An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 964: Shattered Islands; Broken Formation; Death of the Mountain Lord! (II)

Nine crimson chains suddenly burst from Luo Chen's body, whipping through the air as they lashed toward the seven incoming flying swords. At the same time, he fixed his gaze firmly on Liang Baizao and repeatedly blasted out palm strikes. Giant azure palms appeared across the sky one after another. Even with the man's astonishing speed, he could barely evade such overwhelming attacks and had to summon a shield to resist them head-on. But even behind the shield, the violent shockwaves and searing torrents of fire still burned his hair and beard black. Wisps of smoke curled upward as though they might catch fire at any moment."You want to compete with me in mana reserves?"

After taking several palm strikes head-on, he finally saw through Luo Chen's intentions, and a cold sneer gradually appeared on his face. Though his cultivation had declined over the years, he was still a genuine eighth-stage Adept. No matter how fast Luo Chen's growth had been, he was still only at the sixth stage. In a battle of attrition, he had nothing to fear.

Besides, maintaining a defensive enchanted treasure consumed relatively little mana, while Luo Chen was continuously unleashing large-scale destructive spells. How many more times could he sustain that level of expenditure? Just as he resolved to drag the battle out, the corner of his eye suddenly twitched. A copper coin with a square hole in the middle had landed atop his shield.

"What..."

A soft clang rang out. Yet to his ears, it sounded no different from a thunderous explosion. The copper coin was blasted away by the impact and sent flying somewhere across the island, but his defensive treasure itself suffered a blow, causing its protection to stall for the briefest instant.

At the very same moment, another detonation resounded through the air. The giant, who had been pinned in place moments ago, suddenly stepped forward. With a single stride, he crossed over a hundred zhang and appeared directly above the man. A massive hammer descended from the sky.

BOOOMMMMM!!!

The shockwaves of the world-shaking impact spread for countless li. Luo Chen crashed heavily onto the ground below. Though the black armor covering his body remained intact, cracks and thin trails of blood had spread across his flesh beneath it. Even with a physique refined through years of brutal tempering, he had still suffered injuries. That alone showed just how dangerous it had been to forcibly use Voidburst Step while under the pressure of the Big Dipper Seven Peaks Formation.

Still... the attack had succeeded. Seeing the staggering figure rise from the dust while clutching the dimmed shield, he immediately strode forward with the Flowing Fire Hammer in hand. He intended to leave the man absolutely no chance to recover.

Spirit light burst from his eyes. Mirror Flower Water Moon!

Across the land, the giant charged forward. The hammer in his grip burned like blazing fire while spirit light burst from his eyes, making him look almost godlike in his might. By contrast, the man within the smoke looked frail and withered, like a dying candle flame flickering in the wind.

Just as the two were about to clash again, the giant's advancing figure suddenly halted. On the other side, Liang Baizao spat out a mouthful of blood and clenched his fist toward the sky once more. The colossal mountain descended like a falling meteor. Yet as it fell, its massive size rapidly shrank, and the pressure it emitted grew increasingly fearsome. He intended to crush Luo Chen alive beneath it.

However, an unexpected scene unfolded. A gray cauldron suddenly flew out above Luo Chen's head and, at the critical moment, forcefully held back the descending mountain.

How is this possible? Blood Nightmare's Soul Refinement countermeasure should've already backfired on him. Elder Xing's remnant soul should be tearing through his divine soul right now. How does he still have the strength to control an enchanted treasure? But even as shock filled his heart, Liang Baizao's expression only grew more cruel. Fine then... I'll skin you alive!

Discarding the dimmed shield, he formed a seal and beckoned with his fingers. The seven flying swords shot over from afar and streaked toward Luo Chen. Yet just before striking his body, they collided against an invisible wall and could advance no further. Liang Baizao's expression stiffened for a brief moment. Then, his eyes fell on the black armor covering Luo Chen's body, and his eyes flashed with sudden realization. Tch, I thought that master artisan title of his was just empty flattery from a bunch of ignorant rogue cultivators. I didn't expect him to actually get a defensive treasure with a qi barrier. Whatever, that armor won't be enough to stop my swords!

The Seven Fiend Swords were actually specifically crafted to break through such defenses. He sent the swords to circle Luo Chen, forming a fierce vortex of sword light around him. The razor-sharp blades spun within it, continuously grinding away at the protective qi armor around him. At this rate, it seemed only a matter of time before the attack reached his actual body.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen's eyes remained tightly shut while blood streamed from the corners of his eyes. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the remnant soul of a burly man roared and charged straight toward his divine soul.

So he's the original owner of the Flowing Fire Hammer. He died beneath Senior Han's Oceanseal Eight Trigram Formation, but a fragment of his soul remained and was even turned into something specifically meant to counter my illusion spell.

Luo Chen snapped awake amid the searing agony. Yet even as the remnant soul charged toward him, his gaze remained cold and steady, utterly devoid of panic. He had suffered a backlash from Mirror Flower Water Moon before the second illusion could even be unleashed, and the pain it inflicted was far beyond what ordinary cultivators could endure. Yet for someone like Luo Chen, such pain was far from enough to shake his mind.

Back in the Qi Refinement Realm, he had practiced Divine Breaker of Malevolence. During Foundation Establishment, he had endured heavenly lightning that tempered his body. After forming his core, he had refined his physique day and night without pause. Whether it was true fire scorching his flesh or the torment of Black Sovereign Paste, every trial had built his pain tolerance. And over the years, his relentless use of artifact creation techniques to temper his physique had honed his will into something ordinary cultivators couldn't even dream of.

Thus, barely a moment after that overwhelming pain struck, he forcefully regained control. He first used the Primordial Unity Cauldron to block Liang Baizao's attack, then activated the qi armor around his body. Only after stabilizing his defenses did he turn his focus inward, toward the hidden threat within his sea of consciousness. Taking his divine soul as the body and divine consciousness as the blade, he slashed forth with the Dragon-Slaying Art. One strike was all it took for the burly remnant soul to vanish into nothingness.

"Hm?"

As it disappeared, a faint voice of surprise seemed to echo through his consciousness. Luo Chen's awareness instantly returned to his physique. Yet he had no time to dwell on that strangely familiar voice before assessing the situation around him.

He was trapped! Around him, the sword vortex shredded everything in sight. The Seven Fiend Swords continuously ground through his qi armor. Though the armor could regenerate itself, it was already beginning to buckle under the pressure. Even the Profound Dust Armor itself now sported myriads of minuscule cuts and scratches.

Luckily, the Profound Dust Armor has both a qi layer and a physical layer. You'd have to grind at it until next year to get to me, friend.

Though relieved inwardly, the fury in Luo Chen's eyes only intensified. In the past, he had always been the one laying traps for others, relying on meticulous schemes to overcome stronger enemies. Yet today, he had fallen into someone else's trap instead, forced onto the defensive at every turn and beaten down from all sides. If not for the depth of his foundation and the sheer number of trump cards he possessed, he would already be dead.

Outside the sword formation, the old man sat cross-legged in midair, drawing upon the mana he had accumulated over many years to maintain the Seven Fiend Sword Formation. Although quite surprised at how quickly Luo Chen had regained himself, there was little sign of panic on his face. "Azure Yang, now that you're trapped inside the sword formation, you're as good as dead. So why keep struggling like this?"

Luo Chen bared his teeth in a grin. "You're absolutely right. I should try a little harder!"

He stomped down onto the cratered earth, and mana immediately surged out of him in great waves, pouring into the qi armor until it swelled with renewed strength. At the same time, the surrounding earth energy seemed to respond to some invisible pull, flowing into the armor on its own accord and strengthening it further. For a while, the qi armor and the Seven Fiend Sword Formation remained locked in a stalemate.

Luo Chen could not break free, yet Liang Baizao was equally unable to force his way through. And so, upon the shattered remains of the second island of the Seven Stars, a strange scene unfurled. A nine-zhang-tall giant stood firm upon the earth while golden currents spiraled endlessly around him. Opposite him, a tiny old man sat cross-legged, pushing the sword vortex to howl ever more violently. Neither side dared relax for even a moment, nor were they willing to yield.

Time passed little by little amid the deadlock. Night gradually faded; before either of them was noticed, the moon had already set, and the first light of dawn rose over the sea.

BOOOMMMMM!

A deafening explosion shattered the silence. The Seven Fiend Sword Formation collapsed. Luo Chen stepped out from the ruins in his normal form, his aura still vigorous and his gaze as sharp as ever. He looked into the distance and caught sight of the man fleeing in utter disarray. In his desperation to escape, he had even abandoned the seven swords behind just to buy himself a little more time.

"That's just too bad, though... You're not getting away," Luo Chen muttered and was just about to spread his wings in pursuit when three attacks suddenly tore through the sky toward the fleeing man.

Panic flashed in Liang Baizao's eyes as he hastily raised his shield, pouring every last bit of strength into blocking the incoming attacks. He barely managed to withstand them, but before he could even catch his breath, the sea below churned. A flood dragon burst from the sea and threw a sweeping tail strike.

BOOOOMMMM!!!

The already heavily damaged shield shattered into fragments beneath it. Liang Baizao's frail body fared even worse, exploding into blood mist on the spot. Only a dim Golden Core managed to escape the destruction, shooting desperately into the distance. Yet before it could flee far, the flood dragon opened its jaws and swallowed it whole in a single bite.

Three streaks of light shot across the sky and arrived nearby—Sovereign Thatched Mountain, Sang Jiugong, and Duan Li!

"Sorry, we came late."

"That strange formation kept us from entering. His mastery of formations was truly formidable."

"Azure Yang, are you alright?"

Under the gaze of the three, Luo Chen let out an easy laugh. Yet before he could even speak, a series of cracking sounds suddenly rose from beneath their feet. Amid roaring tremors, the island shattered apart! Endless seawater rushed in, washing away every trace of the battle. And it was not only this island. The other six nearby islands also began to collapse! Some shook with earthquakes, some saw their mountains crumble apart, and others erupted with volcanic fire as beasts and birds fled in panic.

Watching the scene before them, everyone gulped dry. The way they looked at Luo Chen became even more reverent. Luo Chen, however, paid little attention to their reactions. Instead, he quietly sensed the shifting flow of the surrounding terrain and sea and revealed a thoughtful look. The earth energy of the Seven Star Islands had been linked together by the Mountain Lord. Once one part was affected, the rest followed. Under the pull of both my armor and his grand formation, the islands' earth energy was completely exhausted. The spirit veins shattered, and even the land itself is breaking apart now.

After getting a good grasp of what was happening and why, he no longer lingered on the matter. With a casual wave, several streaks of light shot up from the sea toward him. There were flying swords, a miniature mountain, a cauldron, and an inconspicuous copper coin.

Amid the surging waves, Black King's massive form rose and fell as he eagerly tried to claim credit. "Master, that man isn't dead yet. His divine soul is still barely hanging on."

Luo Chen merely glanced at him before sweeping his sleeve and replied, "Forget about him for now. Purple Spirit Island is the priority."

With that, he took the lead and flew toward the unfamiliar sea region now freed from the obstruction of formations. Behind him, Sovereign Thatched Mountain, Sang Jiugong, and Duan Li exchanged looks with one another, then followed after him without another word.