Previously on Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster...
Luo Chen faces the immense pressure of Li Canghai, a powerful elder. To prove the Black King is his pet, Luo Chen uses a secret technique and his own blood essence, awakening the dragon from its slumber. Though the Black King is now loyal, its primal fear of Li Canghai remains due to a lingering restriction. Li Canghai, impressed by Luo Chen's abilities, challenges him to withstand a single strike in exchange for lifting the restriction.
With nary a moment's pause for Luo Chen to react, a casual yet swift thrust came forth from his opponent.
The fishing rod in hand suddenly materialized directly before Luo Chen.
Its speed was so blindingly fast that no ordinary person could possibly mount a defense.
Neither the Black King nor Little White, who was clinging to Luo Chen, had even recovered from Li Canghai’s prior commendation of their master.
This single thrust of the fishing rod appeared to carry the immense weight of the cosmos, embodying the ultimate truth of existence.
Merely the residual force from the motion was enough to forcefully dislodge the clinging Little White.
Upon the vast, frozen expanse, the young man's expression flickered subtly, as if he were moments away from being impaled by that very fishing rod.
Within the left sleeve of his robe, a formidable power stirred, eager to be unleashed.
Yet, Luo Chen deliberately suppressed that urge.
At this juncture, he had already coalesced his Primordial Spirit, allowing his Divine Perception to surge with incredible speed.
With a mere thought, Luo Chen slowly but decisively extended his right hand, forming a sword with two fingers as Qi Power erupted forth.
*Swish!*
A pure streak of Chi Xiao Sword Qi met the oncoming fishing rod, only to shatter instantaneously.
Luo Chen remained composed and unhurried; his sword fingers continued their advance, Qi Power within him churning like a tempest, amassing Sword Qi around his form.
*Boom!*
A terrifying cascade of Sword Qi, intertwined in hundreds of streams, suddenly exploded outward, engaging the seemingly ordinary fishing rod in a head-on collision.
As Li Canghai voiced his astonishment anew, Luo Chen softly intoned, "Break!"
In the ensuing moment, the fishing rod fragmented into dust, dissolving into Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, returning to the world.
However, Luo Chen’s Sword Qi, undeterred, persisted, now manifesting as five hundred strands, lancing towards Li Canghai like streaks of fleeting light.
Alas, having dispersed, the Sword Qi’s potency had waned; something intercepted it before it could reach Li Canghai, causing it to immediately dissipate.
Li Canghai observed the dissipating Sword Qi and offered, "The might of a single sword strike, on par with a Divine Transformation's power; in this era, you are undoubtedly the foremost amongst Nascent Soul cultivators!"
Luo Chen did not bask in the praise, slowly relaxing his sword fingers, and replied, "Senior’s capabilities are as boundless as the ocean; I have merely made a fool of myself."
A silent exchange of mutual respect, each bolstering the other's standing.
Then, a profound silence descended.
Li Canghai scrutinized Luo Chen intently, then casually raised his hand, causing a Six-Pointed Star to materialize and fly outward.
Confronted by this Six-Pointed Star, Luo Chen’s gaze sharpened briefly before relaxing, allowing the star to land directly upon the Black King's head.
Immediately, the sound of melting snow emanated ceaselessly, and the Black King writhed on the ground, clearly in great distress.
Li Canghai glanced towards his left sleeve before gracefully rising from the ice layer and gesturing behind him.
"Young friend, the Blue Ice Sea holds a biting chill. Would you be inclined to ascend the mountain for a conversation?"
Luo Chen looked up, beholding a colossal mountain, entirely sculpted from Profound Ice, standing majestically.
Such a mountain ought not to exist here.
A hundred years prior, Li Canghai had sequestered it within the Mountain and Sea Map.
Yet, its presence here was logical, given Li Canghai's own location.
"Master..."
A timid voice trembled from behind, laced with concern.
"Fear not, tend to the Black King; I shall return shortly."
Luo Chen flicked his sleeve and soared towards Li Canghai.
Li Canghai appeared to acknowledge Luo Chen’s bravery, a smile gracing his lips as he extended a hand, "After you!"
Luo Chen offered a slight nod and, walking abreast of the elder, ascended towards the Soul Ice Mountain.
At the mountain's base, Little White, after ensuring the Black King was settled, occasionally cast her gaze towards the ice summit, her eyes clouded with worry.
Contrary to Little White’s anxieties, within the opulent palace crowning the mountain, the atmosphere was as warm as springtime, and the conversation between the elder and the youth flowed with remarkable congeniality.
"Luo Chen, your name is one I have frequently encountered through the years!"
"I am uncertain whether it carries a favorable or unfavorable connotation."
"Haha, for us cultivators, is there truly a stark division between good and evil? To be renowned across the Five Continents, even if one has committed heinous acts as a heretical fiend, what true consequence does it hold?"
"It appears my reputation is indeed not particularly laudable."
"You are far too humble; though you bear the title of Demon Monarch Mo Luo, a name that instills both fear and respect, who would not seek a connection with the Alchemy Sect?"
"You flatter me, Senior."
The cordial ambiance and the deferential exchange had been consistent ever since their arrival.
Luo Chen understood that this level of equal footing was a direct result of enduring the elder’s formidable strike.
Without that trial, such pleasantries, lively discourse, and even sharing a table would have been unthinkable.
Luo Chen, discarding any further pleasantries, swiftly came to the point after a brief exchange.
"Senior, do you hold a grudge against the Tianyuan Daoist Sect?"
Li Canghai offered a knowing smile. "Why do you inquire? Are you unaware of my close bond with Zhan Buqi, one of Tianyuan's Five Elders? We once stood united, confronting two Ancient Demons in the North Sea."
"The past is the past, and the present is the present," Luo Chen countered, shaking his head. His gaze flickered towards the hall's exit before he continued, "Was the Black King's and the Demon Clan's joint assault on the Tian Nan Continent its own decision?"
Li Canghai's smile vanished, replaced by a profound and unreadable gaze fixed upon Luo Chen.
As for the Black King he had incidentally subdued, it served as a contingency, a fact unknown to others; its role as his Spiritual Pet meant that using it to trouble the Tianyuan Daoist Sect carried no risk of discovery.
He had simply not anticipated that the Black King's true master, Luo Chen himself, would track it down and reveal the truth.
Consequently, his clandestine intentions toward the Tianyuan Daoist Sect were effectively laid bare.
Even a sliver of revelation, to those with discerning eyes, could be interpreted as a complete exposure.
"It is rumored that you once served as a Guest Elder for Star Gate within the Tianyuan Daoist Sect, even aiding the Five Elders against the Demon Phoenix Sisters. Are you now acting on behalf of the Daoist Sect?"
A faint smirk played on Luo Chen's lips. "I was merely an External Affairs Guest Elder, which is ancient history. Have you not heard, Senior, that I also joined the Dark Abyss Sect at one point?"
