Chapter 245: The Black Stone's Sudden Change

“Whew!”

Back in his cultivation chamber, Chen Luo exhaled a long breath of stale air. His calves still trembled with residual tension.

Sword cultivators are truly formidable.

Just as I’d anticipated - one sword brings life, another brings death.

That final strike against the white elephant spirit had drained him completely. Every one of his ninety-nine spiritual energy dragons had been extracted by the Greenwood Sword Intent, converging at his peak to forge that single, devastating blade. The reason he’d shattered the sword he’d casually grabbed wasn’t due to carelessness - its physical structure simply couldn’t withstand the force of his spiritual energy.

I should be safe for now.

Chen Luo produced a Pill and swallowed it, beginning the process of replenishing his depleted spiritual energy.

His purpose in unleashing that sword had been intimidation. The Southwest Territory grew increasingly unstable, and he needed to establish a fearsome reputation before leaving the mountain. Only through such notoriety could he deter the jackals lurking in the shadows. In this demonic cultivation realm, a fearsome reputation proved most effective.

Two days later, Chen Luo’s cultivation base had fully recovered to its peak.

He summoned Mu Xiaoyu and Ding Zhao into the secret chamber.

“I’ll be leaving the mountain for some time. While I’m gone, Ding Zhao, you’ll continue managing affairs here. If you encounter enemies you can’t overcome, abandon the mountain and flee to the Qiong Hua Sect in the far west.”

Chen Luo produced two tokens from his hand. As an Inner Elder of the Qiong Hua Sect, he carried several such tokens - free gifts given to members upon departure from the sect.

“Yes,” Ding Zhao nodded, accepting the tokens.

Mu Xiaoyu’s face clouded with worry. Her master Shangren Yinwind had left in similar circumstances last time, never to return.

“Master… you must stay safe.”

Chen Luo smiled at her words.

This disciple truly hadn’t been chosen in vain. Beyond her exceptional aptitude, her very nature surpassed ninety percent of cultivators in the demonic cultivation realm.

“I won’t depart immediately. If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation these next few days, feel free to ask me.”

“Understood.”

After seeing off the pair, Chen Luo repaired the damaged formation outside. He remained on the mountain for seven days.

During that week, he guided Mu Xiaoyu and Ding Zhao’s cultivation progress and transferred control of the formation to them, enabling them to utilize it with greater perfection.

In addition to the formation’s protection, Chen Luo had left some second-rank spirit talismans on the mountain—last-ditch safeguards for survival.

At the mountain’s peak, by the cliff’s edge, Mu Xiaoyu stood alone with her sword, gazing at Chen Luo. Suddenly, she spoke:

“Shizun, I’ll definitely cultivate well.”

Chen Luo smiled and nodded. He produced a mirror from his Pouch of Holding and handed it to Mu Xiaoyu. This was the Divine Light Magic Mirror he’d acquired while battling the Four Great Tribulation Cultivators. Among second-rank Magic Artifacts, it ranked among the highest quality. Having little use for it himself, Chen Luo saw this as the perfect life-saving gift for Mu Xiaoyu.

“This master has little to teach you, but I’ll share one thing.” He patted Mu Xiaoyu’s hair, noting how much she’d grown in the past few years. “The cultivation world never lacks for geniuses. What it lacks are those who can reach the end. Remember this: Only the living have a future.”

The words Third Uncle had given him now passed to Mu Xiaoyu—a legacy and a hope.

With those words, Chen Luo didn’t linger. His figure blurred into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon.

Mu Xiaoyu stood at the cliff’s edge, her solitary figure clutching the Magic Sword’s Magic Mirror. The Mountain Wind whipped through her loose robes, making her appear even more frail.

After leaving Gu Demon Mountain, Chen Luo had traveled south toward Blackstone City. With his infiltration mission still spanning decades—no need to return for ten or twenty years—he seized the opportunity to revisit the Seven Nations region.

Blackstone City lay along the inevitable path back to the Seven Nations.

Blackstone City.

With the Blackstone Ancestor’s disappearance, the demon race and Qiong Hua Sect grew increasingly bold. They spared no place, not even Blackstone City. The Outer and Middle Cities had already been infiltrated, and even the Inner City now showed signs of their presence.

One day, an old man suddenly appeared on the mountain.

This elder sported a chest-length white beard, his robes so washed they’d lost their color. He looked like a poverty-stricken scholar, utterly incapable of physical exertion.

Strangely, despite Blackstone City’s numerous guards, not a single one noticed his approach. They let him pass unimpeded, the city’s hastily repaired formation proving utterly ineffective against him. The consequences of Elder FusionSpirit’s Heavenly Tribulation explosion that destroyed the third-order formation became starkly apparent.

The white-bearded elder passed through Blackstone City’s temporary formation, each step bringing him closer to Blackstone Mountain. He ascended the rugged path, several patrolling guards passing through him as if he were a ghost.

Reaching the peak where the Blackstone Ancestor’s secluded cultivation chamber lay, the elder finally halted.

“Want to face your tribulation? I’ll give you that chance.”

With a hearty laugh, the elder raised his hand. His index finger blazed with light as he pointed at the secret chamber.

The protective formations and restrictions surrounding the chamber crumbled like melting snow under his gesture. Channeling the surrounding primordial energy, he thrust his finger against the stone door. The terrifying force pierced through the barrier, crashing violently into the chamber.

“Presumptuous!” A thunderous roar erupted from within the chamber, black energy surging outward as the voice shook the entire Blackstone City.

Instantly, everyone - including the remaining Black Carapace Daoists - felt their ears tingle. Their spiritual energy trembled violently, while weaker Qi Refining realm cultivators collapsed to the ground, staring in horror toward Blackstone Mountain.

Circling sound waves descended from the mountain like a tsunami, sweeping through the entire city.

BOOM!

In the next instant, two streams of energy—one black and one white—erupted from the mountain’s peak. The white figure was sent flying backward, plummeting from the summit all the way to the ground. His feet carved two deep grooves in the limestone street, stopping only at the city gates.

The disheveled Blackstone Ancestor emerged from his secret chamber atop the mountain. His eyes were crimson, and blood still dripped from his left chest—the result of the white-bearded old man’s earlier sneak attack.

“Qiong Hua Sect! You’ve crossed the line,” the Blackstone Ancestor growled, his voice low and thick with murderous intent.

He had already abandoned all outer territories, hoping only to endure this calamity. But the Qiong Hua Sect had refused him even that respite. A Core Formation Ancestor—a being of such lofty status—had personally come to his doorstep to strike him down in secret.

“Crossed the line?” The white-bearded old man roared with laughter as he ascended once more. “No wonder you’re forced to cower in this backwater! How can someone with such a petty ‘king of the mountain’ mentality ever achieve true cultivation?”

The cultivators around him trembled under the old man’s oppressive aura. Some wiser souls had already turned tail and fled down the mountain.

A Core Formation battle!

This was no affair for low-level cultivators. Even spectating could prove fatal.

The Black Carapace Daoist was among those fleeing, and he was the fastest of them all. He hadn’t expected the Qiong Hua Sect to be so ruthless, even killing the Blackstone Ancestor. In this desperate situation, he couldn’t afford to worry about the hidden mechanisms the Blackstone Ancestor had implanted in him - survival was his only priority.

Above, the Blackstone Ancestor’s aura grew increasingly potent. Three black stones materialized around him - his true form. As a xenogenic cultivator, his body was composed of fourth-order magic artifact material, impossibly hard and durable.

Hum!

As his energy circulated, the primordial qi around Blackstone City began to vibrate. Countless stones rose from the ground, forming a massive meteoric ring around the Blackstone Ancestor.

The white-bearded old man across from him raised his hand, white energy spreading out to reclaim a third of the primordial qi.

But this was still the Blackstone Ancestor’s domain. With the advantage of terrain, the Blackstone Ancestor held absolute superiority.

“Blackstone Rain.”

Black light flashed as a dense shower of stones hurtled toward the white-robed old man. Three inches from their target, the old man’s mobilized energy manifested as a translucent barrier. The luminous points of Qiong Hua Sect’s secret techniques materialized around him.

The two forces collided again, their clash sending shockwaves rippling outward.

When Chen Luo arrived at Blackstone City, it was already two days later.

The entire Blackstone City lay in ruins. Half of its walls had collapsed, leaving behind shattered bricks and broken tiles scattered across the ground. Cultivator corpses littered the landscape, covering both cliffs and mountain paths. The residual primordial energy from Core Formation cultivators still lingered in the air, sending shivers through Chen Luo’s heart. Even at his current level, he remained no match for a Core Formation cultivator in direct combat.

This was a fundamental gap in power.

Core Formation cultivators harnessed the primordial energy of heaven and earth, while Foundation Establishment cultivators relied solely on their own magical energy.

How could one hope to triumph in a battle against the heavens using only personal strength?

The fact that the Demonseed Sect Leader had once escaped from the demon race’s Graffiti Granny already marked him as a prodigy among Foundation Establishment cultivators. The concept of cross-stage combat now seemed fundamentally impossible. If he was a genius, how many of those who reached Core Formation were fools?

Chen Luo didn’t linger in the area.

After a quick survey, he flew past Blackstone City toward Bai Gu Ridge. To return to the Seven Nations Territory, he had to pass through Bai Gu Ridge - the same route he’d taken when he first arrived.

As he flew, Chen Luo suddenly sensed a surge of magical energy.

“Seven Stars Demon Sovereign!”

A thunderous shout echoed through the air, followed by the clashing sounds of magic artifacts. After a brief exchange, the battle intensified, with the resulting energy fluctuations reaching him even at this distance.

Chen Luo halted, dispersing his divine sense.

A peculiar expression crossed his face as he surveyed the scene.

He recognized both combatants locked in battle. On one side stood Black Carapace Daoist, the sole remaining Foundation Establishment expert in Blackstone City. Opposing him were Elder Gongcheng and Weng Jiang from Qiong Hua Sect, who had previously guarded the Blood Pool with him. These two late Foundation Establishment cultivators found themselves at a disadvantage against their opponent.

Fortunately, Black Carapace Daoist had sustained significant injuries during his rampage, leaving only seven corpse puppets at his command. With his diminished magical power, the two elders managed to hold him at bay.

“You fools! Are you courting death?!” Black Carapace Daoist roared furiously. As one of the seven infamous demonic cultivators of the demonic cultivation realm, he’d never been reduced to such wretchedness before. Yet he had no choice but to endure - the Qiong Hua Sect elders possessed vast combat experience. With his weakened state, he couldn’t eliminate them swiftly.

Prolonging this confrontation risked new complications.

As this realization struck, Black Carapace Daoist’s aura surged violently. Elder Gongcheng and Weng Jiang immediately separated, simultaneously summoning their Magic Artifacts for defense.

“Three of you, making quite a spectacle, aren’t you?”