Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 1651: Chapter 608: A Good Show? A Farce!

Life-and-death struggle!

Four simple words, yet how many truly confront such a choice unless forced into an inescapable situation?

Sect elders or family cultivators, when sending off their disciples on journeys, often bestow numerous protective arts, all to ensure their promising talents avoid such dire circumstances.

By contrast, rogue cultivators cherish their lives even more.

Because, unlike those sheltered by sects and families, a rogue cultivator’s every achievement comes from grueling effort, paying several times the price for gains.

In a life-or-death clash, the defeated loses everything, their efforts amounting to nothing, even benefiting their opponent.

As a descendant of Great Zhou’s imperial family, Huangfu Song lived a privileged life from an early age.

Though later faced with calamity, exiled to the North Sea, and reduced to a rogue cultivator, he still enjoyed support from figures like Minister Gui and Elder Ye, as well as the protection of mighty cultivators such as Zi Hou, a late Golden Core great cultivator.

For him to gamble his life over the Eight Hundred Li Penghu, he couldn’t bear it.

Luo Chen, however, was the complete opposite.

In his youth, even the meager resources for cultivation had to be meticulously saved, squeezing out Spirit Stones one by one.

In every battle, unless caught off guard, he always did his utmost to strategize beforehand.

And even with preparation, he rarely underestimated his opponents, often starting with his full strength.

Just like during the battle at Xiao Huan Mountain, when he annihilated the Duan Family, hidden behind the scenes, delivering the culmination of his Fireball Technique Finalization in one strike.

Or more recently, during the clash at Coldlight Island, when surrounded by enemies, he unapologetically activated Sky Roc Transformation after setting up an array, wielding his strongest powers without hesitation, refusing to save them for later.

True trump cards are only trump cards when used.

If one were to die, those cards become someone else’s!

Listening to Luo Chen’s threatening words and feeling his surging Spirit Pressure, Huangfu Song unleashed the immense Spirit Pressure of his Golden Core Seventh Level.

Suppressing his inner fury as best he could, he advised, ”Qingyang Zi, why must you and I escalate matters to such extremity? My offered invitation made plain my wish to resolve this dispute peacefully.”

Luo Chen sneered, ”Yet I ignored your letter and shut you out. Why must you forcibly intrude upon my domain?”

Huangfu Song froze for a moment, then replied, ”This Eight Hundred Li Penghu is of great use to me. But for you, a solitary figure with scarce followers and a spiritual pet, wouldn’t a Third Order Lower Grade Spirit Land suffice?”

”Ha! Your Golden Core Seventh Level realm is evident. Surely such a lower-grade Spirit Land wouldn’t offer much benefit to your cultivation. Why insist?”

Questions met with silence, heavy with doubt.

Luo Chen’s stance was too unyielding.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Song was filled with shock.

His Spirit Pressure had been pushed to its limits, which, in theory, should overwhelm any cultivator below the Golden Core Seventh Level.

Yet Qingyang Zi’s Golden Core Fifth Level Spirit Pressure resisted unwaveringly, climbing ever higher, even showing signs of a counterattack.

Was the opposing cultivator truly only at the Golden Core Fifth Level?

Steadying himself, Huangfu Song kept his tone as calm as possible, though hints of impatience slipped into his next remark.

”What exactly do you want to relinquish this Eight Hundred Li Penghu?”

Negotiation?

Luo Chen’s expression turned mocking before he slowly shook his head and uttered two words.

”Not happening!”

With that, his Spirit Pressure erupted to its peak.

In the void, the clash of Qi Power ensued.

The result: Huangfu Song shuddered, his body stumbling for an instant.

In contrast, Luo Chen stood firm as Taishan, unmoving.

Witnessing this, the six Golden Core cultivators behind Huangfu Song all revealed expressions of horror.

They knew exactly what this meant.

Luo Chen’s Qi Power—its purity and potency—surpassed Huangfu Song at the Golden Core Seventh Level, even if only slightly. That alone placed him above the latter.

At this moment, Huangfu Song’s face grew unspeakably grim.

Since Luo Chen’s appearance, one strike had forced him to use defensive techniques, and verbal sparring gained him no ground. Now, even in direct Spirit Pressure comparison, he was losing.

Everything surpassed his expectations.

Even though he was confident that relying on his trump cards, he could emerge victorious in direct combat, the legendary Qingyang Demon Monarch’s maneuvers were notoriously devastating. If things escalated to the point of playing cards, it would be a pyrrhic victory.

Yet now, all eyes were upon him. Huangfu Song, cornered, could not back down.

Perhaps that move would be most suitable?

Lowering his head, right hand concealed behind his back, he carefully channeled his Spiritual Secrets.

Suddenly, Huangfu Song shouted.

”Qingyang Demon Monarch, under heaven’s rule, all lands belong to the king. For just Eight Hundred Li Penghu, why stand so firm?”

Luo Chen frowned and replied, ”The Penghu land may be small, but I have cultivated it for years. To relinquish it so freely... hm?”

Mid-sentence, Luo Chen’s expression abruptly changed.

A layer of black radiance flickered across his body.

Within, the Lan Ke Black and White Chess quivered faintly, as though under attack.

”A technique to bewilder the mind? Or one of the rumored curse spells drawn from Yuan Mo Sect’s arsenal of Word Spirit Kill Arts?”

As Luo Chen pondered, Huangfu Song locked his gaze upon him, scrutinizing his every slightest reaction.

When Luo Chen uttered those words, the weight in Huangfu Song’s heart almost lifted completely.

The implication that refusal wasn’t absolute meant conditions could be negotiated!

Evidently, the Imperial Clan’s Secret Art had worked; through subtle words, it had already begun shaking his opponent’s consciousness.

Yet in the next moment, Luo Chen’s light ”hm?” set off alarm bells in Huangfu Song’s mind.