Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 587: The white thieves destroyed the formation and caused evil, and the people of the Ming Dynasty defended Pingrong.

Kang Dabao probed the river with his divine sense and felt that the spiritual energy beneath the water was chaotic and boiling. Jiang Qingfu, whose life or death was unknown, was unlikely to survive if he fell into such a turbulent river. How could he not be anxious?

His heart sank as if into ice. He made hand seals to channel his spiritual power, trying to clear the chaotic water veins, but then he heard Fei Tianqin's urgent shout from behind: "Have you found it yet?!"

Kang Dabao turned around abruptly and saw that Fei Tianqin, who had just been fighting with Pu Honggu, had a rare look of fear in his sharp eyes.

Meanwhile, Pu Honggu and the Golden Core cultivators under the jurisdiction of Zhaixinglou, who had been restrained by it, all stopped fighting. Regardless of which school or sect they came from or which lineage they cultivated, they had all reached the advanced cultivation realm and thus possessed some knowledge.

After they stopped fighting, all the Golden Core cultivators looked towards the west with complicated expressions.

With their divine senses, all the cultivators could detect that strange ripples were spreading in the void above the barrier of Han Ya Mountain outside Baisha County. A layer of light purple barrier peeled off like shattered glass, revealing a gap about ten feet wide.

Beyond the breach, a series of chilling beastly roars echoed, and a stench of blood, carrying the scent of the wilderness, swept in, causing all the spiritual herbs on the ground to bend over.

Kang Dabao's pupils shrank sharply as he saw enormous demonic beasts pouring out of the barrier's gap: a mountain demon with a blue face and fangs wielding a giant rock, its every step causing the ground to tremble; a serpentine python covered in scales slithering about, its mouth spitting out venom; and a red-eyed eagle with a wingspan of several meters circling overhead, its sharp claws gleaming coldly.

Behind these demonic schools, however, lay an endless horde of ferocious beasts.

"It's a demonic beast from the Lishan lineage! That scoundrel Bai Canhong actually dared to break the barrier of Hanya Mountain!! Does he really want to ruin the southern part of the mountain like Liangxi Road?!"

Fei Tianqin's voice was filled with unbelievable rage. He was of noble birth and seniority, and he knew how terrifying the Lishan lineage was, which had caused considerable trouble for David in the past.

Even if the Kuang family clan was cruel and ruthless, spending most of the nation's resources to keep these ferocious beasts out was, for David Xianfan, a good thing that would benefit future generations.

However, the fact that Bai Canhong, a descendant of the Taizu Emperor, had ruined the Great Wall of Zhaixinglou was a source of both shock and anger for Fei Tianqin. This old fox was so enraged that he disregarded the presence of a powerful enemy and continued to berate Fei Tianqin.
"Didn't Bai Canhong ruin the hard work of his ancestors?!"

At this moment, Fei Tianqin's anger was useless. He could only watch helplessly as the boundless, ignorant and monstrous beasts joined forces with the cultivators from various sects brought by the Liangyi Sect, and together with the Liangyi Sect's Dao soldiers, they began to slaughter their own cultivators.

Since settling in the spiritual land of the southwest, there have been very few situations that have made Fei Tianqin feel powerless to reverse the situation, but what he saw today is one of them.

"Let's go, we can't fight anymore."

Having seen many grand occasions alongside several sect kings, even when it was surrounded by a group of Ying Shan soldiers and Chongming Alliance cultivators, and was swept away by the raging beast horde, leaving sprays of blood, it was difficult to lose its mind for even a moment.

After that soft sigh, Fei Nanying and Fei Donggu changed the array flags beside them, releasing the panicked followers to scatter like birds and beasts, and drawing away a small portion of the beast tide.

The disciples of this faction fought and retreated, slowly withdrawing to the rear like rocks in the tide.

Kang Dabao watched the fleeing figures of the righteous followers, then glanced at Jiang Qing, who was still nowhere to be found in the river. His teeth clenched so hard that they pounded together. In the end, he hardened his heart and followed Fei Tianqin back.

The Jade Palace Halberd flashed a clear light behind him, forcing back the two mountain demons that were chasing him. The blood droplets that splattered fell into the messy grass and were instantly crushed by the sound of the beasts' hooves.

Fei Nanying and Fei Donggu led the core forces of the Yingshan Army, forming a defensive formation to cover the rear.

Young men from noble families are more knowledgeable and courageous, and they can still remain calm in this situation.

All that could be seen was the crisp sound of swords and axes slicing through the scales of demonic beasts, the bursts of magical light, and the roars and screams of the beasts. With each step back, several corpses of cultivators or demonic beasts were left behind.

As the crimson-eyed vulture swooped down, Fei Donggu suddenly threw out the array flag. A golden net of light instantly opened, trapping the vulture within. The disciples in the array seized the opportunity to slash wildly, and large swaths of scalding blood covered the vulture, causing large plumes of white steam to rise from the armor plates on the cultivators' bodies.

However, they were quickly entangled by several cultivators who had freed up their hands. Relying on their skills, they fought back and took two lives when the cultivators were off guard, thus scaring away these Golden Core cultivators who could never unite as one.

Even Pu Honggu, who had taken advantage of the chaos to attack, was fooled by this old bird, taking a direct hit from its feathers and clutching his chest, vomiting blood incessantly.

Fei Tianqin flapped his wings to sweep away the scattered vultures circling overhead, panting heavily as he said, "Head to Yunjiao Prefecture! Keep watch there and see what the Duke's Mansion has to say."

After saying that, he also knew that Kuang Liuting would probably have difficulty providing assistance. After all, Bai Canhong had finally made up his mind to open the barrier of Hanya Mountain. Even if he still had some sense and dared not allow the demon lord to pass through, he would not have opened only a corner of Baisha County.

Afterwards, all the states under the jurisdiction of the Duke of Qin's mansion will likely witness this beast tide slowly spreading, suffering the devastation of countless lives.

There were other knowledgeable people in the room besides this old bird, but none of them could do anything about it.

Kang Dabao first glanced at the tragic scene in the formation, then at the several leading demons in the opposite horde of beasts who seemed quite pleased with themselves, and finally looked at the surging river below the cliff. In the end, he gave Duan Anle a look, signaling the latter to raise the banner and order the cultivators in the alliance to retreat back to Yunjiao Prefecture with the Yingshan Army.

How could the words "heart-wrenching pain" possibly describe the situation of Master Kang at this moment?
He had no time to calculate how many disciples he had lost this time, but he knew that even with so many lives lost, Yunjiao Prefecture, which he had painstakingly built, would still have to become a battlefield again.

—————One day later, Emperor Chongmingzong
"Quickly calculate if there are any alchemists left in the sect!? The children of the Yu Lin Hall? It doesn't matter, just gather them all and come with me to the front lines."

"The proclamation is issued to all counties and households, and shall be distributed in accordance with the dual names of the clan and the Marquis of Wuning's residence. All names shall be in accordance with the numbers submitted by the county magistrates to Xiaohuan Mountain last year, with no omissions allowed."

At this critical moment, if they dare to shirk even the slightest responsibility, we must let them know that the Chongming Sect is also capable of killing!

"Send people to bring the close relatives and blood descendants of the various families of Chongming Sect up the mountain. Be discreet in your actions and avoid causing trouble!"

Jin Tanglu, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, was puzzled as soon as he emerged from seclusion. He wondered why not a single fellow disciple was there to congratulate him. But after leaving the secluded place of seclusion, he saw the bustling scene inside the sect.

Fortunately, he didn't need to think too much before Duan Yunzhou, who had just come off the battlefield and was covered in the smell of blood, pulled him over and put him on the spirit boat, which was already quite full, and they sped to the front of the battle.

"Grandmaster Jiang's whereabouts are unknown, all the alchemists in the alliance are in dire need of help, and the Qingjue and Chizhang Guards are decimated and urgently require assistance."

These few simple sentences carried a heavy weight, causing Jin Tanglu to murmur incessantly. Halfway there, they saw Zheng Wanbi, a member of Jiang Qing's lineage, gracefully landing on the spirit boat's deck, stepping on a colorful ribbon, and offering a slight bow.
"My second grandmaster uncle sent me here so I can help my two senior brothers!"

Duan Yunzhou knew that after his junior sister established her foundation, she had already mastered some of the sword techniques left by her master, Ming Zhe. Although she was still a bit spoiled, he didn't consider her a burden and was quite at ease.

At this moment, Duan Yunzhou didn't elaborate further, but simply advised, "This battle is dangerous. Junior Sister Zheng has little experience in battle, so you need to be extra careful."

On the boat were a group of young disciples who had just been recruited, most of whom had only been out of Yulin Hall for a few years. Chongming Sect had been engaged in constant warfare in recent years, but these descendants had not experienced much hardship; they were genuine disciples of the Golden Core sect.

Normally, this would be a good thing. The ancestors of Chongming Sect have sacrificed themselves one after another, so that there would be no more disciples in the sect being hastily sent into battle and facing the tragedy of being killed without being taught.

However, who could have known that Master Kang's painstaking efforts would not last for many years, and the younger generation of the sect would soon face the same suffering of being besieged by the enemy!
Knowing that the other disciples were uneasy, the three pretended to chat and laugh along the way. This nonchalant demeanor fooled many of the younger generation, which at least made them look a little better.

However, as soon as the spirit boat landed in front of the great formation that the Fei family of Yingzhou had carefully set up in Pingrong County, these fledgling immortals were so frightened that the color drained from their faces.

The Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Array stretched out in the sky above Pingrong County. Dark golden light, like a shattered galaxy, entwined the remaining nineteen Mountain-Suppressing Pillars. The earth vein crystal cores at the top of the pillars lost their luster and turned a dark red like blood amber.

Each flicker was like a candle flame about to go out, causing the underground spiritual veins to tremble as if weeping. On the cracked earth, the spiritual herbs withered at a visible speed, and even the river water rose with muddy foam.

Older cultivators in the vicinity of Yunjiao Prefecture may have heard their elders mention that they had also witnessed these scenes when the Silver Knife Prince Consort Shen Lingfeng led the Imperial Guard to quell the mountain barbarians.

In other words, the Fei family of Yingzhou today is overdrawing the spiritual veins of the county that Headmaster Kang has painstakingly recovered over the years.

Moreover, Fei Donggu's skill was clearly far superior to Shen Lingfeng's back then. Even Duan Yunzhou and other true cultivators could see it clearly. The situation and the losses brought to Pingrong County were almost beyond human control.

Outside the formation, the beast tide of Lishan surged like dark waves, spreading towards the formation from three sides.

The Green-Faced Mountain Demon School carried the "Mountain Rift Rock" which was over ten feet high on its shoulders. With each step, it left a footprint half a foot deep. When the rock hit the array membrane, the dark golden light dented out like a spider web.

The Azure Serpent meandered and slithered, its scales reflecting a cold light. The "corrosive spirit mist" it spewed from its mouth landed on the array membrane, instantly corroding honeycomb-like holes. Even though the array-guarding cultivators were in a well-organized formation, they still could not ward off this poisonous mist and easily lost many of their lives.

The crimson-eyed vulture blotted out the sky, its wingtips gleaming with a cold, iron-colored light. When it swooped down, it could tear through the air, and the sound of its sharp claws scratching at the membrane was like countless blunt knives scraping against a bronze bell, piercing the heart and making it hard to stay calm.

Most terrifying was the two-faced serpent behind the beast horde, its dark blue scales layered like black armor. Wherever its "soul-devouring mist" passed, whether it was a cultivator's robe or a demon beast's fur, everything turned to ashes. Even the ground was eroded with deep trenches. The mist surged toward the great formation, and the dark golden light began to dissipate inch by inch.

The Liangyi Sect's third-tier "Meteor Cannon" array was personally commanded by Qiu Yunsheng. These eight array-breaking weapons, allocated by the Zhaixing Tower, were engraved with twisted Yin patterns, and the "third-tier demon cores" treasured by the Liangyi Sect embedded in the muzzles were emitting a dark purple halo. As Pu Honggu's hand seals fell, the demon cores suddenly burst out with black light, and the mysterious light condensed from the muzzles was extremely dazzling. At the same time, the air seemed to be sucked out, and the cannons crashed into the Zhenyue Pillar with jet-black tail flames.

With a deafening roar, one after another, the pillars that once guarded the mountain shattered, and the rubble, carrying turbulent currents of spiritual energy, crashed into the formation. The force of the impact was so great that it drowned out the cries and curses of the cultivators.

The Fei family of Yingzhou was not entirely without a fighting back. After all, they had some resources. Dozens of "Cloud-Riding Boats" pierced through the clouds, the spiritual patterns carved on their hulls bursting with radiant light. The "Spirit Rhinoceros Repeating Crossbows" on the sides of the boats fired simultaneously, the silver crossbow bolts wrapped in demon-dispelling spiritual light, raining down on the meteor cannon array like a storm.
Even though Qiu Yunsheng was quite skilled, he was only one person, which made it difficult to provide support. Even with two Golden Core cultivators joining him, the Fei family's methods were not to be underestimated.

Just as the crossbow bolt grazed the robe of one of the Liangyi Sect's artillerymen, it triggered a self-destruction of the robe's spiritual light, blasting fine cracks into the crimson-gold body of the meteor cannon.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Yunsheng was immediately enraged. He shook the Hunlei Bell in his hand, and the sound of the bell spread out rapidly like ripples on the lake, trying to shake off the crossbow bolts in the air. However, it was useless for him to do it alone, as the Lingxi Repeating Crossbows on the Cloud Boat were still firing in unison.

The second wave of crossbow bolts bypassed the bell's sound and headed straight for the demon core beside the cannon array. This was the "wing" that the Star-Picking Tower had added to the Meteor Cannon, this vicious tiger; once destroyed, the might of the giant cannon would likely be greatly diminished.

Qiu Yunsheng dared not delay and hurriedly urged the two Golden Core cultivators, who were already showing signs of fear, to unleash their magic weapons and stand in front of the core.

Unexpectedly, the rain of arrows was far more terrifying than Qiu Yunsheng had anticipated. The two cultivators' magical treasures shattered instantly, and even their physical bodies were mostly destroyed. In the end, even Qiu Yunsheng, a cultivator with years of experience, couldn't immediately determine whether they were alive or dead.

Just then, Pu Honggu's figure flashed by like a black shadow. He unfolded the Yin-Yang Dust Diagram in his hand, and the Yin and Yang energies transformed into a giant hand, protecting all the remaining demon cores. At the same time, he shouted sternly: "You Fei family cultivators, abandon the darkness and turn to the light now, and you may still have some chance of survival!!"

Before he finished speaking, he activated the jade diagram, and the Yin and Yang energies condensed into dozens of energy blades, which slashed towards the Cloud Riding Boat.

The Fei family cultivators on board hurriedly maneuvered their spirit boats to dodge, but the energy blades still struck the spirit patterns of the three cloud-riding boats, causing the spirit light on the boats to dim and slowly fall.

Inside the formation, Fei Donggu's eyes turned bloodshot. He waved the formation flag in his hand, and the "Tianxuan Star" rune of the Nine Heavens Suppressing Mountains Formation suddenly lit up. A golden star blade shot out from the formation membrane, heading straight for Pu Honggu's back.

Pu Honggu was forced to turn around to defend himself. The star blade collided with the air blade, and the shockwave spread out. He was shaken back three steps, and the flesh on his chest tore open again, with a large amount of blood seeping out from the horrific wound.

Fei Donggu was able to force an old cultivator to retreat, but the onslaught of the Lishan beast tide did not stop.

Seeing that the artillery formation was blocked, the blue-faced, fanged mountain demon once again picked up the Rift Rock and smashed it towards the weakest point of the formation membrane.

The "Tianquan Star" rune lit up, and a golden beam of light shattered the rocks. However, dozens of poisonous scorpions were hidden among the rubble. The scorpions burrowed into the holes in the array membrane and rushed towards the cultivator guarding the array.

Jin Shilun stepped forward with his longsword. A burst of sharp metallic energy from the blade reduced a poisonous scorpion to ashes. He turned back and shouted to the remaining Chongming disciples, who were still relatively unharmed, "Form the 'Seven Star Mystic Fire Formation' and guard the hole!"

The disciples quickly took their positions, their spiritual energy weaving into a fire net to keep the remaining scorpions out of the formation. Jin Shilun, beads of sweat on his forehead, gritted his teeth and said:

"Hold on! The Fei family can retreat, but we cannot!! Behind us lies Xiaohuan Mountain!! Our ancestral temples and ancestors are all there, and our clansmen and descendants are also among them!!"

Just then, Duan Yunzhou and two others arrived with their junior disciples to provide assistance, finally giving Jin Shilun a chance to catch his breath.

"Father," Jin Tanglu said, seeing Jin Shilun covered in blood and his eyes filled with anxiety, but before he could utter his words of concern, the latter interrupted him.

When Jin Shilun saw his eldest son approaching, a fleeting look of relief crossed his eyes, but his words lacked warmth:
"We don't need so many people here. Junior Nephew Zheng and Yunzhou can stay here. Tang Lü, take half of the men to the Dingwei formation to assist your Uncle Kang! He's having the hardest time there!!"

Jin Tanglu gripped his spirit blade tightly and led half of the Yulin Hall disciples to rush to the Dingwei formation position. From afar, they saw Kang Rongquan's wooden puppet fighting with the demonic beast that had suddenly entered the formation.

Three towering wooden goblins emerged from the ground, their giant paws swatting away the attacking little demons. But when faced with the mountain goblin demon whose head and shoulders could split rocks, their vine-entwined arms were scratched with deep marks, and dark green sap dripped down, corroding small pits in the ground.

"Uncle Kang! Tanglu is here to help!" Jin Tanglu dared not rush to the front line rashly. He hurriedly led his disciples to form the "Seven Star Mystic Fire Formation". The spiritual power intertwined into a fire net, intercepting the little demons that had slipped through the wooden puppet defense line.

One disciple's magic sword was swept away by a second-tier mountain demon. Jin Tanglu stepped in in time, his spirit blade piercing the mountain demon's abdomen, but only leaving a shallow cut. Instead, his arm went numb from the impact of the mountain demon's giant fist.

He had only recently become a true cultivator, and his abilities were far inferior to those of this superior mountain demon who had cultivated for countless years, which was perfectly normal.

Seeing that they had secured the key to the formation, Kang Rongquan's tense expression eased slightly. He made a hand seal with his fingertips, activating the "Secret Manual of Xuanqing Kurong". The wood demon vines grew wildly, shooting towards several peak second-tier mountain demons like sharp arrows, entangled them in mid-air.

Although he had just recovered from serious injuries, he still had some strength left to fight against several opponents of the same level. At this moment, he was able to speak up and praise, "Good, good, good! You've also reached the Foundation Establishment stage, kid. We old guys really have successors!"

After the praise, Kang Rongquan gave another warning: "Don't fight the demon school head-on! Just protect the core of the formation!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Two Elements Sect's Meteor Cannon fired, sending a jet-black ball of light hurtling toward the Wood Demon. Kang Rongquan hurriedly manipulated the Wood Demon to dodge, but the ball grazed his arm, and the entire Wood Demon shattered into dust.

"Excellent, excellent! It's such a blessing to have a third-tier spiritual tool serving a mere cultivator like me!"

Kang Rongquan spat out a mouthful of foul blood and roared as he scattered spirit plant seeds. The Jade Armor Grass Puppet burst from the ground, wielding a short blade of leaf as it stealthily approached the artillery formation.

Suddenly, a red-eyed vulture swooped down from above, its wingtips flashing with a cold light as it pierced the grass puppet. The leading vulture demon had a wingspan of five zhang, its claws dangling with the remains of cultivators, and a stench of blood assaulted the air.

Jin Tanglu's heart tightened, and he hurriedly ordered his disciples to adjust their formation, spreading the fire net upwards. Although it was difficult to harm the vultures, it forced them to temporarily halt their descent.

Seeing that the vulture had paused its swooping descent, Jin Tanglu immediately changed the formation, ordering his disciples to shrink the "Seven Star Mystic Fire Formation" into a semi-circle, with the fire net pressing down on the demonic beasts on the ground.

The spirit flames licked the scales of the mountain demons, forcing several second-tier demonic beasts to retreat. Kang Rongquan seized the opportunity and poured all his remaining spiritual power into the ground. Three "thorny vines" sprouted from the soil, their thorns glowing green. They lashed out at the beasts like whips, instantly wrapping around the hind legs of two mountain demons. The thorns pierced their flesh, and black blood flowed down the vines.

"Block their retreat!" Kang Rongquan shouted, his fingertips directing the thorny vines to turn, forcing the beast horde toward the gap in the array membrane.

Jin Tanglu understood and slashed at a scorpion that was trying to break through the encirclement with his spiritual blade. At the same time, he ordered two disciples to shift the fire net to the left, blocking the left passage of the beast horde with spiritual flames.

The herd of beasts descended into chaos. A mandrill tried to break through the thorny vines, but Kang Rongquan used the vine's tip to pierce its abdomen, causing it to collapse to the ground with a thud.

At this moment, the eagle in the sky swooped down again, and Kang Rongquan hurriedly separated a wisp of spiritual power to create two "Exploding Flame Flowers" and threw them into the air.

Fireworks burst forth, forcing the vultures to scatter and hide.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jin Tanglu led his disciples forward, the fire net pushing the ground monsters away from the formation, while the spirit blades and magic swords filled in from time to time, killing the monsters that lagged behind.

Seeing that the beast horde was approaching the breach in the array membrane, Kang Rongquan suddenly detonated the thorny vines. The force of the exploding vines blasted the remaining demonic beasts out of the array. Jin Tanglu immediately ordered his disciples to tighten the fire net, temporarily sealing the breach.

The two exchanged a glance, both covered in blood, but they couldn't catch their breath as the beast tide outside the formation continued to surge. Kang Rongquan quickly scattered seeds, which condensed into a vine wall at the gap. Jin Tanglu led his disciples to reinforce the runes at the core of the formation, and the Dingwei formation was finally stabilized for the time being.

But at that moment, the latter sensed another unusual movement beside him. He probed with his divine sense and his expression immediately changed.

"Oh no, it's at Junior Brother Jin's place!"

—Shanbei Circuit, Fengming Prefecture, Duke Qin's Mansion

"Well, Bai Canhong has finally defied the world and opened the Cold Crow Mountain barrier."

Kuang Liuting calmly put down the jade slip in his hand, as if neither the request for help from the Fei family of Yingzhou nor the number of dead and wounded written on the slip could arouse any pity in this member of the royal family.

In fact, it wasn't just the Fei family's Yunjiao Prefecture that received the jade slips; the battles on the other two sides, which were led by high-ranking officials from the Duke's Mansion, were also severely hampered by the Xianyu family and the Yunshui Sect, who, together with the beast horde, caused the situation to deteriorate greatly, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

Kuang Liuting, however, remained calm and composed. He then raised an eyebrow, glanced at Zhu Tong in the hall, and asked softly, "How is it, in your opinion, Prime Minister Gui, that we can proceed with our actions now?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, there has been no news from our master yet. However, news has arrived from within the palace that the Silver Knife Prince Consort has received His Majesty's decree and is rushing to the Xuanqiong Palace to receive orders."

"Yes, His Highness the Prince of Nan has already informed me of this matter." Kuang Liuting nodded for a moment, then said, "The news from within the palace is still uncertain, but I cannot afford to wait idly, otherwise my subordinates will surely harbor resentment. Zhu Zhubu, divide the Duke's guards in two. There's no need to go to Yunjiao Prefecture; I will go there myself."

"My lord," Zhu Tong began, but was stopped by Kuang Liuting's wave of his hand. The latter smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's alright. Aren't people all eager to see my true worth? Let them see!"

At the same time that Kuang Liuting was so full of pride, two poorly dressed young cultivators in a remote corner of the Chongming Sect's territory, in Weishan Baomaduo Ridge, were looking at the thing in the net with great hesitation.

(End of this chapter)