Chapter 647: Yan Fusheng

"Sect Master Chen," Yu Changjian said apologetically to Chen Mobai, hovering mid-air. "This fourth-tier mountain-suppressing stone is incredibly heavy. I can't move it, so you might need to retrieve it yourself."

"Hmm?" Chen Mobai's expression turned thoughtful upon hearing this. "You want me to enter the grand formation?"

"Sect Master Chen, please rest assured," Yu Changjian declared confidently. "I can swear an oath by my Dao heart, guaranteeing the formation will not be activated."

"You should know," Chen Mobai retorted sarcastically, "that even your entire Six-Armored Mountain combined cannot compare to my life." Hearing this, Yu Changjian's expression turned awkward, and he raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Fine, I'll go down," Chen Mobai suddenly agreed, just as Yu Changjian was starting to think his ancestor's scheme had failed.

Yu Changjian's face immediately lit up with delight. He was already envisioning the scene where his ancestor would activate the grand formation to suppress this formidable enemy, when he saw Chen Mobai retrieve a puppet from his storage bag.

The puppet shimmered with a golden radiance, its wooden grain subtly interwoven with flowing flames, as if powerful incantations were carved into its surface. It wielded a wooden sword and shield, and its aura even surpassed that of Yu Changjian, the Sect Master of Six-Armored Mountain.

"A Golden Sun Puppet!" Yu Changjian, as a cultivator from the foremost puppet sect in the Eastern Desolate, instantly recognized the construct.

This was also the only puppetry art comparable to the Six-Armored Mountain's own heritage. But wasn't Sect Master Chen a sword cultivator? How could he also possess puppetry skills?

As alarm surged within Yu Changjian, he watched Chen Mobai guide the Golden Sun Puppet to the entrance of Six-Armored Mountain's grand formation.

"Open the formation," Chen Mobai instructed. "This puppet of mine can also exert Core Formation strength. I'll have it accompany you to retrieve that mountain-suppressing stone."

Chen Mobai's Golden Sun Puppet was one that Fu Zongjue had discarded. While the Divine Wood Sect's Golden Sun spiritual trees were exceedingly rare to outsiders, for Fu Zongjue, they were practically limitless; he could simply fell one whenever he needed. Moreover, repairing a damaged Golden Sun Puppet was more arduous than crafting a new one, so Fu Zongjue, with his abundant supply of materials, typically opted to create replacements. Some of these discarded Golden Sun Puppets he would gift to the Puppet Division, while others were dismantled for their salvageable components, which were then used in new constructs.

Upon learning this, Chen Mobai requested a discarded Golden Sun Puppet from him. Though Fu Zongjue found the request unusual, he generously escorted Chen Mobai to his puppet cave, allowing him to choose freely. There, Chen Mobai discovered over a dozen Golden Sun Puppets, all damaged in combat and constructed from the highest-grade third-tier superior Golden Sun wood. If a puppet master from the Immortal Sect, even someone like Che Yucheng, were to witness this, they would undoubtedly be green with envy—such a waste! With a sigh, Chen Mobai selected a Golden Sun Puppet that was outwardly pristine but had shattered internal components. He then used his third-tier Immortal Sect puppetry, integrated with the Longevity Puppetry Art, to thoroughly modify it. After all, the Formless Golem was far too precious for risky expeditions into unknown territories, making the Golden Sun Puppet a suitable alternative. With Fu Zongjue having so many discarded defective models, even losing one meant another could easily be obtained and repaired for future use.

"What's wrong, Sect Master Yu? Are you unwilling to open the formation?" Chen Mobai, splitting his consciousness to control the Golden Sun Puppet, arrived before the grand formation. Observing Yu Changjian's wavering expression, a sense of caution arose within him. He was unsure why a minor sect like Six-Armored Mountain would dare to scheme against him, but coupled with Xu Shengbing's attack on Yin Qingmei, he suspected he might have underestimated this sect's animosity towards the Divine Wood Sect. With this thought, his eyes narrowed slightly, and a stern killing intent instantly startled Yu Changjian.

"Not at all, Sect Master Chen, please come this way!" Yu Changjian had been ordered by Yan Fusheng to lure Chen Mobai into Six-Armored Mountain's grand formation, but now, only a Golden Sun Puppet had entered, leaving him somewhat flustered. However, he quickly reconsidered: a Golden Sun Puppet possessed third-tier combat prowess, and successfully suppressing "Old Demon Chen's" puppet would still be a noteworthy achievement. Thus, he promptly opened a portal in the formation, allowing the puppet to pass through.

Chen Mobai, curious about his opponent's true intentions, guided the puppet inside and followed Yu Changjian deep into the heart of Six-Armored Mountain. They entered a cave mansion, where he quickly spotted the fourth-tier mountain-suppressing stone enshrined on a stone platform. However, his attention was immediately drawn to the tall, black-robed cultivator standing nearby.

"May I ask who you are?" Chen Mobai inquired. Yan Fusheng's face betrayed disappointment upon seeing only a Golden Sun Puppet enter, but at this juncture, he had no choice but to act. After all, Chen Mobai's attempt to seize the fourth-tier mountain-suppressing stone had crossed his ultimate boundary.

"Youngster, wouldn't it be better for you to peacefully serve as Sect Master of your Divine Wood Sect?" Yan Fusheng sneered. "Why insist on coming to Six-Armored Mountain to court death?" As he spoke, his hawk-like eyes glinted with a cold blue light. An invisible, formless wave of spiritual sense transformed into an eerie attack, like a chilling, icy gale, silently infiltrating the Golden Sun Puppet. Then came a cracking sound! The Golden Sun Puppet, formidable enough to suppress any peak Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Eastern Desolate, seemed to lose all control, shattering into fragments and collapsing onto the cave floor.

"Ancestor's divine might!" Yu Changjian, who had been following, was greatly invigorated by the sight. This technique, 'Spiritual Sense into Chilling Wind,' was a specialized method used by Six-Armored Mountain to counter puppet masters. Yan Fusheng had effortlessly defeated the Golden Sun Puppet, controlled by Chen Mobai's spiritual sense, a clear testament to his superior cultivation and formidable spiritual power.

"Let's go, before this Sect Master Chen escapes!" Yan Fusheng, as if he had merely completed a trivial task, calmly strode past the shattered Golden Sun Puppet. Trailing a black, smoky ghostly wind, he then flew out of the cave mansion where he had been concealed for decades.

The moment the blood curse activated within Xu Shengbing, Yan Fusheng knew his plan to seize the Heavenly Spiritual Root had failed. He also understood clearly that, given the Divine Wood Sect's methods, Six-Armored Mountain would not be spared. He had contemplated relocating, enduring a period of hiding, and then seeking revenge on the Divine Wood Sect once his divine skill had reached its peak. But ultimately, he decided to emerge. Without the Spirit Reviving Water, it would take him at least another century to cultivate his Dharma Body Nascent Soul. And the talent of Chen Mobai, the Sect Master of the Divine Wood Sect, even as an adversary, was undeniably astounding. Yan Fusheng feared that within that century, this young man would achieve Nascent Soul cultivation before him. If that happened, with the power of a sword cultivator, even if Yan Fusheng himself perfected his Dharma Body Nascent Soul, he likely wouldn't be a match. After much thought, Yan Fusheng resolved to stop hiding. He would emerge from seclusion, and with the head of the Divine Wood Sect's foremost sword cultivator in the Eastern Desolate, he would formally announce his return.

The moment the Golden Sun Puppet lost contact, Chen Mobai felt a surge of terrifyingly cold spiritual energy erupting within Six-Armored Mountain. The instant he sensed this energy, his heart, which had been wavering between fleeing to regroup with Fu Zongjue, Mo Douguang, and the Divine Wood Sect army, instantly steadied. This chilling spiritual energy was all too familiar to Chen Mobai; it was the Yellow Springs spiritual energy that had enabled Luo Yixuan to form her Core. This meant the attacker of his Golden Sun Puppet was a ghost cultivator. As a practitioner of the Pure Yang Scripture, Chen Mobai immediately straightened his posture, calmly and confidently awaiting his opponent's appearance.

The once clear and boundless sky suddenly filled with chilling winds, and the sharp drop in temperature condensed into dark clouds, like a black shroud obscuring all sunlight. Six-Armored Mountain, already stark and barren with only scattered, stunted spiritual plants due to its desert location, grew even more withered, desolate, and deathly still as Yan Fusheng emerged. His ink-black hair, towering stature, and black battle robe made him appear like a vengeful specter from the underworld, sending shivers down the spines of the unaware cultivators of Six-Armored Mountain.

"Who goes there?" Chen Mobai calmly asked, despite facing a cultivator radiating such terrifying aura. His composure and confidence, however, provoked a loud laugh from Yu Changjian. "Old Demon Chen, this is Ancestor Yan Fusheng of our Six-Armored Mountain! Today, unless Ancestor Hunyuan of your Five Elements Sect is reborn, you are surely doomed!"

Chen Mobai was, of course, familiar with Yan Fusheng's name. During the era of the Five Elements Sect, he had been widely regarded as the foremost Core Formation cultivator in the Eastern Desolate, an individual who had even attempted to ascend to the Nascent Soul stage. However, rumors had long circulated that he had failed his Nascent Soul formation, suffering grievous injuries that led to his demise. It was unexpected that he had transformed into a ghost cultivator and survived. Chen Mobai recalled Granny Ming's past mention of a powerful ghost cultivator hidden within the ancient ruins of the Eastern Desolate Plateau; it had to be Yan Fusheng. Given his status as the Six-Armored Mountain's ancestor, his manipulation of Xu Shengbing made perfect sense. It was even possible that he had been secretly supporting all the ghost cultivators targeting the Divine Wood Sect over the years.

"What a pity," Chen Mobai remarked with a regretful expression. "To have clung to life for a century, only to die by my hand." Yan Fusheng, hearing this, found the youngster incredibly arrogant. However, he quickly understood, remembering Chen Mobai's identity as a sword cultivator. Without such a disposition, how could one forge a sword invincible in the Eastern Desolate? Indeed, only a sword cultivator would choose not to flee immediately in such a situation. After all, Yan Fusheng had not concealed his aura upon emerging. With Chen Mobai's early Core Formation realm, it was utterly impossible for him to defeat a peak Core Formation cultivator like Yan Fusheng.

"Youngster," Yan Fusheng rumbled, his first words after emerging. "Ancestor Hunyuan destroyed my foundation and forced me into the ghost path. I shall exact a portion of that hatred from you first!" His voice was deep and powerful, and as he spoke, the dark clouds overhead suddenly flickered with lightning, followed by a torrential downpour. "What a shame about this rain," Chen Mobai remarked, still in a mood to reflect. "It would be great if it fell on the protective forest." In Yan Fusheng's eyes, the cold blue light flared once more. Though of a higher cultivation realm, he never underestimated any opponent, knowing that even a lion exerts its full strength to catch a rabbit. This unique skill, 'Spiritual Sense into Chilling Wind,' not only proved remarkably effective against puppets but also exerted absolute suppression over opponents of a lower cultivation level. After all, in terms of spiritual sense, his peak Core Formation realm could undoubtedly crush any early Core Formation cultivator.

Chen Mobai, also a practitioner of the Imperial Spirit Slash, naturally understood the mechanics of such spiritual sense attacks. He was about to activate his Natal Magical Treasure, the Morning Bell, to defend himself, when he noticed Yan Fusheng was still within Six-Armored Mountain's fourth-tier grand formation. A thought flickered through his mind. Even wielding the Purple Lightning Sword with all his might, he couldn't kill an opponent protected by a fourth-tier grand formation. And since he was engaging Yan Fusheng today, it had to be a decisive, fatal blow. Otherwise, with this individual garrisoned at Six-Armored Mountain, he certainly wouldn't dare dispatch Zhuo Ming and others to manage the desert and accrue merit. He had to lure him out of the grand formation! With that single thought, Chen Mobai had already formulated his battle strategy. Concurrently, a faint golden thread lit up in his pupils as the Square Inch Scroll began to activate.

The supremely confident Yan Fusheng envisioned himself striking Chen Mobai down in a single blow, only to find his spiritual sense chilling wind impact a soft, impenetrable wall, unable to breach his opponent's spiritual sea. Amidst his surprise and doubt, he saw a phantom image of a flower with vibrant green leaves and greenish-white petals materialize on Chen Mobai's forehead! "As expected, he possesses astonishing fortune, having refined a spiritual item capable of defending against spiritual sense attacks!" Yan Fusheng scoffed. "However, I will show you just how fragile a sword cultivator's spiritual sea truly is when faced with absolute spiritual sense suppression!" Upon recognizing the Grand Chun Flower, Yan Fusheng understood the resistance. After testing the spiritual flower's barrier strength with his chilling wind, the blue light in his eyes intensified. Throughout his cultivation, he had endured countless battles and encountered innumerable opponents, including those capable of defending against spiritual sense attacks. Under the even more ferocious onslaught of Yan Fusheng's spiritual sense chilling wind, Chen Mobai's calm expression shifted slightly. The phantom image of the Grand Chun Flower on his forehead seemed to falter, gradually wilting and fading.

Without a word, Chen Mobai immediately controlled the Five-Colored Mist, turning and fleeing. "Haha, today you are surely doomed!" Yan Fusheng, witnessing this, harbored no doubts. After all, while sword cultivators possessed resolute personalities, they would hardly sacrifice themselves needlessly against an undeniable superior. Amidst his laughter, black ghostly flames erupted beneath his feet, transforming his massive form into a streak of black light that shot out of Six-Armored Mountain's grand formation. To ensure Chen Mobai's capture and prevent a prolonged chase that might attract unforeseen complications, Yan Fusheng even employed a secret art, pushing his Ghost Flame Escape technique to its absolute limit.

One ran, the other pursued, and soon they had traversed dozens of miles of desert. Finally, Yan Fusheng cornered Chen Mobai atop a sand dune. "Any last words? Speak them now, and I will relay them to Mo Douguang for you." Fu Zongjue had formed his Core after Yan Fusheng's supposed "demise," so in Yan Fusheng's mind, Mo Douguang was the second person he intended to kill upon his return.

"Hmm, this is about right!" Chen Mobai declared, his words surprising Yan Fusheng. "What's about right?" "The distance is about right," Chen Mobai elaborated. "If I kill you here, you won't be able to escape back into Six-Armored Mountain's grand formation." Chen Mobai's words provoked an angry laugh from Yan Fusheng. He was beyond the age for idle banter with this youngster, and the cold blue divine light in his eyes intensified to its peak. His vast and terrifying spiritual sense transformed into a horrific chilling wind, like a roaring mountain and a surging tsunami, instantly shattering the Grand Chun Flower's phantom image. Then, with a fierce howl, it surged towards Chen Mobai's forehead, targeting his spiritual sea. Just as Yan Fusheng prepared to annihilate Chen Mobai's spiritual sense, a steady, profound bell chime resonated...