Chapter 200: The Millennium Festival

Task allocation was straightforward. As Grandpa Sun’s granddaughter, Sun Yanyan naturally stepped forward to oversee the details and began assigning tasks to everyone. Ding Zhao received one as well: he was to help purchase drawing materials from the market at the foot of the mountain.

As they dispersed, Ding Zhao prepared to descend. However, before he could get far, that green-robed figure suddenly appeared before him.

Used to his lowly status, Ding Zhao instinctively bowed his head and spoke with respect, “Mountain Lord.”

“Elder Brother Ding, long time no see,” the Green Clothes Mountain Lord said, standing in front of Ding Zhao and examining him closely.

Elder Brother Ding? Ding Zhao’s eyes widened with excitement, disbelief written all over his face as he stared at the person before him.

“M-Mountain Lord? You’re Chen-shidi?!”

If not for him speaking personally, Ding Zhao would never have thought to connect these two individuals. One was a junior disciple from Wu Dao Peak in the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect, lower in seniority even than himself. The only thing that made him stand out was his knowledge of drawing techniques, which classified him as a tier-1 talisman master. The other possessed a second-order spiritual meridian, occupied Gu Demon Mountain, and was a Foundation Establishment grand cultivator. The stark differences between these two always suggested they were completely separate entities.

As Chen Luo gazed upon Ding Zhao before him, he couldn’t help but recall their first encounter on the mountain.

Back then, Ding Zhao had also worn a set of green robes, standing within the library hall, exuding an aura of profound mystery. Later, he had even used spiritual energy to fling them all out of the hall. To Chen Luo at the time, this feat made him seem like an immortal, completely beyond comprehension.

In the blink of an eye, over a decade had passed, bringing with it a complete reversal of their statuses. The once ‘unfathomable’ Senior Brother now stood humbly below, too afraid to even raise his head.

“Can you tell me about the recent developments in the sect?” Chen Luo asked.

Putting aside past grievances, he sought Ding Zhao to learn about the current state of the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect. When he left, Daoist Wuwei had warned him that the sect’s patriarch could only hold on for thirty years at most. The sect’s prosperity was akin to a blazing fire, fierce and flourishing, yet riddled with hidden dangers.

“Dr-aren’t you really… Junior Brother Chen?” Ding Zhao stammered, still struggling to believe it. Such a vast difference defied his imagination. He could scarcely fathom how his Qi Refining junior brother could transform into a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the demon realm within just over a decade—and not just any cultivator, but a powerful one, a veteran demon monopolizing a second-order spiritual vein.

If Foundation Establishment were that easy to achieve, it wouldn’t have stumped so many cultivators. Let alone progressing within the Foundation Establishment realm itself; consider how many elders at the Sacred Lake Immortal Sect had truly surpassed the initial stages of Foundation Establishment—one could count them on one hand. Were those elders uninterested in advancing further? Of course not! They simply couldn’t do it. Cultivation at Foundation Establishment was ten, if not a hundred times more difficult than refining astral energy!

“Why bother deceiving you?” Chen Luo asked, his expression stoic.

“Tell me, how did you end up here? I recall you having some connections within the sect.”

Hearing this, Ding Zhao finally confirmed Chen Luo’s true identity.

Few knew about Chen Luo’s connections within the sect; he had only hinted at them while secretly observing Chen Luo’s ‘spirit infusion technique.’

As he gazed upon the inscrutable Chen Luo, a sense of dejection suddenly washed over him.

All these years, have I been cultivating with the wrong spirit?

Recalling his past arrogance, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d wasted his life. His fellow junior brother had already reached Foundation Establishment, while he remained stuck at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, with no clue when he might break through to the eighth. The distant prospect of perfecting his Qi Refinement seemed like an impossible dream.

Foundation Establishment was a fantasy Chen Luo didn’t dare entertain. If Ding Zhao had known Chen Luo was already in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, on the cusp of advancing to the late stage, he might have questioned everything he thought he knew.

“The sect remains much the same, with the sect founder still overseeing it,” Ding Zhao said after he composed himself.

The sect founder is still alive?

In that moment, Chen Luo grasped the situation at Sacred Lake Immortal Sect. The news of the sect founder’s death had not been made public. The sect elders weren’t fools; even if they’d secured their own futures, they wouldn’t leave early. They’d ensure they maximized their benefits before departing. Switching sects wouldn’t be as lucrative, especially if they wanted to make as much money as they had from Sacred Lake Immortal Sect.

“It was mere coincidence that I ended up in areas rampant with demonic cultivators.”

As Ding Zhao spoke of his past, a wry smile played on his face.

“When I was part of the sect, I did have a patron. Czus Master An, our sect’s Medicine King, had a relationship with my family. I relied on his influence within the sect…”

A memory of Master An? Chen Luo regarded Ding Zhao, his eyes flashing with something odd. Master An had been the benefactor who helped Chen Luo amass wealth and power. Even now, Master An’s brain continued to provide assistance. Not long ago, during the concoction of the Essence Pill, Master An’s brain had been the main force at work.

“A few years ago, Elder An went missing during one of his excursions. The sect confirmed his demise. Our Ding Clan, having been too close to Elder An, was targeted by our enemies. Our homes were destroyed, and many of us lost our lives. To escape the pursuit of powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators, I was forced to flee to the realm of demonic cultivators. At the time, over twenty members of my clan escaped with me.”

At this point in his story, he trailed off without elaborating further.

Rise with the momentum, fall with the same.

This was the norm in the cultivation world. Ding Zhao had simply been unlucky. The ‘momentum’ he’d relied on had been extinguished by Chen Luo, leaving him marginalized and scattered, ultimately stranded in this place.

“It’s all in the past now. From here on out, you’ll cultivate on the mountain.” Chen Luo clapped Ding Zhao on the shoulder, offering little in the way of further protection. Allowing Ding Zhao to remain and access the second-order spiritual vein was already considered a gesture of goodwill. He never had much of a relationship with Ding Zhao to begin with, so doing this much felt appropriate. Anything more would have been excessive.

“Many thanks, Mountain Lord.” Ding Zhao bowed low to Chen Luo’s retreating back, understanding that he was no longer just another shixiong. He was now a rogue cultivator, under the protection of another. As a rogue cultivator himself, he understood better than most how difficult life could be, which made him even more grateful for the opportunity Chen Luo had just afforded him.

Time slipped away like water through cupped hands, and before Chen Luo knew it, several months had passed.

In this span of time, his reserves of medicinal pills had gradually swelled. He had also completed a refined Yi Mu Sword Formation. In total, nine first-order magic swords formed a complete set.

Chen Luo had initially aimed to forge second-order magic swords, but his scarcity of knowledge in artificing proved an insurmountable barrier. Moreover, the materials needed for crafting magic artifacts were different from those for ordinary magic swords. Like pill refinement, artificing was a money-hungry pursuit. Despite having Beiyu Ji’s breadth of knowledge as a foundation, Chen Luo couldn’t conjure second-order magical artifacts out of thin air. At most, he could rely on his intuition and instincts to refine these ordinary magic swords into first-order masterpieces.

Though the magic swords might not have been of the highest tier, they were more than sufficient for his purposes as an array master.

Under Chen Luo’s control, the nine magic swords were strategically positioned across every corner of Gu Demon Mountain. A vast second-order array now enveloped the entire peak. Within this array, Chen Luo, leveraging the sword formation’s strengths, was capable of repelling even a Foundation Establishment peak power, and outright massacring any enemy in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Only now could Chen Luo truly consider himself the master of Gu Demon Mountain.

The scene shifted to the interior of a room.

Chen Luo sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, preparing to cultivate the Demonic Heart Art as usual. Over the past few days, he had practiced this art several times. Most of the time, he was influenced by the inner demons of ordinary people, but occasionally, by striking luck, he would find himself witnessing the transcending scenes of high-level cultivators undergoing their tribulations.

The former yielded little benefit but was safe.

The latter was unpredictable; none of the high-level cultivators were easy to deal with.

Two days ago, during one such cultivation, the transcendent being successfully overcame the ‘Heart Demon Tribulation’ and ascended. The intangible force radiating from this advancement had nearly slain Chen Luo, the “Heart Demon,” on the spot. He had only escaped by relying on the mummy’s brain’s warning, managing to flee just in time.

“Hm?”

Pausing, Chen Luo waved his hand, and a jade-made spiritual symbol flew out from his pouch of holding. The red flame insignia on its surface shimmered continuously.

This was the communication talisman left by the fox spirit Su Linlin. Currently, Chen Luo’s knowledge did not extend to crafting such high-grade spiritual symbols.

He had long desired to pay his respects at the ancestral land of the fox race, and Su Linlin’s Gaze of Qi technique also intrigued him greatly.

“Tushan: A Millennium’s Festival”

Chen Luo held the communication talisman, contemplating whether to make the trip.

His original plan was to search for Core Formation opportunities only after reaching the late stages of Foundation Establishment. However, now that he had stumbled upon such an event, it would be a waste to miss it. Not just anyone could enter the fox race’s ancestral land; it opened only once every thousand years, and even then, one needed a fox maiden’s guarantee to gain entry.

“I’ll go,” he decided. “It shouldn’t take too much time.”

After some deliberation, Chen Luo tapped the jade talisman with his finger, sending back a response.

At present, his strength was equivalent to the late stages of Foundation Establishment, enough to protect himself against even peak Foundation Establishment experts. As long as he didn’t encounter any Core Formation patriarchs, he could avoid significant danger.

With his reply sent, the glow on the jade talisman dimmed. Chen Luo settled his mind and resumed his cultivation practice.

His aura surged as the power of the Demonic Heart Art emanated from his chest, enveloping his body.

Two days later.

At dawn, a fragrant red figure descended from the sky.

It was none other than Su Linlin, the fox spirit. Since their last meeting, Su Linlin’s strength had grown again. Within her, a second spiritual energy dragon had emerged, a testament to the benefits of backing from a major faction. With every step of her cultivation guided and resources readily available through her clan, her progress was swift and unhindered.

“Senior.”

“We’re both Foundation Establishment cultivators now. No need for such formalities.” Chen Luo emerged from the house.

He had sensed Su Linlin’s arrival immediately. As his cultivation deepened, his divine sense had reached absolute perfection, matching that of any Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Then I’ll call you Chen-shixiong,” Su Linlin said with a smile. Today, she wore a fiery red feathered attire, unlike her seductive dress in the Qi Refining realm. Now, she looked like an immortal maiden. The feathers fluttered as she moved, surrounded by celestial silk, resembling a goddess and exuding an aura of regal elegance.

Her entire demeanor had transformed, accentuating the best features of the fox race.

“Let’s go.”

Chen Luo glanced at her briefly before focusing on his goal. Compared to Su Linlin, he was more eager to pay respects to the ancestors of the fox race. He just hoped the guards at the ancestral land wouldn’t be too strict.

Su Linlin nodded, lifting herself into the air first. Red celestial silk surrounded her body as she flew off into the distance. Chen Luo took a step forward, his feet leaving the cliff edge. A faint blue light appeared beneath him, and his magical sword shimmered, carrying him as a streak of sword light in pursuit.