Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 626 The war has stopped?! (New)

————A few days ago, Shanbei Road
At this moment, in front of Bai Canhong and Feng Wenyao, a middle-aged man in a tall hat held a jade token and chanted incessantly. The palm-sized token had a gold edge, and warm yellow spiritual light was constantly flowing out from it.

As the spiritual light slowly spread along the tall, middle-aged man, the spiritual barrier above the breach in the barrier behind Feng Wenyao became increasingly solid.

Originally, when this barrier first appeared, even the weaker third-tier demons could pass through it. But after only a few breaths, even second-tier demons could hardly cross it.

Once this middle-aged man with the high crown put the jade token back into his sleeve, even a first-order demon beast would be smashed to pieces by that solid, wall-like barrier.

Even though the mournful cries of countless beasts were ringing in his ears, it actually calmed the initially terrified Feng Wenyaowei down.

But as it exhaled, the scar on its purplish-red face trembled with each breath, looking ferocious and terrifying, like a writhing dragon.

"Within the barrier, there are also traitors who have made peace with the Kuang family!"

Feng Wenyao's stern shout was full of resentment, so much so that most of the red hair on its head fell off, and even Bai Canhong beside it frowned slightly.

At this moment, a hint of regret appeared on the latter's face, which was extremely rare since he took the lead at Zhaixinglou.

However, Bai Canhong was a figure who could subdue the three realms for hundreds of years, so how could this trace of regret remain on his face for long?

As a gust of foul wind brushed his face, Bai Canhong's gaze sharpened again as he carefully counted each of the True Immortals standing in front of the formation.

"Kuang Zefu, the Northern King, is mediocre and nothing to fear; Jiang Xue, the Hehuan Sect member, has some beauty but is utterly useless; Shen Lingfeng, the Silver Knife Prince Consort, is a crooked opportunist and not worth mentioning; Jiu Zhen of Lanmeng Palace sells herself for personal gain and is unlikely to be of great use."

Upon reading this, Bai Canhong's face gradually showed a hint of pride. It wasn't that he was arrogant or looked down on the four masters in front of him, but rather that he knew his own abilities and had reason to be self-assured.

Feng Wenyao, who was standing to the side, noticed the change in Bai Canhong's expression and sighed softly, offering a quiet reminder:
"Master Bai, this is not the time for a battle of egos. If Yueyin hadn't retaliated before the opportune moment, our joint efforts might have offered some chance of victory. But..."

"It's a pity that Yunfu didn't listen to me, otherwise, I really wouldn't have let these few scoundrels show off their power in front of me."

Bai Canhong secretly covered his chest injury. Yueyin Zhenren, the master of Wumu Mountain, was always only one level above the Golden Core cultivator in front of him, never receiving any respect as an equal.

Unexpectedly, in its final desperate counterattack, the Five Elements Returning to Nothingness Seal, which it had practiced for nearly a thousand years, still possessed such power.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the Duke of Qin's mansion truly achieves a complete victory with Master Yueyin's actions, it will at least preserve 30% of the family fortune for the descendants of Wumu Mountain.

Feng Wenyao was relieved to see that Bai Canhong had dropped his arrogant expression.

He had a nine-bell drum in his hand. With a gentle shake, the sound of the bells spread like ripples in all directions. Immediately afterward, sixteen demon officers of various ranks emerged from behind Feng Wen, the demon officer, and rushed to their respective destinations.

These demonic schools used various methods, such as shouting orders, making an example of someone, or striking a chord to intimidate others, to finally quell the restless beast horde.

This is Feng Wenyaowei's only remaining asset. Regardless of whether he can reclaim his lair within the barrier, he cannot afford to lose it so easily here.

The man and the beast huddled together, but neither spoke. They simply urged their capable subordinates to quickly organize the troops.

After all, it is true that the Duke of Qin's side won the first place this time, but it is far from the time to offer their necks for slaughter.

The crimson color in Feng Wenyao's eyes even began to fade slowly as he carefully examined the tall-crowned Taoist standing beside the four True Immortals opposite him:
"Is it really true, as Bai Canhong said, that Kuang Liuting is truly untouchable?"

Feng Wenyao did not privately believe that after capturing Kuang Liuting, he would be able to make the two masters of Lanmeng and Xuanqiong Palaces, who were always at odds, join forces to take his life as Bai Canhong had warned him before.

It should be noted that the ability of the royal brothers of the Davidian dynasty to fight amongst themselves has been passed down from generation to generation.

Even though Feng Wenyaowei has not left the barrier for one or two thousand years, he still knows about the six kings fighting for the capital and the eight dukes going to sea back then; he also knows what kind of abilities the dragon prince Kuang Chexiao, the master of Lanmeng Palace, has, and why he is willing to be subordinate to such a mediocre junior as the current emperor.

Moreover, according to what idle people say, even the way the current emperor ascended the throne was not exactly honorable.

People often say that the Kuang family used to be cruel to the cultivators under their jurisdiction, which caused them to lose the hearts of the people and rebels to rise up frequently; however, few people mention that even when they encounter their own brothers and friends, the Kuang family members show no mercy.

However, this can also be considered a good thing.

After all, if the Kuang family clan were still in its powerful state of having ten True Immortals, then the Taiyi Temple and other immortal sects and families would naturally continue to take whatever they wanted.

Even if nothing changes over the years, these prominent families would hardly harbor any resentment.

Feng Wenyao thought for a while, but felt that the Zhaixinglou troops had almost lost their will to fight. Although his own beast horde was stupid and dull, these demon officers were not without their own thoughts.

Bai Canhong is also injured, so if he fights in such a grand manner, he has no chance of winning. The only way to break the deadlock seems to be to rely on Kuang Liuting, the key figure.

The Nine True Immortals standing beside Kuang Liuting were unaware that the demon officer opposite them had harbored some improper thoughts.

At this moment, he was still pondering the methods used by Kuang Zefu and Kuang Liuting.

"This Cold Crow Mountain barrier has never been intended to be controlled by the Star-Picking Tower family since the time of the Great Ancestor. Moreover, the barrier's command token has been kept in the Northern Court since the barrier's inception, but apart from successive emperors of the Wei Dynasty, very few people have ever known about it."
If that were all, it would be fine. But Kuang Liuting, the dignified Crown Prince, actually sought to befriend a Frost Demon Commander within the barrier, under the protection of the Moon Shadow Immortal, when he first moved to Shanbei Road.
To be honest, such pragmatism is somewhat beneath the dignity of a crown prince. However, his courage does demonstrate a certain sense of responsibility.

Bai Canhong, a hero of his time, probably never imagined that he would be schemed against by the Kuang family as early as his master's generation. It makes sense, really; looking back over the three or four thousand years since the founding of the dynasty, how many families have truly earned the trust and respect of the imperial family?

When Master Jiuzhen thought of this, his heart suddenly trembled. He immediately remembered the pair of cold eyes on the high seat of Lanmeng Palace. He then dispelled all these extraneous thoughts and carefully examined the troops being disciplined by the military academy opposite him.

However, since the two sides have already fought to this extent, it is wishful thinking for either side to hope for a truce through words. In the end, a battle is still needed to determine the outcome.

Bai Canhong knew that people's hearts were turning to change, but he did not think that there was really no way to reverse the situation at this time.

It's true that the old bird from the Fei family has some skills, but he really doesn't believe that it can take down the fourth-order formation guarded by a group of Golden Core cultivators at Yuejian Mountain with just a detachment of troops.

In his view, Master Yunfu was merely confused by concern. If there were another master present, he could have easily calculated the difference in their strategies and wouldn't be in such a predicament.

Forced to suppress his urge to drive Yunfu Zhenren's troops to the front, Bai Canhong waved his halberd, and the army below began to move.

The masters from the Duke of Qin's mansion were not surprised. After all, given Bai Canhong's arrogant nature, it would be difficult to make him bow his head unless his spine was broken.

Before long, both sides had deployed their forces on the battlefield, with the Qin State Duke's side displaying three layers of troops:

Standing alone beneath the great banner, the Northern King Kuang Zefu exuded an unyielding aura of battle-hardened menace. The faint scar beside his brow, which had nearly claimed his life, hinted at a murderous intent, casting a shadow of hawkish cunning over this prince.

Kuang Liuting stood on the high platform in the center of the army, holding the jade token, surrounded by a row of superior officers and more than a thousand elite soldiers who protected him.
The Left Camp is under the command of the Hehuan Sect's Master Jiangxue. Under her command are not only those fragrant beauties, but also the Spring Breeze Envoys who have shed their usual gentle demeanor and put on a serious face.

When the thick, powdery miasma rose, it instantly filled with murderous intent.

Few true masters in the Great Wei Dynasty were completely unaware of the origins of the Hehuan Sect. Even though True Master Jiangxue brought a small number of disciples from Guanzhong, they were not ordinary sects that could be approached.

Even someone as arrogant as Bai Canhong couldn't bear to throw his precious children from Zhaixinglou into this place;
The right battalion was led by Shen Lingfeng, the Silver Knife Prince Consort, and the Imperial Guards he brought were of exceptional quality. The military officers within were all handpicked, and even the Earl of Feng'en, Kuai En, stood in the formation like an ordinary general.

It's clear that this disciple of the Southern King has developed an air of nobility; even with the great battle approaching, he still shows a hint of eagerness on his face.

Nine True Immortals stood guard at the rear, with a pale blue water curtain appearing and disappearing in front of them.

His formation was the weakest, consisting only of the remaining disciples of Wumu Mountain and some weak followers, apart from the group of sea patrol envoys he brought.

From this, it seems that the direct descendants of the Kuang family, perhaps out of consideration for their reputation, were quite accommodating to this guest from outside Lanmeng Palace. Compared to the well-organized Qin State Duke's Mansion, the actions of Zhaixinglou appeared rather hesitant.

Bai Canhong, wrapped in a black robe, stood upright with one hand pressed to his chest, his face pale. The number of Zhaixinglou cultivators behind him was only a little over a hundred, but they were all capable and efficient, drawing the attention of onlookers.

The various vassal states had long ago reached a tacit understanding, and although their morale was not unified, they had still managed to establish a respectable and well-practiced formation. However, whether they could continue to support and help each other as before in this battle depended on whether their morale could withstand the onslaught of the opposing army's formation.

Feng Wenyao squatted on a boulder in front of the formation, with the nine-bell drum on his lap. His scarlet eyes swept across the opposing formation, and his murderous aura surged around him. The beasts behind him were even more restless.

Being stupid and dull-witted isn't necessarily a bad thing at certain times. Just look at the fools under Feng Wen's command; after being disciplined by the demon officers, they've already forgotten what fear is.

Just by looking at those huge mouths with drool hanging from their edges, one could tell that these monster heads were much easier to deal with than the men under the command of the Star-Picking Tower.

At this time, Nascent Soul disciples were not precious, and the bloodline of the Demon Commander was even less valuable. They were all placed at the front of the battle by Bai Canhong and Feng Wen Demon Commander with perfect understanding.

Both of them were well aware that if they continued to pursue personal gain at this point, and the overwhelming power of the Duke of Qin's mansion came crashing down, they might very well be reduced to dust.

The scene became increasingly brutal, with six beings from both sides, each comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator, fighting together with remarkable coordination.

The clouds that were still faintly glowing in the void were forcibly torn apart, and a gale carrying both malevolent energy and spiritual light stirred up a dark vortex in mid-air.

Bai Canhong's magical artifact light and shadow, Feng Wenyaowei's demonic black mist, collided with Kuang Zefu's bright talisman, Shen Lingfeng's silver knife's cold light, Jiang Xue's pink miasma and poisonous mist, and Jiu Zhen's pale blue water curtain. The six colors of light tangled together in the void, like chaos.

It had been many years since Shanbei Dao had seen such a display of power. Even the protective barrier next to it began to tremble violently. On the previously reinforced light wall, warm yellow spiritual light and black evil intertwined, and wisps of blood mist seeped out, as if the heavens and earth were bleeding.

With the encouragement of the Nascent Soul cultivators' battle, there was no reason for either side's troops to remain still.

When the shouts of battle from both sides resounded once again, it also indicated that human life had once again become the most worthless thing.

These practitioners, to whom their teachers had devoted countless hours of effort, were now as worthless as grass clippings and mud.

Every breath, every instant, comrades fell beside them. Each of their formations contained countless magical puppets, and before them lay blindingly bright Daoist runes.

Gradually, as the initial momentum of both sides was worn down by the loss of life, the outcome of the battle became clear.

Admittedly, the disciples of Zhaixinglou are all very elite, and Xiang Tianxing, the head of the general affairs department, is also outstanding. However, their numbers are too small. Even with a vassal and followers at their beck and call, they are almost invincible against Kuang Liuting among his peers.

However, it was clear that every move he made caused casualties among the Golden Core cultivators. Moreover, although the Earl of Feng'en, Kuai En, was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, the Imperial Guard he led was extremely elite, and he disregarded personal lives.

When it comes to risking their lives, they are no less fearless than those stupid and dull beasts, and their fighting skills are extremely proficient. Before long, they carved a large hole in the thick formation of the beasts.

The young men from the small families who had attached themselves to them came over and gradually stabilized the situation. The Hehuan Sect's miasma from the left camp tacitly shared a portion with them, arousing the lust of these brainless fools.

A few breaths later, the once solemn battle formation was transformed into a filthy scene.

However, even if that's all there is to it, the Zhaixinglou faction still has many capable people who can at least somewhat stabilize the situation.

However, at this moment, Bai Canhong, the Lord of the Star-Picking Pavilion, who was struggling against his injuries to fight against several opponents of the same level, received some news that left him somewhat bewildered:
"The original Buddhist Zen Master Huiming, together with Fei Tianqin of the Fei family and Huquan of Yuejian Mountain, have formed a united front. They have now plundered the resources of the ancient Xuanyi sect, conquered the southern mountains, and are heading straight for Tengwen Prefecture. Pu Honggu is no match for them and has written a letter in blood to request reinforcements."

Even though Bai Canhong's fighting spirit was resolute, he couldn't help but feel a trace of fear at this moment.

It's not that I'm afraid of this temporary victory or defeat, but rather that if I think about it for a moment, I realize that my Star-Picking Tower didn't lose because of a single misstep!
Even at this point, Bai Canhong was still fighting against the various reinforcements brought by the Duke of Qin's mansion with the strength of his own family, and it was difficult to see any defeat.
The reason why the Kuang family was able to gain the upper hand was not because of their good strategies or their superior troops, but because they gradually won the hearts of the people.

It should be understood that, if we only do a rough calculation, and considering the recent passing of the Moon Concealment True Person, the Kuang family clan was actually able to mobilize six True Persons to serve in this southwestern corner of the country.
"Who would have thought of this in the past few hundred years?"

Bai Canhong was naturally afraid because of this. He took another deep look at Kuang Liuting. This boy was not someone who appeared out of nowhere, but someone who was able to settle down in the south of the mountain with just a joke with the Southern King Kuang Shen.
A pang of regret welled up in his heart, and it was at this moment that the arrogant Lord of the Tower, for the first time ever, began to reflect on whether it was right or wrong for him to betray the sect's predecessors' stance of being close to the Kuang family clan and choose to collude with the people of Taiyi Temple because of his resentment.

If Bai Canhong, the backbone of the group, is acting strangely, then Feng Wenyaowei, who is only a fourth-rank low-grade demon officer, will naturally be even more unable to cope.

With the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Star-Picking Tower side at a disadvantage, and the beast horde below also in disarray, how could they possibly win this battle?

Bai Canhong still had some sense of propriety, issuing orders for each faction to fight and retreat. However, Feng Wenyaowei rarely managed to control his resources so well.

The demons who had been ravaged one by one by Kuang Liuting's thunder magic were already terrified. If they weren't afraid that Feng Wen, the demon officer, would eat them up as a snack afterward, they would have already fled in all directions.

However, seeing the disciples of Zhaixinglou lead their troops to retreat, these demons found it even more difficult to maintain their footing. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the beast horde completely collapsed and was difficult to recover.

The army collapsed like a house of cards at that moment.

Bai Canhong and Feng Wenyao escaped with their lives by using every trick in the book.

After his victory, Kuang Liuting led his army in hot pursuit. Over the next few days, they recovered two more prefectures and seventeen counties, killing countless enemies before finally ceasing hostilities to rest.

No sooner had he felt relieved than the Duke of Qin received a message from Yuejian Mountain: "Master Huquan was actually framed and killed by his junior brother, Master Yunfu?!"

"Issue my order: all parties shall send men to search for the traitor Yunfu and announce to all parties his murder of his brother and betrayal of the clan. Also, state the faults of Taiyi Temple in sowing discord and causing chaos within the main sect. The Duke's Office shall immediately send someone to report this matter to His Majesty; there must be no delay!"

"promise!"

"Furthermore, the meritorious service of the former Buddhist Zen Master Huiming, Marquis of Fengcheng Fei Tianqin, Marquis of Wuning Kang Dabao, and Marquis of Gucheng Fei Nanying, among other pillars of the dynasty, should also be presented to the Emperor so that His Majesty may know."

Seeing that his subordinate Su Chen had agreed to all the tasks assigned to him, Kuang Liuting nodded. This young eunuch was meticulous in his work, requiring no worry, and quite useful.

However, he quickly turned his thoughts elsewhere.

It should be noted that Bai Canhong still has some resources at his disposal. Even though the Qin State Duke's mansion has a numerical advantage this time, if they are all dragged into this...
The three southwestern routes are merely a corner of the Immortal Dynasty, far inferior to the fertile lands of the capital and the bountiful plains of the north.

This news will soon reach the hands of the Taiyi Temple Master and his trusted confidants, word for word. These ambitious and treacherous individuals will certainly not sit idly by and watch the David royal family secure this hard-won victory; they will take action themselves.

There were many insightful people in the Duke's mansion who shared the same views as Kuang Liuting, and even the four immortals were not much different from what he thought.

"This messy battle can't go on any longer. If it drags on and other unforeseen events occur in other areas, then even if we win here, we'll still lose."

After the four immortals of Kuang Liuting reached a consensus, they returned to their temporary residences alone.

Thinking of Bai Canhong again, the murderous intent in his heart had faded considerably. At the same time, a different thought arose in his mind.

"Tap tap tap," Kuang Liuting tapped his knuckles on the low table beside him, and immediately made up his mind. Then, he quickly sent a Purple Palace Golden Palace Talisman flying towards the Xuanqiong Palace.

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.

Another half month passed, and as soon as Master Kang, whose injuries had slightly improved, emerged from his seclusion, he received some exciting news from his fellow disciples:

"The fighting has stopped?!"

(Thank you so much to reader 20210301106576334466 for the 10,000 coins reward!!! I didn't expect it to take so long, please forgive me, dear readers.)

(End of this chapter)