Green Bamboo Mountain

Just as Song Qingming was lost in thought, the restriction he had set at the entrance of his Cave Abode suddenly sent out a ripple of Spiritual Energy.

Having calmed himself, Song Qingming quickly checked the spot where he had buried the Spirit Stones. Finding nothing amiss, he rose and walked out of the Cave Abode.

The moment he stepped through the entrance, he saw a man standing not far away. The man was much taller and sturdier than him, dressed in a similar blue-green long robe, with a square face.

Song Qingming spoke with delight when he saw him. "Fourth Brother, you came to find me so early. Is there some good news?"

"Seventh, how can you be sure it is good news? Aren't you afraid Third Uncle-Grandfather has come looking for you again to help draw formations?"

The one speaking with Song Qingming ranked fourth among the Song Family cultivators of the Qing Generation. His name was Song Qingrui, and his cultivation was somewhat higher than Song Qingming's, already at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining.

"Didn't I just go there a few days ago? Surely I won't have to go again today." Song Qingming answered somewhat awkwardly.

The Third Uncle-Grandfather Song Qingrui spoke of was also the Song Family's First Elder. Since Song Qingming studied the Way of Formations, Third Uncle-Grandfather most liked dragging him over to inscribe small auxiliary spells onto the Dharma Robes he refined.

Although Song Qingming had some talent in the Way of Formations, he had only studied it for a short time, and his skill was barely adequate. Because of this, he was often scolded until his face burned red by the hot-tempered Third Uncle-Grandfather.

Song Qingrui smiled and did not continue chatting. He directly explained why he had come.

"Thirteenth Uncle said we are going to Green Bamboo Mountain to roast snake today. Big Brother has already gone ahead and is waiting for us."

"Alright. Fourth Brother, wait while I gather my magic tools, then I'll go down the mountain with you."

In the northeastern corner of Qinghe County stood a stretch of blue-green mountains extending for dozens of miles, called Green Bamboo Mountain. The mountain was covered in swathes of emerald-green bamboo, like a vast sea of bamboo.

At the foot of Green Bamboo Mountain, within a dense forest, lay an open patch of ground that had just been cleared by magic tools. Three cultivators were tensely hidden amid a clump of thick weeds nearby. From time to time, they craned their necks out, anxiously watching a narrow path leading up the mountain.

"Big Brother, do you think Thirteenth Uncle is in trouble? Why has he been gone so long this time? Should we go support him?"

One of the youths among the three anxiously asked the slightly older young man in the middle, who was clearly their leader.

"Don't talk nonsense. Thirteenth Uncle is a Sixth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator, after all. As long as he does not venture deep into the territory of those High-grade Demonic Beasts within Green Bamboo Mountain, how could the Demonic Beasts at the foot of the mountain possibly hold him back?

There are relatively few Demonic Beasts in this area. He probably has not found suitable prey yet. We should not go out first. If we alert the Demonic Beasts, all our efforts will have been for nothing." The older young man softly rebuked him.

This man was Song Qingshi, a fourth-generation cultivator of the Song Family from nearby Funiu Mountain, with cultivation at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.

The two youths behind him were Song Qingrui and Song Qingming, who had come down the mountain with him.

The cultivator Song Qingshi spoke of, who had gone to lure the Demonic Beasts, was Song Changxiong, thirteenth among the Song Family's third-generation Chang Generation. He had already reached the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining and had often taken these nephews of the Qing Generation out Demon Hunting over the past few years.

Song Qingshi watched the open ground in the distance, with a trace of worry in his heart. But then he thought of how he had followed Thirteenth Uncle in hunting Demonic Beasts for so many years. Thirteenth Uncle's experience in luring enemies was already extraordinarily abundant.

Besides, his defensive cultivation method made him thick-skinned and tough, and he carried a mid-grade Defensive Magic Tool for protection. There should not be any major problem, right?

Song Qingshi silently drew a breath, then slowly exhaled, calming the tension in his heart.

A few moments later, a commotion suddenly arose from the bamboo forest at the end of the path. A burly man abruptly dashed out—it was Song Changxiong.

Yet he looked somewhat disheveled at the moment. Green bamboo leaves covered his entire body, his clothes were torn in several places, and even a section of his right sleeve had vanished somewhere.

Song Changxiong took several quick strides and leapt onto the path, charging straight toward where the three were hiding downhill without looking back. As he ran, he shouted, "Get ready to activate the formation! Damn it, quite a few came this time!"

Seeing that Song Changxiong was unharmed, the three hiding in the grass let out long breaths of relief.

Upon hearing Song Changxiong's voice, Song Qingshi quickly turned to instruct the two behind him, "Prepare to activate the formation. There are probably Mid-grade Demonic Beasts this time. Be careful, everyone."

Only when Song Changxiong had run to within several yards of them did the three hear a chorus of hissing behind him. Seven or eight huge green snakes were relentlessly pursuing him.

The two snakes in front were a full size larger than the others, with rings of thin white stripes along their bodies. They looked particularly vicious.

"There are two mid-grade Green Bamboo Pythons. This will be troublesome. You two stay sharp later. If the formation cannot trap the Demonic Beasts, retreat immediately and flee separately."

"Don't worry, Big Brother. We know what to do."

The two nodded repeatedly. Clearly, this was not the first time they had heard Song Qingshi speak with such caution.

The moment Song Qingshi finished speaking, Song Changxiong had already reached the open ground several yards before them. He immediately turned around and stopped, releasing a silver great saber and holding it horizontally before himself.

The two leading mid-grade Green Bamboo Pythons were not slow either. In moments, they had caught up, opening their enormous jaws as they pounced on Song Changxiong.

The two Green Bamboo Pythons came from the left and right, their gaping maws aimed respectively at Song Changxiong's neck and thigh.

Song Changxiong swiftly reacted. He first twisted his body aside to evade the venom sprayed toward his neck from the left, while the Great Ring Saber in his hand slashed rapidly at the giant python lunging for his thigh on the other side, forcing the python that was about to succeed to change its attack.

Unexpectedly, rather than retreating at once when it saw the saber descending, the giant python merely drew back its green head slightly and sprayed out a stream of venom from its open jaws.

With a thunderous bang, Song Changxiong's saber struck the Green Bamboo Python with all his strength, but did not inflict much harm. As he turned to dodge the venom, the other Green Bamboo Python that had just missed him spun around and swept its tail into his waist. He staggered back dozens of steps before hurriedly steadying himself.

After several more fierce clashes between the man and the two snakes, Song Changxiong gradually fell into a disadvantage as he faced two Mid-grade Demonic Beasts alone. Several wounds had appeared on his body as well.

At this moment, the other five or six low-grade Green Bamboo Pythons had also arrived. In the blink of an eye, the seven or eight Green Bamboo Pythons had completely surrounded Song Changxiong.

Song Changxiong's condition was now precarious as well. His outer garment had long been reduced to tatters, revealing a suit of black soft armor beneath.

Just then, three red walls of fire suddenly rose from the open ground, joining into a triangular shape and instantly enclosing Song Changxiong and the seven or eight Green Bamboo Pythons within.

It was Song Qingming and the other two, who had been waiting for this moment, activating the formation they had previously set up here—the Blazing Flame Array.

Song Changxiong was overjoyed at the sight. He raised his great saber and swung it hard, forcing back the low-grade Green Bamboo Pythons. He then quickly produced a Fire Repelling Talisman and pressed it to his chest before turning and passing through the wall of fire behind him.

Outside the fire walls, three red Array Flags were planted in the ground. A white array plate floated above them, and the three fire walls connected to it blazed with raging flames. Song Qingshi and the others each sat cross-legged behind a red Array Flag, pouring their own Spiritual Energy into the flags.

Green Bamboo Pythons were naturally afraid of fire, making this Blazing Flame Array a sharp weapon against them.

Even the venom sprayed by the two mid-grade demonic pythons could be easily blocked by the raised fire walls. The four had often used this formation to hunt Demonic Beasts here in the past, and now they manipulated it with utmost proficiency.

"I'll recover my spiritual power first. Hold them off for a moment."

After leaping out of the fire wall, Song Changxiong said this to Song Qingshi and the others. He walked to one side, took out several medicinal pills, and stuffed them into his mouth. Then he sat cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation method, slowly refining the medicinal power.

The three merely nodded and did not spare attention for him. They only continued increasing their efforts to drive the formation.

The Skyfire Array's flames instantly surged. Seeing this, the low-grade Demonic Beasts within the fire walls panicked and repeatedly retreated.

Seeing this, the two mid-grade Demonic Beasts gave several low hisses toward their low-grade kin behind them. The low-grade Green Bamboo Pythons were so frightened that they hurriedly halted.

Driven on by the two mid-grade Demonic Beasts, they sprang up one after another and rammed into the fire walls, only to be fiercely bounced back. Patch after patch of burns appeared across their bodies.

Although low-grade Demonic Beasts could not yet wield Spiritual Energy, their physical strength was several times that of ordinary wild beasts. Their unceasing impacts also consumed a considerable amount of the formation's Spiritual Energy.

Seeing this, Song Qingshi and the others each circulated their Spiritual Energy and activated the small red Array Flag in their hands. Three fire dragons immediately flew from the fire walls and pounced on the leaping Demonic Beasts. In an instant, the fire dragons and Demonic Beasts were locked in battle.

Though there were many Demonic Beasts, one of the three fire dragons was scattered before long.

However, the fire dragons were formed by drawing upon the formation's Spiritual Energy. As long as a steady supply of Spiritual Energy was poured in, they could swiftly reform.

Half an hour slowly passed. Most of the low-grade Demonic Beasts within the Skyfire Array had already been slain by the fire dragons, while the survivors had lost their ability to fight.

Only the two mid-grade Green Bamboo Pythons, though they bore some injuries, had not lost much combat strength. They still struggled fiercely against the three fire dragons.

At this point, Song Qingshi, who had the highest cultivation among the three, had sweat covering his forehead. The speed at which he fed Spiritual Energy into the formation had also slowed considerably.

Song Qingming and Song Qingrui on either side had lower cultivation. It seemed that little Spiritual Energy remained in their bodies, and they were gritting their teeth to hold on.

Song Qingming was only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. The glow of the fire wall before him had already become extremely dim, and the two Demonic Beasts desperately attacked his side again.

Before long, Song Qingming suffered a backlash from the formation. A trace of blood immediately spilled from his mouth, his face turned white as paper, and his expression grew listless.

Just then, a broad hand supported his back. Song Qingming immediately felt a surge of robust Spiritual Energy pour into his body, and the wavering fire wall before him swiftly regained its former brilliance.

Song Qingming was delighted. "Thirteenth Uncle, if you had come any later, I'm afraid I would have collapsed first."

"That will not do. If we let them out, all our efforts will have been for nothing. Once I go in later, drive the formation with all your strength and help me kill these two beasts."