Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 476 When the Pill is Slaughtered
In every respect, the disciples of the Golden Core Sect are far superior to the cultivators of the Chongming Alliance. Even the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards, who can barely be considered elite, appear quite inexperienced in front of the core members of the Chixin Sect.

After the initial chaos and the deaths of many fellow disciples, they began to gather together under the organization of the Red Heart Sect elders. After quickly stabilizing their situation, the Red Heart Sect's law enforcement elder brought down his bone sword, creating a gust of wind, while more than ten blood-robed disciples behind him simultaneously summoned their ocarinas and blew them out.

As the melodious sound of the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument) resounded throughout the arena, large black-edged flags fluttered in the wind, and loyal followers untied their spirit beast pouches, releasing ferocious bone eagles of varying sizes.

These spirit beasts were covered in bone armor, giving them a chilling appearance. Only their eyes were exposed, making them seem completely unlike living beings of flesh and blood.

Remembering that this was the duty that the elders of the War Hall should be doing, a trace of tragic heroism appeared in the eyes of the Enforcement Elder. He didn't say much, but simply stepped onto the back of a second-tier bone eagle and shouted, "Disciples of Loyalty, follow me to slay the invading villains!"

Five hundred bone eagles, carrying the Red Heart Cult members, suddenly took to the air, slowly forming a sharp arrowhead across the sky, charging towards the Chongming Alliance troops who were in formation, slaughtering their scattered followers.

Even ordinary fake pills would need to temporarily avoid the limelight in the face of such a situation. How could the ordinary army of the Chongming Alliance possibly withstand them?
The screams from within the formation suddenly grew louder, but the enforcement elder was not annoyed; on the contrary, he became even more excited. With each swing of his bone sword, he was bound to save a life.

The core followers riding the bone eagles were also greatly encouraged, using their magical artifacts and the bone eagles' sharp talons to tear through the robes and flesh of the cultivators. The sprays of blood helped them quickly regain their lost courage, and their faces, filled with fear and dread, reminded them of the dignity and nobility of being disciples of a great sect.

As the number of lives on their hands increased, the faces of these core members of the Red Heart Sect, who were already somewhat panicked, became contorted with rage.

As the situation on one side suddenly changed and spread from one point to the other, the Red Heart Sect members, who had previously lost all courage, gradually stopped their chaotic rampage and began to form small groups of two or three, calmly fighting against these lesser disciples who were far less skilled than themselves.

Forgetting that a cowardly army is terrifying, Yuan Jin knew that relying solely on the army formations of those who had established their foundations and cultivated their qi within the alliance would not be enough to withstand them.

He frowned, stared at the Shishan Sect troops who were steadily annihilating the scattered Chixin Sect formations for a while, and then turned to Bian Hu and said softly, "Senior Bian, it is time for the Shishan Sect fellow Daoists to show their skills."

Even though the latter was prepared, his face still darkened, and his heart suddenly became very complicated.

Yuan Jin's unwavering expression remained unchanged as he stared intently at the only alchemist in the Chongming Alliance, seemingly unconcerned that the latter could easily take his life with just a few spells.

No matter how unwise Bian Hu was, he would never attack Yuan Jin at this time. However, he was also unwilling to send his own disciples to take on tough challenges. Just as he was about to make an excuse, a burst of cheers, as loud as thunder, came from the front lines.

"Senior Jiang of Chongming Sect has destroyed the fake elixir!!"

"Our alliance's mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator has slain a fake Core cultivator!! Let's see how many fake Core cultivators the Crimson Heart Sect can withstand this?!"

"Don't panic, don't panic! It must be just wild talk!! How could the Second Elder have perished under the sword of a mere True Cultivator?!"

The clamor of debate only ceased when Jiang Qing, carrying the head of the Second Elder of the Red Heart Sect, flashed past the front of the formation. Self-deception was utterly unacceptable, and the members of the Red Heart Sect were all in mourning, even the newly formed Bone Eagle Formation began to stir faintly.

Yuan Jin did not urge Bian Hu to send out more men, but instead sent out all the reserve troops.

Admittedly, the cultivation levels of those who make up these military formations are not high, and they can hardly put any pressure on the Red Heart Sect's Bone Eagle Formation. Often, as soon as they engage the enemy, they are immediately stripped of a thick layer of lives and left with broken magical artifacts, and then they collapse and flee in defeat.

The passing of countless lives could not change Yuan Jin's expression. These Songfeng Yicong and Pingjin Xiangbing were like chickens crashing into the rock-solid Bone Eagle Formation of the Chixin Sect, seemingly unable to do anything to these core disciples of the Golden Core sect.

However, Yuan Jin's command flag showed no signs of stopping until the soles of these loyal followers were covered in blood and mud, and the smooth, flat jade slabs were covered in a salty, greasy substance. Only then did Bian Hu, standing beside Yuan Jin, suddenly sigh, form a mysterious hand seal, and summon a palm-sized, gleaming bronze bell.

The old cultivator used his fingers as a hammer. Although the bell was small, the sound it emitted was quite loud, summoning all the disciples of the Stone Mountain Sect who were pressing their advantage back.

Shishan Sect had been a landlord in Puzhou for many years. Even when the Black Shoes Daoist and his party went to explore Guanshan Cave, they had to be careful not to expose their tracks and were found by Shishan Sect, which shows how powerful they were.

In this battle, Bian Hu conscripted half of his disciples, about a thousand men. Their sudden attack put far more pressure on the Red Heart Sect's Bone Eagle Formation than on the weak soldiers from before.

The Red Heart Sect members, whose morale had been somewhat diminished by the previous defeat, were finding it difficult to deal with the Stone Mountain Sect disciples. Since they could not defeat them with a single blow, they had no choice but to engage in a bitter battle.

Yuan Jin, who was dealt a bad hand, was least afraid of fighting this kind of battle. He divided the two hundred Qingjue Guards he had left into several groups and sent them out not to kill the enemy, but to prevent the scattered soldiers of the Chixin Sect from regrouping, lest there be any further changes.

Meanwhile, the Songfeng Yicong and the Pingjin militia, having received promises of great rewards, temporarily suppressed their fear and regrouped into several military formations, surrounding the Red Heart Sect's Bone Eagle Formation.

The Red Heart Sect's law enforcement elder felt that the number of cultivators outside seemed endless, while the number of his own disciples beside him was decreasing. Startled, he hurriedly swallowed a few spirit-restoring pills.

After calming down a bit, he picked up the crystal bone sword that had been stained red and leaped to the front of the formation. In a few moves, he killed a rash yellow-faced cultivator. However, before he could fully recover his heroic spirit, another violent blade of light rushed towards him.

The Red Heart Sect's Law Enforcement Elder, a veteran of many battles, forced himself to remain calm. As he raised his bone sword to block, a sense of profound mystery arose in his heart. He felt as if he had only now grasped the true meaning of the swordsmanship he had practiced since childhood, and he couldn't help but feel a secret joy. However, this joy was shattered in the blink of an eye by the oncoming blade light!
The bloodstains on the bone sword had just been washed away by the blade's light, leaving the sword surface as bright as a mirror, when a mouthful of blood was sprayed onto it, reflecting a terrified and frightened face.

"Fake pills!"

Ignoring the cry of alarm from the Red Heart Sect's law enforcement elder, Bian Hu unleashed another ruthless strike with his nine-ringed broadsword, which had been nurtured for a hundred years. Several Red Heart Sect members, along with their bone eagles, were instantly reduced to rotten flesh, fused together, and indistinguishable from one another.

At this moment, the array masters lined up next to the Star-Shooting Crossbow finally finished their calculations. Exhausted, Mo Wen took the directional map and examined it carefully. When he handed it to his attendants, the map was soaked with sweat, showing that commanding the crossbow array was a very demanding and difficult task.

However, Mo Wen also knew that the opportunity could not be missed even slightly. After several arrangements, more than a hundred Star-Shooting Crossbows were rearranged and the arrows that were released from the bow struck the Bone Eagle Formation, which was already restrained and unable to move.

The already weakened array's profound light could no longer be sustained. Without its barrier, and before they could react, the Red Heart Sect members were pierced through along with their mounts. The screams of agony only fueled the courage of the warriors outside the array.

The Red Heart Sect's Law Enforcement Elder had intended to regroup and proceed cautiously, but Bian Hu gave him no chance. Although the former was a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had spent many years in the field, he was no match for the Pill Master before him. Despite Bian Hu's low-key demeanor when he was by the side of Sect Leader Kang, he could easily defeat a late-stage True Cultivator.

The Red Heart Sect members, whose formation had already crumbled, could hardly be stopped by their own law enforcement elder for even a moment. Bian Hu, like a tiger among sheep, bravely carried the spells and magical artifacts thrown at him by countless Red Heart Sect members, carving a bloody path through the crowd and squeezing his way to a few feet in front of the Red Heart Sect's law enforcement elder.

Without further gathering his strength, he raised his blade and slashed down fiercely. The brilliant blade light not only took the lives of more than ten Red Heart Sect members between the two but also cleaved the bone sword in the hands of the Red Heart Sect's law enforcement elder into several pieces.

The treasured artifact was destroyed, but the latter showed no sign of distress. His heart was cleaved open by the blade's edge, and he was dead.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!!!"

Bian Hu swept his sword across the ground, clearing a large area. The Red Heart Sect members were terrified and lost their leader. Unable to fight or retreat, they were doomed. Before long, they were overwhelmed by the surrounding Chongming Alliance cultivators.

The destruction of the Bone Eagle Formation dealt a powerful blow to the confidence of the Red Heart Cult members who were still resisting. Next, the Chongming Alliance cultivators who had finally overcome the last hard nut to crack could harvest the rich marrow from the Golden Core Daoist site at Mugen Mountain.

"As long as there is no clear winner among the celestial elixir cultivators..."

Yuan Jin, who was in charge of the main battle, still did not look relaxed. He only looked at the direction where Jiang Qing had passed by with his head on the front line and sighed deeply. Then he put all his thoughts aside and continued to take a general view of the overall situation in order to preserve the results of the battle.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The speed at which the Lord of Huanglin Mountain could escape was indeed much faster than that of the already deceased Second Elder of the Red Heart Sect. In his haste, the Grand Master Kang was unable to capture him and could only watch helplessly as he escaped into a strategic location filled with restrictions. He had no ability to chase after him and could only find a few unlucky Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Red Heart Sect outside and kill them to vent his anger.

"How can this fellow be so familiar with the terrain of the Red Heart Sect? He doesn't seem like an outsider at all!" Kang Dabao flicked his fingers, and the bloodstains on the storage bag in his hand were removed. He then skillfully hung it on his belt, which was almost empty.

Before long, Third Master Jiang arrived again in front of Headmaster Kang, carrying the severed head and the storage bag. The latter's eyes lit up. Without saying anything to Jiang Qing, he took the storage bag and forcibly opened the spiritual restriction. After searching for a while, he found an antique token.

Kang Dabao tossed the storage bag back to Jiang Qing and tried to open the cave's protective barrier with his token. After exchanging a glance, the two brothers turned and left without prior arrangement.

"There might be a Chixin Sect disciple inside who is healing his wounds. The risk is too great. Let's go help Madam Qi first, force back the Red Bone Cultivator, and then invite her to come along."

Although their plan was good, just a few breaths later, they heard the sound of wind coming from behind them again.

Without turning his head, Sect Leader Kang simply lowered the butcher's staff in his hand and swung it back. The white bone club that had charged at him could not display the power of a magic weapon and was repelled by this top-grade spiritual artifact.

The mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain was filled with resentment, but the sect leader Kang, who had the upper hand, was not pleased. Instead, he gave Jiang Qing a wink, and the latter understood and followed Kang Dabao in a desperate escape.

"Cowardly wretch!! Do you dare to fight?!"

No one paid any attention to Huang Linshan's angry shouts, which made him even more anxious. If he couldn't fulfill the instructions of the Chixin Sect disciple who was healing in the quiet room, and couldn't delay the two of them, he would have a hard time explaining himself later.

"Don't go, you yellow-eyed kid!!"

In the end, the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain went all out, tearing off a talisman with mysterious patterns. A layer of bright magic light swirled around the black cloud spiritual artifact beneath his feet, and his escape speed increased by three points!
This time, however, Kang Dabao didn't react to Jiang Qing. Instead, he turned around and shot out two more golden beams. The mountain master of Huanglin Mountain felt a sense of relief, but he also realized the danger. He stopped his black cloud and summoned his magic weapon, the White Bone Cudgel, to block it.

Even though his arms were still numb and his blood was churning from the shock, the Mountain Master of Huanglin Mountain dared not stop what he was doing. As he withdrew his white bone staff to protect himself, he took out a handful of black beans from his storage bag and scattered them down. As soon as the black beans hit the ground, flesh and blood puppets instantly sprouted from the spiritual soil, each of them possessing the cultivation of a late-stage True Cultivator, and rushed towards Jiang Qing to intercept him.

According to this old cultivator, even if Jiang Qing's swordsmanship was superb, after using the sword technique that had just killed the second elder of the Red Heart Sect, he must have exhausted a lot and was already at his limit.

These eighteen flesh and blood puppets were all made from the bodies of top-tier Foundation Establishment cultivators. They were so powerful that even ordinary Pill Masters could hold them off, let alone a lowly True Cultivator like Jiang Qing.

"It's a pity that these two petty thieves are too cunning and too good at hiding their true abilities; otherwise, how could Fellow Daoist Wei have succeeded?"

The mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain was lamenting for his old acquaintance just a moment ago, but the next instant he was met with a fierce halberd light. The baleful aura on the white bone club seemed inexhaustible; the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain simply flicked his fingers, and a large amount of it was released again.

However, the old cultivator seemed to have underestimated the power of this halberd light. The dense, almost tangible, malevolent aura was dispersed by the halberd light in an instant, which angered the mountain master of Huanglin Mountain, who exclaimed again, "This boy's halberd technique is even more terrifying than Yuan Buwen's. Is he still hiding his true strength?!"

After using the white bone staff to block the aftershocks of the halberd's light, the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain felt a pang of regret.

"Should I not have accepted that 'Red Heart Sect' disciple's' orders? That little thief is really troublesome!"

The halberd light dissipated, and the thought had barely formed when Kang Dabao had already leaped up, no more than a foot away from him.

"huhu"

The shadow of the fist came with the sound of the wind. After the Grand Master Kang cultivated the Primordial Body to the Great Perfection, the power of the "Eight Desolations Suppressing Mountains" fist technique naturally reached a higher level.

However, this was the only skill he hadn't concealed in his previous battles, and it was with this technique that he severely injured the Red Maple Pill Master, the Grand Elder of the Crimson Heart Sect, which naturally made the Mountain Lord of Huanglin Mountain on guard.

The talisman "Mountain Protection Barrier" barely blocked the powerful attack, while the magical artifact, the White Bone Staff, revealed its malevolent aura again. It struck head-on, causing the face of Master Kang, who was already close to the Mountain Lord of Huanglin Mountain, to sting as if cut by a knife.

The long-absent Chess Immortal Plate was brought out. It first tried its best to withstand the fierce blow from the White Bone Club. The two chess boxes immediately reversed, and three hundred and sixty-one Yin-Yang Mystic Thunders, which had been nurtured for many years, suddenly shot out and exploded.

It has been quite some time since Sect Leader Kang acquired the top-grade spiritual artifact, the Chess Immortal Plate. However, this is the first time he has ever seen someone so willing to unleash all the profound lightning from the chess box upon engaging in battle.

It's rare for someone to be so generous in all these years, and it was the mountain master of Huanglin Mountain who happened to be there. It's truly a blessing for this old cultivator.

However, the old cultivator had already brought out his talisman treasures to resist. Although the Chess Immortal Disc was said to be powerful, it was still a Foundation Establishment technique after all. Although it was powerful, it was already quite remarkable that it could dilute most of the spiritual light of the "Mountain Protection Barrier". It failed to truly harm the physical body of the Huanglin Mountain Master.

But Kang Dabao was not discouraged. Taking advantage of the lingering smoke before the old cultivator, his pupils turned golden again. A few breaths later, his Golden Eyes of Illusion went first, followed by the Black Flame of Slaughter.

Golden light, like spears, and black flames, like waves, relentlessly attacked the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain.

This old man had barely managed to risk his life and lose his talisman to block two beams of golden light. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the bony staff in his hand was completely charred and blackened at the point where it had clashed with the golden light.

"I am no match for this yellow-eyed brat! If we continue fighting, I fear we will both perish!"

The master of Huanglin Mountain, having experienced countless life-and-death situations, was so terrified that he no longer cared about the so-called edict of the Chixin Sect.

However, if he wanted to leave now, he needed to ask the opinion of Master Kang who was standing to the side.

After all, he was a fake cultivator who had been practicing for many years. His personal wealth was probably much greater than the little bit of wealth that Kang Dabao had painstakingly accumulated and piled up in the Chongming Sect's treasury over the years.

If that's the case, then given Master Kang's greedy nature, even if there's some risk, how could he easily let it go?!
The master of Huanglin Mountain was caught in a dilemma, having to deal with the Grand Master Kang on one hand, and reluctant to part with the flesh and blood puppet who was still fighting Jiang Qing on the other.

But this delay will make it difficult to escape.

Even the mountain master of Huanglin Mountain found it strange. He, the dignified alchemy master, should have had a higher cultivation level, so how come the spiritual power in the body of this guy in front of him seemed to be inexhaustible?

As time went on, Kang Dabao's pupil technique seemed to become even more formidable. The mountain master of Huanglin Mountain was unaware that the former had already cultivated this pupil technique to the point of perfection. He only knew that when he tried to block it, he was in grave danger and almost lost his life several times.

While they were locked in a protracted battle, Jiang Qing, wielding his flying sword, was also locked in a fierce and evenly matched fight with the lifeless flesh and blood puppets. Huanglin Mountain was considered one of the most skilled lineages in the Fazhou region at crafting flesh and blood puppets. Perhaps due to their frequent use of living people as sacrifices, their flesh and blood puppets were always three points more powerful than those of ordinary sects.

These eighteen flesh and blood puppets were all of excellent quality in life, and the one who had followed him for the shortest time had been over a hundred years. They could indeed be called his signature techniques and should not be underestimated.

Jiang Qing's sword light was sharp and fierce, but these dead creatures knew no fear. They had no sense of pain and were unaware of life and death. Their weaknesses were all different. If Jiang Qing's flying sword could strike their weaknesses, it could completely destroy these flesh and blood puppets.

However, this was a difficult task. Jiang Qing had killed three flesh puppets in a row, severing their heads, cutting off their waists, and splitting them open from the Baihui point. He used his divine sense to explore them thoroughly, but in the end, he still failed to kill a single flesh puppet.

These inanimate objects often regenerate their mutilated limbs within moments of falling to the ground. If it weren't for their inherent flaws, rigid fighting style, and lack of humanity, Jiang Qing might have perished among these eighteen flesh and blood puppets long ago.

However, this could not continue indefinitely. Jiang Qing's activity range was becoming increasingly narrow due to these inanimate objects, yet none of these flesh puppets had fallen. This made him sigh inwardly: "The master of Huanglin Mountain truly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned fake alchemist. His methods are indeed troublesome. Perhaps only a master alchemist could find a way to break through them."

However, after the sigh, Jiang Qing did not sit idly by and wait for his death. Even though he was still being pressed step by step by the flesh and blood puppet, he was unable to break the deadlock for a long time.

Jiang Qing swung his sword again, his face turning slightly pale. The flying sword in his hand was sent from Yingzhou by Fei Nanxi a year ago. The sword was named "Huang Yun" and was a first-class spiritual weapon below magic treasures.

After using it only a few times, Jiang Qing knew its power and concluded that it was probably similar to the "Butcher's Machete" that Master Kang inherited from the Yuan family.

However, even Fernanxi, an elder of the Fernanxi family, had to provide the spiritual materials herself and use her connections to ask a high-level weapon craftsman to forge spiritual weapons for her juniors.

To be honest, the effort required to forge such a spiritual weapon is not much less than that required to forge a magic treasure. It's obvious from the calculation that it's a significant disadvantage.

Fernandes was indeed considering his needs. After all, Jiang Qing was far from qualified to use magic weapons at his current level, but top-grade spiritual artifacts would be just right.

Heaven knows how much effort this Golden Core cultivator put into crafting this flying sword for Jiang Qing, making it an almost perfect match.

However, even though Jiang Qing's swordsmanship was superb, he was still only a mid-stage cultivator and had not yet mastered the "Long Breath Technique." He summoned three flesh puppets with his top-grade spiritual sword, but one of them was a little luckier. With a casual strike, it actually hit his weak spot, and the flesh puppet really became a piece of rotten flesh that fell to the ground.

A gap suddenly appeared in the originally tight formation that was difficult to fill, and Jiang Qing broke out of it without thinking.

He was originally in a hurry to help his senior brother, but he saw that the mountain master of Huanglin Mountain was already being suppressed by the great sect leader Kang and could hardly fight back. However, after thinking for a while, he still suddenly slashed down with his sword.

After losing that flesh and blood puppet, the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain felt heartache and vigilance. Jiang Qing's supporting strike was within the old cultivator's expectations, so he was able to spare some energy to block it.

However, this finally allowed the ever-sharp-eyed Master Kang to find a flaw.

The short halberd fell to within an inch of the mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain. His once handsome face was now covered in cracks, and after a few breaths, several lines of bright red blood began to flow down. He cried out in pain, his hand gestures became chaotic, and he could only haphazardly summon his white bone club to block.

"Death to the old thief!"

The golden light shone directly on the mountain master of Huanglin Mountain, whose originally neat and bright robes were suddenly reduced to tattered pieces. Even now, the old cultivator could feel his internal organs churning violently.

He was supposed to remain calm and continue to resist with his magic weapons, waiting for the Red Heart Sect's Daoist disciple to emerge from seclusion and come to his rescue. However, the Mountain Master of Huanglin Mountain truly felt that it was too late. So, without thinking twice, he decisively turned back and rushed back to the place where the Red Heart Sect's Daoist disciple was in seclusion.

Those inside the cave had their own way of knowing what was happening outside. The mountain lord of Huanglin Mountain hadn't even taken a few steps when he cried out, "Daozi, save me!" The spiritual barrier outside the cave immediately opened, and a young man in red, as handsome as Pan An, flew out. His face was pale, indicating that he hadn't fully recovered from his previous injuries.

The red-clad youth's voice arrived before the others. He had witnessed the Great Master Kang use the Eight Desolations Suppressing Mountain technique to displace the Yellow Forest Mountain Master's internal organs, causing him to vomit blood uncontrollably. He then shouted sternly, "Stop immediately, and I'll spare your life for now!!"

But after that fierce shout, he saw that the head of Huanglin Mountain Master Dou Da was pierced by a short halberd, and then lifted up from the neck. Even the look of shock in his eyes had not faded.

"What did you say, senior? I don't think I heard you clearly?"

The man opposite him smiled without any respect, his smile carrying three parts sarcasm and seven parts mockery. This enraged the Red Heart Sect disciple, who pointed his halberd and coldly cursed, "You scoundrel!"

The sect leader, Kang, stood holding his halberd, remaining silent, but his eyes were gradually filled with golden light, leaving no room for fear.

(End of this chapter)