Chapter 95: Blame It on the Tribulation Cultivators

These were routes they had used during their lifetimes, ensuring their feasibility. However, these methods were not what Chen Luo desired. Both equipment forging enhancements and divine ability layering seemed impractical to him.

“The most perfect approach would be to mimic Foundation Establishment cultivators.”

Chen Luo envisioned a path more suitable for himself. Limiting his focus to just one method was too restrictive; instead, he could utilize external brains to execute ‘Soul Techniques’ during combat. Among the external brains he possessed, there were two from Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Drawing upon their lifetime habits, employing Foundation Establishment divine abilities should pose no issue.

The only concern was the timing interval.

External brains belonged to deceased individuals, requiring time to activate. Although brief, even such a short gap could prove fatal in the eyes of skilled opponents. Thus, Chen Luo’s first objective was to address this challenge.

With a clear direction, all the external brains became active, striving to recall Xianhe Chengfeng’s use of the Wind Control Technique.

The greatest gain from this encounter was witnessing a Foundation Establishment cultivator in action.

The greatest disparity between Chen Luo and Foundation Establishment cultivators lay in his insufficient spiritual power, both in quantity and quality. Xianhe Chengfeng could instantly condense the ‘Wind Control Technique’ within himself, compress it using spiritual energy, and then release it as a layered divine ability. The final whirlwind shaped like a lotus flower was achieved through this technique.

Chen Luo’s spiritual power couldn’t match such proficiency, nor could he compress the ‘Soul Technique.’ However, he had his own approach.

“I can pre-condense the technique, similar to drawing a talisman, storing the divine ability beforehand.”

He controlled the external brains to mimic Xianhe Chengfeng’s movements. With the assistance of the Foundation Establishment brain, this process was effortlessly completed. Next came the division step.

Chen Luo dissected Xianhe Chengfeng’s instant condensation of the ‘Wind Control Technique’ into a hundred parts.

Each brain would handle one part.

Following this idea, Chen Luo began mimicking the Soul Technique. After fifteen minutes, his internal spiritual energy depleted, but he managed to complete one-fifth of the ‘Soul Technique’ replication.

He retrieved a spirit stone to replenish his energy and continued replicating.

Mimicking a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s divine ability with only mid-Qi Refinement stage capabilities would be impossible for most individuals.

However, with the aid of the external brains, Chen Luo gradually altered his aura, slowly developing a semblance to Xianhe Chengfeng’s presence.

After consuming five spirit stones, Chen Luo successfully mimicked the ‘Soul Technique’.

Although it couldn’t match the true power of a Foundation Establishment divine ability, it was sufficient as his life-saving trump card. The expenditure of spirit stones pained Chen Luo somewhat. Upon descending the mountain, he had specifically borrowed some from Junior Sister Huang Ying, intending to purchase resources with them. Now, without acquiring any resources, he had used up more than half of the spirit stones.

Swish

Light footsteps echoed on the rooftop, suggesting the presence of a flying thief nearby.

Chen Luo paused, gathered his belongings, and stepped out, pushing open the door. Outside, Lian Qiang and Shen Du were already present.

“Didn’t catch them?” Chen Luo asked.

Given their combined strength, if these were indeed common thieves, there was no way they could have escaped.

“Not ordinary martial artists.”

Junior Brother Du retracted his released insects, his expression somber. His bugs detected spiritual energy fluctuations from the recently disturbed bricks and tiles.

“You’ve broken through?”

Lian Qiang suddenly questioned from beside him.

As soon as Chen Luo emerged, Lian Qiang sensed a distinct change. The current Chen Luo seemed like a different person compared to earlier that day, exuding an indescribable aura reminiscent of senior sect members yet distinctly unique.

“Got some insights, but still far from breaking through,” Chen Luo replied.

“The inn is empty; something peculiar is happening here.”

At the doorway, Fang Shan, another disciple of Wu Dao Peak, entered. He had just inspected the entire restaurant, which was bustling with activity when they arrived, only to find it suddenly devoid of people.

This eerie scene reminded them of unsettling incidents in the past.

In the cultivation world, conflicts between sects were not uncommon, and there were also threats like evil cultivators, demonic entities, and rogue raiders. Compared to the relative safety within their sect, the outside world truly embodied the harsh realities of immortal cultivation. This led to a common saying:

“It’s difficult for rogue cultivators to rise, but once they do, they become the most formidable opponents among their peers.”

The experiences faced by rogue cultivators differed greatly; their strength often emerged from surviving countless deadly encounters.

“Liar!”

Lian Qiang abruptly turned towards the window.

“Heh heh heh”

A bizarre laughter echoed, followed by a white figure floating outside. Its ghostly face constantly shifted, as if mocking them.

“Faking supernatural tricks.”

A burst of flames erupted around Lian Qiang, generating intense heat. Without hesitation, he crashed through the window, charging out.

It seemed the impulsive nature typical of Divine Fire Peak disciples remained ingrained in Lian Qiang.

“Disciples of the Divine Lake Immortal Sect, your senior elders killed my brother! Today, I demand blood for this debt!” Another voice echoed from outside.

In the next instant, a group of puppets burst through the windows, wielding swords and charging towards Fang Shan. Chen Luo and Shen Du were also surrounded by five marionettes dressed in theatrical attire, fearlessly rushing at them.

With a swift palm strike, Chen Luo shattered the puppet directly in front of him, scattering its wooden pieces across the floor. These puppets were mere facades, easily destroyed with a single blow.

“It’s just little spells,” Shen Du realized, “seems we’ve caught the attention of a tribulation cultivator.”

As he spoke, Shen Du crushed another puppet with his hand, releasing a torrent of venomous insects from his body. The nearby puppets, upon being exposed to the toxic swarm, began emitting sizzling white smoke.

While they were engaged with the puppets, a flurry of yellow paper talismans suddenly flew in from outside.

“Beware, they might be poisonous.”

The trio could effortlessly detect the lack of spiritual energy fluctuations from these talismans, so Shen Du merely warned them out of caution. However, in the following moment, one of the scattered yellow talismans abruptly lit up.

BOOM!!!

The explosive aftermath instantly shattered the restaurant’s corridor, sending splinters flying.

“It’s fire thunder talismans!” Shen Du’s expression darkened; he hadn’t anticipated such treachery. Fang Shan suffered even worse, being closest to the explosion. Caught off guard, he sustained significant injuries from the ambush.

“Be cautious, I’ll go check outside.”

With a flash, Chen Luo swiftly exited the restaurant.

Outside, Lian Qiang continued battling the white ghostly figure. The combat style was peculiar—Lian Qiang’s strikes were powerful and wide-ranging, causing destruction all around. The fabric ghost whipped wildly in the gusts of his punches. Strangely, no matter how Lian Qiang attacked, he couldn’t inflict any harm, showcasing the ultimate display of softness overcoming strength.

‘At 300 meters away, beneath the crippled tree.’

‘In the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, spiritual energy highly chaotic, likely a rogue cultivator.’

Information from the Foundation Establishment brain returned promptly. However, what truly caught Chen Luo’s attention was the feedback from the mummified brain:

‘Beneath the tree lies spirit material that can enhance one’s cultivation base.’

Upon exiting the room, Chen Luo channeled his spiritual energy, effortlessly floating up like a feather onto the rooftop.

From this vantage point, he could clearly see the crippled tree below.

The hidden tribulation cultivator beneath the tree also sensed Chen Luo’s gaze. The shadows under the tree writhed, eventually forming into a young cultivator filled with hatred. From his earlier words, it was clear that he harbored a deep blood feud against the Divine Lake Immortal Sect.

However, why should this concern Chen Luo?

A cultivation sect like the Divine Lake Immortal Sect would naturally have numerous enemies. Surely, they couldn’t all be attributed to him alone!

“Starfire!”

“Soul Technique!”

Without wasting any time on pleasantries, both immediately unleashed their divine abilities.

Each revealed their strongest trump card, wearing expressions confident of victory.

One relied on the strength of his cultivation base,

while the other trusted in the potency of his divine ability.

Boom!!

A burst of fiery light struck Chen Luo directly, unleashing the power of Late Stage Qi Refinement instantly.

Standing atop the roof, Chen Luo was instantly shattered into fragments by the explosion.

In contrast, Chen Luo’s attack passed through the opponent as effortlessly as a gentle breeze, without even causing his clothes to flutter.

“A mere fifth layer of Qi Condensation and you dare challenge me? You sect disciples are nothing but flowers grown in a greenhouse. With equal resources, I could take on ten of you.” The victorious tribulation cultivator below erupted into loud laughter.

To ambush these four sect disciples, his group had been tailing them since Xixia Market. Throughout their pursuit, not a single disciple sensed their presence, further fueling their contempt.

‘Such abundant resources yet so lacking in vigilance! They truly deserve to be stepping stones on my path to immortality!’

As scattered cultivators, survival was arduous. To accumulate cultivation resources, he and his brothers had resorted to robbery ever since they embarked on their spiritual journey.

However, during one unfortunate encounter, they crossed paths with disciples from the Divine Lake Immortal Sect. In that ensuing battle, his elder brother was slain by the Divine Lake disciples. He could never forget how Big Bro, mortally wounded, held off the enemy long enough for him to escape; it haunted him as a potential Xin Mo.

“Xiao Cheng, what are you still doing here? Hurry, leave now!”

A familiar figure suddenly appeared before him. The tribulation cultivator’s mind momentarily blurred, unable to immediately recognize the person, but feeling a sense of familiarity.

“Go! I can’t hold them for long.” The figure spoke again, this time coughing up blood as he did so. This strikingly similar scene triggered a memory, revealing the identity of the figure before him.

“Big Bro?!” Confusion washed over the tribulation cultivator, unsure of what was happening.

“Didn’t Big Bro die?” How is he appearing again?

“Why don’t you cherish the chance to live that I fought for you? Why continue as a tribulation cultivator?!”

‘Big Bro’ approached step by step towards the tribulation cultivator. As he neared, his injuries worsened, perfectly aligning with the image etched in the tribulation cultivator’s mind. The suppressed memory resurfaced vividly.

“Big Bro, I…” Panic gripped the tribulation cultivator; even he couldn’t pinpoint what frightened him. It was an instinctual terror, as if some force had awakened deep-seated fears within him.

“I hate it so much! Do you know how I’ve been suffering down there all these years?! Did you ever wonder why it wasn’t you who died?!” ‘Big Bro’ roared mournfully, standing right before the tribulation cultivator, and suddenly, his head exploded with a loud ‘pop’.

Blood and gore splattered across the tribulation cultivator’s face, the warm sensation jolting his senses.

“Aaaaaahh!!!” He clutched his head, unleashing a tormented scream.

Crack!

The sound of shattering glass echoed, and the vision vanished. Regaining consciousness, the tribulation cultivator looked around, finding himself still standing beneath the crippled tree, not having moved a single step. Across from him, the Divine Lake Immortal Sect disciple whom he thought he had ‘obliterated’ remained on the rooftop, unharmed.

High above, a figure clad in flowing azure robes stood amidst the night wind. Smoke still billowed from the corner of the nearby roof.

His Spark Technique had missed its mark.

“When…was that.”

The tribulation cultivator reached out, as blood began to seep from his ears, nose, mouth, and eyes. With a sudden thud, he collapsed onto the ground, his body twitching briefly before falling completely silent.

Chen Luo descended from the rooftop.

Glancing at the dead tribulation cultivator below, he felt satisfied with the effectiveness of the Soul Technique.

It truly justified spending five spirit stones on this divine ability.

Its impact far exceeded his expectations, even though the victim was just a rogue cultivator. Nonetheless, it could be considered killing an enemy beyond his level.

“I won’t bother collecting this brain,” Chen Luo remarked, casting a brief look at the deceased tribulation cultivator without retrieving their cerebral matter.

His current collection of external brains had been regularly updated within the sect, with the least advanced being those of Late Stage Qi Refinement prodigies. Compared to these, the brain of a tribulation cultivator seemed rather insignificant. Sacrificing one for such a gain didn’t seem worthwhile.

Approaching the crippled tree, Chen Luo dug through the soil and swiftly found a black box buried beneath.

The box bore the insignia of ‘Xixia Market’.

These were items looted by the tribulation cultivators from Xixia Market.

The market was vast, and amidst the chaos of Foundation Establishment cultivators’ battles, some managed to slip away unnoticed.

“At least I’ve recovered part of the stolen goods.”

Chen Luo opened the box to reveal a ginseng root inside. It was highly valuable, capable of fetching around one thousand spirit stones at the auction house, with significant benefits even for Late Stage Qi Refinement cultivators.

“Pity that the scattered cultivators ruined most of the spirit materials; all I could recover is this single box.”

Grasping the ginseng root, Chen Luo promptly consumed it whole.

Its potency would have been better utilized in pill concoction, but Chen Luo couldn’t risk it. As stolen goods, bringing it back to the sect would likely draw attention, possibly leading to confiscation. To avoid causing trouble for his sect, he decided to waste some resources and consume it on the spot.

The ginseng root swiftly dissolved in his mouth.

A surge of spiritual energy flowed through his qi vessels, flooding into his limbs and bones, eventually converging and integrating into Chen Luo’s dantian.

In the next instant, the spiritual energy within him fluctuated dramatically. Already at its peak, it surged further, resulting in an immediate breakthrough.

He reached the sixth layer of Qi Refinement.