Chapter 199: So Familiar

Under Beiyu Tao’s eyes, which seemed about to burst from their sockets, the green-robed figure reached into the coffin and placed his hand on the skull within.

Retrieve!

Pale gray energy flowed through the green-robed figure’s arm and into his body.

The green-robed figure was Chen Luo. Over the past few days, he had visited all the locations given to him by the fox girl Su Linlin. Of these fallen Foundation Establishment cultivators, most had been completely obliterated. He had scoured over a hundred sites and collected some thirty skulls.

His final target was the patriarch of the Beiyu Clan, who had been a second-rank artificer in life and highly renowned in the lands of evil cultivation. Even in death, two close friends had cared for his remains, preserving them due to their past ties. However, these two old friends had also passed on not long ago, their brains already collected by Chen Luo.

The Beiyu Clan’s poverty had worked to their advantage; their ancestral legacy had long been plundered by others. If not for this, Beiyu Tao and his handful of remaining kin would have been wiped out long ago.

After feeling the skull, Chen Luo placed the body back into the coffin and helped rebury it. Beiyu Tao watched this scene, utterly confused. He had initially thought Chen Luo was a grave robber, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. If he wasn’t stealing from the grave, then why had he dug up the coffin?

Just to touch the corpse’s head?

No way!

Chen Luo spoke with a sorrowful expression, “I felt an instant connection with Old Brother Bei Yu. I find it hard to believe he simply passed away.”

So that’s how it is!

Bei Yu Tao immediately understood. This venerable elder must have been a close friend of their Old Ancestor Bei Yu. Hearing of his friend’s passing, he had come personally to investigate. The coffin was opened for an autopsy to ensure the ancestor hadn’t been murdered.

“Our ancestor passed away naturally in his sleep,” Bei Yu Tao said, noting that the pressure weighing on him had vanished. He stood up as he spoke.

Observing the elder’s face, he could tell their Old Ancestor’s friendship with this man ran deep. Otherwise, such an extreme act would never have been taken.

“I received guidance from Senior Bei Yu during my lifetime. As his descendants, seeing you all in such straits, I can’t simply stand by,” Chen Luo said, changing the subject. He waved his sleeve, and a token flew out from within it.

He had carved this token along the way.

It cost him little, having used several tokens before to resolve no small amount of trouble.

“Hold onto this token. It will allow three of your clan members, chosen for their aptitude, to go to Gu Demon Mountain for cultivation.”

Gu Demon Mountain!

Beiyu Tao’s heart jolted with shock, swiftly followed by an surge of ecstasy.

Gu Demon Mountain housed a second-order spiritual vein. Even at the zenith of their power, the Beiyu Clan had never managed to secure such a vein. Who could’ve anticipated that, years after their patriarch’s passing, his long-dormant connections would suddenly bear fruit? His gaze followed the Foundation Establishment senior as he flew away on his sword, before settling back on the token clutched tightly in his hand.

Hope!

At last, the Beiyu Clan had hope. His eyes drifted to the patriarch’s tomb nearby. The toppled stone tablet had been reinstalled by the senior, its only change being a sprinkling of fresh earth atop the grave.

Perfect timing!

No doubt the patriarch has been itching to breathe the fresh air for years.

Beiyu Tao picked up the half-empty jar of Hua Diao yellow wine, pouring it in a circle around the tomb. He couldn’t resist taking a swig himself as he did so.

“Ancestral Patriarch, this friend of yours truly is remarkable. To recognize you even after all these years speaks volumes of his loyalty and righteousness.”

Compared to the clan’s future, such a trivial matter was easily dismissed.

When Chen Luo returned to Gu Demon Mountain once more, his preparations had taken on a different dimension.

Chen Luo had discarded all the Qi Refining realm brains from his Portable Brain, including Wan Ming’s. Now, he possessed seventy-two Foundation Establishment brains, many of them skilled in pill or equipment crafting.

Still without an array master, Chen Luo was reminded of their rarity. Finding a second-rank array master’s brain hanging from a tree in Guoshan County had been a massive stroke of luck.

In his secret chamber, Chen Luo rested briefly before beginning to adapt to his new collection of portable brains.

Down the mountain, at the Sun Clan’s residence:

Old Sun looked at his eldest grandson with a sigh. “Dongyou, the Sect Leader didn’t choose you this time, but don’t lose heart. In a few years, when the Sect Leader recruits again, I’ll put your name forward once more.”

This time, Chen Luo had selected Sun Yanyan from the Sun Clan, overlooking Sun Dongyou.

“I understand,” Sun Dongyou replied, a glint of defiance flashing in his eyes. At thirty-seven, a genius with normal double spirit roots would typically be at least in the sixth level of Qi Refining. However, the Sun Clan was different. They had narrowly escaped annihilation; if not for his grandfather’s desperate decision to seek refuge with the Sect Leader, their entire clan might have perished. Currently, they were incredibly fortunate just to have the opportunity to resume their cultivation.

The feuds between small clans never ceased. In the land of demonic cultivators, numerous cultivation clans sprouted like weeds, with new ones born and old ones perishing each year. It was akin to a vast snake farm, where both individual cultivators and entire clans competed relentlessly.

A clan without power, sooner or later, would be cast aside like a used towel. No matter how exceptional one’s aptitude, it held no value if not harnessed into true strength.

This earth had never lacked for talent; what it hungered for was an environment where such genius could flourish and grow.

“Yanyan,” Grandpa Sun’s gaze fell upon his granddaughter, his expression grave as he spoke, “do not squander my hopes, and never forget our family’s enemies—the fate that befell your parents!”

“I will not,” Sun Yanyan replied staunchly, her eyes shimmering with resolve. She swore inwardly to seize this opportunity, no matter what others might say. To them, simply becoming the mountain lord’s apprentice meant they could remain on the mountain, basking in the spiritual energy of the second-tier vein—a prize worth any sacrifice.

“Very well.”

Grandpa Sun’s expression softened.

“Get some rest. Tomorrow at dawn, I’ll take you and those four rogue cultivators up the mountain.”

After giving a few more instructions, Grandpa Sun sent the two young people off to rest. With the youngsters gone, he wandered alone into the courtyard, gazing up at the starry sky, lost in thought.

It had been far too long since he’d last enjoyed this kind of tranquility.

The Sun Clan had endured, and come out stronger for it. Taking a chance on befriending a strange Foundation Establishment cultivator had been the right move.

The next day…

After obtaining Chen Luo’s permission, Grandpa Sun led five disciples up the mountain.

In his room, Chen Luo was busily adapting to his new external brain. Seventy-two Foundation Establishment brains, plus the Core Formation brain and the mummy brain—that made seventy-four in total.

These seventy-four brains covered a vast array of knowledge. Every Foundation Establishment cultivator had their own unique skills, whether for battle or escape. Their insights far surpassed those of Qi Refiners—one must remember that the life spans of the two groups were vastly different, as were their accumulations of knowledge.

Chen Luo retrieved a set of pill refinement materials from the nearby storage. He then obtained the ingredients for a Nourishing Pill and called upon two newly acquired Foundation Establishment Pill Refinement Masters’ brains. Including the previous Elder An, Chen Luo now had access to the knowledge of three second-rank Pill Refinement Masters, each possessing their own unique techniques.

For instance, Elder An excelled in a proprietary pill concocting method he developed for use with his custom-designed pill furnace. This technique allowed him to achieve significantly higher success rates than other pill refiners. The other two also had their specialties—one excelled in mastering the heat intensity, while the other had an extraordinary sense of medicinal fragrance.

Chen Luo skillfully controlled the spiritual fire in his hand.

With the assistance of three second-rank Pill Refinement Masters’ brains, the spiritual fire responded to his commands as naturally as breathing. It was as if he had been refining pills for centuries; he could anticipate every subtle change in the fire’s intensity. The fluctuation frequency of the pill furnace and the speed of medicine condensation within were all meticulously controlled.

“Open!”

With a wave of Chen Luo’s hand, the furnace lid sprang open, and a perfectly rounded Nourishing Pill flew out. The intricate cloud pattern on the pill’s surface was clearly visible. In their first collaborative effort, the three second-rank Pill Refinement Masters’ brains had helped Chen Luo successfully create a high-grade Nourishing Pill.

After storing the pill in a medicine bottle, Chen Luo rose and walked out of the workshop.

Outside, Old Mr. Sun and five disciples had been waiting for some time.

The early morning sun was still gentle, its rays slanting across the mountain and bringing a hint of warmth. Due to the season, the temperature at the summit remained low. The tips of the grass outside were covered with a thin layer of frost, while dewdrops sparkled brilliantly in the sunshine, making for a beautiful sight.

“Greetings, Mountain Lord.”

As soon as Chen Luo stepped out, Old Mr. Sun led his group of five in a deep bow.

“From now on, matters on the mountain will be in your hands. I expect results; you decide how to distribute responsibilities among yourselves.”

Chen Luo’s gaze swept over them, pausing briefly on Ding Zhao.

So he really was a former fellow disciple from the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect.

With Chen Luo’s current strength, he could see through Ding Zhao’s feeble attempts at concealment with a single glance. Compared to his appearance in the past, the current Ding Zhao looked distinctly worn down. The arrogance that once marked his brow had faded, replaced by the numbness of a rogue cultivator.

To this day, even basic cultivation required all his effort. Foundation Establishment? He truly couldn’t see any hope.

Ding Zhao had taken the bold step of apprenticing himself to a stranger at a Foundation Establishment level. After leaving the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect, he hadn’t enjoyed a single day of peace. In this desolate realm, even a random spirit plant could incite a brutal slaughter.

Back at the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect, Ding Zhao couldn’t even be bothered to glance at this sort of thing. But why did that voice sound so familiar?

Hearing Chen Luo’s words, Ding Zhao instinctively lifted his head.

A young man in a blue robe stood before the house, his black hair fluttering in the wind. Bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun, he seemed to glow with an ethereal light. Though his features were ordinary, his aura was exceptional. Coupled with the air of a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator, he looked like a figure straight out of a painting.

As Ding Zhao raised his head, he realized that the ‘Mountain Lord’ was also watching him.

Caught off guard by the sight of this face, Ding Zhao froze for a moment.

How strikingly familiar!

But how could it be him? He puzzled. This guy can’t have only been cultivating for a few years. As Old Sun mentioned, this Mountain Lord is a formidable force among Foundation Establishment cultivators, controlling two tier-two spirit meridians and feared far and wide.

Being a seasoned veteran, such a demonic presence must be at least four hundred years old. No way it could possibly be the person I know.

It’s probably just a case of mistaken identity.

“Yes.”

Ding Zhao hastily bowed his head, responding in unison with the other four.

Old Sun didn’t dare linger either. After a swift bow, he hurried down the mountain. The Sun Clan’s leader, who had always loomed above them rogue cultivators, now appeared as insignificant as an ant before this Mountain Lord. He scarcely dared to breathe too loudly.