Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 503 Release from Prison
—Inside Fei Family Hall

"That's interesting,"

The beautiful woman from the Su family, who had remained silent until now, showed a hint of surprise in her eyes. She seemed to have no concern about Su Changqiu's escape from danger.

Instead, when he looked at the pot-bellied youth in the Cishan Blood Pool, he said with some surprise, "This Suo family brat wants to use the life essence of the soul as food to achieve the Golden Core?! Tsk tsk, even I have only seen this kind of method of achieving the Golden Core in ancient books."

The heads of the various families in the hall were all outstanding figures among the Golden Core cultivators, and their knowledge was certainly no less than that of the beautiful woman from the Su family. After hearing her words, none of them showed any unusual expression.

But as Fei Dongwen, who was sitting next to Fei Yeling, lit up the talisman in his hand, a new mirage screen appeared in the center of the council hall, projecting the image of the pot-bellied youth cultivating.

In retrospect, the idea that "there is a natural barrier within the territory of Cishan in the Central Region, which outsiders cannot peek into" was indeed a joke.

Not to mention the hand seals of this pot-bellied youth, even the swaying of the hairs on his body and the twitching of his nostrils could be clearly seen by all the cultivators. The so-called "concealment and secrecy" was truly wishful thinking.

"May Buddha have mercy; it's been so many years since we've seen a junior achieve Core Formation. This is quite an elegant affair." Ma Longqin, who hadn't spoken for a while, chuckled. Realizing that no one had responded after he spoke, his expression suddenly turned ugly. He gave a displeased snort and then spoke up again, proposing:
“Fellow Daoist Fei, if we really manage to make this child form a Golden Core, it might still be quite dangerous. Why don’t we bring out all the juniors and have them compete one by one in the arena to determine the winner?”

Fei Yeyi didn't speak immediately, but Shu Jiajindan, who was sitting opposite Ma Longqin, spoke first:

"Master Guan is indeed shrewd. Considering that the Fei family's son-in-law's alms bowl contained three fake nascent souls, since he couldn't win, he decided to change the method of competition, right? No wonder the fellow cultivators of the Immortal Dynasty all say that your Buddhist family is the most cunning; you are all truly shrewd and calculating. However, such behavior is utterly shameless and quite unsightly. I wonder what your sect leader thought..."

As the head of the scripture hall at Benying Temple, Ma Longqin had been in the Core Formation stage for over two hundred years. With the prestigious name of Benying Temple, who wouldn't treat him with utmost respect when he traveled outside? Therefore, he couldn't even remember the last time he was ridiculed to his face.

Upon hearing Shu Jiajindan's words, a surge of anger rose within him. Disregarding all decorum, he shouted, "Do you think that just because a member of your family has died, you can speak without restraint and say whatever you want?!"

The Jin Dan of the Shu family glared at him, surprisingly not stopped by the Grand Master's rebuke, but instead retorted sarcastically:

"You've become far too arrogant. Master Guan, your so-called Khenpo disciple, who is cultivating the first stage of Pure Lotus, was originally the next Buddhist disciple favored by your Zen Master Gele. Now he's likely to perish here. Let's see how you explain this to Zen Master Gele when you get back, and let's see if your golden elixir body will be refined into delicious resources!"

These words enraged Ma Longqin so much that his white eyebrows shot up, and he roared, "Shu Zhengping! How dare you speak ill of a true man?! You shall offer your neck for execution, and I, Benying Temple, may spare your entire Shu family of Zuojiang from extermination!"

Shu Zhengping was not afraid at all; the sarcasm on his face only lessened: "Nonsense! Let's see if your Zen master has the guts to come out of the snowy mountains and take my life in my capital!"

Ma Longqin stepped forward, his fingers already forming a hand seal, and glared angrily at Shu Zhengping: "Why would I need the Zen masters to take your life? This ignorant Buddhist monk is enough."

Shu Zhengping was also furious, but when he was about to get up, he was stopped by the person beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Han?!" Shu Zhengping was slightly surprised. Before he could ask any more questions, he heard the handsome middle-aged man from the Han family gently advise, "Fellow Daoist Shu, please rest for a while. Master Guan is, after all, a guest from another sect. We should show him some hospitality."

This man, Xiu Xian, was clearly very prestigious. As soon as he spoke, Shu Zhengping, who was still indignant, immediately fell silent. On the contrary, Ma Longqin frowned and then asked, "Han Ningshan, this has nothing to do with you."

A smile bloomed on Han Ningshan's handsome face as he bowed to Ma Longqin and said, "Master Guan, please calm down. Fellow Daoist Shu was only so disrespectful to the Zen masters of your sect because he was still grieving the loss of his junior. I apologize on his behalf and hope that the Zen master will not take offense."

The Han family of Yu Kun has more than one True Person in charge, unlike the Shu family of Zuo Jiang, which are more like Golden Core cultivators and easier to manipulate. In addition, Han Ningshan has already lowered his stance so much, so Ma Longqin has also gained a way out, and he snorted coldly and did not speak again.

After all, Gyeonggi Province is more than ten thousand miles away from Seolsan Province. Even as a mere temple supervisor, he could hardly act recklessly in such a place.

The scene was truly lively. Even the beautiful woman from the Su family, who had previously been very interested in the pot-bellied young man in the mirage screen, shifted her gaze from the screen to the hall.

Fei Yeqing watched helplessly as these family leaders made a scene in his own hall, showing no anger whatsoever. Instead, he calmed the restless Fei Tianqin beside him, then pointed to the screen and said gently:

"Fellow Daoists, do not be anxious. This young Suo family member is nothing more than a junior Golden Core cultivator. Let's see how the younger generation performs."

When the monks heard the host speak like that, they calmed down. Only the woman in the room looked on with worry in her eyes, which was so pitiful that it made people feel sorry for her.

"If it succeeds, what will that be like? It's a Golden Core!"

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.

Cui Wuyang, worthy of his background as a deputy general of the Imperial Guard, managed to organize and assemble the 120 people he had gathered under Bingliu's supervision. Among them were many long-time enemies and ill-fated couples whose marriages had not been successful. In a short period of time, he had managed to make them look quite presentable.

If these hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, whose armor is not refined, whose injuries have not healed, and whose spiritual power is insufficient, were left unmanaged, even if they outnumbered Kang Dabao and the others by twenty times, they would still be nothing more than a scattered mess.

Although it would take a lot of effort to tidy it up, there was nothing to be afraid of. However, after Cui Wuyang's simple arrangement, it could no longer be judged by ordinary standards.

Just by looking at Su Changqiu, who had just been besieged and was in a sorry state, it was clear how critical the situation was that he was already helping Fei Wanqing.

This army formation, composed entirely of Foundation Establishment cultivators, is indeed elite. Even a powerful family like the Fei family of Yingzhou could not possibly hide so many of them. Furthermore, with Cui Wuyang, a man knowledgeable in military affairs, in charge of the advance and retreat, these noble young men who had just fought a fierce battle temporarily abandoned their arrogance and were now dealing with the enemy in a sorry state.

At this moment, Fu Neng disregarded his grudge against the Grand Master Kang and unleashed all his methods. Even though the Foundation Establishment army that attacked could barely be described as well-organized, several corpses still fell in front of him.

Just as he was enraged by the disturbance and was about to unleash his ultimate move to wipe out the remaining enemies before him, he heard the words of admonition from Master Kang behind him:

"Save some strength. Their spiritual power is insufficient, and they won't be able to hold out for long before they collapse on their own."

Upon hearing this, Fu Neng subconsciously scoffed and was about to ignore it, but when the incantation seal was about to undergo its final transformation, he stopped and took the newly acquired vajra to defend himself.

Su Changqiu was much more composed than Fu Neng. He knew to wait for the enemy to collapse on their own without even needing to be reminded by the Grand Master Kang.

However, he did not expect that the Xuanqiong Treasure Canopy, a treasure he inherited, possessed was quite formidable and conspicuous, even attracting Cui Wuyang, the main force of the opposing team, to specially change the array flags for him and dispatch more than a dozen cultivators to fight him.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with the sounds of drums and shouts of battle, mingled with cries of agony and despair, and the flashing of swords and the flickering of blood.
In just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Master Kang felt the blood flowing down in the ground was almost soaking the barren earth beneath his feet. Fei Wanqing, the weakest among them, was already pale-faced, and only with the help of Kang Dabao and Fei Nanyi was she able to stay alive.

The casualties on the opposite side were far more severe. Even without detailed calculations, Kang Dabao could see with a single glance that thirty or forty people were either dead or wounded.

Logically speaking, a hastily assembled rabble should have collapsed long ago in this situation. Yet, not only was Cui Wuyang, who was in charge, calm and composed, but even the true cultivators under him showed no signs of retreating. There was something truly strange about this.

But at that moment, Cui Wuyang, who hadn't made a move in a long time, frowned and then exhaled a breath of stale air under the rough banner.

The crudely made banner suddenly shone brightly with spiritual light. The many cultivators in the army formation in front of Cui Wuyang suddenly felt as if endless spiritual energy was flowing into them from their pores. Their morale soared, and they worked even harder.

"Damn it, this is that Cui fellow using illusion magic! How could he possibly grant you spiritual power? He's luring you to disregard your own foundations and torture you to death! You might not even survive half an hour!!"

These hard-working cultivators were no longer listening to the earnest advice of Sect Leader Kang. Having been imprisoned here by the Demon Suppression Division for nearly twenty years, they thought that the only way out was to be sent to Liangxi and become a conscript.

But after hearing about the enticement by Cui Wuyang and the big-bellied youth, he engraved the idea of ​​capturing the enemy in front of him as a way to get rid of him in his mind.

Seeing that they had the upper hand, they could no longer listen to the enemy's divisive words.

"Don't hold back, just hold on for half an hour!!" Kang Dabao clearly saw the situation before him, so he shouted loudly to the people behind him.

In fact, there was no need for him to encourage them. Under such a strong attack, how could the cultivators have any intention of hiding their strengths?
The situation on the field was deteriorating, and everyone outside, including Kang Dabao, had sustained injuries of varying degrees. Cui Wuyang, who was in the center of the battle, was exhausted from presiding over the battle formation, but he still endured the discomfort and waved the banner repeatedly, providing a little bit of protection for everyone in the formation.

Under these circumstances, even maintaining the status quo would be enough for Kang Dabao and the others to risk their lives. However, his divine eyes keenly perceived that the essence of each fresh soul in the formation and the blood essence in each drop of thick blood seemed to be drawn away by the magnetic mountain behind Cui Wuyang.

————Cishan Quiet Room

The thick, purplish-red pool of blood churned with sticky bubbles, the stench of putrid liquid mixed with the smell of burning flesh, causing Suo Mingsheng to suffer excruciating pain and bleed from his seven orifices.

Most of the souls lured from outside the mountain ended up in the mouth of the fair and adorable blood shadow doll behind Suo Mingsheng, making the doll's belly bulge like a sail, which was quite comical.

As wave after wave of blood energy arrived, the blood pool, which had only reached the waistline, gradually swelled and slowly soaked the chest of the pot-bellied youth.

At this moment, Suo Mingsheng's handsome, jade-carved face was flushed with a sickly pallor, and dark red blood streaks on his abdomen were creeping up his chest cavity from the crack in his navel. The pain made him furrow his brows even more, but he did not make any extra movements. He simply forced his fingers together with great willpower.

"Return to the Origin!"

The sound of hand seals dispersed the dense blood mist surrounding Suo Mingsheng. The thirty-six souls he had carefully selected and gathered in mid-air were suddenly bound by invisible blood talismans, and different incantations appeared on the faces of each soul.

Each of them was filled with fear, but they were powerless to do anything but let the pot-bellied youth slaughter them. They watched as the gray-blue soul turned into threads and flowed into Suo Mingsheng's seven orifices.

The blood essence that had been nurtured at the bottom of the pool for many years suddenly surged as if it were alive. Suo Mingsheng timed it perfectly and used his palm as a knife to evenly slice open the belly, which was the size of a football.

The boundless resentment that had been accumulating for half a century surged forth, merging with the blood essence in the pool, and drilling into the dantian through the bloody opening in the young man's abdomen. The bluish-purple meridians could be seen bulging like vines under the snow-white, delicate flesh.

"boom!!"

The already turbulent blood pool suddenly erupted with layers of blood waves. The shrieks of the remnant souls nearly shattered their skulls, and the image of blood talismans branding the souls flashed through Suo Mingsheng's mind again, but it could not shake his Core Formation Dao Heart in the slightest.

After enduring the shrieks of the remnant soul and the torment of his conscience, the blood shadow doll behind Suo Mingsheng suddenly opened its small mouth and spat out a solidified gray-blue soul pill.

At the same time, the emanating resentment gradually merged completely with the incoming blood essence, transforming into a pool of dark spiritual light that attached itself to the gray-blue soul pill.

What should have been a bloody scene, at this moment, strangely revealed a sense of holiness.

Suo Mingsheng's eyes were full of hope as he watched the dark spiritual light gradually seep into the gray-blue soul pill. Three spiritual patterns slowly appeared on the pill, and the impurities gradually faded away, becoming as white as jade and as clear as ice.

"It's still not quite there, not perfect." Suo Mingsheng couldn't hide his joy. After examining it for a while, he pointed at the blood pool again. The blood pool, which was originally viscous like glue, was then drawn out with a large amount of blood energy, which slowly covered the Soul Core that had just changed its appearance.

Only when the pool of filthy blood gradually became clear and the rotten flesh and bones inside were fully revealed did the spiritual essence of the Soul Pill floating in mid-air become even richer.

This scene made Suo Mingsheng sigh softly: "It's still a bit lacking. If we could use Cui Wuyang's essence and blood as a remedy, we might be able to reach even greater heights. But at this moment, we still need him to risk his life in front of us, which is a pity."

He leaped out of the blood pool, his exposed organs covered in a salty, fishy smell. But when Suo Mingsheng reached out and wiped them clean, the filth was gone.

The huge wound healed and scabbed over quickly. As soon as he exhaled, the black scab fell off, leaving only a bloodstain on his stomach.

After doing all this, Suo Mingsheng examined the Soul Pill in his hand for a while and calculated: "It still needs to be taken with Yang Blood."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Blood Shadow Doll, which had already returned to its original form, turned into a pool of Yang blood, which fell into Suo Mingsheng's mouth like a thread, and the pure white Soul Pill was then swallowed by him.

In less than an hour, Suo Mingsheng had succeeded. He was immediately invigorated, a smile spreading across his face: "Twenty years of hard work have finally paid off!"

This seclusion has now come to a successful conclusion. Suo Mingsheng has spent twenty years waiting for this opportune moment. The process of forming the elixir will not be as smooth as others, and will require several months of refinement.

"To gain freedom, I gave up a chance at a mid-grade pill. I hope people outside are more valuable and can make up for it!"

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.

Half an hour had passed. Just as Sect Leader Kang had predicted, Kang Dabao and the others were all injured and in a sorry state. However, the cultivators who had been tricked by Cui Wuyang's illusionary magic and were being tortured to death were now just skin and bones. At this point, even without outsiders intervening, they would have collapsed and died, which was quite pitiful.

Apart from a few cultivators who still retained their sanity and fled, the remaining cultivators had completely given up the will to live, collapsing to the ground and submitting to whatever was done to them.

The wailing in the arena was much sparser than at the beginning, yet it only made the atmosphere more desolate. As for Cui Wuyang, the instigator, it was only at this moment that a hint of reluctance appeared in his eyes.

"Back in my military days, everyone knew I loved my soldiers like my own children!"

The swordsman stood beneath the banner, looking at the scene before him, and murmured to himself, unsure whether to ask or answer.

At this point, there was nothing more to say. According to Cui Wuyang's previous prediction, even if his team was wiped out, most of the six juniors surrounded in the middle should have been killed or injured. However, he did not expect to underestimate their strength by too much.

Therefore, if something goes wrong with Suo Mingsheng's Core Formation, on which he has placed high hopes, it will be very difficult for him to escape unscathed.

Upon reading this, he brandished his knife, and before Master Kang and the others could come to their rescue, Fernando, bound to the banner, felt a sharp pain in his chest.

The blood flowing from Fernando's wound instantly dyed the banner crimson, but a faint crimson halo poured down from the banner, enveloping Cui Wuyang.

At this moment, not only was Master Kang exhausted both physically and mentally, but after fighting for so long, Cui Wuyang was also nearing the end of his life and still had to fight to the death with a group of juniors.

The "Ephemeral Sword of the Ephemeral Flower" was extremely profound, which allowed him to survive the attack by six people.

"Die!" Suddenly, a large amount of Buddhist light emanated from the vajra in Defu Neng's hand, but its target was not the already precarious Cui Wuyang, but the leader Kang who was leading the charge.

Cui Wuyang raised an eyebrow, not surprised, but a hint of joy rose in his heart. He didn't know the origin of the imposing cultivator in front of him, but after a fierce battle, his spiritual power was still so abundant, which could only be described as "terrifying".

If these juniors were to fight amongst themselves and kill this valiant cultivator, the pressure on Cui Wuyang would be reduced by at least 40%, and he would be able to find an opportunity to escape unscathed.

However, even in the heat of battle, Master Kang had eyes in the back of his head; how could he be injured so easily as Fu Neng had imagined?

He forced Cui Wuyang back with a single halberd strike, then swiftly turned around, his previously poised and ready Golden Eyes of Truth now falling into the hands of the abbot of the great temple.

When Master Kang met Defu Neng again, the latter had probably received guidance from a master and no longer used the various complicated spiritual artifacts he used before, but instead used the newly acquired Vajra Pestle to defend against enemies.

This vajra is so powerful that it can make Defu discard all other spiritual weapons that he has refined over many years, and thus stand out from the crowd. It must have its own unique qualities. Just now, even in the midst of a well-organized military formation, it could not stop its great power.

Fu Neng used this Vajra pestle to smash the bones of at least twenty true cultivators, making it a truly formidable weapon.

However, while the Vajra's offensive capabilities are undeniable, its ability to protect itself is far inferior. The Vajra, which Fu Neng had shielded and protected, was only struck by the golden light emanating from the Golden Eye of Delusion before being deflected. The latter still managed to protect itself thanks to the remaining power of the White Lotus Dharma Form.

"Fu Neng! What are you doing!" Su Changqiu was furious upon seeing the sudden turn of events and questioned him.

Fu Neng, without even glancing at Su Changqiu's ugly expression, replied loudly, "Fellow Daoist Su, have you not yet realized the truth? The crisis has been resolved. This fat man has the strongest spiritual power. If we don't take his life now, and then fall into their encirclement after we kill this inhuman old scoundrel, will we still be alive?!"

Su Changqiu hesitated for a moment. If it were up to him, he still wanted to eliminate the fake pills in front of him and then settle the score with the Fei family's cultivators. After all, everyone should maintain their dignity in a competition, and he couldn't let a peasant gain the upper hand.

But remembering the many instructions given by his elders before he entered the Bingliu prison, Su Changqiu hardened his heart and turned the Xuanqiong Treasure Canopy in his hand to Headmaster Kang.

Like him, Han Chengfeng also didn't want to get involved in the feud at this time. He was more interested in eliminating the fake pill in front of him, winning first place, and obtaining the Five Spirit Ice Sunflower than getting involved in the feud between the two families.

Han Chengfeng was much more decisive than Su Changqiu. He disregarded the fact that Kang Dabao and the Fei family uncle and nephew were already facing two powerful enemies, and rushed straight towards Cui Wuyang, who had just caught his breath, and fought desperately.

“The blood and spirits scattered around the area just now were a bit strange. Some of them may have been deliberately lured away! The prisoners in this cell are not all dead yet, and there is still a danger. It will take some time before the life-or-death situation is decided!”

When Master Kang spoke, he never expected his words to have any effect. Instead of showing any sign of ferocity, Fu Neng's expression became even more arrogant.

Having witnessed Han Chengfeng's single-handed effort, which caused Cui Wuyang to retreat step by step, Su Changqiu's hesitation gradually faded, and he no longer held back. With the young master of the family exerting all his strength, he naturally made the Fei family uncle and nephew who were fighting against him look quite disheveled.

Fu Neng never thought that his Buddhist practices could function so perfectly as they do today.

Seeing that all of Master Kang's methods were blocked by his White Lotus Dharma Form and he could hardly break through, he made up his mind and shouted, "Enemy of Buddha! Enemy of Buddha!!"

Under such a fierce attack, Kang Dabao naturally felt the pressure increase sharply. Even when he held the butcher's fist with both hands to meet the vajra, he was still bombarded until his tiger's mouth split open and his hands were covered in blood.

However, after seeing the slight look of madness on Defu Neng's face as he gained the upper hand, Kang Dabao breathed a sigh of relief.

The ancient magic ring that the latter had been concealing in his hand suddenly lit up, causing the Buddha's light on Fu Neng's hand to produce mixed colors, which startled the abbot of the great monastery and filled him with fear.
"This is...this is!!! An enemy of Buddha! It really is an enemy of Buddha!!"

This streak of color immediately began to spread from Fu Neng's palm, and then even the white lotus image beneath him was gradually stained by it, losing much of its sacredness.

Most of the spiritual energy had been spent on attacking, so Fu Neng was temporarily unable to control it. He quickly stopped the hand seals, put his palms together, and chanted a spell.

Whether it was due to his lack of Buddhist skills or the overwhelming power of the ancient demon ring, Master Kang noticed that the white lotus beneath him was even more mixed with other colors, and without further thought, he activated his golden eyes again.

This time, the golden rays of light failed to reach their goal and returned empty-handed. A huge hole was punched through Fu Neng's white lotus Dharma image, causing his chanting to stop abruptly and his face to turn pale with fear.

"How...how is this possible?!"

A brilliant halberd flashed and slashed down, causing Fu Neng to retreat in a panic. His tone softened for the first time ever: "Sect Leader Kang, this humble monk is the current abbot of Benying Temple!"

"Ha, scions of prominent families, why do they only realize the gravity of things when it's too late?!"

Having reached this point, there's no chance of turning things around. Even if the person sitting in the temple is a late-stage True Immortal, or even if there's a True Lord in disguise hidden inside, Headmaster Kang wouldn't dare hold back in the slightest at this moment.

He disregarded the strange things that might be hidden inside the magnetic mountain and focused solely on taking Fu Neng's life.

Tu Jiu, showing his courage, cleaved the Vajra Pestle, which was already filled with panic, down with a single blow. In front of Fu Neng, besides the broken white lotus, there was only an ancient mirror talisman of unknown power to block him.

The sect leader Kang's expression hardened, his Golden Eyes of Truth kept flashing, and his sharp, terrifying aura was unleashed. Finally, after another burst of golden light, the ancient mirror talisman collapsed.

Fu Neng's face showed deep fear, yet he was still unwilling to give up, pleading, "Sect Leader Kang, after returning to the sect, this humble monk still has a bright future ahead of him, as long as..."

Before he could finish pleading for mercy, Fu Neng's hand seals suddenly changed, and in an instant, his body was covered in Buddhist light. He formed the Demon-Subduing Seal with both hands and charged towards Master Kang.

Unlike others, Kang Dabao rarely let himself be blinded by elation, even when he had the upper hand. Fu Neng's desperate gamble was not unexpected and did not create any opportunity for him to take advantage.

Therefore, even though the two Demon-Subduing Palm Seals came with great force, they were completely neutralized by the spiritual light emitted from the ancient demon ring. This caused Fu Neng, who had abandoned the White Lotus Dharma Form, to open his heart wide and face the Great Master Kang!

"How can we let this golden opportunity slip by!?"

Ignoring the two streams of golden blood streaming down his face, Kang Dabao's already golden pupils were once again filled with golden light, and two beams of golden light shone out, ready to settle Fu Neng's Buddhist destiny in this life!
But at that moment, another giant hand crashed down from the sky, aimed directly at the mighty Master Kang!

Kang Dabao felt a chill run through his body. He could no longer watch Fu Neng's fate. He could already sense the strange movement of the azure smoke in the gourd. Just as he was feeling uneasy, he seemed to hear another reproachful voice enter his ears.

"Master Guan, you've gone a bit too far!"

The moment the sound faded, the giant hand in the sky vanished without a trace. Before the tears of joy streaming down Fu Neng's face, born of his near-death experience, could even reach his cheeks, he was blasted into dust by the incoming golden light, his face filled with terror. Only a pure white relic remained, which was clutched back into the hand of Sect Leader Kang.

This unexpected turn of events startled everyone present. Even Cui Wuyang, a seasoned cultivator, was so frightened by the giant hand that his swordplay faltered, and Han Chengfeng slashed down his spiritual blade.

"It's time to go!!!"

Without a second thought, Cui Wuyang no longer cared whether Suo Mingsheng could produce the elixir or not, or whether his various plans could be carried out. He turned around and fled back to Cishan Mountain.

Han Chengfeng was naturally unwilling, and it's unclear where he got the courage, but he actually dared to follow them alone.

Sect Leader Kang, however, was in no hurry. After all, he wasn't in a rush to win first place or acquire the spiritual item. Now that he had dealt with the matter of Fu Neng, his trip could be considered complete.

As for what the Great Master behind Fu Neng is thinking, I'm afraid it's useless. At worst, I'll have to ask the Fei family for help with my wife and children and the sect's favor. Then I'll go to Benying Temple and see if the Creation Green Smoke can take the life of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

Seeing that Su Changqiu was beating the Fei family uncle and nephew into a sorry state, Kang Dabao decided to deal with the current situation first.

He rescued Fei Nanxin, who was still bound to the banner and on the verge of death, applied medicine to her wounds, and then took care of Fei Wanqing, who was weakened by spiritual energy. He then picked up the halberd and slashed a series of halberd flashes at Su Changqiu's vital points.

After the Grand Master Kang left the scene, the once incredibly powerful young master of the Su family fell into a slump. Even though the former had just gone through a life-or-death battle and was no longer able to use his trump card, the Golden Eye of Truth, the pressure he brought to Su Changqiu was still slightly greater than that of Fei Nanyi, who possessed the dignified Thunder Law.

If the battle continues like this, the young master of the Su family will likely suffer the same fate as the abbot of Benying Temple who came with him. Naturally, he cannot help but feel anxious.

Su Changqiu had probably considered this a thousand times, but he still couldn't make a decision, hesitating to himself: "Isn't it a waste to use a life-saving item personally bestowed by the Ancestor here?!"

But after he had only been fighting for a short while, there was another commotion coming from inside the Magnetic Mountain.

Su Changqiu immediately had an idea, "Let's try going there and see what those prisoners are planning and if there's any chance of a change in their situation!"

Thinking of this, Su Changqiu took out the last shield-shaped talisman and held it in front of him. After grabbing a spot from the crowd, he abandoned the talisman and headed straight for the Magnetic Mountain.

A single talisman could only buy him a little time. Before Su Changqiu could even reach the middle of Cishan, he was intercepted by the three leaders of the Kang Sect and had no choice but to fight and retreat.

Kang Dabao was still thinking about Cishan's strange behavior and felt somewhat apprehensive, but he was also reluctant to let Su Changqiu go. After hesitating for a while, he still followed Su Changqiu into the mountains.

Unexpectedly, after they entered the mountains, unforeseen events occurred.

A burst of wild laughter rang out, and then the spiritual barriers that had been built in the mountains for who knows how many years suddenly lit up, locking them all inside.

Cui Wuyang and Han Chengfeng, who had arrived earlier, were also trapped inside. Cui Wuyang's injuries were quite severe; even with the eyesight of the Grand Master Kang, it was unclear whether his injuries were treatable. Han Chengfeng was in slightly better condition, but his dantian was locked, making it difficult for him to catch his breath.

After the laughter subsided, the handsome Suo Mingsheng revealed his true form, looking at everyone in the room with a smug expression.

No wonder Suo Mingsheng was so pleased.

Now that he has completed his Golden Core, and all the Golden Core seeds that came from the outside world to hunt him have fallen into his hands, he thought he had the leverage to bargain with the high-level cultivators from the outside world.

Cui Wuyang, who had always believed he had seized a part of Suo Mingsheng's soul, was completely unaware that he had been deceived by Suo Mingsheng's secret technique, the "Yin Yang Mismatched Manual." He thought that after Suo Mingsheng formed his core, he would have leverage over him, but he ended up in such a predicament.

“Those from small families, foolish and ignorant, who do not understand the classics, deserve this calamity.”

As the young master of the Su family, Su Changqiu was certainly not a fool. Although he didn't know how a Golden Core cultivator could suddenly appear out of nowhere during the trial meticulously prepared by the Fei family of Yingzhou, he calmed down after the initial panic.

He glanced warily at Sect Leader Kang, and was about to unleash the weapon he held in his hand when another soft laugh came from the top of Magnetic Mountain:
"Since Fellow Daoist Su has said so, what else is there to say? This Ice Sunflower Gathering was made possible entirely by the presence of all of you fellow Daoists, and I am deeply grateful."

After this sound, the one who was most shocked was Suo Mingsheng, a newly promoted cultivator.

"So, all the high-ranking cultivators outside know about my Core Formation?!"

Before Suo Mingsheng could even utter a cry of alarm, the magnetic field that had enveloped the magnetic mountain for years suddenly collapsed, and a colorful exit reappeared in the sky above the prison cell.

Upon seeing this, Suo Mingsheng didn't hesitate and tried to capture Su and Han, the two most important people, in order to save his life.

But then a soft laugh was heard, and together with everyone else, they were taken out of the Bing Liu prison by spiritual light and landed in the Fei family hall, which was full of golden pills.

Fei Dongwen's talisman emitted a renewed spiritual light, and all the living people in the Bingliu prison cell were shaken out. There were about thirty or forty people left, all of them in a sorry state, mostly weak and injured.

He instructed his attendants behind him: "Transfer them to Liangxi immediately. I will have someone deliver the military seal to the main camp later. As for the sharp decrease in the number of prisoners in the Bingliu prison, I will personally explain it to the supervisor."

The Golden Core cultivators in the arena were not interested in the fate of these worthless true cultivators. The beautiful woman from the Su family waved her fair hand, creating a fragrant breeze, and summoned Su Changqiu to her side for a thorough examination.

"Aunt, I have disgraced the Su family!" Su Changqiu, his hands still clenched tightly, was filled with shame. The beautiful woman opposite him smiled lightly: "It's alright. The sons of my Su family are so precious. How could they be as worthless as those who don't care about their own lives? Qiu-ge'er was reckless this time!"

After the beautiful woman laughed, she didn't linger and got up to say goodbye.

Fei Yeyi got up and saw it off. Then, instead of dealing with the panicked Suo Mingsheng, he, Han, Shu, and Ma checked the number of souls in the alms bowls of the cultivators.

"Han Chengfeng of the Han family, totaling two hundred and sixty,"

"Fei family, Fernanxin, none."

"Chongming Zongkang Dabao, 411,"

Fei Yeyi made a gesture, and the Fei family disciples who were announcing the numbers immediately withdrew. After taking in the various expressions of the Golden Core cultivators from each family, he asked in a gentle voice, "Who is the winner of this Ice Sunflower Gathering? Do any of you fellow Daoists have any objections?!"

Most of the people in the room remained silent. Finally, it was Han family's Golden Core cultivator who stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "All matters were agreed upon by the various families. Who has the audacity to overturn them? We ask Senior Fei to make the decision."

“In that case,” Fei Yeyi paused, pointed at Kang Dabao, and said in a pleasant voice, “Young Master Kang, please go down with Nancy. Nancy will select a suitable secluded cultivation room. Since you have come all the way to Yingzhou, you should go back after you have formed your core.”

The process of forming a core is extremely difficult in the eyes of countless cultivators, but judging from Fei Yeyi's tone, it was as casual as asking Kang Dabao to bring back some local products.

Master Kang naturally wouldn't refuse. He immediately bowed and thanked them, then, with his wife and children still showing signs of shock, he bowed to all the high-ranking cultivators in the hall and followed Fernandes out of the hall.

But he couldn't help but murmur to himself, "Core Formation, huh?"

(End of this chapter)