Chapter 609: Chaos Within the Flame Alliance, Luo Chen Moves on Incense Burning Valley (I)

That night, the Flame Alliance's Law Enforcement Elder, Qin Tairan, openly broke the city's rules. He personally struck within its walls and destroyed a black market.

Some claimed it was the Falling Cloud Sect's property, calling his actions a counterattack. Others whispered that Qin Tairan had coveted an item being auctioned and shamelessly tried to seize it. Still others spread rumors that the market had circulated damaging news about the Flame Alliance, which provoked his fury.

Whatever the truth, several Golden Core Adepts from other domains flew out of the black market that night, glaring furiously at Qin Tairan. Had he not held the advantage of home ground, a battle would likely have erupted on the spot.

Luo Chen had not attended the auction himself. It was only the next morning that he received the full report from a disheveled Tian Xingzi.

"The news you asked us to spread has been released," Tian Xingzi said. "And here are the spirit stones for the Lightning Essence. Twenty-three top-grade ones."

Luo Chen took the storage pouch and gave him a half-smile that made him uncomfortable. Lightning Essence was a fourth-tier material. Ordinary treasures rarely required it; only life-bound enchanted treasures needed even a small amount of decennial Lightning Essence. Enchanted treasures thus forged far surpassed ordinary ones in value.

As a primary material, Lightning Essence usually started at one hundred thousand spirit stones. As for centennial Lightning Essence, it was considered among the finest of all fourth-tier minerals! For one such cluster, twenty-three top-grade spirit stones, or two hundred thirty thousand low-grade ones, was not a low price, but it was also not all that high. Was this really the result of a bid?

Under Luo Chen's amused gaze, Tian Xingzi said awkwardly, "As you demanded, the news has spread, and payment was made in top-grade spirit stones. As for the identity of the buyer who won the Lightning Essence, that is not something we can reveal."

Luo Chen smiled and did not pursue the matter further. His main goal had been accomplished, and such minor loss meant little. Whether the centennial Lightning Essence had been secretly whisked away by the Precious Dragon Black Market was of no consequence to him.

He then shook his head and tutted. "It seems Qin Tairan's sudden strike last night really caught you off guard."

Tian Xingzi replied indifferently, "It was nothing more than a futile outburst, the powerless rage of a cornered dog."

Luo Chen nodded in agreement. The Flame Alliance did not dare to retaliate against the Falling Cloud Sect, nor did it have the courage to show its fangs at the Sword Sect. All it could do was retreat into its own territory and lick its wounds, while swarms of opportunists circled like flies, waiting to draw blood. How could the Flame Alliance not feel both irritated and furious? Yet for it to act within its own immortal city by breaking the established rules and destroying the commercial atmosphere that had taken years to cultivate was something no one had expected.

"It seems the Flame Alliance cultivators are already panicking," Luo Chen murmured.

Tian Xingzi looked at him curiously. "When do you plan to make your move?"

"Wasn't the time already set?" Luo Chen replied.

Tian Xingzi froze as he recalled the deadline Luo Chen had mentioned. "Wait, you were serious about that!? If you just announce the exact time beforehand, are you not afraid the Flame Alliance will prepare in advance?"

"Prepare early?" Luo Chen shook his head with a sneer. "How much preparation could they possibly make? Call for allies? In the Jade Cauldron Domain, the Four-Sect Alliance led by the Falling Cloud Sect stands against them, and Hundred Flowers Palace remains neutral. That means the only sect they can turn to for help is the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

"As for the Sword Sect, if they intend to help the Flame Alliance, they will do so whether I spread the word or not. If that happens, even with the forces I have gathered, and even if some other sects join in, we still might not be able to bring the Flame Alliance down. On the other hand, if the Sword Sect refuses to help, then this month will only deepen the despair of the Flame Alliance's cultivators. And to be honest, I very much want to see them fall into despair."

By the end, a cruel smile had unconsciously crept across his lips. At the sight, Tian Xingzi felt a chill in his heart. Luo Chen's thoughts had become increasingly deep and meticulous, and his methods had grown more ruthless and comprehensive. He had considered every possible detail and accounted for every variable. Even the mindset of his enemies had been included in his calculations.

It was hard to believe he was just a rogue Initiate. Even a Dao Scion, or an Adept from a major sect, would struggle to plan with such thoroughness.

The unease in his chest prompted Tian Xingzi to offer a warning. "If you drag this out too long, the Flame Alliance could recall all their disciples scattered abroad. By then, things might get far more troublesome."

Yet, Luo Chen paid it no mind. "So what? That will only give me the chance to eliminate them all in one strike."

Tian Xingzi opened his mouth but found himself unable to refute the statement. Confronted with Luo Chen's absolute confidence, he could only offer one final piece of advice. "The Falling Cloud Sect cannot intervene directly, but we can contact a few Adepts from elsewhere on your behalf. However, you should not rely on them too much. Whether they choose to act will depend on the tide of the battle."

Luo Chen arched his brow. The offer came as an unexpected boon. As for them remaining on the fence, that did not matter; the more of them there were, the better it would be.

***

While Luo Chen was negotiating with Tian Xingzi, another scene unfolded within the Flame Alliance's Incense Burning Valley.

The grandeur that once marked a great sect, the immortal splendor it had displayed, was gone beyond recall. What remained were shattered walls and desolate ruins, scars stretching across the valley. Buildings had collapsed in great swathes, and enormous craters pocked the ground.

The low-tier cultivators moving about all wore anxious and fearful expressions. Even the slightest disturbance was enough to make them call out in alarm.

From outside the valley, a streak of light descended. Its speed slowed deliberately, the figure within pausing midair so the disciples below could recognize him. Only after allowing himself to be clearly seen did he continue downward into the depths of Incense Burning Valley.

Inside, he passed through empty rows of stone pillars until he reached a stone platform. Upon it sat a figure in meditation. Azure flames wreathed the cultivator's body, flaring outward and then shrinking back in a steady rhythm. With every surge and contraction, the weak aura around him gradually regained strength. The faint sound of footsteps reached his ears, and his eyes opened slowly.

"Senior Brother Qin!" he shouted.

Qin Tairan gave a low grunt and asked with concern, "Junior Brother Xuyang, how are your injuries?"

Adept Xuyang sighed. His fingers formed a sword shape, and azure flame curled around them before he drove them directly into his own chest. His features twisted in pain as he forcibly pulled a strand of silver thread from within.

Whoosh!

With the strand expelled, he let out a long breath of relief.

"The Withering-Flourishing Fire is aiding my recovery. These wounds are mending little by little. But the Falling Cloud Sect's puppet arts truly exceeded all expectations. Never did I imagine they possessed such uncanny methods," said Xuyang. As the words left his lips, the silver thread drawn from his body slowly melted away under the searing azure flame.

At the sight, Qin Tairan's expression shifted. The Flame Alliance had some understanding of the Dao of puppet-making. The craft was known as a fusion of formations, artifact creation, and souls. As a sect famed for its expertise in forging, the Flame Alliance had once dabbled in it. However, their knowledge of puppets was still limited to basic things like close-quarters combat, ranged attacks, and releasing spirit energy shockwaves. No one had imagined that the Falling Cloud Sect's puppet arts had already advanced to a level beyond their understanding.

"Such a method of fusing artifacts into puppets is not something the Falling Cloud Sect could have achieved on their own!"

Xuyang sighed. "Indeed. I could see distinct marks of the forging techniques of Skysail City in those constructs. These silver threads are forged from a rare substance that can fuse with a Golden Core cultivator's divine consciousness. Once attached, they pose an immense threat to both body and soul. Even if you survive, they will not just disappear. They cling to you like fishhooks, almost impossible to remove."

Qin Tairan's heart trembled. A weapon capable of merging with an Adept's divine consciousness naturally allowed them to strike directly at their opponents' divine consciousness itself. Worse still, this strike could be used repeatedly. No wonder the Flame Alliance had fallen under the Falling Cloud Sect's siege, even with more than a dozen Adepts drawn from its foundation. It was equally clear why the Falling Cloud Sect now dared to challenge the Sword Sect. With such weapons in hand, its puppet masters would not fear even the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's famed swordsmen.

"Give me a little more time. Once these parasitic threads are burned away, I can restore eighty percent of my strength. Then your burden will lighten somewhat," Adept Xuyang said with a strained smile.

Qin Tairan shook his head. "I am managing well enough. Martial Nephew Xiao has already taken over the duties of sect leader to reorganize the Flame Alliance."

The "Martial Nephew Xiao" he spoke of was none other than Xiao Lian, Dao Scion of the Flame Alliance's current generation. He had reached Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. He should have been preparing to assault the Golden Core Realm, yet calamity had struck the Flame Alliance, forcing him to emerge early and assume the sect leader's mantle.

Xuyang nodded. Though the situation was dire, at least the Flame Alliance still had successors. Everything had not yet reached the point of complete ruin. He glanced at Qin Tairan, who still carried an air of haste and a trace of anger, and asked with curiosity, "Senior Brother, did you just return from outside?"

Qin Tairan gave a cold snort. "The Falling Cloud Sect will never give up their desire to destroy us. They planted people in the black market to spread slander against our sect. I made a move to intimidate the rabble. Otherwise, they might really believe the Flame Alliance is an easy target."

Xuyang opened his mouth but found nothing to say. Was the Flame Alliance truly not easy to bully? Their enemies had stormed their gates and slaughtered without restraint. In the end, those enemies had departed unscathed, leaving the Flame Alliance with nothing but hollow condemnations. To outsiders, the Flame Alliance had surely become nothing but a soft persimmon.

Qin Tairan seemed to guess his thoughts, and his brow furrowed. "Junior Brother, do not overthink it. The Falling Cloud Sect will never dare strike again!"

"Is this the Sword Sect's promise?" Adept Xuyang asked.

Qin Tairan nodded. "Yes. I personally spoke with Yaoguang, and he gave me his word."

Yet despite this seemingly good news, Xuyang's face remained clouded with worry. A promise from an upper sect was still nothing more than a promise. It was not a binding Great Dao Oath, and there was no guarantee it would ever be fulfilled.

Qin Tairan clasped his hands behind his back and paced slowly through the empty underground stone forest. "Our Flame Alliance may appear on the brink of collapse, but is this not also a chance to be reborn from the ashes? In the past, we supported far too many Golden Core cultivators, and most of them were decrepit and useless people who contributed nothing to the sect. Now that they are dead, those resources have been freed. Junior Brother, was the Flame Alliance not founded by a single ancestor? If we unite our efforts, why should we be unable to restore its glory? Perhaps, through this very trial, we may even find the chance to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

As Qin Tairan spoke eloquently, his face lit with a rare, fanatical fervor. He seemed not to mourn the Alliance's suffering in the slightest.

Xuyang watched the scene in silence. He knew that his senior brother had always harbored an intense thirst for power. In the past, that ambition had been held in check by the authority of the Alliance Leader, but now, with so many dead, the sect had fallen into a sudden void of leadership. Qin Tairan, as a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, had abruptly risen above all others. It was only natural that such power would cause his pride to swell.

Xuyang shook his head, unwilling to continue on this topic. "Senior Brother, you mentioned that the Falling Cloud Sect spread harmful rumors about us in the black market. What kind of rumors are they?"

Qin Tairan paused mid-step and frowned. "They claimed that some powerful enemy would come seeking vengeance against us in a month.

Hmph

, nothing but nonsense."

The word "vengeance"

struck like a hammer, and Xuyang's expression changed at once. "Senior Brother, such a matter cannot be dismissed so lightly."

Qin Tairan furrowed his brows. "The Flame Alliance has its share of enemies, but what great enemy could they possibly mean?"

"What about Ailao Mountain?" Xuyang countered.

Qin Tairan snorted. "We already yielded Blackwater Marshes to them, and with the Sword Sect's deterrence, how would they dare make a move?"

Xuyang pressed urgently, "It's not the thousands of safe outcomes we fear, but the one disaster that might strike!"

"So what if it happens?" Qin Tairan answered with confidence. "Ailao Mountain has only four Golden Core cultivators, and their strongest is merely at the sixth stage. Even if they attacked with their entire sect, the Flame Alliance still has enough means left to deal with them. And besides, do they truly dare?"

Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall![1] The Flame Alliance might be weaker than ever, but it had not been deemed a major sect for nothing. No one knew how many hidden cards it had kept in reserve when the Falling Cloud Sect launched its assault.

Meanwhile, Ailao Mountain was not particularly strong to begin with. It had once boasted five Adepts, but during the battle over Blackwater Marshes, one had perished together with a Golden Core cultivator of the Flame Alliance. Since then, the mountain had been clinging to survival. How could they possibly dare to launch an all-out attack now?

Yet Adept Xuyang shook his head. "Do not forget that our mountain-guarding formation has been destroyed. If a battle truly breaks out, Incense Burning Valley, the very foundation of our sect, could be lost forever."

Qin Tairan hesitated, seizing control of the sect so suddenly had filled him with boundless pride, but he was not entirely devoid of reason. Without the mountain-guarding formation, if the enemy managed to break into Incense Burning Valley, then whether they won or lost, the Flame Alliance would suffer a devastating blow.

If that happened, everything he dreamed of would vanish like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water. It will be nothing more than a beautiful illusion that could never become reality.

1. 狗急跳墙 (gǒu jí tiào qiáng) is a Chinese idiom that means when pushed to desperation, even the weak or timid will fight back. ☜