In the ancient forest in the mountains.
It’s snowy and the wind is freezing.
Two figures walked side by side.
One is wearing a white robe, his eyes are as bright as stars, and his figure is thin.
One is wearing linen clothes and straw sandals with his hair hanging down his back. His muscles are gnarled and he has a strong body.
"How was the chat?"
"Not bad, the Nangong family's suspicion has been eliminated, and Nangong Jin's intention to form an alliance has been confirmed."
"Where did that tide of beasts come from?"
"Li family, Duan family... I prefer the Duan family."
"oh?"
Click!
The man's footsteps stepped on dead branches, and he stopped moving forward.
Looking at a small mountain ahead, the snow at the foot of the mountain showed faint signs of melting.
Luo Chen said calmly: "The Li family has no direct conflict with us, and we even have close contacts in the elixir business."
"If you just want to target the Nangong family, with that woman Li Yixian's style, you won't be so simple and crude."
Wang Yuan paused.
Is this all about killing someone with a borrowed knife and framing someone to blame, or is it just simple and crude?
You people have such dirty hearts!
"In comparison, the Duan family has too many reasons to attack us."
"A lot?" Wang Yuan frowned and said subconsciously: "Is it just Duan Feng's reason?"
Luo Chen nodded slightly.
"Duan Feng is indeed a reason. His progress is very fast and his hatred is extremely strong. If it were me, I would not be able to help but kill him quickly."
"But in addition to being a reason, it can also be an introduction."
"Duan Feng led Duan Qiankun's attention to me, Luo Tianhui."
Wang Yuan was puzzled, "Is Luo Tianhui so worthy of being valued by a foundation-building cultivator?"
Everyone knew that Luo Tianhui seemed powerful.
But in fact, it is built around the alchemist Luo Chen.
Putting Luo Chen aside, this force is just a piece of loose sand.
Even if Duan Feng is really the core to establish a magic weapon business, Duan Feng's skill in casting and character cannot support this power.
Therefore, those foundation-building cultivators actually do not value Luo Tianhui.
What they value is "Dan Chenzi"!
It also happened that Luo Chenhu faked the power of a tiger and used the name of Jade Cauldron Sword Sect to frighten these foundation-building cultivators.
Therefore, a peaceful situation was created in just a few months.
Facing Wang Yuan's doubts, Luo Chen looked at the hill in the distance that was not tall and steep.
This mountain is called Xiaohuan Mountain, and it is the land of the Duan family.
"Ordinary foundation-building true cultivators will naturally not value a mere Luo Tianhui. However, Duan Qiankun is not an ordinary foundation-building true cultivator."
"You mean... Shouyuan?"
"Yes, his time is coming!"
Luo Chen said with emotion: "A person who is about to die will undoubtedly worry about his death the most."
"The Duan family is his weakness."
"If Duan Rui successfully builds the foundation, then even if he dies, the Duan family can continue to exist. But Duan Rui is useless."
"And once that situation occurs, the Duan family will become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered."
"Brother Wang, it's not just a few foundation-building forces who can kill this lamb with a knife!"
As soon as the last sentence came out, Wang Yuan understood it instantly.
The root cause of this matter still lies in Luo Tianhui's attack on the Fu family.
At that time, there were constraints from the Miao culture at the top and poor channels at the bottom.
In order to break the situation, Luo Chen chose the Fu family, which was relatively weak, to attack.
After it was successful, it did play a lot of roles.
But now, because of this criminal record, he is naturally vulnerable to Duan Qiankun's fear.
If he goes, the Duan family will be completely vulnerable to Luo Tianhui, who has dozens of late-stage Qi refiners and double-digit ninth-level Qi refiners.
It can be said that Luo Tianhui, who has absorbed the essence of the Broken Mountain Gang, will have an absolute advantage in facing most of the forces in the middle of the balance of power.
"That's the second reason."
"As for the third reason..."
A sneer hung from the corner of Luo Chen's lips, "Luo Tian will fall, and I will naturally be isolated. At that time, several major forces will definitely pay attention to him."
"In this way, won't the Duan family be able to avoid the attention of big shots?"
"If Duan Qiankun is good enough and recruits one or two foreigners to build a foundation and offer sacrifices to the Duan family, it will be even more worry-free."
After listening to this analysis.
Wang Yuan clicked his tongue in surprise.
"If this is really the case, then there is no need to doubt it. It can definitely be done by the Duan family."
"Now, what are we going to do? Take revenge if you have a grudge, take revenge if you have a grudge, go straight to the mountain?"
That’s right!
It shocked Luo Chen.
"Brother Wang, you seem to be a little swollen recently!"
Wang Yuan laughed and said, "I have almost finished studying the techniques for the second level of body refining, and I really want to find someone to try them out."
"Human foundation building is different from the dumb beasts." Luo Chen reminded him specifically because he was afraid that the other party would become arrogant.
Wang Yuan smiled confidently, "If it were in the past, I would indeed be worried. But for now, I really want to try the Foundation Establishment Sword!"
Seeing that he was so confident, Luo Chen stopped trying to persuade him.
Having confidence is a good thing, it means that Luo Tianhui truly has foundation building capabilities.
But for now, it's really not an opportunity to take action.
"No rush, I still need a little time."
Luo Chen said simply, then turned and left.
Wang Yuan doesn't force things either. When he's not in a fighting state, he's still very calm and composed.
…
time!
The time Luo Chen needs is actually not long.
It's just a year or two.
He needs this time to practice to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and obtain the three Foundation Establishment Pills from Tian Xingzi to attack the Foundation Establishment.
If he can build the foundation, even without Wang Yuan, he will have enough confidence to face all the major foundation-building forces calmly.
But in the face of a situation that was most likely caused by the Duan family's bad intentions, Luo Chen didn't do nothing.
In the market, actions to monitor the Duan family are becoming more frequent.
Just in case something unexpected happens.
In private, Luo Chen spent more time on cultivation.
Now, after practicing the Fireball Technique to Dzogchen, Luo Chen has refined and optimized it to the extreme.
This way, he would have more time to study other methods.
Just when he was meditating peacefully, Duan Feng came to the door hesitantly.
In the quiet stone house, after hearing Duan Feng's intention, Luo Chen raised his eyebrows and said:
"What you mean is that the beast tide may come from the Duan family?"
"It's not possible, it should be."
Duan Feng didn't look good. He didn't expect that Luo Tian would be in such a big disaster because of him.
Eleven brothers died in the battle, and two lost their fighting power in the late stage of Qi refining.
This kind of loss is not small.
Duan Feng was startled when he saw Luo Chen's calm appearance.
"Aren't you surprised?"
Of course Luo Chen was not surprised, the circle of suspicion was so small.
It's just a matter of finding someone to verify it.
But what Duan Feng said next really surprised him.
"They had a good plan. They thought that after the Luo Tianhui was disintegrated, I would return to the Duan family."
"He didn't hesitate to offer more conditions to seduce me."
"But how could I be persuaded? How can I not avenge the blood feud!"
Luo Chen was stunned for a moment.
Why do you think this means that you don't want to kill Duan Feng, but you want Duan Feng to be isolated and helpless, and then return to the Duan family?
Suddenly, he remembered that the Duan family had frequently contacted Duan Feng some time ago.
That's right, how could Duan Qiankun be willing to kill his former grandson.
What he wants to do most now is to get Duan Feng to put aside his past grievances and return to the Duan family, and he may have offered many generous conditions for this.
"In this case, the beast tide may be more of a slap in the face, trying to make Duan Feng see the truth about Luo Tianhui's weakness."
"But they misjudged the combat power of Wang Yuan and I. We withstood the beast tide."
Luo Chen was thoughtful.
But instead of relaxing, he became even more angry.
The beatings of the upper-level monks were a life-and-death test for their lower-level monks.
"I still need time, I must hold back!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
…
The January black market auction is scheduled to begin again.
Luo Chen, a familiar person, sat in the VIP seat and looked at the auction hall where the number of people was gradually decreasing, with a solemn expression.
There is a reason why there are so few people.
This has something to do with the fact that there are fewer and fewer things coming out of Zhenlong’s black market.
The appearance of such signs made Luo Chen even more uneasy.
This means that Zhenlong Black Market is handling the finishing work, and the next actions will become smaller and smaller.
It is very likely that it will affect his cooperative relationship with Tian Xingzi.
Suppressing the uneasiness in his heart, Luo Chen quietly watched the auction proceed.
Every magical weapon and every material was auctioned off like water.
Tian Xingzi's pursuit of price is not that high, and it feels like a big sale.
"The next thing to be auctioned is a book of beast control techniques - The Book of Ten Thousand Beasts."
"This sutra was spread from outside the region. Although it is only of the second level, its techniques are quite wonderful."
"With corresponding techniques and specific elixirs, monks can control low-level monsters."
"It is rumored that this sutra comes from the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, which is a far more powerful sect than the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!"
"The starting price for the second-level technique is three thousand spirit stones, and each increase in price must not be less than one hundred."
After hearing the name of this technique, the practitioners became interested.
It is not the reason why the grade reaches the second level corresponding to the foundation building level.
But this technique can enslave monsters.
This technique is really helpful for Dahefang casual cultivators who deal with monsters all year round.
And the price is not too expensive.
Generally, the starting price for second-level skills is five thousand spirit stones.
Three thousand is indeed a lot lower.
Looking at the jade slip, Luo Chen's eyes flickered.
"Beast control?"
"There is a second-level Explosive Ape imprisoned below Xianyue Valley. I wonder if I can subdue it using this technique?"
Thousands of spiritual stones are nothing to him now.
He simply joined the bidding.
In the end, he successfully won it for 5,500 spiritual stones.
The price is not high, but it is not cheap either.
After all, it is not a natal skill, and the monks have no ambition to obtain it.
After receiving "The Book of Ten Thousand Beasts", Luo Chen lost interest in the subsequent auction items.
Good thing, it was sold at auction a few months ago.
What is left now may be very attractive to ordinary casual cultivators.
For him, it is really beyond the eyes of the Dharma.
Soon, Tian Xingzi took care of the auction matters and came to Luo Chen.
"This is the number of blood-burning pills for this month. Senior, please count them."
No excuses, no pretense of generosity.
Tian Xingzi scanned it honestly with his spiritual sense, and after confirming that the quantity was correct, he handed over the payment to Luo Chen.
The two sat in the VIP seats, leaning against the soundproof cover, so that no one outside could hear what they said.
Tian Xingzi lamented: "Without the presence of large sects, although it has given many casual cultivators the opportunity to grow wildly, the number of cultivators has been constantly decreasing!"
This is the truth.
The number of casual cultivators in Dahefang has been decreasing.
There is the threat of a ghost town inside, and frequent attacks by monsters outside.
Even though it is a land of spiritual prosperity, it is not that safe.
Many casual cultivators have already left Dahefang.
For the rest, many people are waiting for spring to see the specific situation in Dahefang before making plans.
But this is only for lonely cultivators!
For large forces with a large number of people, this situation is what they hope for most.
There are no sect constraints, and all kinds of resources can be sold, and you can make a lot of money.
"My friend, this may be the last time we work together."
Ordinary words rang out suddenly.
In Luo Chen's heart, it was no less shocking.
"You're leaving?"
Tian Xingzi nodded, with a touch of anxiety, a touch of expectation, and a touch of regret.
He said in an extremely complicated tone:
"Just these days."
"Unfortunately, there are still many things that have not been resolved yet."
Luo Chen opened his mouth slightly, which really caught him off guard.
No matter how you look at it, Zhenlong Black Market has plans to stay there, so how could it leave in such a hurry.
Or is the "war" he speculated about to begin?
Tian Xingzi seemed to feel Luo Chen's confusion, and was not pretentious.
He took out a lot of pills from the storage bag.
"This is the clear liquid I promised you. There are three bottles in total. They can be used for a long time."
"This is the second-level elf pill that your friend wanted. As for the first-level elf pill you wanted, I'm sorry, it was bought by someone else, and there's nothing I can do about it."
It doesn't matter whether it's first level or second level, he can use both.
Luo Chen took the two pills and stared at Tian Xingzi expectantly.
Under this gaze, Tian Xingzi felt a little unnatural.
Both sides knew very well what Luo Chen wanted most.
He said awkwardly: "The Foundation Establishment Pill has indeed contacted you, but I said it would take a while, so..."
Damn it!
Luo Chen knew that the concept of time among high-level monks was completely different from that of monks in their Qi refining stage.
Qi Lianqiu can be practiced very quickly, only ten days and a half.
But the foundation-building monks are very fast, maybe in years.
And if Zhenlong Black Market no longer operates here, how will he find Tian Xingzi in the future.
"Are the so-called three Foundation Establishment Pills just a piece of pie?"
This thought flashed through Luo Chen's mind, and even the smile he showed was so forced.
Tian Xingzi also knew that what he did was not authentic.
But there are some things that change, even if he is a true cultivator of Foundation Establishment, he cannot control them.
In front of Luo Chen, he took out a silver-white five-pointed star.
Made of wood, puppet?
After getting the five-pointed star, Luo Chen looked at the other party in confusion.
"This is my token."
"I am not one to go back on my word. I will never break my promise to you."
"Keep this token for as long as a few months or as long as a few years. Someone will definitely send you the Foundation Establishment Pill. When the time comes, you can use the token as proof."
At the end, Tian Xingzi felt a little more natural.
He stroked his beard and smiled: "Given my age, I can definitely wait for this little time!"
Luo Chen was helpless. The situation was like this, what could he do?
At least, this foundation-building true cultivator really took it seriously.
Even though the cooperation was about to end, he did not say that there was no hope for the Foundation Establishment Pill.
"This will cause a lot of trouble for seniors." Luo Chen said reluctantly.
Tian Xingzi didn't care about Luo Chen's attitude either.
Collecting so many blood-burning pills is enough for him to answer to some people.
As for Luo Chen, he also had a clear conscience.
Before the black market closed.
Tian Xingzi called to Luo Chen who was about to leave.
"March is approaching, the ice and snow are melting, and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect will most likely not be able to come back."
"My little friend, you and your alchemist friend must make preparations early."
"If you can't stay here any longer, you can use my token to come to the Puppet Tower of Tianlan Immortal City to find me."
Luo Chen's eyes flashed.
Puppet Tower, a subordinate property of Luoyun Sect.
Isn't Tian Xingzi hiding it at all?
He squeezed the five-pointed star puppet and nodded slightly.
…
After returning to Luotianhui, Luo Chen faced the wind in the mountains and felt clear in his heart.
March is approaching and the ice and snow are melting.
When spring comes, everything comes alive.
But for Luo Tianhui and Luo Chen, the biggest test is about to come.
"Am I prepared enough?"
Luo Chen took out the "Book of Beasts" he had just received and remained silent.
(End of chapter)
