Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 561 Blood Moss Gnawing at Bone Huangpi Road
————Huangpi Road, Huozhou

As dusk fell, blood mingled with the dim sunlight and slowly seeped into the cracked earth.

A broken flag lay askew among the charred corpses. Beside the flagpole, a serpent eagle lay stiff and cold, its once gleaming crimson eyes now veiled with ice crystals, its two wings reduced to bare bones. As for the flesh and blood, they had long since rotted in the scorched earth.

The charred spirit wood forest resembled countless ghostly claws reaching towards the sky. Further away lay half of a giant spirit corpse puppet, its spiritual energy furnace in its chest cavity bursting open, with black smoke billowing from the spiritual liquid flowing onto the rotting grass, creating a large cloud of white mist carrying the stench of corpses.

The riverbed beside the Spiritwood Forest was filled with purplish-red mud. And among the densely packed rocks in the riverbed, some mangled corpses of cultivators were stuck in an extremely uncontorted position.

There was a headless figure, clutching a broken jade flute tightly in his hand; and there was a handsome swordsman who died with his sword still glaring angrily, his courage undiminished.
The lives of these people, even those of the least skilled novelist, could be the subject of a grand treatise. If they hadn't died, a few fake or even real elixirs might have actually emerged from among them.

But the bodies that gradually swelled up in the river proved that this could not have happened.

Suddenly, a beam of moonlight pierced through the clouds, faintly illuminating a few Blood Spirit Grasses that had moved to grow wildly beside the corpses.

These unique spiritual herbs of Huangpi Road grow in an unpredictable manner. As long as you are willing to feed them with flesh and blood, they will not disappoint you.

The bloodstains scattered all over the ground are enough to allow them to grow into high-quality medicinal materials that can be used as elixirs in just a few months.

However, the victorious side had no time to wait. He Chang, who was surveying the battle situation, rode his old donkey over. Upon seeing this scene, his eyes lit up, and he quickly dismounted to harvest the Blood Spirit Grass as soon as possible, lest the reinforcements from the Yunze Witch Lord Palace on the other side arrive and he return empty-handed.

Just then, Han Xundao had finished dealing with several disciples of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace who had come to pay their respects. His flying sword was still dripping with hot blood. He then led the two sons of the sect leader, Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao, over.

Kang Changxi was far away in Lianghe, and Kang Changyi could only serve by his master's side when there were no major events. He could not come to Huozhou.

Even though Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao were not highly skilled, they could not escape the dangers of battle.

The reason was that Master Kang suddenly realized that his two illegitimate sons were used to a life of luxury and had made little progress in any area. Therefore, he cut off their allowances, feeling that they needed some tempering to be able to withstand the storms of the future.

If they continue to be raised as if they are "too precious to be touched," or if they wait until their mother, Yuan Xiyue, passes away, it will be difficult to see whether the two of them have established a foundation.

Upon seeing the three approaching, He Chang immediately abandoned his search for spiritual items and bowed respectfully, saying, "Junior Brother Han, Brother Yan, Brother Zhao, what brings you here?"

Han Xundao was indeed arrogant, but he never slighted fellow disciples like He Chang, who were very close to his sect leader, even though the latter was not talented and had difficulty reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

But then he heard him laughing and saying to He Chang, "Reporting to Senior Brother, I brought two junior brothers here to search for the remaining enemy soldiers."

"Search for the remaining enemy?" He Chang understood instantly just by looking at the expressions on Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao's faces. He then frowned and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Han, you should know that this kind of action is disobeying your uncle."

Upon hearing this, Han Xundao, who had deliberately brought his two junior brothers up to steal the credit, immediately turned pale.

Before he could even make a move, the golden-haired old donkey that He Chang was riding, which was chewing on the Blood Spirit Grass, suddenly raised its head and gave him a cold look.

That old donkey was truly ferocious just now, chewing up three long-cultivated dragon roots before finally emerging from its wounded state amidst the array of the Cloud Marsh Witch Lord's Palace.

Thanks to the old donkey who cleared the way for He Chang, his team was able to surge into Huozhou like a tidal wave, seemingly without any regard for reason.

Han Xundao's cultivation and aptitude were only average. It was only through the favors of his deceased brother that he was able to receive great guidance and support from his teachers, which allowed him to successfully establish his foundation.

He had previously considered taking a different path and thus specifically became a disciple of Yuan Xiyue. However, the latter was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and her preferred method was not very suitable for cultivation. Therefore, Han Xundao's progress over the years has not been significant.

Furthermore, in terms of seniority, this old donkey under He Chang's command can be considered a founding member of the sect's revival under the Great Master Kang. There are few in the entire sect who can compare to him.

Even though this old donkey had an awkward status and had never been well-liked by the sect leaders, Han Xundao didn't want to offend him rashly. Not to mention, there was also He Chang, the senior brother who was increasingly valued by Sect Leader Kang, by his side.

However, Han Xundao felt it would be difficult to save face if he simply gave in. He was about to pull Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao together to argue when he heard another person speak gently from behind:

"Why don't you think about this? If you continue to feign ignorance, how can you keep it from your master?! After the incident, even Madam Yuan might not be able to smooth things over for you, and Changzhao and Changyan will also suffer the consequences. What's the point?!"

"Brother Duan?"

"Junior brother is guilty!! I beg senior brother to punish me!"

He and Han's voices rang out one after the other. The latter had just dared to argue with He Chang, but as soon as he heard Duan Anle speak, he dared not say a word and immediately responded respectfully.

“Hmm,” Duan Anle gestured for He Chang to stop bowing, then slowly walked to Han Xundao’s side and said in a deep voice, “Uncle Ye is short of manpower to transport military supplies, Xundao, don’t slack off, go over there honestly and do your best.”

"Yes," Han Xundao replied without hesitation, bowing his head in agreement. However, as he turned to lead Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan away, he saw Duan Anle gesture for him to leave quickly and say in a low voice:
"I have my own arrangements for Changzhao and Changyan, so you don't need to worry about them. Just go."

"Yes"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Han Xundao's eyes, but he ultimately dared not utter a single word of dissent.

Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan, who were detained on the spot, suddenly looked much uglier, but they did not show it. They just looked at Duan Anle with hopeful eyes, hoping that he would be lenient with them.

However, Duan Anle, who is usually lenient, clearly did not let them off as easily as they had expected.

But then he spoke, saying, "Ahead is a battalion of Songfeng Yixie, searching for the remnants of the Yunze Wuzun Temple who have fled. It is led by Junior Brother Liu Ya. Since you two brothers have come here for training, then do not slack off. Quickly take my token and go up to help."

Because the Yunze Witch Lord Palace has only suffered a minor defeat, the positions Duan Anle has chosen for Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao are not good ones. Furthermore, there are even quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators who previously fled returning to seek revenge.

Of the two, Kang Changyan was the one who could make the decision. He seemed to ponder for a moment, then cupped his hands in a pleading manner, "Senior Brother Duan, this..."

"Please wait a moment, my brothers. When Master was your age, I never saw him so timid."

Having already said all that, how could Kang Changyan and Kang Changzhao possibly refuse? They simply bowed their heads in thanks and then rushed forward.

"Senior Brother Duan, that..." Seeing the hesitation on He Chang's face, Duan Anle immediately knew what the former was thinking, so he explained softly, "After Junior Brother He passed away, Junior Brother Liu took over the management of the Punishment Hall. He has always been very reliable, so there is no need to worry about him."

After Duan Anle finished speaking, seeing that He Chang's expression had not improved, he knew that the latter was still not at ease, so he explained:

"Before I left, my third uncle and several alchemists had already gone ahead, and they should be here by now. With them here to protect you, my two brothers will be fine, so please don't worry."

Hearing this, He Chang felt somewhat relieved. After all, it made sense; no matter how selfless Duan Anle was, he still had to know his limits when it came to matters involving his master and son.

While He Chang was initially dissatisfied with Han Xundao for bringing the Kang brothers here to claim credit for their achievements, he did not necessarily agree to put them in real danger.

After all, the group of women led by Fei Shuhe always wanted the two of them to have more experience. But they never revealed that they really wanted Kang Changyan, Kang Changzhao and those followers who were so poor that they only had their lives left to live, to risk their lives to earn a future.

Therefore, after hearing Duan Anle's words, He Chang's expression improved considerably, but afterwards he stared straight at Duan Anle without saying a word.

The latter tried to dodge but failed, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He then said helplessly, "Xun Dao's nature is not bad. As long as we, his senior brothers, diligently guide him, he will gradually change his temperament and cultivate diligently."

"Senior brother's kindness is a blessing for the disciples of the sect, but too much of a good thing can be harmful."

How could Duan Anle not understand the reasoning He Chang was referring to?

In fact, even when facing the two illegitimate sons of the sect leader Kang and his own only son, he could still put on a stern face and give them a good scolding. But as soon as he met Han Xundao, his heart softened involuntarily, which was quite a pity.

Knowing that he was in the wrong for not severely punishing Han Xundao, he changed the subject and explained things to He Chang properly:

"There are still many sects in Huozhou that care about Yunze Witch Lord Palace, and there is also a top-ranked palace master who is stationed here. Junior brother, you must not neglect him in the slightest."

I have a suggestion: after you return, junior brother, quickly reorganize your forces so that we can enter Lezhou, where the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace is located, as soon as possible.

News has come from Wuwei Tower again: ever since the combined forces of the Abbot of Hongfen Temple and the Abbot of Qianfo Forest were no match for that scoundrel Huangmi, the situation in Sizhou has become critical. I have compared this news with the battle reports I have received recently, and it is indeed true.

Therefore, we need to act faster, because if we are too slow, we will miss the opportunity to join forces with the other two to attack us.

He Chang could not be considered an expert in military affairs, but he had been exposed to them since childhood and had recently led troops a few times, so he had some insights.

He knew that if the facts were truly as Wuweilou said, it would be virtually impossible for the Chongming Alliance to severely damage the Yunze Witch Lord Palace with the strength of the whole family.

You should know that even close disciples like He Chang are aware of some of the promises their sect leader received from the Duke of Qin's mansion.

The Yunze Witch Lord Palace currently governs most of Huozhou and the entire territory of Xiuzhou, making it almost the heart of the region.

In private conversations, the cultivators often discussed that if the Chongming Alliance could take over the entire territory in the future, then the five prefectures of Huangpi Daoxian Prefecture and Shanbei Dao Pu, Ding, Yun, Ye, and Jing would all be under the nominal jurisdiction of the Marquis of Wuning, but in reality, the Chongming Sect.

And Kang Da's ability to unite forces and manage growth goes without saying.

If this continues, after a few more years, the three unremarkable southwestern regions might suddenly produce a major sect on the border, second only to those Nascent Soul sects.

However, it would be very difficult to accomplish this task by relying solely on Master Kang.

The swordsman in tight-fitting clothes ahead, who is currently searching for and eliminating the remaining enemies, is the hope for the next high-level cultivator of Chongming Sect to appear.

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.

Jiang Qingxing, suspended in mid-air, led several heads of small families from the capital region, weaving back and forth between the two families' lines of control.

Although his cultivation level is low, his skills are not weak. Recently, even Yuan Buwen praised his fighting talent as being a hundred times better than that of the Great Master Kang. However, once he chose to cultivate the sword path, there was no turning back. How could he possibly give it up?
Most of these young masters from prominent families in the capital region were only at the pseudo-Dan level. Although they came from big cities, in terms of ability, they were far inferior to Yuan Buwen.

Therefore, when facing Jiang Qing, none of the cultivators dared to show any sign of weakness, lest they be criticized and offend the sect leader; nor should they be remembered by a cultivator with a bright future.

Jiang Qing led so many alchemists in and out of the border several times in order to investigate the background of the cultivators in Huozhou. Along the way, he encountered many cultivators sent by the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, but most of them were only at the Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stages.

Jiang Qing wasn't exactly bloodthirsty, but he also didn't have any simple moral principles like "not bullying the weak and respecting one's status" to uphold.

Therefore, he would often simply capture them at home, hand them over to a specialist for torture, and then easily let them go.

Although many people lost their lives as a result, some were still saved. Compared to the high-ranking cultivators in the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace who advocated cruelty, Jiang Qing's actions could be considered a bodhisattva's measure.

However, this time they were quite lucky. They didn't encounter any idle people along the way, but on the way back, they ran into a Pill Master who had the same methods and plans.

With a clang, the flying sword that rose from the jade-faced young man's hand was even more dazzling than he himself.

The person opposite him was a seasoned alchemist, but as soon as they met, seeing that Jiang Qing's flying sword was no match for it, he immediately thought of those of the same level who had fallen under Jiang Qing's sword during the battle, and wanted to make a run for his life.

The alchemists behind Jiang Qing seemed to have made no move yet, but Jiang Qing immediately urged his flying sword, which transformed into a long rainbow, intending to kill the fake alchemist in front of him with a single strike.

The man was extremely decisive, but the magical treasures he carried were not very useful. Before long, he lost his life under the fierce sword light of Jiang Qing and the help of the other alchemists.

The latter killed another alchemist, but there was no excitement in his eyes. He simply took out the map that his companion had just drawn and examined it.

He simply disliked complicated matters, but he was extremely intelligent.

Jiang Qing pondered for a moment and then thought, "The fullness inside is all an illusion. The Yunze Witch Lord's Palace is out of people in Huozhou! Otherwise, they certainly wouldn't be able to send out such a thing! I need to tell my senior brother right away!"

(End of this chapter)