Reinforcements

"By the time when the sixteenth patriarch of the Beichen Sword Sect, Dao Lord Tian Gang, ascended to the throne, Nine Yin Mountain was already experiencing a decline in population and a shortage of direct disciples."

At that time, there were few people of similar seniority to Dao Lord Tian Gang who could help each other. Among the core disciples of the main sect, there were not many outstanding ones. Moreover, due to frequent sword battles, most of them had hidden injuries and were either recuperating or preparing for self-destruction. The younger generation of elite disciples had too low a cultivation level and had to fight their way up, so there was an inevitable risk of dying young. No one could predict what would happen in the future.

On the contrary, the outer mountain sword path is full of talented people and outstanding talents, showing great potential for development. In the sword duel for the position of sect leader, there were quite a few ruthless ones. Although they were defeated by Dao Lord Tian Gang's sword, they aroused Dao Lord Tian Gang's fear.

Back then, the Beichen Sword Sect recruited many disciples for sword duels. With a large number of people, they could learn superior sword techniques from both inside and outside the sect, making the duels fair.

However, this also led to frequent challenges to the disciples of Benshan. There were even other forces that used the sword fighting at Nine Yin Mountain to weaken the disciples of Benshan before secretly harming them.

Therefore, in order to preserve the direct lineage, Dao Lord Tian Gang decided to adopt a strategy of strengthening the trunk and weakening the branches.

To prevent the carefully nurtured direct disciples from being overwhelmed by the challenges from outsiders and falling in the process, a sword test was added. Anyone from outside the sect who wants to challenge a disciple of this sect must first undergo an internal selection process, passing all disciples of the same level from various branches of the sect before they are qualified to fight against a direct disciple of this sect.

Furthermore, many secret sword techniques and resources are subject to restrictions; one must engage in sword duels to be eligible to exchange for them, and daily tasks are naturally done outside the main mountain. On the contrary, the disciples of the main mountain can cultivate peacefully in Nine Yin Mountain and receive special training from the sect leader.

The outer mountains, lacking the resources of the main mountain, were so blatantly instigated to fight amongst themselves, further fueling the animosity between the inner and outer mountains. They outwardly obeyed the main mountain's edict but inwardly remained resentful.

In the long run, while this certainly depletes the strength of the outer mountains, it also unknowingly gives away all the opportunities for the disciples of the original Beichen Mountain to repeatedly undergo tribulations and fight swords to the disciples of the outer mountains.

And so, in the end, a peerless genius emerged who fought his way up from the outer mountains, winning battle after battle, until he wiped out the entire Nine Yin Mountain sect and seized the throne...

Xuan Tian: "That's right! It is indeed me! Hahahaha!"

The three of them traveled north by swordsmanship, Yao Xuanzhou took the opportunity to tutor Li Fan and Li Wugou, continuing to explain the long-buried history of the Beichen Sword Sect.

The rabbit, probably already aware of the rumors, still excitedly squealed in the Divine Court, "The Sword Ancestor Xuantian is invincible! Oh oh oh!"

Li Fan was also sweating profusely. It was over; Yue Po had visibly led Xuan Tian astray.

"Is that the Sword Ancestor Xuantian?" Li Wugou asked curiously. "But I've heard people say that the Beichen Sword Sect was wiped out because of him? I heard that he not only left without saying goodbye, but also offended everyone in the Xuan Sect. In the end, when the Sword Sect was destroyed, not a single person came to help."

Xuan Tian, "..."

The rabbit cried out anxiously, "Sword Ancestor, don't listen to her nonsense! It's not true! How could there be no one? There were at least a dozen people who came to help, and look, there's a pharmacist here now. How could they have been wiped out!"

Xuan Tian, Li Fan, "..."

Yao Xuanzhou helped explain, "Many things are not accomplished in a day or two, but are deeply entrenched and difficult to reverse."

Sword Ancestor actually saw that although sword duels were dangerous, they also had benefits. Therefore, when he took charge, all disciples, whether from within or outside the sect, were required to participate in sword duels, with small duels every three days and a major competition every ten days or so. He also strictly prohibited disciples from skipping classes. As a result, a number of talented individuals emerged in the Beichen Sword Sect. If it weren't for Dao Ancestor Youquan, they might have been able to revive their sect.

However, the Xuanmen sect was already small in number, especially the direct disciples of the sect leader's lineage. Each sect had to spend more than ten generations to cultivate them. But because the Beichen Sword Sect changed its faction in the sixteenth and seventeenth generations, it weakened its direct lineage too much. Not only were many ancient techniques lost, but the sect leader's personal disciples also died one after another. After the Sword Ancestor disappeared, there was no backbone, which led to the Beichen outer mountains engaging in even more brutal sword battles in order to compete for the position of sect leader, damaging the sect's foundation.

To be fair, given Dao Lord Tian Gang's actions at the time, the sect couldn't have lasted much longer. Even without Sword Ancestor Xuantian, other disciples from other sects would have stepped forward to challenge him sooner or later. The seeds of this internal strife had already been sown long ago. At least the Sword Ancestor still held sway over the world with his own power. Even though he hadn't appeared in public for a long time, his influence remained. No one dared to offend the Sword Sect even after he had been missing for many years, right?

The current claim that the Sword Ancestor Xuantian caused the Sword Ancestor's destruction is all influenced by the book "The <Beichen Sword Sect Master's Secret Records>".

I've read that book too. It's a collection of memoirs from many Xuanmen cultivators, but the Sword Ancestor's killings were extremely severe. Those who survived his attacks certainly wouldn't have anything good to say about him. People outside the Sword Sect would inevitably spread rumors and slander based on mere words. After all, the number one in the world is naturally the most hated. Look at the world today; the reputation of the Manifestation Dao Lord of Penglai is the worst. Isn't that the same principle?"

Xuan Tian was moved, "Xiao Yao understands me so well~~~"

Li Wugou thought for a moment, then, as if making a connection to something, touched her face. "Public opinion... it's true... public opinion is a fearsome thing..."

Li Fan was taken aback. "Um... um, um? What do you mean by that, Abbot? Penglai Manifestation is the best in the world right now? Isn't it Qin Tianjue? And doesn't Emei have many... ancestors?"

Yao Xuanzhou laughed and said, "The Three Elders and Four Ancestors are all of such high seniority, how could they still come out to compete? It would be too unreasonable for them to tear each other apart and fight with the younger generation. The most core generation of the Xuanmen today is naturally the current sect leaders of the Nine Great Xuan Sects."

This generation personally experienced the chaos of the Luo Sect back then, and those who survived were by no means ordinary people. Among them, the Manifestation Dao Lord had the highest cultivation. Although the Emei Tianjue Dao Lord was the acting sect leader and senior brother, with a great reputation and strong abilities, he was still a bit lacking in age and experience. Moreover, because he was in seclusion to break through his realm, he also missed the experience of the Three Great Sects destroying the Luo Sect back then.

Moreover, once one reaches the Dao Lord realm, it's not just about fighting and killing; one also has to consider their ability to govern a sect. In this regard, the Manifestation Dao Lord is exceptional. During his years in charge of Penglai, he has risen to prominence unexpectedly, and the overseas immortal mountains have grown rapidly, enabling them to rival the ancient sects of the Central Plains. In contrast, the Tianjue Dao Lord has not been known to have any outstanding methods in sect governance."

Li Fan didn't know whether to complain about how powerful the Manifested Old Ghost was, or how the Azure Dragon Old Dog had the audacity to attack such a young junior like him...

Xuan Tian also gossiped, "Tch, Qin Tianjue is nothing special. It's only natural that the young master of the Qin Family has such a level of skill. But his great-grandfather Cangsong is particularly powerful. I had to be wary of him back then. You should be more polite to anyone with the surname Qin from Emei in the future."

By the way, if we're really talking about sword fighting skills among the generation of Manifestation, it's definitely the ones I personally trained who are the best... That little bastard is the strongest. Although I'm not familiar with Manifestation, he wasn't the most talented one in Penglai back then either.

The number one Daoist of Penglai back then—I don't even remember his name anymore. I just remember he was like a complete idiot, always hanging around that little beast. I thought he had pretty high comprehension, and maybe he could be left to help that little beast through his tribulations. I even gave him a couple of pointers. But I heard he died in battle during the campaign against the Luo Sect, which is why he became the sect leader after the Manifestation. Alas, it's quite a pity.

Back then, the Luo Sect harmed a large number of elites in the Xuanmen sect. It was only because there were no heroes in those times that a mere upstart could rise to fame!

Li Fan, "..."

It seems that cultivators get very excited when they talk about who is the best in the world, Li Wugou added.

"I've also heard that among the current Dao Lord level sect leaders, the one from Penglai is the strongest. After all, no matter how many people kill, it's still the sect leader's ability to glorify the sect and spread the legacy that truly matters."

I heard that back then, Penglai was also a place where nine sects stood side by side, but it fell apart and was in chaos. After Manifestation succeeded to the throne, it was able to rise rapidly. The cultivation resources of its disciples were comparable to those of ancient powerful sects such as Emei, Songshan and Hengshan. Many small sects and independent cultivators envied Penglai for having such a capable sect leader.

I have also witnessed the Daoist disciples of Penglai, and their abilities are truly unheard of. It is Manifestation Dao Lord's skill in training disciples is also exceptional! If the Sword Ancestor Xuantian had had the same leadership skills as the Manifestation Dao Lord back then, perhaps the Sword Sect would not have been wiped out?

Xuan Tian, "... Hmph!"

Li Fan, realizing that there was probably one more person who disliked manifestation, quickly changed the subject, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about manifestation anymore! Right, right!"

I've learned that the Chanyu of the North is also the Daoist Master Wudao, and the reincarnation of the Dharma King of the Divine Sect. He's an old rival who was once Qin Tianjue of Emei. Senior Brother, do you know anything about him?"

Xuan Tian probably doesn't know about this rising star of the cult, who is of the same generation as Qin Tianjue.

Yao Xuanzhou pondered for a moment, "The Dharma King killed by Tianjue Dao Lord... that's a bit difficult to determine..."

Li Fan was taken aback. "What? You can't even judge this? That Tianjue Dao Lord was so powerful, he killed so many Dharma Kings!"

Yao Xuanzhou explained, "Qingyue, you haven't been in contact with the Divine Sect. Their system is quite different. The positions of the Ten Absolute Divine Lords, Sect Leader, and Dharma Kings are not lifelong positions like Immortal Kings and Sect Leaders. From the Altar Master upwards, all positions within the Ten Absolutes God Sect are re-elected every sixty years based on merit and rewards."

The cult has many experts, Three Great Sects are fighting fiercely. If you're talking about those who have been Sect Leader, then we can probably count them. But if you're talking about those who have been Dharma Kings, then there are quite a few of them."

Xuan Tian said, "Don't worry. If there were truly an enlightened being nearby, wouldn't they sense if something happened to their Divine Transformation Realm subordinates? They would have already come to kill them. Right now, they're either far away or tied up with other matters. As long as this enlightened being doesn't come, we can easily kill one or two Divine Transformation Realm demons."

Xuan Tian is right. Look at that old dog Canglong back then, he even abandoned the flying sword that was about to be forged to rush over and save people.

Now, counting all the prime ministers and kings, three divine lords have already died at Li Fan's hands. The Chanyu should have noticed by now, but he hasn't shown up yet. He probably doesn't care about their lives. Just as Gao Ming said, he's simply using the Hu Barbarians tribes.

So the three of them, without any scruples or concealment, rode their swords straight ahead, swaggering through the army's blockade. Guided by the mutual connection between Li Fan and Qiongqi, they found the remnants of the Shuofang army trapped on a hillside.

Yes, it's that simple. It just flew over, and nobody tried to stop it or anything.

Li Fan found it strange, but he checked with his Gu Guan Method Divine Sense and found no magic arrays lying in ambush. There was only the Hu Barbarians army surrounding the remnants of the Shuofang army on the mountain.

Guan Qi could see in all directions. The army camp was full of Hu Barbarians Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from the barbarians, as well as four Transformation Stage cultivators, who guarded the camp from the east, west, south, and north. The remaining army on the mountain still numbered about ten thousand, with only four Nascent Soul Realm left.

Qiongqi flapped its wings and flew out of the camp, squatting down in front of Li Fan. Yao Xuanzhou, being polite, to avoid any misunderstanding, first sent a letter explaining their purpose and asked his personal guards to escort it into the camp. The three of them waited outside the camp.

Of course, at this point, the Jiedushi could no longer put on airs. Soon, a general came out in person, clasped his hands in greeting to the three Nascent Soul Stage from the Xuanmen True Cultivator.

"Many thanks to my fellow Daoists for coming to my aid. I am Zhang Ji, the commander of the armies of Shuofang."

This was an old man with a square face and a high nose, a full white beard, broad shoulders and a big belly. He was wearing armor and had a turban wrapped around his head. Although he was also a master of the Martial God Body, he looked somewhat listless and weak. It was obvious that he had been fighting fiercely for days and was too old and weak to continue.

"Yao Xuanzhou of Ink Bamboo Mountain, accompanied by two fellow travelers, has come here on a journey. Hearing that your army is in distress, we have come to offer our assistance."

Yao Xuanzhou stepped forward to organize the discussion, exchanged pleasantries with Zhang Ji for a while, and shared information.

As Li Fan listened, he exchanged a glance with Qiongqi and got the gist of it.

This Northern Expedition was naturally a failure. The Ten Jiedu military governors suffered a major defeat, losing seventy or eighty percent of their elite troops. Although the Shuofang Army performed exceptionally well, defeating several armies in succession and abandoning the captured cattle and sheep to retreat at full speed, compared to immortals, the mortal soldiers were ultimately a burden. They couldn't fly, were hungry and cold, and were constantly on the verge of death. In this harsh climate of ice and snow, their march was even slower, so they were still blocked.

At the beginning, the Shuofang Army included Wangwu Mountain and many cultivators sent by the Gen Province Xuanmen to provide support. The cultivators on both sides fought several battles with simple nationalist sentiments, and it was difficult to determine a winner. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that those shamans had all worshipped Youquan and were reborn like cockroaches that could not be killed, they would have almost broken through several times.

But as the various reinforcements from the Xiongnu Chanyu gradually arrived, and news of the defeats of the main forces of the Northern Expedition also came one after another, the cultivators of the Central Plains were gradually dominated by refined egoism.

Thinking back on their adventure in the north, they gained nothing and even fought for a long time with the shamans under the Chanyu, wasting so many talismans and magical treasures without killing many. Naturally, they couldn't risk their lives. So one by one, they lost their will to fight and withdrew from the battlefield.

The Chanyu also let them go.

After all, this Northern Expedition was not a war of cultivators, there was no struggle for Daoist Tradition, and no divine skills, secret techniques, or Heavenly Treasure to be gained. It was simply that the local armies were hungry and crossed mountains and valleys to steal the Xiongnu chieftain's sheep.

Therefore, the Chanyu did not intend to push too hard and provoke the Xuanmen to fight to the death. Instead, he focused his main objective on killing the vital forces of the vassal army. After all, as long as the elite troops of the Northern Expedition Army were wiped out, and the Gao family of the Heavenly Soldiers Army rose up, there would probably be no force in the north and south of Yinshan that could restrain the rise of the Chanyu for more than ten years.

In reality, if General Zhang Ji of Shuofang had also been single-mindedly focused on escaping and had abandoned his army in the chaos, he probably would have had a slim chance of survival thanks to his cultivation level. However, this guy's integrity was too high, or perhaps he was unwilling to abandon so many soldiers, so he didn't manage to leave. Now he's surrounded, his food, supplies, and arrows are all exhausted, and he's being constantly harassed and attacked. He's failed to break out several times, is exhausted, and it looks like his entire army is about to be wiped out.

It's highly unlikely that we can break through with these ten thousand or so people.

"The Tuoqi King is in the south, the Right Wise King in the north, the Left Great Qiequ in the east, and the Right Great Qiequ in the west. During the day, the Hu Barbarians armies will attack in shifts, and at night, various demons will raid the camp. At first, some immortals from Wangwu Mountain assisted us, but they ran out of elixirs and talismans and had to return to the Central Plains to seek reinforcements. I thought no more reinforcements would come, but unexpectedly, three righteous men have stepped forward..."

There's nothing left in the army to offer as a token of our hospitality, except for a pot of turbid wine. Let us raise a toast to you all.

"Oh? Yuanzao Leishang?" Li Fan recognized the strong, blood-tinged smell of the wine immediately. "What, General Zhang, are you planning to risk your life to raid the camp tonight?"

Zhang Ji nodded. "I didn't expect you to know about the local strong liquor. That's right. I injured my qi and blood before, and I probably don't have much time left. I heard from the falcon you saved that the defenses in the south are the weakest, so I plan to risk my life and lead my troops to raid the Tuoqi King's camp, so that my men can break through from the south and fight for their own lives."

Li Fan laughed and said, "Why should a mere Hu King bother with such a grand gesture from the governor! I observe the celestial signs; tonight is dark and windy, with dark clouds obscuring the moon—it is the perfect time to kill!"

You remain firmly in the central command, assign only military ranks to the three of us, and then we'll begin our slaughter. Tonight we'll go and kill the barbarians, and by dawn we'll surely have beheaded them and presented their heads to you!"

Zhang Ji was taken aback. "Fellow Daoist, there are no jokes in the army. If you accept a military order, it's almost like facing a calamity from the Xuanmen..."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I want!" Li Fan grinned, snatched the wine cup, drank it in one gulp, slammed the bowl down, and solemnly clasped his hands in a fist, saying, "I swear to kill the Hu Barbarians! I'm willing to submit a military pledge!"