Zhang Xiaofan's Marriage
The Corpse Demon Sect plans to build a fortress on this mountain.
First, the entire mountaintop must be leveled to build a fortress covering 100 acres with walls 100 meters high. Molten iron and copper must be poured onto the walls, and restrictive array patterns must be engraved on them.
As required by the high-ranking members of the Corpse Demon Sect, the fortress must be completed within ten days.
Song Wen and three others were assigned to a team and were responsible for quarrying ten-foot-long square stones at the foot of the mountain to build the walls.
"It's been six years since I joined the sect, and I haven't seen Senior Brother Zhang Xiaofan since. How has Senior Brother Zhang been lately?"
Song Wen, who was wielding a huge cleaver and cutting through the rock, suddenly asked.
Wang Dang snorted coldly and replied in a resentful tone.
"As a direct disciple of a esteemed lineage, and the son-in-law of Golden Core Ancestor, he naturally lives a very comfortable life."
Upon hearing this, Song Wen gave Wang Dang a strange look.
He felt a little strange. The four of them had a very good relationship when they first joined the sect, so why had they fallen out now?
Just as Song Wen was wondering, Li Yuan explained the reason.
"Seven months ago, Zhang Xiaofan and the daughter of his master, Ancestor Lu Cang, became dao companion. Since then, his contact with us has become distant."
"Five months ago, they took back his sacred land, and since then we've had no further contact with him."
Unlike Wang Dang, Li Yuan did not speak with resentment; his tone was relatively calm.
Song Wen turned and glanced at Chen Yi, who looked somewhat downcast.
He thought to himself: No wonder I haven't seen her selling spirit herbs in the market for the past few months.
Perhaps Zhang Xiaofan's marriage is also the reason for her recent melancholy.
Song Wen knew that Zhang Xiaofan's methods in getting Chen Yi were not exactly honorable.
Because of her status as a direct disciple, Chen Yi was either forced, or wanted to find a backer in the perilous Corpse Demon Sect, or both, and ultimately chose to lie down under Zhang Xiaofan.
But while Chen Yi was looking for a powerful backer, Zhang Xiaofan was also looking for one. In the end, he hooked up with his master's daughter, and his master became his father-in-law, taking their relationship to the next level.
Chen Yi was naturally seduced and then abandoned.
Knowing that this was a sensitive topic that not only made Chen Yi uncomfortable but also involved the Golden Core Ancestor's private affairs, Song Wen quickly changed the subject.
More than a thousand cultivators participated in the construction, which proceeded at an extremely fast pace. Various weapons were used as building tools.
A tree as thick as a man's waist was cut down with a single sword stroke.
The massive boulder, measuring several feet in diameter, was cleaved out with a few axe blows.
Moreover, cultivators possess immense strength, capable of carrying large trees and boulders, and they also have Storage Bag for transporting materials.
In just three days, the fortress began to take shape.
Next came the pouring of molten iron and copper. Square blocks of iron and copper bricks were melted by the intense heat of the Fireball Technique and flowed onto the wall.
The pouring was completed in just two days.
Next comes the most complex task: inscribing the array patterns. This task is handled by designated personnel and does not require the help of outer disciples or menial disciples.
However, Dan Ying did not send back the disciples who were working there; everyone was left behind, seemingly to guard the place.
The fortifications were progressing smoothly until late on the eighth day.
At this moment, dozens of inner disciple were still carving array patterns on the outer wall. According to the schedule, the array patterns would be completed by tomorrow morning.
At that time, the sect's array masters will activate the array, and the fortress will be completely covered by the defensive array, making it as solid as a rock.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
Thirty miles away, a beam of white light shot into the sky, standing out conspicuously in the pitch-black night.
The white light gradually coalesced into a gigantic skull, hundreds of meters tall, thousands of meters high, in the sky.
This is a unique emergency communication signal from the Corpse Demon Sect, signifying that a powerful enemy is approaching.
Standing atop the high wall, Dan Ying, who was urging the inner disciple to hurry up and inscribe the array patterns, saw the giant skull in the sky and her expression changed drastically. On the first day, she had sent out dozens of Late Qi Refinement Refining cultivators as scouts to patrol within a hundred miles ahead.
Thirty miles is a distance that cultivators, especially those at the Foundation Establishment or above, can cover in a short time.
The fact that the enemy had secretly infiltrated to such close range before being discovered by scouts and alerted indicates that the intruders were extremely powerful.
"Enemy attack! Everyone to the city walls, prepare to defend!"
Dan Ying channeled her spiritual power, her voice booming like a bell, and shouted loudly!
The array patterns have not yet been completed, meaning that the fortress is currently just a shell. For cultivators, a city wall without array protection, no matter how tall or sturdy it is, is nothing more than a facade.
Dan Ying knew this, and so did all the disciples in the fortress.
As a result, Dan Ying's idea of having everyone work together to defend against the enemy failed. Many of the Qi Refining Early Stage disciples, after seeing the warning skull in the sky and hearing Dan Ying 'Dan Ying words, did not follow her instructions to go up the city wall to defend against the enemy. Instead, they retreated and fled without a fight.
Dan Ying watched the fleeing people's terrified and disheveled appearance, her eyes burning with murderous rage.
These menial disciples are not very skilled in cultivation, but they have thoroughly learned the cowardly and timid habits of demonic cultivators, making them utterly useless.
A fireball the size of a millstone appeared in each of her hands.
Those who flee in fear of battle shall die!
The fireball, like a meteorite falling from the sky, carried intense heat and emitted a piercing whistle as it crashed into the fleeing crowd.
"Boom, boom!"
Two loud explosions rang out, and surging shockwaves swept around.
More than twenty menial disciples were blasted to pieces by the fireball, and dozens of other disciples were blown away by the shockwave.
Dan Ying's ruthlessness and decisiveness terrified the fleeing disciples, causing them to stop in their tracks, trembling with fear.
Just as Dan Ying was about to order everyone to go up the city wall to defend against the enemy again, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Alchemist, why get angry? They are just laborers employed by the sect. Do you really expect a bunch of menial disciples to be able to hold the fortress?"
Dan Ying was startled by the sudden appearance of the figure, but after recognizing the person, she bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Ancestor Wu Ren."
Wu Ren nodded, but his gaze swept back and forth across the dense forest in the darkness ahead.
A moment later, Wu Ren said.
"Take those outer disciples and leave. As for those menial disciples, let them fend for themselves. The fortress isn't finished yet, so this place is no longer of any value."
Dan Ying opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally uttered only one word.
"Yes!"
Then, she turned to her many disciples and said...
"All outer disciples, follow me."
After saying that, she didn't explain further and flew towards the sect on her sword.
Seeing this, many outer disciples guessed that they were about to leave, and they all used their Flight Technique to follow closely behind.
This caused great hardship for the many menial disciples, most of whom were at the Qi Refining Early Stage and had no knowledge of Flight Technique. Except for a few who were somewhat wealthy and possessed Flying Talisman, allowing them to fly away behind Dan Ying, most of the menial disciples had to escape on foot.
Looking at the scattered disciples running around like a plate of loose sand, Wu Ren's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile.
The sect has too many useless members; it's time to harvest some!