The Sweet Potato

There are so many!

Qin Jiu waved the flag and moved to the top of the Hall of Light. Looking around, he saw dark clouds and flames soaring into the sky. Eight Directions Demonic Flames rose from all directions, bursting against the wind and burning up the mountain!

The demons had already broken through the Earth Fiend Array the mountain, turning them all into scorched earth! And the countless demons and monsters that had been scattered earlier had also gathered back! They were right behind the eight demonic flames, waiting for an opportunity to swarm in, kill and plunder!

Although the Tai Xuan Array had the dangers of nine halls and three passes, which temporarily blocked the demons, it had just been breached by 'Si Jiu's' attack. The magic flags planted in the courtyard were still exploding and bursting at a visible speed! Hall after hall, pass after pass had to be conquered!

Qin Jiu frowned deeply, realizing that these eight demonic flames were similar in nature to the 'Si Jiu' emerald green demonic flames from before, suggesting they came from the same group. Judging by their colors, they seemed to correspond to the nine energies of Taiji and also possessed nine-colored demonic flames!

Although their demonic flames were slightly less imposing than those of 'Si Jiu' from before, at least they knew how to cooperate and work together. The latter, on the other hand, was a complete fool, recklessly charging forward and throwing his life away...

These remaining eight demons, when combined, knew to charge ahead and break through the formation, attacking with the combined might of all demons, making them quite troublesome. Even if Qin Jiu were to assassinate them now, he would likely find it difficult to find an opportunity amidst the demon army! And once their eight demon armies had broken through the Tai Xuan Formation and gathered before the Six Gates, it would be even more difficult to eliminate them one by one!

Qin Jiu's mind raced. While considering countermeasures, he first unfurled the banners and opened the Six Gates life, death, illusion, obscurity, and light. He needed to ensure the safety of the temple first. Then, looking around, he saw that the Revered Heavenly Demon Protector was still there, so he simply opened his gate to help as well.

According to Master, the Revered Heavenly Demon of this fourth formation are all Outer Heaven Demon lords, at least at the Nascent Soul Stage or above. They could easily kill a great monster with a single punch. In fact, in terms of sheer strength, they could even hold their own against those Divine Transformation demon kings. Moreover, with the Moon Reflection Formation and the Demonic Cultivation Formation, they are incredibly resilient and should be able to hold out for a while.

Just now, 'Si Jiu' broke through four of them in the blink of an eye, which is really unreasonable, unless these fire demons are very clear about the characteristics and weaknesses of these Revered Heavenly Demons, or they have other killing moves hidden...

Although he knew there were many backup plans, Qin Jiu dared not be so careless or complacent with the appearance of demons like 'Si Jiu'.

I remember the two elders of Mount Song advising me that I must never underestimate my opponent or act rashly, but I also cannot sit idly by and wait to die. I must take advantage of any advantage I have and seize any opportunity to gain. If I do not know the details of my opponent's strength and do not have a sure-fire way to kill them, then it is better to run away than to fight.

Palace Master Xiao once told him that before facing an enemy, one must maximize one's chances of victory and gather intelligence on the opponent. Those who have made it through the path of cultivation all have at least two or three trump cards up their sleeves. Only by making good use of the right time, place, and people can one be invincible in every battle.

Even the Yuan Gong taught him that the most dangerous moves are the ones he's never seen before. He should hold back three-tenths of his strength when exerting himself, so as to save energy from being knocked over and beaten. Only by being able to advance and retreat freely can he find an opportunity to counterattack.

Master's explanation was different; he said, "Just sit firmly in the formation, wave the flag and that's it. If you can't win, Moon Spirit will come to your rescue..."

No, we can't wait for someone to rescue us. If we always expect someone to come to our rescue, it might be too late, and in the end, we won't be able to protect anyone...

Awakened by a sharp pain in his chest, Qin Jiu shook his head, looking at the blood sword that had solidified in his hand. No matter what, his Blood Radiance Flying Star could still break through 'Si Jiu's' physical body, so he still had a chance of winning.

When the fight breaks out, we'll definitely be besieged by all the demons. If they use a sneak attack to instantly kill the Revered Heavenly Demon, I'm afraid my chances of survival are slim. No, I still have to take a gamble! Kill one or two more beforehand, at least to find out their trump cards.

So Qin Jiu looked around and, among the demons attacking from all directions, chose the black flame, which was the second weakest in terms of both breaking the formation and demonic aura. He leaped onto the shoulder of the Revered Heavenly Demon and waved the flag.

The next instant, the wind and clouds gathered, and a mist suddenly appeared! They suddenly appeared in front of a group of howling monsters charging up the mountain!

The Revered Heavenly Demon unleashed a furious attack! He revealed his three heads and eight arms! A barrage of punches rained down like a machine gun! In an instant, he turned the demons into indistinguishable pieces of minced meat!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Qin Jiu jumped down from behind Revered Heavenly Demon and carefully possessed him, blending into the corpses of demons and monsters. He watched as Revered Heavenly Demon, like a stone ball, crushed and tore apart the demons in his path. His obsidian-like steel body and iron arms were so tough that even the fangs of ferocious beasts couldn't break him; he was simply invincible.

Isn't that pretty impressive...?

Then Qin Jiu saw it: hiding among the demons, a humanoid monster wearing black armor and shrouded in black evil fire.

Aside from the different color of the armor, the long silver-gray hair falling from under the helmet, and the 'Si Er' mark branded between the eyebrows on the mask he wore, this person's physique and aura were exactly the same as 'Si Jiu' from before.

Facing the Revered Heavenly Demon, who was brutally beating up a group of demons, sending them fleeing in terror, and relentlessly attacking him, 'Si Er' showed no fear whatsoever. He reached into his pouch and pulled out an iron... sweet potato?

"Si Er" pulled off the stem of the sweet potato and threw it into the hands of the Revered Heavenly Demon.

Revered Heavenly Demon, "???"

Qin Jiu, "?"

'Sweet potato,' "BOOM--!!!!"

An orange-red fireball rose slowly from the foot of the mountain. The towering flames swept away the sand, rocks, and vegetation, almost leveling an area of fifty feet in radius!

'Si Er' stood amidst the fire and wind, his silver hair fluttering in the hot air. The scorching flames were absorbed by the black fire barrier around him. He crossed his arms and looked at the charred corpses scattered on the ground. The Revered Heavenly Demon was the first to be hit, its three heads and eight arms blasted away, leaving it looking like a dry piece of charcoal.

"Wow, this thing is really useful!"

With a casual wave of his hand, 'Si Er' threw a flaming spear that pierced the heart of the Revered Heavenly Demon's remains. Black flames burst forth, and the attack nearly annihilated the Revered Heavenly Demon.

"Blood Radiance Flying Star!!"

Just as the remains of the Revered Heavenly Demon were reduced to ashes by the demonic fire, a crimson star suddenly shot out from behind the Revered Heavenly Demon, hurtling towards 'Si Er's' face!

"What!"

Unexpectedly, he was ambushed at the very moment of victory! 'Si Er' reacted incredibly quickly, sidestepping and raising his hand to block! Instantly, the crimson starlight severed his right arm and pierced his shoulder! At the same time, he grabbed the black flame beside him with his left hand and hurled the flame spear at the assassin's hiding place! The black flame spear instantly created a fan-shaped area of fire, like the breath of a dragon!

But it didn't even get them anywhere!

"What! Behind me!"

One mistake leaves you with a chance to turn things around, but two mistakes mean no chance at all!

"Die!"

A gust of bloody wind swept through! A crimson figure, accompanied by the Sword Light, arrived and beheaded 'Si Er'!

"Blood Flow Sword Rain!"

Qin Jiu roared furiously, and from beneath the tattered bandages and the scorched, torn flesh and blood wounds all over his body, countless blood swords burst forth! They swelled into a crimson thorn bush! They shattered the remains of 'Si Er' into countless pieces, piercing through the air!

"Huff... huff... I've reached my limit..."

Amidst the raging flames, Qin Jiu stood frozen amidst the thorns and blood-red spikes, the demonic blood dripping down his body like Xiaoyu.

Qin Jiu had never imagined that a sweet potato could have such terrifying power.

It was truly terrifying. He barely managed to escape; his protective aura was shattered, and he was nearly killed.

Well, that's it. After just one "Si Jiu" and one "Si Er", Qin Jiu's carefully healed Dao Breath and flesh were completely destroyed again. He really couldn't hold on any longer. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, waved his flag, and retreated back into the formation.

Although he managed to break through one of the demons' paths, the remaining demons showed no sign of stopping. Led by seven-colored flames and followed by Chi Mei Wangliang, the demons quickly broke through and destroyed the Tai Xuan Mountain Array, forcing them to the mountain peak and surrounding the Solitary Temple completely.

Master said that this Six Gates formation is a defensive formation. When the opponent rushes into the courtyard, we will use the sword formation to meet them. However, they will most likely not be able to break in, so there is no need to worry.

However, Qin Jiu had witnessed the power of those fire demons. In just a short while, four formations had already been broken, and there were also those incredibly powerful sweet potatoes. He really had no idea how long this Six Gates Formation could last.

Qin Jiu took a breath and, not daring to rest for even a moment, found the array eye sword of the Three-Four-Star Combined Sword Rain formation, removed the talisman seal, hugged it to his chest, and staggered to the foot of the Hall of Light. He sat down on the steps, leaning against a pillar, panting as he studied the changes in the sword formation by referring to the sword formation diagram.

Qin Jiu hadn't had time to look at this Star Alliance Sword Formation diagram yet, and it seemed to be a new skill his master had just discovered. The Moon Soul Sword Lord didn't know either, having only taught him the key points of the Beichen Seven Stars Sword Array and the Six Gates of Obscurity and Brightness.

However, Qin Jiu had learned some basic knowledge of formations in Songshan. Usually, a sword formation seals the Sword Light. As long as the last sword talisman is torn open and the Sword Light is released, the sword can move at will and kill the demons that have entered the formation.

However, this is also the problem. Although the sword formation is powerful, it is a one-time use. Once the Sword Light is released, it is gone. Unless these demons outside are fools and rush in all at once so that Qin Jiu can wipe them all out, even if they come in wave after wave, the sword formation on the sixth level will not be able to hold out for long.

And the last one was also a sword formation, the Beichen Seven Stars Sword Array. Qin Jiu knew that the last formation was probably incredibly powerful, designed to deal with the Demon God and the Demon King. Hiss... Judging from the appearance and moves of these fire demons, they were clearly a team, and they came prepared. Could it be that they were just cannon fodder sent to test the waters, with an even more powerful demon god secretly watching and waiting for an opportunity to ambush them?

Having figured this out, Qin Jiu became even more nervous, not daring to be distracted for a moment. Holding the magic sword, he focused intently on the seven demonic flames gathering outside the temple, separated by a wall. They moved left and right, then left and right again, and then stopped.

Oh! It's coming!

Then the seven demonic flames split into two groups, one heading left and the other right, circling the temple wall, passing each other, turning around, and facing each other, sometimes left, sometimes right...

Qin Jiu waited for a long time, but the other side didn't attack, leaving him somewhat dumbfounded.

Is he... lost? No way... or is he looking for an opportunity to break through the formation? Or is he trying to distract him?

Suddenly, the demons stirred! The seven demonic flames abruptly went out!

What?! Is this the final assault?! Qin Jiu jumped in surprise, almost drawing his magic sword.

Instead of the demons breaking down the gate, he saw a mad wind and dark clouds outside the temple spinning wildly, turning left and right, circling the temple walls in a frenzy, howling and screaming, as if he had gone insane!

What's going on?

Then the door behind me creaked open.

Qin Jiu turned her head and looked at the Daoist priest who was walking out the door. "Master?"

"Oh, I got stuck over there. I came out for some fresh air during halftime. Don't worry about me," Li Fan glanced at Qin Jiu. "What happened again? Didn't I tell you to just stay in the game and wave the flag? Why are you so passionate?"

Li Fan casually tapped his finger, replenishing Qin Jiu 'Dao Breath, and then gave him a pot of Changchun Pill to nibble on. He glanced around at the howling demonic winds and shadows outside the courtyard.

"What, are you gathering monsters? We can clear them out now. If you pull too many, even the dumbest person will know there's a trap, and they won't dare to come near."

Qin Jiu, "... Cleared, cleared?"

Li Fan casually drew the magic sword that Qin Jiu was holding like a treasure in his arms. The sword was unsheathed, its Sword Light flashing like stars falling like rain. The sword talismans in the courtyard were like mirrors, and when the star-like sword Sword Light shone on them, it activated the soaring sword power, which turned into a pillar of stars that shot straight into the sky, transforming into a dazzling star map that then reflected down!

Three hundred and forty-three beams of light rained down like a torrential downpour! They circled around the Six Gates of the formation, stirring up the demon horde. After a series of mournful and desperate screams, no sound could be heard outside the courtyard.

"You must study the array diagram carefully. This is my improved version of the rechargeable sword array. Didn't I give you a lot of sword talismans? Just refill them according to the star positions and sword positions when you run out. If you don't have time to set up the array, you don't have to fire them all at once. Just fire the swords in sevens."

Li Fan sheathed his magic sword, then took out a sword talisman and a Storage Jade from his sleeve and handed them to Qin Jiu, instructing him on how to use them.

"Pull them in waves, no need to rush to collect the corpses. Those beasts have incredibly keen noses; the stronger the smell of blood and flesh, the more they'll be attracted. Hengshan doesn't care for these Devil Embryo dishes and wine, Ink Bamboo Mountain will gladly accept them."

Qin Jiu was speechless for a moment, "Ah, I... ah, them...' Si Jiu '... break the formation... sweet potato..."

Li Fan sniffed, pinched something casually, glanced around, and immediately understood the cause and effect. He then took out a gourd and handed it to Qin Jiu.

"Oh, Nangong, it's not bad that you managed to injure two of them. Remember to go back and finish them off. As long as the core is intact, they are immortal. Although they are temporarily sealed by the red sand in your essence blood, they will only be resurrected a little slowly."

Hmm, huh? They're still alive? Interesting, did the core move to a different location...?

This batch of demon larvae smells a bit off; it must be a newly bred, improved version. I'll have to dissect a couple and study them when I have time...

We'll talk about it later. Chopping it up won't pose much of a threat. Go collect the demon's materials separately and send them back to the Discipline Institute; you'll get credit for that."

At this moment, Kun patted Li Fan.

Li Fan glanced at Kun, then turned to Qin Jiu and asked, "It's asking if you have any more sweet potatoes."

"Sweet potato? Oh, sweet potato... the sweet potato exploded..."

Looking at the magic sword, gourd, pills, a large number of sword talismans and Storage Jade in his hand, Qin Jiu, under Kun's gaze, fell into a deep confusion, bewilderment and self-doubt.

Kun glared at Qin Jiu, then winked at Li Fan.

Kun thought to himself, "This kid is dishonest; he secretly hid sweet potatoes to eat."

Li Fan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Kun. "You have to spit out everything, your mouth is full of fishy smell. Everyone has to hide something to eat themselves."

Looking around, it seems even the Revered Heavenly Demon and the Tai Xuan Formation have been used up. It's likely that Qin Jiu, that kid, is holding onto his sword formation like a precious treasure, unwilling to use it. He's probably the rigid type, not one to think things through. It's really worrying...

Fortunately, the foundational system of the Tai Xuan Array is different from the Xuanmen Formation theory. Although it was breached, it will be restored after a short time as spiritual energy gathers, so there's no need to worry about it. As for Yan Ruyu's formation, which is mainly for defense against people, it seems to be of little use, so let's not waste time on it.

So Li Fan waved his sleeve and threw out eight Revered Heavenly Demons, arranging them into an Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation to protect Qin Jiu and block the entrance. He also completed the most basic Earthly Fiend Formation on the outer perimeter. After relaxing a bit, he soon received a message from the system.

"Nailed it!

Three locations have received our false signals. The remaining two members of the action team have hacked the company's cybernetic bodies and are heading to the front lines to rescue their teammates who have been held hostage by the native creatures!

The company has agreed to join forces with us; the counterintelligence department will send a dedicated combat team! Once we take out Xiantong, we'll wipe out everyone from the Security Bureau!

"We also disguised our Pure Dharma King and gave orders to the Holy Church to launch a surprise attack, to tie down the main force of the Xuanmen sect and coordinate with our operation to launch a surprise attack on Yuntai Peak!"

"Alright! Let's get started!"

A relieved smile appeared on Li Fan's face.

Heh heh, Xiantong, you think you're so tough? You want to slap me across the face? You're too scared to come at me alone, but a group of us can come at you! You dare hit me, you bastard! This time, I'll get everyone from this side of the 'door' together to bully you, you lunatic!