Sand Bandits Attack (Part 2)

"Don't overthink it. Our Zhou Family and the Chen Family are allied. We have an obligation to help the Chen Family defend the market town. If we were to flee with those rogue cultivators, setting aside whether the three seniors in the sky would agree, even if they really let us go, when Old Ancestor Chen returns and holds us accountable, who among you could bear it?"

"Besides, do you think these people will truly survive just because they're leaving now? You're not unaware of the Sand Bandits' brutality. Without the formation's protection, it's as easy for a Foundation Establishment Stage Sand Bandit to kill them as it is to cut grass. No one will escape!"

A chilling voice suddenly came from Zhou Xuanyu. The hesitation in her eyes had long since vanished. Her expression was grim as she stared at the other Zhou Family cultivators in front of the tower, her gaze sweeping coldly across their faces, clearly stating her resolve.

"I command you, as an Elder of the family, all Zhou Family cultivators must participate in the defense of the market town and obey the commands of the Chen Family seniors. Anyone with ulterior motives will be dealt with according to family rules!"

The words "family rules" spoken by Zhou Xuanyu entered the hearts of the Zhou Family cultivators present like a gust of cold wind. Everyone, including Zhou Yang, trembled. Almost reflexively, they immediately responded, "Yes, we respectfully obey the Elder's command!"

"Good, these are the true sons of our Zhou Family!"

Zhou Xuanyu's expression relaxed, and then she waved her hand, ordering, "Now, everyone come with me into the tower to pack. All valuables must be stored in storage bags and carried separately. No matter who survives in the end, they must hand over the items to the family."

The Jade Spring Tower had recently received a batch of new goods, and there were quite a few valuable items. After Zhou Yang and the others finished packing, each person carried several storage bags. He and Zhou Xuanyu themselves carried as many as five storage bags each, and they were all of the type with a capacity of over one zhang.

And while they were packing, the quarter-hour promised by the Chen Family's Foundation Establishment cultivators had passed. After a quarter-hour, under the control of the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky, the Tier 4 Low-grade formation, the "Hun Tian Earth Dragon Formation," which covered the entire market town, was fully activated.

When Zhou Yang and the others emerged from the pavilion, they saw that the misty white fog that had previously obscured the market town had dispersed at some point. In its place was a giant earth-yellow light shield. The shield was like a giant bowl inverted, covering the entire Golden Cloud Mountain.

Zhou Yang released his divine sense, penetrating dozens of meters underground, and discovered that even underground, there was a network of spiritual qi covering the entire mountain peak, completely eliminating the possibility of enemies infiltrating the market town from below.

Just then, the voices of the Chen Family's Foundation Establishment cultivators rang out again from above Golden Mist Mountain.

"The [Hun Tian Earth Dragon Formation] has been activated. All fellow cultivators remaining in the market town, please gather here immediately. I will arrange guard duties based on your cultivation levels."

The primary source of spiritual qi for the "Hun Tian Earth Dragon Formation" was the spiritual qi from the Golden Haze Mountain's spirit vein. However, the Golden Haze Mountain's spirit vein was only Tier 3 High-grade. If the enemy attacked with full force, the spirit vein's spiritual qi might not be able to supply the consumption of a Tier 4 Low-grade formation.

Therefore, the purpose of the Chen Family's Foundation Establishment cultivators in summoning Zhou Yang and other Qi Refining Stage cultivators who remained in the market town was to organize them into several teams and assign them to various formation nodes. At critical moments, they would input their mana into the formation to maintain its consumption.

Before that, they could also release their artifacts and spells to attack enemies outside the formation while the enemy was attacking it.

And just as Zhou Yang and the others were following the arrangements of the Chen Family's Foundation Establishment cultivators and heading to a formation node with a team of Chen Family Qi Refining cultivators, ten sword lights suddenly flew from the sky outside Golden Cloud Mountain.

"It's the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators from the Sand Bandits!"

"The Sand Bandits are here!"

The sword lights stopped in mid-air outside Golden Mist Mountain, revealing the figures of ten black-robed, masked Foundation Establishment cultivators.

These Foundation Establishment cultivators hovered in the sky, treading on sword lights, and looked down coldly at the low-level cultivators exclaiming on the mountain, their eyes filled with disdain.

Mere Qi Refining Stage cultivators, no matter how numerous, could not pose any threat to them. There was no need to pay them any attention at all.

They casually swept their gazes over these Qi Refining Stage cultivators before turning their attention to the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators meditating on the mountaintop.

"Chen Family, listen up! Open the market town formation immediately and hand over all your wealth. For the sake of Chen Yaohui, we can spare your lives!"

"If you remain stubborn and resist, once we break the formation, everyone inside, regardless of their origin or background, will not be spared!"

Is this a final ultimatum?

Zhou Yang thought to himself, stretching his neck to look at the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators on the mountaintop. Although he knew the Chen Family would definitely not compromise with the Sand Bandits, without hearing a clear answer, everyone, including him, dared not completely relax.

"You who hide your heads and tails dare to speak such arrogant words!"

"Since our Chen Family was founded by Old Ancestor Chen Taizhong, we have never compromised with Sand Bandits. We didn't before, and we won't in the future!"

"Enough nonsense, bring forth whatever moves you have. We will accept them all!"

The three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators coldly looked at the ten Foundation Establishment Stage Sand Bandits outside the mountain, each responding to the Sand Bandits' words, their eyes also filled with disdain.

As Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Chen Family, they were proud. With the Chen Family as their backing, even a clan leader like Zhou Minghan, who managed a cultivation family, had to curry favor with them slightly. Not to mention rogue cultivators.

Now, ten mere Foundation Establishment Stage Sand Bandits wanted them to surrender while protected by a Tier 4 formation. It was simply a huge joke.

If they truly did that, how could the Chen Family have any face to command other cultivation families in the future? Where would the Chen Family's prestige lie?

"Good, good Chen Family, very good!"

"Since you three old fools refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, then don't blame us for being merciless with our swords!"

Rogue cultivators also have dignity. The ten Foundation Establishment Stage Sand Bandits were ridiculed by the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators, and anger appeared in everyone's eyes.

"Let's all attack together and give these three old geezers a taste of our power!"

A Sand Bandit shouted loudly and directly unleashed his Tier 3 flying sword, slashing towards the earth-yellow light shield outside Golden Mist Mountain.

At this moment, a shocking scene unfolded.

The fiery red flying sword, emitting sword light several zhang long, struck the earth-yellow light shield. It couldn't even make the shield waver. Instead, the sword light was largely dispersed by the formation's recoil force, revealing the sword's main body, which was less than three chi long.

The Qi Refining Stage cultivators who chose to stay in the market town saw this scene and their spirits were greatly lifted, a hint of joy appearing on everyone's faces.

Although everyone knew that Tier 4 formations were very powerful and could not be broken by anyone below the Purple Mansion Stage, they were always a bit uneasy before truly witnessing the formation's power.

But now, a full-power attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn't even make the formation's shield waver. This was undoubtedly more convincing and reassuring than any words.

On the other hand, the Sand Bandits, their anger subsided, their momentum faltered, and deep shock appeared in their eyes.

"No, this Tier 4 formation's defense is too strong. Relying on us alone, even if we exhaust our mana, we won't be able to break through this formation's protection. It's better to wait for those junior Qi Refining cultivators to arrive before attacking together."

A Sand Bandit who seemed to be the leader shook his head slightly and called out to stop the others from trying again.

The three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators on top of Golden Gorge Mountain, who were watching this scene with a cold smile, their gazes suddenly sharpened when they heard this. A rare look of solemnity appeared on their faces.

As Foundation Establishment cultivators themselves, they could naturally see that the Sand Bandit leader who spoke had a cultivation level that had reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment.

With such cultivation, even within the entire Chen Family, only Chen Pingan, who was known as the Chen Family's foremost Foundation Establishment cultivator, could be compared to him.

"Someone of your cultivation level shouldn't be unknown. May I ask your name?"

On Golden Cloud Mountain, the white-haired Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator stared at the Sand Bandit leader, his tone no longer dismissive.

A cultivation level of Foundation Establishment ninth layer, even if just a Rogue Cultivator or a Sand Bandit, was enough for him to treat with caution.

The Sand Bandit leader heard this and let out a dry chuckle. "Hehehe, even if I told you my name, you wouldn't know it. So it's best not to say."

Seeing this, the Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had just killed someone snorted heavily. "Hmph, do you think we can't guess if you don't tell us? Within the thousands of miles around the White Sand River Oasis, there are several cultivators at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment. Of those, there is only one who originated as a Rogue Cultivator. If you're not him, then you must be a cultivator from outside this region!"

"So what? To be frank, we dared to come and tug at the Chen Family's whiskers this time because we were fully prepared. If you're counting on Chen Pingan to save you, you've miscalculated. If he dares to step one foot out of White Camel Ridge, he's walking into his own death!"

The Sand Bandit leader gave a cold laugh, suddenly saying something that made the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators' expressions change drastically.

"You truly came prepared!"

The white-haired Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator glared at the Sand Bandit leader with a chilling gaze. His voice suddenly sharpened as he shouted, "My Chen Family is a subordinate of the Yellow Sand Sect, and our Old Ancestor is an honored guest consultant of the Yellow Sand Sect. If you dare to kill our Chen Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivators, even with the protection of a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator, you won't escape the pursuit of the Yellow Sand Sect and my Chen Family!"

"Hahahaha, are you scared? Do your Chen Family cultivators also fear death? Hahahaha..."

"Hahahaha..."

The Sand Bandit leader burst into laughter, causing the other Sand Bandits to join in, their laughter hearty and joyous.

Seeing this, the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators were both furious and enraged. They glared at the laughing Sand Bandits, too angry to speak.

As for cultivators like Zhou Yang, who were at the Qi Refining Stage, upon hearing that there was indeed a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator behind the Sand Bandits, their hearts turned ice cold, completely chilled!

How could they possibly defend this?

With one Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator, over a dozen Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators, and a large number of Qi Refining Stage Cultivators, the power disparity was so great that it was enough to crush the market town.

With such a lineup, they might even have a chance of success attacking the ancestral land of the White Camel Ridge Chen Family, which was not guarded by a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator.

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