Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Three months later.

In the middle of the desolate region, the Tianji Mountains.

Li Xiaoyao stood on the mountain ridge, looking at the massive army of cultivators behind him. Eighteen thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators and a million Qi Refining cultivators, their banners fluttering, their momentum overwhelming.

Three months.

Over the past three months, he led his team to sweep across the southeast corner, conquering hundreds of cities and nearly a thousand human settlements, rescuing hundreds of millions of his fellow human beings.

Upon liberating a new place, they would test the spiritual roots of the people and impart new teachings on the spot.

Of those who were once enslaved, more than 800,000 have now successfully entered the Qi Refining stage—although it is only the initial stage, they are already able to cooperate with the army in battle.

"Fellow Daoist Shangyuan."

Master Shuyu flew down beside him and handed him a jade slip, which read, "Battle reports from other war zones."

Li Xiaoyao took it, scanned it with his divine sense, and his brows gradually furrowed.

The battle report stated: Two months ago, in the Northern War Zone, three early-stage Purple Mansion cultivators—Lingxiao Zhenren, Huoyun Zhenren, and Qingxia Zhenren—confident in the power of their new techniques, ventured deep behind enemy lines, intending to launch a surprise attack on a key town of the demigods on the edge of the Middle Three Heavens. Unexpectedly, they fell into an ambush and were surrounded by ten demon kings and thirty demigods. By the time nearby cultivators arrived, the battle was already over.

The three fellow cultivators fought to the very last moment, self-destructing and perishing together with their enemies. Outcome: Five demon kings and fifteen demigods were eliminated.

"Ten demon kings, thirty demigods..." Master Baichuan murmured, "How much power has the demigod race gathered?"

"Those three are too reckless." Master Han Che rarely spoke, but his voice remained icy. "No matter how strong the new method is, it only gives an advantage to those of the same level. If surrounded by ten times their strength, even a god would find it hard to escape."

Li Xiaoyao remained silent for a moment before putting away the jade slip.

"Pass down the order: no one is allowed to leave the group without permission, and no one is allowed to venture deep into enemy territory rashly. Anyone who dares to disobey orders will face my wrath."

"Yes."

That night, in the depths of the void.

More than twenty late-stage Purple Mansion True Persons held a meeting using a secret method. Xiao Xiting, as one of them, was also present.

"Everyone knows about the matter concerning fellow Daoists Lingxiao, Huoyun, and Qingxia."

The meeting was chaired by Master Taixu, a peak late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator with extremely high prestige.

"I have gathered you all here today to discuss one thing—how to prevent such tragedies from happening again."

Everyone fell silent.

After a long silence, a sword cultivator spoke up: "The demigods are already on alert. They know we outnumber them and can't win in a direct confrontation, so they've started resorting to underhanded tactics."

"This time there were ten demon kings and thirty demigods; next time it might be twenty demon kings and sixty demigods."

"Early and mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivators can handle two or three, but not this many," another True Person said. "Someone must keep an eye on the Nine Heavens."

Master Taixu nodded: "I have a suggestion."

"We, more than twenty post-production staff, were divided into five teams of five people each, and we were stationed at each of the Nine Heavens entrances."

"We will ignore any demons below the Purple Mansion level who come down to the mortal realm. But if any demon king or demigod attempts to descend to provide support, we will immediately intercept and kill them."

"In this way, the demon kings and demigods of the five regions become like water without a source; killing one will reduce their numbers."

The group looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.

"feasible."

"Let's do it this way."

Xiao Xiting pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll join."

Master Taixu looked at him: "Fellow Daoist Xiting, you were originally advancing with Shangyuan and the others, but now you've left the group. What will happen over there?"

Xiao Xiting smiled slightly: "That kid has grown up. He's at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, with two divine abilities at his disposal. Ordinary demon kings and demigods are no match for him. Besides, he has Shuyu and Baichuan by his side, that's enough."

Master Taixu nodded: "Alright, count you in."

The meeting quickly finalized the list of five blocking teams and their rotation schedule. Xiao Xiting was assigned to the first team and would depart for the entrance to the Lower Three Heavens the next day.

The next morning, Xiao Xiting found Li Xiaoyao.

"Fellow Daoist Shangyuan, I must go now."

Li Xiaoyao was taken aback: "Senior Xiting?"

Xiao Xiting briefly recounted the events of last night's meeting, saying, "We cannot allow the demon kings and demigods of the Five Regions to receive any more reinforcements."

"We'll block the gate later, you guys continue pushing forward. That last Heavenly Demon City in the northern part of the wasteland, you'll have to fight it yourselves."

Li Xiaoyao remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and bowed deeply: "Take care, senior."

Xiao Xiting patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Don't die. I'll ask you for wine later."

Having said that, he transformed into a streak of blue light and soared into the sky.

Five days later, the entrance to the Lower Three Heavens.

Xiao Xiting and the other four late-stage True Immortals stood suspended in the void, facing a realm shrouded in clouds and mist—the boundary between the Lower Three Heavens and the Five Domains.

"How many is it today?" Xiao Xiting asked.

The Jade Balance Immortal beside him laughed, "The fourth one. These little devils are still rushing downwards."

Below, the corpses of three demon kings were slowly falling—all were in the early stages of the Purple Mansion realm, attempting to descend to the mortal world to provide support, but were casually killed by them.

"Strange." Another person frowned. "We've killed so many, why hasn't the higher-ups reacted yet?"

Xiao Xiting looked towards the upper three heavens and said indifferently, "So what if there's a reaction?"

"Those three Golden Core cultivators are tied up with our True Lord and can't even take care of themselves. Which of these demon kings and demigods below dares to come down?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another ripple came from the depths of the realm.

Another demon king peeked out, saw the five late-stage True Immortals lying in wait, and shrank back in fright, turning and fleeing.

"Don't chase them," said Master Taixu. "If they've escaped, so be it. Our mission is to block the gate, not to annihilate them all."

Xiao Xiting withdrew his gaze and looked in the direction of the Five Regions.

"Shangyuan, it's up to you now."

.....

Three hundred miles south of Tianyao City lies the Allied Forces' camp.

Li Xiaoyao looked at the assembled Purple Mansion True Persons before him and secretly made plans in his heart.

The eighteen early-stage Purple Mansion cultivators—besides him, Shuyu, Baichuan, Hanche, and Muye, there were thirteen fellow cultivators who had gathered from various war zones:

Chixiao Zhenren (Yanghuo Daotong), Xuangui Zhenren (Xuantu Daotong), Jinpan Zhenren (Duijin Daotong), Guanghua Zhenren (Baotu Daotong), Danxi Zhenren (Muhuo Daotong), Cangyao Zhenren (Jiaomu Daotong), Shuange Zhenren (Gengjin Daotong), Tingyuan Zhenren (Pinshui Daotong), Zhuohua Zhenren (Zhenhuo Daotong), Xunfeng Zhenren (Xiaojin Daotong), Chonglou Zhenren (Guitu Daotong), Mingsu Zhenren (Shaoyin Daotong), Yuheng Zhenren (Fushui Daotong).

The five mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm Masters are: Zhenyue Zhenren (Gen Earth Daoist Lineage), Canglan Zhenren (Kan Water Daoist Lineage), Liegui Zhenren (Taiyang Daoist Lineage), Xuanming Zhenren (Taiyin Daoist Lineage), and Qingya Zhenren (Zheng Wood Daoist Lineage).

There are over 60,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators and over 10 million Qi Refining cultivators.

This is the force that has been gathered from various war zones in the wasteland over the past three months.

"Gentlemen," Zhen Yue Zhenren spoke, his voice as deep and heavy as a mountain, "Tian Yao City is the last megacity in the Desolate Region still in the hands of the demon race. If we take it, the billions of humans in the entire Desolate Region will be completely liberated."

"We must go all out in this battle."

Master Canglan continued, "The intelligence has been confirmed. Within the Heavenly Demon City, there is one late-stage Purple Mansion demigod high priest, one late-stage Purple Mansion demon king, five mid-stage demon kings, ten mid-stage demigods, thirty early-stage demigods, and ten early-stage demon kings."

"In terms of military strength, there are a million half-beast demon soldiers, of which about 100,000 are demon generals equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage, and countless demon soldiers equivalent to the Qi Refining stage."

All the immortals gasped in shock.

Two late-stage, fifteen mid-stage, and forty early-stage.

This is almost half of the top combat power in the lower three heavens.

"How do we fight?" asked Master Liegui.

Zhenyue Zhenren looked at the five mid-stage cultivators and said, "The five of us will split into two teams."

"Canglan and I will deal with the late-stage demon kings, while Liegui, Xuanming, and Qingya will deal with the late-stage demigods. The other early-stage fellow cultivators will deal with the remaining mid-stage and early-stage cultivators."

"Are you confident?" Xuanming Zhenren asked.

Zhenyue Zhenren was silent for a moment, then said, "We have to fight even if we're not confident. This is the last battle; after it's over, we'll liberate the wasteland."

Master Qingya nodded: "We have the advantage in using the new method against the old one. But the other side has more people, so this battle will definitely be fierce. Fellow Daoists, please be mentally prepared."

Li Xiaoyao looked at the True Person Shuyu beside him. The two exchanged a glance and saw a resolute look in each other's eyes.