The road is vague

Chapter 240 Just in time
About an incense stick's time later.

Li Mo, Tao Ran, and Zhao Huaxue all sensed something and suddenly opened their eyes.

High above the training hall, the two who had been fighting around the small golden sun seemed to have decided the outcome, with one of them faltering. The two chased and fled, flying rapidly toward the Dharma Protector Hall.

Upon seeing this, the three exchanged a glance.

"Senior Brother Li, should we still go to the training hall to investigate?"

"Or should we proceed to the Dharma Protector Hall immediately for assembly?"

Tao Ran and Zhao Huaxue acted as if they were following Li Mo's lead, which made him ponder for a moment.

He finally made a decision.

"As far as I know, both Hall Masters Ye Qing and Han Mu are only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. Even if they go to the Guardian Hall, they will hardly have a significant impact on the outcome of the battle. Let's go to the Advanced Study Hall first. It is an insignificant place for both sides. The scale of the battle should be much smaller than that of the Azure Dragon Pool. Our arrival may well determine the outcome of the battle."

"Alright, I'll follow Senior Brother Li's arrangements!"

After taking a deep breath, the three of them put away their spirit stones, summoned their respective magical artifacts, and cautiously approached the training hall.

……

The Enlightenment Hall is located next to the Advanced Studies Hall.

The Enlightenment Hall is open from May to August every year.

Disciples with spiritual roots will be selected from various counties and undergo a second screening here. Through three months of basic enlightenment, their aptitude for cultivation will be determined.

Now that the Dragon Boat Festival has just passed, Qimeng Hall is bustling with activity.

A group of disciples from the Enlightenment Hall, who were staring with clear, foolish eyes, were supposed to be receiving basic instruction in the courtyard, but they were all dumbfounded to find that none of their senior uncles had arrived at the hall on time.

When everyone peered through the courtyard wall and saw the pillars of spiritual energy suddenly rising from Qingming Mountain, they were all speechless with astonishment.

"Is there some kind of festival being celebrated on the mountain?"

"We weren't notified at all!"

"I really want to go out and see the world..."

These disciples, who have not yet officially begun their cultivation, are not even considered outer disciples. Unable to leave the Enlightenment Hall courtyard, they are naturally struggling, as the outside world has long since become a living hell.

However, both the disciples of the aristocratic families and the Justice Society deliberately avoided this area from the scope of their conflict.

In contrast to the tranquility of the Enlightenment Hall, the Advanced Studies Hall was in complete chaos.

Like other sects, the disciples of aristocratic families and the disciples of the Fair Way Society launched a full-scale struggle here. As a result, many disciples of the Advanced Study Hall who had just been promoted to the third year and whose cultivation level was only the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining were also forced to get involved and face the cruelty of cultivators fighting. It can be said that they encountered the most cruel era in the history of Lingmu Sect in a thousand years.

However, the conflict between these students was due to pre-existing grudges between them.

Compared to the era Li Mo lived in more than a decade ago.

As the conflicts between the Justice Society and the disciples of the aristocratic families intensified, the conflicts that Li Mo had witnessed back then seemed insignificant at this moment, and the division of Qingming Mountain could no longer be concealed.

More than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators engaged in a full-scale battle in the training hall.

More than ten years ago, in Li Mo's time, the Justice Society held an absolute advantage in the advanced studies hall. Otherwise, when Han Mu secretly manipulated Li Mo's ranking during the graduation assessment on Sima Fu's instructions, Ye Qing would not have been completely unaware.

But it was precisely because of that incident that Ye Qing realized that she seemed to be sidelined in the training hall.

So in the years that followed, as Ye Qing began to vigorously support the disciples of aristocratic families, cultivate close associates, and counterbalance the influence of justice, the two sides returned to a balance.

That's why.

Ye Qing, who had maintained a neutral stance, was unknowingly drawn into the conflict between the two sides...

"It seems the struggle up there has ended?"

Ding Wei, who was Li Mo's mentor and senior, is still working at the Enlightenment Hall more than ten years later.

He looked up at the small sun in the sky. Ye Qing and Han Mu, who had been fighting nearby, had disappeared. He couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression.

A loud lion's roar echoed throughout the training hall.

It was the roar of Zhou Bailie's Crimson-Eyed Flame Lion, the chief of the Heavenly Mandate Division of Anbei County. He had also been secretly summoned back to his sect by the Justice Society along with Jiang Feiyan, and was now fighting alongside Ding Wei.

The two were close friends for many years. Ding Wei bought a pair of ghost-faced insect mothers from Li Mo for this friend.

"Hahahaha!"

Zhou Bailie remained as bold as ever, letting out an excited laugh.

"Does that mean we can finally stop suppressing our strength, end the battle here as soon as possible, and support the Dharma Protector Hall according to the original plan?"

Do you think they're made of clay?!

Ding Wei said irritably.

However, neither of them had shown their true strength before, because they were concerned about the battle between the two Golden Core Hall Masters. They were afraid that if they showed too much strength, it would bring about their own demise, which was a major taboo.

However, now that the two hall masters have left, the Advanced Training Hall is now the domain of these Foundation Establishment disciples, and it is indeed time to try to end the fighting here.

"Ding Wei, you scum of the Justice Society, I curse you all to die a horrible death!"

The one who cursed was Lang Yue, a student promoted by Ye Qingxin in recent years, who became a rival to Ding Wei.

This person is a disciple of a minor aristocratic family. Whether due to exceptional talent or some fortuitous opportunity, he has advanced to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, having just passed the age of forty. Over the years, the two have had many quarrels and have accumulated deep resentment.

However, facing the sudden attack from the Fair and Righteous Society, which was already prepared, the Fair and Righteous Society had several outer disciples, including Zhou Bailie, joining them. Their strength increased significantly in an instant, and the disciples from the aristocratic families led by Lang Yue were at a disadvantage. Naturally, they lost their temper.

"Noisy."

Zhou Bailie didn't take it seriously.

"If verbal insults and curses were effective, would we need to fight those demons and monsters down the mountain? The winner takes all, and the loser is condemned. You don't even understand this basic principle, yet you're getting angry and ashamed. Your state of mind is worrying."

But at this moment.

A cold laugh suddenly came from afar.

"Hmph, is that so?" A streak of light shot rapidly from the distant sky, and then his late-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure erupted without any concealment.

Suddenly, a bronze flying axe fell from the sky.

The ancient bronze battle axe was about nine feet long, with ancient runes shimmering on it. Spiritual light gathered and swirled around it, exuding a deep and imposing aura as it pointed directly at the Crimson-Eyed Flame Lion.

The Crimson-Eyed Flame Lion sensed something and immediately roared, spewing a billowing pillar of fire at the Bronze Flying Axe.

As the astonishing fire elemental power erupted, it instantly distorted the surrounding air, making it feel like being in a volcano crater. However, it was still difficult to withstand the power of the flying axe, and the pillar of fire was constantly being torn apart by the flying axe.

The Crimson-Eyed Flame Lion was greatly alarmed.

Two ghostly faces suddenly appeared on its forehead, and the power of the fire pillar increased greatly again, finally managing to block the flying axe.

Immediately afterward, Zhou Bailie shouted and also summoned a flying axe. After the two axes collided, Zhou Bailie's expression changed drastically. He keenly sensed the difference in the level of magical power and the strength of the magical weapons between the two. He took a deep breath, his face looking rather grim.

"Late stage of foundation building!"

Ding Wei snapped out of his daze and looked toward the figure.

This person had clearly been through a major battle, as his aura appeared somewhat unstable.

When he looked closely at the man's face and saw that his hair was gray and there was a blood mole on his left cheek, he suddenly realized something and his expression changed slightly.

"This is Jiang Chi from the Jiang family. More than ten years ago, he returned from the Zhongshan Kingdom and somehow managed to bring back a precious refining material. The Jiang family rewarded him handsomely. We haven't seen him for many years now. I never expected that he would take this opportunity to advance to the late stage of the realm."

No late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared in the battles at the Advanced Study Hall.

Therefore, Zhou Bailie was arguably the strongest cultivator here previously.

Now, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator has suddenly appeared and suppressed Zhou Bailie with a single move. The pressure on the Justice Society has increased significantly, and many people are turning their attention to him, pondering how to deal with the situation.

This person was most likely summoned by telepathy after Ye Qing left.

Therefore, it seems that the conflict within the Weapon Refining Hall has most likely ended.

At this time.

Three more people walked quickly from outside the door, entered the training hall, and looked at Ding Wei.

"Senior Brother Ding... Oh, it's Commander Zhou!"

Upon seeing this, the two looked at Li Mo with delight.

"Junior Brother Li?"

"General Li!"

Zhou Bailie noticed that Li Mo was actually wearing a crane cloak, which represents the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment cultivation.

He was Jiang Feiyan's subordinate and had worked with Li Mo during a mission in the Southern Barbarian Plains. Therefore, he had a deep memory of this Commander Li and was overjoyed.

High in the sky.

Holding a bronze battle axe, Jiang Chi looked at the three newcomers, Li Mo, Tao Ran, and Zhao Huaxue, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Tao Ran and Zhao Huaxue were one thing, but since they were both wearing crane cloaks that represented the early stage of Foundation Establishment cultivation, he didn't take them seriously.

However, Li Mo was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Fortunately, this person also seemed to have experienced a great battle, with faint wounds and bloodstains on his body, and his magical aura was also somewhat unstable. After all, I had already advanced to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and my magical power had increased by as much as 50 to 60% compared to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, giving me an absolute advantage.

Thinking of this, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am now a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Jiang Chi muttered to himself.

He thought about all the preferential treatment his family had given him after he advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage, how they had thoroughly analyzed everything he needed to advance to the Golden Core stage and started preparing for it. Thinking that he might become the new patriarch of the Jiang family in the future, a sense of pride welled up in his heart.

"Hmph, just in time!"

He sneered arrogantly, looking down at Zhou Bailie and Li Mo from his high vantage point.

"You two, come on together."

Tao Ran and Zhao Huaxue, who were standing behind Li Mo, were speechless upon hearing this.

They stared at Jiang Chi in the air as if he were a fool. This man clearly knew nothing about Senior Brother Li's strength, which was why he could utter such arrogant words.

If he knew about Senior Brother Li's recent exploits at Qinglongtan, I wonder if he would still be able to say those words.

In comparison.

Zhou Bailie took this for granted, and after taking a deep breath, he looked serious.

“Commander Li, although this person is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and his magical power far surpasses that of the two of us, if the two of us join forces, we might not be no match for him. Not to mention, my Crimson-Eyed Flame Lion is quite famous among the spirit beasts in our sect, which is enough to pose a threat to him!”

Upon hearing this, Li Mo couldn't help but smile slightly.

"As it happens, Li also happens to possess some skills that are enough to threaten this person. So, the two of us will join forces to deal with him."

It was pretty much as he expected.

The intensity of the battle at the Advanced Study Hall was indeed far less than that at the Azure Dragon Pool.

If Jiang Chi hadn't suddenly appeared, there wouldn't have been a single late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator here.

There are only about forty or fifty Foundation Establishment cultivators openly in the entire Lingmu Sect, accounting for about 10% of the total number of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Many of them are scattered in various places in the outer sect halls.

However, more than ten people appeared in the Battle of Qinglongtan, four of whom were considered to be at the peak level.

There are probably only a handful of cultivators at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage in the entire Lingmu Sect.

Based on this calculation...

While the battle at Qinglongtan may not be as large as the battle at the Dharma Protector Hall, it may be even more intense.

(End of this chapter)