Cooperating in Secret

Yanjing South Market.

Lu Chen stood before the "Myriad Treasures Pavilion" counter and tapped the display case. "A third-tier ice-attribute demon core, how many spirit stones?"

The shopkeeper squinted, appraising the young man in coarse linen. He forced a smile and said, "You jest, sir. How could an ordinary person afford such a treasure?"

Before he finished speaking, a bag of spirit stones landed on the counter.

The bag's opening was slightly ajar, revealing three hundred low-grade spirit stones shimmering with a soft glow.

The shopkeeper's throat bobbed. Just as he was about to change his tune, a scoff came from behind him. "I'll take the demon core. He's a Tianyan disciple, are you trying to go out of business?"

A cultivator in golden robes strode into the shop, his Golden Core third-tier pressure descending like a mountain.

A Tianyu Academy emblem was embroidered on his chest.

Lu Chen turned and sneered, "Yanjing is the capital of Great Yan, not Tianyu's territory. Interfering in a merchant's business, are you in a hurry to rebel?"

The word "rebel" deeply struck everyone present.

Although there were rumors of such things, who dared to say them aloud?

The very word "rebel" lowered the status of Tianyu Academy, and the academy prohibited its use.

"You court death!" The golden-robed cultivator pointed his fingers together like a sword, and sword qi like a rainbow shot straight for Lu Chen's throat.

Lu Chen's Wind and Thunder Steps carried him through the air, twisting and turning. His qi and blood condensed into a giant palm, striking back.

The sword qi and palm wind collided, and the resulting shockwave toppled many people.

The golden-robed cultivator formed a hand seal, summoning nine flying swords. The sword formation bloomed like a lotus.

Lu Chen let out a cold laugh, and his Qi and Blood Domain suddenly expanded.

The flying swords entered the formation as if sinking into mud. He caught one with his bare hand and threw it back.

Clang! The sword formation shattered, and blood splattered from the golden-robed cultivator's shoulder.

"My turn."

Lu Chen teleported behind his opponent, channeling qi and blood into his palm. He struck the man's neck with a palm chop.

The golden-robed cultivator grunted and fell to the ground. Lu Chen swiftly removed his storage ring.

The shopkeeper brought out the demon core. Lu Chen tossed the ring to him. "The spirit stones inside will cover the bill. Pack the rest as spirit rice."

"Yes, yes, good!" The shopkeeper didn't dare to hesitate and went back to make the arrangements.

On the second floor, Young Master Qiu hid among the onlookers watching the commotion, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

What was the meaning of the Imperial Loyalists causing trouble for Lu Chen?

Tianyu Academy wasn't a monolithic entity. Within it, besides the Radical Faction that wished to overthrow Great Yan, there was also the Imperial Loyalist faction that supported Great Yan.

However, their influence was significantly smaller than that of the Radical Faction.

It was the Imperial Loyalists, not the Radical Faction, who had made a move against Lu Chen.

This presented an opportunity for Young Master Qiu.

Given Lu Chen's tendency to eliminate threats completely, what would happen next?

Perhaps if he fanned the flames a little, then...

Unbeknownst to him, while Lu Chen was fighting, he had received a secret transmission from his opponent.

The clamor of Yanjing South Market gradually faded as Lu Chen moved through the dense forest.

The setting sun dappled through the leaves. He rubbed the hilt of his Soul Severing Saber, a slight smile on his lips.

In the battle at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion just now, the storage ring of the Imperial Loyalist Golden Core cultivator surprisingly contained a third-tier fire-attribute demon core.

Combined with the ice-attribute demon core he had purchased and the lightning-fire essence he had obtained earlier, he had gathered the mutually restraining energy treasures needed to break through to the eighth-tier.

To break through from the seventh to the eighth level of the Qi Surge Realm, one needed to fuse three mutually restraining elemental treasures to truly achieve the manifestation of qi and blood.

"Junior brother, the tail is catching up," Xiong Yao's voice transmission suddenly rang out, her rough voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Lu Chen caught a glimpse of several residual lights flashing between the shadows of the trees.

The Imperial Loyalists were indeed true to their word. The promised "first wave of gifts" had arrived quite quickly.

He deliberately slowed his pace.

Whoosh!

Eight dark figures soared from all directions. The three leading them wore black robes embroidered with gold and covered their faces with black iron ghost masks. Their Golden Core pressure surged towards Lu Chen like a tide.

The five Foundation Establishment peak cultivators behind them formed a formation to block his path, their talismans glowing with a cold, faint blue light.

"Little brat, where do you think you're going?"

The voice of the leading Golden Core cultivator was hoarse. He conjured a long spear in his palm, lightning patterns faintly visible on the spearhead. It was clearly a spirit artifact.

Lu Chen sneered, the Soul Severing Saber suddenly brightened. Before the saber energy could even emerge, a furious roar erupted from behind him:

"Trying out your saber? Ask my hammer first!"

BOOM!

Xiong Yao descended like a meteor, her Xuan Iron Heavy Hammer sweeping out. Two Foundation Establishment cultivators, caught off guard, had their protective spiritual lights shatter like paper. They were sent flying backward, crashing through three ancient pine trees.

Fang Jiuding leaped from the treetops like a phantom, his iron pot inverted. The bottom of the pot flickered, absorbing all the spiritual energy from the spirit array.

"Array cultivator?" the black-robed Golden Core cultivator's pupils contracted. He redirected his spear, thrusting it directly at Fang Jiuding's throat. "I'll kill you first, you meddler!"

"Meddle with your grandpa!" Lu Chen's Wind and Thunder Steps brought him instantly to the cultivator's side. His saber clashed head-on with the spear tip, sending sparks flying.

The black-robed Golden Core cultivator felt his hand go numb. The lightning patterns on his spear were being corroded by the saber energy. He cursed inwardly and withdrew.

How could Lu Chen let him retreat?

The Myriad Manifestations Furnace's phantom image appeared. A dark light swept from its opening, drawing out the lightning and fire essence of the spear like a stream.

The black-robed Golden Core cultivator was horrified and tried to snatch his treasure back, but Xiong Yao's heavy hammer was already descending upon him. He had no choice but to abandon his spear and retreat rapidly.

"Don't let any of them escape!"

Fang Jiuding's iron pot vibrated, and the large pot suddenly expanded, enveloping the entire dense forest.

Five Foundation Establishment cultivators formed hand seals, preparing to break free. Lu Chen's three clones suddenly appeared, their Qi and Blood Domains overlapping and pressing down. The five cultivators felt as if they were sinking into a swamp.

The battle situation changed in an instant.

Xiong Yao's hammer shadows were like mountains, directly confronting the Golden Core cultivators;

Fang Jiuding moved around, controlling the array, and used his pot to strike from unexpected angles, hitting his targets precisely.

Lu Chen's saber energy formed a net, cooperating with the furnace to devour the essence of the spirit artifacts.

In less than half an incense stick's worth of time, all eight masked cultivators lay sprawled on the ground.

"This gift from the Imperial Loyalists is quite substantial."

Lu Chen weighed the confiscated storage bags. The demon cores of the three Golden Core cultivators within gleamed with a soft luster. This was essentially providing cultivation resources!

Xiong Yao placed a foot on the chest of the leading Golden Core cultivator and grinned, "Hiding your face like this, why not take off your mask so senior sister can get a good look?"

"No!" Lu Chen quickly stopped her. "Since the Imperial Loyalists want to use a borrowed knife to kill, we'll play dumb to the end."

With that, he stabbed them one by one and collected them into the Myriad Manifestations Furnace.

"Hurry back!"

Lu Chen shouted urgently. The three of them moved their bodies, shooting towards Tianyan Academy like lightning.

The energy was too immense; the Myriad Manifestations Furnace was about to riot.

Seeing Lu Chen throw out the Myriad Manifestations Furnace, and the energy surging with each pulse, Old Ancestor Tianyan waved his sleeve.

Ancient array patterns appeared on the ground of the dilapidated great hall, drawing spiritual energy to converge into the earth veins.

The entire mountainside trembled slightly. Withered grass turned green and sprouted before their very eyes.

Fang Jiuding clicked his tongue in amazement. "With the Spirit Gathering Array activated, we can start forging artifacts in the furnace."

"More than just forging artifacts?" Xiong Yao swung her hammer, smashing a boulder. From the flying debris, a spiritual spring gushed out from underground. "This concentration of spiritual energy is enough for me to make a push for Golden Core fourth level!"

But was that all the energy?

There were still three Golden Core cultivator corpses outside the furnace that hadn't been dealt with.

However, Lu Chen didn't take them out.

He wanted to keep them for himself.

After releasing the energy, the Myriad Manifestations Furnace finally calmed down.

"I can temper myself properly again!" Lu Chen looked at the towering statue of will, a smile curving his lips.

"What are you spacing out for?" Xiong Yao hammered Lu Chen's shoulder, nearly sending him into the ground. "Let's go! Senior sister will take you to hunt wild chickens to celebrate!"

Lu Chen rubbed his shoulder and gave a wry smile. Is this a girl? She's more manly than any man!

On the top floor of the Drunken Immortal Tower in Yanjing, a woman leaned against the railing, drinking alone. The jade cup in her hand reflected the moonlight outside the window.

Her hidden guards knelt on the ground, reporting in low voices, "Lu Chen has returned to Tianyan Academy. Our people... are all lost."

The woman's hand trembled.

"Keep watching. If there's an opportunity, continue the operation!"

Her voice was cold and filled with killing intent.

The hidden guard hesitated, "But..."

"No buts. Just follow orders!"

The hidden guard retreated. The woman gently sipped her red wine, looking in the direction of Tianyan Academy, her eyes flickering slightly.

I wonder if he knows that I arranged all of this.

Will he cooperate well?