Taking the Bait
The Xun Kingdom has sent quite a few people this time; at least twelve more Golden Core Generals, riding giant thunder eagles. They must have sensed the deaths of the three before and come to seek revenge.
The people on the ship were clearly unaware of what was happening. Presumably, there were no Nascent Soul Stage level cultivators among them, but rather a group of rogue cultivators who had come together. Even the Nine-Tailed Fox had been beaten so badly; if a conflict were to break out, these people would be no match for the Thunder Generals.
Sensing the approaching lightning bolts and their imminent arrival, Li Fan immediately donned his Gui Xu Dao Yi and said to Asha, "A fight might break out soon. Stay hidden in this concealment array and don't show yourself. If anything happens, use your spirit flag to protect yourself."
Asha nodded obediently.
So Li Fan put on his Daoist robe and stealthily slipped out of the formation, circled around to the east, and deliberately used his Divine Sense to probe the rogue cultivator in mid-air, who was still cautiously and carefully checking the trap.
The rogue cultivator reacted immediately, leaping up and searching eastward with heightened vigilance. He finally discovered the uninvited guest from the east.
So the rogue cultivator disregarded the traps below and immediately flew back to the airship to be on guard.
The thunder eagles flew closer and immediately noticed the huge Vermilion Bird Fire Talisman signal. The twelve eagles first split into two teams, flanking the flying boat from both sides. Then they split into four groups, each with three eagles and three generals. Each group was several tens of feet apart, and each rider was several feet apart. The whole team circled the flying boat, the Vermilion Bird signal, and the wreckage on the ground to investigate.
Li Fan, observing the eagle formation from below, frowned slightly.
Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't fall down when dead. The Immortal Palace's enduring strength over the years is no joke. These thunder eagles are flying in the sky, yet they control their speed and distance with perfect order, maintaining their formation without the slightest disorder. The thunder generals on their backs are also fully armed, forming groups of three: one wielding a long spear, one a short weapon, and one a powerful bow, supporting each other like a pincer movement, completely on guard, leaving no blind spots.
Li Fan watched for a long time but couldn't see where there was an opportunity to strike with his sword. In particular, he had tried it before. Once he locked onto the opponent with his Divine Sense, the lightning generals would definitely be on guard. At most, they could use the Heaven-Splitting Sword to launch a strong attack and kill one or two of them. If the others surrounded them, it would definitely be a bloody battle. If they wanted to leave, they would scatter in all directions and would be impossible to catch.
The rogue cultivators who had just come out of the boat to inspect the area flew out again, cupped their hands, and transmitted their voices, saying, "We are rogue cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain. We were just passing by and are unaware of the details of this place. Please, General, make way for us."
The three groups of thunder eagles continued to circle the flying boat, circling relentlessly. The leader of the outer group, presumably a thunder general, stood on the eagle's back, wielding a long spear, and pointed it, demanding, "What's on the boat! Release the restrictions!"
The rogue cultivator lowered his hand, saying, "It's merely a fine piece of material I found; it has nothing to do with you all."
"I'll ask you one more time! What's hidden on the ship?! Release the restrictions!"
Lei shouted three times in anger, and his Thunder Department immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming directly at the machine ship.
"There are countless opportunities in Lei Marsh, you can seek them out yourselves. Are you trying to rob us outright?" The rogue cultivator was unaware that he had been drawn into the karma of others. Seeing that things were not going well, he drew his Copper Coin Sword on guard.
Li Fan frowned. It seemed that Lei Jiang had misunderstood that the three followers had been harmed by the rogue cultivators on the ship, and that the people from Ink Bamboo Mountain had apparently obtained some treasure in the south, which was why they had returned to the mountain ahead of schedule. Now that they had run into each other, things were probably not going to end well.
This matter concerns Ink Bamboo Mountain, and these fellow disciples have been tricked by him, so Li Fan naturally cannot stand idly by. However, he also knows the power of Lei Jiang, and there are probably quite a few people from Xun Kingdom. If he cannot annihilate all of these Lei Jiang and two of them go missing, then the grudges on Fox's side will likely fall on Ink Bamboo Mountain's head.
Would it be safer and more secure to reveal ourselves and lure Lei Jiang away before the fighting begins, thus avoiding endangering our sect? Or would it be more reliable and secure to launch a sneak attack from behind when the two sides are engaged in combat?
As the two sides were locked in a stalemate, and Li Fan hesitated, a sudden thought struck him, and he realized that someone was coming from the northwest! No, this time it wasn't a person!
A deafening roar shook the heavens and the earth, echoing across the mountain ridges, accompanied by rolling thunder. Instantly, it attracted the attention of the two groups of people from the Xun Kingdom of Ink Bamboo Mountain in the sky.
Li Fan's Divine Sense had the widest range of detection, so he was the first to find out the details of the newcomer. Of course, there was no need for observation; just by hearing the name, he knew it was a lion, a big lion, an enormous lion!
The three-headed golden lion revealed its true form, standing forty or fifty feet tall. It pounced with a thunderous roar, its howl shaking the entire Lei Marsh, a deafening and earth-shattering sound!
Well, this cast was incredibly profitable; the little lion's parents were caught too...
This lion is probably at the Nascent Soul Stage level, its body radiating blood-red light and its demonic power soaring to the heavens!
The rogue cultivator from Ink Bamboo Mountain, seeing this from afar, was greatly surprised. "The elephant from the Nine Bends Cave of Fuyu Mountain! This demon is a great monster that has injured a True Person!"
The Thunder Generals, knowing the priorities, decisively abandoned the boat from Ink Bamboo Mountain. The twelve eagles formed a crane-wing formation and pressed straight towards the great demon.
Surprisingly, the flying boat from Ink Bamboo Mountain didn't take the opportunity to escape. Instead, two more men and a woman flew out of the boat, all of them appearing to be rogue cultivators. Together with the four cultivators who had just wielded the Copper Coin Sword, they followed General Lei to help exorcise the demon.
The choices made by these two sides surprised Li Fan quite a bit. Just a moment ago, they were at loggerheads, and now they've united on one side?
"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent states that humans and demons are fundamentally different and cannot coexist. Unless there is a deep-seated hatred, any encounter with a demon or monster of another race should be prioritized for extermination. This is not only a tacit understanding within the Central Plains, but also applies to demons as well. Boy, if you encounter that Nine-Tailed Fox again, do not be as merciful as I was back then..."
You call that being soft-hearted...?
Well, the fact that Yan Xingyun and his fox Dao Companion were able to escape to the Ten-thousand-mountains to have children shows that Xuan Tian really did let them off easy back then.
Although Yan Xingyun, the abandoned disciple of Yan Xingyun, had willingly fallen into depravity, he still remembered the sect's teachings. Even the maids in his household did not shed blood or foul air. So this family must indeed have some peculiar monsters who do not eat people.
But this giant lion, the elephant of Fuyu Mountain, is different. It and its cub are so huge, its mouth opens like a cave, its body is covered in gusts of blood wind, and it stinks to high heaven. Who knows how many people it eats in one meal? This ferocious monster is clearly a transformation of someone who has not cultivated a human body; it is a true demon!
At this point, we really can't care about the thoughts of the Immortal Palace and divine sects; we must first eliminate the demons and protect the righteous path!
The giant elephant, also displaying its ferocity, probably sensed the smell and discovered the state of its cub's death. With three heads roaring and howling, it charged towards the cultivators to attack!
The twelve thunder generals showed no mercy, immediately brandishing their divine weapons. A burst of lightning flashed, crackling and snapping as twelve consecutive bolts struck the giant lion's head, scorching its golden mane black.
That's right! The divine lightning, specifically designed to subdue demons, struck its forehead, leaving it merely charred black!
Lei Jiang immediately sprang into action, wielding his long spear, and the Crane Wing Formation instantly split into two groups and dispersed.
Fortunately, they dodged quickly. With a roar, the elephant spewed a scorching black stream of flame from the lion's mouth, blasting straight into the sky!
Holy crap, they can even fire plasma cannons?
This demonic aura, almost as intense as flames, would likely be too much for even Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to withstand. If the lightning generals were to be struck by it, they would probably be instantly reduced to ashes.
Little did they know that this wasn't the lion's ultimate move. It had three heads, two on its left and two on its right shoulders, facing the Thunder General's troops who were frantically dodging the demonic energy barrage. One inhaled, and the other exhaled.
From the giant mouth on the left, a dragon's breath seemed to surge backward, sucking half the flock of giant eagles backward. One thunder eagle was unable to dodge in time and was sucked into the lion's mouth and swallowed. The thunder general on the eagle, however, managed to abandon his mount in time and escape with the help of his teammates.
From the giant mouth on the right, a yellowish-green poisonous mist swept out, instantly enveloping the two thunder eagles. In that instant, the thunder generals on the eagles had no time to escape. The two thunder eagles and two thunder generals were blinded by the poisonous smoke and immediately fell from mid-air. The lion pounced on them, striking them with a claw and sweeping its tail, smashing them into pieces and exploding them into bloody foam!
This one attack alone has already claimed the lives of three Thunder Generals! While both are Nascent Soul Stage demons, this one is far more powerful than the previous one!
"Disease!"
At this moment, the four rogue cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain also made their move.
They clearly knew the background of this great monster, and immediately threw out four magical treasures: a bronze bell, a golden bell, a jade ruler, and an iron mirror. These four treasures hung in the air and shot out four beams of light, which landed on the lion's head in a far-off parabola and covered it.
"Roar--! The demonic path of Ink Bamboo Mountain! It's you again! You must be the ones who killed my son!" Tuanxiang roared, actually using human speech to transmit his voice, which sounded like muffled thunder.
Li Fan couldn't help but sigh. Who had Ink Bamboo Mountain offended? Why was he always so disliked?
"This beast has been stabbed in the left rib! Strike its weakness with all your might!" The rogue cultivator from Ink Bamboo Mountain ignored the lion's curses and, while controlling the copper bell, flung out the Copper Coin Sword, which flew straight towards the lion's left rib!
Taking the opportunity, the generals of the Thunder Department reorganized their formation, dividing the remaining nine eagles into three groups. One group hovered high in the air, and as Li Fan had seen before, the three of them crossed their weapons, gathered their Dao power, and summoned divine thunder and lightning for a long-range attack. The other two groups attacked from the left and right, swooping down and thrusting their swords straight down, attempting to strike the lion's left ribs with their Qi Cultivation Method.
The lion roared fiercely, but was momentarily enveloped by four beams of precious light, which hampered its movement and prevented it from using its demonic magic. However, its skin and flesh were unusually tough, even describing it as having copper skin and iron bones would fall short.
The spears, winds, and blades of those thunder generals couldn't even pierce its skin. The copper coin flying sword, such inferior trash, although it stabbed at its left rib, didn't even penetrate its body; instead, it simply shattered with a clang!
The copper coins were scattered on the ground, but they bounced around like living things, stacking themselves back into the shape of a sword. In this way, only one copper coin was damaged at the tip of the sword, which was quite practical.
The lion roared, "With your paltry skills, you think you can hurt me... Aaaaaahhhhhh!!"
Li Fan wiped away a bead of sweat. Although he had deliberately sent the demon-slaying beast on a roundabout attack, it was still incredibly slow. However, the sword was still sharp, and it castrated the lion with a single strike.
... Well, after all, that area has a bigger weakness, and it's specifically targeting the left flank...
"You despicable scoundrel! Aaaaaah!"
The lion demon jumped in pain, but actually managed to break free from the treasure light. It frantically shook its lion head, spitting out tons of black demonic fire and yellow-green poisonous mist, forcing away the thunder generals who were attacking it. Then it rushed out of the encirclement with all its might, pounced on the corpses that Li Fan had previously arranged, snatched the carcass of its cub in its mouth, and ran away.
This monster has lived for so many years and grown so big; it must be quite intelligent.
The swarm of flies attacking without breaking through the defenses is merely a distraction; lurking in the shadows is an extremely treacherous and despicable villain. A single sword strike could sever its evil nature. With such a terrifying divine weapon, what difficulty would gouging out eyes, beheading, or disemboweling be posed?
Besides, it couldn't even find a trace of the opponent, so it had no chance to fight!
The elephant immediately surrendered and fled, stubbornly enduring the divine lightning that blasted its head and back. It ran away without looking back, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.
"Don't pursue a desperate enemy!" Lei Jiang brandished his spear, directing his men to regroup. They were seasoned veterans, and after just a couple of exchanges, they knew how powerful this monster was. They couldn't handle it on their own, and it was only thanks to the sword immortal's secret assistance that they were able to survive; otherwise, they would have suffered heavy losses.
At this moment, Lei Jiang looked around and saw that two people had died and three eagles had been lost in an instant. He guessed that the three generals who had been lost earlier had probably died when they ran into the monster. He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the people from Ink Bamboo Mountain and said, "I apologize for the previous misunderstanding. I will take my leave now."
Those from Ink Bamboo Mountain, knowing the monster's background, wouldn't pursue it. Seeing Lei Jiang also give up, they breathed a sigh of relief, having easily overcome the danger. They put away their magical artifacts and said, "We are deeply grateful to which senior lent a helping hand."
However, there was silence all around, so it was clear that the senior did not want to show himself. The two groups then went their separate ways, one heading north and the other east, each keeping to themselves.
Of course, Li Fan didn't show himself because he wasn't actually there; he had gone to chase the lion along the trail of blood.
Just as he expected, the lion, carrying the cub's carcass with the large amount of poison in its mouth, couldn't run more than a hundred miles before being paralyzed by the poison, its legs stiffening and its pace slowing down.
The great demon thought it was because it was too badly injured and had lost too much blood, and was feeling weak and numb, so it stopped to catch its breath.
Then everything spun around me, and three heads rolled off their necks.
The three lion heads of the elephant were still slightly puzzled as they looked at their own blood-splattered corpse lying on the ground. It seemed as if they saw a flash of purple light, and then a figure holding Black Sword appeared, standing on their back. Then everything went black and they lost their sight.
Li Fan's mood improved slightly.
"Tsk, three heads are only counted as a small amount? I really miss the profits from the massacres."
Li Fan sighed, wiped the blood off the Fagui Sword, put it back in its sheath to nurture it, then shook his shoulders and called out his other six brothers to have a hearty meal.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!