Chapter 331: Crimson Cloud Peak

“Fellow Daoist, wait! I’m willing to share the opportunities of the Dragon Tomb.”

Sensing the aura of death, the Great King of Black Horn finally panicked. This was a sword formation! This monster actually understood Formations! If you had such methods, why didn’t you use them sooner? We could have communicated peacefully! I’m not an unreasonable person.

Unfortunately, Chen Luo had no intention of wasting words. With a flick of his wrist, the sword formation instantly shifted, transforming into a dense, labyrinthine space of sword qi, its blades darting through the air. Invisible and intangible, neither the trajectories of the sword qi nor the source of danger could be discerned. Within the formation’s domain, every corner pulsed with murderous intent.

“If you won’t let me live, then we’ll die together!”

Realizing Chen Luo’s intent, the Great King of Black Horn spat out his Demon Core. Crimson energy swirled across its surface—the inner pill of a Flood Dragon, the core of his power, and his final, desperate gambit.

“He’s going to self-detonate!”

Hong Madam and the others, who had been observing from afar, felt a flicker of terror in their eyes.

If a third-rank Flood Dragon self-detonated, everyone within the formation’s range would be annihilated. Nine centuries of accumulated power was more than enough to take them all down with him.

Yet, strangely, Chen Luo seemed completely oblivious to the impending danger, continuing to manipulate the sword formation to relentlessly crush the Great King of Black Horn.

A dense storm of sword qi swirled around him, then abruptly contracted inward.

Over a hundred streams of sword qi materialized from the sword formation, piercing the Great King of Black Horn like bamboo skewers, turning him into a bloody pincushion. Torrential streams of blood erupted from his body, even the Flood Dragon’s scales failing to withstand the assault.

“Die!”

Madness flickered in the blood-drenched Great King of Black Horn’s eyes. But gradually, he sensed something was amiss. The Demon Core he had ejected from his body didn’t self-destruct as he had planned, reversing its True Essence. Instead, it hung motionless in the air, slowly severing its connection with him.

The sight left him stunned, but he quickly recovered, glancing down at his chest. There, a wisp of purple poison was slowly spreading. This venom severed his link to the Demon Core and numbed his entire body, his thoughts growing sluggish. A mouthful of blood gurgled from the corner of his lips.

Poison?

He actually used poison?!

The Great King of Black Horn’s eyes widened in disbelief. His body stiffened, then crashed heavily to the ground with a thud, leaving a crimson silhouette on the earth. After two final spasms, he fell silent forever.

“You didn’t even notice the poison bottle I threw right in front of you. You’re so dumb.”

Chen Luo retracted his sword formation, then, with a single gesture, recalled all the spirit talismans, insect gourd, Soul Banner, and other items he had summoned earlier.

The group of Yin Souls and insect swarms that had come out for some air were visibly disappointed. They hadn’t even had a chance to prove themselves before the enemy was slain. The banesoul of the Demonseed Sect Leader was particularly disgruntled. Ever since being confined within the Soul Banner, he had been desperately trying to improve his strength, fearing that any stronger banesouls Chen Luo might later capture would usurp his position as the main soul. Lin Feng’s Master had already lost his status this way. Thus, he cherished every opportunity to roam free, believing that only by devouring more living souls could he secure his position and grow stronger.

After slaying the Great King of Black Horn, Chen Luo sheathed his sword formation and pressed his hand against the dead king’s skull.

The familiar prompt appeared, and Chen Luo decisively selected “Proceed.” He then retrieved the Soul Banner and absorbed the Great King of Black Horn’s lingering soul fragments into it. Since his experience at the Ghost Temple, Chen Luo had made it a habit to collect souls after killing enemies. Useless corpses were buried, while valuable ones were taken to be sold.

“So I’ve become this strong after all,” Chen Luo murmured, sensing the gray energy surging into his body along with a massive influx of lingering resentment. He had cautiously gathered information about the Great King of Black Horn beforehand, but now it seemed he had been far too conservative.

The Great King of Black Horn, rumored to be virtually invincible throughout the Sea Region, turned out to be nothing more than this. Chen Luo wondered if the overall level of the Sea Region was simply too weak, or if he himself had become exceptionally strong.

Glancing at the corpse on the ground, Chen Luo resolved not to waste it.

This was the body of a third-rank Flood Dragon, every part of which was valuable, especially the Flood Dragon Whip! Selling it at the Marketplace would undoubtedly yield a substantial fortune. He also remembered the Great King of Black Horn’s Pouch of Holding, brimming with treasures the Great King had flaunted before him, which he had not forgotten.

After securing the Great King of Black Horn’s possessions, Chen Luo finally flew over to the Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator and his companions. The courtyard had been reduced to ruins, pockmarked with massive craters.

As Chen Luo retracted his Core Formation aura, a flicker of awe flashed in the eyes of the cultivators.

The Sea Region’s overlord, the Great King of Black Horn, had been slain before their very eyes. Faced with such overwhelming power, they couldn’t even entertain the slightest thought of resistance.

“Teacher!”

“Let’s go,” Chen Luo replied.

Chen Luo glanced at Ao Ye, whose face was flushed with excitement, and said, “This kid is a top-tier talent with Flood Dragon Bloodline. Besides the Demonic Heart Art, there’s another cultivation technique perfectly suited for him: Zhu Chungan’s Demon Bone Array Sigil Art. I’ve used this divine ability countless times since learning it, and it has always proven remarkably effective. It’s time to fulfill my promise to Old Pig, though I have no idea where he and his companions have gone. We haven’t heard a word about them in the outside world.”

“Senior, what do you think of us?”

Just as Chen Luo was about to leave, the Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator shamelessly blurted out.

We all survived the Demonic Heart Tribulation together. Why should this kid get to latch onto a powerful figure while I don’t?

Hong Madam beside him also showed a flicker of interest. She had once been the Madam of the Great King of Black Horn, but with his death, the towering tree sheltering her was gone. The enemies the Great King had offended would undoubtedly come seeking retribution, including Core Formation cultivators. Though her own strength was considerable, it paled in comparison to theirs. Her best option, like the Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator’s, was to join the Qiong Hua Sect.

Joining a Nascent Soul Sect meant a different status altogether. The grudges the Great King of Black Horn had accumulated would become irrelevant, and no one would dare involve Qiong Hua Sect disciples in a dead man’s feuds. After all, the seven Sword Madmen were notorious for their fierce protection of their own.

“We also want to join the Qiong Hua Sect,” Hong Madam and Zuoqiulong added.

“You?” Chen Luo stopped walking, scrutinizing the group. Their Dao Hearts seemed reasonably sound—rare individuals who could maintain their true nature even in adversity. It was like studying: many knew the saying, “The book holds a golden mansion,” but few persisted to the end. Aside from the rare few who were innately averse to reading, most had the opportunity to “study diligently.” Yet, nearly ninety percent abandoned their efforts for various reasons—games, romance, external distractions. In such circumstances, the unwavering resolve of one’s “true nature” proved crucial.

From an observer’s perspective, the Demonic Heart Tribulation seemed simple. But standing in their shoes revealed the agonizing weight of each decision. Every choice demanded immense pressure. Often, surrender was far easier than perseverance. These individuals had not yielded. Consequently, they possessed a significantly higher chance of success during Core Formation—at least, their success rate in overcoming the Demonic Heart Tribulation far exceeded that of others.

All three were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with Hong Madam at Foundation Establishment Perfection as a Pseudo Core cultivator. Chen Luo was currently in need of some subordinates for miscellaneous tasks; his current strength had outgrown the usefulness of Qi Refining Realm subordinates. These three appeared at just the right time.

“Let’s go together, then,” Chen Luo said.

Lifting Ao Ye, Chen Luo’s figure flashed as he soared into the distance.

Having achieved his objective for this trip, he planned to return to the Immortal Sect for a proper seclusion, where he would first digest his recent gains. Xue Ning’s accumulated Nascent Soul essence, which she had left for him, had been converted into four “Fruits” using Demonic Heart Tribulation Qi. Fully absorbing these Fruits should propel his cultivation forward significantly, potentially even allowing him to advance directly to the mid-stage of Core Formation.

The Blood Blade Marauder Cultivator and the other two immediately followed. Though Chen Luo hadn’t explicitly offered them discipleship, he had given them a chance; whether they could seize it depended on their own capabilities.

The group of five swiftly flew out of the Water Mansion.

After this calamity, the Water Mansion had been reduced to an empty shell. Hong Madam and her companions had skimmed most of the treasures from the Treasure Vault, leaving only what remained on Great King of Black Horn’s person. With the Great King’s demise at Chen Luo’s hand, the Water Mansion’s accumulated wealth had been completely plundered. After their departure, the mansion would undoubtedly face another reshuffling of power, but these matters no longer concerned Chen Luo. He had come to the Sea Region solely to claim Xue Ning’s “legacy,” and now that he had inherited it, he naturally intended to return and properly assimilate it.

“Senior, there’s a sea island not far ahead called Crimson Haze Island. It has a marketplace and a First-Tier Spirit Vein,” Hong Madam suddenly accelerated, flying alongside Chen Luo.

“Get to the point,” Chen Luo replied, carrying Ao Ye as he flew slowly.

Core Formation cultivators could fly through the air without expending spiritual energy. In this short flight, Chen Luo had already recovered most of the spiritual energy he had consumed during his battle with the Great King of Black Horn. Such was the luxury afforded by abundant pills.

“A few years ago, someone established a Spirit Peak on Crimson Haze Island, publicly claiming it as an Outer Sect peak of the Qiong Hua Sect. The peak lord is a Pseudo Core cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection. I used to trade with him,” Hong Madam explained. The “trade” she referred to was reselling resources from the Water Mansion.

With the fall of the Great King of Black Horn, that chapter had come to a close.

Chi Xia Peak?

A memory flashed through Chen Luo’s mind: his first journey to the Southern Heaven Domain, when he met Mei Qin aboard the Sect’s Interdomain Flying Boat. She had mentioned then that she hailed from a place called Chi Xia Peak. Like Sword Pool Peak in the demonic cultivation realm, Chi Xia Peak was one of the Sect’s outward-expanding main peaks. He wondered if it also had a Demon Sealing Elder at the Core Formation Realm. Chen Luo calculated the odds were slim; unlike the demonic cultivation realm, the Sea Region lacked the remnants of the Demonic Heart Ancestor’s corpse.

It’s already expanded into the Sea Region?

Chen Luo recalled Patriarch Guhe of the Great Void mentioning the “One Hundred and Eight Peaks Plan.” The seven Sect Ancestors, seeking the path to Divine Transformation, considered this plan their most critical endeavor. To this end, they had devised countless schemes, even using the Demonic Heart Ancestor’s corpse as sustenance.

“Pay it no mind,” Hong Madam advised, her meaning clear.