Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 571 Yangming's Bloodshed Before Battle
At sunset, Yangmingshan is like a rouge box that has been overturned by the heavens, with layers of rosy light spreading over the bluish-gray mountain peaks.

The outermost layer is a molten gold-like orange-red, flowing along the ridgeline like a river, making the eaves of the main hall on the mountaintop translucent. The copper bells on the eaves sway gently in the flow of light, reflecting tiny gold specks onto the moss in front of the steps.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ye Zhengwen was suddenly stunned. If it weren't for the fact that the Yunze Witch Lord Palace's army was arrayed outside and that many disciples from various families inside the formation had already been killed or wounded, this scene alone might have been enough to accompany a meal.

A ray of the setting sun fell on his face. He lowered his head, and as soon as his gaze fell on the jade slip in his hand, the leisurely expression on his face vanished. He then quickly handed it to Kang Dabao.

The latter took it and glanced at it lightly. He felt that the jade slip was bleeding, which made his heart tighten, but he suppressed it with a normal expression and passed it to Buse beside him.

"Please take a look, Chief Secretary."

At this moment, Bu Se no longer dared to regard Sect Leader Kang as the weak junior he once was. He hurriedly moved over with his protruding belly, took the gift with both hands, and after only a few cursory glances, he sighed, "Your sect is truly loyal and righteous."

"Serving the country loyally is simply our duty."

The Grand Master Kang's tone was devoid of emotion, but he later said, "However, the Chongming Sect is weak and incompetent. It is indeed beyond its capabilities to fight against the Yunze Witch Lord Palace alone. I need the Chief Secretary to inform the Duke's Mansion so that all the lords may know."

"Rest assured, Marquis Wuning, I will report everything to you without missing a single word." Buse patted his chest and assured him. Kang Dabao didn't say much more, only instructing the former again:
"That scoundrel Huang Mi has paused his offensive, but we don't know when he will make a move again. I urge you, Chief Secretary, to rest and recuperate at your residence in preparation for battle."

“Then this old monk will take his leave first,” a flash of joy crossed Buse’s eyes. After bidding farewell to Kang and Ye, he quickly left the hall and returned to his cave.

After the people had left for a while, Ye Zhengwen, who had been silent all along, sighed and said, "After this old monk formed his core, why does he seem to have lost so much of his ambition and drive compared to before?"

Kang Dabao couldn't explain it either, but casually replied, "Everyone has their own ambitions, it's not surprising." He turned to Duan Anle and asked, "Have all the gaps in the front been cleared up?"

"Master, I have calculated everything," Duan Anle said, presenting a jade slip as well.

"The standard armor and weapons were transported from home by a caravan just before the battle, so the shortage is still relatively small. However, there is a severe shortage of various talismans and pills. The army lacks talisman masters and pill masters, and it is difficult to make up for the shortfall."

"Yes, the Duke's mansion will send some reinforcements after a while. Tell all the disciples this news clearly, just say that if we can hold out for a while, we will have everything we need."

Kang Dabao was not intimidated by the military might of the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace. It was true that the disciples of this long-established sect were experienced and difficult to defeat. However, he had devoted himself to building the Chongming Sect for many years and now had all his elite troops. In addition, he had the advantage of the terrain of Yangming Mountain. It was almost impossible for Huang Mijia to defeat him in one battle.

However, Master Huang Mi was now determined, and he recalled the list of items on the jade slip:
"The Lu family head, Lu Yunniang, has passed away; the Ma family head, Ma Yansong, has passed away; the Cold Mountain Sect elder, Zhou Zhaoyi, has passed away; the Yun Gu Zhang family's first elder has passed away; the Feng Shi Fang family's second head has passed away; the Zheng family head, Zheng Taibai, is seriously injured; and the Shi Shan Sect's leader, Bian Hu, is seriously injured and unconscious."

The words on the jade slip were tinged with red. Apart from these key figures under the jurisdiction of Chongming Sect, five or six True Cultivators of Chongming Sect also died on the battlefield, and two or three hundred Qi Refining cultivators were killed or injured.

While the battle losses were better than those of the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace, they still caused Grand Master Kang some pain. It took him a long time to recover from his numbness before he calmly explained:

"Fellow Daoist Bian Hu is seriously injured and unlikely to wake up. Old Ye, you should send this medicine to the Shishan Sect later. At the same time, spread the word that I intend for Yuan He to temporarily take over all affairs of the Shishan Sect."

"Okay, I'll deliver it to you personally later."

Ye Zhengwen didn't think that Sect Leader Kang was too direct at this time, after all, Shishan Sect was now considered one of the strongest sects under Chongming Sect.

Since Bian Hu was caught off guard and fell into the siege of several opponents of the same level, resulting in serious injuries that were difficult to recover from, then it was only natural that He Yuanhe should take over the position of sect leader.

Moreover, the other alchemists and seasoned cultivators within the Stone Mountain Sect should have already figured this out long ago, so there's no need for Kang Dabao to worry about his old friend's son anymore.

"Old Ye, you should stay away from the battlefield these days. The newly made mirage screen is ready and will be used specifically for testing your performance. Keeping people's hearts at ease is far more important than taking the heads of a few fake pills."

"Understood," Ye Zhengwen replied solemnly. After seeing Kang Dabao urge him to leave, he withdrew from the hall.

Duan Anle was busy and was about to take his leave, but was stopped by Master Kang. As he approached the latter, he heard Kang Dabao speak:
“Go and warn Rongquan that we are not at our wits' end yet. I have won over so many people's hearts, just to use them as weapons against you. There is no need for me to charge into battle.”

Master Kang's words were truly blunt; only a close confidant would hear them.

Duan Anle's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he immediately recalled the scene of Kang Rongquan blocking the gap in the formation to fight against the fake core of Yunze Witch Lord Hall. He broke out in a cold sweat.

He was about to respectfully respond when he heard Kang Dabao speak again: "You are the same. I should have asked you to stay in the sect and cultivate properly, but I can't do without you. I don't know how far you have come to understand the 'Crimson Pearl Bright True Chapter'."
If you are no longer wavering, then once this matter is settled, you should stay at Xiaohuan Mountain and begin your cultivation journey. If you can truly take on this responsibility, then I, your master, can finally have some peace and quiet.”

Duan Anle felt a mix of emotions, but in the end he did not show it, and simply replied respectfully, "Disciple obeys."

Before Duan Anle left, Kang Dabao spoke again: "Go, and do your job well. The newly recruited militia has only been here for a short time and is still lacking in training. Bring Yunzhou to my place so that you can study the training manual left by Master Zhang."

"The disciple understands."

"Go and visit the wounded soldiers often," Master Kang gave his final instructions, but Duan Anle hesitated and said, "Master, Zhao-ge'er and Yan-ge'er have also been injured."

“Don’t say anymore. Patriarch Yuan came looking for me, but I scolded him back.” Kang Dabao’s expression was complicated and hard to explain. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Even if the battlefield is dangerous, we can always protect them. But if this fire fails to temper them into true gold, then they will only be able to live as scrap iron for the rest of their lives and return to Chongming City to focus on having children.”

Duan Anle was stunned upon hearing this, unsure of what to say. He only heard Headmaster Kang speak again: "As their father, I'm making one last decisive move to choose for them. If it doesn't work out, then they can simply give up their pursuit of the Dao and enjoy their wealth and status. In truth, that wouldn't be so bad."

Duan Anle did not say anything more, but simply bowed again and left the hall.

Left alone in the hall, Master Kang's resolute expression softened, and he couldn't help but murmur, "Enjoying wealth and honor is not so bad. But I'm terrified of experiencing the pain of a parent outliving their child again."

A blurry figure gradually became clearer in his eyes, then gradually blurred again, until it became so blurry that he could no longer recall that stubborn, handsome face.
—Outside the formation, at the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace camp

"Of the four hall masters captured, three alchemy masters killed, twenty-six Foundation Establishment cultivators died, and about fifty were wounded. Three battalions of battle monks were destroyed, and six hundred shaman soldiers were missing. The rest are from various families."

The chanting disciple holding the sacred silk saw that the head monk Huang Mijia's face was becoming increasingly grim, and his tone involuntarily lowered as well.

The chanting swirled within the tents of the Witch Lord's Temple camp, like frozen wind.

The bone ring between Huang Mijia's fingers clicked, and the rosy light that swept through the tent pierced through the gaps in the silk, leaving several golden-red marks on his dark face.

The chanting swirled within the tents of the Witch Lord's Temple camp, like frozen wind.

The bone ring between Huang Mijia's fingers clicked, and the rosy light that swept through the tent pierced through the gaps in the animal hide, leaving several fine golden-red marks on his dark face.

"The rest of the families?!" he suddenly spoke, his voice icy. "Did even those rogue cultivators who live by sucking blood dare to omit their casualties in front of me?"

With a "thump," the chanting disciple immediately knelt down, the silk scroll slipping from his trembling hands and spreading out inside the tent. The densely packed vermilion characters on it were dazzlingly bright under the glow of the sunset.

"I dare not deceive the Grand Hall Master. I heard that Old Monster Li from Black Wind Valley led his remaining troops to surrender to Chongming Sect, and... and that group of Gu Masters from Misty Hidden Mountain. They even tried to raid our Medicine Camp to surrender before, but the Second Hall Master wiped them out. Only the casualties of these two groups are not included."

Master Huang Mi slammed his hand on the table, and the surface, made of fine gold, cracked into a spiderweb pattern.

The shaman's bone banner on the altar shook violently, and the countless human faces embroidered on the banner twisted and roared in the rosy light, as if trying to break free from the cloth.

"Useless!" he roared, his gaze sweeping over the disciples standing with their heads bowed in the tent. "From top to bottom, you are all useless!! My Yunze Witch Lord Palace has a thousand-year-old tradition, and all our ancestors were outstanding figures. Yet you, who are born with the legacy of our forefathers, are no match for that opportunist surnamed Kang when it comes to winning people's hearts?! You have fallen short in his eyes?!"

To be fair, Master Huang Mijia asked the wrong person, but even so, the disciples only dared to complain in their hearts and did not show it at all.
Seeing his disciples struggling to lift their heads under the immense pressure, the Eighth Palace Master, Gou Shi'er, standing at the bottom, gritted his teeth and stepped forward. His snake-shaped tattoo gleamed oily in the light, and his mouthful of yellowed, decayed teeth were clearly visible as he spoke.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger,"

Seeing that Huang Mijia's gaze had been drawn over, Gou Shi'er then spoke: "Although our expedition suffered a minor setback, relying on the power of the Palace Master, we still managed to suppress all the traitors of the Chongming Sect in Yangming Mountain, leaving them to die in despair."

Kang Dabao was born into a lowly family. He later used underhanded means to climb the social ladder and became a lackey of the Celestial Dynasty by relying on his bloody hands. He was ashamed to accept titles and honors in front of the current emperor.

Since he achieved the Golden Core stage, he has been habitually killing and wiping people in the three paths of Shannan, Shanbei, and Huangpi, and no one knows how many fellow cultivators he has harmed, yet no one has ever been able to stop him.

But now, under the overwhelming power of the Grand Master, he is like a turtle in a jar.

At this point, seeing that Master Huang Mijia's expression had softened slightly, Gou Shi'er felt reassured. He suddenly raised his voice and said solemnly, "The disciples of all families have now thoroughly investigated the details of the bandits in Yangming Mountain. When we fight again tomorrow, we will definitely not let them gain the slightest advantage!"

Seeing Huang Mijia's expression improve, Second Hall Master Xia Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and flattered Gou Shier, dispelling the gloom in the tent and giving the hall's officials a chance to catch their breath. Huang Mijia's fingertips traced the cracks on the table, the bone ring scraping against the fine gold with a grating sound. "A turtle in a jar?"

He suddenly chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the fading sunset outside the tent, his tone less icy than before:
"If Kang Dabao is truly a turtle, he's a thorny one. The Lord of Zhaixing Tower doesn't have much patience left. I never imagined he would go to Hongfen Temple and the person behind Qianfo Forest to smooth things over because of my Yunze Witch Lord Temple."

You must understand, even if he were to recover all the lost territory, he might not be satisfied, let alone that we are still stuck at the foot of Yangmingshan, suffering heavy losses and unable to advance an inch!

Even the two Golden Core cultivators dared not answer Huang Mijia's questioning. Fortunately, although the latter was still dissatisfied, he had withdrawn his piercing gaze, and as the atmosphere gradually improved, Huang Mijia simply instructed in a deep voice:

"The next day, bring all the useless people to the front of the formation and send out true disciples to patrol the formation. If there are any who are just going through the motions or pretending to be there, regardless of whether they are disciples of the hall, just cut them down on the spot without reporting to me."

Some families are easier to coax than a three-year-old. The ancestors' notes clearly record what kind of life each family lived when the Great Ancestor was alive. Are they really half as benevolent as my Yunze Witch God Temple?
If even the Kuang family can't do it, how can we expect a mere junior like Yixingjin to accomplish it? Isn't that a joke? Once Chongmingzong is free from external threats, the resources painstakingly accumulated by the wealthy families within his jurisdiction will simply be at the mercy of that Kang fellow.

A mere century of hypocrisy has yielded a fortune in return; no wonder he's a peddler, a master of commerce! Listen up, all of you! My Yunze Witch Lord Palace cannot withstand the wrath of a True Immortal. Tomorrow on the battlefield, there will be no master-disciple bonds, no camaraderie. If we cannot break this formation, then death is the only option!"

"As the Palace Master commands!!"

"bang bang bang"

Hearing a muffled thud and seeing the heads lying on the ground, Master Huang Mijia was still dissatisfied, but he didn't say anything more. He simply waved his sleeve and walked out of the tent.

The tent seemed to warm up instantly, and even the Second Palace Master Xia Ming and the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shi'er finally had a chance to wipe away some cold sweat.

He selected his two trusted disciples and then said, "Have you listened carefully to what the Palace Master just said? There is no room for carelessness. Tell me quickly what you are lacking."

"The number of shamans and rattan armor is quite large. If they adopt a defensive posture, their ability may be reduced by half compared to normal times."

"Stop pretending to be obedient and docile here; go and borrow from the various households within your jurisdiction."

"The efficacy of this batch of Rejuvenating Pills presented by Red Leaf Valley is slightly inferior,"

"This batch needs to be reviewed by the Palace Master and Alchemist to see if it can be saved with some added blood and qi. Also, send someone to bind that fake Alchemy Valley Master of Red Leaf Valley and place him in front of his alchemist's alchemy cauldron. His alchemist must start refining it immediately. If he still can't refine it well, he'll be beheaded as well!"

"My lords, the warrior monks have just consumed the Viper Blood Elixir, and they still need one or two hundred Joyful Bodhisattvas to perform qi-dispersing exercises."

"You dare tell me such a thing? Don't you even recognize a two-legged woman?!"

After a full cup of tea's time, the cultivators finally finished presenting all the various matters to each other.

At this moment, Gou Shi'er's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "I'll let you take whatever you want! But you must remember what the Palace Master just said: if Yangming Mountain is not destroyed, you are not allowed to retreat even if you die!!"

"Yes, sir! We will fight to the death, not retreat, until Yangmingshan is breached!!"

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.

As the sun rose, the generous rays of sunlight bathed the light screen of the Chongming Sect's grand formation in a golden-red hue.

Outside the great formation, the putrid fumes and Buddhist light mingled into a cloud of gray mist. Master Huang Mijia stood beneath the array flags of the Yunze Witchcraft Temple, six pairs of Tantric golden rings jingling on his earlobes. Buddhist chants and witchcraft incantations struck the rock wall, and the rebounding shockwaves caused the surrounding witch soldiers and warrior monks to kneel down.

"Kang Dabao, come out and face your death!"

Huang Mijia's angry roar, wrapped in spiritual power, exploded, and the Soul-Devouring Algae in the swamp suddenly grew wildly, their roots shooting into the formation like black lightning, but were blocked in mid-air by the clear light of the Jade Palace Purifying Halberd.

A loud laugh came from the formation. Kang Dabao stepped out slowly on the bluestone slabs, his short halberd hanging diagonally in his hand. Where the tip of the halberd passed, the clouds dispersed and light scattered in all directions.

This magical weapon, which has yet to claim many Golden Core cultivators' lives, is now becoming increasingly agile in his hands, with even the runes flowing along its body subtly matching the patterns of the Heluo Xuanjia armor.

“Master Jia has come from afar, so we should offer you some spiritual tea,” Kang Dabao said, tapping his fingertips lightly on the hilt of his halberd, a slight smile appearing on his face. “Unfortunately, this place is adjacent to Moyunze in Huozhou, where the water is murky, salty, and foul-smelling, so it is unsuitable.”

Before he finished speaking, the Golden Eyes of Truth-Breaking suddenly lit up, and two golden rays pierced through the gray mist, heading straight for Huang Mi's sea of ​​consciousness.

The latter was prepared, forming a hand seal with both hands, and the Buddha's light hung in the sky like a full moon, as if the sun and moon shone together for a moment. The golden light, however, was not afraid at all, and collided with the light wheel, splashing up a sky full of sparks.

"You beast, you dared to strike first!!"

Huang Mijia roared like thunder, his left palm forming the Moon Wheel Mudra and his right palm forming the Qi Ke Mudra. The tears of Guanyin and the evil energy of the Arhats that surged from his navel chakra intertwined into the Sanskrit characters of the Great Compassion Mantra, forming a chain of fire that covered the formation like a spider web.

Kang Dabao recognized the scene and instead of retreating, he advanced. The Jade Palace Halberd suddenly grew larger, and the tip of the halberd traced the trajectory of the Seven Stars. The dark gold chains of the "Seven Fiends Locking Dragon" emerged from the void and wrapped the fire chains layer by layer.

As the chains tightened, the Sanskrit characters burst open.

Master Huang Mijia was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "This fellow just obtained the magic treasure, and it already fits so well without any nurturing?"

At this critical moment, it was difficult to keep him in awe for long. Suddenly, Master Huang Mijia bit his tongue, and the golden rings on his ears shone brightly with Buddhist light, which barely managed to suppress Kang Dabao's imposing manner.

However, Master Huang Mijia was forced to retreat repeatedly by the Jade Palace Halberd, and six pairs of golden rings rang out in unison, with Buddhist light surging in like a tide.

Kang Dabao did not take the hit head-on. His figure suddenly split into six afterimages, and seven halberd shadows moved according to the Big Dipper. The battle aura of "Greedy Wolf Devouring the Moon" transformed into a silver wolf, which bit off Huang Mi's Buddhist chain.

"This fellow...this is nothing like the Yuan family's halberd technique!"

Yuan Buwen, the alchemist, was quite famous, and even Huang Mijia, who was far away in Huangpi, had heard of him. After searching around for information about Master Kang, he also learned a little about the reputation of "The Wood Mansion Star Lord's Halberd-wielding Military Strategy".

But no one expected that the same halberd technique, in Kang Dabao's hands, would have such power.

Huang Mijia was both shocked and angry. Before he could recover, he suddenly felt a pain in his sea of ​​consciousness, and then all the Buddha light around him began to dim.

"Oh no, a divine sense technique!"

The moment the thought arose in his mind, two golden lights approached him. The golden light made the spiritual energy in front of Master Huangmi extremely hot, and suddenly large blood blisters appeared on his deeply lined old face, making the old monk look quite disheveled.

If it were an ordinary late-stage cultivator, they might have died on the spot. But Master Huang Mijia was a great master of the Southwest Esoteric School, and he was not someone to be trifled with.

Under the regretful gaze of the sect leader, the old monk formed a Buddhist chant with his hands again, and a full moon appeared in his palms, finally managing to stop the two golden lights that were about to take his life.

Just as flames and sparks were flying everywhere, Master Huang Mijia formed another mudra, softly uttered a Sanskrit chant, and pushed out a palm. The giant palm blocked Kang Dabao's close attack with the force of a landslide. The Eight Desolations Mountain Suppression suddenly burst out. The fist and the Buddha's hand collided, but Master Huang Mijia was still the one who had the upper hand.

However, the latter dared not be complacent in the slightest, but endured the excruciating pain in his sea of ​​consciousness and returned to his own formation.

Seeing this, Master Kang was not angry. This old monk was quite skilled. It was rare for him to gain an advantage by taking advantage of the monk's unpreparedness during the next battle. However, it would be extremely difficult for him to advance further.

Fortunately, the outcome of this battle is already decided. Seeing the high morale of the Chongming Alliance disciples in the battle, Kang Dabao was also pleased. He wanted to go to the Yunze Witch Lord's Hall to take another head, but he was forced back by Xia Ming and Gou Shi'er, who were waiting in full battle, and returned empty-handed.

Following instructions from Master Huang Mijia, Xia Ming and Gou Shi'er did not stop while they were ahead, but instead launched a counterattack. Two bronze corpses and two third-tier spirit puppets served as the vanguard, and as soon as several powerful spells landed on the array's light barrier, they immediately gave the cultivators inside the array a taste of their own medicine.

In an instant, disciples from various families collapsed, their internal organs ruptured and blood gushing from their seven orifices, shocking their respective leaders who shouted incessantly.

The warrior monks of Yunze Wuzun Temple arrived on lotus platforms ten feet high. The robes of the warrior monks were stained with blood, and their faces showed no compassion. The prayer beads spun rapidly in their palms, and with each recitation of a sutra, the Buddhist light around them intensified.

Following closely behind were countless unruly sorcerer soldiers, their bodies clad in various colored armors, with tattoos of flowers, birds, fish, and beasts appearing from time to time.

As they ran, they were clearly prepared to fight to the death. Their skin was torn open inch by inch, and black blood flowed down the ravines, forming winding streams on the ground. The rising blood aura seemed to redden even the sky.

Just as this great battle was beginning, the situation of the several forces that had been launching feigned attacks in the south and north of the mountain seemed to have changed unexpectedly.

(End of this chapter)