Chapter 593: Fiend Control and Formation Arts, Fei Ming's Intervention, Rebuilding Danxia, The Legacy of Zheng Xian and Xuan Yu (I)

Three months later, inside the main hall of Cave Residence Jia Three, Luo Chen stood before a sparse pile of resources and could only stare in disbelief.

"Don't tell me this is all the wealth of a dignified Perfected Mastery Initiate?" he muttered.

There were no pills nor enchanted artifacts. The spirit stones amounted to only one top-grade piece and about four hundred mid-grade ones, together barely worth fifty thousand. There were two supreme-grade enchanted robes, likely ones he rotated for daily use.

There was a single third-tier Black Armor Talisman. It required time to activate and it could only be used once, so it was practically useless in direct combat. Its only advantage was that its defense far exceeded common Earth Guardian or Wood Armor Talismans.

As for enchanted treasures, there were two. The first was Zheng Xian's personal Flowing Fire Fan. The second was a low-grade fire-element flying sword of respectable quality, which came with a killing move of its own. Two formation sets were also present: one spirit-gathering formation and the other a concealment formation. Their true effects remained to be seen.

The largest share was raw materials such as iron crystal, copper crystal, Quicksand Fine Gold, Blazing Flame Iron, and Firemelt Ash. There was an abundance of them, ranging from first-tier to fourth-tier and most of them fire-attribute. Among them was even a piece of Profound-Link Celestial Crystal, a fourth-tier mineral Luo Chen recognized at once.

Together, the items barely equaled the wealth expected of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. They fell far short of what Luo Chen had expected from Zheng Xian. After all, he had been at the peak of Foundation Establishment, a figure second only to Adepts.

Luo Chen had counted the resources with growing disappointment, but he was now accepting the harsh reality. Now that he thought of it, it made sense. Zheng Xian had once been a disciple of the Flame Alliance, but he had been expelled during his days at mid-stage Foundation Establishment and left to wander as a rogue cultivator. For him to have reached the late stage afterward was no small achievement, and to reach Perfected Mastery, he had probably poured in everything he owned. Once he reached that stage, ordinary pills and low-tier artifacts lost all value to him, and anything he had would have been sold straight away. Even the spoils of battle were likely exchanged for cultivation resources. In fact, what remained in his storage pouch reflected his true needs.

Spare enchanted robes, enchanted treasures tempered over many years, and spirit stones suitable for battle were precisely the items he required. As for that heap of materials, they told an even clearer story. Judging by their attributes, quantities, and special qualities, they had been gathered in preparation for forging a life-bound enchanted treasure after Core Formation. After all, Zheng Xian had been a True Inheritor of a major sect focusing on artifact creation. He had certainly been well-versed in standard theory. Planning according to his own needs was only natural.

"A pity. This blind box turned out to be nothing special," Luo Chen sighed.

He sorted the resources neatly into separate storage pouches and the spirit stones went into his own. As for the supreme-grade enchanted robes, he already had three to rotate between. These extra two could be handed to the Luo Tian Society, exchanged as rewards for disciples upon reaching Foundation Establishment.

The third-tier Black Armor Talisman, he held onto. Though it had its flaws, its defense was genuine, strong enough to withstand several strikes from a Golden Core cultivator. The Flowing Fire Fan and the fire-element flying sword were both of good quality and well-suited to him. However, refining enchanted treasures demanded vast amounts of time, and Luo Chen remained attached to his Mystic Flame Sword that he had tempered over many years. He had no intention of replacing it yet. Hence, he stored the enchanted treasures away for the Luo Tian Society, where they could either be used directly or sold for spirit stones. They would serve their purpose without troubling Luo Chen.

He also kept the concealment formation for himself, knowing it would prove invaluable when traveling. As for the spirit-gathering formation, it included over a hundred flags and compasses and it was clearly meant for a massive setup—too much for one man, but perfect for the organization he led.

Among the ores, Luo Chen selected and kept the higher-tier materials, including the Profound-Link Celestial Crystal.

Though I haven't formed my core yet, I should already begin considering how to forge my life-bound enchanted treasure. These materials will stay with me. Who knows when they may prove useful.

After tidying everything, only a few thin books remained. Luo Chen picked them up and leafed through them.

The He Family's Core Formation Insights

contained the insights from a Golden Core Adept. Meanwhile,

Fiend Control Seal

contained a secret method for harnessing fiend qi, lying somewhere between a cultivation technique and a spell.

Zheng Xian's Dao Revelation

recorded his experiences from the first to the eighth stage of Foundation Establishment, but the section on the ninth stage remained blank. He had no doubt reached Perfected Mastery, yet he had failed to live long enough to write down his experience and thoughts.

"For the Luo Tian Society, the greatest gain is that third-tier spirit-gathering formation," Luo Chen reflected. "For me, though, these books are the true prize."

With some free time, Luo Chen leafed through them again. He lingered especially on the Fiend Control Art. It was the most worn, clearly something Zheng Xian had read often during his lifetime. After skimming through it, Luo Chen fell into thought.

He recalled his brief clash with Zheng Xian. He had hidden within the eruption of earth fire and struck suddenly; it had been so abrupt that no Initiate, not even someone like Xuan Yu, a Pseudo-Adept, could have reacted in time. After all, in that situation, enchanted treasures could not be activated, speed offered no escape, and defensive items could at best trigger as passive protection, meaningless before his overwhelming assault.

And yet, Zheng Xian had survived by spitting out a surge of violent energy that forced Luo Chen back, though it cost him a literal arm. Looking back now, that energy could only have been a form of fiend qi.

"This Fiend Control Art seems useful... I should try it."

Fiend qi was nothing unusual to him. He had often encountered Earth Fire Fiend Qi and Netherworld Yin Fiend Qi. They produced extraordinary effects when used in alchemy or Physique Refinement. This art, however, sought to cultivate fiend qi as a weapon in battle. It was only because Luo Chen's body had been toughened through fiend qi that he had not been slain outright by Zheng Xian's breath. As for fiend qi itself, Luo Chen had plenty on hand. He had collected it from Yan Leizi, Zheng Tianfang, and several inner disciples of the Flame Alliance.

What if I fuse it into the Blazing Fire Miasma? What would happen then?

The thought stirred his curiosity and excitement.

In his Sky Roc form, Luo Chen could use both the Cloud-Piercing Divine Claw and the Blazing Fire Miasma. The former was mainly a physical attack and worked as intended, but the latter relied on spirit energy to replace the demonic energy of an actual fire roc. Unfortunately, Luo Chen's fire-element spirit energy was only average, no better than that of any typical Initiate; this limited the technique's power. If he infused it with Earth Fire Fiend Qi, the technique could become another devastating weapon in his arsenal.

Just as the idea took shape, his eyebrows shot up. With a flick of his hand, a message talisman flew into the cave from outside. He activated it, and Min Longyu's voice rang out.

Before long, Min Longyu stepped into the hall. Luo Chen had not bothered to suppress his aura, feeling no need for caution in his "own" residence.

The moment that powerful presence pressed against him, Min Longyu's eye twitched. "President, what level are you at now?"

"Can't you tell?" Luo Chen replied.

"You seem to be only at the seventh stage of Foundation Establishment," Min Longyu said with a frown, "but you feel stronger than ninth-stage cultivators, nearly at Perfected Mastery."

Luo Chen chuckled as he watched Min Longyu's baffled expression. He had noticed this phenomenon back in his Qi Refinement days. With five spirit roots, his cultivation speed lagged far behind others. Each breakthrough demanded four or five times more spirit energy than others, and after Foundation Establishment, the requirements grew even greater.

Yet this flaw also came with a benefit, namely that his spirit power reservoir far exceeded that of others in the same realm. Now, though at the seventh stage, the depth of power within him rivaled that of ninth-stage Initiates who had cultivated for decades; in fact, he was not far from Zheng Xian at Perfected Mastery. This immense reserve gave him the confidence to fight across realms and to cast even the most draining spells without hesitation.

"You've recovered well," Luo Chen remarked after an unrestrained probe of Min Longyu's condition. "Your soul feels steady and your qi is brimming. Your cultivation hasn't advanced, but your foundation is firmer than before."

Min Longyu smiled. "That battle a year ago benefited me greatly."

In a single sentence, he conveyed the depth of his gains. Luo Chen gave a slow nod. In that battle, Min Longyu had contributed the most, slaying more enemies than anyone else. Even on the brink of exhaustion, he had unleashed a strike of Golden Core power in an attempt to kill Qin Tairan. Such frequent exertions inevitably exposed his flaws, yet surviving allowed him to address them one by one, leaving his foundation all the stronger.