Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 572 After the Shattering of Xuanhuang, the Moon Shines with Blood
Another day has passed, and the rosy glow of the setting sun still flows along the mountain ridge, but the light screen of the Yangmingshan Mountain Protection Array has been stained purplish-black.

Ye Zhengwen could only see the runes on the mirage screen crashing like waves against the shore, each line trembling with the monk's chanting, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

Holding a pen and a knife, he diligently recorded whether those on the front lines were brave or cowardly, meritorious or deserving of reward.

Gradually, the shouts of battle outside grew louder and louder, and the bloody wind blowing in his face made him furrow his brows, and even his one remaining eye narrowed slightly. The air was thick with the smell of blood, as if it had dyed his black hair a reddish hue.

Ye Zhengwen glanced at the mirage screen again and knew that the great formation had not been broken and that the wind was coming from inside the formation. So he put down his pen and turned his gaze to the top of the mountain.

On the mountaintop stood a main battle flag, about ten feet square. The flag was woven from millennia-old thunder silkworm silk, embroidered with the characters "Xuanhuang" (玄黄). The runes seemed to move like living things, landing directly on the thickest ley line node of Yangmingshan.

As the flag fluttered, the spiritual energy of the entire Yangmingshan Mountain seemed to pulsate and tremble in response, truly a wondrous sight.

This Xuanhuang Ring Vein Array is a unique earth vein array that Wujian Shangxiu found after traversing three states. It uses the mountain's spiritual veins and seventy-two array flags in conjunction to defend against enemies.

While this old cultivator's skills may not be considered exceptionally high, the low-grade third-order formation he completed is quite excellent, demonstrating his dedication.

To be fair, if that old swordsman hadn't been so overconfident and greedy for merit, and hadn't been careless enough to have his life taken by Sect Leader Kang with his three halberds, then simply by fortifying the defenses and holding the line, Kang Dabao might not have been able to easily lead the cultivators under his jurisdiction to conquer Yangming Mountain in one battle.

How lamentable it is that one person's moral failings have brought ruin to the entire tradition!
Besides the main flag, Xuanhuang, there are seventy-two secondary flags hidden in various places in the mountains, roughly divided into three categories.

The flags are embroidered with the character "坎" (Kan) at the deep pools of the water veins; the flags are embroidered with the character "巽" (Xun) at the narrow passes where the wind howls; and the flags are embroidered with the character "艮" (Gen) against the sturdy cliffs. These flags respectively have the effects of drawing water into spikes, transforming wind into blades, and turning soil into clubs.

The flag-guarding disciples are all elites drawn from various families. They have all been cultivating for years and have some knowledge of array formations. Each of them is also paired with a Foundation Establishment disciple as an assistant, just in case.

Ice spikes, wind blades, and earthen clubs quickly suppressed the arrogant aura of the warrior monks and shaman soldiers who had formed their ranks. The neat and solemn formation was stripped away in the blink of an eye. Not only were the disciples on the front lines terrified, but even Master Huang Mijia, who had personally said "You may die but you may not retreat," showed a more serious expression upon seeing this scene.

These elite troops were hard-won, and seeing that the situation of the shaman soldiers and warrior monks remained unchanged, he was so anxious that he personally took action. The sky was filled with Brahma fire as he covered it with his hand seals, clearing away the magic in front of the disciples. Then he recalled the shaman soldiers and warrior monks and urged the newly recruited vassals to come forward to wear them down.

At this moment, the spiritual power of the many disciples guarding the flag was also exhausted. Duan Anle and the second-tier mid-grade Golden Feather Owl Spirit Eyes were on the same screen. Seeing this scene, the command flags around the banner moved, and the flags of each formation began to rotate again.

The distinction between the main and secondary factions was quite obvious. The disciples from various families who rushed to fight from the Yunze Witch Lord Palace felt that the magic above their heads was not only much sparser, but its power had also diminished by more than half.

Just as they were celebrating, they crashed into a suddenly rising barrier, getting their heads bruised and bleeding.

Huang Mijia and the two hall masters could see clearly from behind that the mountain-protecting formation had changed. The second hall master, Xia Ming, who was somewhat skilled in formations, murmured, "The deputy flag is in charge of the attack, and the main flag is in charge of the defense."

As he murmured this, the disciples guarding the formation of the Chongming Alliance saw the words "Xuanhuang" on the main flag light up, and all seventy-two secondary flags responded in unison. The earth veins of Yangming Mountain immediately roared, and spiritual energy flowed along the runes on the flags, condensing into three barriers outside the mountain.

One of them is called "Wind and Thunder Barrier," which borrows the power of wind and thunder for assistance. The mountain winds and the purple lightning in the clouds all generously come to the rescue.

Many disciples from smaller sects, urged on by the warrior monks and shaman soldiers to charge into battle, rushed forward with bloodshot eyes, only to be blocked by the wind and injured by the thunder, fleeing in terror. In the end, they still could not save their lives and perished at the hands of the disciples of the Yunze Shaman Palace who were overseeing the battle.

This barrier is quite agile; with each flutter of the main flag, the wind and thunderous power change accordingly, making it difficult for many officials of the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace to predict and ultimately resulting in wasted lives.

Its second name is "Mingxuanyuan," formed by the gathering of the essence of water and soil. The water condenses into a misty curtain, capable of cleansing the blood mist of Buddhist practitioners and the black grime of shamans; the soil gathers into a rugged stone wall, capable of withstanding the golden light of crossbows and the heavy blows of Zen staffs. The water curtain encircles the stone wall, where softness can transform into hardness, and hardness can withstand softness, like the image of the harmony between heaven and earth.

The third type is called "Fire Spirit Armor," which draws on the fiery energy from the earth to form a crimson fire armor. The flames flow like a living thing, capable of burning even the indestructible bodies of warrior monks, and scorching the soil and charred bodies of shaman soldiers who attempt to dig into the ground. The intense heat can even bake the roots of spiritual plants until they are crispy.

When the three barriers work together, the Xuanhuang main flag flutters on the mountaintop, and the water curtain of the Mingxuan Enclosure reflects the firelight of the Suiling Armor, refracting a seven-colored halo. It intertwines with the purple lightning of the Fenglei Barrier, as if wrapping the entire Yangmingshan Mountain in flowing light and shielding it from the blood vapor, which is quite a sight.

The brilliance of this Xuanhuang Ring Vein Array lies in its ability to utilize the principles of mutual generation and restraint of earth veins. The warrior monk's Buddhist light belongs to the metal element, so the main flag draws on the fiery energy of the Suiling Armor to counter it. The moment the Buddhist light strikes the crimson fire armor, it melts away like ice and snow.

The witch's poison belongs to the wood element, so the Xuanhuang Banner urges the earth veins of the Dark Enclosure to suppress it. The poisonous mist seeps into the Cangmang Stone Enclosure and is pulverized by the spiritual energy of the earth veins.
With Sizhou not yet recovered and Xianzhou lost, even the gateways to Huozhou have been largely taken over by Master Kang. As a result, the number of gateways that can be summoned by the Yunze Witch Lord's Palace is already much smaller than before. Even if these vassal disciples are worthless, Master Huang Mijia cannot sit idly by and watch them perish before his eyes.

With a wave of his hand and a Buddhist chant, the warrior monks who were licking their wounds immediately began to move.

The lotus mudra was formed with both hands, accompanied by the chanting of Buddhist mantras. The sound waves rippled outwards, like the roar of a white lion, causing the two characters "Xuanhuang" on the main banner to tremble slightly.

At the same time, Wei Gu, who was standing at the head of the main flag, waved his finger and scattered several third-order spiritual essences onto the flag as if they were free. The runes immediately trembled, and sparks suddenly appeared in the gale of the wind and thunder barrier, burning the sound waves generated by the Buddhist chants and causing them to retreat step by step.

Wei Gu let out a long sigh. It was difficult for him, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator and a second-tier high-grade array master, to invite a group of array masters to preside over this array. If his sect leader had not specially allocated a lot of third-tier array materials, he would not have been able to cope until this time.

Even with Master Huang Mijia personally leading the battle monks, the formation's foundation was not damaged. Consequently, the cultivators of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace abandoned the idea of ​​surrendering in one battle and brought up the crossbows from the rear.

Wei Gu, seeing this scene, was not surprised. He sprinkled some spiritual essence on the Xuanhuang Banner, watched the runes flow on the banner, and listened to the earth veins rumbling in the mountain.

The beams of mysterious light shot from the crossbow strings landed on the three barriers, emitting a series of buzzing sounds. Master Huang Mijia had finally been willing to spend spirit stones, which were far more valuable than human lives, and it had worked.

The array masters invited by Wei Gu had varying levels of cultivation, including those who were not true alchemists, those who were true cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and even those who were minor cultivators at the Qi Refining stage. As long as their array skills were classified as second-tier, they were also included.

However, the dozen or so people scattered under the main flag were all deathly pale, regardless of their cultivation level. They could barely hold onto the array tokens in their hands. It was only thanks to Wei Gu's haphazard sprinkling of spiritual energy that they managed to keep the two characters "Xuanhuang" on the flag steady.

The *Zhen Jing Zong Yao* states, "The formation is the means to trace the principles of Taiji's generation and transformation, the vital points of the Big Dipper and the earth's veins; it is also said to be the shadow of heaven and earth, following its course brings efficacy, while going against it leads to collapse."

His current mastery of array formations far surpasses what his master Zhang Qingran could teach him. However, human strength is limited, and his cultivation is still shallow. He has only recently comprehended the Xuanhuang Ring Meridian Array, so it is naturally difficult for him to operate it perfectly.

Huang Mijia Master was willing to give up his old resources, and didn't even spare a penny of the third-tier spiritual tools he had acquired at a high price before the battle. If all of that was ineffective, then he had underestimated this cultivator who had been cultivating for many years.

Another cup of tea's time passed, and even Wei Gu couldn't count how much Xuan light the great array barrier had taken. But then a scream rang in his ears, which terrified Wei Gu so much that he hurriedly scattered his spiritual essence.

His reaction was quick enough, but unfortunately, he was still a step too late.

When the main flagpole suddenly exploded and cracked, the only Qi Refining cultivator chosen by Wei Gu also fainted on the spot. The flag's array masters were all seasoned veterans of battle; without even a close look, they knew that his heart meridian had been shattered, beyond saving even by a god.

At this moment of solemnity, the seventy-two deputy flags also showed varying degrees of damage. The true cultivators who took turns carrying the flags suffered heavy casualties. The earth veins connected by the flags suddenly stagnated, revealing a momentary flaw, which was seized by the alchemist who had been summoned by Master Huang Mijia to operate the crossbows.

The third-tier crossbow hummed as it charged forward, the black iron runes on its body lighting up one after another, twisting the surrounding spiritual energy into a visible white vortex.

The three-zhang-long crossbow bolt was enveloped in crimson flames, with a cluster of purple-gold lightning condensed at the arrowhead. This was a formation-breaking arrow forged from the inner core of a third-tier demon beast, the Crimson-Eyed Thunder Leopard, and the shaft was engraved with "Spirit Rift" runes.

"put!"

The trembling of the giant string overwhelmed the mountain wind, and the crossbow bolts tore through the clouds, dragging fiery tails as they crashed into the Xuanhuang Ring Pulse Array.

The water curtain outside the formation suddenly boiled, and countless water droplets turned into ice shards to meet the attack, only to be blasted into mist by the lightning. Immediately afterward, the fire wall of flint armor rose up, and the crimson flames collided with the flames of the crossbow bolts, exploding into a sky full of flowing fire.

The Xuanhuang banner in front of Wei Gu urged the earth's veins, causing it to pulsate incessantly on the golden earth like bulging blood vessels.

The moment the crossbow bolt struck the light barrier, the entire Yangmingshan seemed to tremble. The flames shattered into sparks, but the lightning relentlessly drilled into the gaps in the runes, forcing ripples to spread across the three sides of the great formation's barrier. The earth's spiritual energy was drawn in by the array flags, replenishing the leaks like a tidal wave.

With a loud clang, many cultivators in the formation felt their scalps tingle. The crossbow bolts were eventually trapped by the Xuanhuang Qi Wall, and the spirit-splitting talismans on the arrow shafts lit up inch by inch. However, Wei Gu, with blood spilling from the corners of his mouth, urged the formation master to change the formation technique several times. The Xuanhuang main flag immediately shone brightly, channeling the power of thunder and fire into the earth's veins, transforming into a pillar of light shooting into the sky in the mountain valley.

The cultivators inside the formation stared at the crossbow bolt that was hanging in mid-air and gradually dimming, when they suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath their feet.

The Xuanhuang Ring Pulse Array, drawing upon the earth's veins for support, completely neutralized the power of the third-tier crossbow, leaving only the remnants of the crossbow bolts slowly crushed into iron filings by the air wall.

The Chongming Alliance disciples, unaware of the situation, were feeling fortunate when Huang Mijia, outside the formation, chuckled softly.

Wei Gu's face was ashen, devoid of any joy. Just as he was about to wrap the Xuanhuang main banner with his spiritual power, the ten-foot-tall banner suddenly exploded, and the shockwave from the explosion knocked over all the array masters.

As he was sent flying backward, Wei Gu didn't forget to shout, "Senior Brother Duan!!"

Without him having to shout, Duan Anle had already noticed the changes through Jin Yuxiao.

But after the main flag fell, the deputy flags were shattered into dust one after another. Fortunately, most of the flag bearers had recovered their years of cultivation, which prevented the tragedy from happening.

With all the array flags lost and Wei Gu's best efforts in presiding over it, the Xuanhuang Ring Pulse Array became like a tree without roots.

The three barriers were completely obliterated, and beams of light brushed past the faces of the sorcerers and warrior monks who came up again, their voices embodying the motto "No retreat allowed," making them appear even more cruel.

Seeing that the opposing formation had been completely destroyed, Master Huang Mi showed no mercy. He sent out all his close disciples to patrol within the formation. Whether they were his own disciples or his subordinates, anyone who dared to retreat even half a step would only meet a fate of being beheaded.

As expected of a long-established sect, the imposing presence caused many alchemists beneath the banner to subtly change color. The chief clerk's expression was somewhat subtle, as if he were secretly planning his retreat.

The collapse of the grand formation was something Sect Leader Kang had anticipated; Wei Gu's ability to hold out for so long was already a pleasant surprise. He didn't say much, only softly calling out, "Anle,"

Upon hearing the sound, Duan Anle moved, and a group of his attendants and disciples waved command flags around him.

The Crimson Guards at the front formed a triple spear formation, the crimson aura at their spear tips intertwining with the azure light of the Azure Guards' lotus platform formation, weaving an impenetrable wall within the light barrier. "Lotus Guards, protect me!"

The monk with disheveled hair suddenly emitted a golden light from the blood-soaked ground, and countless warrior monks charged forward, stepping on the illusory lotus platforms.

Their robes were already soaked in blood, their prayer beads spun like spinning wheels, and with each recitation of a sutra, a wisp of blood mist seeped from their palms, merging into the giant shield of Buddha's light in front of them.

The giant shield slammed into the thick wall, causing the light barrier to dent violently, and the runes lit up inch by inch, like the belly of a fish struggling for its life.

"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" Xiu Ming slashed down from the high platform, and more than a hundred beams of mysterious light suddenly flew out.

Chongming Sect lacks the foundation of Yunze Witch Lord Palace, and Xiuming, the Foundation Establishment Sect Leader, is not capable of wielding third-tier spiritual tools. The hundred-odd second-tier crossbows represent all the capital that Qiaogong Fort has accumulated over the years under Sect Leader Kang.

One could see crossbow bolts, each as thick as a log, striking the giant shield of Buddha's light. The exploding golden flames and Buddha's light swirled together, burning honeycomb-like holes into the shield.

But the warrior monks showed no fear. The Buddhist cultivators in the front row suddenly lunged at the light barrier, their bodies exploding the instant they hit the shield. Blood mist seeped in through the holes, scalding the flesh of the cultivators inside the formation.

These crossbows did not last long. With a flick of Huang Mijia's finger, the remaining dozen or so third-tier crossbows flashed with spiritual light, and the hundred or so second-tier spiritual weapons, along with most of the elite troops of Qiaogong Fortress, were instantly reduced to a pile of rubble.

The warrior monks were already close. Kang Rongquan, who was standing in front of the Crimson Guards, summoned the Wood Demon, which emerged from the ground in time. At the same time, the giant palm shattered the blood mist, and the vine-like arms wrapped around three witch soldiers who were climbing over the light barrier.

The tattoos on these sorcerers suddenly lit up, and patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and beasts crawled along the vines toward the wood demons, corroding the spirit plants and leaving black marks. Kang Rongquan roared and scattered a handful of spirit plant seeds. As the green leaves unfurled, white smoke rose from the black marks, finally driving back the witchcraft poison.

The main force of the shaman soldiers of Yunze Shaman Temple has rushed to the front line.

The shirtless men in the front row bit their tongues, spraying black blood onto Wen's body, causing his skin to instantly split open and turn him into a bloody mess.

The bone blades in their hands glowed eerily, and they surged forth like a tide through the gap created by the self-destructing warrior monks.

The leading shaman, Jia Dan, roared, and the tiger pattern on his tattoo broke free from his skin, transforming into a ten-foot-tall phantom that pounced on the Crimson Guard's spear formation.

"Life and death are impermanent!"

The "Secret Manual of Xuanqing's Withering and Flourishing" helped Kang Rongquan's wooden puppet instantly grow several times its original size. With a flick of his hand, it landed squarely on the tiger's illusory brow. The illusory figure let out a mournful roar, and the instant it vanished, blood burst from the chest of the sorcerer's fake elixir.

In his shock and anger, the leader of the sorcerers brazenly tore off the festering flesh on his chest, pressed a blood-red talisman into the wound, and his body swelled by half a foot, his bone blade slashing towards the nearest Crimson Guard with a black wind.

"Clang!" Yang Xun's square seal slammed into the bone blade just in time, causing his tiger's mouth to split open.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Dave swung his sword and severed the necks of two witch soldiers. However, he saw the blood mist from the Buddhist monk creeping up his wrist along the sword wound. He hurriedly swung his sword at his own forearm, and black blood splattered on the ground with a sizzling sound.

"Star-Shooting Crossbow, fire!!"

Xiu Ming's voice was hoarse, and it was unclear whether he was angry or sad. Another batch of Qiaogongbao disciples who had just arrived were still moving. Silver arrows flew like locusts through the spear formation, pinning the witch soldiers who were trying to break out to the ground.

No one knows how much time passed, but the blood that flowed into streams on the ground had soaked the spiritual soil underfoot until it felt sticky. Taking advantage of this, three pseudo-core cultivators from among the warrior monks rushed out and smashed down more than ten Qingjue Guards at the Foundation Establishment stage with the swing of their staffs.

Kang Rongquan was immediately enraged. He ordered his servant, Mu Xiao, to grab him, but Mu Xiao's arm was easily blown off by the blood talisman in the Buddhist monk's palm. The emerald green liquid mixed with black blood splattered on Kang Rongquan's face, which only fueled his anger.

Minghui, who had just achieved the false elixir, stepped forward to help and finally rescued the brave and fearless grandson of the sect leader.

"Red Jade Guards, fill the gap!"

Yang Xun roared and hurled the seal, its light slightly dimming the Buddha's aura emanating from the Pill Master. Dai Fuzhi, leading his sword-and-shield troop, charged forward, his magic blade striking the Zen staff, sparks flying. But the Pill Master countered with a palm strike to the chest, the spurting blood mist mixed with shattered internal organs—how could he possibly survive?!
Seeing that the battle was dragging on, Master Huang Mijia was furious outside the formation. He suddenly shook his head, and six pairs of golden rings rang out in unison, and Buddhist chants rolled through the crowd like thunder.

The subsequent warrior monks suddenly formed a circular formation, their bodies enveloped in a golden light like a glass dome, and began to temper their physical bodies with spiritual power, their skin gleaming with a metallic sheen.

"Is this a way to overdraw on our fundamental resources?!"

Duan Anle's heart tightened, and he waved his command flag hastily, "Qingjue Guards, reverse the lotus platform!"

The lotus platform formation suddenly reversed, and the reverse side of the lotus leaves was engraved with cleansing runes. The blue light collided with the crimson evil energy inside the light screen, and actually condensed into a huge Tai Chi diagram in front of the formation.

The golden light from the Spirit Crossbow Cannon shone on the Taiji Diagram, refracting into countless light blades that slashed towards the warrior monk's glass shield.

The Buddhist cultivators' defenses cracked instantly, and the Crimson Guards seized the opportunity to thrust their spears in unison. The crimson baleful energy pierced through the cracks and exploded inside the Buddhist cultivators' bodies.

The shaman soldiers were now like madmen.

One alchemist, disregarding all dignity, dragged his broken leg and crashed into the light barrier. The snake-shaped pattern on his tattoo burrowed into the earth's veins and spread along the gaps in the formation, instantly filling the Crimson Guard with black snake shadows.

Just as Kang Rongquan's peach pit burst open, and the moment the Jade Armor Puppet entangled the snake shadow, Yang Xun's square seal seized the opportunity and smashed Aguman's spine on the spot.

After dealing with his opponents and sending Kang Changzhao and Kang Changyan into the rear, Yuan Buwen rushed over. Just before the Wuzu Danzhu breathed his last, he still inserted the bone blade into the crack in the light barrier. Black blood seeped into the blade, and the runes were completely extinguished.

They had just taken another pill master's head, but they still couldn't rest. They had to join the other pill masters who had arrived and fight them in a chaotic battle!

The Crimson Jade Guards, Azure Jade Guards, and Witch Soldiers and Warrior Monks were engaged in a fierce battle, while the vassals of the Chongming Sect and the vassals of the Yunze Witch Lord Palace were also fighting on the same side.

At this moment, neither Duan Anle nor Huang Mijia could clearly discern the current battle situation. They could only see all sorts of people mixed together, fighting fiercely and indistinguishably.

As the sun set, the corpses in front of the battle lines had already piled up into a small mountain.

The Buddhist light emanating from the warrior monks dimmed like a flickering candle, while the shamans generously showered down their bodies, which then converged into a red river.

Occasionally, a few Buddhist monks chanted scriptures, while the severed limbs of shaman soldiers twitched on the ground. The spear tips of the Crimson Guards still pointed at the enemy formation, and the lotus platforms of the Azure Guards slowly rotated, washing away the last wisp of blood mist into a faint fragrance.

A look of desolation flashed across Duan Anle's eyes. He leaned on the railing of the high platform, gazing at the crimson spears stuck in the pile of corpses in front of him. The crimson aura at the tips of the spears was still pulsating slightly.

He suddenly saw that the long-silent Sect Leader Kang was standing beside him, the Jade Palace Halberd leaning against his shoulder, the clear light of the halberd tip blending with the moonlight, casting a long shadow on the ground.

"how?"

Upon hearing Kang Dabao's question, Duan Anle felt a warmth in his heart. He wiped the blood from his face and suddenly smiled, "If Second Uncle were here, these lewd monks and barbarians would suffer a great loss."

Outside the formation, Master Huang Mijia stared at the broken yet still standing light barrier, his bone ring clenching so tightly it cracked.

Most of the warrior monks behind him had fallen, and the tattoos on the shaman soldiers had mostly faded, yet the front line hadn't advanced much. Even the other two temple masters were muttering to themselves, "How many more disciples will have to die?! If we had known this would happen, we would have focused all our efforts on taking over Sizhou."

"Let's retreat, we'll figure something out later!!"

Huang Mi's roar was filled with resentment. As he turned around, he caught sight of a burly figure wielding a halberd in the formation, and his expression turned solemn.

He suddenly realized who the real barrier to Yangmingshan was.

As night deepened, large swaths of moonlight shone down, illuminating the wounded soldiers scattered across the mountainside on Chongmingzong's side.

Yang Xun leaned against the broken spear, watching Kang Rongquan, whose fate was unknown, being carried to the wounded soldiers' camp. Suddenly, he discovered that a fragment of a warrior monk's rosary was stuck to his seal, which had almost cost him his life.

"At least we survived," he wasn't the only one who felt this way. As night fell, the moonlight was generous, illuminating the bloodied faces.

The cultivators of the Crimson Guard used the tips of their spears to prop up a pot and cooked the spirit rice mixed with the Bigu Pill over the remaining fire. Duan Anle did not seek leisure, but instead led the disciples of the Azure Guard to make up for their evening lessons under the moonlight.

The chanting, hoarse with the lingering pain of someone who had survived a calamity, brought a sense of peace to the surrounding cultivators. Even the wails in the clinic seemed to subside considerably.

The sect leader, Kang, held his short halberd in his hand, staring straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

Not far away, Master Huang Mijia's chanting of the Buddha's name was intermittent, lacking any trace of its former freedom.

He was not defeated today, but for the Yunze Witch Lord Palace, not winning was tantamount to defeat. "Kang Dabao is a man of some stature. I cannot take you in. Let's wait for someone who can take you in."

As soon as the words were spoken, a letter floated into a quiet, secluded chamber within Xiabo Mountain. Inside, an indescribable creature was panting heavily.

(Some readers left comments saying that I, Lao Bai, am not very proactive in correcting typos. Actually, it's because I know my writing hasn't been very good lately, so I haven't had the courage to read the comments.)

I seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle right now. I don't know whether to focus on the ensemble cast or Kang Dabao's individual story. I also don't know which way to unravel the plot lines I planted earlier. So writing 4,000 words a day is a real struggle. I'll definitely update more when I'm in better shape. (————Words in brackets don't count as money)

(End of this chapter)