Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 490 Decision
"That beast was tens of feet long, and it would often emit dust and smoke, with white mist surrounding it, making it impossible to see its appearance clearly. It was only when Chief Fang's magic hit it and broke through the dust and mist that I was able to make a vague impression."

Xu Jin hurriedly replied, "In the rush, I was unable to observe it thoroughly. I only know that its head resembles a giant python, with a pair of short and sharp horns on its forehead, and its entire body is covered with thick gray-brown scales. When the fire talisman landed on it, it didn't even leave a mark!"

"By the way, it's also particularly skilled at burrowing underground! We were originally over a hundred miles away from the main force of the beast tide. Suddenly, that beast 'turned over from the ground,' shaking us to our knees. Then, wave after wave of demonic beasts emerged from the ground and surrounded us."

Xu Jin recounted his memories in fragments, a lingering fear in his eyes. The people in the tent listened, and a murmur of discussion arose.

Li Qianshi couldn't help but question, "Your unit has nearly thirty people, and not a single one of you noticed the large group of demonic beasts approaching?"

"Really not!"

Xu Jin gave a wry smile: "Commander Fang even specially arranged for people to keep watch more than ten miles away. We didn't hear any noise before we were attacked."

These words sparked even more discussion.

Li Xiangming's face also turned very gloomy.

The Demon Suppression Camp had five hundred men, a formidable force wherever it was deployed. However, the beast tides often numbered in the tens or even hundreds of thousands, and five hundred men were but a drop in the ocean amidst the torrent of beasts' hooves.

The reason he dared to fight against the beast tide was partly because human cultivators were good at using external forces. Whether it was magic weapons or talismans, they greatly increased the combat power of human cultivators to a level that should not have been reached.

On the other hand, monsters are brainless!
Indeed, even the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators, despite their formidable strength and status as intelligent beings, possess an intelligence level equivalent to that of a human child in their teens, with a few exceptions. As for the lesser demons and other wild beasts in the Spirit Awakening stage, they are even less capable. They not only lack the ability to utilize external forces but are also unaccustomed to cooperation; even in numbers of tens of thousands, they remain a disorganized rabble.

The Battle of Jinlinpo proved this point.

The beast tide only knows one tactic: to press on with overwhelming force. Once blocked by human cultivators, it quickly loses its momentum. They have no concept of changing tactics; they either fight to the death or flee in disarray.

That is why Li Xiangming must be cautious.

The battle is the decisive one!
He hadn't yet gathered any information about the beast tide to the north, so he couldn't just throw out all his trump cards and face off against the beast king.

To be on the safe side, it is necessary to send out a small force to track and observe the main force of the beast tide. In this way, even if the strength of the beast tide is beyond imagination, the Demon Suppression Camp will at least have a chance to temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.

Of course, Li Xiangming was not sending them to their deaths.

In fact, Fang Renkui's troops were strictly forbidden from fighting demons, and they were equipped with many concealment talismans and speed talismans, with stealth as the main objective.

In this situation, almost all thirty men were wiped out. Li Xiangming was naturally furious and couldn't help but blame Fang Renkui for his rash actions.

After all, the other party has a criminal record!
But after hearing Xu Jin's description, Li Xiangming realized that he had misunderstood.

Fang Renkui's unit was wiped out without even doing anything out of line.

The beast tide's swift and precise response made him feel vaguely uneasy.

Inside the tent, everyone was still speculating about the origins of the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivator!
As border areas adjacent to the Nanbin demon clan, Zhangning and Shun'an prefectures have records of countless demon beast species. Someone immediately pulled out a demon beast encyclopedia and examined it carefully. Before long, more than ten suspects were identified.

However, both sides' accounts differed slightly from Xu Jin's description, leading to a heated debate among the group.

Upon seeing this, Li Xiangming immediately ordered, "Go and invite Daoist Masters Li and Xie over."

"Yes!"

An attendant left the tent and quickly ushered Li Chengfeng and Xie Yuantao inside.

"An earth-elemental bone-fusion demon cultivator?"

After listening to the description, Li Chengfeng stroked his beard and replied softly, "In my humble opinion, it seems to be the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon."

"Earth Mother Dragon"?

Li Xiangming's brows furrowed immediately.

With a body as large as a dragon, the ability to burrow underground, and the presence of clouds and mist surrounding it—that was the first thing he thought of was the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon!

He had seen this kind of monster before in Green Cloud Cave. Back then, the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon silently dismantled the Flying Fish Nine Cauldrons Formation of Green Cloud Cave, making it a major accomplice in the death of Fairy Shanyun. But the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon in his memory had a smooth body, without any of the roughness caused by the friction of sand and soil, which was very different from the "entire body of grayish-brown scales" described by Xu Jin.

"The scales may be the result of a mutation."

Li Chengfeng analyzed, "During their cultivation, demonic beasts have a chance of undergoing wondrous changes. These changes are mostly closely related to their environment, and the effects can be both positive and negative. But in any case, once a demonic beast mutates, its origins may shift, and it wouldn't be surprising if it even becomes a new race. This is why the cultivation world of Heng Kingdom has always regarded the demon race as a major threat and has launched southern expeditions from time to time. If they are not careful, they will give birth to powerful alien demon kings."

At this point, Li Chengfeng looked at Xu Jin and said, "It's a pity that Fellow Daoist Xu doesn't understand the art of reflection, otherwise I could have made a more accurate judgment."

Xu Jin scratched his head awkwardly. He was a latecomer to the world of magic, and although he had gotten close to the Li family, he had always focused on breathing exercises and had only learned a handful of spells. How could he be like those enlightened masters who could conjure up scenes from their memories with a flick of their sleeves?

Li Xiangming, however, recalled Li Xianghong's experiments at the Beast Breeding Peak. Xianghong cultivated the "Myriad Spirits Manual," even able to actively induce demonic beasts to mutate in the direction he desired, which seemed to verify Li Chengfeng's statement. He pondered for a moment, then turned to Xie Yuantao: "What does Daoist Xie think?"

Xie Yuantao replied calmly, "My conclusion is the same as my senior brother's. There is a 70% chance that this demon is the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon. Even if it is not, it should be a demon of the same kind."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming glanced at Qingyang Daoist again.

This time, in order to strengthen the Demon Suppression Camp, he specially invited the Taoist priest. It's a pity that Zhang Fan has not yet returned to Monkey Valley, otherwise the Demon Suppression Camp would have four Foundation Establishment cultivators.

With the addition of two new Taoist priests, there are now six Foundation Establishment cultivators!

This is also the source of his confidence to take the initiative.

Qingyang Daoist nodded in agreement: "Since there is no conclusion yet, we might as well treat it as the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon. This demon is good at burrowing underground, so we need to put more effort into the layout of our camp."

Li Xiangming frowned. If it really was the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon, then things would be troublesome. This demon not only silently infiltrated Fang Renkui's vicinity, but it could also bring hundreds of demonic beasts with it as they rushed out of the ground.

What if the other side brings all the Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators from the beast tide?
This poses a tremendous threat to the Demon Suppression Camp.

"Commander Li, there's no need to worry."

At this moment, Li Chengfeng took out a palm-sized compass from his sleeve: "This is called the Tongyou Mirror. It is sufficient to deal with the sneak attack of the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon. It can be temporarily lent to the Demon Suppression Camp."

"really?"

Li Xiangming quickly stood up and looked curiously at the compass in Li Chengfeng's hand.

The Demon Suppression Camp also has something similar.

The Li family then sent over a dozen "Demon-Stabilizing Instruments," specifically designed to help demon-hunting cultivators sense demonic energy, enabling them to track down demonic beasts and prevent ambushes. However, "Demon-Stabilizing Instruments" are low-grade magical artifacts mass-produced in the cultivation world, with a very limited range of effectiveness. They are fine for dealing with minor demons in the Spirit Awakening stage, but they are not very effective against demon cultivators in the Bone Fusion stage.

Take Fang Renkui for example; they also possessed a "Demon-Suppressing Instrument." However, the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon moved freely and swiftly underground. Once it entered the sensing range of the "Demon-Suppressing Instrument," even if Fang Renkui and the others knew, they would have no chance to react.

"This thing can be sensed even by monsters five hundred miles away, enough to guard against the Earth Mother Dragon."

Li Chengfeng smiled and nodded: "It's just that controlling it requires a lot of magical power, and I no longer have that ability. Now that I'm lending it to Commander Li, it's making the best use of it."

Li Xiangming carefully took the "Tongyou Mirror" and gently stroked it. He immediately realized that it was a high-grade magic artifact, completely different from the "Demon-Suppressing Instrument". He immediately left his seat and solemnly cupped his hands to Li Chengfeng, saying, "I am deeply grateful on behalf of the Demon-Suppressing Camp for your great help, Daoist Li."

Li Chengfeng waved his hand and replied, "Commander Li, there's no need to be so polite. I only hope that the Demon Suppression Camp can repel the beast tide and ensure peace in this area. If that happens, my junior brother and I will have made our trip worthwhile."

Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief, his confidence soaring: "With the two Taoist priests here, and the Demon Suppression Camp united as one, we will surely be invincible in the face of the beast tide!"

Perhaps the "Penetrating Mirror" isn't a game-changing weapon, but its role on the battlefield is undeniable. Furthermore, he had already witnessed the "Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation," which was truly mysterious and unpredictable. Although Li Chengfeng didn't agree to personally lead the charge, he had already significantly elevated the Demon Suppression Camp's soft power to a new level.

It's important to understand that Li Chengfeng was initially coerced into joining the Demon Suppression Camp by Master Shen, who was using his kindness as leverage. An ordinary person would inevitably feel resentful. But Li Chengfeng remained calm and composed, even willing to give away his entire fortune. Li Xiangming naturally admired such magnanimity. He was even influenced by Li Chengfeng's composure and generosity, which significantly dispelled the gloom brought by the news of Fang Renkui's death.

Li Xiangming invited Li Chengfeng to sit down, and gradually regained his composure. He said in a deep voice, "Although the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon is good at ambushes, its combat strength is not high. With the 'Mirror of the Netherworld,' as long as we are careful, it won't pose a threat. The most urgent task is to intercept the main force of the beast tide in Calabash Valley and then lure them to Golden Scale Slope. We have built fortifications at Golden Scale Slope. If we can set up the 'Nine Luminaries Trapping Dragon Formation,' the beast tide will definitely suffer a crushing defeat. Xiangfeng, take note of my deployment as follows."

Before he could finish speaking, another urgent report came from outside the tent.

Someone burst in, glanced around quickly, and upon seeing Li Xiangming, immediately knelt down and presented a jade slip: "A message from Commander Luo, stating that the Yanji Division has made contact with a large group of demons and requests instructions."

"what?"

Li Xiangming suddenly stood up and snatched the jade slip away.

Before he could finish reading, another order came from outside the door.

Three people squeezed in this time, all with anxious expressions, and their voices fell at the same time, one after the other.

"Report! Commander Liu of the Puppet Master's Division requests reinforcements!"

"Report! Chief Hu of the Puppet Master Division has returned with orders that reinforcements have been dispatched to rescue Chief Liu!"

"Report! Chief Zhang of the Puppet Master Division has received distress signals from the other two capitals and is asking for the opinion of headquarters!"

Three bombshells dropped, and everyone in the tent except for the two Taoist priests, Li and Xie, stood up in shock.

How long has it been since the "Earth Mother Hidden Dragon" attacked Fang Renkui?
The Puppet Masters have actually engaged in a full-scale war with the beast tide?
Li Xiangming's face flushed red, and he crushed the jade slip in his hand to pieces, shouting angrily, "Liu Qingzhou has ruined me!"

While others were unaware of the truth, Luo Silin's message revealed it all clearly.

The Yanji Division was in the second echelon on the front line, still quite a distance from the main force of the beast tide. Li Xiangming instructed Li Jihu to inform the Yanji Division to retreat directly to Calabash Valley and wait for the main force to rejoin them, believing there was still time.

However, for some unknown reason, Liu Qingzhou led his troops through the defenses of the Yanji Division and headed north. Unsurprisingly, they ended up clashing with the vanguard of the demonic beasts.

The Yanji Division has three captains: Liu Qingzhou, Hu Qidao, and Zhang Can. All three are clearing out monsters in their respective defense zones, while Luo Silin, as the commander, is stationed in the rear.

In other words, Liu Qingzhou sent his distress signal to the other two captains first, and then to Luo Silin.

Luo Silin honestly reported to him and impeached Liu Qingzhou. The other two commanders were at the front line, feeling the urgent atmosphere, but they might not be able to wait.

As expected, Zhang Can, that cunning fellow, remained inactive.

But Hu Qidao, in order to prove his worth, had already rushed off to support Liu Qingzhou.

Battles between cultivators are known for their speed.

When one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides; this is a rule that the Demon Suppression Camp has always adhered to.

However, the vanguard of the beast tide was not the scattered small groups of beasts heading south, but rather the "Earth Mother Hidden Dragon" force that attacked Fang Renkui. Li Jihu had only recently left the camp, and Liu Qingzhou and Hu Qidao were unaware of this intelligence, which inevitably led to heavy losses.

The two cities combined have a total of sixty people!

If Zhang Can also rushes to provide support, the entire Yanji Division will be wiped out in this battle!

Thinking of this, Li Xiangming's fists cracked, and his anger almost overflowed from his eyes: "Xiangfeng, Xiangting! You two immediately mobilize the Mingqiao and Jiangyun divisions to rush to their aid as quickly as possible!"

"Yes!"

The two dared not delay and hurriedly accepted the order and left.

Li Xiangming then turned to Xu Buxiu, his voice slightly lowered: "After your Panque Division has finished preparing the camp, you should also divide into three parts and head north immediately. When you pass through Hulu Valley, leave one part behind to collect resources and set traps."

"Yes!"

Xu Buxiu quickly disappeared into the tent.

Watching them walk away, Li Xiangming calmed down.

At this point, getting angry won't help.

The Demon Suppression Camp only had a little over five hundred men, and Fang Renkui's troops had been almost completely wiped out, which had shaken their morale. If the Yanji Division was also completely annihilated, this battle would be impossible to fight.

He must rescue the Secret Service!

He not only wanted to save them, but he also wanted to win a decisive battle and turn the tide!
Otherwise, those demon-hunting cultivators would surely be terrified and sneak away before the battle even begins.

However, this completely disrupted the entire plan.

This left him feeling resentful and extremely uncomfortable.

But at this moment, there is no other choice!

Li Xiangming slowly exhaled, strode out of the tent, and summoned the Green Cloud Flying Boat. He turned back to look at Li Xiangyu and Qingyang Daoist: "Time is of the essence. You two will follow me to kill the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon first."

(End of this chapter)