Chapter 1076

Chapter 1076: Sudden Turn of Events

【Heavenly Merit +40,000】, 【Heavenly Merit +60,000】, 【Heavenly Merit +50,000】, 【Heavenly Merit +40,000】…

A cascade of notifications streamed across Wang Chen’s vision.

His Heavenly Merit points skyrocketed to 190,000!

For Wang Chen, who had already mastered the art of converting Heavenly Merit, nothing could be more exhilarating than these figures.

In the previous encounter, he had the capability to flee far before his adversaries could even make a move.

Yet, Wang Chen allowed those Golden Core true masters the opportunity to strike, only to counter them decisively, amassing a substantial amount of Heavenly Merit points.

Wang Chen had completely exhausted his Heavenly Merit points during his second quest for a cave left behind by ancient practitioners.

Now, he was finally replenishing his reserves.

Should he desire, he could easily venture back into Fulong Mountain in search of treasures.

Wang Chen was acutely aware of the immense rewards that could be garnered from discovering a cave left behind by ancient practitioners!

However, as soon as this thought surfaced, his keen sense of rationality swiftly quashed it.

As the adage goes, too much of a good thing can be detrimental; becoming overly engrossed in treasure hunting could severely impact his heart of the path.

Currently, Wang Chen lacked nothing in terms of techniques and treasures, and he had an ample supply of spirit stones, not to mention his ongoing Yuan Ying condensation.

Adhering to his cultivation is the true path!

He glanced around, sheathed the Seven Ultimate Sword, and then took to the skies, continuing his journey.

As for the battlefield, there was truly nothing left to salvage.

All four Golden Core true masters had been pulverized by the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation, and none of their precious tools for weapon refining or storage bags had survived.

The might of the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation was overwhelming; even the Xumi Ring couldn’t withstand the relentless erosion of sword energy, leaving no spoils to claim!

This was also due to Wang Chen’s still-developing skill in this swordsmanship, making it challenging for him to execute with finesse and ease. He dared not hold back, as it could lead to unforeseen complications, so he simply let the matter rest.

Missing out on some unexpected gains was of little consequence to Wang Chen.

After this brief skirmish, he realized that the destructive power of the Seven Ultimate Sword Formation exceeded his expectations. Although it drained a significant amount of magical energy, once the sword formation was activated, subduing several Golden Cores was a breeze.

Reflecting on it, the consumption of magical energy was indeed a vulnerability, but Wang Chen could utilize the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil to compensate.

The problem was that the spiritual energy stored in the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil had been entirely depleted during the forging of the Seven Ultimate Sword!

It needed to be replenished.

Upon returning to Luodu, Wang Chen quietly engaged in hidden cultivating at home for two months.

One day, while meditating in his quiet room, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

The next moment, Wang Chen’s soul awareness delved into the Cangqing ring on his left hand’s ring finger, connecting him to his avatar in this small world—Ling Zhiyuan.

It had been two years since Wang Chen returned from Cangqing to the Haotian Realm.

Over these two years, as Wang Chen’s cultivation level advanced and Ling Zhiyuan expanded his influence in Cangqing, their soul connection had grown increasingly robust.

However, since communicating across the two realms required a substantial amount of spiritual energy, Wang Chen did not frequently interact with his other identity unless necessary.

Now, sensing a call from Ling Zhiyuan, he activated the communication channel.

Moments later, Wang Chen withdrew his soul awareness.

His expression turned grave.

Something had happened in Cangqing!

To put it simply, Wu Zhao and Ling Zhiyuan had encountered an unprecedented strong enemy, leaving them in a dire situation, and Wang Chen’s true body in Cangqing was also under severe threat.

When Wang Chen departed from Cangqing, his main body had been stored in Hanhai Dao Palace, guarded by dedicated personnel.

While Wu Zhao and Ling Zhiyuan had their own ways to handle the trouble they faced, Hanhai Dao Palace was thousands of miles away, making timely rescue nearly impossible in the event of sudden changes.

This demanded an immediate decision from Wang Chen!

Upon hearing this news, Wang Chen was deeply shocked.

Before his departure, he had laid the strongest foundation for Wu Zhao to conquer the world. As long as the queen followed his meticulously crafted plan step by step, subjugating the entirety of Cangqing would merely be a matter of time.

Furthermore, Wu Zhao had the assistance of his avatar.

Wang Chen had also sent down the Lifespan Elixir to extend their lives.

He had even established the Great River and Mountain Formation in Hanhai Dao Palace, which, combined with the protection of the army, was supposed to be impregnable. How could it now face such grave threats?

Since Ling Zhiyuan was not in Hanhai Dao Palace, the information he provided was limited and offered Wang Chen little additional insight.

All he knew was that Hanhai Dao Palace was now completely surrounded by enemies and could fall at any moment!

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Chen immediately summoned Su Ziling and gave her a few instructions.

He intended to enter closed-door cultivation once more, refusing all external visitors.

Su Ziling was already accustomed to this routine.

Once he finished issuing his instructions, Wang Chen swiftly sealed the doors, pouring all his focus into Cangqing.

He had no choice but to descend once again.

Though his true body in Cangqing might be destroyed, Wang Chen could still reincarnate by sending his soul down. However, he would lose all his cultivation level and would have to start over from scratch, which would be a tremendous setback.

Most importantly, Xi Jun was still in Hanhai Dao Palace.

Wang Chen could not bear the thought of anything happening to her!

Given the difference in the flow of time between the Haotian Realm and Cangqing, every moment he hesitated in the Haotian Realm meant ten moments passed in Cangqing, leaving no room for delay.

As his mind focused, the Cangqing Ring on his left ring finger emitted a faint glow.

In the next instant, Wang Chen’s consciousness plunged into a bottomless abyss.

Time seemed to stretch for millions of years until a bright light suddenly appeared ahead, like a great door opening.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wang Chen leaped into it.

“Ugh—”

He abruptly opened his eyes, sitting up and gasping for breath.

After a moment, Wang Chen’s vision returned to normal.

He found himself seated in a hidden chamber, its walls densely inscribed with runes, evenly illuminated by four everlasting lamps positioned in the north, south, east, and west, casting light across the small room of about ten square meters.

Beneath him was a three-foot-high stone platform.

Memories of the past instantly flooded Wang Chen’s mind.

This hidden chamber was the sanctuary he had prepared for himself and also served as the core of the Great River and Mountain Formation protecting Hanhai Dao Palace!

It should have been the safest place in all of Cangqing.

However, as Wang Chen reacquainted himself with this body and performed the spell to connect to the formation, he realized something was terribly wrong.

The Great River and Mountain Formation had encountered a severe issue!

Of the seventy-two Columns of Mountains and Rivers he had established in the Hanhai region, a staggering sixty-five were unresponsive, and the remaining seven were malfunctioning, delivering spiritual energy only intermittently.

The formation was nearly inoperable!

What had happened?

Wang Chen felt a surge of frustration. Back then, he had invested immense effort to set up the Great River and Mountain Formation.

He had believed it would ensure Hanhai Dao Palace’s safety for a hundred years, yet how many years had it truly lasted?