Chapter 735: Internal Strife Within the Luo Tian Alliance; Defeating Diwu Qi in a Single Move (II)

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the Luo Tian Alliance, the atmosphere was exceptionally upbeat. The three-year term was about to end. Over such a long period, none of the cultivators dispatched to the front lines had returned early, nor had any news of deaths been sent back. That meant nothing major had occurred. With matters like that, how could anyone not feel pleased?

The happiest of all was the Cen family of Dream Return Ridge. Once the three-year term ended, Cen Qiusheng would be able to return safely. The Cen family would still firmly remain among the ranks of Golden Core families.

Yet amid this widespread joy, an inexplicable pressure suddenly enveloped an area within a hundred li of Dream Return Ridge. The moment everyone felt that oppressive pressure, they froze. Almost at once, an astonishing thought rose in their minds.

Someone from Dream Return Ridge is attempting to form their core. It is the Cen family. Is that Cen Guangyi? He's the most outstanding junior of the Cen family...

For a time, everyone's hearts were set racing. Would he succeed?

If he succeeded, the Cen family would have two Adepts, at least for a while. Would this affect the balance of the alliance? Would the other two families really be willing to accept such a shift?

Of course, at a time like this, the Luo Tian Alliance gaining another Adept was unquestionably good news. Especially for those late-stage Initiates—who could say that they themselves would not be the next lucky one? As a result, everyone watched as the Cen family cultivators sprang into action. They sealed off every part of Dream Return Ridge under strict guard. Some cultivators from the other two families who were on good terms were also asked to help maintain the outer perimeter.

On Azure Iron Mountain, a figure watched this scene with an unsettled expression. After a while, seeing the pressure grow heavier and faintly begin to draw in the surrounding spirit energy, Diwu Qi clenched his teeth and stepped out into the air, heading straight for Dream Return Ridge. As he traveled, his mighty voice rang out. "I have come to serve as a protector for my young friend!"

At this, the Cen family cultivators grew inexplicably tense. They knew the terms of the alliance well—its provisions applied only until the third-tier spirit veins were secured. Now that the spirit veins were under their control, the agreement could be considered effectively concluded. The Luo Tian Alliance was now little more than a nominal group. With Diwu Qi arriving uninvited, they felt concern rather than relief.

At that very moment, a calm voice clearly reached everyone's ears. "Fellow Daoist, please stop!"

Diwu Qi turned sharply. At some unknown point, Luo Chen had already appeared on the plaza before the majestic grand hall of Snow Wolf Plateau. Diwu Qi looked down at Luo Chen, and his expression darkened slightly. "Dan Chenzi, what do you want?"

Luo Chen looked at him calmly. "I am the one entrusted by Fellow Daoist Cen to serve as Cen Guangyi's protector. I will not allow any Adept to approach the Dream Return Ridge area."

"I am acting out of goodwill," Diwu Qi said unwillingly.

Luo Chen shook his head. "Then please show your goodwill by observing from afar. Why must you go nearer? If there truly are petty troublemakers, the two of us can always take action."

Luo Chen's tone was calm, yet the warning in his words was unmistakable. At present, the Luo Tian Alliance appeared peaceful on the surface, but the undercurrents among the upper ranks were something everyone clearly understood.

The main conflict lay between Stormwind Manor and the Luo Tian Sect. Stormwind Manor had originally dominated alone with two powerful Adepts. However, after Jiang Yu's fall, Diwu Qi was left struggling on his own. In recent times, he had repeatedly entered seclusion, hoping to advance to the middle stage of Golden Core. This alone revealed how pressing the situation had become for him.

On the Luo Tian Sect's side, although there were only two first-stage Adepts, everyone knew that the sect's foundation was extremely deep. Wang Yuan and Chu Ku were both top-tier Initiates, and they were both in seclusion. If they emerged successfully, the Luo Tian Sect would leap forward and become the absolute dominant power of the alliance. By then, they would even be capable of setting aside Stormwind Manor and the Cen family and acting on their own.

Of course, this was only a possibility. For cultivators to break into the Golden Core Realm was no easy task. It was precisely for this reason that Diwu Qi wished to avoid any further changes. He had originally intended to align with the Cen family to maintain the balance. Who would have thought that old Cen Qiusheng trusted Luo Chen more and would rather befriend Luo Chen than ally with him? As a result, he was even less willing to see the Cen family produce a second Adept.

Up in the air, Diwu Qi's expression grew increasingly grim. Suddenly, he raised his voice and said, "Dan Chenzi, all this time you have been the leader of the Luo Tian Alliance, but we both know that title exists in name only. Since we have the opportunity today, why don't we spar once and decide who truly deserves the position?"

These words were not sent through divine consciousness. They were spoken aloud, and naturally reached the ears of cultivators from all three factions.

Luo Chen frowned slightly and said, "I feel that is unnecessary."

"It is absolutely necessary," Diwu Qi said with conviction. "There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings in a country. When people speak of the Luo Tian Alliance, they all say you are the leader, yet I am the one with the highest cultivation. If we do not decide who stands above the other, how will anyone be convinced going forward?"

Luo Chen fell silent, and seeing this, Diwu Qi's expression brightened. "How about this? A full clash would indeed harm our relationship, so let us settle it with a single move. I know you excel at spellcasting. I will give you time to cast your spell. As long as you can withstand one strike from me, it will count as your victory. That way, no one can say that I bullied you or I relied on superior cultivation to win unfairly."

Under the gaze of countless onlookers, the aura of Core Formation atop Dream Return Ridge continued to surge higher and higher. In the void, Diwu Qi stood radiant and confident. Far away, before the Luo Tian Sect's Grand Hall at Snow Wolf Plateau, a lone Daoist figure stood quietly upon the white jade plaza.

After a long while, he gently nodded. "Fine, one move it is!"

Seeing this, Diwu Qi could not help but feel elated. As long as he surpassed Luo Chen by even the slightest and secured his future dominance within the alliance, what would it matter if the Cen family produced a second Adept? What would it matter if the Luo Tian Sect produced yet another powerhouse? Once he became the true leader of the alliance, acting and speaking would become far more convenient. Perhaps he could even have Luo Chen refine mid-grade Starfield Pills for him.

While his thoughts drifted, a wisp of eerie wind emerged at his fingertips. Seeing this, Luo Chen shook his head. "Fellow Daoist, you have been far too impatient lately in pursuing a breakthrough. Your state of mind is unstable."

Diwu Qi froze. In the next instant, he witnessed a strange sight. Several li away, Luo Chen slightly lowered his head. He raised two fingers and touched the bridge of his nose, between his eyes. A barely audible whisper escaped his lips.

"Open!"

Luo Chen abruptly raised his head. What came into view were strange and ferocious black lines spreading outward from his pupils all the way across his cheeks in all directions. A pair of cold eyes stared straight at Diwu Qi.

The latter was struck by a realization.

Something's off!

He tried to gather his divine soul power to defend against the mysterious but obviously spiritual attack. Yet it was already too late. In a single instant, his body stiffened. When he came to his senses, someone was already standing beside him, shoulder to shoulder, facing the opposite direction.

Amid the loud fluttering of his robes, Luo Chen's voice was as calm as a frozen lake, "Fellow Daoist, are you convinced now?"

Diwu Qi opened his mouth wide, his face filled with disbelief. "How could this be? How is it possible? How could you be that fast!?"

Luo Chen's expression remained calm; he ignored his opponent's mutterings. He unconsciously blinked.

After a long moment, Diwu Qi lowered his head. His face was deathly pale. "I lost."

Across the alliance, countless cultivators held their breath as they watched the scene unfold. The moment Diwu Qi uttered those two words, an uproar erupted. No one had seen what method Luo Chen had used. They had only seen him drift lightly before Diwu Qi, as if he was not worried about any mishap.

Only the Initiates vaguely realized something—it was a divine soul attack! Only such profound, elusive, and sinister attacks could cause someone like Diwu Qi to suffer such a severe loss. It had been just a brief moment, but if Luo Chen had chosen to strike, Diwu Qi would have died a hundred times over.

After realizing this, all Initiates of the Luo Tian Alliance revealed looks of shock. Diwu Qi was a formidable third-stage Adept. Yet Luo Chen had defeated him so easily! In other words, in a life-or-death battle, would that not mean he could slaughter anyone in the early stages of the Golden Core Realm at will? Even against a mid-stage Adept, Luo Chen likely stood a chance!

Unheard of anyone but Diwu Qi, Luo Chen spoke calmly, "Although I don't know what problems arose during your cultivation, you are indeed far too impatient. If we face each other head-on, we both stand a fifty-fifty chance, but you are far overconfident. Especially that Azure Eerie Wind of yours... it's a fine technique for ambush and assassination, but why would you display it so openly before me? Diwu Qi, I do not need to teach you that haste makes waste, do I?"

Diwu Qi's face was pale, and he could not offer a single rebuttal. He had lost, and he had lost far too easily. He had not even managed to make a move. Although he wanted to argue, no words came out of his mouth.

He was the only person in this world who had experienced Luo Chen's eyes directly, and the only one who could understand how terrifying they truly were. As Diwu Qi's thoughts fell into chaos, his expression suddenly shifted. Seeing Luo Chen frown as well, he let out a quiet sigh. "It seems someone is even more impatient than I am!"

Luo Chen also sighed and shook his head. "What a pity."

Above Dream Return Ridge, the pressure that had originally covered a hundred li radius retreated like a tide. Everyone knew what such a scene meant. The attempt had failed!

The Cen family cultivators showed sorrow on their faces, and figures rushed toward Cen Guangyi's cave residence.

Although it was regrettable, Luo Chen did not take it to heart. He had witnessed Core Formation failures more than once. A while back, Xuan Yu of Peach Mountain had failed and ended up a Pseudo-Adept. More recently, Tantai Jin had failed and died outright. And more recently still, Chu Kui had failed at the final step and barely kept his life and cultivation.

The world only saw Adepts commanding wind and rain and basking in glory. But that was nothing more than survivor bias. Who knew how many astonishingly talented Perfected Mastery Initiates died or carried lifelong regrets?

Luo Chen shook away his thoughts and cast a cold glance at Diwu Qi, whose complexion had by now regained some color.

"Although the third-tier spirit veins have been secured, they have yet to be officially allocated to us. It's far too early to turn on your allies. You should think carefully about your next move."

As he spoke, a trace of mana flashed across his body and vanished. Then he stepped toward Dream Return Ridge.

Diwu Qi had originally felt some dissatisfaction at those words of admonishment. However, upon sensing that profound mana, his expression changed abruptly.

Second stage!