Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster Chapter 2610 - 962: Distant Clash, Flying Yaksha (Part 2)

A faint smile appeared on Luo Chen's face. "Even in such haste, setting up a fourth-order formation like this shows that Hong Ye’s expertise in arrays is truly impressive. But it’s still nowhere close to trapping me."

...

Within the sprawling palace halls, Hong Ye Granny abruptly halted her movements.

Noticing this, Master Li Tian furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?"

Hong Ye Granny let out a puff of stale Qi. "It’s fine, just that another of my five formations has been shattered—the Sword and Halberd Formation, famous for its deadly might."

Master Li Tian stood frozen in shock.

Yet another one destroyed?

"So that makes the fourth, doesn’t it!"

Hong Ye Granny gave a nod. "Yes, the fourth. I never imagined Luo Chen’s array skills would be this exceptional, matching mine perfectly. These rushed formations have far too many weaknesses... I truly underestimated him."

Yes, she had underestimated him.

Who could have foreseen that Luo Chen, a master of body refinement without equal, skilled in Daoist arts, and renowned as an Alchemy Grandmaster, also possessed such profound talent in arrays?

Hong Ye Granny drew in a steadying breath. "No worries though—the fifth formation won’t fall so easily. If he fails to break it, he’s stuck; if he succeeds, he’s still stuck!"

Master Li Tian knitted his brows. "The one you took half a day to prepare earlier?"

A pleased smile crossed Hong Ye Granny’s features. "The Spirit Trapping Array wasn’t meant for him originally, but if he insists on charging ahead, it’ll serve just fine!"

With that, she turned her full attention to the formation in front of her, ignoring everything else as she probed its responses.

Master Li Tian cast a quick glance over his shoulder, and a sense of calm washed over him.

If Luo Chen got caught in there, that would be ideal.

They could fetch the treasures from the Yin Yang Tomb first, then deal with the intruder later!

...

Amid the endless swamp, there was no solid ground to tread.

A silhouette darted about like a swift swallow in flight.

Yet after what felt like ages, it circled back to the starting point.

Luo Chen’s brow creased deeply, his crimson eyes with golden irises sweeping the surroundings in search of the formation’s weak spots.

Everywhere he looked, flaws abounded!

"This formation leaves no real opening to exploit!"

Typically, formations held one or two key nodes; disrupting them would disrupt the entire structure’s flow, letting the captive slip free.

But when flaws outnumbered the strengths, they turned into the biggest hurdle for anyone trying to dismantle it.

"Illusion or intentional?"

Luo Chen pondered uncertainly.

Acting rashly might spark a cascade of effects.

If he touched what seemed like a vulnerability but was really a snare, he’d be in deep trouble.

"I need to probe it, but not with my own body!"

With that thought, Luo Chen stirred his intent.

A dark gleam burst from his left arm, coiling slowly up to his shoulder.

Black King, spotting this, looked utterly downcast.

Yet under Luo Chen’s insistent gaze, it had no option but to comply.

"Relax, I’ll shield you when it counts."

Black King couldn’t find any comfort in that, but now it was committed and had to steel itself.

Clenching its jaws, it obeyed Luo Chen’s command and plunged into the bog.

Boom!

The impact sent mud flying high, and a geyser of water erupted from below.

Bathed in the surging water, the overcast sky above suddenly lit up.

Luo Chen jolted in surprise. "The formation’s broken?"

Black King tumbled through the muck, grumbling irritably. "Master, you worried too much—why not just smash it outright?"

Luo Chen could only shake his head with a wry chuckle.

He hadn’t anticipated that Granny Hong Ye’s final formation was tailored for the clever, a ’Doubtful Array’.

In a setup like this, overthinking only bound you tighter.

Much like what Black King had done by charging in...

"Wait!"

Luo Chen’s expression shifted as realization dawned; he lunged forward to seize Black King.

Black King stayed oblivious, but instantly, thick black mist billowed up from the swamp underfoot.

The mist coalesced into spectral claws, clawing toward Black King.

"Heavens!"

Black King shrieked in panic, writhing to evade, but the ghostly grips still snared it.

Right then, Luo Chen’s Cloud Probing Divine Claw sliced through the haze.

It clamped onto Black King and yanked him free with brute force.

"Out!"

Propelled by overwhelming power, Black King yelped in agony as it was hauled away.

In the bog, the surging mist, bereft of its prey, seemed to seethe with frustration.

"Whoosh..."

A massive inhalation echoed, and the dense black fog abruptly withdrew.

From the swamp’s depths, a beast stirred and cracked open its eyes.

The moment its eyes opened, the wings on its back unfurled, hoisting it skyward, its cold black gaze fixing on the figure across from it.

"Hiss, a zombie!" Black King yelped, still wincing from the claw wounds on its form.

Gazing at the beast ahead, its wings outstretched to cast a shadow over the terrain, Luo Chen felt a weight settle in his chest.

This wasn’t your average zombie.

Wings sprouted from its back, eerie fog swirled about it, and hellfire flickered fiercely.

Among flying zombies, this was the deadliest: the Flying Yaksha!

In cultivation level, it rivaled a Late Stage Nascent Soul powerhouse from the Human Clan.

Its flesh especially boasted formidable spiritual resistance, rendering most spells useless!

Truly, Hong Ye Granny’s contingency wasn’t straightforward.

She had astutely placed a doubtful array to drain his time and effort, all while concealing a summoning formation.

Shattering the doubtful array would unavoidably rouse the Flying Yaksha dormant far below.

When this supreme fiend surfaced, the fury it directed at an intruder was all too clear.

"Human..." The Flying Yaksha fixed its stare on Luo Chen, forcing out the word.

Luo Chen, whose demeanor had been grim, broke into a grin.

"Hong Ye, if you believe a single Flying Yaksha can hold me back, you’re underestimating things too much."

With no apparent motion, Luo Chen’s robes billowed as if stirred by an unseen breeze.

A thread of golden radiance gradually manifested behind him.

"Screech!"

A piercing call rang out immediately.

A Fire Phoenix ascended aloft.

This wasn’t a spell, but the manifestation of the Nirvana Sacred Fire!

As soon as the flames appeared, a flicker of fear crossed the Flying Yaksha’s savage visage.

Without further word or action, it dove straight down, vanishing into the sprawling Netherworld Mountain.

With its aerial prowess and earth-diving escape, plus its spell-proof body, it was undoubtedly an elite Flying Yaksha among its kind!

Witnessing this, Luo Chen let out a quiet breath of relief.

He withdrew the Nirvana Sacred Fire.

Black King voiced some disappointment. "That thing tried to gobble me up, and you let it off without a proper thrashing?"

Luo Chen gave it a pointed look, causing Black King to flinch back reflexively.

Luo Chen brushed it off with a wave. "It’s no real danger to me, but dealing with it completely would take considerable effort. Right now, I’m not keen on wasting time with it."

The Flying Yaksha’s power stemmed from its spell immunity and its durable frame that shrugged off magic treasures.

For a typical Great Cultivator, it would prove a vexing foe, perhaps even impossible to handle.

Yet for Luo Chen, with his advanced body refinement, it boiled down to a raw brawl.

But that would drag on too long.

So why not deploy the Nirvana Sacred Fire, which countered ghostly mists, to scare it away and keep things straightforward?

"Back at Mingyuan’s ancient site, the sacred fire quelled the ghostly tides, preventing any spirits from rising—proof of its suppressive power. Testing it now confirms this holds true," Luo Chen reflected.

His gaze shifted toward the horizon.

"Master Li Tian, what other schemes do you have left to block my path?"

...

Beyond the Yin Yang Tomb.

Two silhouettes huddled close, murmuring in low tones.

Moments later, they approached the area.

Bai Xuanjun, seated in meditation on a slab of blue rock, lifted his lids just a fraction at the nearing Purple Robe Marquis and Hidden Sword Tower Master.

The Purple Robe Marquis had no desire to tangle with this individual; those of the White Bone Sect were notoriously fanatical, best avoided if possible.

He merely headed toward Fellow Meng Shentong.

But before he could draw near, a sharp bone spur erupted from the earth.

"What’s this about?" The Purple Robe Marquis scowled. "I need to speak with Fellow Meng—it’s no business of yours!"

Bai Xuanjun responded icily. "Fellow Meng is restoring his Qi; don’t interrupt."

The Purple Robe Marquis blinked in surprise. "On the journey here, Meng Shentong barely lifted a finger—why would he need to recover Qi now?"

Beside him, the Hidden Sword Tower Master casually unleashed a thread of sword energy.

Poof!

The meditating Meng Shentong dissolved like a mirage.

At the sight, the Purple Robe Marquis’s face tightened.

"Where’s Meng Shentong?"

Under his sharp questioning, Bai Xuanjun rose unhurriedly.

A bone blade materialized in his grasp.

The Purple Robe Marquis braced himself warily, his frame aglow with violet light. "What’s your game?"

Bai Xuanjun ignored him entirely, merely glancing in the direction they’d arrived from.

"Rather than wondering about Meng Shentong’s location, you both ought to worry about facing that cultivator from the Eastern Wasteland!"

The winds howled, ghostly vapors scattered.

A dark form materialized out of nowhere.

Perched high, it overlooked the trio below with steady composure.

"Will you try to bar my way?"