Spears in the Open, Arrows in the Dark-Impossible to Guard Against!

Fenghe Commandery, Hundred-Li Valley

Nestled between two mountains, in a treacherous terrain, a caravan bearing the banner of the Fenghe Sect sped through the canyon. Five heavy iron wagons were loaded with freshly mined second-grade red copper ore...

The raw ore is large in volume and cannot be transported in ordinary Storage Bag.

The only way to get it is to transport it back to the sect and then hand it over to the weapon refiner, who will use a special refining method to extract the red copper concentrate.

The leader was an outer sect elder of the Fenghe Sect, with Foundation Establishment Early Stage. His face was tense, and his Divine Sense was locked tightly around the surroundings.

"Hurry! Once we're out of this canyon, we'll be in the sect's territory!"

He urged him sternly, but before he could finish speaking...

Suddenly, blinding crimson patterns lit up the cliff faces on both sides.

"Ambush! Form ranks!"

The Foundation Establishment Elder took to the air on his sword, intending to launch a counterattack.

But it was all too late.

Dense, Blood Sha poisonous miasma cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading rapidly like a raging flood, instantly engulfing the convoy.

The Scale Horse pulling the cart inhaled the poisonous gas, immediately foamed at the mouth, and died on the spot.

The dozen or so Qi Refining disciples who accompanied them didn't even have time to raise their protective spiritual light before collapsing to the ground one after another, convulsing.

A dark figure emerged from the miasma without uttering a word.

A demonic Devil Cultivator, like a ghost, stealthily approached the elder of the Fenghe Sect from behind.

A dark blue dagger coated with deadly poison was aimed directly at the opponent's throat.

"You wicked demon, how dare you!"

The elder's eyes widened in anger, and he deflected the dagger with a backhand slash, the Sword Qi energy tearing through the miasma.

Instead of retreating, the Devil Cultivator advanced, his left hand suddenly crushing a blood-red bead. Instantly, a pungent mist of blood exploded out.

The elder's view was obstructed, causing him to react a beat slower.

The Devil Cultivator lowered his body, and the dagger, piercing through several layers of Spiritual Qi barriers from below, precisely plunged into the elder's Dantian.

With a surge of spiritual energy, the dantian shattered!

"Pfft--" The elder spat out a mouthful of black blood and collapsed to the ground.

The old man pulled out his dagger and casually wiped the blood off the corpse's clothes.

Behind them, the accompanying Devil Cultivator had also swiftly cleaned up the mess. After burning the corpses to destroy the evidence, the group of Devil Cultivator divided into batches and took away all the red copper ore to sell as stolen goods...

Half an hour later.

When the Fenghe Sect's reinforcements arrived, they found only black ash covering the ground; the sect's goods, resources, disciples, and elders had all vanished without a trace...

Another ambush made the atmosphere at the Fenghe Sect even more solemn.

Yan Qiu was exhausted and chose to go into seclusion to recuperate, although he could not be 100% sure who was responsible.

But deep down, he probably already knew the answer.

But even if we knew, what then?

Adding to his injury, he was truly timid and dared not step out of the sect, fearing that all of this was a ploy to lure him into making a move.

If the opportunity is seized, then it could truly be a matter of life Death Dao.

How could Golden Core True Person care about the lives of lower-level cultivators, much less risk their lives for them?

The two sides are locked in a power struggle, with the top leadership refraining from taking the initiative.

Therefore, the outcome of the game can only be decided by his subordinates.

now--

Inside the sect's main hall, after Yan Qiu understood the situation, he stopped interfering in sect affairs and delegated authority to the sect elders to make their own decisions.

"This is the third resource convoy to be hijacked in the past few days."

An elder spoke up, his voice laced with barely suppressed rage.

The Foundation Establishment elders around him all bowed their heads, creating an extremely somber and suffocating atmosphere.

"It's not just the convoy; in Changfeng Market, Rogue Cultivator have been killed at night this month, and rumors are spreading like wildfire."

"Everyone says that our Fenghe Sect has offended a major demonic sect in the Jin Kingdom, thus incurring their wrath."

"Seventy percent of the merchants and travelers in the market have left, and even the small Foundation Establishment clans under its jurisdiction are filled with anxiety..."

"Furthermore, Ancestor Yan Qiu has already gone into seclusion. I'm afraid this premeditated attack is orchestrated by Golden Core cultivator behind the scenes."

At this point, another elder spoke up, "We just received news."

"Azure Light Gate and White Cloud Temple simultaneously issued a joint announcement."

"It is stated that Devil Cultivator have been rampant and order has collapsed in Fenghe Commandery recently. In order to maintain peace and tranquility under their jurisdiction, Azure Light Gate and White Cloud Temple will sever all trade relations with Fenghe Commandery effective immediately..."

"Merchants, Rogue Cultivator from both regions are strictly prohibited from entering Fenghe Commandery..."

"Those who violate this rule will be treated as Devil Cultivator and hunted down."

For a moment, the hall was deathly silent.

Open attacks and covert maneuvers.

This is the real killer move.

In secret, those elusive Devil Cultivator, like leeches, continuously bled out the Fenghe Sect; as for the open, the Azure Light Gate and White Cloud Temple joined forces to directly cut off the Fenghe Sect's profits.

While bleeding, they simultaneously inhibited hematopoiesis.

Forty percent of the pills and Spirit Plant used by the Fenghe Sect are purchased from Qingzhou Commandery, while thirty percent of their Law Artifact and talismans come from White Cloud Commandery.

Now that trade routes are cut off, and internal resources are being constantly plundered by Devil Cultivator.

Apart from Baiyun and Qingzhou counties, other counties also dared not trade in Fenghe Commandery due to the demonic influence...

This is tantamount to starving Fenghe Sect to death!

Considering that Ancestor Yan Qiu's essence was damaged and he was unable to fight, and that Ancestor Mu was conscripted to the front line due to the chaos in the North Sea.

The Fenghe Sect is now too fragile, and the elders have no choice but to retreat completely in order to preserve themselves as much as possible.

"Pass on the order."

"Abandon all outlying markets, and all the mines and medicinal gardens under its jurisdiction."

"All disciples and elders currently outside the sect must return within three days."

"Activate the sect's protective formation and seal off the mountain immediately."

When the final order was given, the elders were all filled with sorrow.

A prestigious sect of Golden Core cultivators was forced to close its doors to protect itself.

Fenghe Sect thus became an isolated island.

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere in Fenghe Commandery, the area under White Cloud Temple was thriving and prosperous.

With the Fenghe Sect no longer interfering, and with the merger of the Great Maple Mountain Range and Clear Wind Mountain Range progressing steadily, trade between White Cloud Commandery and Qingzhou Commandery reached an unprecedented peak.

A massive amount of spiritual materials and Demon Beast materials were transported out of Beast Pasturing Mountain and exchanged for piles of Spirit Stone and pills.

The storehouse of White Cloud Temple is becoming increasingly full, and the monthly allowances of the disciples on each peak have increased by 20% out of nowhere, with smiles on everyone's faces.

Bo'an Peak.

Sun Mao sat in his study, listening to his subordinates' report, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Is the mountain closed?"

"That old dog Yan Qiu is decisive. Knowing that staying out there will only lead to his death, he simply chose to become a coward."

Sun Lin sat to the side and handed over a cup of spiritual tea:

"Brother, what should we do about the Devil Cultivator? With the Fenghe Sect sealed off, they have no target."

"Let them scatter into the mortal cities and Rogue Cultivator in Fenghe Commandery."

Sun Mao took a sip of tea and smiled, "No need to launch a direct attack on the sect. Just create momentum on the outskirts and stir up trouble in Fenghe Commandery as much as possible."

"Let those Lineage who were originally affiliated with the Fenghe Sect see that their proud sect can't even protect its own territory."

"To kill, one must destroy the spirit!"

"Without a base of mortals to continuously provide for those destined for immortality, the Fenghe Sect will be like water without a source, cutting off their next generation of disciples!"

"It may be difficult to see results in the short term, but in the long run, Fenghe Sect will inevitably face a shortage of capable successors and a decline in talent."

"As for us, we can continuously select and recruit ordinary people from Fenghe Commandery into our sect. With this shift in power, White Cloud Temple will definitely gain the upper hand."

"If there are good prospects, it wouldn't be a problem for them to marry into my Sun Clan."

"A win-win solution, isn't it wonderful?!"

Sun Lin nodded in agreement, a smile on his face, "Brother, another batch of the Demon Beast that the Ancestor asked us to gather has arrived."

"This time there are two mutated Rock Armor Bear, and a litter of Lightning Marten."

"Good!"

Sun Mao's spirits lifted. "Arrange for people to personally deliver it to Purple Firmament Peak."

"Remember, make a big fuss, let Zhao Yanshan and his gang see who the true master is!"

The Sun Clan's money was well spent. Although he was outmaneuvered by the Zhao Clan in sect affairs, Sun Mao did his best to please the patriarch.

Batch after batch of rare Demon Beast, flesh and blood materials were sent to Purple Firmament Peak like a flowing river.

Shi Jian accepted everything without question, but occasionally he would slip a few good things through his fingers, such as a few bottles of high-quality Lightning Spirit Liquid.

Or perhaps the shed fur, claws, teeth, and scales of some Demon Beast.

Whether sold for Spirit Stone or used for cultivation, body tempering, Qi Refining, these items are excellent materials and command high prices.

Sun Mao, on the other hand, poured all these resources into one person.

The future of the Sun Clan: Sun Chengzu!