Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 589 Blood Eagles Face a Critical Battle on a Boat; Thunderous Battle Unresolved, Qin Gong Appears
—Ten days later, Emperor Chongming
Wei Gu, who had just recovered from his injuries, straightened his military uniform, glanced at the spirit boat waiting outside the hall, and then turned to ask Han Xundao, who had been asked by the group of masters to stay in the Shouxuan Hall: "Junior Brother Han, is there still no news of Elder Jiang here?"

Before coming out, the latter had already checked the soul lamps inside the hall. The Shouxuan Hall, a crucial place, is always guarded by disciples intermittently. If there is any change, the news will not be delayed for long.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wei. Elder Jiang is a lucky man. All the disciples and young masters from various families in the sect are here, as determined by the hydrological data."

Han Xundao was about to say a few more words to Wei Gu when he heard the whistle from the spirit boat urging the latter to board. He then changed his tone and gave a slight bow: "The battlefield is dangerous. Senior Brother, your injuries have not yet healed. Please be careful."

"I understand, so Junior Brother Han can rest assured." Wei Guyan said for a while, but then couldn't help but cough lightly before quickly using his movement technique to board the spirit boat.

This dragon-headed flying boat is also derived from the design used by Emperor Taizu.

If we follow the boat-making master's idea, and if the thirty-odd people who operate the spirit boat are highly skilled and there is no shortage of supplies, it would not be difficult for them to contend with ordinary fake pills with this vessel.

However, these dragon-headed flying boats were only bestowed upon them by Master Kang after he reached the Core Formation stage and visited Kuang Liuting. There were a total of three such boats.

Unexpectedly, the selection of suitable charioteers alone took a lot of effort from the Chongming Sect's leaders. As a result, over the years, these disciples have only been considered usable, and while they can wield the charioteers with ease, they are still far from being truly proficient.

Although the teachers and elders usually knew that these disciples had not done their best and therefore showed them much consideration, they could not be so considerate at this moment.

When Wei Gu boarded the ship, he sat down next to He Yuanyi. The latter's golden aura had not yet dissipated, but the weariness on his face was even more pronounced than that of Wei Gu, who was still recovering from a serious illness.

This was clearly worn down by the countless magical artifacts and implements that were sent over.

According to Qi Ke, who is temporarily in charge of the Chongming Clan Medical Institute, if the gold dust flowing from the body of this Chongming Clan Artifact Hall elder could be extracted, it could be refined into a first-grade magic weapon.

The two, each exhausted from their own work, only glanced at each other before nodding in unison and then quickly closing their eyes to regulate their breathing.

It wouldn't have taken long to travel on this spirit boat to the Nine Heavens Mountain Suppressing Formation, but along the way they still encountered quite a few small beast groups that spilled in from outside the formation.

While there were certainly a few formidable figures among them, none of whom could even break through the wind barrier outside the second-tier dragon-headed spirit boat, the splashes of bright red demonic blood that landed on the spirit boat's protective shield still caused the Chongming disciples on board to slightly change color.

Rumors had been circulating wildly within the sect that the Liangyi Sect's Dao soldiers were so powerful that even the Fei family's soldiers could hardly withstand them.

Moreover, the breach in the barrier of Cold Crow Mountain had not yet been closed. These foolish beasts, who had been bewitched by the demon officers and demon soldiers and only knew how to devour flesh and blood, were fearless of death. Not only were most of the elite troops of the Chongming Alliance routed, but even the batches of righteous followers urgently summoned to the front lines were mostly killed in the beasts' mouths.

Just as the cultivators were feeling uneasy, a group of blood vultures suddenly broke through the clouds and blocked their path.

Startled awake, Wei Gu suddenly opened his eyes and glanced around; there were about fifty of them. Most of them had wingspans of over ten feet, and their three sharp toes were as hard as steel and as thick as teacups, making them clearly formidable opponents.

The Chongming disciples, who had been studying "An Introduction to the Spiritual Creatures of Cold Crow Mountain" since childhood, naturally knew that the physical characteristics they were seeing meant that this was a second-tier Blood Vulture flock that cultivators in Yunjiao Prefecture had not seen for many years.

The expressions of the cultivators on the boat changed drastically. Without needing to be asked by their fellow disciples who were piloting the boat, they immediately took up their alchemical weapons and talismans and prepared for battle.

It should be noted that although most of the Chongming disciples on this ship are engaged in production and management, they are all quite experienced and have been through several major battles.

Even though many of them have been away from the mountains for a long time, they are still much less fearful than the younger generation who are gradually taking on important responsibilities.

The Chongming Sect disciple standing at the bow was clearly young, but he was not frightened by the sight. He hurriedly rushed towards the fine gold rudder at the center of the spirit boat. Afterwards, he deactivated the automatic runes on it and channeled his spiritual power from his fingertips into the rudder's patterns like a stream.

A moment later, with a crisp "crack", the sandalwood bulkheads on both sides of the spirit boat suddenly opened, revealing runes that shimmered with spiritual light.

Just as Linghua was in full bloom, two pairs of wind wing bones, each ten feet long, appeared from the side walls of the spirit boat and quickly unfolded, easily piercing through the bodies of two or three fast-moving blood vultures around them.

These wing bones are made of thousand-year-old submerged wood, and even after being refined by spiritual fire, they still gleam with a dark brown luster.

The wing membrane is made of second-grade top-quality cyan silk and third-grade low-quality cyan silk using advanced techniques. When unfolded, it is taut and straight, instantly stirring up the surrounding clouds and forming two rotating air waves that force the blood vultures in the front row to stagger backward.

"Form the Dragon Shadow Seal!" the lead helmsman shouted sharply, his hands rapidly forming hand seals on the helm.

Suddenly, the dragon head statue at the bow of the spirit boat lit up with a blue light, and a ten-foot-tall dragon phantom leaped out of the statue. Its scales shimmered like broken gold, its eyes gleamed with a cold light, and its whiskers moved without wind. As soon as it appeared, it let out a low roar, which shook the clouds slightly.

The flock of blood vultures below seemed to pause for a moment in shock at the intimidation, but were quickly driven by their bloodlust. The lead vulture let out a sharp cry, its wings flapping a bloody wind, and swooped down towards the spirit boat.

The blood vulture had a wingspan of twelve feet, and its three sharp toes gleamed with a cold, iron-colored light. One claw gripped the wind shield of the spirit boat, and with a "rip," three shallow marks were torn into the shield. Demonic blood dripped down from the toe tips, hitting the cabin floor with a "tap-tap" sound.

At times like these, no matter how serious Wei Gu's injuries are, he must step forward.

He suddenly stood up, placed his left hand on the array eye stone on the ship's side, and waved the array flag in his right hand: "Activate the Light-Splitting Array!"

Dozens of silver crossbow bolts suddenly sprang from hidden compartments on both sides of the boat, their tips glowing with a pale blue light, and shot toward the diving Blood Vulture with a "whoosh".

The three blood vultures in the front row couldn't dodge in time. The arrow tip pierced their wing membranes, and the cracking light exploded inside their bodies. Black blood mixed with feathers splattered down, and the corpses fell straight into the clouds below.

He Yuanyi wasn't idle either. He took out three newly opened "Diamond Chisels" from his storage bag, infused them with spiritual power from his fingertips, and the chisels glowed with golden light. He threw them, and the Diamond Chisels streaked across the sky like meteors, hitting a Blood Vulture that was trying to circle around to the back of the spirit boat.

With a "thud," the diamond chisel pierced the blood vulture's neck. It let out a short, miserable cry, flapped its wings weakly twice, and then collapsed.

"Beware of the foul blood in their mouths!" He Yuanyi, a model student, warned urgently.

As soon as he finished speaking, two blood vulture leaders opened their mouths and spat out dark red hot blood. As soon as it landed on the light shield, it instantly corroded two small pits, and the light shield's spiritual light dimmed a bit.

Upon seeing this, the charioteer hurriedly manipulated the illusory image of the dragon to meet it.

The dragon shadow suddenly swung its tail, sending a gust of air slapping at the two blood vultures, sending them tumbling over. Before they could regain their footing, the dragon shadow's sharp teeth had already bitten into the neck of one of them, tearing it in two. The blood vulture's corpse was ripped in two, and the black blood splattered onto the dragon shadow's illusory image, only to be dissolved by the golden light of the image.

The other blood vulture, clearly unaware of the concept of a loving couple, was so frightened that it turned and left immediately.

But at this moment, the spirit boat's wings suddenly flapped, and two azure wind blades shot out, severing its wings. It screamed and fell into the clouds, quickly disappearing from sight.

The two leaders' recklessness caused the Blood Vultures to lose their composure for a moment, which in turn allowed the disciples on the boat to display their extraordinary abilities.

The corpses of the second-tier Blood Vultures fell one by one under the combined efforts of Jiao Ying and the other cultivators. After a short while of fierce fighting, Wei Gu's face turned pale. His injuries had not yet healed, causing his spiritual power to be consumed very quickly. However, he still gritted his teeth and controlled the Rift Light Array, firing crossbow bolts one after another at the Blood Vulture flock.

He Yuanyi was repairing the light shield on the side, constantly injecting spiritual power into the array's core with his fingertips.

Although the effects of the foul blood from the vultures' mouths and the spirit boat's protective shield had not completely faded, the Chongming disciples were all sharp-eyed enough to see that this group of demonic birds was at its last gasp.

With a loud shriek suddenly exploding in the air, the remaining dozen or so second-tier blood vultures finally chose to temporarily retreat under the command of their newly chosen leader.

The helmsman on the bow wanted to urge the dragon shadow to give chase, but considering that most of the energy-generating spirits in the cabin had already been used up, he gave up the idea.

He released his divine sense for a while to confirm that everything was alright before retracting the illusory image of the dragon. He then examined the damage to the spirit boat, frowning and muttering, "More than a dozen of the Azure Qi threads of the Wind Wings are broken, and there are no spares. It will take half a day to repair the spirit boat's protective shield."

"We can't afford to delay any longer," Wei Gu said to himself, feeling somewhat better after taking a pill. He ignored the deathly pale faces of his fellow disciples on the boat.
"We've encountered such a horde of beasts before even reaching the Nine Heavens Suppressing Mountain Formation. Without a second thought, we can tell just how dire the situation is at the front. If that breach isn't secured, our Yunjiao Prefecture will be engulfed in flames, and we won't be able to save everyone!"

"Let's do as Senior Brother Wei says," He Yuanyi chimed in, having just wiped the bloodstains off the magical weapon in his hand.
"We'll be there soon anyway, and we have to take this risk. Our commanders are at the front lines, and we've been ordered to do this. How can we possibly hesitate here?!"

The two men were highly respected among the eighth-generation disciples, and their words were reasonable and well-founded, so how could anyone on the boat, from the helmsman down, not listen to them?

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, this already dilapidated second-tier spirit boat broke through the clouds and sped off again.

Whether it was good luck or not, they encountered no mishaps after setting off again and soon landed outside the Nine Heavens Mountain Suppressing Formation. They also soon saw the fierce battle in front of the formation.

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.

The battlefield was truly bustling at this moment. The cultivators from the Fei family's territory were far away and could not provide immediate relief, but all the prominent figures who remained in Fengming Prefecture were present.

Even Han Ningyue, the eldest daughter of the Han family who hadn't touched a weapon in who knows how many years, was leading Fei Shuhe and a group of attendants to the front lines, which shows just how perilous the situation had become.

The two rogue cultivators, San Yan Shangren and Gu Hongzi, who had just been recruited by the Duke's Mansion and were at the level of Fei Nanying, the Marquis of Gucheng, were now enjoying a rare moment of leisure. After exhausting all their excuses, they ultimately feared Fei Tianqin's infamous reputation and came to risk their lives for him.

Even with the title of the number one rogue cultivator in Shanbei Dao, Gu Hongzi was still no match for the old cultivator Pu Honggu. Although the latter was seriously injured, he spared no effort, forcing Gu Hongzi to use all his skills to barely protect himself.

However, this renowned rogue cultivator at the Golden Core stage might not have known this, and even though he spared no effort in accumulating power, he still couldn't withstand it for long before being injured by the combined attacks of two high-grade magic treasures from Pu Honggu.

Even the Venerable Sanyan, who had known him for a hundred years, dared not save him. In the end, it was the somewhat reckless Yuan Jin who, taking advantage of Fei Donggu's arrival to lend a hand, managed to pull Gu Hongzi back from the brink of death, carrying a third-tier spirit puppet on his back.

This was the first time in many years that Shangxiu had suffered such a crushing defeat. After the fear in his eyes faded, he remained lost in thought for a long time before his complexion improved slightly. However, he had no time to rest, as Fei Tianqin immediately ordered him to go and help the army formation under his jurisdiction, which was struggling to breathe under the pressure of the beast horde.

At this moment, most of the Golden Core cultivators on the Qin State Duke's side were doing this. The demon beasts that came out from the breach in the barrier did not know what "fear" meant when faced with the pressure from the Spirit Opening Demon School.

If it weren't for the Fei family's Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Array frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of Pingrong County as protection, and Fei Tianqin sending many superior cultivators to help, Pu Honggu would probably have already led a horde of beasts to attack Chuanyunjiao Prefecture by now.

The old cultivator was quite alert. As soon as he realized that Fei Tianqin seemed to be trying to capture him, he immediately fled into the beast horde, using the lives of these demonic beasts as defensive magic weapons.

However, others, including Headmaster Kang and Fei Donggu, were no match for him using ordinary methods.

Even though the Liangyi Sect lost two leaders in succession, it still had the powerful Golden Core cultivator Qiu Yunsheng to rely on.

Those cultivators sent by the Star-Picking Tower to serve under the Two Elements Sect, whether they were heads of families or free-spirited individuals, were still completely subdued by the tragic deaths of their comrades, and it was difficult to hear even a single word of resentment.

The soldiers of the Liangyi Sect are brave, resolute, and elite, like sharp cones; the beast hordes of the Lishan lineage are enormous, like heavy hammers.

The cultivators from all sides were like stars, some hanging in the vast sky, others locked in fierce battles with the Golden Core cultivators of the Qin State Duke's Mansion. Despite this, the Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Formation was still losing ground everywhere and struggling to find support, almost on the verge of collapse.

Yuan Jin hadn't even mastered the external alchemy method, and his third-tier spirit puppet was newly acquired and barely coordinated, making him no match for a proper cultivation partner.

In addition, his main formation skills were much stronger than Duan Anle's, so apart from the rare adventure of rescuing Gu Hongzi, he usually stayed hidden in the formation and commanded all sides.

Compared to Yuan Jin, Master Kang's hands were far more bloody.

With his Golden Eyes of Insight, now at their peak, Kang Dabao was able to find many flaws in the battle formations composed of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators on the other side with relative ease.

Those who are interested have already found out from the Qin State Duke's Crafts Department that the Jade Palace Shattering Halberd that Master Craftsman Gu Rong gave him is extremely taxing on one's spiritual energy, and even many people who have used it later are amazed.

It's strange that the double-eared halberd in the hands of Master Kang is perfectly fine.

However, seeing the extent of his slaughter, the Liangyi Sect sent Golden Core cultivators to stop him. Unexpectedly, three advanced cultivators went together, but before they could even get close, they found their sea of ​​consciousness completely blank.

In the end, it was Qiu Yunsheng, who was in charge of the proceedings, who stepped forward with his protective amulet and managed to save the three superior cultivators' heads that should have ended up in the storage bag of Sect Leader Kang.

Kang Dabao fought him for a while, but finding it difficult to win quickly, he returned to a safe place.

After all, that old man Pu Honggu must have eaten something wrong, because he would come to cause trouble for him from time to time. He didn't even care about giving up the spoils he was about to gain. His enthusiasm was strange.

These stories of the past seem rather lengthy, but in reality, they are quite commonplace in Pingrong County recently. Yunjiao Prefecture has not seen such a brutal battlefield for many years, not even comparable to the time when Shen Lingfeng led his men to exterminate the Shanrong.

On this battlefield, ordinary cultivators might be able to rest and recuperate, but the advanced cultivators are truly killing puppets who dare not close their eyes. In tense situations, it is not uncommon for them to fight for five or six days without rest.

Wei Gu and the others, who had just landed in the formation, also saw this scene. However, not long after they settled down, they saw the only senior cultivator in their formation who had received Fei Tianqin's permission and did not need to come to the front of the formation.

Luan Gongfeng, who had just achieved the Golden Core stage, had no time to relax. Before he could even fully convert his core essence, he was transferred by the Fei family to the front lines to refine pills day and night.

Because no one among the high-ranking cultivators residing here was more esteemed or noble than him, all the cultivators here were under his command. Wei Gu and the others had not yet met their master, yet they were already being assigned numerous tasks and given specific dates for delivery without any room for argument.

The powerful array beneath his feet had instilled in Luan a more decisive and efficient approach to his work. After explaining his needs and requests to Wei Gu and the other cultivators of Chongming, he instructed them to begin performing their respective duties.

The battle is currently extremely fierce, just as He Yuanyi said before. Even repairing one more low-grade magic weapon would be a good thing.

Even just watching the battle between Golden Core cultivators outside the formation from a distance was enough to make them slightly turn their heads. Wei Gu took another pill, intending to first check on Jin Shilun, who was being treated at the clinic, and then give him orders after he was reassured.

Unexpectedly, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the formation, which seemed to shake the formation's light barrier slightly.

Before the sound outside the formation had subsided, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly cleaved through the clouds, and Qiu Yunsheng stepped out on the lightning, with the Chaotic Thunder Bell hanging above his head, its surface shimmering with lightning patterns.

The lightning patterns made even Sect Leader Kang squint, but then Qiu Yunsheng pinched his fingertips again, and several bolts of heavenly lightning shot out like silver snakes, weaving a lightning net that enveloped Kang Dabao.

At this moment, the two were fighting on a low cliff. The latter's Golden Eyes of Insight suddenly shone brightly, and he saw through the weak point of the lightning net. He swept his Jade Palace Halberd horizontally, and the clear light at the tip of the halberd shattered the lightning threads, but the residual force made his arm go numb.

Seeing this, Qiu Yunsheng threw out three thunder pearls, which exploded in the air and turned into thunder pillars ten feet thick that crashed down.

Kang Dabao spun and leaped into the air, his halberd tip pointing towards the core of the lightning pillar. The clear light collided with the lightning, and the shockwave sent the corpses of the surrounding demonic beasts flying. The overflowing lightning covered his entire body; a small portion was deflected by the Heluo Xuan Armor, while the majority was easily dispersed by the Primordial Primal Body, leaving his movements with virtually no hesitation.

Taking advantage of the opening, Master Kang charged forward, his halberd aimed straight for Qiu Yunsheng's heart.

The Jade Palace Destroyer Halberd unleashed Southern Bright Fire from its left ear and Xuanming True Water from its right ear. The Ten Thunder Command Symbols engraved on the halberd shaft shone brightly, but were completely blocked by the rolling thunder of the Chaotic Thunder Bell!

With a loud clang, the lightning pattern rebounded, causing Kang Dabao's blood and qi to surge.

"This guy is really hard to kill!"

As this thought arose, he suddenly released his divine sense to probe his surroundings. After all, this wasn't the first time he had fought fiercely with Qiu Yunsheng, and according to past practice, Pu Honggu might be hiding somewhere. It was time to leave!
On the other side, Qiu Yunsheng had far fewer reservations than Master Kang and seized the opportunity to urge the bell on. The bell rang like thunder, and invisible sound waves wrapped in thunderous energy attacked Kang Dabao's sea of ​​consciousness.

Kang Dabao gritted his teeth, using his spiritual power to protect his sea of ​​consciousness. At the same time, he swung his halberd and unleashed three beams of clear light, his eyes flashing with golden light, all aimed directly at Qiu Yunsheng's face.

Qiu Yunsheng dodged to the side, but his lightning technique faltered slightly. Kang Dabao also lost spiritual power due to the lightning force. The two faced each other from a distance, both with unstable auras.

"You're quite something!"

Qiu Yunsheng snorted coldly, about to use the Thunder Bell to stop the lightning; Kang Dabao also leaned on his halberd, panting, and his Golden Eyes of Truth concealed their sharpness.

Both knew that another fight would only result in mutual destruction, so even though the outcome was still undecided, they stopped dwelling on it.

Qiu Yunsheng saw that one of his cultivators was surrounded by Fei Nanying and the Three Words Master, and was about to go to his rescue. But at that moment, a bolt of snow-white lightning descended from above.

Before the violent thunderbolt could strike without warning, Qiu Yunsheng had no time to react. His heart sank, and he cried out that he was doomed!
Unexpectedly, the lightning did not harm him in the slightest. The ground beneath Qiu Yunsheng's feet was originally a thousand feet of rock and soil. The lightning only cut away the excess part under his feet, leaving the remaining part tightly attached to his feet.

Kang Dabao was quite surprised, for the scene before him was astonishing.

After this bolt of lightning struck, Qiu Yunsheng appeared to have landed on a cylindrical pillar that was only half a foot in diameter but a thousand feet tall, making him truly conspicuous.

The latter suddenly felt that the scene was somewhat familiar, but unexpectedly, a thin Taoist priest silently descended from the clouds in the next scene.

Qiu Yunsheng smiled and asked gently, "Does Sect Leader Qiu still remember?"

"Kuang"

Kang Dabao only saw Kuang Liuting lightly point a finger at Qiu Yunsheng's chest.

With just a seemingly ordinary finger strike, this dignified late-stage cultivator was rendered completely helpless, his robes and magical artifacts were annihilated, unable to withstand the calamity of his physical body being reduced to dust!

A few breaths later, a trace of Qiu Yunsheng seemed to drift past the face of Master Kang on the wind. The restlessness in this trace was detected by his six senses, which made him afraid to make any move for a moment.

However, Kuang Liuting, who had just accomplished something great, reacted indifferently. He simply looked at another part of the clouds and asked with a laugh, "Still dare not leave?"

(End of this chapter)