Chapter 523: Myriad Lights, Mayflies Before Heaven and Earth

Half a month had passed.

Beyond Golden Sand Floating Island stretched the boundless expanse of the Thousand Li of Yellow Sands. Luo Chen stood quietly at its edge, his eyes sweeping across the endless desert. Even with his Spirit Eyes, he could not see its end. A faint melancholy flickered in his gaze.

This seemingly tranquil wasteland devours the lives of countless cultivators every single day. Tomorrow, I'll be stepping onto this battlefield as well...

As he was caught in thought, footsteps echoed from behind.

"President, Yuan Xiaoyue and the others are ready," someone reported.

Luo Chen turned around and watched as the cultivators, led by Yuan Xiaoyue and Qin Liangchen, boarded the Langqi Flying Boat. Li Yingzhang stood nearby. Three days earlier, Luo Chen had completely purged the Earth Fire Fiend Qi from his body. Although some lingering traces remained, they no longer posed a threat to his cultivation.

"Be careful on your journey. Make good use of that guy's head," Luo Chen instructed.

"Understood," Li Yingzhang replied.

"Once you're back, follow the prescription from that healer of Green Pill Valley and take ten more doses. You may look fine now, but some of the damage caused by fiend qi can't be healed by my spells alone."

"Thank you for your concern, President. I'll keep it in mind," Li Yingzhang responded earnestly.

"As for the Luo Tian Society... follow the Director's lead. I trust her judgment."

Li Yingzhang nodded firmly, committing every word to heart. At the final moment, Luo Chen smiled and said, "If the opportunity arises, I'll retrieve your family's Hornless Dragon Sword."

Li Yingzhang hurriedly shook his head. "You already granted me the Nine Stream Spirit King Sword. I dare not ask for more. President, please don't take unnecessary risks on my behalf."

Luo Chen smiled faintly and said nothing more. The Hornless Dragon Sword was unlike other enchanted treasures. It was not only the Li family's heirloom but also the personal treasure of his late friend, Li Jinhuang. If the chance never came, so be it. But if it did... no matter the cost, Luo Chen would not hesitate to take it back.

"Alright, get aboard. They're waiting for you," Luo Chen said at last.

Li Yingzhang looked up. The Langqi Flying Boat was slowly powering up; a spirit energy barrier was forming over its hull. Compared to their arrival, the vessel was now far smaller—its bulk was reduced, since most of the supplies had been offloaded. Now, it was mostly empty. Only a few rare materials collected by Yuan Xiaoyue from the Ice Fortress were being brought back to Tianlan Immortal City for sale. After all, there was no point flying an empty ship.

The flying boat had thus been reduced to just ten zhang in length, barely qualifying as a mid-sized vessel. At this size, its flying speed would be optimal. Should danger arise, they could escape faster.

With a single leap, Li Yingzhang landed on the deck. Qin Liangchen and Yuan Xiaoyue stood beside him, and the three of them turned together to face Luo Chen for a final farewell.

"See you next year, President!" Qin Liangchen shouted with a smile.

"Stay safe, President!" Yuan Xiaoyue waved and shouted her farewell.

Luo Chen didn't respond with words. He simply nodded. In silence, he watched as the Langqi Flying Boat lifted off. It ascended into the sky, gliding across Thousand Li of Yellow Sands. Its silhouette grew smaller and smaller until it became no more than a black speck, and then finally vanished from sight.

A sense of wistfulness welled up in his chest.

Luo Chen turned back and walked slowly down the empty street. When he reached the center of the floating island, his steps came to a halt. A massive white stele stood in the circular plaza, with lines of golden characters gleaming upon it.

This was the Merit Ranking. Disciples of the four major sects were not listed here, as they had their own internal merit systems. The stele recorded the battlefield achievements of subordinate organizations and rogue cultivators, so the names inscribed upon it all belonged to such entities.

These merit points weren't just for show; they had real use! Namely, one could exchange them for treasures and cultivation resources from the Falling Cloud Sect, the leading force of the Four-Sect Alliance.

For instance, first-tier Spirit Purification Pills, essential for late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, or the rare and coveted Foundation Establishment Pills, were among the most sought-after rewards. Many other valuable pills were also available for trade.

Luo Chen's gaze lingered on one in particular: the mid-grade Hidden Brilliance Pill, perfectly suited to his cultivation needs. It was said to be a specialty of the Falling Cloud Sect that rivaled even the second-tier pills of the Medicine King Sect and Green Pill Valley. Moreover, these were personally refined by Fairy Mu Yunyan, the Falling Cloud Sect's chief alchemist.

A mid-grade second-tier cultivation pill held immense allure for the average Initiate! But for now, Luo Chen felt no particular desire. Tao Wan was still supplying him regularly with top-grade Ascending Dragon Pills. Unless he developed tolerance to them, he had no intention of changing his main cultivation pills.

Beyond medicinal pills, the Four-Sect Alliance offered many other treasures: enchanted artifacts, talismans, spirit medicines, cultivation techniques, and, most tempting of all, the Falling Cloud Sect's puppets. Some cultivators could even exchange enough merit to obtain a third-tier puppet. With one of those, even on the scale of the Foundation Establishment Realm, one could walk with unmatched confidence.

It was precisely because of such abundance that the numbers on the Merit Ranking stele had become somewhat misleading. Every vassal faction feared that the available resources were limited, so instead of allowing their merit points to accumulate, they spent them as soon as possible. It was far better to claim tangible treasures than to be left with empty numbers and nothing to show for it.

The Luo Tian Society was the same. Over the past two years, all the merit points they had earned were used to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills! They had exchanged for three in total, and at present, only a hundred merit points remained. This left the Luo Tian Society ranked in the low-middle tier, only slightly above some Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators.

When I return

,

I'll have to sit down with Xu Haizhen and ask how exactly this merit is calculated,

Luo Chen thought

He stood quietly before the massive white stele, his gaze tracing the names etched in gold. He was trying to familiarize himself with the many vassal groups under the Four-Sect Alliance.

There were several groups listed that he recognized. For example, the Lianyun Trade Alliance ranked nineteenth, the Luo family of Luosha Market, the Chen family of Tianyi Market, Hundred Forge Mountain, the Chang family of Changliu Gorge, and the Wei family of Xuchen Mountain. These were all second-rate forces either based in Tianlan Immortal City or located nearby.

Over the past half-month, some of their Initiates had personally come to visit him. Some came to exchange cultivation insights, others to voice concerns about the unfolding war. A few he had not yet met; they were either recuperating in seclusion or stationed on the Jilei Nine Mountains.

Still, seeing so many familiar names gathered in one place left Luo Chen slightly dazed. For a fleeting moment, it almost felt as though he were back in Tianlan Immortal City. But the harsh reality soon reminded him that this was Golden Sand Floating Island, the headquarters of the Four-Sect Alliance, standing amid the endless stretch of the Thousand Li of Yellow Sands.

Once the war was over, no one could say how many of these familiar people would make it back intact. It was entirely possible that some forces would lose all of their Initiates on the battlefield. Their home territory might then be seized by someone else. In truth, the more that died, the happier the major sects would be. After all, each fallen vassal meant another opportunity to collect rent.

Luo Chen had always viewed those major sects with the coldest suspicion. In their eyes, vassal forces didn't count for anything at all. As long as their sects remained intact, the loss of a few minor subordinates meant little. They were nothing more than cabbages; if some were picked today, more would be ready to be picked tomorrow. Luo Chen was very familiar with that status; hadn't the Luo Tian Society once willingly attached itself to the Ice Fortress in the same way?

He had stood beneath the Merit Rankings for quite some time, and soon enough, he began to draw attention. His face and his deeds had already become familiar to many on Golden Sand Floating Island in recent days. Most people either recognized his appearance or had heard of the name Dan Chenzi.

Luo Chen's spirit consciousness was powerful. Even without actively eavesdropping, the sound transmissions of low-tier cultivators nearby couldn't escape his notice.

"That senior must be Dan Chenzi, right?" one murmured.

"Indeed. Look at him... He's just standing there, doing nothing, but I feel as if I'm looking at a mountain. He is, without question, a paragon among rogue cultivators."

"I wonder if we'll ever reach his level. famous across the Jade Cauldron Domain, and founder of a force like the Luo Tian Society..."

"

Haha

, you're dreaming. The Luo Tian Society might only be a second-rate force, but its experts are no weaker than the core disciples of major sects. Take Lei Zhenzi, for example. He's an early-stage Initiate, and he took down five other early-stage Initiates by himself. Do you really think you could recruit someone like that? I doubt it."

"

Ugh...

Daoist Brother, life's hard enough. Must you crush my hopes, too?"

"

Haha!

"

Hearing the murmurs around him, Luo Chen couldn't help but smile. Only in the past two weeks had he learned that Min Longyu had been given a Dao title. In fact, it was possible that the man himself was not aware of it; the title had gradually gained traction after his departure. By setting up the Fivefold Thunderfall Formation and slaying five Initiates, Min Longyu had earned widespread admiration. Such an impressive feat, combined with his skills as a formation master, made it easy for him to be praised, and he was now known as Lei Zhenzi.[1]

Luo Chen now understood why, even after suffering defeat, the Luo Tian Society cultivators stationed here showed no signs of discouragement. In fact, their spirits seemed far better than the others'.

The reason could be traced back to that night raid on the seventh mountain by the Flame Alliance. During that raid, the Four-Sect Alliance suffered heavy losses. Many vassal forces had seen their numbers cut by as much as seventy percent.

By comparison, less than half of the Luo Tian Society's cultivators had perished. Though one of their three Initiates was wounded and another missing, none had fallen. On the contrary, they had slain dozens of Qi Refinement cultivators and five Initiates in open battle. Later rumors even claimed that two mid-stage Initiates had been killed while pursuing Wang Yuan. With such brilliant results, how could the Luo Tian Society cultivators not feel proud and invigorated?

Their withdrawal from the battlefield had not been a result of failure but rather a consequence of the broader tide of war turning against their side. They had been forced to retreat along with the others. In truth, on their front, the Luo Tian Society had performed remarkably well. Of course, only the vassal factions cared about such details. The core disciples of the Four Sects wouldn't glance at it.

Luo Chen glanced at the Merit Rankings a while longer, but his interest quickly waned. Aside from the Falling Cloud Sect's puppets, Hidden Brilliance Pills, and Foundation Establishment Pills, the rest of the offerings didn't appeal to him. Perhaps ordinary Initiates would scramble for them, but with Luo Chen's wealth and standing, they hardly seemed worth a second glance.

Since nothing here truly tempts me, nor benefits the Luo Tian Society, there's no reason for me to risk much effort on the battlefield just to earn merit. If the situation turns dire, I will retreat immediately; that's the path of true wisdom and self-preservation.

That was the very reason Luo Chen had studied the Merit Rankings. And since nothing up there had tempted him, his battle strategy needed to change accordingly. Unlike other vassal factions, who had no choice but to earn merit through sheer effort and sacrifice, Luo Chen had the leeway to hold back. Thanks to his ties, the Ice Fortress was bound to show him some leniency. Even if he slacked off a little, no one would point fingers.

***

As the moonlight faded and the sun rose, time flowed steadily onward. Soon enough, dawn broke on the following day. Upon waking, Luo Chen examined his physical condition and felt a rush of vitality surge through him.

Over the past half month, he had gradually unblocked twenty standard acupoints. Added to the thirty-six major ones he'd already opened during the Qi Refinement Realm, the total now reached fifty-six. Though there hadn't been any earth-shaking transformation, he did sense a subtle shift. Namely, his spirit power reserves and conversion efficiency!

The dantian could be regarded as a special acupoint. Due to its unique location and the nature of cultivation techniques, its capacity far exceeded the others, hence the "sea" of qi. With more acupoints unblocked, it was as if he had opened multiple miniature dantians across his body. Each served as a reservoir for unrefined spirit power, boosting his reserves and ensuring smoother and more efficient operation of his cultivation technique.

If I could open all seven hundred and twenty acupoints, it would be like creating a second sea of qi within my body. My spirit power is already seven or eight times denser than others' at the same realm. As a sixth-stage Initiate, I'm no weaker than late-stage ones. If I manage to open all seven hundred and twenty acupoints, with two seas of qi reinforcing me, I might even surpass eighth- or ninth-stage cultivators the moment I step into the seventh. Perhaps I could even rival those at Perfected Mastery... Well, it's not impossible.

Imagining such a future, Luo Chen's spirits soared. This kind of boost wasn't limited to just faster cultivation; it would directly elevate his combat prowess.

His earlier decisions had been correct. Cultivation was a slow grind, a process that demanded patience. Yet with every step, he could draw parallels, borrow from others' strengths, and advance faster and more solidly than others!

While he was still daydreaming about the future, the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society had already begun moving out, checking enchanted artifacts, talismans, and other battle preparations under Duan Feng's command.

In fact, it wasn't just the Luo Tian Society. The nearby Ice Fortress camp and all of Golden Sand Floating Island had come to life. A cacophony of noise echoed from all directions. Streaks of light led by powerful Initiates soared out from the floating island, streaking across the Thousand Li of Yellow Sands.

An hour slipped by in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, a team of a hundred cultivators flew toward the Luo Tian Society's encampment. Seeing this, Luo Chen stepped forward to greet them.

"Is everything ready?" Tantai Jin asked as she looked over the hundred cultivators of the Luo Tian Society. Though these cultivators had been dispatched as late reinforcements from the Battle Palace, each one stood poised and alert, exuding an aura of sharpness and confidence. After all, this was a unit well-seasoned by combat.

"No issues at all," Luo Chen said with a smile, cupping his hands. "Fellow Daoist Tantai, I'll be relying on your guidance for this mission."

"Alright, let's move out then!" Tantai Jin nodded and waved her hand.

The two groups merged into one but still remained distinct, with men and women forming their own sections. They were not the only ones mobilizing. The Ice Fortress camp soon assembled four additional teams. While Tantai Jin's side only numbered two hundred cultivators, each of those teams numbered between three and four hundred. Every one of them outnumbered her forces. This confirmed that what Adept Moonshade had said to Luo Chen was no lie: The Ruthless Lineage truly held little influence these days.

"Advance!"

A thunderous command echoed across the skies. More than a thousand cultivators took to the air, some standing atop enchanted artifacts, others treading upon clouds, all soaring over the boundless expanse of the Thousand Li of Yellow Sands. Their destination lay ahead: the nine thundercloud-shrouded peaks that marked the heart of the battlefield.

Under the dazzling glow of spirit power, the massive contingent joined with the main forces of the other three sects. Countless lights streaked across the horizon as the wind howled and clouds rolled in their wake. From a distance, they resembled a swarm of faintly glowing mayflies, racing toward that unknown land of life and death, a vast and terrifying world of untold peril.

1. The title literally means "lightning formation person." Pretty self-explanatory. ☜