Foundation Establishment Reinforcements

On the twenty-fifth day after Ye Pingshui arrived at the Jiazixu Mountain, two Foundation Establishment from the Clear Cloud Alliance reinforcements, who had been hiding, suddenly attacked. The outer perimeter of the main force of the Jiazixu Mountain fell completely, and the Zhou Ting side suffered heavy casualties.

Kang Dabao, with his three hundred remaining soldiers, huddled in their formation, desperately awaiting reinforcements from Buse.

The Clear Cloud Alliance forces, trapped in the Auspicious Brocade Gate formation, have gained confidence since the last battle and have been going out to fight more and more often these days.

The state court initially achieved minor victories, then struggled for a long time without a clear winner. In yesterday's battle, if Buse used the Vajra Dharma Manifestation to defeat two powerful Foundation Establishment, the state court might have suffered a minor defeat.

Under these circumstances, it's hard to say how much support Buse can provide to the Jiazixu Mountain stronghold.

The night wind was biting, and Kang Dabao's eyes were red. Little Qi peeked out from his sleeve and gently rubbed his round head against the back of Sect Leader Kang Da to comfort him, but it was to no avail.

Looking at the corpses of Ji Wuwu and Song Hui beside him, Sect Leader Kang Da was so pained that he almost cried out.

The former were already at the age where they should be enjoying their grandchildren, but they were sent to this place to die, where they were cut into several pieces by the six short blades of the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators and died on the spot.

He used to say that Chongming Sect had avenged the extermination of his clan, and today he could say that he had repaid him.

Ji Wuwu's body was sewn with the finest jade silkworm thread. The Clear Cloud Alliance across the street sent thirty-four such bodies at once.

The deceased were all dressed in spirit brocade burial clothes, the source of which was unknown. However, the Clear Cloud Alliance was thoughtful, as they even used incense to enhance the burial atmosphere before dressing the deceased.

The Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators on the opposite side seemed to be trying to use this method to undermine the morale of the cultivators in the state court's formation.

And as it turns out, they did indeed succeed.

Sobbing sounds gradually rose from within the ranks, and even Pei Yi's eyes welled up with tears.

Until Song Hui succumbed to the poison and died, Pei Yi still believed that the Alchemist from the state court was right, and that the spirit insect that bit Song Hui was truly non-toxic.

"Sigh, I'm such a slow learner. Two days have passed, and Hui-ge is still complaining of arm pain. I thought it was really nothing. Why couldn't I stop thinking about it?"

Pei Yi served as the Transmission Elder, and many of these disciples had cultivated under his guidance. It was truly heartbreaking to see another one lost in just a few days.

"Junior Brother Pei, please don't blame yourself. There are countless rare and poisonous insects in this world. Not only would we not recognize them, but even the physicians of the state court wouldn't recognize them, and even the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy who serves the Emperor might not recognize them either."

In just about a month, Zhou Yixiu had visibly aged. He was being supported by Zhang Le and Zhou Xinran on either side of him, tears streaming down his old eyes. He opened his mouth weakly, but could not utter a word.

He dared not watch Dong Liu'er die, but Song Hui died right beside him.

The good boy found a book of Spirit Plant and was presenting it to his master like a treasure, but before Zhou Yixiu could even take it...

The old man slowly closed his eyes, no longer daring to think about it.

He only had three disciples in total, and after taking them in, he treated each of them like his own son or daughter. But after today, there will only be one left.

"This world is so unreasonable," Zhou Yixiu, with his full head of silver hair, finally murmured.

"Anle, Shilun, prepare your two fellow disciples for burial."

Kang Dabao didn't have the right to linger here in sorrow. Suppressing his grief, he walked to the center of the magic array, where Gun Qiushou was waiting for him.

"My worthy brother is back." After nearly a month of fierce fighting, Gun Qiushou no longer exuded the noble air he had when he first met Sect Leader Kang Da. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes lacked any sparkle.

"Yes, Brother Gun, we're now in the middle of the formation."

"Has the Chief Secretary replied? When can he send Foundation Establishment expert to save us? The formation here is rudimentary; it won't hold out for long against Foundation Establishment siege."

Before Kang Dabao could finish speaking, Gun Qiushou impatiently asked a series of questions, causing Kang Dabao to sigh inwardly.

This nephew of the Acting Sima Gun did not inherit even a fraction of his uncle's military skills.

The two Foundation Establishment who were the first to break through in the Clear Cloud Alliance were actually from a small formation guarded by the State Court Army. It should be noted that this group of people were all late-stage cultivators.

Their armor and Cultivation Method were far superior to those of the Pingrong under the Sect Leader Kang Da, and even the Clear Cloud Alliance forces could not find a comparable unit.

Logically speaking, with this squad of elite troops, holding their ground and possessing a Second-Tier Lower-Grade Star-Shooting Crossbow, they should be able to achieve their goal.

Even if they can't stop two Foundation Establishment, as long as the leader doesn't lose his footing and retreats back to the main formation calmly, there shouldn't be any problems.

After casualties occurred in the formation, Gun Qiushou a Foundation Establishment attack head-on. He was defeated and suffered minor injuries. Instead of making any arrangements, he abandoned his troops and ran away.

If it weren't for his deputy turning the tide, the majority of this team might have been wiped out by those two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Even though the deputy led his heavily wounded troops back to the main formation, the other smaller formations, now unobstructed, were easily breached by two Foundation Establishment leading a large group of Qi Refinement cultivators.

This has left the state government with virtually no power to resist, forcing them to cower in their ranks.

"Brother Gun, rest assured, we are not entirely without support. We still have three low-grade Second-Tier Lower-Grade Star-Chasing Crossbow in our formation. Even if the enemy has Foundation Establishment cultivator, they won't be able to break through our formation for a while."

"Yes, yes, we still have the Star-Shooting Crossbow!" Gun Qiushou echoed Kang Dabao's words, and then tugged at the latter's sleeve and promised for a long time. Seeing that he really couldn't get anything out of him, Kang Dabao made an excuse to inspect the array points and went outside.

In battles between cultivators, there is no need to consider day or night. However, the Clear Cloud Alliance had won a great victory during the day and then used a tactic to damage the enemy's morale, which is why they were not in a hurry to besiege the main camp of the state court.

Even so, key positions were still manned by dedicated personnel, ready for action.

In addition, Jiang Qing selected some of the more elite soldiers from the Pingrong County and combined them with the remaining state military forces to form a firefighting team that would be the first to step in in an emergency.

Gun Qiushou's deputy was a smart man; there was no need for Sect Leader Kang Da to say much to him.

After the formation is broken, the cultivators from other families within it might still have a chance to survive, but it's hard to say what will happen to the trusted followers and fellow villagers of Earl of Nan'a Kuang Liuting.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. Apart from Jiang Qing discovering a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator was probing outside, and having the Star-Shooting Crossbow firing a bolt, nothing else happened.

Sect Leader Kang Da dared not rest, and silently gazed into the distance.

As the sun rose, the Clear Cloud Alliance's mighty army marched in from the opposite direction, their morale soaring, their fighting spirit almost tangible, appearing even more dazzling than the sun itself.

The two Foundation Establishment True Cultivator opposite had no intention of wasting words with Sect Leader Kang Da. The Qi Refinement cultivators below them had already taken up their magical Law Artifact and, as soon as they formed their ranks, a barrage of Daoist talismans rained down on the main formation of the State Court.

"Star-Shooting Crossbow, fire!"

A huge silver feather slammed into the defensive light barrier emanating from the main formation of the state court, causing ripples to spread across the barrier and causing it to vibrate continuously.

This arrow greatly invigorated the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators who were besieging the formation. Meanwhile, the cultivators from the Zhouting side, who were guarding the main formation node, faced increased pressure.

The array pillars beside many people were already trembling along with the defensive light barrier, and their hands holding the array flags were also trembling uncontrollably.

Gun Qiushou's deputy commander witnessed this scene clearly and was so angry that he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

If it weren't for the fact that my superior was utterly useless and fled too quickly, how could such a powerful military weapon as the Star-Shooting Crossbow have fallen into the hands of the traitors on the other side!

There was no point in saying more. The opponent had already won a great victory, had Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in charge, and now had acquired Second Tier Star-Shooting Crossbow, making them even more formidable.

As the deputy commander was thinking this, he suddenly saw that all three of their own Star-Shooting Crossbow had fired simultaneously! And those three silver fletchings were aimed at the only Star-Shooting Crossbow of the Clear Cloud Alliance!

"Hmph!" A True Cultivator Foundation Establishment with a red face and long ears held a whisk and flicked it lightly. Thousands of dust threads rose in the wind and tightly wrapped around the three crossbow bolts. Meanwhile, another Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in brocade robes raised a golden net and caught the three silver arrows one by one.

The Foundation Establishment in brocade robes recalled the net to his hand, loaded the three crossbow bolts one by one, and then laughed loudly towards the state court's formation, "I was just worried about lacking crossbow bolts, but my young friend in the formation is so generous, thank you very much!"

After the laughter subsided, the cultivators from the Zhouting sect, who were huddled in the formation, all looked grim, except for Sect Leader Kang Da, who remained calm and composed.

"Send it again!"

The cultivators who were "county magistrates" and wielding crossbows came from the state court's military forces. After their initial defeat, they lost all confidence and were somewhat surprised by Kang Dabao's orders.

"Hair!"

Three more silver feathers shot out, and the two Foundation Establishment repeated their trick, their smiles growing even wider.

"Send it again!"

As before.

"Send it again!"

It still didn't work.

"Hair!!"

The state court fired six rounds of eighteen crossbow bolts, changing crossbowmen six times, but failed to damage the Clear Cloud Alliance's Star-Shooting Crossbow itself.

Moreover, during this period, the Qi Refinement cultivators of the Clear Cloud Alliance relentlessly attacked the main formation of the State Court, causing the State Court cultivators to lose all morale. The situation was truly extremely pleasing.

If things continue like this, it will probably only take a few days for the Clear Cloud Alliance allied forces to break through the troublesome shell of the Zhou Ting cultivators, reclaim the Jiazi Xu Mountain, and rebuild the array foundation for Auspicious Brocade Gate.

However, the expressions of the two Foundation Establishment True Cultivator were no longer as bright as before, and there was a hint of worry on their faces.

It seems that the situation did not develop as they had initially anticipated.

"Send it again!!!" Kang Dabao was not discouraged at all and gave the order in a deep voice.

The state court's side fired several rounds of crossbow bolts without success, while the opposing Star-Shooting Crossbow aimed at the great formation, hitting the main formation with several bolts in succession, causing the protective light shield to tremble incessantly, and even causing cracks to appear on many of the formation pillars.

This scene extinguished the will to fight among the cultivators in the formation. If it weren't for the heavy bloodshed during the recent battle with the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators, which had created a deep-seated hatred between them, some of them might have already defected from the formation.

Just when even Jiang Qing, Zhou Yixiu, and others were beginning to think that their senior brother had also given up on himself like Gun Qiushou.

A sudden and unexpected change occurred.

After the red-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator wrapped his whisk around the crossbow bolt as usual, a soft sound suddenly rang out, causing cold sweat to immediately appear on his forehead. He quickly gave a wink to the brocade-clad Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Before the latter's golden net could even be released, the red-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator's whisk had already been torn in large pieces by the sharpness of the three crossbow bolts.

The red- Foundation Establishment whisk, seemingly playing a pipa melody, produced a sound like "the large strings clanging loudly, the small strings whispering softly." In the blink of an eye, all the whisk threads broke apart, shattering into pieces.

The Spirit Artifact was destroyed, and he groaned in pain, his face turning from red to purple.

At this moment, the golden net of the Foundation Establishment in brocade robes was useless. He hurriedly summoned a top-grade Law Artifact, a crimson gold shield, intending to block the three crossbow bolts.

However, the power of the crossbow bolts was far beyond what his hastily executed method could achieve. The crimson-gold shield could only block one bolt, while the remaining two struck the Star-Shooting Crossbow, sending dirt and stones flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Fortunately, this Star-Shooting Crossbow was a Second Tier Spirit Artifact, and the two arrows, which had lost their sharpness, did not injure it too badly. However, the crossbowman died instantly, and the flying flesh and organs soaked the area red.

"It's good that the Star-Shooting Crossbow is alright!" Jin Yi, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment, breathed a sigh of relief and was about to put the Star-Shooting Crossbow into his Storage Bag when he heard a strong gust of wind behind him. He was so frightened that he changed his hand seals and pulled out two top-grade defensive Law Artifact to block the Star-Shooting Crossbow.

"Ah!" A cry of alarm rang out from beside him, and the Foundation Establishment in brocade robes palped instantly, shouting in panic, "Oh no!"

This time, the three Star-Shooting Crossbow were aimed at the red-faced Foundation Establishment beside him!

The red-faced Foundation Establishment used his whisk to block twenty-one crossbow bolts in a short time. When the crossbow bolts were fired, he, like the Brocade-clad Foundation Establishment, anticipated that the enemy was trying to destroy the Star-Shooting Crossbow.

They were slightly off guard, and as a result, they suffered a great loss.

His Tai Chi robe was now tattered beyond recognition, his face had turned from purple to white, and even his left arm had been grazed in half by a crossbow bolt, with blood flowing from the wound, leaving a long red line falling from the sky.

"You little brat, you dare to try and trick me, Master Kang." At this moment, Sect Leader Kang Da's expression finally changed, revealing a cold smile as he spoke with hatred.

The marching notes left behind by Patriarch Zhang have long recorded that, although the Star-Shooting Crossbow is only Second-Tier Lower-Grade item, its power is actually equivalent to a full-force attack from Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Outstanding figures in the Clear Cloud Alliance, such as the Grand Elder of Auspicious Brocade Gate, were either killed by the Daoist Black Shoes or surrounded by Buse in his formation.

The two Foundation Establishment True Cultivator opposite him were not well-known and did not seem like the kind of people who could so easily take down the Star-Shooting Crossbow. Kang Dabao's gamble paid off.

"Send it again!"

Seeing that three more crossbow bolts had overturned the two Law Artifacts of the Foundation Establishment in brocade robes, the Foundation Establishment in red face dared not fight.

The wound on his arm was still wreaked havoc by the residual spiritual energy of the crossbow bolt. He had to use 60% of his strength to suppress the injury. If he relaxed even slightly, the wound would be filled with excruciating pain, and his flesh would churn and rot into a pulp.

Having lost the whisk-wielding Spirit Artifact of the Red-Faced Foundation Establishment, the Brocade-Clad Foundation Establishment's own abilities were only average. How could he possibly block three crossbow bolts with just two top-grade magical Law Artifact?

The Clear Cloud Alliance's only Star-Shooting Crossbow was hit by three bolts and shattered into pieces, beyond repair.

The Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators, who had just been full of fighting spirit, immediately lost their momentum upon seeing this unexpected turn of events.

Sect Leader Kang Da looked around and saw that his own cultivators were visibly more energetic. He patted the crossbowman on the shoulder and sat down on the crossbow himself.

This Star-Shooting Crossbow can be used without needing to be refined by others. It is a standard military spiritual tool of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, which consumes a lot of spiritual power but is easy to operate.

Back then, in the armory of Pingrong County, there was a broken Star-Shooting Crossbow. Sect Leader Kang Da had studied it for a period of time and knew that the better the eyesight and the more spiritual power the crossbowman had, the more accurate and powerful the Star-Shooting Crossbow would be.

As he used his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes to adjust the crossbow string, he said softly, "I understand. You all followed me to this strategic location with resentment. I also know that after nearly a month of fierce fighting, every family has suffered casualties. After the battle is over, I'm afraid every household will be draped in mourning clothes and white silk."

"Kara!" At this point, Kang Dabao yanked the crossbow string, made of the tendons of Second Tier Iron Bone Python, up and then released it in a flash.

The silver feather struck the chest of a Qi Refinement Ninth Layer cultivator wearing a red crown, instantly blasting his body to pieces.

The voice of Sect Leader Kang Da rang out simultaneously with the exclamation of the cultivator on the opposite side. He stepped on the crossbow and drew back the string:

"But we all need to think this through. If the traitors outside break in, not only will the dead have died in vain, but how many of us who are still alive will survive?"

As soon as the word "alive" landed, a crossbow bolt pierced through three more Middle Qi Refinement cultivators from the Clear Cloud Alliance, turning them into bleeding gourds.

Sect Leader Kang Da activated the Long Breath Art, and his spiritual energy became much more abundant.

"Even those who manage to survive should consider how they intend to live: as a medicine man, a miner's slave, or a furnace cauldron?"

After saying this, Sect Leader Kang Da released the crossbow string without resting. This time, his target was the red-faced Foundation Establishment was still carrying the severed arm and walking away with his back turned. However, this time he failed. The opponent changed his footwork several times and escaped from the range of the crossbow.

The crossbow bolts struck the low cliff behind the red-faced Foundation Establishment, blasting out a rain of stones that seemed to dampen the arrogance of the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators.

Sect Leader Kang Da sighed softly, thinking to himself that the records in the Ancestral Master's Notes were indeed accurate. It was true that Qi Refinement cultivators who were not proficient in using crossbows would find it difficult to injure Foundation Establishment True Cultivator such spiritual tools. Even though the Red-Faced Foundation Establishment was already seriously injured, he could not be easily killed by the Star-Shooting Crossbow.

Crossbows of the Second-Tier Middle-Grade or higher are not something that ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators can operate; generally, only Foundation Establishment True Cultivator can use them freely.

Kang Dabao fired three arrows in quick succession, not only causing the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators to fall silent, but even changing the way his own people looked at him.

It's true that this magical tool is easy to operate, but the crossbowmen who used it before were also Late Qi Refinement cultivators from the Ya Army, and they practiced high-level Cultivation Method. Yet, they could only fire one arrow before they had to be replaced to rest.

Kang Dabao fired three arrows in quick succession without changing his expression; his abundance of spiritual power was truly astonishing.

Sect Leader Kang Da's reasoning was sound, but if he hadn't demonstrated his abilities, people might not have listened.

The cultivators of the Clear Cloud Alliance still held the advantage. The Star-Shooting Crossbow was indeed powerful, but the string had to be replaced after every ten shots. In addition, the crossbow bolts were made of Second Tier spirit wood, so each shot Fei Liu Spirit Stone.

The red-faced Foundation Establishment has temporarily retreated to heal his wounds. As long as the Jinyi Foundation Establishment in charge of the army is willing to sacrifice men, he doesn't believe he can't exhaust the state's crossbow strings and arrows.

"The sect promises that whoever breaks this formation first will be granted First-Tier Spirit Vein, a Foundation Establishment Pill, and those who slay the false officials within the formation will become False Core disciples with limitless future prospects!"

This Jinyi Foundation Establishment cultivator clearly had far more capital than Sect Leader Kang Da. As soon as he opened his mouth, the morale that had been shattered by Kang Dabao's crossbow bolts was quickly restored.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da, was greatly tempted by the conditions offered: Spirit Vein, Foundation Establishment Pill, a disciple of the Pill Master...

"I wonder if killing Gun Qiushou there will bring back these things."

The Sect Leader Kang Da was terrified, but without showing any emotion, he moved closer to Jiang Qing's side.

These days, my head is worth a lot of money; I must be careful not to let someone blinded by greed take it away.

The Sect Leader Kang Da didn't have time to worry for long. A small team of men, like a streak of fire, swiftly broke through the sparsest formation of the Clear Cloud Alliance and headed straight for the main formation of the State Court.

Caught off guard, the Clear Cloud Alliance lost dozens of Qi Refinement cultivators in an instant. Jinyi Foundation Establishment cultivator was furious upon seeing this, first flying to stop them, then dispatching a team to accompany them.

However, the other side had no intention of fighting them. Led by the Foundation Establishment cultivator at the head, they quickly fled into the main formation of the state court.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator in brocade robes turned ashen-faced, furious that such a promising situation had been ruined. He took out a Spirit Artifact war drum and began to beat it incessantly.

"Listen up, disciples of the alliance! My previous promise was absolutely true: those who slay the false officials will be granted the opportunity to become disciples of the Pill Master. The destiny of immortality has been bestowed! Take it for yourselves!"

The words of the Foundation Establishment in Brocade Robes seemed even more inspiring than the Spirit Artifact war drums. The slight fear on the faces of the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators had quietly faded, replaced by a resolute expression.

With Foundation Establishment cultivators arriving to assist, the state court suppressed its earlier thoughts, and Sect Leader Kang Da instantly felt much safer.

The Foundation Establishment True Cultivator and several late-stage cultivators who had entered the formation were led to Kang Dabao. Upon seeing the newcomers, Kang Dabao couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Heh, interesting."

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