Elsewhere.
Chen Xing, struck by fear, slowly straightened his body. Leaving Golden Dragon Peak, he headed south.
High above, a pair of eyes watched him. A faint, barely detectable streak of spiritual light shot through the air, ultimately entering Chen Xing's mind.
He sighed softly, "My debts of gratitude are now repaid. Young one, I hope you succeed."
Chen Xing suddenly froze in place for a long time.
"What was I supposed to do?"
"Right, I need to cultivate."
"Wait, am I supposed to cultivate? No, it seems I need to find a blue lotus..."
As Chen Xing walked, he suddenly felt an itch in his head, as if something was about to sprout.
It was incredibly itchy.
It felt as if a brain was about to grow.
Who am I?
My name is Chen Xing.
Is my real name Chen Xing?
No.
My name is Shang Xingchen.
I am the second young master of the Nerther Dao Sect.
I need to find... the Turbid World Blue Lotus.
Chen Xing lifted his head again. A strange light flickered in his eyes. The memories of days past, they all came rushing back!
Shang Tianjue had revived by possessing a body, while his soul was divided and hidden among the descendants of the Chen family, only to be awakened now.
Only this strategy could deceive Spirit Feather True Master and allow him to hide on Feather Transformation Island.
No one would have guessed that Shang Xingchen had long been on Feather Transformation Island, right at the heart of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace!
"Now that Spirit Feather True Master has gone to the Southern Wilderness, it means Shang Tianjue has already bought enough time."
Shang Xingchen mused softly, "Shang Tianjue, brother, doing this... you might die. If you were gone, who would I spar with?"
He wasted no time and immediately headed towards the underground of Feather Transformation Island.
The Turbid World Blue Lotus was a primordial spirit object of a planet, a perfect material for crafting spiritual treasures. It could also help late-stage Astral Projection cultivators break through their limits without hindrance, reaching higher realms.
Nearly all of a planet's primordial spirit objects had been claimed by the Reincarnation Divine Church. Naturally, the Turbid World Blue Lotus of Mystic Azure Star was no exception.
However, the church's cultivators did not realize that the spirit object of Mystic Azure Star was the rare twin Turbid World Blue Lotus!
Spirit Feather True Master had secretly kept it, hoping to use it to break through to the Astral Projection stage. This would elevate Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to a sixth-level cultivation sect.
Not only would this bring a wealth of cultivation resources as rewards, but it would also break the shackles of the Reincarnation Divine Church.
Moreover, according to the rules, when a fifth-level cultivation sect ascends to sixth-level, the original sect leader cannot interfere with it for three thousand years. This span of three thousand years would allow Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to grow securely!
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After three thousand years, even if Feather Transformation Heaven Palace could not match the Reincarnation Divine Church, it would be close enough that the church would have to carefully weigh the pros and cons before acting against them.
Underground on Feather Transformation Island.
This place had never been visited by anyone. Spirit Feather True Master had told no one because the Reincarnation Divine Church would never tolerate such a thing.
If exposed, the fate of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace would be grim. The church might not act directly, but as a mighty sixth-level cultivation sect, they had many ways to punish Feather Transformation Heaven Palace.
Shang Xingchen knew the hiding place of the Turbid World Blue Lotus because he had accidentally discovered it during a life-and-death struggle with Shang Tianjue years ago. Both had tacitly decided not to report it, keeping it secret in their hearts.
After the fall of the Nether Dao Sect, Spirit Feather True Master discovered the Turbid World Blue Lotus and entertained thoughts of claiming it.
To keep the existence of the Turbid World Blue Lotus secret, Spirit Feather True Master even expended vast resources to trade with the Reincarnation Divine Church for a powerful array that uprooted the mountain range where the blue lotus grew.
This led to the creation of Feather Transformation Island. Before this, the gates of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace were not located on Feather Transformation Island, but in a mountain range in Eastern Border.
"Turbid World Blue Lotus..."
Shang Xingchen arrived at the location. Above a pool, there quietly spun a blue lotus—this was the Turbid World Blue Lotus. Since the birth of the planet, it had existed; most planets typically had only one such primordial spirit object.
However, if one were to truly identify the primordial spirit object, Shang Xingchen believed that the roots that had sprouted the twin lotuses were the actual primordial essence. Without them, how could a second Turbid World Blue Lotus have appeared?
The place seemed tranquil and intact, but in reality, Spirit Feather True Master had laid numerous intricate arrays around it. Should any outsider attempt to seize the Turbid World Blue Lotus, the arrays would activate immediately, alerting Spirit Feather True Master at once.
Shang Xingchen was not foolish enough to directly walk over and pluck the lotus. Instead, he sat down, channeling spiritual qi into his eyes.
Moments later, his eyes, appearing both vacant and profound as if capable of seeing through everything, began to reveal the complex and abstruse patterns of the array on the otherwise empty ground.
Choosing the Chen family under Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to host his soul was no random decision.
The Chen family was renowned for its mastery of arrays, primarily because its members almost invariably possessed a unique spiritual constitution conducive to such magic—Array Spirit Body.
With such a constitution, the Chens' understanding of arrays far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators, essentially making them born formation masters.
Each generation of the Chen family produced at least one Nascent Soul stage formation master. This generation's prodigy was Chen Xing!
His spirit was stronger, the one-in-ten-thousand Heavenly Array Spirit Body! Previously as a Golden Core stage formation master, Chen Xing had already decrypted Nascent Soul stage formations. Across the generations of the Chen family, he stood unparalleled, acclaimed as the foremost master of formations!
Now, if Shang Xingchen was willing to expend his lifespan, with the power of the Heavenly Array Spirit Body, he could forcibly break through a Deity Transformation stage array!
After all, this place was set with a static array, not a dynamic one controlled by a cultivator.
"Spirit Feather True Master, Feather Transformation Heaven Palace..." Shang Xingchen sneered as he began to decrypt the array...
Meanwhile, at the Hundred Refinements Sect, on Original Dao Peak.
Another array-breaking talisman fell. It seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel's back. The already overstressed Eight Directions Immutable Array suddenly burst apart, dissolving into countless specks of light scattered between heaven and earth.
All Golden Core stage formation masters at that moment spewed blood violently, collapsing to the ground, their eyes hollow and vacant, clearly rendered insensate.
Even Miao Zizai, a Nascent Soul stage formation master, coughed up a great mouthful of blood, utterly depleted.
"Elder Miao..." Shang Tianjue rushed to support her.
Miao Zizai managed a weak smile, "Young master, my task is completed... It's all up to you now."
With those words, she breathed her last.
Shang Tianjue gently laid her down on the ground and turned to face the four approaching Nascent Soul cultivators.
"All four of you, come at me together!"
Shang Tianjue rubbed his fists, his gaze cold.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Without further words, the five figures instantly clashed together. The glow of spells and the brilliance of magic treasures intertwined and collided.
Shang Tianjue was at a complete disadvantage, seemingly about to be quickly overpowered by their combined forces.
However, just a few exchanges later, the fourth disciple screamed in horror as he discovered his chest had been penetrated by Shang Tianjue's fist!
"Go to hell."
Shang Tianjue sneered, throwing another punch that directly shattered the skull. A small Nascent Soul figure burst out, darting away over a hundred yards in the blink of an eye.
"Senior brother, save me!"