Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 564 Rongquan Weeding (Revised)

The battles fought by the Golden Core cultivators high above had no direct relation to the low-level cultivators in the formation who were fighting for their lives.

When Headmaster Kang went to greet Yu Nian'en with his halberd, Duan Anle naturally landed under the banner.

This sect leader disciple had never commanded so many fake alchemists before, but his deliberately stern face did indeed bear some of his master's imposing presence.

Duan Anle had completely mastered Kang Dabao's mannerisms, keeping his eyes glued to the formation below. Command flags were issued from time to time, and even his tone was as authoritative as that of the Great Master Kang.

Among the alchemists of the Chongming Alliance, some may have been dissatisfied, but none dared to utter a word. Even though Duan Anle's tone was not pleasant, they could only follow the command flag in the hands of this Foundation Establishment cultivator and hurriedly rush to their respective destinations.

The arrival of these fake pills naturally drew warm hospitality from their counterparts at the Yunze Witch Lord Palace. This also meant that although both sides had already fought to the point of bloodshed, the real battle was only just beginning.

The struggle for the position of Pill Master is clearly not something that ordinary people can get involved in. It is merely the aftershocks of the Daoist arts and talismanic energy that are difficult for those Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators who have lost their positions to withstand.

So, after only a few breaths, the already bustling battlefield became even more lively.

Suddenly, large sprays of blood erupted from the countless small formations on both sides, and severed limbs flew everywhere. Then, bursts of screams filled the air, a truly horrific scene.

Fortunately, the Yunze Witch Lord Palace still has a large number of troops in Sizhou to fight against the other two. Although the troops brought back by the Fourth Palace Master Yu Nian'en are elite, they are not many. In terms of the number of Pill Masters, they are even fewer than those under the jurisdiction of the Chongming Alliance.

The alchemists of the Chongming Alliance come from relatively good backgrounds compared to ordinary sects, but they are still only third-rate forces in Yingzhou. Even though they have some wealth and their Taoist techniques are quite profound, they still lack the ruthlessness of disciples from the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, who grew up in the borderlands.

Therefore, although the Chongming Alliance had the numerical advantage, the situation was still somewhat unsightly.

This made it almost impossible to hide the eager look of Third Master Jiang, who was still under the banner. However, he knew his limits and did not forget that he still needed to stay by Duan Anle's side to ensure that the central army was not lost and that there was no dissent.

At this time, the Chongming Alliance was in a very good position. The great formation built by the shaman soldiers and warrior monks was getting thinner and thinner with each battle. The tragic Buddhist chants and shamanic incantations were mixed together in a strange way, which urged the disciples of each family who were eager to make merit to work even harder.

Kang Rongquan led a battalion of Red Jade Guards to the front, his handsome face glowing with a crimson-gold color from the Buddha's light before him, yet he showed no sign of fear.

It is true that he was dispatched by the Elder of Spirit Plants within the sect, but his behavior was completely different from that of Zhou Yixiu, who had never taken a single life in his entire life.

This grandson of the sect leader was calm and domineering, and even the masters in the Chongming Sect were influenced by him and rarely had a good temper.

Even many of the notoriously arrogant disciples of the Punishment Hall would hesitate beforehand, considering whether it was worthwhile to detain these hard-working, camaraderie-loving fellow disciples when they saw these farmers carrying hoes breaking the law.

In fact, under the tutelage of Elder Kang Rongquan, the disciples of Chongming Sect who were able to enter the Spirit Plant Hall were not like the scraps and leftovers of other sects.

Now everyone in the sect knows that Elder Kang's favorite disciple is one who can "plant rice seedlings with one hand and wield a knife with the other".

As a result of this top-down influence, the cultivators of the Spirit Plant Hall, while fulfilling their duties, were also unconsciously enveloped in a fierce aura.

Although Kang Rongquan was not a direct disciple of the Grand Master Kang, unlike Duan Anle, Jin Shilun, and others who could not receive the latter's cultivation techniques, Kang Rongquan was the only disciple in Chongming Sect who could comprehend the "Mysterious Purity and Prosperity Secret Manual".

Kang Rongquan paid a heavy price to cultivate this high-grade cosmic-level technique. It took him nearly ten years just to switch to this method. Before that, Kang Rongquan had already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

However, Kang Rongquan felt that these ten years were really worthwhile, because just looking at the current situation, he knew that he had taken the right path.

At this moment, facing the enemy, stood a disheveled monk with a ferocious expression, showing no trace of compassion. His peak Foundation Establishment cultivation made him a formidable opponent.

Some of the small battle formations of the monks were about to collapse, and the monks inside were about to flee, only to be killed by the Chongming Alliance cultivators who were about to pour in. However, they were stopped by this ascetic and a group of Buddhist monks.

The crescent-shaped staff in the monk's hand was a top-grade spiritual weapon, truly extremely sharp. Even standing in the midst of a thousand-man battle formation, it could not conceal the fierce aura emanating from him.

Yang Xun, who had been eager to atone for his sins, was not willing to fall behind. He immediately led two deputy generals of the Red Jade Guard to stop the fierce and imposing monk with disheveled hair.

"Haha, well done! I was just thinking of cutting off some valuable heads so I could exchange them for wine with the Palace Master after I've dealt with you enemies!"

Instead of being surprised, the ascetic laughed and suddenly swept his crescent-shaped staff, instantly unleashing boundless golden energy around Yang Xun and the others, which was extremely sharp.

Dai Fuzhi, the head of the Dai family in Xijiang Valley, was already at the late Foundation Establishment stage. He was one of the strongest cultivators in the Chizhang Guard, second only to Yang Xun, and enjoyed great prestige in the army.

However, the moment Dave encountered the sharp edge of this disheveled monk, he was filled with fear after just one encounter.

His cherished robes were easily torn apart by the sharp force of the staff, and the spiritual seal on them immediately collapsed. If it weren't for his excellent agility, he might have lost his life in the blink of an eye.

However, Xu Bing, another deputy general of the Red Jade Guard who was slightly inferior to him and Yang Xun, was not so lucky. After slowing down, the disheveled monk opposite him spread his hand, and a bright red handprint suddenly shot out.

Xu Bing was not someone who had grown up in a pampered environment, so even when faced with a life-threatening situation, he did not panic.

Suddenly, a jade pendant belonging to a high priest hanging on his chest shone brightly, and a tall high priest immediately landed in front of him, wielding two fiery maces, wearing black armor, and riding a qilin mount, truly a valiant and heroic figure.

After the tall priest appeared, Xu Bing could even hear his soldiers exclaiming in surprise behind him, but he wasn't surprised at all.

After all, relying on this treasure, he had easily killed several late-stage True Cultivators and earned considerable merit within the Crimson Guard. Given his current situation, with more accumulation, he might be able to plot the creation of a fake elixir, just like Yang Xun.

However, the bright red handprint did not disappear rapidly under the priest's double maces as expected. Instead, the priest and his qilin were blasted away by the handprint as if they were bubbles. Xu Bing's expression changed drastically in shock, and he exclaimed, "How is this possible?!"

This disheveled monk's Buddhist teachings were far more profound than the other practitioners had imagined. However, Yang and Dai, who had been forced to avoid Xu Bing's sharp edge by the Crescent Moon Staff because of his troubles, hurriedly came to his rescue.

However, the monks around him were well-prepared, with pagodas, vajras, wooden fish and all sorts of spiritual artifacts appearing, filling the air with the aroma of yak butter, and easily stopping the two.

Kang Rongquan, the commander of this camp, was extremely anxious upon seeing this turn of events, but he remained calm and composed, steadily leading his battalion of Red Guards forward.

Since Xu Bing had no powerful allies, the miasma artifacts he haphazardly conjured up were unlikely to help him hide and escape.

But the billowing smoke was quickly melted away by the Buddhist light emanating from his crimson palm, revealing him completely.

This time, nothing could stop the bright red handprint. Yang Xun and the others who were nearby heard the Buddhist chants and stared wide-eyed as the handprint landed on Xu Bing's chest.

The latter cursed wildly, and the jade pendant on his chest, though shattered, still tried its best to protect its master. Even after being reduced to dust, it could not stop the hand seal for even half a breath.

"Come die!"

The disheveled monk merely let out a sinister laugh, and Xu Bing's chest flesh seemed to melt away like fresh snow meeting the setting sun. A bloodcurdling scream rose as the latter's entire body was also imbued with the Buddhist light of the hand seals.

A few breaths later, as the spiritual bones were bathed in the Buddha's light until they were as white as jade and covered with swastika symbols, they also took away Xu Bing's last bit of life.

"Amitabha!"

As the monks' morale soared and they chanted Buddhist prayers, the bloodlust in their eyes intensified. The disheveled ascetic also felt pleased, but just as he smiled, countless sharp lights pierced through the air from the opposite formation.

"The lotus protects me!"

With a flick of his staff, the ascetic summoned the group of Buddhist monks who were locked in combat with Yang Xun and Dai Fuzhi back to his side. Once in their positions, the monks softly exclaimed, "Lotus protects me!"

The Buddhist disciples, wielding various ritual implements and fiercely battling the enemy, also heard the Buddha's name. Their faces immediately filled with piety, and they directly abandoned their enemies, closed their eyes, clasped their hands in prayer, and sincerely chanted the Buddha's name.
"Lotus protects me!!"

"Puff puff"

The magical weapons showed no mercy, striking directly at the bodies of a large number of Buddhist practitioners.

However, to the surprise of all the cultivators of the Chongming Alliance, even with blades at their feet, these bald bandits still looked satisfied.

Large amounts of blood were seen flowing down, quickly forming streams along the ground.

Many precious lives were lost, but afterwards, a group of Buddhist monks, led by the shaved-hair ascetic, seemed completely unconcerned, continuing to silently recite scriptures with the former.

Just as the crossbow bolts pierced the sky and began to fall, a sudden burst of lotus petal-like light enveloped the area within a mile radius of the monk's chanting, completely blocking the barrage of crossbow bolts that the puppeteers of Qiaogong Fort had painstakingly prepared with great effort and resources. At this moment, a battalion of shaman soldiers behind the monks' battle formation led by the monk also broke through the enemy lines and rushed towards Kang Rongquan's troops.

Protected by the lotus flowers, the monks received all the Taoist rituals and magical implements before them. Although they and the shaman soldiers came from the same school and were not usually harmonious, they were perfectly in sync when fighting together.

But then they saw a group of shaman soldiers coming shirtless, their upper bodies covered in tattoos, and even their heads were almost devoid of white flesh. The disheveled monk led the monk to give up his position, discarded his crescent-shaped staff, and took up a treasure bottle, performing magical incantations.

The sudden, loud chanting was extremely disturbing, but in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the ferocious sorcerers in front of them in a layer of Buddhist light.

The leader of the shaman soldiers swallowed the talisman water as he marched, and as soon as it entered his throat, the patterns of flowers, birds, fish and beasts on his body lit up.

Then, the skin of the shaman leader burst open, turning him into a blood-soaked figure in an instant, while also making his aura much stronger.

This change made the leader of the shaman soldiers so arrogant that he disregarded the cultivators of Chongming and broke away from the ranks of the shaman soldiers, charging alone into the Chongming formation.

Even the long-haired ascetic from the same region was startled upon seeing this scene: "Aguman's sorcery has improved again. It seems he has already overtaken me. I wonder if he intends to go with the flow and form a false elixir, or if he wants to compete for the main road!"

"Whizzing."

Aguman's movements were ghostly and unpredictable; even with a hail of crossbow bolts, few could graze him. And if only a few scattered bolts fell, they couldn't even break through the Buddhist aura emanating from him—how could they possibly stop him?!

As for the screams and howls emanating from his shaman soldiers behind him, they did nothing to stop Aguman's movements.

He was shorter than many women.
Even though Dave was of humble origin, he was rarely seen as such a fierce person, and before the battle even began, he already showed some fear. Yang Xun, on the other hand, remained fearless. His seal swelled up and pressed down on Aguman like a small mountain.

This magical artifact was acquired by Yang Xun after he sold Peng Daoren's magic treasures, so its power should not be underestimated. However, the Agu Man opposite him only glanced at it before figuring it out.

He quickened his pace even further, making no attempt to dodge, and leaped unharmed, grazing the falling square imprint, to Yang Xun's side. The latter was not unprepared; he opened his mouth and unleashed more than ten ice spikes.

Aguman looked surprised, but he didn't dodge. He let half of the ice spikes shatter the Buddha's light, and he didn't even try to avoid the rest of the ice spikes, simply using a layer of black scabs to block them. Afterwards, ignoring the several bloody holes that appeared on his body, he swung his fist with a ferocious expression and smashed it down on Yang Xun's head.

"So arrogant and unruly!!"

Yang Xun, equally determined, summoned another black jade tablet to form a shield to block, but the barbarian Agu Man scoffed and shattered Yang Xun's jade tablet with a single punch. Before Yang Xun could react, Agu Man scalded him with black blood, causing Yang Xun to lose his composure, grimace, and look utterly pathetic!
"Come die!"

The mountain-like seal flew back swiftly with the angry shouts, but Aguman was not afraid at all. His huge fist was full of ferocity, and he slammed it down on Yang Xun.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two loud crashes rang out in succession. Yang Xun's chest armor was smashed apart, large patches of flesh were torn off, and even his Dao foundation was on the verge of collapse. Kang Rongquan hurriedly sent soldiers to bring him back, but his gaze lingered on the barbarian cultivator who had carried the top-grade spiritual weapon and was still standing there.

He had no idea how much effort Huang Mijia, the Grand Master of the Yunze Witchcraft Palace, had put into training these witch soldiers.

They would find suitable cultivators to teach them witchcraft, and have specialists use a hundred kinds of spiritual plants, regardless of their medicinal properties or toxicity, to create a spiritual liquid that would seep into the body and permeate the bones and blood. This single step would eliminate eleven people; if they couldn't withstand it, they would surely lose their path to cultivation.
Afterwards, a large sum of money will be used to temper the body with barbarian witchcraft techniques, and the essence blood of a hundred kinds of demonic beasts will be brought in to soak in the pool. Only one-third of them will retain their intelligence.
Aguman was able to stand out from the crowd of shamans and become a disciple of the Golden Core cultivator. With a bit of luck, he might even be able to produce a fake Golden Core cultivator with the resources he expended. However, he was no match for Yang Xun, who had some luck.

Even though he acted so recklessly, he was seriously injured and it was hard to say that there was no price to pay. But seeing the high morale of the group of witch soldiers behind him, who were like tigers and wolves, one could tell that his actions were not a loss.

"As the lord of the northern border of Huangpi Road, how could he be without any foundation?!"

Kang Rongquan's expression turned serious. He sighed at how violent Aguman's actions were. Every move he made was as fierce as if he were fighting for his life, which caught him off guard, as he had thought that Yang Xun could still hold his own against him for a while and that he would not rush to help.

As he looked around, he noticed that the Red Guards around him were somewhat timid because of the death and injury of their two usually imposing deputy generals, Xu Bing and Yang Xun. He then knew what to do.

"Junior Brother Jin, I'll trouble you to take the lead!"

"Senior Brother Kang, please wait."

Before Jin Shilun could finish speaking his words of concern, Kang Rongquan had already transformed into a beam of blue light and landed where Aguman was.

The latter, Sheng Yangxun, was also in a bad state. His injuries had not yet healed, and he was still bleeding profusely like a tattered sack. However, he did not arouse any pity in Kang Rongquan.

With a flick of his finger, a black peach pit shot out and pierced Aguman's chest, making the latter even more horrified than when he carried the Yangxun seal on his back.

"Zheng"

The sudden metallic clang caused blood to splatter from the ears of several of the shaman soldiers who had followed Aguman.

Aguman was astonished. His fist, which had always been invincible among those of the same level, had burst open, revealing cracked finger bones.

The force of the recoil caused the wounds on his body, which were about to be gradually closed by the witchcraft, to explode again, and black blood immediately splattered wildly, but none of it could get close to Kang Rongquan.

But as soon as the black peach pit that Aguman had knocked away landed, it disappeared into the soil.

The cultivators present immediately felt a lightness beneath their feet, as if much of the nourishment in the spiritual soil had been instantly drained away, causing them to tremble incessantly. The shaman soldiers, fearless of death, did not hesitate and, seeing the unexpected turn of events, still leaped forward like mad tigers.

They had only gone halfway, and had not yet engaged the Crimson Guards, when a burly wooden demon suddenly appeared beneath their feet, disarmed the first few Foundation Establishment sorcerers, crushed their flesh and bones, and swallowed them whole.

Aguman and the disheveled monk in the rear were both startled. The latter's expression changed for a moment, and then he chanted Buddhist prayers, leading the monks to change the scriptures.

The Buddhist chanting had less of a serene quality than before, and seemed to create more of a hazy, illusory atmosphere for the listener.

However, Kang Rongquan had overcome his past mental tribulation, and his temperament was no less than that of an ordinary alchemist, so he could not be disturbed by such Buddhist chants. With a flick of his sleeve, the wooden demon, which was at least ten feet tall, began to kill in all directions amidst the scattered formation of the shaman soldiers. Even the ferocious Aguman could only temporarily withstand its attack.

"After switching cultivation methods, my Spirit Transformation Technique has only become a couple of times stronger!!"

Kang Rongquan exclaimed that it was a good deal, remaining where he was and wielding his wooden demon to collect the lives of the shaman soldiers. Jin Shilun and Dai Fuzhi did not stop their actions, leading a battalion of Crimson Guards, each adorned with jade talismans and holding round shields, to form a battle formation.
Five hundred Crimson Guards silently recited the incantation they already knew by heart, imbuing their crimson spears with a layer of spiritual energy, and then unleashed them, the spearheads plunging one after another into the dry, hard spiritual soil.

With a series of sharp, crimson auras soaring into the sky, the Buddhist chants dissipated, and a layer of the Buddhist light and ferocious flames on the sorcerer in front of them was also stripped away.

After this, the drums and gongs sounded, the banners were raised, and the hunting crossbow platforms behind the formation were activated again. Golden crossbow bolts as thick as bowls fell down in a flurry. The Chizhang Guards were roused and rushed forward. As soon as they engaged in battle, they carved out clearings in the ranks of the shaman soldiers.

The splattered blood and severed limbs finally made these humanoid beasts, who only knew how to kill, see things more clearly.

It was at this moment that the disheveled monk became truly anxious, and even the prayer beads in his hands were rubbed until they felt like hot coals.

But Aguman was even more anxious than the disheveled monk. The wooden demon he was facing not only had fists that carried wind and thunder, making it extremely difficult to block, but his own fists, which collided with the demon's, were gradually turning into wood and then developing golden and iron patterns. Even his spiritual energy was no longer circulating smoothly.

"That pretty boy is so fierce!!"

Aguman was a Golden Core seed within the sect, unlike the subordinate cultivators who were obsessed with killing. Therefore, he did not expect to suffer too much blame after the defeat, and knowing that he was no match for the enemy, he immediately had the idea of ​​retreating.

However, Kang Rongquan was unwilling to grant his wish. He stopped the "Jade Vine" incantation and paused the spell to heal the Crimson Guard. He pointed his Spring Finger forward, and three streaks of green light swept around the Wood Demon, which was in the midst of a fierce battle, and landed as three green-armored grass puppets.

"Ahhh!"

Aguman screamed in terror, but was ultimately smashed into a pile of minced meat and barely survived. The disheveled monk in the rear was terrified at the sight. If he was like this, what would become of the warrior monks and shaman soldiers?
Led by Jin Shilun and Dave, the Red Guards, with their spears like a forest, were no match for the already chaotic formation of the sorcerers and warrior monks. They could be reaped as easily as weeding with a sickle.

At this moment, neither Buddhist chants nor fighting spirit could stop the rapidly spreading thought of survival.

The disheveled monk looked around and saw that it wasn't just them; in the battles around them, the Yunze Witch Lord Palace side had won more often than they lost.

As the fence erected by the Chongming Alliance tightened, even those alchemists who used to dominate from above found it difficult to gain the upper hand after their initial three blows, once the fake alchemists from the capital region had adapted.

"The tide has turned? No, no, if the Fourth Palace Master wins, the tide of battle can be turned around."

But just as the disheveled monk had this thought, he saw a heavy object fall heavily from the void!
(End of this chapter)