Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 606 Jiangxue plans to cut off the enemy’s arm, Chongming looks for materials and worries about forming pills

————Shanbei Road
The permafrost was trampled and turned up into black mud, and the roars of tens of thousands of demonic beasts shook the surrounding spiritual mountains, causing broken rocks to fall down in a rustling sound.

A giant crocodile beast's serrated array swept across the spirit field, shredding the corpses of cultivators and demonic beasts into a bloody pulp wherever it went. Only a few sword intents tore through the chaos, and as the sword wind swept by, a bloody path was cleaved through the pile of corpses, only to be filled with corpses again in an instant.

The talismans in the cultivator's formation rose into the air like a torrential rain, and the blue flames wrapped in lightning crashed into the beast horde. The howls of the demon beasts and the crisp sound of the talismans exploding were mixed together, and severed limbs and broken scales spun in the fire.

These horrific scenes are still everywhere in the northern mountain road today. There are also rogue cultivators who, seeking wealth and power, have been hiding among the beasts. Their curved swords and magical treasures are shining brightly, and they have repeatedly broken through many elite military formations.

Unexpectedly, just as he made the beasts around him taste human blood, he was chosen by the royal guards coming towards him.

These elite soldiers, risking their lives and ignoring the attacks of the demonic beasts in front of them, formed a silver net with the tips of their spears. After the dozens of supporting soldiers on the flanks were pounced on by the beasts, the soldiers on the other side, along with three or five alchemists, were immediately either killed or wounded.

However, in that instant, the runes on each silver spear instantly connected and formed an array.

As soon as the net of spears pierced through the bodies of the many demonic beasts, it also broke through the Golden Core's Dharma Body. The Golden Core immediately panicked and fled in a panic. In the blink of an eye, it was stripped of its magic weapon. With its body riddled with holes, it turned around and killed a large number of demonic beasts with its palms before finally making its way away.

The horde of monsters was thrown into a brief panic. The deputy general leading the army seized the opportunity and was about to break through the breach when the two demon soldiers controlling the horde of monsters made their move again.

These two tiger-headed demons were clearly far more powerful than the rogue cultivator at the Golden Core stage. As soon as they joined forces, six-colored mystical light emanated from their hands. With their tiger mouths open and spewing out more killing intent, the six-colored mystical light instantly hung in the sky like the evening glow.

Although this did not cause any physical injury to the soldiers in front of him, it did cause them all to pause slightly and become unable to move.

At this moment, the evil wind from the tiger-headed demon school reappeared, and the fierce wind was like a golden knife, about to annihilate the entire army. However, this thought was just formed when it was broken by a sharp whistle.

Upon hearing the commotion, the two tiger-headed demons didn't hesitate; they were about to abandon the easy victory and turn to leave.

"Why wouldn't I let those two little cats stay after they've seen their ancestor?!"

The deputy general of the Ya Army, who had just escaped with his life, finally came to his senses. He was still shaken by his momentary lapse in concentration on the battlefield when he saw a giant bird soaring through the air. The two tiger-headed demons visibly trembled before they fled in panic, each trying to find a way to escape.

"Didn't you, old bird, suffer a Nascent Soul injury?!"

After hesitating for a while, Fei Tianqin unfortunately chose the tiger-headed demon school and let out a miserable howl. Then he heard the wind behind him getting closer and closer, which made him so frightened that all the ferocity in his eyes disappeared.

At this moment, Fei Tianqin's cold laughter also came: "When I was killing bandits under the command of the Great Ancestor, I even saw a Nascent Soul True Monarch on the battlefield!"
Bai Canhong's star core wasn't aimed directly at me; it would be a miracle if it even managed to injure me for a while. And you, little cat, are you really thinking about how long I'll be injured?!

These words made the tiger-headed demon even more terrified, because it knew how rare the bloodline of the old bird behind it was. Even at the peak of the third rank, it was still difficult to transform into human form, which was far superior to most of the demon officers of the Lishan lineage.

How could a mid-grade third-tier demon school possibly stand a chance against it?!
Even if he manages to escape with serious injuries, it's probably because this old bird didn't get the best of it and his horse stumbled. It's something to be thankful for!

With his spirits broken, he only had half of his original abilities left, so he naturally couldn't escape Fei Tianqin's clutches. A few breaths later, he took out a magic weapon he had recently acquired to hold off Fei Tianqin for a while, but was then killed by the old bird.

Fei Tianqin opened its sharp beak, and the enormous tiger body that had just revealed its true form was immediately stored inside its belly. What happened to the bones and flesh was unknown. But after a few breaths, the old bird exhaled a breath of pure air, and a demon core appeared before it.

Its sharp eyes swept across the area for a moment, then it swallowed the pills again, taking a ball of mysterious light to wrap them together with the other golden pills and verifying their number. After doing this, Fei Tianqin did not speak with the deputy general of the Ya Army who came behind him, but after a short while, he transformed into mysterious light and chose the next battlefield.

However, this advantage was not so easy to gain. The remaining tiger-headed demon school that escaped with his life obviously spread the news, which caused several Golden Core cultivators to come and stop Fei Tianqin wherever he went.

These Golden Core cultivators disregarded all decorum; even though besieging Fei Tianqin, this old bird, would ruin their own formation and allow the Qin State Duke's mansion to gain an advantage, they still refused to let Fei Tianqin go.

Fei Tianqin was not afraid at first, but as soon as he sensed that several more Golden Core cultivators were coming to his aid, he changed his mind and returned to the Duke's Mansion formation.

This old bird has a lot of influence. As soon as he returned, one of the three masters who stayed behind had to come and see him.

As Shen Lingfeng walked toward Fei Tianqin, he wore an air of arrogance. The hem of his black cloak, inlaid with silver patterns, fluttered in the cold wind of Shanbei Road. The mermaid pearl on the jade belt buckle at his waist gleamed coldly with his movements, and his spiritual power as a Nascent Soul cultivator was not concealed at all.

His left hand rested on the hilt of the silver sword at his waist. The cloud patterns on the scabbard, nourished by spiritual energy, gleamed with a warm luster in the sunlight. This was a fourth-tier spiritual treasure bestowed upon him by Emperor Wei when he reached the Nascent Soul stage, which is why he was known as the Silver Sword Prince Consort.

However, once Fei Tianqin, who had shrunk in size, arrived before him, the sage's arrogant expression gradually faded. He then said, "You've had a hard time," and spoke gently:
"The Marquis of Fengcheng has indeed made great contributions. When I was in the Xuanqiong Palace, His Majesty would smile whenever he heard of the Marquis of Fengcheng's loyal and righteous deeds."

"I don't deserve such praise from Your Highness," the old bird rarely showed any temper in front of a real person. As for his old-fashioned, arrogant attitude, he never displayed it, which made Shen Lingfeng nod in satisfaction for a while.

However, at this point, the man and the bird had run out of things to say.

After the old bird finished recounting his experience and hurriedly bid farewell to the prince consort, Shen Lingfeng also withdrew his gaze and turned back to the main tent.

Today was the day for the three of them to discuss matters, but Kuang Liuting, who always liked to be in full armor, was not present as usual.

After all, as the latter once said, with him by their side, it would be difficult for all the true men to speak the truth, so it would be better to gather again when something really big happens.

When Shen Lingfeng entered the tent, the graceful Jiangxue Zhenren took the main seat according to her highest cultivation level.

The days of fighting did not leave this beautiful woman with much fatigue; on the contrary, she was quite interested in taking a couple of young men as her male concubines while celebrating her achievements. However, it was said that these two young men had only been in high spirits for a short time before they disappeared without a trace.

Beside him was the increasingly listless Master Yueyin. Recently, due to Bai Canhong's ruthless actions, the master of the Five Old Mountains was in poor condition. Shen Lingfeng wondered if he was just imagining things, but he felt that Master Yueyin, who should still have at least half a century left, seemed to be exuding death energy and did not have much time left.

Lian Xuepu, who was serving by the side of Master Jiangxue, was about to stop what he was doing when Shen Lingfeng entered the tent, but was stopped by the former's slender finger.

Seeing this, Shen Lingfeng was about to say something, but then he remembered that Master Yueyin beside him, perhaps having received some promise from the Hehuan Sect, always spoke only in favor of Master Jiangxue. So he abandoned his thoughts and simply said in a calm voice:

"We obtained another golden pill from the Marquis of Fengcheng."

Upon hearing this, the beautiful Zhenren Jiangxue, who was enjoying herself with her eyes closed, opened her eyes, smiled slightly, and said softly, "This old bird is working so hard. If Fei Yeyi of Yingzhou really plans well, he might actually be able to protect his family's spiritual land from being robbed."

The playful remark had barely left his lips when Master Jiangxue's tone turned slightly somber: "Yet they have gained even more than we have."

Upon hearing this, Master Yueyin shook his head and smiled bitterly, but there was nothing else he could do but smile bitterly.

He, Jiang Xue, and Shen Lingfeng could have acted independently. With three True Immortals entering the beast horde and military formation, the Zhaixinglou faction, which only had one True Immortal on its side, was unable to coordinate their actions.

But if he were truly so selfless, then Bai Canhong would have found out that even after revealing all his trump cards, the Moon Shadow Master still had a chance to escape.

Even when the three of them joined forces, they could barely protect themselves in front of Bai Canhong, which forced them to stay inseparable.

Whenever he appears on the front lines, he's usually engaged in a fierce battle with the flails wielded by Bai Canhong. In such a situation, how could he possibly hope to gain any advantage?!

This lousy war has dragged on for so long that the millennia-old reserves of Wulao Mountain are almost exhausted.

Even a Nascent Soul sect would need at least sixty years to cultivate a Foundation Establishment cultivator. During this time, they would need renowned teachers, instruction in scriptures and doctrines, and the provision of resources and elixirs.
However, once they entered the battle, decades of hard work could be reduced to nothingness in an instant by a few ordinary fireball talismans. If it weren't for the recent news brought by Shen Lingfeng, saying that the capital region was still exerting efforts and coordinating reinforcements, Master Yueyin might have already begun to regret his actions.

If the Celestial Dynasty is defeated and the Star-Picking Tower truly gains sole control of the southwest, then even if his Five Old Mountain were to relocate to another place to eke out a living, his fate might not be much better than waiting for Bai Canhong to devour it all back then.

He had been eagerly awaiting reinforcements, but now news spread that the Ninth Prince was preparing to become an infant.

This made Master Yueyin increasingly uneasy, and he repeatedly sent the Purple Palace Golden Palace Talisman into the Xuanqiong Palace.

Emperor Wei was very considerate this time, and most of the time he replied to the letters in his own handwriting. Even when he was truly too busy, the Grand Eunuch Wei would write the reply in red on his behalf, which shows his leniency.

Although the text was full of encouraging and praising words, the matter that Master Yueyin truly cared about remained unanswered from beginning to end.

Therefore, Master Yueyin's mind was filled with mixed thoughts these days, and he remained silent when he heard Master Jiangxue speaking. However, Shen Lingfeng took the opportunity to say, "The Duke has also made some gains, and the situation is very good."

Even if these encouraging words are useless, they should still be said. Master Jiangxue chuckled softly, offering no rebuttal, and changed her tone: "I heard the other day that Master Yunfu of the Ancient Profound Path is reportedly coming to the north of the mountain to meet with Bai Canhong?!"

"Where did you get this information, senior?"

The Crimson Snow Immortal feigned profundity, a faint smile playing on her lips. Unconsciously, she revealed her alluring charm, which was quite captivating: "This is not a serious matter. Your Highness need not delve into it. Just consider it a precaution."

"I also heard that Bai Canhong was bewitched by Taiyi Temple and wanted to widen the breach in the barrier, and might even release the demon guard."

At this moment, the beautiful eyes of the Crimson Snow Immortal lit up, her tone unchanged, as if she were talking about something that was not very related to her.

Of the three, the most impatient was the eldest, Master Yueyin. He lowered his gaze, his expression complex, and after a moment of contemplation, he weakly spoke:
"This matter is probably not true, because it would not benefit Zhaixinglou after all. Bai Canhong is currently enjoying good luck in the war and is quite ambitious. He has already regarded the three southwestern regions as his own private domain, so he should not do such a thing."

Shen Lingfeng, who was standing to the side, hurriedly chimed in for a while, and finally, seeing that Jiangxue Zhenren's charming smile remained unchanged, she spoke up again:
"Tonight I will send a letter to the Xuanqiong Palace. There is some progress on the matter of the Northern King's southward march and the dispatch of troops from the Burial Spring Tomb. However, the trouble is still quite great, and the officials in the court still need to discuss it carefully. I think a decision will be made soon."

Master Yueyin was content; upon hearing this, he made no attempt to hide his joy, and his face immediately lit up with delight.

The beautiful woman sitting at the head of the table had much more complicated thoughts. She nodded for a moment, but thought to herself, "It seems that His Majesty is indeed capable. The Northern King has returned from Liangxi Road, so he will most likely have a Nascent Soul cultivator to meet him."

Moreover, most of them were able to persuade local families like Zangchunzhong to temporarily put aside their businesses based on their performance on the battlefield at Kuangliuting.

It seems that afterwards, the mediocre people like Zang Chunzhong will have little chance to achieve anything, but afterward, the two river channels adjacent to the capital will be much easier to manage. At that time, the areas directly under the control of the imperial clan will again…

When she had this thought, she disregarded her own situation, clearly showing that she never considered her own Hehuan Sect to be compared with a sect like Zangchunzhong.

Kuang Liuting has recently been leading from the front and has repeatedly achieved great feats. First, he fought alone against six Golden Core cultivators in the mid-to-late stage, including Yunshui Sect Master Niu Yanqing, and won a great victory, leaving only Niu Yanqing to escape alone after using Yunshui Sect's trump card.

After this battle, even Xiang Tianxing, the head of the Zhaixing Tower's general affairs, was intercepted by Kuang Liuting. Although he escaped with his life, his magic weapon was confiscated and his battle formation was destroyed, leaving him in a truly sorry state.

Apart from Bai Canhong, the True Man, who had to disregard his dignity and personally intervene, the Zhaixinglou faction used every means at its disposal, yet it was truly difficult to contend with them.

Now, they can only rely on the seemingly endless herd of beasts to withstand the lord's sharp edge.

Objectively speaking, it's normal that Kuang Liuting's performance would lead Zang Chunzhong, who had already switched sides to the Immortal Dynasty, to come and help him.

Temporarily setting aside the stunning beauty of Kuang Liuting, and after urging the court to send troops, Master Jiangxue gently stopped Lian Xuepu's movements and stepped into the hall, speaking softly:
“Simply taking the beating in silence is useless. We’ve been fighting for so long that we don’t even know how many of our own disciples from the Star-Picking Tower have died. As for the traitors and collaborators like the Cloud Water Sect, even if many of them die, Bai Canhong might not care. We need to think of a way to deal with them.”

Upon hearing this, Master Yueyin unconsciously rubbed the pill bottle in his sleeve with his withered fingers, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes: "What brilliant idea does Fellow Daoist Jiangxue have? Currently, Zhaixing Tower is relying on the beast horde and the sympathetic sects to maintain its prestige. If we cannot sever their arms, this messy battle will probably drag on for a long time."

Shen Lingfeng also looked at Jiangxue Zhenren. The cloud pattern on the hilt of the silver knife moved slightly with his fingertips, emitting a faint spiritual light: "There are too few disciples of Zhaixinglou. Even if they hurt us, we would hardly know."

However, most of the sects that have sided with Bai Canhong are only doing so out of fear of his power and may not genuinely surrender. If an opportunity can be found, it might be possible to win over a few of them; however, how to proceed requires careful consideration.

These remarks were exactly what Master Jiangxue wanted to hear. As far as she knew, after hearing Kuang Liuting's performance, even some Nascent Soul cultivators who were close to Taiyi Temple became somewhat ambiguous, let alone these small, inexperienced families.

Although the Immortal Dynasty has a terrible reputation, Bai Canhong has recently shown signs of being impatient for quick success and has been as domineering as ever.

These Golden Core sects and aristocratic families lost countless lives, and all they got in return was a piece of land that had been ravaged beyond recognition. Did they expect any sympathy whatsoever?!
If there were a way to choose, they would surely consider it carefully. Even if it was just a slight change, it would be enough for the battlefield in Shanbei Road at this moment.

However, this matter requires a prerequisite, such as, "How can we make Bai Canhong lose the first match?"

The beautiful woman's mind stirred, and she immediately asked, "Hmm, do you two fellow Daoists still know if that Nine True Immortal from the outer sea is still a guest in Fengming Prefecture?!"

The other two immortals in the hall had a thought, and although they did not speak, they both showed hesitation.

Yangmingshan
It was rare that the head of the council, Kang, had just reviewed the detailed account of the various spiritual items withdrawn from the Shan Gong Tang presented by Ye Zhengwen. He made a few notes on it and then issued an explanation:
"Recently, more than ten disciples have advanced to the level of true cultivators. Most of them are from the lineage of true disciples. Even if inner and outer disciples have gone through great hardships to obtain spiritual items, there are still a number of them who will perish during the foundation building process."

The remaining majority not only struggle to make progress but also suffer from injuries and illnesses that hinder their progress, and they also have a lot of good deeds to repay. A solution must be found for this situation. Otherwise, if things continue like this, resentment may arise.

Ye Zhengwen was one of the few in the sect who dared to argue with the sect leader, but he had a different opinion on the matter: "The law of the jungle is the way of the world."

However, the Grand Master of the Kang Clan acted unilaterally, stating to himself:
"We heard these words too many times when we were young, so there's no reason to repeat them to future generations. Qi Ke and Chen Zihang have already established their foundations. Perhaps one of them could go to Xuanwei City again, bring some valuables, and pay respects to Luan Gongfeng to see if he can do anything about it."

Among the noble families, including the Fei family, few of their disciples died violently during their Foundation Establishment stage. It's unreasonable that they were all protected by spiritual entities; there must be a secret.

"Another large amount of spiritual items are going out," Ye Zhengwen sighed softly. He then turned his head and remembered that although the Chongming Sect's treasury still had some treasures, it was urgently needed to be retained now that everything was in need of rebuilding.

Despite his nervousness, he had no choice but to nod in agreement. The current headmaster Kang was becoming more and more decisive and imposing, and it seemed that the task of being a florist had been transferred to Ye Zhengwen, who was destined to be a hard worker.

The two discussed several more matters. After Gu Hongzi gave three lectures, the disciples of Chongming Sect made considerable progress.

However, this method is only effective and produces immediate results the first two times; it cannot be so effective every time.

Most importantly, it sparked a wave of learning, and a small number of people were fortunate enough to pass the Foundation Establishment stage, which also filled the Chongming Sect with vitality.

Just as the two were discussing this, good news arrived from Xuanwei City: Jiang Qing had completed his alchemy theory and now needed a spiritual object to form his core.

Ye Zhengwen was overjoyed, but then he began to ponder where to find this Core Formation Spiritual Object.

After a flash of joy in his eyes, Headmaster Kang remembered something in his storage container.

(End of this chapter)