Chapter 257: Opportunity

After their battle, Chen Luo and Mo Wenjian lingered for a while, talking.

Just as Chen Luo had guessed, the Lord of Nine Poisons Valley had also sensed something amiss. Mo Wenjian’s mission, and likely the Corpse-Raising Sect’s as well, was to probe the Sect Master of the Immortal Gate. These were all schemes targeting the Sect Master.

The Disciples Grand Tournament, a competition for honor, paled in comparison to the high-level power struggles, becoming as insignificant as child’s play. No one even cared about it.

“In any case, be careful. I overheard the Valley Lord say that the Sect Master of the Immortal Gate is in grave condition and will ascend to heaven soon.”

“So soon?”

Chen Luo was taken aback. According to his and Void Sage’s calculations, the Sect Master should have at least three and a half years of life remaining.

“It’s true. Otherwise, the Valley Lord wouldn’t have sent us, and there are others following behind. Just be extra cautious.”

Mo Wenjian didn’t elaborate, but Chen Luo understood the implication: both the Lord of Nine Poisons Valley and the Sect Master of the Corpse-Raising Sect had gotten wind of something, prompting them to act prematurely.

This sudden development forced Chen Luo to revise his plans. The Sect Master’s demise would undoubtedly trigger earth-shattering changes, reverberating throughout the Seven Kingdoms region.

For Chen Luo, who now wielded the Silver Carapace Corpse King, this was an opportunity.

If he wanted to break through to Core Formation, he had to seize what was rightfully his!

He had returned specifically for this chance. His previous recklessness—digging up graves and extorting elders on the mountain—had all been a test of the Sect Leader’s reaction.

Several days later, the Three Sects Competition commenced as scheduled.

The Immortal Sect had produced a prodigious disciple with dual Wind and Thunder spirit roots, while Nine Poisons Valley and the Corpse-Raising Sect each had similar prodigies. On the first day of combat, these three disciples stood out conspicuously, sweeping aside all opponents of their cultivation level without a single defeat.

Chen Luo sat among the elders, outwardly observing the disciple battles below, but his divine sense remained focused on the summit of Divine Lake Peak.

Over the past two days, the Sect Leader of the Immortal Sect’s aura had grown noticeably stronger.

Whoosh!

A fire spell shot from the Nine Poisons Valley genius’s hand. The Divine Lake Peak disciple facing him produced a small mirror, channeling his Magic Artifact to block the attack. Not only that, but the Immortal Sect disciple redirected the fire spell back at its source, striking the Nine Poisons Valley genius himself.

“Impossible!” the Nine Poisons Valley disciple exclaimed, his face twisted in disbelief. “I’m at the late Qi Refining stage! How could a mere sixth-layer Qi Refining brat like you block my divine ability?!”

In the battle between a mid-stage Qi Refiner and a late-stage Qi Refiner, everyone favored the Nine Poisons Valley disciple. But no one could have predicted that the genius from the God Lake Immortal Sect would be able to fight beyond his level. Though only in the Qi Refining realm, his ability to transcend stages spoke volumes about his strength.

“I condense the Violet Qi of Dawn and compress spiritual energy. How could your foundation possibly compare to mine? If not for my pursuit of deeper accumulation, I would have reached the late-stage Qi Refining long ago,” the God Lake Immortal Sect disciple said haughtily to his defeated opponent.

This was a true prodigy.

The Peak Lord of Divine Lake Peak wore a smug expression. This was his disciple, after all. A victory in the grand tournament would naturally bring him glory.

The battle concluded quickly. An official stepped forward to announce the results and prepare for the final match.

“Next, the final match…”

Before the words could even fade, a burst of dazzling light exploded across the arena. A deafening roar shattered the sky above the God Lake Immortal Sect. Before the crowd could react, several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Nine Poisons Valley and Corpse-Raising Sect simultaneously launched themselves into the air.

In the next instant, the training chamber atop Divine Lake Peak—the symbolic peak of the entire sect—exploded.

A beam of radiant light struck the mountain peak, and within the luminous burst, a figure shot out, howling in primal fury.

The surrounding天地元气 (spiritual energy) surged strangely, and the clear sky darkened abruptly.

“How dare you—?!”

The Peak Lord of Divine Lake Peak was the first to react. He soared into the air, followed by five figures—all Foundation Establishment Peak Lords, including Chen Luoxin’s newly acquainted friend, Elder Dawning.

“It’s best you all remain here,” a voice boomed. “The battle above is beyond your intervention.”

Before they could even leave the mountain peak, a massive net suddenly descended from above. Two figures strode into the arena from the edges. One emanated a chilling aura, overflowing with malice.

“The Corpse-Raising Sect? You’ve been hiding your true intentions all along!” The Peak Lord of Divine Lake Peak glared at the intruders through gritted teeth. He recognized them instantly: the Great Elder of the Corpse-Raising Sect, who also served as their delegation leader for the Three Sects Competition.

“You may leave once the battle above concludes,” the Corpse-Raising Sect Elder said, his voice raspy.

The elder’s hair was withered, his skin like tree bark. With each step he took, his aura intensified. The jet-black corpse puppet beside him pulsed with faint silver, a clear sign that it was a top-tier Iron Corpse on the verge of a qualitative transformation.

“Get out of the way!”

The Peak Lord of Divine Lake Peak soared into the air, three round discs materializing in his hands as he launched the first strike. The four remaining elders followed closely behind. Though individually weaker than their opponent, the combined strength of the five Foundation Establishment cultivators, enhanced by their coordinated assault, unleashed destructive power comparable to that of the Corpse-Raising Sect’s Grand Elder.

As the battle erupted, seven or eight more figures materialized on the platform. Among them were Foundation Establishment experts from both the Corpse-Raising Sect and Nine Poisons Valley, all radiating the aura of powerful cultivators.

The younger disciples who had been competing on the platform moments before were now reduced to frightened spectators, cowering in the corners.

Before these Foundation Establishment giants, Qi Refining cultivators were no more than ants, their very survival uncertain even as they watched.

“Why struggle? Your tricks have been exposed by our Valley Master. We’ve endured your deception for over twenty years—more than enough.”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator from Nine Poisons Valley swept across the square like a bat, purple light flashing in his palm. With a swift movement, he seized Elder Qu of Divine Fire Peak by the throat.

“Don’t kill me!” Qu pleaded, his voice trembling. “I can perform artificing! I have connections with Elder Lu of the Corpse-Raising Sect. He promised me…”

Crack!

The Nine Poisons Valley expert twisted Elder Qu’s neck with a single hand, killing him without hesitation.

“What does the Corpse-Raising Sect’s promise have to do with us?” the expert sneered.

The Nine Poisons Valley and the Corpse-Raising Sect were cooperating to attack the God Lake Immortal Sect, but the two sects were also rivals. From the Nine Poisons Valley’s perspective, Elder Qu’s defection to the Corpse-Raising Sect made him a future enemy, one who needed to be eliminated early.

“And you? Who are you aligned with?”

After killing Elder Qu, the Nine Poisons Valley expert turned his gaze to Chen Luo.

But Chen Luo’s attention remained fixed on the sky. His spiritual sense tracked the shifting celestial patterns, calculating the precise moment to strike.

Boom!

At that instant, the radiant glow in the sky completely dissipated.

The leader of the God Lake Immortal Sect was revealed. The legendary founder now bore none of his former grandeur—his once-vibrant hair had withered to brittle white strands, and a palpable aura of decay clung to him. Even his cultivation level had plummeted to the Foundation Establishment stage. The only anomaly was the white gu worm pulsing and chirping at his chest.

The earlier glow had emanated from the white gu worm. Its surface pulsed with the aura of Core Formation, the same aura Chen Luo had sensed earlier, now clearly originating from the creature itself.

“You fool! Die!”

The Nine Poisons Valley expert, enraged at being ignored, surged with energy. His body twisted, transforming once more into a crimson bat. Violet light flashed in his hand as he clawed toward Chen Luo’s throat.

“Get out of the way!”

Chen Luo’s gaze turned icy as his aura shifted. A wisp of dark energy materialized around him, and the bone pattern on his chest flickered briefly. Before his opponent could react, Chen Luo had already appeared at his side.

He swung his left arm, delivering a crushing blow to the Nine Poisons Valley expert’s back—no divine ability required. In this situation, the Demon Bone Array Sigil Art was the ultimate technique. Sensing the danger, the enemy rapidly shifted his form, developing razor-sharp claws from his lower ribs. They slashed at Chen Luo’s chest.

A piercing, teeth-grating sound erupted. The claws tore through Chen Luo’s robes, leaving only faint red marks on his skin, but not even breaking the surface.

“How is this possible?!”

The Nine Poisons Valley expert, transformed into a bat, wore an expression of utter disbelief. His claws, imbued with the poisons of his sect, were capable of overcoming even the strongest body refiners.

Boom!

Chen Luo had no patience for explanations. His brutal fist struck the enemy’s side, the primal force carrying the power of his bone patterns. The impact shattered the spiritual energy barrier around the Nine Poisons Valley expert, the bones cracking audibly as the force exploded. Before the man could even announce his name, Chen Luo had smashed him into the ground.

Whoosh!

A mouthful of blood sprayed into the air as the earth erupted, collapsing into a lotus-shaped crater. The Nine Poisons Valley expert lay convulsing within, blood gurgling from his mouth. He stared up at Chen Luo in horror, completely unable to comprehend why his poisons had failed to take effect.

Chen Luo strode forward and planted a foot on the man’s chest, ready to deliver the killing blow.

He couldn’t be bothered retrieving the brain. This low-level poison cultivator was far inferior to Wang Mingde, one of the “Benevolence, Righteousness, Morality, and Virtue” quartet. Adding him to the collection would only clutter space and serve no purpose.

“Stop!”

A furious voice thundered from afar.

A female cultivator from Nine Poisons Valley, her face contorted with rage, glared at Chen Luo. In her grip was a Qi Refining realm cultivator—none other than the dazzling twin-element genius of wind and thunder who had shone so brilliantly during the recent Grand Tournament.

The genius was turning purple in the face, his life nearly choked out by the Nine Poisons Valley female cultivator.

“Release my senior brother! Or I’ll slaughter your God Lake Immortal Sect’s genius!”

She threatened him by endangering his sect’s junior. As long as Chen Luo still cared for the God Lake Immortal Sect, he would inevitably be compelled. A sect’s rise depended entirely on the cultivation of promising juniors.

The woman had deliberately chosen this method, hoping to rescue her senior brother through coercion.

“Foolish.”

Chen Luo’s gaze remained cold as he pressed down harder with his foot.

A crisp crack echoed as the Nine Poisons Valley male beneath his boot lost his breath instantly. His struggling body went still, its life force extinguished.

“How dare you?!”

The female cultivator roared in fury, her hands instinctively tightening into fists.

Before she could retaliate, her body suddenly swayed violently. Her spiritual energy, as if possessed, surged uncontrollably within her, turning inward and attacking her.

Pfft.

A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips as the female cultivator stared in horror at her own hands, watching them visibly darken to a venomous purple hue.

“Poison? When…”

“That’s precisely why you’re foolish.”

Chen Luo’s figure appeared beside the Nine Poisons Valley cultivator. With a crushing stomp, the sharp crack of fracturing bones split the air, and blood bloomed like crimson roses across the ground.