forces. It was simple in composition, yet formidable. Unlike the other factions that fielded sprawling coalitions, the Sword Sect kept it tight: just themselves and the Flame Alliance.

What appeared complicated was the number of vassals beneath them, such as Heavenly Blade Fort, Cold Moon Temple, the Quicksand Sword Sect... Seven or eight forces in total, each a top-tier force with a strong reputation in the Jade Cauldron Domain. Every one of them housed at least a Golden Core cultivator.

The level of its allies placed the Sword Sect above many others. Most major sects like Ice Fortress or Ailao Mountain, could only claim Foundation Establishment allies at best. Only Green Pill Valley, wealthy and influential, maintained one or two Golden Core-level vassals.

No wonder the Sword Sect, with just two main allies, can go toe-to-toe with the Four Sect Alliance backing the Falling Cloud Sect and even press the advantage. The alliance may lack cohesion, but the Sword Sect's three centuries of foundation in the Jade Cauldron Domain is nothing to underestimate.

At that thought, Luo Chen sighed. With Hu Wei's information, he finally held a clearer picture of the forces moving around the Jilei Nine Mountains. When he arrived, he would not be wandering blindly. At the very least, he could recognize the allegiances of the enemies he faced.

He sent out a voice transmission. Moments later, Qin Liangchen entered the hall. His eyes immediately fell upon Hu Wei's corpse sprawled on the ground, its lifeless eyes still wide.

"Take it outside and hang it on the flagpole!"

Qin Liangchen blinked in surprise. "Isn't that a bit too ostentatious?"

Beheading a Foundation Establishment Initiate and putting their head on display was, indeed, rather excessive as far as cultivation world manners ran.

Yet Luo Chen merely shook his head, unbothered. "On the road ahead, no one knows how many problems we may encounter. I don't fear trouble, but I have no time or patience to deal with needless trouble."

The phrasing was a little convoluted, but Qin Liangchen quickly understood what he meant. A Foundation Establishment cultivator's severed head displayed openly would serve as a warning. Any cultivator with ill intent along the route would think twice before provoking a group that not only slew such an opponent but also had the guts to display the head for all to see. And given that their route lay through relatively secure territory, the sight would likely prevent even minor disputes.

"You're right, President. Sometimes, showing off has its benefits!" Qin Liangchen chuckled, then walked out of the hall, one hand holding Hu Wei's body and the other clutching his severed head.

Not long after, a wave of voices erupted from the Luo Tian Society cultivators outside. For Qi Refinement cultivators, the act of hanging a Foundation Establishment cultivator's head was deeply shocking.

After the noise, came hushed whispers about Luo Chen. He hadn't made a move in years, and yet his strength had clearly advanced again! Even from several li away, he could strike like a hidden dragon, revealing only his fangs and effortlessly defeating those at the same realm.

One instant to kill, one move to suppress! Such a feat left the Luo Tian Society cultivators thoroughly stunned. But more than that, it renewed their confidence in the battles to come. After all, their president had never led them to defeat. With Luo Chen at the helm, it had always been triumphant charges and sweeping victories.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen's gaze drifted to the two storage pouches laid neatly before him—one belonging to Hu Wei, the other to Kou Ji. With a pulse of spirit consciousness, he peered inside and gave a faint smile. Neither of them was particularly skilled, and the spirit consciousness seals were flimsy at best. With Luo Chen's current ability, breaking through them was as easy as flipping his palm!

He flicked his fingers casually and cast Cleanse with the ease of someone who had reached Perfected Mastery, erasing both spirit consciousness seals in an instant.

The effortlessness of it made him sigh. Back in the day, it had taken him three whole years to break into Duan Qiankun's storage pouch! Even after advancing in cultivation, it still used to take him months, sometimes nearly a year, to remove an early-stage Initiate's spirit consciousness seal. But now? A casual flick of the hand was enough.

"Having a powerful divine soul really does make life easier," he murmured. Smiling faintly, he started checking the contents.

"

Hm?"

He hadn't expected anything special, but a quick sweep turned up a pleasant surprise.

With a thought, Luo Chen summoned forth a massive slab of ore, nearly a zhang in height. The dark stone thudded heavily onto the floor before him. He crouched to examine it, then nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed... Soft Thunder Sand ore. If it's refined properly, it should yield at least two taels."

This third-tier material was often used in forging enchanted treasure; it was highly sought after and notoriously hard to come by. Even just two taels could easily fetch several thousand spirit stones.

"And this is just one piece of ore. Who knows how many veins lie buried beneath the Jilei Nine Mountains, or how many rare minerals are unearthed from there each year? With this mining site alone, the Sword Sect must be raking in a massive amount of spirit stones annually. No wonder the Falling Cloud Sect covets it so fiercely; they're willing to risk everything just to seize it."

Luo Chen chuckled and stored the ore back into the pouch. Then he transferred the combined total of over forty thousand spirit stones from the two pouches into his own.

Most of the other items didn't interest him. There were supreme-grade enchanted artifacts, but with the sword orb and the Heavy Recast Seal in his possession, he hardly lacked for powerful artifacts.

However, Hu Wei's shield did catch his eye. It was a rare supreme-grade defensive enchanted artifact. Luo Chen had no use for it himself, but it would make a fine reward for someone else in the future. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators would drool over a supreme-grade defensive enchanted artifact like that!

As for the other random items, he planned to bring them back and deposit them into the Luo Tian Society treasury. They'd be useful sooner or later.

Once everything was settled, he returned to seclusion.

The Langqi Flying Boat continued its steady course, cutting through the skies without major incident. Every now and then, Luo Chen would use his spirit consciousness to scan the surroundings. With the strength of his divine soul, his spirit consciousness easily spanned a radius of twenty li! At one point, he did detect a raiding group composed of three Initiates. But after spotting the severed head hanging on the mast, they hesitated and ultimately chose to retreat.

Several days later, the Langqi Flying Boat slowly descended onto a vast, golden-hued plain.

"President, we've arrived," a voice called from outside.

Luo Chen opened his eyes and rose to his feet.