Chapter 355

Chapter 355: Arrival

According to Qi Chuan, with the three of them added to the group, there were most likely ten Foundation Establishment cultivators entering the ruins this time.

The other seven people formed three distinct groups. Among them, two were Qinyuan Sect disciples, three were loose cultivators, and the identities of the remaining two were unknown, though they likely came from other regions.

Among these three groups, their most significant competitors were naturally the two Immortal Sect disciples, followed by the two individuals from distant regions. As for those three loose cultivators, they were only temporarily united by shared interests now; internal strife would likely break out even without Zhou Luo’s intervention.

Qi Chuan himself did not possess extensive knowledge.

After all, these ruins had only recently manifested and remained shrouded by a protective formation. Concrete details could only be uncovered upon entering.

His information was limited to the cultivators resting openly in the area.

On the surface, their party clearly held the greatest advantage among the four groups.

This was because Zhou Luo was also a second level Pill Master, who surely possessed Second Level spiritual potions. This would grant immense advantages in combat engagements.

Nevertheless, they still needed to remain vigilant against those Foundation Establishment cultivators who might enter the ruins covertly.

These individuals were like snakes lurking in the shadows. While they might lack powerful frontal assault capabilities, they could deliver deadly blows through ambushes if given the slightest opening.

Excessive confidence remained unwise.

Following this brief exchange, Qi Chuan suggested the three dine together.

Invitations to dine among cultivators primarily served social conventions, building mutual rapport under the guise of hospitality.

However, Zhou Luo politely declined using pill refinement as his reason.

He remained unsure if Qi Chuan truly hadn’t recognized him yet; maintaining distance was therefore the best course of action.

And his justification was undeniably sound.

Hearing it was for pill refinement, Qi Chuan couldn’t press further and simply offered materials at a thirty percent discount from Zhen Yuan Tower if Zhou Luo required any.

Faced with such obvious politeness, Zhou Luo saw no reason to refuse.

Even if he didn’t need materials for pills immediately, this presented a perfect chance to purchase any he might need for the future.

Thus, after the other two departed, he began searching Zhen Yuan Tower for the necessary supplies.

…

After another five days, aware the ruins would soon activate, the trio gathered once more and flew towards the Longfeng Mountain range.

This time they journeyed not by flying boat, but by standing atop their own magical artifacts.

When Zhou Luo summoned the Fu Yao magic sword, Qi Chuan’s gaze flickered briefly. He smiled lightly, remarking, "I had long heard rumors that you, friend Zhou, acquired a Foundation Establishment magical artifact. It appears true."

News of someone presenting Zhou Luo with a Foundation Establishment magical artifact at his Foundation Establishment banquet had already spread widely throughout the entire Qinyuan Domain.

Especially since it was gifted by an individual linked to the powerful Biquan True Sect, elevating everyone’s perception of Zhou Luo to a higher level.

This made many realize that besides being fortunate to have stumbled upon an immortal destiny, his connections and background were possibly even deeper than imagined.

Basking in the reflected prominence of a sect surpassing even the Qinyuan Sect in power – the Biquan True Sect – this origin alone dissuaded many from harboring secret designs upon him.

It was also one reason Long Yunshuang opted to collaborate with him.

Having this truth confirmed, Qi Chuan’s own thoughts underwent a subtle shift.

But his expression remained undisturbed, revealing nothing of this internal recalibration.

"It’s just a Foundation Establishment magical artifact, nothing to mention," Zhou Luo said indifferently.

Although he had Wang Yu Wei as his backer, the two opponents also had significant backgrounds.

One was a Chimagong Sect elder, and the other even possessed a royal bloodline—among ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, they were both exceptional.

Qi Chuan smiled without speaking.

Unknowingly, the trio had arrived deep in the mountain range and spotted a towering peak that pierced the clouds.

The peak resembled a sharp sword, pointing straight to the heavens, surrounded by swirling clouds, imposing and majestic, with faint array lines shimmering in the air to reveal brilliant spiritual light.

When the Foundation Establishment cultivators hadn’t triggered the mechanism, this peak could be entered freely, and magical beasts lived within.

But now, after the mechanism was activated, ruins appeared, and the entire peak was enveloped by a magical array, making it impossible to enter.

It was said the tomb of that Golden Core master lay inside the peak, but the exact location remained unknown.

The three, whose appearances had been altered, arrived at a clearing before the peak.

A large group of cultivators had long gathered there, clustered in small huddles.

Most were Qi Refinement cultivators hoping to enter the peak and see if luck favored them in finding heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and such.

Among these Qi Refinement cultivators, Foundation Establishment cultivators might also be hiding, just like them.

Though these Foundation Establishment strong persons usually stood aloft with noble statuses, in this situation, the clever ones hid themselves to avoid becoming targets.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered—the longer one lived, the more cautious they became.

Long Yunshuang’s appearance unsurprisingly drew others’ attention once again.

Everyone began speculating about the backgrounds of the trio.

Long Yunshuang, unfazed by others, held a blue-gray sword with a gem-encrusted scabbard and stood as motionless as a stake.

Qi Chuan was the same, though his gaze remained fixed on the peak, his brows alternately furrowing and relaxing as if he pondered something.

By contrast, Zhou Luo, with his deep eyes, openly observed his surroundings, his gaze landing on the Qi Refinement cultivators nearby.

Some avoided his look out of guilt, others met his eyes directly with nods of greeting, while a few even showed hints of displeasure, seeming irritated…

Zhou Luo paid no mind to their expressions or thoughts.

He was searching for Foundation Establishment cultivators like them, concealed within this group of Qi Refinement cultivators.

Actually, it wasn’t too hard to spot them, because Qi Chuan had mentioned that these three groups only had two or three people each, while the Qi Refinement cultivators, lacking confidence, mostly gathered in clusters of five or six, some even reaching ten.

Compared to them, the loose cultivators who lived long in the Longfeng Mountain range clearly appreciated the gains of sticking together.

A few days later, a sudden rainbow streaked across the distant horizon, bringing a fierce momentum.

All turned their eyes to the sky simultaneously, feeling a tide-like surge of powerful aura.

They saw the rainbow halt before the peak with white light flickering and faintly made out a figure holding an array disk.

The figure was indistinct, wrapped in spiritual light, and even a Foundation Establishment strong person like Zhou Luo couldn’t see through its true form.

The next moment, the figure blazed with radiance, unleashing countless rays that fell upon the mountain’s surface array like a torrential rain of pear blossoms.

Boom—

The surrounding array lines activated, releasing force to resist.

But the figure disregarded it, and the outgoing rays carried an incomparably sharp energy, like blades.

The Qinyuan Sect’s array-breaking had begun.