Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 503 Earth Collapse and Sky Collapse Array

"The Li family has a master!"

In the chaotic jungle, Qin Zhengyi looked at the white mist in the distance and exclaimed in amazement, "I thought Li Xiangming would be caught in a dilemma when faced with such a powerful beast tide, but I didn't expect that he was already prepared."

Ah Wang, dressed as a pageboy, squeezed in and asked curiously, "Young master, how does this person compare to you in skill?"

Qin Zhengyi remained silent for a while before sighing, "To be able to control such a massive trapping formation with such mastery, manipulating 100,000 demonic beasts at will, I am no match for him."

Awang swallowed hard and continued, "Could this person be a third-tier array master?"

"That's not the case."

Qin Zhengyi chuckled: "Third-tier array masters are extremely rare. If the Li family had such a person, Hengyue Sect would definitely not allow them to settle in Pu County."

Awang breathed a sigh of relief: "Since he is not a third-tier array master, I think he is not as good as you, young master! You are the only second-tier array master in this generation of our Qin family. The Li family is not known for arrays, so how can they compare to you, young master?"

Qin Zhengyi glanced at him and shook his head: "Heroes are as numerous as carp crossing the river, how can you underestimate others? Although I have a talent for formations, I have a wide range of interests and do not focus on formations. It is normal that I am not as good as him."

"This"

Unable to refute, Awang could only look again at the vast expanse of thick fog in the distance.

After a moment, he suddenly noticed something and stood up excitedly: "Young master, look! The Li family is leaving!"

withdraw?
Qin Zhengyi's expression shifted as he carefully observed the activity in Calabash Valley. Sure enough, he saw more than a dozen small black dots lined up in a straight line, pushing something along the winding mountain path.

"Runic crossbow!"

Qin Zhengyi was surprised.

Although he didn't know the power of the Li family's talisman crossbows, these things were definitely the main force in dealing with the beast tide!
Li Xiangming led the Demon Suppression Camp to withdraw the talisman crossbow carts from Calabash Valley in less than a day after colliding with the beast tide, which undoubtedly confirmed A-Wang's exclamation - the Li family was going to withdraw their troops!

But wasn't the Li family well-prepared?

Qin Zhengyi frowned and beckoned to A Wang: "Bring that person over."

"Yes!"

A-Wang bowed and retreated, returning shortly afterward, dragging a young man who was tightly bound.

Qin Zhengyi stared at the young man, then took out a jade pendant from his waist and glanced at the name on it: "Li Xiangling, right? I'll give you one last chance. What letter did you send to Li Xiangming?"

As soon as he finished speaking, A-Wang stepped forward and tore the rag out of the young man's mouth.

Li Xiangling's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled against his restraints. Upon hearing the question, he immediately spat and cursed, "You scoundrel, if you have the guts, kill me! You think you can get information out of the Li family? No way!"

Qin Zhengyi's brows furrowed even deeper as he found a letter on the other person.

However, this letter was written on Xuanwang paper, and without the divine sense of a specific person, no words would be displayed. Forcibly attempting to decipher it with divine sense would only result in the destruction of the letter.

Thinking of this, Qin Zhengyi squatted down, grabbed Li Xiangling's chin tightly, and sighed softly, "You are still young. Don't you feel sorry to die here?"

"The Li family doesn't cowardly die!"

Li Xiangling glared angrily and bumped his head into Qin Zhengyi's forehead.

"Son!"

Awang was shocked and quickly looked at Qin Zhengyi.

Qin Zhengyi's expression remained unchanged. He simply touched his forehead, then looked down at his sticky fingertips. This was not his blood, but rather the blood left by Li Xiangling's head injury.

He slowly stood up, took out a clean white handkerchief, wiped the bloodstains clean, and said calmly, "Bury it."

"Yes!"

Awang felt a chill run down his spine.

Just as he was about to draw his dagger, Qin Zhengyi turned and left.

A-Wang immediately stopped what he was doing and asked, "Where are you going, young master?"

Qin Zhengyi turned around and said calmly, "I've figured it out! No matter what this person reported, Li Xiangming is unaware of it. His hasty withdrawal can only mean that something has changed in the beast tide to the north."

He paused, then a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "It wasn't in vain that I waited here for so many days! Li Xiangming wants to safely retreat to Monkey Valley? Heh, wishful thinking!"
-
"Commander!"

Li Qianshi, Master Liaoshen, and several others rushed over.

Li Xiangming looked at them and immediately asked, "Have all the wounded and supplies from the Yanji Division been evacuated?"

"They've already left!"

Master Liaoshen nodded and added, "Jiangyun Division and Panque Division will retreat in the second and third batches, while Mingshao Division will cover the rear."

"How's the speed?"

Li Xiangming was still not reassured and continued to press for answers.

Li Qianshi picked up the conversation, then hesitated before saying, "The road is difficult to travel; neither horses nor carts can move quickly."

The Demon Suppression Camp headed north, accompanied by five hundred spirited cultivators and nearly two hundred fully loaded carriages.

Why bring so much stuff?

It was actually a last resort.

On the one hand, not everyone has a storage bag! Even if they do, the Li family is not comfortable distributing the supplies that have been transported from afar directly to the demon-hunting cultivators.

What if they run away with the stuff?
On the other hand, the Li family did not have enough capacity to support a war with "cultivation" elements.

Take provisions for example. Ordinary cultivators are used to eating fasting pills. One pill can keep them full for three days, and a bottle can last for a month. The price is only one spirit stone.

However, the Demon Suppression Camp had five hundred men!
If Li Xiangming were to distribute two bottles of fasting pills to everyone, that would amount to over a thousand spirit stones! That amount of money could buy five hundred explosive talismans!

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Xiangming ultimately gave each person only one bottle of Bigu Pills, and exchanged the remaining spirit stones for talismans that could kill a large number of demonic beasts.

What should I do if I'm missing a bottle of fasting pills?

Simple, let the Demon Suppression Camp escort ordinary grains and fresh water instead.

The same principle applies to marching.

The Li family doesn't have large flying boats, so they can't launch a blitzkrieg with their demon-hunting cultivators, nor can they arrange for high-capacity, fast-moving riding spirit pets like the Green-backed Demon Lizard to transport supplies.

What should I do?
It consists of three or four hundred nags and a carriage made of several wooden planks.

Not to mention regular military supplies, even combat materials for dealing with monsters often come from the mortal world.

For example, a large number of arrows and chains!

Although they have little effect in the face of real monsters.

However, in certain situations, such as in narrow terrain like the mouth of a gourd, a barrage of arrows can always create chaos for the monsters. If the arrows are mixed with explosive talismans, the broken pieces of iron can also be used to create shockwaves that leave the monsters utterly defeated.

As for the materials used to build the fortifications, needless to say.

In short, the Li family had limited capabilities, and Li Xiangming received even less support. To compensate for the lack of "combat power," the Demon Suppression Camp had to make extensive use of ordinary resources, thus becoming "bloated."

When they marched forward, no one thought there was a problem; in fact, they wished they could bring more to increase their chances of winning against the beast tide.

Now that the troops are about to withdraw, this problem has suddenly become prominent.

time is life!

Li Xiangming hesitated for a moment, but still ordered, "Notify the Yanji and Xieyun divisions to return to Monkey Valley with light equipment, and abandon all supplies in the camp."

"No!" Li Qianshi quickly dissuaded him: "The two departments not only possess ordinary items, but also many valuable cultivation items, especially those dozen or so talisman crossbow carts, which represent the culmination of my Li family's efforts."

Li Xiangming, hearing this halfway through, also became anxious and interrupted, "If the Tongyou Mirror is correct, a large beast tide is about to arrive from the north! Where will these beast tides come from? Only the beast tide from Lingyue Peak has the strength to go south! There are more than ten Bone Fusion Demon Cultivators! Once we are entangled by them, we will all die without a burial place."

Li Xiangming couldn't help but be anxious, as the Tongyou Mirror's perception range was five hundred li, which sounded quite far.

But with the speed of the Green Cloud Flying Boat, it can arrive in just over fifteen minutes.

A quarter of an hour is definitely not enough time for the Demon Suppression Camp to evacuate with a large amount of supplies, including the talismanic crossbow carts.

Of course, the vast majority of demonic beasts do not have this speed.

But he had to consider the potential dangers: what if the beast tide included flying monsters at the Bone Fusion stage?

Take the Golden Feather Iron Claw Eagle as an example; even if its speed is not as fast as the Green Cloud Flying Boat, it is almost the same.

If the Demon Suppression Camp is to withdraw, it will eventually have to reclaim the Nine Luminaries Dragon Trapping Formation.

Once such a demonic beast entangles the Demon Suppression Camp, coupled with the Centipede Poison Granny's earth-遁 (earth-escaping technique), even if the Demon Suppression Camp retreats in advance, it will inevitably be caught up, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Li Qianshi was aware of this, but he still couldn't help but suggest, "Could we have the disciples of the Guardian Hall transport the talisman crossbow carts? They all have spirit pets that can temporarily serve as riding mounts, and their speed far surpasses that of ordinary horses."

"no!"

Li Xiangming resolutely refused: "Their spirit pets need to reserve their strength to cover Xianghua's retreat at crucial moments. Uncle Qianshi, my mind is made up, you don't need to persuade me anymore."

As he spoke, he turned to Master Shen, took out a jade pendant and handed it to him: "Immediately pass on my order to have Luo Silin destroy the rune-patterned crossbow carts. Ignore the rest of the supplies and evacuate them directly."

Upon hearing this, Master Liaoshen immediately understood Li Xiangming's determination and silently disappeared from the spot.

Only Li Qianshi was still sighing.

Ignoring him, Li Xiangming turned to urge the exhausted cultivators from Jiangyun and Panque to catch up with the vanguard.

The entire Calabash Valley was in chaos.

With great difficulty, most of the people in the valley withdrew. Li Xiangming eventually made his way to the valley entrance. Looking at the sea of ​​mist in front of him, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Commander Li, have you made up your mind?"

Li Chengfeng remained seated on the bluestone, but his expression had become somewhat solemn.

He knew that Li Xiangming's original plan was to use the three days gained by the Nine Luminaries Dragon Trapping Formation to reduce the size of the beast tide as much as possible, thereby dispelling their desire to attack Monkey Valley.

Meanwhile, multiple small formations were set up along the retreat route to hinder the pursuit of the Demon Suppression Camp by the Centipede Poison Granny and other Bone-Melting Demon Cultivators.

However, a new beast tide suddenly emerged in the north, causing Li Xiangming's plan to fail prematurely.

Withdrawing the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation without any prior preparation posed a significant risk to both the Foundation Establishment cultivators present and the demon-suppressing camp cultivators who had already retreated.

Li Xiangming glanced at Li Chengfeng and sighed silently in his heart.

How could he not know this?
But whether or not the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation is removed is not up to him.

Because the two Taoist priests, Li Chengfeng and Xie Yuantao, were controlling the formation.

Even if he insisted on leaving the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation to block the enemy, would the two Taoist priests be willing to obey?
It's impossible even if you think about it.

It would be better to let them escape danger in advance, thus saving face for both sides.

Li Xiangming immediately replied, "Rest assured, Master Li, I have made up my mind. After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, we will dismantle the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation. At that time, you and Master Xie should retreat first, and Xiangyu and I will buy you some time."

"Half a cup of tea?"

Xie Yuantao looked somewhat impatient, and slightly raised his buttocks.

Li Chengfeng nodded and smiled, "Then thank you both, young friends."

Xie Yuantao was utterly helpless and had no choice but to sit down and meditate again.

Soon, time, carried by the gentle breeze, dissipated into the valley.

Li Chengfeng stood up on time, raised two fingers, and the array plate under his feet hummed.

"Everything is ready!"

The gray-haired old Taoist priest gave a soft shout, his hand seals constantly changing, and the nine "suns" in the sky were about to fall.

Just then, the earth suddenly trembled. This was followed by a series of muffled explosions.

Everyone present paled and looked towards the horizon behind them.

In the distant sky, a sandstorm torn through the clouds, raising clouds of dust as if the end of the world had arrived.

"Earth Mother Dragon"?

Lee Sang-yu's tone suddenly turned cold.

"No, it's not a monster!"

Li Chengfeng shook his head in denial: "Even if it were the Earth Mother Hidden Dragon, it couldn't possibly create such a massive formation. I know the trajectory of that sandstorm tornado better than anyone. This is the Earth Collapse and Sky Collapse Formation!"

"Array?"

Li Xiangming's pupils suddenly contracted.

The next moment, his divine sense entered the storage bag, and more than ten communication talismans inside simultaneously burst out with dazzling light.

"Demon Suppression Camp!"

Li Xiangming's fingers trembled; he understood what had happened without even looking.

Someone is lying in ambush at the demon-suppressing camp!

And they chose to do it when he and the Demon Suppression Camp were at their weakest.

In an instant, Li Xiangming's anger surged like magma, almost bursting out of his chest.

But right now, the survival of the Demon Suppression Camp is the most important thing.
"Taoist Priest!"

Li Xiangming suddenly looked up, his voice hoarse: "Only the Daoist Master can break such a great formation. I beg the Daoist Master to undo the Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation and lend the Demon-Suppressing Camp a hand."

"Young Li!"

Xie Yuantao interrupted coldly, but a hint of pity flashed in his eyes: "Can't you see? Those who can set up the Earth-Sinking and Sky-Collapse Formation are no ordinary people. Even if my senior brother were to take action, he couldn't break the formation in an instant. The enemy only needs to delay for a moment, and then they can wait for two waves of beasts. Forgive my bluntness, but the Demon-Suppressing Camp is already in a dead end, beyond saving! If I were you, I would summon the flying boat right now and return to Dangui Mountain, so that I could at least save my own life."

After saying that, he grabbed Li Chengfeng's wrist and used it to cast a spell.

A fierce wind howled around them, and the mist in the valley no longer condensed, but instead surged and dispersed like a tide. In the sky, the nine "suns" gradually faded in radiance, transforming back into streams of light and disappearing into the array plate.

Li Chengfeng did not stop them until the very last moment, when he sighed and rose into the air with Xie Yuantao, saying leisurely, "The Nine Luminaries Dragon-Trapping Formation will completely dissipate in ten breaths. At that time, all the demons will be released, and the world will change color. You two young friends, take care of yourselves."

Holding the array plate, Xie Yuantao added calmly, "We two traveled north with the Demon Suppression Camp, enduring much hardship, which can be considered as repaying your kindness in rescuing Dingfeng Village. As for this Nine Luminaries Plate, it is my senior brother's most treasured possession. Your Li family does not have a second-tier array master, so even if you obtained it, it would be a waste. Today, I will take the initiative to retrieve it for my senior brother. As compensation, my senior brother's Netherworld Mirror will be given to you as a gift."

Before the words were even finished, the two had already transformed into streaks of light and disappeared into the horizon.

Watching their retreating figures, Li Xiangming clenched his fists tightly, but in the end he relaxed them and turned to the silent Qingyang Daoist beside him: "Daoist, things have come to this, you should leave now."

The Taoist priest turned around and asked softly, "And what about you?"

Li Xiangming closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again: "Since I brought them out, I must bring them back. This is my responsibility as their commander."

(End of this chapter)