Chapter 778: Departure (I)

Somewhere in a dungeon cell, deep underground, a handsome young man held a small black figurine with only one arm and one leg that looked more like a weird mallet than a person.

The black figurine suddenly opened its eyes, and its gaze was sharp and lively. Though those eyes carried a trace of age, they also brimmed with the ambition of a man in his prime.

It was indeed Han Zhan, the very Sage who had been "killed" earlier! The black wooden figurine's lips moved as it spoke in a human voice, "What feigned death? Have you seen the attack of that mid-stage Demon Emperor? No, young man, I actually died. If not for this Nascent Soul puppet that I cultivated in both body and soul, I would have been well and truly gone."

Huh, a death-substitute puppet?

Luo Chen had long heard that the Han family possessed an ancestral secret technique involving such puppets. Back at Dahe Market, he had personally seen Gao Tingyuan use it on the Debate Platform to "kill" Broken Blade Xu Renke. Later, within Bai Ye's pocket world, he had seen Han Zhan's grandson, Han Zheng, relying on a death-substitute puppet as well. Yet this time was entirely different. In the past, what died had always been the puppet. This time, if he was not mistaken, under the Lightning Prison Divine Roc's attack, Han Zhan's own Nascent Soul had been the one destroyed.

Perhaps sensing Luo Chen's doubt, Han Zhan explained, "This wasn't a death-substitution technique. It was a second incarnation. You see, a puppet avatar and a second incarnation are not the same thing. One is nothing more than a lifeless object, but the other carries my Nascent Soul will. You can think of it as another me."

"Another you?" Luo Chen frowned. "Then by that logic, you should still have your strength, or at least half of it. If that's the case, and the Lightning Prison Divine Roc isn't here anymore, you could simply slip away."

Unexpectedly, Han Zhan let out a bitter smile. "Young friend, do I really look like I'm in any condition to escape?"

Luo Chen chuckled helplessly. In all fairness, the man really did not look capable of doing anything really. This was only natural, on second thought. Han Zhan's Nascent Soul puppet had suffered a devastating blow from Defiant Howl during the Heavenly Drum Plains battle and had nearly been torn apart alive back then. The missing arm and leg were "trophies" of that battle. Later, after being suppressed and captured alive by Azure Frost and placed under strict confinement, there had never been any opportunity to repair the puppet.

Moreover, when the Lightning Prison Divine Roc unleashed its full might and destroyed Han Zhan's original Nascent Soul, he also divided his divine soul to shield Luo Chen. This was precisely why Luo Chen had been able to survive amid the violent Sage battle; it had nothing to do with luck or with Lightning Prison being rusty.

In any case, Luo Chen had truly grown fearful of being schemed against. Heaven Smelter had previously appeared far too nice and had spoken repeatedly about leaving behind his most perfect work before dying. In reality, he had planted a backdoor in Luo Chen's life-bound enchanted treasure, which allowed him to snatch it away at a critical moment. For a cultivator, what could be more terrifying than having its own life-bound enchanted treasure suddenly controlled by someone else in the midst of combat? None of these Sages was trustworthy!

If Han Zhan had still retained his combat strength, Luo Chen would not have wanted to get himself involved with him in the slightest. It was precisely because Han Zhan was now extremely weak and had just saved his life, not to mention having shown him considerable care for many decades, that Luo Chen had chosen to cover him earlier. Well... in all fairness, there was also another reason—escape. Regardless of his current strength, Han Zhan still possessed the experience of a Sage. In such chaos, perhaps he could take Luo Chen along while escaping.

However, Han Zhan's following words dispelled that thought. "Don't even think about it. In my current state, let alone a Demon Emperor, even a random Demon King could kill me easily. It's total chaos outside. If we go out now, we're just throwing our lives away."

Luo Chen's heart sank. At the same time, the rumbling sounds from the Transcendence Palace grew louder. They were now interwoven with the furious roars of the Lightning Prison Roc and the low shouts of an old man. The instant Luo Chen heard that old man's voice, his entire body trembled. "Shit! It's him!"

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Han Zhan glanced at Luo Chen as if sensing something. "Divine Origin has disregarded the danger and personally charged into the Transcendence Palace. Looks like he's dead set on getting his hands on you."

Luo Chen's expression turned extremely grim. He had only seen Divine Origin once, yet the memory was carved deep into his bones. There was no helping it. The man had harbored sinister intentions, actually attempting to capture Luo Chen and use him as an ingredient! How could Luo Chen possibly forget someone like that?

"Well, oopsy! Looks like neither of us is getting out of here," Han Zhan said with a bitter chuckle.

Luo Chen's expression shifted. If he missed this opportunity, he feared there would truly be no chance to escape in this lifetime. Yet if they could not get out, how could there be any talk of escape?

Suddenly, a thought surfaced in Luo Chen's mind, and his gaze fell upon the black figurine in his hand. "Senior, when you took control of my life-bound treasure, I saw how impressive your formation skills are. Are you by any chance familiar with teleportation formations?"

Han Zhan froze for a moment, then suddenly realized what Luo Chen was getting at.

Azure Frost's Cosmos in a Sleeve was indeed profound, but she had not reached full mastery just yet. Thus, it could only exert crushing suppression on cultivators a full major realm below her. Sages like Han Zhan had to be defeated first and have their combat strength crippled before they could be taken in. And even while contained within it, as long as they were not unconscious, they could still faintly perceive the outside world. Han Zhan remembered it clearly—when bringing from the Great Snow Mountains across tens of millions of li into the depths of this wilderness, Azure Frost had relied precisely on a teleportation formation.

With a trace of excitement, he spoke, "I know a bit. Not enough to build one, but enough to operate it. The real question is, where is the teleportation formation? And is it heavily guarded?"

Luo Chen let out a soft chuckle. "In a situation like this, even if there were plenty of guards, they'd all be out fighting already. Besides, I enter that place whenever I want."

Without delaying for even a moment longer, he turned around and headed straight for the dungeon exit. When he reached the doorway, he paused for a second, then reached out and summoned something back to himself. "I put too much effort into this to just throw it away."

With Heaven Smelter's fall, Luo Chen had fully regained his connection with the Primordial Unity Cauldron and could control it once more. This time, however, he did not swallow it into his sea of qi, but instead carefully placed it into his storage pouch. Before resolving the backdoor left behind by Heaven Smelter, he did not dare to let it inside his body.

Luo Chen tucked the black wooden figurine at his waist and moved forward. When he reached the third level, he hesitated for an instant, but only for an instant, before leaving directly. He could barely take care of himself now, so how could he spare any strength to save others? This was now a race against time. Reaching the treasury as soon as possible and activating the teleportation formation were the most urgent matters.

When Luo Chen reached the second level, Han Zhan suddenly spoke. "Hold up. Let me cast a soul art on you."

"What?"

"You don't seriously think the Five Elements Divine Sect set its sights on you and then proceeded to let you roam free, do you?"

Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly, and he brought Han Zhan up before him. The black wooden figurine's single arm began to laboriously form hand seals. A moment later, a strand of black light descended and enveloped Luo Chen. After casting it, Han Zhan's aura dropped sharply.

With a trace of fatigue, he spoke, "With this soul art, the fluctuations of your divine soul will vanish. As long as you don't deliberately use your divine consciousness, no one will notice you. That said, your mana fluctuations and your aura..."

Luo Chen felt a chill in his heart. Han Zhan was truly thorough. "That won't be a problem. I have my own way of dealing with it."

As he spoke, he formed a seal with both hands, as though unlocking a hidden restriction. In the next instant, dense black threads abruptly surfaced across his body, spreading even over the corners of his eyes and his lips in a grotesque lattice of lines. The Concealment Veil Formation was fully activated! With that, not a single trace of aura leaked from his body, and he continued forward without hesitation.

When he reached the first floor, he happened to see Lightning Prison wielding a whip crackling with black lightning, attacking an elderly man in a frenzy. "You guys go help Nether Spring and leave this old bastard to me!"

The surrounding Demon Emperors acknowledged the order and rushed out of the Transcendence Palace in unison. Once everyone had departed, the old man's aura suddenly surged.

"Just a mid-stage Demon Emperor! Do you really think I am easy to deal with?"

As he spoke, a five colored miniature tower above his head poured down streams of radiant light, enveloping both himself and Lightning Prison. Shielded by that five-colored radiance, the old man faced Lightning Prison's incoming attacks without the slightest fear and even reached out to seize the Lightning Whip.

Then he pulled, yanked, and hurled!

BOOOMM!

Lightning Prison slammed the ground at breakneck speed, then bounced into a corner. The old man cast a glance at the grievously injured roc, let out a cold snort, and then strode toward the dungeon.

From the shadowed corner, Luo Chen watched this scene unfold through narrowed eyes.

So this is the power of Divine Origin!

Earlier, Lightning Prison had been utterly arrogant before Heaven Smelter and Han Zhan, yet in front of Divine Origin, he had been completely powerless. He had been unable to mount even the slightest resistance.

"Do you really think late-stage Sages are cabbages?" Han Zhan's voice rang out in Luo Chen's mind, transmitting through the soul art cast earlier. "The three of them failed to defeat Azure Frost not because they were weak, but because Azure Frost has comprehended the power of a law, and not just any law, but the most terrifying of all. In truth, figures like Divine Origin and the Silktree Sect's Grand Elder stand at the very pinnacle beneath the Divine Transformation Realm in the Mountains and Seas Realm. Those below the late stage of Nascent Soul are not even worthy of being called their enemies."

Luo Chen nodded. It was best not to underestimate such figures; he had made mistakes in the past and he had no wish to repeat them.

"That said, this Lightning Prison guy truly lives up to his reputation as one who inherited the bloodline of the Lightning Roc," Han Zhan suddenly said.

In the next moment, a violent aura erupted. Immediately after, a colossal bird over a hundred zhang in length spread its wings and completely covered the palace.

"Old bastard, where do you think you're going!"

After letting out this furious roar, the roc rapidly shrank to around three zhang. Lightning flashed all over him as he transformed into a streak of lightning and chased after Divine Origin. Luo Chen's eyelid twitched violently as he watched.

None of these people are cabbages, that's for sure.

However, he could not afford to dwell on that realization.

"This way!"

Choosing a familiar direction, he used Carefree Wander and surged forward at full speed, disappearing into the passages ahead.

High in the sky above, Nether Spring finally freed her hands and cast a glance toward the collapsed Transcendence Palace. The harshness on her face deepened further as she took in the destruction below.

***

"This is the place!"

Creak...

A piercing sound rang out as Luo Chen pushed open a massive door. What met his eyes were mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, forests and deserts, drifting white clouds, and the stars of the heavens, all appearing as countless miniature scenes. Though Luo Chen was not stepping into this place for the first time, even he felt his heart shudder at the sight.

At the very center of these many marvels stood a platform engraved with innumerable formation patterns, so dense and intricate that a single glance was enough to make one dizzy.

The black wooden figurine leapt down from Luo Chen's hand, landing on its single foot; its eyes shone brightly while it stared at the surroundings. "What the hell! This... This is incredible!"

Han Zhan's excitement was unmistakably clear.

Luo Chen asked with concern, "What is it? Is the formation too complex? Senior Han, can you activate it?"

Han Zhan burst into laughter and pointed toward the edge of the formation. "Activate it? Do you not see those inlaid supreme-grade spirit stones?"

Luo Chen froze, and his gaze instantly fell on the multicolored crystals around the formation. He had always assumed they were some random formation materials and had never imagined they were spirit stones. After all, the spirit stones he had handled in the past ranged only from low to top grade and had no color to speak of. Who would have thought that supreme-grade spirit stones were actually so colorful?

Han Zhan hopped around the massive formation on one foot, the sight of him almost comical. Yet the excitement in his voice was unmistakable. "Whoever built this place really went all out. Look at this! So many materials and supreme-grade spirit stones have been prepared in advance, and they're all maintained in a state ready for immediate activation. This does not resemble a priceless teleportation formation at all. It's more like... an everyday means of transportation!"

Luo Chen swallowed hard.

Using a teleportation formation that spans the entire Mountains and Seas Realm like a random bus, basically? That's insane! How extravagant!

"Well, I have to say, this just got a lot simpler. All we need to do is figure out the activation incantation. Luckily, back when Heaven Smelter and I were stuck in the dungeon, we spent plenty of time studying the restrictions Azure Frost left on us, and I can see that this formation is based on the same principles."

"When did you start studying those restrictions, exactly?"

Han Zhan replied without turning his head. "Why, from day one, of course! How could people like us be willing to remain under another's control? To be honest, when we crafted the Primordial Unity Cauldron for you and invited Azure Frost to step in, that was also part of our plan. I wanted to see her techniques up close. You don't think that was just Heaven Smelter's afterthought, right?"

The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched. He realized that his understanding of these Sages had been far too shallow. Even while imprisoned, they had never ceased searching for a way out, unlike a group of Adepts who could only sit and await their fate.

However, this was not the time to dwell on such matters. As he watched Han Zhan ponder deeply, he could not help but ask, "Based on your knowledge, how long will it take you to figure out this formation?"

Han Zhan paused and hesitated. "At best, three days. At worst..."

Three days?!

By that point, everything would be too late, and even that was far from certain.

Han Zhan spoke with a hint of embarrassment, "My formation knowledge is meant to complement puppet arts and sword formations. I cannot instantly unravel a grand formation. Honestly, if Green Parasol Mountain wins this battle, you can leave me here to study it slowly. Once I figure it out, I'll take you with me when I leave. And if Green Parasol Mountain loses? Then the Ascendant from the Nether Origin Sect will come and save us anyway."

Luo Chen's expression darkened. Han Zhan could roughly guess what he was thinking. Luo Chen had refined Imperial Nectar and Transformation Pills for the demon race and it certainly was not something he could escape unscathed. Once the Nether Origin Sect investigated the matter after their return, he would surely meet a grim end. The demon race of Green Parasol Mountain might value him for his alchemy skills, but the Nether Origin Sect was a Divine Transformation Holy Land that had once produced a saint alchemist. Even though that saint alchemist later left the sect for the Central Continent, the sect's foundations remained vast and profound. How could such a place possibly lack a mere third-tier alchemist?