Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 618: The Dragon Prince Takes Himself as His Teacher and Presents the Original Buddhist Zen Master's Footprints Revealed

————Enjoying the view from beyond the mountains

As always, Master Jiang charged ahead. The flying sword he obtained from Fei Tianqin had only been roughly refined, and his internal energy had not been transformed much, yet he was still able to suppress the Yu Yi Shang Xiu who had risked his life to come out of Yuejian Mountain, making it difficult for him to cope.

Even the palm-sized, luminous sword ape landed steadily on Jiang Qing's shoulder, unaffected by a gust of wind. This caused both the Golden Core cultivators inside and outside the formation to exclaim in amazement.
The battle was presided over by the Fei family. Yuan Erli was not allowed to carry the main banner, but only raised a small flag and commanded from the center.

The third-tier spirit puppet that Jieyi cultivated has been severely damaged by the dying counterattack of several Pill Masters, and it is unknown whether it can still be used after this battle.

The third-tier military token is extremely rare. If it becomes unusable, it would mean that Chongming Sect has lost another Golden Core cultivator to protect it.

Ye Zhengwen stood alongside Sect Leader Kang. He was no longer able to participate in such a scene, and even the task of guarding the sect was taken over by Duan Anle and other younger generation members.

Therefore, this battle can only serve to appease the morale of the troops.

The sect leader, Kang, watched indifferently as his disciples led their vassals and followers in a fierce battle.

The spiritual mist at the front of the battle was stained even more turbid by the blood foam, as if not even a sliver of sunlight could penetrate it.

Jiang Sanye's flying sword weaved through the formation, showing no signs of the awkwardness of a newly promoted upper-level cultivator. Just as the upper-level cultivator in feathered robes formed a hand seal to summon a spiritual shield, the luminous sword ape on his shoulder cried out. As if reminded, Jiang Qing instantly formed the Hunyuan Zhenxiao technique, and the sword's edge suddenly shone brightly.
With a "plop," the sword pierced through the spirit shield, pinning the figure in the feathered robe to the broken pillar. Had he not disregarded his flesh and blood and used his magical body to force the sword out, he would have been unable to survive the next strike.

The Golden Core cultivators of Hou Jinshang's lineage were all shocked and furious upon seeing this, but they were still too busy to speak. Their exclamations were immediately swallowed up by the sounds of a new battle.

Yuan Er's hand, gripping the flag, was bulging with veins. His third-tier spirit puppet's left arm was broken, and black blood seeped from the crack in its chest, yet he still used his right arm to knock the oncoming Pill Master away.

These alchemists, disregarding the lives of their disciples, were all risking their lives to kill Yuan Jin, the leader of the main force, demonstrating just how much they feared him.

The guards under the banner formed a battle formation and blocked most of them. Only the Dan Master of Yuejian Mountain was exceptionally skilled. He took the opportunity to flank around and slashed the spirit puppet's waist with his spirit blade. With a "crack", another deep gash was added to the spirit puppet's waist.

Yuan Jin was accompanied by several fake alchemists, but as soon as they stepped forward, they were pierced through the body by bright spiritual arrows that surged from the breach in the formation, and their lives were cut short.

These spirit arrows were no mere show of force; with just one volley of arrows, not only were the several alchemists surrounding Yuan Jin reduced to dust, but the entire military formation in the middle was also annihilated, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.

The increasingly strong smell of blood made Ye Zhengwen's expression turn serious. He was already very anxious. Just then, a cultivator wielding a halberd appeared in front of Yuan Jin. In just a few moments, he cut through a barrage of spiritual arrows and beheaded the Pill Master of Yuejian Mountain who was attacking Yuan Jin.

"Yuan Buwen is still vigorous despite his old age."

Ye Zhengwen had just uttered a word of praise when Yuan Buwen's sword-like eyebrows shot up. After shaking off the crimson blood from the halberd's blade, he finally sneered, "Truly a piece of trash. If I had been born into a Nascent Soul sect, how could I still be unable to form my core?!"

Kang Dabao nodded repeatedly. Ever since he returned the favor and taught Yuan Buwen the true meaning of "The Wood Star Lord's Halberd-Holding Military Strategy", this old cultivator's strength has made great progress.

Back then, Yue and Yuan, the two top-tier fake alchemists, were always compared, but Yuan Buwen was actually superior. However, looking at them now, Yue Lin might not even be as good as his old friend.

"It's a pity that the path has been cut off."

Just as Sect Leader Kang's soft shout fell, Yuan Buwen, having aided Yuan Jin, did not stop either, and continued along with the third-tier spirit puppet, making it difficult for the attacking alchemists to breathe.

At this point, the situation was at a stalemate. The person in charge of Yuejian Mountain had finally found a way to break the deadlock, but the sudden appearance of Yuan Buwen broke it. This was enough to make the cultivators of Yuejian Mountain, who had been paying close attention to this matter, take notice.

The cultivator surnamed Jiao emerged from the formation in purple boots, his body shimmering with a dazzling light, as if afraid people wouldn't know he was a Nascent Soul disciple. His flamboyant nature meant he didn't even bother to casually kill the fake Core cultivator he passed; he wanted to first settle scores with Yuan Buwen.

At this moment, a hint of hesitation flashed across Yuan Buwen's face. The Grand Master Kang saw it clearly and whispered to Buse beside him, "Perhaps we should ask the senior for help."

The latter hesitated for a moment, as if a thousand thoughts had passed through his mind, but in the end he still called to his subordinates, the Pill Masters, and together they went to meet them.

However, Kang Dabao did not see this old acquaintance display any great power. He only saw him being forced into a dangerous situation by the Golden Core cultivator surnamed Jiao, and in the end, he still needed the protection of a group of Pill Masters, including Yuan Buwen, to barely manage to get through it.

Judging from the attire of the Jin Dan surnamed Jiao, even if he didn't meet a lewd end, it was still to be expected that he would receive some assistance.

However, this sight made Master Kang even more puzzled. "Why is this monk still hiding his skills at this time?!" His eyesight was not bad, and he could tell that the old monk was quite capable and should not be in such an ugly state.

This scene did not escape Fei Tianqin's eyes. The old bird was about to send his men to urge Bu Se to work harder when, at that moment, a lotus platform and swastika seal suddenly appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness.

This immediately startled it, causing it to open its sharp eyes wide. After a moment of surprise and doubt, it made no further move.

But when it looked at Buse again, the condescending look in its eyes had vanished, replaced by a hint of disbelief.

It dared not reveal this unusual behavior, but with a flick of its feather, it persuaded the Fei family alchemist, who was about to urge the order, to focus all his attention on the battle.

Kang Dabao was surprised, but after all, the woman was not under his direct control, and the latter had indeed managed to keep this Jin Dan (a type of elixir) surnamed Jiao under his control. Now, seeing that the infighting in Yuejian Mountain had not stopped, if one was used here, one would be needed elsewhere.

Therefore, it doesn't matter if he doesn't show off and just pretends to go through with the story. Hou Jinshangxiu has no one he can use and his flaws will be exposed sooner or later.

The fourth-order protective array at the entrance of Yuejian Mountain, though only at 50% of its power, was still like a giant beast on the verge of death, its spiritual power spreading throughout the entire mountain and valley.

The grayish-purple spiritual mist, shrouded in fragments of gilded array patterns, surged endlessly above the mountain gate. Each pulse caused the earth's veins within the mountain to tremble—the spiritual soil beneath their feet cracked open with fissures the width of a finger, and pale blue spiritual liquid meandered out along the cracks.

At the front of the Fei family's allied forces, more than a hundred lightning spirit cannons were already set up in three rows. The muzzles were covered with bowl-sized dark blue lightning, and the cannon bodies crackled with lightning arcs, scorching the surrounding spiritual mist and forcing it to retreat.

Fei Donggu stood at the bow of the flagship, his black robes fluttering in the spiritual wind. He raised his hand and placed it on the cannon barrel, probing with spiritual energy at his fingertips. After confirming that the cannon core was full of spiritual crystals, his hoarse roar pierced through the battlefield's clamor: "Calibrate! Fire!"

In an instant, over a hundred lightning bolts shot into the sky like divine punishment, then crashed down on the array's light barrier.

The expected cracking sound did not come. The lightning cannon struck the light screen, only exploding into a cloud of fine gold dust. The light screen did not even dent. Instead, the rebounding spiritual waves made the cannon body buzz, and the spiritual soil under the cannon frame sank half an inch.

Hou Jinshang, who had previously been passively enduring attacks, suddenly unleashed his power, causing the Fei family to suffer a minor loss.

The cultivators operating the cannons instantly had their hands split open, and blood flowed down the cannon barrels, dripping onto the spiritual soil and splashing up fine spiritual mist;
A group of allied cultivators were struck in the chest by the spiritual wave, spitting out a mouthful of black blood and collapsing to the ground in convulsions. Their meridians had been severed, and it was unknown whether they could be saved.

"This is only 50% of the power of the damn thing?" Yuan Jin's hand, gripping the flag, bulged with veins, and he couldn't help but curse.

The third-tier spirit puppet in front of him had its left arm broken off, with sparks still flying from the broken spirit runes. The core spirit crystal on its chest was cracked with spiderweb-like fissures, and black blood seeped out from the cracks, blurring most of the spirit runes on it. The spirit armor on its right knee had been cleaved open by the spirit blade of the Yuejian Mountain cultivator, revealing the spirit threads wrapped inside.

The barrage of fire from the artillery had also affected this third-tier spirit puppet, causing most of its spirit threads to break and its spirit patterns to flicker erratically, as if it might go out at any moment.

"This is only because Master Yunfu took most of the sect's assets to Shanbei Road."

Headmaster Kang exclaimed again, thankfully the Nascent Soul cultivators above hadn't taken the detachment led by the Fei family too seriously; otherwise, the Fei family's team would have had a hard time even entering the Ancient Profound Path.

Even Kang Dabao felt this way, and the allied cultivators outside the formation felt their hearts sink, with even Fei Tianqin frowning.

It stood on the high platform, its golden feathers covered in dust. It probed the great formation with its divine sense, but only felt a heavy spiritual pressure rushing towards it. Although the great formation was damaged, it was still difficult for a Nascent Soul cultivator to break.

After finally gathering enough spirit crystals to use the incomparably powerful Thunder Cannon, the impact was like punching cotton, not even causing a ripple.

"Let the righteous warriors charge first!" Fei Tianqin shouted sharply, pointing his feathered spear towards the front of the formation.

"Pass down the order: today's first battle to return upon hearing the call of battle is equivalent to three ordinary battles! Upon returning to the formation, they shall immediately set off without delay! I, the patriarch, am promising them a bright future!"
This bloodshed is for the sake of our future; a person cannot live a life as insignificant as a blade of grass!

This old bird has a much more methodical approach to using rogue cultivators than the average person; at least he knows that a generous reward is needed to attract brave men.

But in other words, at this moment, whether you are brave or not is no longer up to you. You may not seek reward, but you cannot refrain from charging into battle.

The cultivators of Yuejian Mountain, who were engaged in a difficult battle with the Chongming Alliance outside the formation, retreated after cutting off their tails. Instead of urging them to pursue, Sect Leader Kang ordered the cultivators under his jurisdiction to temporarily retreat as well.

Those inconspicuous rogue cultivators behind them were the first to rush forward.

The battle had dragged on for so long, yet they seemed to have an inexhaustible supply, like weeds. The Fei family had a special hunting camp that searched all directions and always returned with a full load.

Among those at the forefront were those carrying rusty spirit knives and those gripping wooden swords without even talismans affixed to them. These were the newly recruited soldiers, their formation chaotic and disorganized, not much better than a flock of sheep.

Those behind them, regardless of their robes and armor, were much more dazzling. They recognized all sorts of golden drums and flags, and could even operate several basic formations with some semblance of skill. These were the elite rogue cultivators that the Fei family had forged from countless lives.

After such a great sifting process, some good people can always be found among the dregs.

However, in the face of the fourth-order grand formation of Yuejian Mountain, there doesn't seem to be any significant difference between the two. After all, neither a knife nor tofu can withstand a bone-removing steel blade.

As soon as the tall Fei family son gave the order and the dark, dense army of rogue cultivators drew near, the array patterns suddenly lit up, and countless golden rays shot out from the mist like a fine rain of needles, each one carrying the sharp force to cleave spiritual energy.

The rogue cultivator at the forefront was a man in the late stage of Qi Refining. Just as he raised his sword to slash, the golden light pierced through his chest, and spiritual blood flowed down the golden light, staining the sword blade crimson.

The boy behind him tried to retreat, but was squeezed in the middle. Golden light pierced through his temple, and his brains mixed with spiritual blood spurted out, splashing onto the back of the person in front of him.
Those further back were tripped by the corpses of their comrades. Before they could get up, they were trampled underfoot by the charging men. The sound of bones breaking mixed with screams echoed across the front of the battle.

This tragic scene would evoke pity anywhere, but the high-ranking cultivators here had long been hardened by the bloodstains covering the ground.

In just a few breaths, the cultivators saw a large section of the scattered cultivators' formation, including many of Fei family children, collapse.

The once orderly military formation suddenly collapsed. The bare-chested drummer behind Fei Tianqin paused slightly, and the drumbeats of the charge suddenly went off-beat, interrupting the military music's "fear-dispelling" effect.

This caused chaos, and fear began to creep onto the faces of some rogue cultivators, spreading rapidly like a sudden epidemic.

The dozen or so militia formations began to fall apart uncontrollably, and soon after, it seemed that even all the militia in the front lines were beginning to waver.

The scene should have been incredibly tense, but Fei Tianqin remained unhurried. He merely glanced at the bare-chested drummer, who, trembling with fear, desperately tried to regain his rhythm before Fei Tianqin coldly gave the order:

"Those who retreat before the battle begins shall die!"

Terrified and disoriented, the rogue cultivators were barely able to make a choice. Many of them turned around, but before they could run more than a few steps, they were hit by streaks of spiritual arrows fired by the Fei family's archery camp from behind.

With no way out in either direction, many of the lucky survivors were so desperate that they collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.

At this moment, Fei Nanying showed no pity whatsoever. He simply told his attendants, "Tell the singers to change the tune to 'Emperor Taizu's Battle Song'."

Seeing that Fei Tianqin had no objections, Fei Nanying then instructed, "Everyone must be prepared. There is no room for retreat now! If we ruin this great undertaking, even those who possess the Golden Elixir will not be spared!"

Upon receiving the order, Si Geshi hurriedly carried twelve bronze war drums to the high altar in front of the formation. The drum bodies were made of third-tier "mysterious iron camphor" and wrapped in the hide of "earth-splitting bears". The hide still bore the claw marks from the battle between the demon beasts. Eight spirit crystals of various colors were inlaid on the edge of the drums, which emitted a faint golden light when struck.

There are also twelve bronze chimes hanging on the spirit wood frame. The bells are cast with reliefs depicting the time when David conquered a million kilos. The mottled rust seems to be filled with a strong bloody aura that lingers for a long time.

Eight "Cloud-Splitting Rhinoceros" horn horns, ten iron cymbals, six bone flutes, and four stone chimes are arranged on both sides. These are all war instruments that can draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and they are rarely used in ordinary battles.

"Beat the drums! Play the music!" the sage shouted, and twelve bare-chested drummers swung their wooden drumsticks and smashed them hard against the bronze war drum.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The first drumbeat was as heavy as the earth's veins collapsing, causing the pale blue spiritual liquid in the cracked spiritual soil in front of the formation to ripple ten feet high, meandering into a river along the rhythm of the drumbeat;

The second drumbeat quickened, followed closely by the booming of the chime bells. The clang of the bells drowned out the sound of the churning spirit mist, and even shook the gray-purple spirit mist floating on the light screen into a frenzy.
The third drumbeat was as dense as a sudden rainstorm, the long cry of the beast horn pierced through the clouds and mist, the sharp sound of the cymbals stabbed the eardrums, the bone flute played the "Breaking the Enemy's Formation" short and sharp like the flash of a knife, and the muffled sound of the stone chime made people's chests tremble. They intertwined with the rhythm of the war drums, weaving a sound net full of killing intent.

The music had barely started for half an incense stick's time when a strange phenomenon suddenly erupted in front of the formation.

With each beat of the war drum, a circle of pale golden ripples rose from the ground, and water droplets in the Spirit Liquid River leaped up with the ripples, condensing into miniature phantoms of spirit blades that hovered above the heads of the allied forces.
As the chime bells rang, the spiritual mist in the air suddenly contracted, transforming into a phantom battle flag about ten feet square. The character "Fei" on the flag fluttered, exactly the same as the banner used by the Fei family's ancestor to sweep across the ancient Xuandao. Golden light floated around the edge of the flag, which could even resonate with the spiritual power of the allied cultivators.

As the horn sounded, hundreds of phantom spears materialized beside the phantom battle flag, trembling slightly with the drumbeats, as if ready to pierce the Yuejian Mountain light curtain at any moment.

The strangest thing was the effect of the war drums. When the drummer increased the force, the sound of the drum could penetrate the light barrier and cause the cultivators of Yuejian Mountain inside the formation to have their dantian disordered. One Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding the formation was about to make a hand seal to release a spirit arrow when he was hit by the drumbeats, causing his spiritual power to reverse and spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

Even Hou Jinshang, the cultivator, couldn't sit still in the Ancestral Hall. His hand, which was supporting the spirit jade pillar, trembled uncontrollably, and the array patterns on the pillar flickered with the drumbeats, as if it were about to be shaken to the point of collapse.

Kang Dabao looked at the Fei family's set of military music instruments with great envy and suddenly exclaimed, "My Yue family didn't invest like this before. They probably moved a lot of their belongings from Yingzhou when they were still in Shanbei Road. To be honest, this is what it means to be the most powerful family in the world."

Outside the formation, the rogue cultivator who had been slumped on the ground and weeping earlier was startled when he heard the booming war drums, and then he gripped the rusty knife and wooden sword in his hand tightly.

The Qi Refining cultivator Wang Laoshuan, who had lost an arm, lost all the leisurely comfort he usually enjoyed in the restaurant. It's no wonder that he was bewitched by the passerby from Yunjiao Prefecture. He gritted his teeth, propped himself up with one arm, and roared to the beat of the drum: "I'll fight! Even if it's not for myself, I want to give future generations a different way of life!"

Several rogue cultivators who had originally intended to flee were stirred by the sound of the drums, causing their blood to boil and them to stand up as well. The vibrations of the war drums made their spiritual energy scald, and coupled with the phantom of the spiritual blade hanging above their heads, they actually felt a sense of confidence that they could "win".

On the high platform, Fei Tianqin raised his feather and coldly shouted: "Attack! Today, including my own life, no one's life is precious!"

Upon receiving the order, Fei Donggu waved the command flag again, pointing it to the west side of the light screen. With the resonance of the drumbeats, the more than one hundred Thunder Light Spirit Cannons, no longer scattered, actually condensed into a ten-foot-wide arc of lightning, which slammed fiercely into the light screen.

The lightning arc struck the array pattern on the west side, exploding with a "sizzle" and scattering golden dust everywhere. The slits on the light screen instantly widened to half a foot, and the spiritual energy in the array pattern leaked out in rhythm with the drumbeats, as if forced out by the sound waves with nowhere to hide.

Hou Jingshang was so angry he almost chewed his teeth to pieces before cursing, "No wonder he's a lackey of the Kuang family! He certainly knows how to play military music!"

Before his curses had even finished, he suddenly grabbed three spirit crystals from the table, his inner energy surging wildly in his palm, and crushed the spirit crystals to pieces.

The spiritual mist, mixed with shattered crystal powder, was pressed onto the spirit jade pillar. Suddenly, the array patterns on the pillar lit up, and the originally dim gilded patterns spread along the earth vein spiritual liquid towards the light screen. The faint gaps on the light screen made a "sizzling" sound as they slowly closed!
Even Yuejian Mountain hadn't managed to collect many of these treasures, but Hou Jinshang didn't feel any pain. He only watched as the great array light screen, which had been trembling from being rammed by a group of desperate people, suddenly lit up, and countless golden rays were scattered, annihilating countless lives.

The expressions of the two leaders remained unchanged. Fei Tianqin urged again in a cold voice, Fei Donggu fired his cannon again, and Fei Nanying changed his command flag.

At this moment, three golden gongs rang out, and the remaining loyal followers, still alive, returned to their ranks, weeping and shouting, to receive their rewards. While they were laughing and crying, the small families that Kang Dabao had recruited were then given new assignments; they were later assigned to the Fei family's vassals, then to the various tribes of the Chongming Alliance, and then to the Fei family's Yingshan Army.
The protective array of Yuejian Mountain had not crushed so much flesh and blood for many years. Throughout the day, day and night, the attack never stopped, and even the spiritual mist surrounding the light screen was smoked into a blackish-purple color.

Throughout the day, Fei Tianqin's sharp eyes, apart from cautiously glancing at Guo Buse a few times, never left the light screen of the great array for even a moment.

Just as another crisp sound rang out, and it saw yet another fake core within the formation melt into blood by the backlash, it asked the long-bearded formation master beside it, "Fellow Daoist Xun, can you calculate the location to break the formation?"

The array master, whose compass was flashing with spiritual light, closed his eyes and calculated in his mind for a long time before marking several points on the rough sketch. Only after presenting it to Fei Tianqin did he cautiously say:
"Lord Fengcheng, please forgive me. I am a junior with limited knowledge and skills. Although my master has heard some old friends who have repaired this fourth-order grand formation at Yuejian Mountain talk about it, and I only heard it from my master, I am even less aware of its true nature. So I can only roughly determine these few locations."

Fei Tianqin examined it carefully for a while and then asked, "According to you, the way to break the formation should be within this area."

The array seeker visibly blushed and said respectfully, "My eyesight is poor, and I may need to ask a high-level cultivator who can see through illusions to check it to be sure. But even so, it may not be among them."

To the slight surprise of the array seeker, this notoriously eccentric and difficult old bird was quite satisfied with these words: "The array seeker truly lives up to his reputation as a trusted advisor to His Highness the Northern King. His approach to military formations is still pragmatic and appropriate!"

“See through the illusion.” Fei Tianqin’s sharp eyes narrowed. Following the method taught by the array master, he examined several places on the sketch one by one. After a few breaths, the old bird was very confident. With a flick of a feather, he swept away several places.

"how?"

“My lord, I am sure I am not certain. Perhaps we can ask a highly skilled cultivator who is proficient in pupil techniques to come and verify it.”

Fei Tianqin, a highly skilled cultivator in pupil techniques, thought for a moment, then calmly instructed his men, "Summon Chongming Zong Kang Dabao, Dongshan of Shuiyue Temple, and Yixin of Fuyun Dao to come and serve me."

The two that were closer together came over together.

After listening to Fei Tianqin's instructions and finally learning the method of finding the array master's oral transmission, and after each of them studied it for a while, the young and beautiful Fuyun Dao Yixin Shangxiu, dressed in light clothing, spoke first in a soft and sweet voice.

She clearly knew who was in charge, so she didn't try to be obsequious and simply replied in a clear voice, "Your Excellency, I truly cannot see clearly."

“Return to the formation,” Fei Tianqin was not surprised by this result. After Yixin Shangxiu left gracefully, Dongshan Shangxiu of Shuiyue Temple bowed respectfully and said, “Reporting to the Marquis, the Marquis’s investigation is correct and all of it matches my judgment.”

Fei Tianqin was not pleased but angry. He only glanced at the upper cultivator coldly and saw that the upper cultivator immediately looked timid, which meant that he had said something against his will.

"Anyone who dares to curry favor here should be careful with their life."

"Your Excellency is wise, but I, a junior, could not see clearly either."

"Go to the front lines and temporarily replace Chongmingzong."

"promise,"

Not long after Dongshan Shangxiu left with a bitter expression, Kang Dabao landed in front of Fei Tianqin. At this time, he was covered in the smell of blood, which made even the old bird Fei Tianqin feel hungry.

"Let's see,"

The old bird swallowed hard, exchanged a brief conversation with Master Kang, and then stopped elaborating. The latter was clearly much more meticulous than the previous two, asking about every little detail, but had not yet reached a conclusion.

However, Fei Tianqin and the array seeker did not find him verbose; on the contrary, their eyes shone with admiration.

Kang Dabao examined the map for a long time, scrutinizing the corresponding positions with his Golden Eyes of Truth, before carefully marking several points on the sketch. He knew that every stroke of the pen could mean a life, and he, the Grand Master Kang, had no choice but to be so cautious.

Fei Tianqin took a look and saw that the sketch had been marked down to only one place by Master Kang. He then used his magic eye to check against the annotations left by the latter one by one, and found no mistakes.

The old bird didn't hesitate at all and immediately made a decision, instructing his men: "Immediately order the Water Moon Temple to lead the righteous troops to abandon the second gate of life in front of them and attack the area between the Qianwei and Yaoguang lines. Archers and gunners, turn around!"

Military orders were like lightning, swiftly transmitted along the messenger flags in front of the allied forces.

The cultivators of Shuiyue Temple had just withdrawn from the Second Gate of Life at the front, their armor still covered with blackish-purple spiritual mist residue. Upon hearing the order, they immediately turned around.

The leader, a cultivator from Dongshan, was filled with remorse. He made a hand seal and swept aside the mangled body in front of him, leading over a hundred cultivators behind him. Holding water-patterned shields, they formed a crescent-shaped formation and urged their recently rested followers to charge back into battle, heading towards the base between the Qian and Yao Guang positions. The cultivators from Yuejian Mountain at the base had just withstood the attack of the second gate of life and hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when someone else came to claim their lives.

The fourth-order grand formation of Yuejian Mountain has been under fierce attack for so long, and it is difficult to pinpoint its weaknesses without the help of a formation master using a compass and a geomancer using incantations and calculations. Even Hou Jin, who is responsible for cultivating this main formation, is not entirely certain.

However, upon seeing that the Water Moon audience had changed their positions, he made a rough calculation in his mind and, after checking the array's main tablet, was immediately shocked.

At the same time, the cultivators of the Fei family's Archery Camp were turning around, carrying their spirit crossbows.

The heavy crossbow platform's spirit-patterned wooden base left deep marks on the ground as the archers frantically adjusted the angles and nocked the explosive crossbow bolts.

A young archer coughed, choked by the spiritual mist. His finger trembled, and the crossbow bolt shot out prematurely, grazing the shoulder of the Water Moon Temple cultivator before exploding on the array patterns, scattering only a few specks of gold dust. He turned pale with fright and was about to apologize when the junior officer beside him kicked him in the back of the knee: "What are you standing there for! If you're any slower, I'll shove you into the cannon's mouth!"

Fei Donggu frowned again. Even the elite Fei family artillerymen were so nervous. This battle could not be fought for any longer!
The movement of the spirit cannon battalion was even more cumbersome. More than a hundred lightning spirit cannons were pushed and turned by the cultivators. The cannon wheels crushed the corpses on the ground, making a "crunching" sound, as if they were gnawing on flesh.

Fei Donggu stood atop the flagship, his black robes fluttering in the spiritual wind. He stared at the array patterns between the Qian and Yao Guang positions and shouted sharply, "Release!"

The military academy students below shouted in unison, "Release! Release! Release!"

The three booming sounds were almost simultaneous, and three arcs of lightning, each ten feet wide, shot straight into the sky before crashing down on the base of the formation.

This time, the lightning arc didn't explode into gold dust like before; instead, it sizzled and burrowed into the gaps in the array patterns.

The golden light on the array pattern dimmed instantly, and a foot-wide crack appeared. Pale blue spiritual liquid flowed out from the crack, accumulating on the ground as a pool of blood shimmering with spiritual light.

"broken!"

“The formation is broken!!!”

A cheer erupted from the allied forces. Taking advantage of the moment, the cultivators of Shuiyue Temple rushed forward, their water-patterned shields bracing against the spirit arrows, and thrust their spears into the breach. The cultivator on Dongshan Mountain, surprised that this seemingly suicidal act could actually yield results, immediately shouted:
"The restoration of our sect begins today!"

Half of the followers, their eyes red, surged in, while the other half only hoped that the sound of golden bells would ring out again from behind.

Inside the formation, Hou Jinshang, his eyes bloodshot with rage, spat a mouthful of blood onto the spirit jade pillar he clutched tightly. Even at this moment, he did not forget to rally his troops: "We are prepared to die but not retreat! Master must already be on his way back!!"

At this moment, even Fei Tianqin lost his composure. For the first time, it left the banner, flapped its wings, and appeared in a flash of light at the breach in the formation. The Yuejian Mountain disciples, who were fighting to the death with the Shuiyue Temple, only saw two thick golden lights sweeping over them. They were forced to close their eyes to avoid them, but in the next instant, a loud "boom" rang in their ears, and they could no longer open their eyes.

"That old bird is so cruel!" Hou Jinshang was furious. He had just forced the somewhat timid cultivators from Yuejian Mountain to block the breach when someone else stepped into the Ancestral Hall.

"You Longzi? If you suddenly realize your mistake now, it might still be in time. The disciples of Yuejian Mountain are united and fearless of those petty villains outside!"

At this moment, Hou Jinshangxiu's vital energy had been almost completely drained by the great formation, and he could hardly suppress the evil blood in his abdomen. However, when he spoke, he still pretended to have a bitter look on his face.

However, You Longzi remained unmoved. He let out a long breath and asked the same question again: "Senior Brother Hou, where is my master?!"

"You Longzi! Yuejian Mountain is in danger of collapse!! How can you still be thinking of your own faction?!"

"Where is my teacher?!"

Hou Jingshang was suppressed by these four words for a long time before he sneered: "Fine, fine! Wait until the Fei family comes in and washes the mountain gate clean, then you can go and ask the Kuang family for the whereabouts of your master."

“I knew then.” The complexity of Long Zi’s expression was no less than that of Hou Jinshangxiu. He uttered four words in a low voice, then softly added, “In that case, Senior Brother Hou, please don’t blame me for not considering our fellow disciples.”

"You beast!! This is the ancestral hall, the place where our ancestors have enjoyed the offerings of incense throughout the ages! What are you going to do about it?"

However, as soon as Hou Jinshangxiu finished cursing, cheers erupted outside again.

Looking up again, Hou Jinshang saw that the spiritual light of the array's main tablet had dimmed considerably, and he knew exactly what had happened.

"You traitor! You villain! You sinner!"

Hou Jingshang, his eyes wide with rage, fainted amidst a series of muttered murmurs. Long Zi retrieved a magical artifact to subdue him, then softly said, "The sinners of Yuejian Mountain are you and your master. If you were willing to reveal my master's whereabouts, why this commotion?!"

As Long Zigang bound Hou Jin with the Spirit Binding Rope, the cries and sounds of collapse outside the Ancestral Hall poured in through the gap in the Spirit Barrier.

Several more cultivators from Yuejian Mountain, belonging to the lineage of True Man Yunfu, ran over from outside the hall. Looking at the increasingly dim spiritual light on the array's main plate, and then at Hou Jin who was being restrained, the last trace of resistance on their faces vanished completely.

There was a late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple guarding the flag, his knuckles white as he clutched the tattered flag embroidered with the words "Joyful Encounter" in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes first.

"Let's lower it..." someone murmured first, like a pebble thrown into stagnant water.

Immediately, more and more voices echoed this sentiment. Some cultivators threw down their spirit swords and knelt on the ground; others tried to escape to the back of the mountain, but were stopped halfway by cultivators from the Dragon Prince lineage, with spirit swords at their necks, and had no choice but to surrender obediently.

Only the white-haired, yellow-robed cultivator attempted to self-destruct, but was sealed in his dantian by Longzi's spiritual technique, collapsing beside the spirit jade pillar, coughing up blood and wailing, "Senior Brother You, why did you have to do this? Why did you have to do this?"

Yu Longzi merely glanced at him indifferently before turning and walking away.

His biggest concern right now is the safety of Master Huquan. As for Yuejian Mountain, what kind of Nascent Soul sect is it without a master in charge?

At the mountain gate, Fei Tianqin folded his wings, and the last batch of cultivators who had plugged the breach in Yuejian Mountain had fallen into pools of blood.

The grayish-purple spiritual mist completely dissipated, revealing the tattered array flags and the mangled corpses scattered on the ground. Pale blue spiritual liquid mixed with spiritual blood accumulated and flowed in a winding stream in front of the mountain gate.

The allied cultivators' eyes turned red as they watched. The anger that had been suppressed in their hearts by the great formation was now transformed into a thirst for supplies and a better future.

One of the rogue cultivators shouted first, and countless followers seemed to gain courage, rushing towards the mountain gate with rusty knives and wooden swords.

The disciples and scions of powerful families also lost all dignity. They should know that this was a Nascent Soul sect, and even when they died today, they might not be able to set foot here again.

In an instant, pushing, shoving, cursing, and scheming broke out, and chaos ensued even before the mission was fully accomplished.

However, these quick-footed individuals ran into a tough opponent, as a group of serious and orderly cultivators from Yuejian Mountain suddenly appeared.

The allied forces, who had originally hoped to take whatever they wanted, were suddenly splattered with blood. In just a few breaths, many of their lives were taken by the leaders of Yuejian Mountain and their disciples.

Apart from the Chongming Sect and the Fei family, almost every other family had key figures who died in battle.

The bloody swords and blades seemed to sober up the people in the room. Long Zi stood at the front, his hands behind his back, looking at the group of wicked guests with a contemptuous gaze as if he were looking at a pack of dogs and pigs.

"Is Uncle Fei willing to come out and greet this junior?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Fei Tianqin, who had been outside the formation, spread his wings and flew over. At this moment, the old bird no longer concealed its form, and like a heavy cloud, it descended upon the cultivators of Yuejian Mountain.

"I will certainly inform the Duke of my nephew's merit in abandoning darkness and embracing the light today!"

However, Long Zixian didn't seem to care much about the old bird's promise. He just looked at the crowd around him, his face turning cold, and asked, "I wonder if what you said in your letter, Uncle, still counts?"

Fei Tianqin's sharp eyes flickered for a moment. He first calculated the time in his mind, and then looked at You Longzi and his group. He was obviously also hesitant.

Before the old bird could even decide what to say, a lotus platform and swastika symbol suddenly appeared in its sea of ​​consciousness. The shock caused its sharp eyes to narrow and its sea of ​​consciousness to ache.

The old bird first glanced discreetly at a certain spot in the rear, then looked at You Longzi and his group, who were already showing signs of impatience, and said in a gentle voice, "Of course, as a member of the David family, I would not make any empty promises to my juniors."

Kang, the Grand Master, who was huddled in the back ranks, saw You Longzi breathe a sigh of relief, and then he heard Fei Tianqin say loudly:
"Except for Hou Jin and others who have reached the Golden Core stage and need to be handed over to the government for punishment, the other disciples who have sided with the rebels on Yuejian Mountain will have their dantians sealed by the Dragon Prince, awaiting the government's official punishment. In addition, all the key places on Yuejian Mountain will be guarded by the Dragon Prince, and no family is allowed to disturb them."

These words caused an uproar not only among the families summoned by the Fei family, but even the Fei family members who had never spoken against Fei Tianqin began to complain.

After a fierce battle, he entered a Nascent Soul sect, only to return empty-handed?!
Even if we go back several thousand years to the time of David, we still cannot find such a reason!
Fei Tianqin himself was also displeased. Even for an existence like itself, the Nascent Soul treasure was extremely precious. It was possible that even its own chance to form a Nascent Soul might fall into this trap.

It was already extremely annoyed, and being disturbed by its subordinates at this moment only fueled its anger.

To be honest, this old bird's ferocity is no joke. He has been in charge of the army for so long that even the few non-family Golden Core cultivators dare not utter a single word.

As the sharp eyes swept across the area, the sounds within the formation gradually weakened.

The Grand Master Kang was also making a ruckus here. After all, even if the disciples of the sect dared not say much, the recruits and the families newly under the rule of Chongming Sect were not so easy to talk to.

However, with Fei Tianqin and Kang Dabao, both highly respected figures, suppressing the situation, they eventually gave up.

However, this feeling of resentment in his heart could not be dispelled.

Fortunately, You Longzi was a very perceptive person in charge. Seeing that Fei Tianqin looked displeased, he stepped forward, bowed, and made a promise in front of everyone:
"Uncle, you and your fellow Daoists have come all this way to restore order to Yuejian Mountain. I am deeply grateful. I have prepared some provisions and rare treasures as a token of my gratitude, so that you may use them to reward the troops."

These words dissipated much of the resentment among the cultivators on the other side. Since Fei Tianqin had promised that the Dragon Prince would not be forced to steal, they could only hope that the latter would be sensible and not try to get rid of the cultivators with a few measly gifts.

Fei Tianqin did not think that the Dragon Prince would offer valuable treasures as a token of gratitude. Instead, he invited Kang Dabao, Fei Donggu, and Fei Nanying to take over the management of all the Golden Cores of the Yunfu True Man lineage.

It urged the array master to have the array repaired, unaware of when True Man Yunfu would return or what the bald monk in the array was planning.

Then, they agreed with Longzi to establish separate resting places and guard posts for both sides, since neither side could rest easy at this point.

Another day has passed.

Just as dawn was breaking, a black wind suddenly swept up outside Yuejian Mountain.

It wasn't the usual spiritual mist in the mountains, but a fierce wind carrying the chill of the frozen earth of the northern mountain pass. The wind carried tiny ice crystals that clattered against the broken array's light screen.

The light screen, which had been barely held together by the array finder using hastily gathered spirit crystals, was now being blown by the wind, and the array patterns at the edges were shedding gold dust, like a tattered rag that was about to fall apart at any moment.

The cultivators inside the formation were the first to sense that something was wrong.

The Fei family's gunner had just finished filling the Thunder Light Spirit Cannon with spirit crystals when he suddenly felt his core energy stagnate. The spirit crystal in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud" and broke in two.
Ye Zhengwen was counting the spiritual materials he had been given to Yuan Jin, and they still hadn't finished counting them from yesterday until now. Suddenly, his fingertips went numb. He thought his divine sense couldn't hold on, but the next moment, he was blown away by the fine breeze that had seeped in. His storage bag burst open with a "whoosh," and the treasures inside vanished.
Even the luminous sword ape on Jiang Qing's shoulder sensed something was amiss. It bristled and burrowed into his arms, its claws gripping his robe tightly, emitting soft whimpers.

"They're here." Kang Dabao was much more alert than the average person. He had just helped the array finder check the array's core when his Golden Eyes of Insight suddenly stung. He looked up and gazed westward.

On the horizon, a dark streak of light was rushing towards them at a speed visible to the naked eye, tearing the clouds along its path to shreds and even dimming the sun's radiance.

Just as he was about to shout, the light of escape landed a hundred feet away from the great formation. The black Taoist robe swept across the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust, revealing a figure. Headmaster Kang had never seen him before, but he knew that the person in front of him should be the Yunfu Zhenren who was often mentioned by the people around him.

Master Yunfu did not enter the formation, nor did he shout. He simply stood outside the formation, his gaze like a knife tempered with ice, sweeping over the cultivators inside the formation and the Yuejian Mountain disciples under guard, finally landing on the tattered light screen.

The dark gold token at his waist lit up with a "hum," and the pressure of his Nascent Soul instantly spread out.

The great formation was damaged and its isolation was incomplete.

Many of the Qi Refining followers within the formation immediately knelt down, some even fainting outright;

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators were not having an easy time. Yuan Buwen's hand holding the flag bulged with veins, and the spiritual patterns on the flagpole trembled.

Fei Tianqin, who was the first to be affected, was spreading his golden wings, but the pressure made his wings droop, and drops of blood dripped from his feathers.

However, the visitor did not ask him anything first, but instead looked at another person.

“By Dragon Son”.

Master Yunfu's voice wasn't loud, but it struck many people like a heavy hammer: "Just look at what you've done to Yuejian Mountain!"

Inside the formation, You Longzi's face turned deathly pale. Even though he had asked many questions before, seeing the real person's anger in person, he was so nervous that he could hardly speak.

Master Yunfu had already raised his hand and formed a hand seal. Dark spiritual energy surged from his palm, condensing into a ten-foot-long spiritual blade, which he fiercely slashed at the old wound on the west side of the light barrier.

That was the very gap that the array master had barely managed to patch up. When the spirit blade struck it, with a "crack," the spirit crystal shattered instantly, and the light barrier cracked open, seemingly also slicing away a piece of the fighting spirit of the thousands of cultivators in the array.

"Fix it quickly!" the array seeker roared, pulling out the last few array plates from his storage bag and stuffing them into the gap.

But as soon as the array plate touched the array pattern, it was pulverized into powder by Yunfu Zhenren's spiritual power, and the gap actually widened by half a foot.

The spiritual pressure within the formation suddenly surged, and several Fei family disciples who were near the gap had their spiritual robes torn apart by the spiritual waves, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backward.

Master Yunfu did not stop. He made hand seals and chanted incantations, and black and red flames wrapped in spiritual power smashed into the center of the light screen.

The array master was quite skilled, and because of the dragon prince's defection, the array was not much damaged to begin with. Therefore, after the repairs, it was still considered quite sturdy in the eyes of the Grand Master Kang.

But the blind man could see that as soon as the black flame touched the light screen, a large dent appeared in the center, and the array patterns spread out like a spider web, causing even the earth's veins in the mountain to tremble. The corpses on the ground were shaken and jumped up.

"It just couldn't hold on any longer!" The array seeker clutched the compass, his voice trembling with undisguised sobs.

The light on his compass flickered, and the dots representing the positions went out one by one.

Fei Tianqin was a rare calm presence in the formation. He glanced at a certain spot in the formation and, seeing no reaction, his sharp eyes narrowed. Without waiting for any further movement from the rear, he shouted, "Shooting Battalion, protect the formation's eye! Spirit Cannon Battalion, bombard its Dao patterns!"

The military order was delivered hastily. The archers of the Shooting Camp staggered as they carried their crossbows. The Exploding Flame Arrows had just been nocked when the pressure from the Nascent Soul made their arms tremble. The arrows were fired erratically and failed to achieve any success.
The spirit cannon was also difficult to control. Two cultivators worked together to fill it with spirit crystals, but the cannon trembled due to the spiritual pressure, and cracks spread all over the barrel. With a "hum", it leaked spiritual power.

The military academy officer, his eyes red, kicked the cultivator: "Release it! Even if it explodes, release it!"

With a fierce shout, countless lightning bolts shot out, only to stop in mid-air.

Master Yunfu flicked out pale golden Dao patterns from his fingertips, like silk threads wrapped around a cannon, actually twisting its direction and causing it to explode as it grazed the light barrier. Amidst the flying golden dust, the gap on the west side of the light barrier widened by half a foot, and spiritual liquid gushed out, instantly freezing into ice crystals upon hitting the ground.

"What a fierce cultivator! We underestimated him!" Fei Tianqin shouted angrily, but there was nothing he could do but urge all the cultivators in the formation to join forces to resist.

Despite the fact that the real person outside was all alone, he caused quite a commotion in the formation.

But human strength is finite. After the cultivators in the formation struggled for a while, Master Yunfu seemed to have calmed down and withdrawn his supernatural powers. Instead, he advised Youlongzi to come out and atone for his sins, and thankfully spared his life.

Unexpectedly, You Longzi, who had just been behaving poorly, suddenly shook off his dejected look and shouted fiercely at Master Yunfu: "Yunfu, you fratricide, you traitor! You are a disgrace to our sect! How dare you ask me to come out of the battle and seek death?!"

Master Yunfu was immediately enraged, but a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. He was still wondering what to do when he saw a burst of spiritual light from the formation cover him and fill the area in front of him.

Master Yunfu unleashed his spiritual treasure and let out a cold laugh. It was true that he had managed to break the formation in a short time, but he was not someone that the juniors in the formation could harm.

He used his dragon-patterned shield to block all the spiritual light, and then the dragon-patterned shield moved, causing the other spiritual light that had passed by him to be redirected and attack the array's light barrier.

As wisps of spiritual smoke rose, True Man Yunfu felt a slight sense of satisfaction upon hearing the screams of agony. He then noticed a formation base that seemed to have cracked open with a soft sound. He casually struck it, but to his surprise, the spiritual light scattered and the formation shattered.

"What?!" Kang Dabao was immediately shocked, but he also knew that he could not afford to panic now. No matter how powerful Master Yunfu was, he was no match for the united Wanxiu if chaos broke out.

Seeing that the Nascent Soul cultivator was breaking through the formation and trying to enter, chaos erupted within the formation. Even the Fei family members, who were supposed to be suppressing the situation, became extremely nervous.

However, at this moment, what surprised Master Kang was that Bu Se led his men, whose faces were full of sorrow, to the breach in the great formation.

"Could it be?!?!"

Just as Kang Dabao's doubts arose, he saw the Buddha light surrounding Zen Master Buse suddenly change—the previous soft, pale golden Buddha light disappeared completely, replaced by a fierce light as thick as molten gold, and the Buddha pattern on the top of the Vajra Pestle lit up with a "hum," revealing a lotus platform swastika wheel seal that was exactly the same as what Fei Tianqin had seen in his sea of ​​consciousness!
The old monk showed no trace of his previous cowardice amidst the "perilous situation." In a flash, he rushed to the breach in the great formation, moving so fast that even a Golden Core cultivator couldn't see his afterimage.

Just as Master Yunfu shattered the array's foundation and was about to gather his energy and rush into the array, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling pressure of Buddhist power coming from his back, which startled him so much that the hairs on his body stood on end.

This is not the spiritual power that a Golden Core cultivator can possess; it is the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

"How dare you!" Yun Fu roared and turned around, hastily raising his dragon-patterned spirit shield behind him. His dark spiritual power surged, attempting to repel the incoming Buddhist power. However, the indestructible vajra, already enveloped in dense golden Buddhist light, slammed into the spirit shield like a meteor.

With a "crack," the dragon runes on the fourth-tier spiritual treasure shattered instantly, and the Buddhist light pierced through the spiritual shield, slamming hard into Yun Fu's back.

Yun Fu groaned, and his black Daoist robe burst open with several tears, blood flowing down the hem and dripping onto the spiritual soil, sizzling and steaming.

He staggered forward a few steps, and just as he was about to make a hand seal to counterattack, Bu Se had already closed in on him. His left hand formed a seal, and the lotus platform swastika seal hung above Yun Fu's sea of ​​consciousness. The golden light pressed down on Yun Fu's nascent soul, causing his sea of ​​consciousness to tremble violently. He was in unbearable pain, and even his spiritual power was sluggish.

This time he was seriously injured. If it weren't for the help of the spiritual treasure, he might have had to abandon his physical body and escape with only his nascent soul!

"Haha, Amitabha! I am Huiming of the Yuanfu Sect. I greet Fellow Daoist Yunfu! Please accompany me to the Duke of Qin's residence!"

No one responded to Bu Se's words. They only saw Yun Fu Zhenren transform into a beam of light and leave, while Hui Ming Chan Shi, who had regained his true name, pursued him relentlessly. Fei Tianqin was a man of great courage. After witnessing this scene, he not only felt no fear, but his eyes even gleamed with admiration.

Its gaze lingered on Kang Dabao and Fei Donggu for a moment, but in the end it pointed at the former with its feather: "Kang boy, come with me!!"

(End of this chapter)