Hearts Are Worlds Apart, Soul Devouring Ancestor Arrives at the City!

After concluding his conversation with Xing Huiguang, Chen Dengming once again received the admonition of the word "survival" from the essential introductory course for cultivators of the Longevity Sect.

When faced with indecision, it is best to wait and see, observe the situation, stockpile provisions, build strong defenses, and be prepared to respond and retreat at any time. If the situation turns unfavorable, take emergency evacuation measures.

He Yingyu was standing nearby, heard the general situation but was stunned and didn't react for a long time.

Spirit Transformation stage experts who haven't appeared or made a move for perhaps thousands of years are now all taking action?

The situation on the sect's side has become surprisingly tense.

"Senior sister, hurry up and pack up. Put everything away."

At this moment, Chen Dengming, who had already begun dismantling the small sound transmission array, turned around and said.

"Ah, ah?"

He Yingyu was surprised, her lips slightly parted.

"We're preparing to retreat. The Border Town might not be safe either. Let's leave the Border Town first and spend some time in the wilderness."

As Chen Dengming spoke, he nimbly stored the huge array plates and array devices into the two-hundred-foot Storage Bag he had obtained from the Northern Spirit Holy Son.

Although He Yingyu still had a lot of questions, she had the qualities of a good wife: whenever there was an important matter, she would listen to whatever her Husband said, and she wouldn't ask any more questions if Husband didn't explain.

The two quickly packed all their belongings.

There's really not much to pack. After all, we just moved in and haven't even had a chance to settle in before we have to move again. All we're packing up are the Formation and personal belongings that were set up in the courtyard.

"Leave now? The fighting outside doesn't seem to be over yet."

He Yingyu looked at Chen Dengming.

"Etc."

Chen Dengming shook his head, his eyes flashing with blue light. He glanced at the battle scene in the distance, thought for a moment, then sighed and began to cast a spell.

Soon.

A Wood Element Heavenly Immortal Clone materialized, radiating the power of a pseudo-core spirit, and appeared in the courtyard.

Chen Dengming shook his head with his hands behind his back and said, "There may be Devil Cultivator cultivators invading this Border Town later. Although I am not a good-natured person, the task of guarding this Border Town has nothing to do with me."

However, the Tiandao Sect and the Dragon Transformation Sect are ultimately allies of the Eastern Region, so it's best to leave a clone here; it will be some assistance. As for the major trouble, there's nothing I can do about it; I can't help you."

He Yingyu smiled and said, "Junior Brother, you did the right thing. Even if you hadn't left a clone, it wouldn't have mattered. Leaving one is a favor, not leaving one is your right. If it weren't for you, the Border Town would have already fallen. There's no need to worry about this."

Chen Dengming laughed it off, "I have no qualms about it. I just think these soldiers who shed their blood for the Border Town are quite admirable."

The two exchanged a smile, then quickly and discreetly left the residence, bypassing the Battlefield, and quietly departed.

That evening.

The two hid in an inconspicuous grove of trees in the wild. After driving away and killing the Demon Beast in the grove, they released the Fierce Ghost Zhu Xun, which circled the grove and released evil and malevolent Yin Qi, creating the impression that the place had been occupied by ghosts and monsters.

After setting up illusion arrays and defensive Formation, they hid in the woods, lit a campfire, and summoned their spirit boat to serve as temporary shelter, making do for a while. It had the lively atmosphere of Rogue Cultivator couple living together.

"Senior sister, I used to live this kind of nomadic life back in the Gathering Place, and now you're living that kind of life with me."

Chen Dengming sat on the futon, and after taking the Heart Mending Pill, he casually carved Spirit Gathering Formation Plate according to the records in the <Essentials of Formation Array Deployment and Creation>, while also talking to He Yingyu.

He Yingyu lay on the long recliner she had crafted herself, listening intently to the faint sound of the Ming River flowing outside the woods, and said wistfully, "From the time I can remember, my Lineage sent me to the Evergreen Sect. The person who raised me was a Qi Cultivation Cultivator named Aunt Lin."

Unfortunately, Aunt Lin died unexpectedly the year I broke through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level.

That was the year I truly began to engage in real combat with others, and that's when I actually killed someone. Before that, it was all done in simulations within the sect, as you know."

He Yingyu smiled sheepishly and shook her head. "I don't actually like fighting or killing, which is why I learned weapon crafting. Helping the sect craft weapons is a kind of duty, so I don't have to fight with people."

The Longevity Sect claims to be indifferent to worldly affairs, but how could they possibly be truly indifferent to worldly affairs?

"Such a large sect, as long as it doesn't relinquish its resources, will inevitably engage in conflict even without competing for more resources."

He Yingyu's beautiful eyes shone brightly, and her words were full of hidden meaning, showing her extraordinary insight and intelligence that she had seen through things long ago.

Her beautiful eyes swept over Chen Dengming, and she smiled tenderly, "Junior Brother, the life of wandering and hardship you mentioned, I have indeed never experienced it. I used to even look down on it a bit. But experiencing it now is quite good, and it can be considered as making up for the regret of not having experienced it before."

As she finished speaking, she saw that Chen Dengming had already carved an array plate in his hand, and couldn't help but look towards the campfire.

"Junior Brother, did you also endure such hardship and displacement with Weiwei back then?"

Chen Dengming smiled in surprise, "No, that's not true. Back then, Xu Wei's cultivation level was too low, and I didn't even have the strength to protect myself. If I took her with me, we would probably both perish."

At this point, he couldn't help but think of the Luo Family, sighed inwardly, and didn't want to continue the conversation on this topic.

He Yingyu thought he was lamenting Xu Wei's passing and wisely kept quiet, but inwardly she thought that she needed to continue to improve her strength, otherwise she would not be able to follow Chen Dengming in the future because her strength was too weak.

In fact, after several years, she has now cultivated the Evergreen Merit to the twelfth level.

If one stayed in Fourth-Rank Spirit Vein like Longevity Peak of the Longevity Sect, one would only need four years of cultivation to break through to the Golden Core stage.

She immediately sat up from the recliner, put her hair up, and sat cross-legged with a graceful and elegant demeanor, beginning her cultivation.

That night, Chen Dengming did not cultivate; instead, he practiced array formation and observed the situation on the Border Town through his clone left behind.

Half a month of cultivation in this wild place with sparse Spiritual Qi is not as effective as one day of cultivation in the Fourth-Rank Spirit Vein of Longevity Peak. There is no need to waste precious energy on foolish hard work.

Through his clone's observation, he had confirmed that almost all the Devil Cultivator of the Soul Devouring Sect and the cultivators of the Zou family had been captured or executed.

This sudden war that swept through the Border Town was quelled in just half a day.

To his surprise, Jia Guoxian, a Golden Dragon Transformation Sect Golden Core Cultivator from the Hualong Sect, found his rented residence that night to express his gratitude and hand over the spoils of war confiscated from the Zou family.

Considering the current situation in the Border Town, Chen Dengming decided to have his clone meet with the other party and offer some suggestions.

Although the clone only possesses the cultivation level of a pseudo-core cultivator, as long as it doesn't make a move, even Golden Core Cultivator would have to use their Divine Sense to detect it, which would be extremely offensive. Therefore, there's no need to worry about the other party discovering any clues.

"Your Highness Daozi, this is the ill-gotten wealth confiscated from the Zou family. It has all been stored in this Storage Bag. Please accept it; it is your rightful spoils."

After entering the courtyard, Jia Guoxian exchanged a few polite words and then handed a Storage Bag to Chen Dengming. His expression was tired and solemn, yet also revealed gratitude and joy.

"Fellow Daoist Jia, as I have said before, these merits and wealth..."

"Why!"

Jia Guoxian hurriedly tried to dissuade him, saying, "Your Highness Daozi, please rest assured. I deeply admire your noble character and would never do anything to dishonor your integrity."

Of the wealth confiscated from the Zou family, Jia has already distributed half to the wounded and fallen brothers, and another 20% was used for the reconstruction of the Border Town. You must accept the remaining 30%!

Unable to refuse, Chen Dengming accepted the gifts without further ado, and abandoned his plan to seek reclaim the spirit crystals from the rental property from the clerk.

Although I rented the house for six months, I only lived there for less than half a month, which was really a waste.

However, with 30% of the Zou family's wealth gained, the rental fee of 100 High-grade Spirit Crystal can be considered an investment in the construction of the Border Town.

He continued to hold Jia Guoxian, carefully choosing his words, and offered some of his suggestions.

"So Your Highness Daozi Spirit Transformation cultivators, especially this time."

Jia Guoxian sighed and said nothing more, his expression solemn. "However, since you believe that there will be more powerful Devil Cultivator cultivators invading the Border Town, I cannot leave."

There's nothing we can do; this is our duty to guard this place. Experts from my Dragon Transformation Sect and Tiandao Sect will arrive to provide support soon. In the meantime, I, Jia, will remain here to guard this area."

He paused, looked earnestly at Chen Dengming, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "I humbly request Your Highness Daozi to stay here and fight alongside me to defend the Border Town."

Looking into Jia Guoxian's eyes, Chen Dengming vaguely sensed the thoughts behind the other man's determined gaze, which seemed to suggest he was trying to take advantage of him.

However, considering that the two sides were just clones, even if there was danger, it wouldn't matter. He could just consider it a contribution to the alliance. He sighed and raised his hand in a gesture of respect.

"I'll stay and help you keep watch for a while."

He thought to himself, 'This only applies to this current clone.'

Beneath Jia Guoxian's seemingly resolute gaze, he could still detect a hint of unease, anxiety, and anticipation.

The reason the other party is being so attentive is probably because they want him to stay and help defend the city.

It's impossible for the other party not to feel panicked.

After all, the attempt to seize the city failed and so many people died. The Soul Devouring Sect is very likely to be furious and immediately send new experts to retaliate against the attempt.

At this point, the test is how quickly both sides can send reinforcements; whoever's reinforcements arrive first will own the Border Town.

But none of that matters to him now.

He had already saved Border Town once, and Jia Guoxian and many others once.

Now, having kindly advised Jia Guoxian to lead the experts and some others from the Hualong and Heavenly Dao sects to leave first, but the other party refused to leave due to his sect's responsibilities, there was nothing that could be done.

He could only express his admiration and regret from the bottom of his heart, and respect the other party's choice. However, he could not possibly be swayed by the other party's flattery and become irresponsible for his and He Yingyu's safety by actually staying.

Leaving behind a clone to assist the opponent is already an act of utmost benevolence.

"If I were a high-ranking member of either sect, I might request that people be saved first and that they all leave the Border Town first."

Even if the city is captured, it can be taken back later. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

The concept of putting people first was deeply ingrained in my heart in my past life, and it remains so in this life at the Longevity Sect."

Chen Dengming used his clone to escort Jia Guoxian to the door. Watching Jia's retreating figure, he sighed to himself, "I can only wish him good luck!"

Jia Guoxian is willing to be dominated by the high-level will of Hualong and Tiandao sects, and has a sense of luck, but he is unwilling to pay for the will of others and risk his own life, especially if it is a view that he does not agree with. The most he can pay is a clone.

The facts seem to prove that his cautious approach was correct.

That night, it was still only the latter half of the night.

A vast and immense spiritual power, accompanied by a dazzling and enchanting streak of light resembling a shooting star, swept in from the far distance in an instant, squeezing the air into semi-circular bursts of air, and a terrifying sound wave like a steam whistle echoed from afar.

In the woods, Chen Dengming was jolted awake from his semi-meditative sleep and immediately climbed out of the cabin.

He was about to use his Heavenly Eye, but instinctively realized that this might alert the other party. So he immediately shifted his focus to his clone, allowing the clone in the Border Town to use his Heavenly Eye to observe.

The clone had barely caught a glimpse of a streak of light, as fierce as a meteorite, flying from outside the city when it heard a chilling, sinister voice emanating from within the light, sweeping across the entire city and drowning out the roaring sound waves.

"Who dares to kill my Soul Devouring Ancestor! Prepare to die!"

Whoosh!

Within the fiery, meteor-like flames, a sinister, dark golden arrow of light suddenly shot out like lightning.

The arrow struck the Border Town city's defensive array, which was in a defensive state after the array plate was repaired. With a bang, it blasted a crack more than ten meters long into the array, which could easily withstand the attack of Golden Core Late Stage cultivator.

The dark golden arrows, their momentum undiminished, pierced into the city, whistling as they passed directly through the bodies of more than a dozen guarding cultivators, raising plumes of blood mist and harvesting souls to strengthen themselves.

Then, with several loud booms, it collapsed several buildings behind it, colliding with the Law Treasure launched by the fake core cultivator from the Tiandao Sect, which roared as it flew in.

'Peng'--

The fake core cultivator from the Tiandao Sect immediately screamed in agony, his Heavenly Dao Halberd being knocked away by the light arrow.

The arrow of light seemed to be alive, incredibly sharp, piercing through his chest, leaving it bright from front to back. In an instant, it absorbed his soul, becoming even stronger. It began to crisscross the city like golden threads, unstoppable, swiftly reaping lives.

"Nascent Soul Old Monster, the Soul Devouring Ancestor!? He actually came in person."

Chen Dengming's expression changed drastically. He suddenly remembered Dou Han, the Soul Reaping Arrow he had killed, whose method of shooting arrows was exactly the same as that of the Soul Devouring Ancestor. Could she be his beloved concubine?

"Your Highness Daozi! Please join me in this attack!"

Just then, a long, almost desperate howl suddenly rang out from inside the city.

Jia Guoxian rushed out of his residence with a tragic and heroic spirit.

Chen Dengming sighed inwardly.

This is suicide!

What's the point of all this?

But he immediately sent his clone flying out of the house.

As an allied cultivator, he hoped it would be best to create an opportunity for Jia Guoxian to escape.

However, just as his clone rushed out of the mansion...

Jia Guoxian halted his relentless charge and roared, "Your Highness Daozi, you were able to kill those two Devil Cultivators at the Golden Core stage before, you can definitely defend the city this time too! Hold on, I will immediately go and fetch reinforcements for you!"

As soon as his whistle faded, he swiftly turned and fled directly towards the Fallen Forbidden Zone behind him.

Chen Dengming was taken aback, then couldn't help but chuckle coldly.

He still underestimated this person's character.

Although Jia Guoxian had some ulterior motives that he had noticed, it was merely a matter of human nature—a desire to survive and a form of moral blackmail—but it would never have gone so far as to do such a despicable thing.

But now, facing the threat of Nascent Soul expert, all the worst aspects of their nature have been completely exposed.

"You can't see into someone's heart. If I hadn't deliberately used my Immortal Celestial Dao Power to probe and investigate, I really wouldn't have seen through this wolf in sheep's clothing..."

He snorted coldly, and saw that the great formation had been broken by the Soul Devouring Ancestor's angry roar. Two more golden arrows followed closely behind the first golden arrow, shooting towards his clone.

Without hesitation, Chen Dengming manipulated his clone to rush towards Jia Guoxian, who was fleeing ahead, shouting loudly.

"Fellow Daoist Jia, you've gone in the wrong direction. Don't forget, you also deserve credit for killing that pair of Golden Core Devil Cultivator!"

Almost simultaneously, Chen Dengming immediately woke up his senior sister He Yingyu, and the two took advantage of the chaos in the Border Town to change their hiding place again.

This place is still a bit close to the Border Town, and the intimidating power of the Nascent Soul Old Monster is terrifying.

(I didn't meet the monthly ticket requirement, but I've added an extra chapter, my friends. Please vote with your monthly tickets!)