Chapter 537: Adepts Make a Move, The War Puppets

The time had come; this was no empty statement, and in fact, it held far more weight than it seemed. With the arrival of the Falling Cloud Sect's enchanted flying boat, the entire Golden Sand Floating Island stirred into motion. The disciples of the sect showed a sharp and commanding bearing as they moved swiftly across the grounds. The elite cultivators of the other three sects likewise began sharpening their blades and adjusting their armor, readying themselves for battle.

The vassal forces under the Four-Sect Alliance, along with the many rogue cultivators stationed nearby, grew restless as well, each eager to display their strength. What had once been a monthly free-trade gathering now unfolded every day. Everyone was doing everything they could to refine and enhance their combat capabilities in the coming battle.

Yet amidst this whirlwind of preparation, Luo Chen grew even more reclusive.

Chu Kui was curious what he was up to, but he never asked. Since Luo Chen had said he needed half a month, then half a month it would be.

***

Inside the stone hut, Luo Chen cast Blood Devil Transformation Finger and Cleanse once again. A single droplet fell silently to the ground. It was not water but the final trace of the flame brand's essence.

Without a word, he summoned Water Mirror and gazed at his reflection. The face he saw was calm and handsome, with lips gently curled into a smile. The flame mark had vanished completely from between his brows; the skin was once more smooth and unblemished, as though the mark had never existed. It was done. Now, all lingering constraints were gone, and he could head to war unburdened.

After all, the mark had only been placed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. With Luo Chen's and Wang Yuan's skills, erasing it hadn't been difficult.

A faint sound at the door caught his attention. His ears twitched slightly, and with a casual motion, he dispersed the Water Mirror.

"President, a disciple from the Falling Cloud Sect is here to visit!" came the voice.

The announcement gave him pause. He had assumed it was someone coming to inform the Luo Tian Society of a defensive rotation, but he hadn't expected someone from the Falling Cloud Sect.

"Is it Tian Xingzi?" he asked.

"No," came the reply.

"

Oh

?"

"He said his name is Qin Yuanjiang."

Luo Chen blinked, as if he hadn't heard properly. "Who?"

"He claims to be Qin Yuanjiang, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He says he came specifically to see you."

The name stirred something in Luo Chen, dragging up memories long buried.

Qin Yuanjiang?

***

Luo Chen studied the young man before him. Their heights were nearly the same, yet the fitted black battle robe gave the youth a sharp and disciplined air. The narrow eyes and thin lips were clear inherited from his mother, Murong Qinglian. With such refined features, his face should have appeared soft, almost delicate, yet the high bridge of his nose shifted the balance, adding firmness to his expression and lending him a crisp, commanding presence. Nothing about him felt weak; he exuded a refined masculinity, energetic and spirited. The gleam in his eyes carried both curiosity toward the world and an untempered eagerness for life.

A young tiger indeed,

Luo Chen thought with a faint smile.

No wonder Qin Liangchen called him Xiaohu

[1]"

as a child. Though his cultivation...

Luo Chen couldn't help but frown slightly.

While he was assessing Qin Yuanjiang, the latter was also sizing him up.

Qin Yuanjiang's first impression was...

He's so young! This is the man my mother keeps writing about? The one she calls the leader of the Luo Tian Society? He doesn't seem more than a few years older than me, yet he's accomplished so much that even my parents admire him to heaven and back....

Back in Thousand Leaves Immortal City, when he had suggested relocating his parents there for a more comfortable life, they had refused outright. They insisted on following Luo Chen instead, speaking of him as though he were some irreplaceable figure.

What kind of charm or power does this man possess?

Qin Yuanjing thought to himself.

Judging by cultivation alone, he doesn't seem all that extraordinary. He looks about the same as my senior brothers in the Falling Cloud Sect, mid-stage Foundation Establishment at best. Could his fame truly come from alchemy alone? Could someone like that really rise among rogue cultivators, earn renown in Green Pill Valley, win the Ice Fortress's favor, be courted by Ailao Mountain's elders, and even have his name known within the Falling Cloud Sect?

As Qin Yuanjiang mulled over these questions, Luo Chen broke into a warm smile and said, "Xiaohu, you've already reached Foundation Establishment? That's wonderful news. Your parents will be thrilled when they hear. So, what brings you here to see me?"

Of course, his parents would be happy. They had always been proud of their son. Yet hearing his childhood nickname spoken so casually by a man who barely looked older than him made Qin Yuanjiang visibly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat and said, "Fellow Daoist Luo, I heard my father came to the frontlines and even tried looking for me at the Falling Cloud Sect, so I came to check on him."

Luo Chen's smile froze slightly.

Fellow Daoist Luo? I called your father Brother Qin and your mother sister-in-law, and you call me Fellow Daoist? If not Uncle Luo, then at least Senior Brother, or my Dao title! Show a bit of respect, kid!

Despite the thought, his expression remained calm and his tone composed, befitting his seniority. "I've already sent your father back. I believe he should have reached Tianlan Immortal City by now."

Qin Yuanjiang nodded, and a flicker of both relief and disappointment crossed his eyes. He was disappointed because he hadn't seen his father, but also relieved that the old man was still alive, and that he wouldn't have to face the bloodshed of what was to come. Still, the purpose of his visit was fulfilled. The message had been delivered, and there was little left to say.

In theory, they shared a connection. With his parents now serving under Luo Chen, it would have been natural to ask after their welfare or exchange a few more words. Yet one awkward truth lingered—by the time Luo Chen met Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian, their son had already joined the Falling Cloud Sect. They had never truly met before.

Indeed, in this conversation, Qin Yuanjiang should have assumed the position of the junior and spoken with deference. But in truth, their ages were not far apart, and within the Foundation Establishment Realm, whether one was in their thirties or in their forties made little difference.

Feeling uncomfortable because of that awkward closeness, Qin Yuanjiang rose to take his leave. Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and he spoke up. "You only reached Foundation Establishment recently, didn't you?"

Qin Yuanjiang paused, then replied with a trace of pride, "Three months ago."

At just over thirty years of age, reaching Foundation Establishment was indeed an achievement worthy of pride.

"That's all great, but the battlefield doesn't care about cultivation," Luo Chen said flatly. "Mid-stage and late-stage Initiates are everywhere out here. Was it really wise of your sect to send you into this war so soon?"

Hearing Luo Chen question his sect's decision-making, Qin Yuanjiang's expression darkened. Luo Chen knew the words were blunt, even a little offensive, but he could not keep silent. The young man was the son of his friends. He couldn't stand still and say nothing; that wasn't his style.

"It's not just me," Qin Yuanjiang shot back. "All disciples of our generation who reached Foundation Establishment were sent to war! Besides, it's our duty to serve the sect. If I can earn merit points in this war, I'll be granted True Inheritor status and privileges even though I'm just at the early stage!"

He squared his shoulders and added, "Fellow Daoist Luo, don't underestimate me!"

The voice that rang out carried pure, youthful pride. The belief that by serving his sect today, he would achieve glory tomorrow. That faith in himself, born from loyalty and discipline, shone clearly in his eyes. Luo Chen could only sigh inwardly.

So this is what they call the pride of disciples raised by major sects.

Perhaps pride was not the right word; "adherence" was a better term for it. Whatever their sect commanded, they followed without hesitation or complaint. It made sense—these disciples had been raised within their sect's embrace, trained and nurtured from a young age. Their friendships, their cultivation, and even their very sense of purpose had all been formed atop those mountain peaks. Over time, they became tightly bound to it, like strands in a single rope. Even so, war was merciless. Blades held no regard for loyalty or cohesion. On the battlefield, such virtues offered no protection to the individual.

Luo Chen had said what needed to be said. Any further comment would be inappropriate. He sighed and nodded. "May you attain True Inheritor status soon."

Qin Yuanjiang looked displeased, clearly picking up on the condescension in Luo Chen's words. Without another word, he turned around, sweeping his sleeves through the air. Yet just before stepping out, his steps faltered for a brief moment.

"You're right," he said, voice calm but firm. "No one can guarantee safety on the battlefield. The Ice Fortress seems to value you highly. If you can avoid getting involved, you should."

With that, he left without looking back.

Behind him, Luo Chen let out a chuckle.

This kid!

Whether that remark had come from genuine concern or subtle disdain, he could not quite tell, but the fact that the boy had said it at all spoke volumes. His temperament was an interesting mix. Not wholly like his father, Qin Liangchen, nor exactly like his mother, Murong Qinglian. And yet, he seemed to carry pieces of both within him.

As Luo Chen stepped out of the stone hut, Chu Kui's teasing voice came drifting over, "Young people these days, heads held so high they can't even see their seniors anymore."

Luo Chen smiled faintly. "He's a sect disciple after all. His cultivation might still be shallow, but his pride already runs deep."

Chu Kui gave a snort of agreement. This was what he disliked most about sect disciples. Every one of them walked around with their noses in the air, as if the world owed them something. He very much preferred sitting with Luo Chen and squabbling over spirit stones.

"When did you get here?" Luo Chen asked.

"Right after that Qin brat showed up. I heard someone from the Falling Cloud Sect had come by and thought they were coming to push us toward the Jilei Nine Mountains. Figured I'd better come and wait for orders."

Luo Chen raised a brow. "You're a little too eager."

Chu Kui snorted. "Can't help it. If I'm late, forget about the meat, I might not even get a sip of the porridge."

Luo Chen shook his head and chuckled. "Relax. There's never a shortage of people to kill. If there's one thing in abundance, it's low-tier cultivators."

Chu Kui could only nod in wholehearted agreement.

***

Indeed, there was no end to them! Across the vast stretch of the Thousand Li Yellow Sands, streaks of flight light tore through the sky, all converging toward the sixth mountain. This time, the number of participants had doubled compared to before! The war had already raged for years, yet instead of waning, the number of cultivators showing up kept growing. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that the war machine had begun pulling in everyone it could.

Rogue cultivators hiding in corners, old family cultivators waiting to die as their lifespan came to an end... None of them could resist the immense rewards offered by the Four-Sect Alliance. Luo Chen and Chu Kui were no exception. They, too, had been swept into the tide.

Amid the flood of arrivals, Luo Chen lifted his gaze to the distant sky where four figures hovered, their presence commanding attention. They were Adept Moonshade of the Ice Fortress, Adept Ju'an of Ailao Mountain, Elder Long from Green Pill Valley, and Elder Linghu Jie—the Adept leading the Falling Cloud Sect's contingent. Each held authority over their respective sect's forces stationed on Golden Sand Floating Island. Now, they were all acting in unison. It was clear they were determined to win this battle.

Luo Chen's eyelid twitched as he glanced at Elder Linghu of the Falling Cloud Sect. There was something oddly familiar about this man. But he had never met him before, so why did he feel this way?

Could he be the Golden Core cultivator who orchestrated the ambush against Pang Renxiong in Dahe Market?

Entirely uncalled for, the image of a black-robed figure flickered in Luo Chen's mind. And the more he looked, the more the resemblance grew, especially with Tian Xingzi following right behind him! It only reinforced Luo Chen's suspicion that this was in fact the mastermind behind the Dahe ghost city incident!

"So, Luo Chen, what's our next move?" Chu Kui asked beside him.

"No rush," Luo Chen replied calmly. "Let me get the Luo Tian Society members settled in first."

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

That was what Chu Kui said, but when he saw Luo Chen leave both Xu Haizhen and Duan Feng behind, far from the frontline of the sixth mountain, doubt crept into his expression. "You're not bringing those two with us?"

"You and I are enough," Luo Chen said evenly as he turned back from issuing orders. "Their presence won't make much difference. And if they can't keep pace with us, they'll only hold us back. Wouldn't you agree?"

Chu Kui had no response. The logic was sound, perfectly reasonable, yet didn't quite match what he had imagined. Shouldn't they be leveraging all of Luo Tian Society's strength to take down as many enemies as possible?

As he watched Luo Chen patiently giving Xu Haizhen instructions, a silent sigh rose in his chest.

A bit too soft-hearted, aren't you?

But when Xu Haizhen and Duan Feng adamantly refused to remain behind, insisting on joining the fight, his view began to shift once again. Wasn't this very quality the reason he had chosen to work with Luo Chen in the first place? Wasn't it because of that so-called soft-heartedness?

***

The Four-Sect Alliance had sounded the horn of counterattack half a month ago. Since then, the battles raging across the Jilei Nine Mountains had grown fiercer by the day. Both sides had become intimately familiar with the terrain, and tactics continued to evolve.

For instance, the Falling Cloud Sect had managed to operate a fourth-tier grand formation that performed at the level of a third-tier one. Naturally, the Sword Sect Alliance could match that achievement. In fact, on the seventh mountain, they had constructed a full-scale third-tier defensive formation—not quite a fourth-tier one, but one that could fully unleash its might. Without the intervention of a Golden Core cultivator, breaking through it would be all but impossible.

With the advantage of terrain and such solid defenses, ordinary Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment cultivators had no hope of breaching the line.Therefore, over the past two weeks, several Adepts from the Four-Sect Alliance stationed at the sixth mountain had gradually begun to act. After half a month of effort, they had finally shaken the defensive formation.

Thus, what was called a "rotation of forces" was, in truth, nothing of the sort. The newly arrived cultivators from Golden Sand Floating Island had joined those already stationed at the sixth mountain, forming a vast army of more than thirty thousand. Most were late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, but the backbone of their strength lay in over two thousand Initiates!

Beneath the deep cloak of night, seven radiant beams suddenly emerged outside the seventh mountain. Some shimmered with icy light, others pulsed with crushing force like descending seals. Flying swords slashed through the darkness, while luminous nets unfolded into radiant halos. Almost at once, four torrents of spiritual might surged from within the mountain.

A furious voice split the sky. "You've gone too far!"

No response came from the Four-Sect Alliance. Every cultivator among them remembered clearly who had struck first—the Sword Sect Alliance had attacked the seventh mountain under the cover of night with Golden Core experts! Now, the four Golden Core cultivators defending the seventh mountain rose in unison, each intercepting one of the incoming attacks. One among them wielded his sword with such skill that he managed to split its power and block two strikes at once.

Even after all that resistance, two of the seven Golden Core-level strikes still landed, crashing directly against the already weakened third-tier defensive formation. The formation had already been worn down for half a month; now, with two Golden Core attacks landing at once, it couldn't put up any resistance before collapsing.

At that instant, Linghu Jie of the Falling Cloud Sect stepped forward from the ranks. "Disciples of our sect, prepare!"

The order rang out like a clap of thunder. Behind him, a vast legion of pitch-black war puppets surged into view. Each construct exuded an aura of menace, cold and sharp as blades.

Every puppet was linked to a Foundation Establishment disciple standing behind it, eyes gleaming with anticipation as their hands moved in precise rhythm. In the gaping maws of those puppets, orbs of white light began to form.

"Attack!" Linghu Jie commanded.

With a sweeping gesture of his sleeve, hundreds of brilliant beams flared to life behind him, roaring like thunder as they surged toward the seventh mountain. In an instant, the night sky was ablaze with light. The assault was no weaker than that of seven Golden Core cultivators acting together!

The air tore open as wrathful thunder howled. As the massive barrage rained down, the terrified faces of countless cultivators atop the seventh mountain were illuminated.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Innumerable explosions erupted all at once. In that one moment, the battle formation that the Sword Sect's alliance had painstakingly brought time to arrange was utterly shattered. Cries of agony, screams of panic, and the sound of chaotic footsteps filled the seventh mountain.

Linghu Jie watched the scene with satisfaction, then waved his hand again. "All forces, advance!"

1. The nickname 小虎 (Xiaohu) here literally means "little tiger." In Chinese culture, the tiger symbolizes bravery, vigor, and latent power, and the diminutive

xiao

(little) adds an affectionate tone while hinting at youthful potential. ☜