Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 540 Seizing the Way
The weapon Kang Dabao held in his hand for fighting was a long spear magic weapon that he had taken from some golden pill bag. Although this weapon was of a higher grade, it was new to him and did not yet make the sect leader feel that it was better than the butcher's spear that he had nurtured for many years.

However, now that the slaughter has ended, we have no choice but to deal with this situation in a hurry.

"After returning to the sect, I'll probably need to set a time to travel to Fengming Prefecture to find Master Gu Rong at the Duke of Qin's mansion to properly customize a suitable magic weapon."

However, even this alone was enough to make the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shi'er and the Ninth Palace Master Du Yun'er on the other side unable to withstand it together.

Despite the fact that these two individuals have been cultivating for many years in Huangpi Dao and have achieved the Golden Core stage for over a century, their cultivation levels are not far from the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

However, neither of them felt any shame or anger when they were defeated.

After all, the opponent was a rising star who had been granted a title by Emperor Wei, and it was possible that his death was closely related to the late-stage Golden Core cultivator You Songshangxiu, the Third Palace Master. It would be strange if the two of them could defeat him.

Fortunately, their original purpose was merely to delay the migration of the Chenjiang Kang clan. They would consider it a success if they could save their lives from the powerful enemy. If they really wanted to capture someone, they would have to wait for the palace to send strong reinforcements.

Seeing that Huang Mijia, the master of the three Golden Core sects—Lianjiang Sect, Fengyi Sect, and Fushan Sect—had not personally come, and that Yunze Witch Lord Hall had not yet appointed a sufficiently influential hall master to oversee the matter, they naturally harbored the intention of going through the motions without putting in any real effort.

Not to mention the soldiers themselves, even the elite troops they selected would often only lose a dozen or so lives before retreating after engaging in battle with the Chen Jiang Kang clan.

After seeing this, Gou Shi'er and Du Yun'er didn't dare to say a harsh word, since all the Golden Core sects in the vicinity that could be summoned to help were here.

The two individuals were not particularly prestigious, and it was already considered respectful enough that the three families were willing to put on a show of compliance, but there was no need for them to have any further ambitions.

Fortunately, the three cultivators put in a good amount of effort during the battle of the Golden Core stage; otherwise, the thug wielding the spear on the other side might have been unstoppable.

However, on this day, the cultivators received news that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace was summoning the Eighth Palace Master, Gou Shi'er, back. Upon hearing this, the three Golden Core cultivators were once again filled with rage.

After all, what kind of world is it where the master does the work but only the farmhands contribute money and labor?

Among the Golden Core cultivators sent by the Yunze Witch Lord Palace this time, there are only two of them, and neither of them can be considered particularly important.

If the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shi'er were to be withdrawn, leaving only the speechless Du Yun'er behind, it would be more convenient for each family to leave. However, after the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shi'er handed the letter to each of the cultivators for them to read, their anger subsided.

"That's how it is. Although I have other duties to attend to and will be returning to the palace to report back soon, my master will be arriving with a large army and my fifth and tenth brothers in a few days. At that time, we will need the help of you three. You should know that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace will never treat its friends unfairly."

That man surnamed Kang was quite ruthless, but even he was difficult to defeat. Since I returned to my sect, fellow Daoists need not make any major moves; simply wait for my Grand Master to arrive with reinforcements.”

Gou Shi'er made no attempt to hide his joy as he spoke, since Huang Mijia had already emerged from seclusion, the current crisis should be easily resolved.

Moreover, not having to confront the spear-wielding villain directly was something to celebrate for Gou Shi'er. After all, if he hadn't used up a protective treasure passed down from his master last time, he might have been stabbed to pieces by the spear.

The Ninth Palace Master, Du Yun'er, showed no unusual expression. She simply responded to Gou Shi'er's words along with the three heads of the family, and then fell silent. It was unknown what she was thinking.

Finally, he still earnestly advised, "Myna bird is traveling alone on its journey, and there may be many dangers along the way, so please be careful."

Gou Shi'er nodded upon hearing this, without any other reaction, then bid farewell to the other cultivators, rode on a cloud of witchcraft, and returned via a detour.

After he left, the cultivators did not rush to take any action.

After all, Chen Jiangkang was taking mortals with him this time. Even if they were all close relatives of cultivators, the number was still around 100,000.

The distance between Sizhou and Yunjiaozhou is so far that even an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator would probably lose half his life if he traveled there by himself, let alone these breathing burdens.

Du Yun'er relied on the Huang Mi Jia Master's letter, and her tone became much firmer when facing the three Golden Core cultivators.

However, since she was far less legitimate than Gou Shi'er in the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace, she did not follow Gou Shi'er's instructions completely when she spoke.

But then she gently stroked her white beard and said in a clear voice:
"I suggest that all of you fellow Daoists not to slack off. After some time, once we are fully prepared, we should urge our disciples to launch another attack, just as we always have done."

Don't be too stingy with lives this time; try to save some. After all, that way, when the Grand Master arrives, you fellow cultivators won't be left without any spoils to give you an explanation.

"You should know that in no more than ten days, my shamans and warrior monks will all arrive. At that time, this Chen Jiang Kang family will surely be littered with corpses, with little chance of survival."

After the old woman finished speaking, the cultivators remained silent, each pondering their own plans.

When Gou Shi'er first spoke, it was true that all the cultivators were not seeking merit but rather seeking none. However, Du Yun'er's words made them think deeply.

Huang Mijia's Taoist teachings originated from the Snow Region Tantric Buddhism. He was indeed cruel and tyrannical. It was difficult to find a good master in the four realms of Huangpi Dao, but the Yunze Witch Lord Palace under his command was the most difficult.

If anyone here has other connections, then surely only those raised by concubines wouldn't go to them!
This time, four Golden Core cultivators have perished in his family. It's easy to imagine how furious he must be. If he really gets evidence of them not putting in their best effort, what will their fate be?
The three cultivators simultaneously reached this point, exchanged glances, but remained silent for a long time.

————Five days later
Yuan Jin looked at the elite troops of the Lianjiang Sect, Fengyi Sect, and Fushan Zhengzong Sect opposite him, a hint of worry in his eyes.

When he turned to speak with Headmaster Kang, he disregarded Kang Xiangyi's expression and said directly, "Senior Brother, this time they seem to be serious. If we continue to bring these mortals, we will definitely have a hard time getting through!"

Kang Dabao nodded for a moment, but then showed no concern. He simply asked, "Xiangyi, what do you think?"

Kang Xiangyi, whose name was called, looked sorrowful and regretted going to Shannan Road to acknowledge his ancestors.

You should know that Chen Jiangkang's family gained absolutely nothing from this. Not only did they lose the ancestral cave dwelling, but they also had to force their entire family to leave their hometown.

Even if the Golden Core cultivator from the Fire Gang Sect happened to die at the hands of Sect Leader Kang, it wouldn't make a difference.

However, at this moment, Kang Xiangyi dared not reveal anything.

The old man nodded hurriedly, saying, "Elder Yuan is absolutely right. Ancestor, although mortals are the foundation of the clan, as long as there are still a thousand or so clan members, and they reproduce well, we can always recover."

The clansmen Kang Xiangyi referred to in his last sentence were, of course, those who cultivated immortality. This was the most valuable asset of the Chenjiang Kang clan, and even if Kang Xiangyi lost his own life, he could not afford to lose them.

Kang Dabao and Yuan Jin nodded in approval, thinking that Kang Xiangyi hadn't completely lost his mind after all. However, the latter was still dissatisfied, because in his opinion, even low-level cultivators like Chen Jiang and the Kang family could be left out.

However, he could not voice this thought, otherwise Kang Xiangyi might really disregard his dignity and fight to the death with him.

Seeing the sorrow in Kang Xiangyi's eyes, the sect leader Kang also spoke up to comfort her: "Xiangyi, don't worry. Things haven't reached the point of no return yet. Let me have a good talk with the cultivators on the other side."

The latter immediately bowed and thanked him profusely, but Kang Dabao waved his hand to stop Yuan Jin from trying to dissuade him, and stepped forward. He truly had the imposing presence of a dragon and tiger.

Upon reaching the front of the formation, they saw Grand Master Kang cupping his hands in greeting and loudly proclaiming, "We invite our fellow Daoist on the other side to come out and speak."

He had been on a winning streak lately, taking many lives, including many renowned elders and outstanding new talents from various families. Therefore, Kang Dabao's appearance immediately caused some commotion in the originally quiet military formation.

Countless people within the ranks are chewing until their gums bleed and their pupils are filled with blood.

The sect leader Kang's divine sense was not bad. Without needing to probe further, he could tell that there were nearly a hundred spirit crossbows and cannons of various ranks aiming at his vital points. However, he was not afraid at all. He just waited for the person in charge to come out and speak. Even the slight smile on his face did not fade in the slightest. He really had the air of a deep pool and a majestic mountain.

Finally, it was only after the Ninth Palace Master, Du Yun'er, stepped out that the commotion from the disciples was quelled.

The old woman didn't bow when she came out, and her tone was icy when she spoke. Strangely, despite her wrinkled skin and white hair, her voice was more melodious and pleasant than that of a young woman in her late teens.
“You, surnamed Kang, our two families have no past grudges and have lived peacefully in our own territories. Yet you are involved in the deaths of several of my fellow disciples. What else do you have to say to me?”

This reasoning is indeed sound. After all, the Yunze Witch Lord Palace has lost four palace masters, not to mention the many fake core cultivators and real cultivators who have also perished. What other sect in the world could let go of such grudges and ignore them?

This was one of the few times that Master Kang acted without any logic. He regretted that he had been out of his mind when he went to ambush Master Peng, fearing that it would cause unforeseen complications and endless trouble.

Driven by greed and eager to monopolize the Taoist's Ten Thousand Soul Banner, they were unwilling to risk having their information leaked, which is why they ruthlessly killed him.

Looking back now, it was a terrible move. If we hadn't killed Feng Buyao and the Seventh Palace Master back then, we might still have had a chance to turn things around with the Yunze Witch Lord Palace group.

“These debts cannot all be placed on me alone. Today, I only ask whether you will give way. If you are willing to give way, no matter how I get along with the Yunze Witch Lord Palace in the future, I will still have to ask you for a favor.”

"Ha, your favor?!" The old woman's sneer was indeed sharp, but Master Kang didn't react much, only nodding and asking calmly:
"Does Fellow Daoist Yu also think like the Ninth Palace Master? If so, then I, Kang, will show no mercy today. Let's each rely on our own abilities!"

Du Yun'er's brows furrowed with even greater anger, and she immediately retorted, "All families have always been of one heart and one mind with this prince, how can we tolerate your provocation?!"

The moment she uttered her last word, the spear-like magical weapon in the hand of Sect Leader Kang shot out suddenly. At the same time, a sharp shout from Kang Dabao also reached her ears with the wind:
"Today, I, the Daoist, will test your so-called 'shared destiny'!"

Du Yun'er's expression changed drastically. She immediately summoned a black protective shield. Although this magic treasure was only of low grade, it had been nurtured by the old woman for nearly 30 years. It was also the treasure that Huang Mijia had used to recruit her back then.

Protected by this treasure, and being of a quiet and averse-to-movement nature, this old woman had, by all accounts, not suffered any major injuries for one or two hundred years. It was only recently, when she encountered a fellow sect leader, Master Kang, that she suffered some losses. Master Kang was already used to the heavy miasma emanating from the black banner, and knew that the old woman had devoted most of her attention to refining this treasure, and that she did indeed possess some skill in it.

However, the spear that he threw out could not break through the black miasma scattered by Du Yun'er's black banner. But the true form of the Grand Master Kang that followed could not be blocked by this magic weapon.

The latter withdrew his spear but did not use it. Instead, he put it back in his bag and then shattered the barrier in front of him with his bare hands. Just as a gap was about to appear, his golden pupils also emitted light, which startled the old woman opposite him so much that she hurriedly shielded the black banner in front of her, thus saving her life.

However, just as she was about to call for help, she saw Master Kang take out a mirror.

A beam of spiritual light flashed rapidly from its front, while the sea beast on its back was lifelike. Its originally closed eyes were suddenly opened when the spiritual light swept over them, and then a sharp sword aura flew out, slashing towards Du Yun'er's head of the Six Yangs.

"Help! Help!!"

The call came too late. Kang Dabao was able to cut down a third-tier high-grade bronze corpse with his Soul-Splitting Sword Qi. How could Du Yun'er, an ordinary high-level cultivator, possibly withstand it?
At this point, Sect Leader Kang was not in a position to lose another Hall Master of the Yunze Witch Lord Hall, so he naturally did not hold back.

The three Golden Core cultivators who came to seek help when they saw that Du Yun'er's physical body had been annihilated into ashes.

The poor old woman thought that her reckless actions would be a great success, and that she would be safe if she was careful. But in the end, she still failed to achieve her goal and died because of the Grand Master Kang's trump card.

The three Golden Core cultivators could no longer hide their shock, and their already weak fighting spirit diminished even further.

After all, this dragon crossing the river had not shown such skills before. In the past, how could the cultivators have imagined that he would be able to kill someone of the same level in a single encounter?
It now seems that the Third Hall Master of the Yunze Witch Lord Hall, whose cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage, was very likely killed by this burly and extraordinary Sect Master Chongming.

The three men's skills were only on par with Du Yun'er, who was on the verge of death. Seeing this situation, how could their fighting spirit be strong?

However, if they were to retreat, and the true form of Master Huang Mijia were to arrive and investigate the matter afterward, the various factions would likely face further troubles. This put the three Golden Core sects in a dilemma.

"What are your thoughts, fellow Daoists? Now, whether to fight or retreat, we must give Kang an answer."

Of the three Soul-Splitting Sword Qi contained within the Taiyi Copper Light Mirror, which were comparable to those of a mid-stage Golden Core sword cultivator, only one remained. If it weren't for the need to establish his authority at this moment and force the enemy to retreat and clear the way, Kang Dabao would certainly not have been willing to unleash it.

After all, this could be considered one of his trump cards for facing Master Huang Mijia, but using it on these early-stage cultivators would be a bit of a waste.

Although Sect Leader Kang wasn't even very familiar with the incantation for wielding a spear, the three cultivators opposite him dared not underestimate his movements. Finally, the old cultivator carrying a sword spoke up:
"The Marquis of Wuning is renowned throughout several prefectures, and the Fushan lineage would not dare to make things difficult for us. However, we dare not disobey the orders issued by our superiors. We beg the Marquis to consider our predicament and not take offense."

Although the remaining leaders of the Lianjiang Sect and Fengyi Sect did not speak, it was not difficult to tell from their expressions and actions that they shared the same thoughts as the old cultivator carrying the sword.

Since things have come to this point, there is no other way.

Upon receiving the signal, Yuan Jin and Jiang Qing urged their spirit servants forward and drew their spirit swords to assist. Kang Xiangyi, however, had no choice but to grit his teeth and drag Zhou Yun along to fight alongside many of his clansmen against the disciples of the three Golden Core sects.

One side had a large number of people, a desperate army, and a united will; the other side had fewer people, but were small yet highly capable. It was only because they lacked communication and unity that they could not work together effectively.

Therefore, although the Kang family was at a disadvantage when they first engaged in battle, they did not collapse at the first touch as Kang Xiangyi had feared.

Seeing that Chen Jiang and the Kang family had not lost their composure, the Kang Sect Leader was quite relieved. As for the deaths and injuries of the mortals caused by the fighting between the two sides, no one cared about them at the moment.

On the other side were three seasoned cultivators, all of whom were heads of their families. Their spiritual treasures might not be much less than those of the soon-to-be-deceased Du Yun'er. Even if their cultivation techniques and foundations were slightly lacking, they could not be simply regarded as easy opponents.

Fortunately, although the three brothers had not fought side by side for many years, their tacit understanding had not diminished in the slightest.

Jiang Qing was most interested in the old swordsman among the three, and as soon as he got close to the front of the battle, he immediately found him and started fighting him.

The two sides had been entangled for some time. The old cultivator carrying the sword already knew a lot about Jiang Qing's abilities. He was even more envious of the latter's swordsmanship, which was able to comprehend sword essence at the time of Foundation Establishment.

He has cultivated for nearly five hundred years, comes from a family of immortal cultivators, and possesses the excellent qualities of having two spiritual roots.

He never lacked cultivation resources from a young age, and later joined a celestial sect, receiving instruction from his masters. When he reached the Qi Refining stage, he became a sword prodigy, a rare talent in the sect, one in a hundred years.

Although his cultivation has been stagnant at the early stage of the Golden Core realm for two or three hundred years, his cultivation in this life has been quite smooth.

Yet, even now, this old swordsman still can't even grasp the basics of sword essence. Looking at Chongming Jiang San, who is only a hundred years old, the difference between the two is truly lamentable.

To overcome this seemingly insurmountable barrier, the old cultivator climbed famous mountains, visited great sects, paid homage to eminent monks, and sought scriptures. He accumulated a long list of favors and expended countless resources, but in the end, he only returned with the word "enlightenment."

As the saying goes, "a difference of a hair's breadth leads to a difference of a thousand miles," and after two or three hundred years, his swordsmanship had not progressed at all, and his cultivation had also encountered a bottleneck, which gradually wore down the old cultivator's spirit.

After all, he has now reached the Golden Core stage, enough to roam freely throughout the prefectures and counties. To put it grandly, he could even look down upon all living beings. Why wouldn't he be satisfied?

When this person's spirit is scattered, even the blade of his sword becomes much duller than others.

However, although this sword-wielding cultivator was old, his foundation was not weak. Jiang Qing was, after all, a late-stage true cultivator, so the outcome of their battle was self-evident.

Seeing that this old cultivator was simply overwhelming others with brute force, without using any exquisite moves or profound techniques, he was able to make up for the difference in swordsmanship between himself and Jiang Qing. Fortunately, Cao Xianlu, who was injured, came to his aid when he saw that the situation was not good. The two of them worked together and managed to fight the old cultivator to a draw.

There's not much to say about Yuan Jin's situation. The third-tier spirit slave he created from Jieyi's cultivation is only about 60% of his former strength. In addition, he is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so it's not easy to control him smoothly. It's already a feat to just hold off the Lianjiang Sect leader on the other side, let alone win.

Only the Fengyi Sect Master, who had the highest cultivation level and was the most unlucky, happened to be Kang Dabao's opponent.

Although the latter was reluctant to give up the last Soul-Splitting Sword Qi, he was still far beyond what he could handle with just a spear, a pair of golden eyes, and a pair of bare hands.

However, he overlooked a skill that Master Kang had just learned.

Kang Dabao pierced through the low-grade defensive magic weapon of the Fengyi Sect Master with golden light. Just as the latter was still in shock, Kang Dabao suddenly changed his hand gestures and used the "Sword God Thorn" technique, which he had only just mastered. This immediately caused the Fengyi Sect Master's eyes to freeze, leaving him wide open.

What else could be said? The moment Master Kang took the life of the Fengyi Sect Master, the group he brought immediately fell into chaos.

Some loyal and righteous men wept blood, growing ever more courageous as they sought revenge; others, cowardly and ungrateful, turned and fled at the first sign of trouble. The entire scene was more than just chaotic.

Seeing this, and knowing that his senior brother had freed up his hands, Yuan Jin, who was in the midst of a fierce battle, felt relieved. After careful consideration, he even decided to abandon the Lianjiang Sect leader in front of him and let the third-tier spirit slave hold on on his own.

He then used his footwork to leap quickly to Kang Xiangyi's side, disregarding Kang's personal wishes, and directly snatched the battle flag and main position from the latter's hands, issuing commands in succession.

He was indeed skilled in military affairs, and having followed Master Kang through countless battles over the years, he had witnessed countless battles. Although his cultivation years were much shorter than Kang Xiangyi's, his ability to lead the battle was far superior to the latter's.

Once the flags were in Yuan Jin's hands, the various flag signals changed constantly, and the positions of the formations shifted unpredictably. Before a cup of tea had been brewed, the situation on the field had already changed.

After a brief test, the seemingly meticulously planned three-family combined formation appeared flawed and full of weaknesses in Yuan Jin's eyes. It was only because the Kang family's troops weren't particularly elite that Yuan Jin was confident he could break the formation immediately.

It was at this moment that the Kang family soldiers, who had been fighting for a long time, suddenly felt that the enemy in front of them had become much weaker, and most of the time, their side was actually outnumbered.

Given this situation, and with the army facing defeat, how could they possibly lose?

Having just witnessed the death of the Fengyi Sect Master and the heavy casualties among his disciples, the leader of the Lianjiang Sect was now fighting alone against the Grand Master Kang and that third-tier spirit corpse. How could he possibly have any will to fight?

After painstakingly feigning an opening and taking a spear thrust, he disregarded the consequences, clutching his life-saving talisman, and vanished in a streak of light. He still had some conscience; as he left, he kept shouting, "Go! Go!!"

The army formation, which could have held out for a while, collapsed a large section upon hearing the shouts.

The Lianjiang Sect disciples fled in panic. The Fengyi Sect disciples, who were still in grief and indignation, were killed by the magic weapons and spells in an instant. Only the Fushan Orthodox Sect disciples, whose leader was still alive, did not leave for the time being, but they were also inevitably at a loss.

At this moment, even though the swordsman still held the upper hand, he understood the principle that one tree cannot support a forest. Seeing that Kang Dabao had failed to catch the leader of the Lianjiang Sect and was now charging at him with a spear, he immediately used his sword to separate the two people in front of him and fled at top speed.

At this moment, the Kang family soldiers had no strong enemies left. Their momentum was overwhelming, and every strike was deadly. Who could possibly slow them down?!

The swordsmanship and escape techniques are quite good; at least the current Headmaster Kang is not as good as him.

At this moment, the former did not know whether he should feel fortunate to have escaped, or feel remorse for the countless disciples who had died or been injured, or feel secretly pleased that the Fengyi Sect Master had died and the spiritual land beneath him had become a land without an owner.

With his sword in hand, Shangxiu had no time to care about his disciples and simply fled in silence. Little did he know that he had only been fleeing towards the sect for half a day when he saw an old monk carrying the head of an acquaintance, riding on the clouds with fury in his eyes.

"Great Palace Master!"

"Turn around and lead the way!!!"

The head shattered in his hand, the skull fragments tearing a large chunk of flesh from the old man's face as he carried the sword. He was almost too shocked to utter a sound, only watching as Huang Mijia's anger seemed to materialize into smoke, and he wondered how much blood would be needed to quell it.
(End of this chapter)