A sudden turn for the worse

"Senior Fire Dragon." Upon seeing the newcomer, Sect Leader Kang Da sighed inwardly at the irony of fate, and then bowed respectfully.

Along with Fire Dragon Daoist, there were seven or eight other cultivators at the Late Qi Refinement Refining, none of whom Kang Dabao recognized. They were probably not from Double Brightness Trade Market with Daoist Huolong.

"Hey, why bother with all this formality at a time like this?" The Fire Dragon Daoist was quite pleased with Kang Dabao's respectful manner, a slight smile appearing on his face. He maintained a polite tone, but his eyes revealed admiration.

"The idle people in the prefecture often talk about you, the magistrate of Pingrong County, as a skilled military commander, a first-rate talent in the prefecture. In the past, I thought they were exaggerating, using you to praise Sima Fei's ability to recognize talent, but after seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is indeed well-deserved."

"Senior is too kind," Sect Leader Kang Da had no time to pay attention to the Fire Dragon Daoist's praise. How could this Daoist not know the time? The Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators were already pressing in, so why was he still chatting about these trivial matters?

The Fire Dragon Daoist can hardly be considered a direct descendant of the state court. At this critical juncture, and with Jiazi Xu being such a crucial location, why would the state court send him?

Double Brightness Trade Market was already a result of the great efforts the state government had put into building it. After listening to Deng Baichuan's casual conversations, the two Sima even considered advising the Earl of Earl of Nan'an to make Double Brightness Trade Market the premier market in Cloud Horn Prefecture, second only to Han City and Xuanwei City.

Could the Fire Dragon Daoist really be spared from such a crucial location? Is it because the Acting Sima Gun is preoccupied with suppressing the rebellion and has no other manpower available?

What's particularly suspicious is whether the Fire Dragon Daoist is truly so loyal and righteous? Would he really risk his life to come to the rescue, braving such a heavy enemy force?

What promises did the state court make to this impoverished man, a former Black Ghost Bandits, that made him willing to risk his life for something so perilous that the slightest mishap would mean certain death?

Just as Kang Dabao was wondering, he heard the Fire Dragon Daoist speak up, "Military Commandant Gun has just pacified the Five Azure Alliance in Guo County and was about to return to provide assistance, but the Mo Household in Hong County rebelled halfway there. He had to change his route to Hong County and couldn't spare the time, so he sent a letter to the market, ordering me and Huo Bing to bring thirty Qi Refinement cultivators from his family to come and assist you here."

On the way here, Governor Huo and I were caught up and scattered by two Foundation Establishment from the Clear Cloud Alliance. In the end, we only managed to gather these people.

The Fire Dragon Daoist spoke succinctly and clearly, but Kang Dabao's worries only deepened.

"The head of the Mo Household in Hong County died on the battlefield for the state court, and now the cultivators left behind to guard the clan's territory have rebelled?"

Do the Mo Household cultivators within the main camp of the state court know about this news? Will they also stir up trouble and turn back?

"Their morale was already low after a prolonged siege of Auspicious Brocade Gate. Now, with this unexpected turn of events, what if Auspicious Brocade Gate releases the news? Won't the cultivators from other powerful local families in the main camp of the state also become restless?"

Even though Kang Dabao felt that none of the news brought by the Fire Dragon Daoist was good, he felt even more awkward about having to fight alongside this former enemy.

However, the morale of the other cultivators in the formation soared even higher when they saw that a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator had come to their aid.

Despite the fact that Sect Leader Kang Da had previously injured himself with a crossbow Foundation Establishment and offered kind advice, the effect was not even half as good as that of the Fire Dragon Daoist entering the formation.

It was true that the morale of the cultivators in the formation was greatly boosted, and the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators outside the formation, inspired by this, were equally vigilant.

Even some cultivators who had been content with their current situation and had no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment were ignited with ambition upon hearing about rewards such as "Foundation Establishment Pill" and "False Core Disciple," and they mustered all their strength to fight.

Don't look down on ordinary False Core just because they seem insignificant to True-Grade Golden Core cultivators.

More than 90% of the cultivators in Yunjiao Prefecture may never have seen a fake Pill Master in their entire lives.

The two powerful local tyrants of Cloud Horn Prefecture, the Han City Yue Household and the Dingnan Niu Household, each had only one False Core Two Instruments Sect in existence, yet they were still favored by the Liangyi Sect and ruled Cloud Horn Prefecture under their command for hundreds of years.

For 99% of cultivators in this world, False Core is already a god-like figure in the clouds.

If one could truly have the opportunity to become a disciple of a fake alchemist, then the entire family and sect might have a chance to defy fate and rise to prominence.

The reward offered by the Clear Cloud Alliance was truly enticing, and the enemy's morale instantly became as solid as steel, impossible to shake.

In addition, the formation set up on the Jiazi Xu mountain Sect Leader Kang Da was stationed was set up in a hurry. The Second Tier formation master sent by the state court had only been there for three days before he was transferred back to the state court's main formation Auspicious Brocade Gate by Buse.

This means that the Primordial Eight-Pillar Formation, composed of Second Tier formation masters, is not only only of the First-Tier Supreme-Grade of the first tier, but also only has defensive capabilities and no ability to defend against enemies.

Faced with the swarming in of the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators with their Daoist arts, talismans, Law Artifact, and spiritual tools, the cultivators from the Central Prefecture Ting side within the formation were unable to use the formation to counterattack and could only rely on their own abilities to defend themselves.

Fortunately, the state government had some protective formations on its side, so its casualties were fewer than those of the Clear Cloud Alliance.

After firing three crossbow bolts in quick succession, Sect Leader Kang Da fired two more arrows. The first arrow was aimed at an elderly man with a profound aura and a red crown, but he narrowly avoided it using his Movement Method.

One shot was aimed at a sword-wielding cultivator, who was surrounded by a group of Qi Refinement cultivators who had formed a circular formation. After several of them were killed or wounded, the shot was barely intercepted.

Even though Kang Dabao's spiritual power was relatively strong compared to others of the same level, he still needed to take some medicine and rest properly after five attacks.

He stepped off the crossbow, and the crossbowmen of the Imperial Guard, who were waiting for their turn, let him pass with admiration. He picked up the crossbow, charged it for a long time, and then fired a loud bang, but missed.

Sect Leader Kang Da was standing guard beside the Star-Shooting Crossbow, did not intend to blame them. The Star-Shooting Crossbow was inherently characterized by its powerful force and difficulty in hitting its target.

Although the state court's elite troops are highly skilled, these crossbowmen rarely have the opportunity to practice using such powerful weapons, which cost sixty Spirit Stone per shot. It's understandable that their accuracy is somewhat lacking.

After all, it is more reasonable for the military supplies allocated by the state government to be divided among the officials first.

The three Star -Star-Shooting Crossbow fired several rounds, killing and wounding dozens of the Clear Cloud Alliance cultivators, but still failed to extinguish the fighting spirit of the opposing cultivators.

Sect Leader Kang Da was worried. Sima Fei initially thought that since the state court had brought a large army, the mere Auspicious Brocade Gate, even with the Two Instruments Sect sending False Core to oversee it, would be able to take it down in a few days, just like the Five Aspects Sect in the past.

After all, Sima Fei had been at the Foundation Establishment Peak for many years and was cultivating Zhou Grade Cultivation Method. He was just waiting to perfect his Core Thesis and gather all the spiritual materials before he could attempt to Core Formation.

Even if Sima Fei couldn't defeat the ordinary False Core in battle, he was confident that he could protect himself.

In his view, Kang Dabao's Jiazi Xu Mountain looked dangerous, but Auspicious Brocade Gate would be unable to spare many troops to besiege Kang Dabao's detachment because their main force was being fiercely attacked by the state army. As long as they were careful, they should be able to hold it.

As Sima Fei thought, even if Auspicious Brocade Gate went all out and sent one of their elite soldiers, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to lead the attack, Jiazixu Mountain could still be held as long as they could withstand the initial few days and suffer more casualties.

Ding Prefecture court could ambush and wipe out this elite force at Auspicious Brocade Gate, or even take advantage of the enemy's division of forces to capture the main force of Auspicious Brocade Gate in one fell swoop.

In this way, when the battle report comes out, Sect Leader Kang Da can also add a glorious chapter to his own record.

Sima Fei did want Sect Leader Kang Da to make a show of loyalty to the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an by sacrificing his family's wealth to save the country, but he didn't really want his eldest son-in-law to die in the line of duty.

This horse bone needs to be hung up for a while longer. Right now, the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall can't find another legitimate daughter in the entire Cloud Horn Prefecture.

However, Fei Sima never expected that the fake alchemist sent by the Liangyi Sect was now a troublesome opponent. Not only was he himself entangled with the opponent and unable to get away, but more than half of the Foundation Establishment cultivators he brought with him also had to be taken by him to fight the enemy.

This resulted in a well-trained state army being divided into two separate forces, and even its core fighting forces, such as those at the Foundation Establishment, were at a disadvantage on various battlefields.

What worries Sect Leader Kang Da the most is that the state court's main force, commanded by Buse, has gone from being able to suppress Auspicious Brocade Gate to the point where it is now slightly at a disadvantage in battle against the enemy.

This was clearly not a good sign. Although Buse was already a powerful Foundation Establishment, his personal strength was still far from being able to influence the course of the battle.

Moreover, there is the risk of our forces being defected to us.

Upon closer examination, it's true that the Jiazixu Mountain is in grave danger, but the situation for the main force of the state court is equally difficult.

Sima Fei is already trapped for the time being. If Acting Sima Gun also gets bogged down in the quagmire and can't get out for a long time, then this time the state court has come in a large force, and they may really have to return in defeat.

It remains to be seen how much of the situation and public support Kuang Liuting and his fellow townsmen in the capital region have managed to build up over the past few years will remain.

Sect Leader Kang Da and his Chongming Sect, used as pawns by the state court to win over the people, are destined for... a terrible fate.

The drums of the Foundation Establishment, now in full swing, drew Kang Dabao back to reality.

He turned to look at the Clear Cloud Alliance's team, his eyes fixed on them.

The Clear Cloud Alliance used to be a major alliance in Cloud Horn Prefecture, formed by the alliance of four Foundation Establishment sects, including the Auspicious Brocade Gate.

Before the Daoist Black Shoes killed four Foundation Establishment from the Auspicious Brocade Gate in one battle, the Clear Cloud Alliance had as many as twenty Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. In Cloud Horn Prefecture, their influence was only slightly inferior to the Yue and Niu families, and they were enough to overwhelm the Lian Water Alliance, led by the Book and Sword Gate.

Such a powerful force's disciples are indeed far stronger than those Rogue Cultivators that Sect Leader Kang Da dealt with so easily in the past.

Of the four, the Ingenious Craftsman Fort is the most skilled in mechanical puppetry.

His disciples practiced techniques to cultivate their Divine Sense, and most of them were equipped with various mechanical puppets that matched their cultivation level, giving them a significant advantage in combat against their peers.

If it weren't for the fact that the sect's fundamental Cultivation Method have a low ceiling, its disciples struggle to reach the Foundation Establishment, and its core combat strength is scarce, its sect might not even need to form an alliance with Auspicious Brocade Gate and other sects.

This rescue effort reveals that while the other two families were able to send Foundation Establishment cultivators, his family only had one Foundation Establishment cultivator left to guard the home, so they could only send a Qi Refinement disciple to express their gratitude.

Even so, with the Foundation Establishment cultivator in Jinyi guarding the front lines and commanding from the sidelines, and wary of the three Star-Shooting Crossbow, the disciples of Ingenious Craftsman Fort stood out the most on the front lines.

Several disciples of the Ingenious Craftsman Fort, Late Qi Refinement, found an inconspicuous place and disassembled their beast-shaped and humanoid mecha. They then used spirit ink mixed with various kinds of beast blood and mineral essence to draw spirit patterns all over the disassembled parts.

Before long, the group, whose spiritual energy was greatly depleted and whose foreheads were covered in sweat, assembled a cannon cart and stood outside the formation. A violent spiritual energy shell blasted fiercely towards the spiritual energy shield of the Primordial Eight-Pillar Formation.

With a loud "boom," the damage inflicted on the great formation by this artillery vehicle, assembled by several Qi Refinement cultivators, was actually greater than the damage caused by the Second Tier Star-Shooting Crossbow.

It wasn't that these Qi Refinement cultivators could create spiritual tools comparable to Second-Tier Lower-Grade, but rather that the people in charge of the state court's main formation lost their vigilance after seeing that the Clear Cloud Alliance's only Star-Shooting Crossbow was broken, which allowed this team of Ingenious Craftsman Fort to successfully launch a sneak attack.

However, they didn't fare well either. After just one strike, the spiritual ink runes covering the cannons dimmed, the cannons themselves suddenly shattered, and the members of Ingenious Craftsman Fort lost their fighting ability.

Jin Yi, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment, secretly lamented that if there were more elite disciples like these few in the Ingenious Craftsman Fort, it would have been much easier for him to break through this tortoise shell.

Jin Yi, Foundation Establishment, saw that after the bombardment, one of the pillars supporting the Primordial Eight-Pillar Formation of the state court had a gap a full ten feet long cracked, and the spiritual energy shield near the pillar had visibly thinned.

The one guarding this array point was Luo Heng, the county magistrate who had been brought here by Sect Leader Kang Da to serve the country with utmost loyalty. Upon seeing this situation, he was immediately so frightened that his face turned ashen and almost bloodless.

"Luo Heng, protect the formation!" Kang Dabao shouted sharply when he saw the situation. Luo Heng's hand holding the formation flag trembled slightly. He was only half a step away from the cracked formation pillar, but he just couldn't move over.

"Protect the formation! Protect the formation!!" Urging voices kept coming into his ears. Luo Heng thought of the ruthless methods that Sect Leader Kang Da in the county in the past. He knew that if he didn't obey the order, he would probably be dragged out and beheaded by this guy. So he gritted his teeth, his gums bleeding, and took half a step forward.

As soon as Luo Heng stood firmly against the array pillar with the array flag in hand, he felt an immense pressure descend from the sky. It pressed down so hard that his knees bent halfway, his bones creaked, and he almost crashed to the ground. Terrified, he quickly activated the array flag technique he had memorized, and only then did he feel a little better.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator in Brocade Robes, who had been carefully observing the formation, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He handed the war drum in his hand to a close nephew who pounded it continuously, while he himself took advantage of the moment when one of the formation pillars was damaged and Luo Heng was not yet firmly established, and led the cultivators outside the formation in a fierce attack. They even released nearly twenty treasures like Heavenly Thunder Seed in this wave.

The timing of this Foundation Establishment was perfect; after this attack, three of the seven intact array pillars were damaged.

Luo Heng's internal organs were shattered by the shockwave, and fragments of his internal organs, along with a large amount of blood, came out of his mouth. It was unclear whether he could survive.

Fortunately, although the Jinyi Foundation Establishment cultivators' offensive was fierce, the state court managed to hold them off after losing only a few dozen men.

Items like Heavenly Thunder Seed are extremely expensive to produce, and even a large and powerful organization like the Clear Cloud Alliance might not be able to come up with many more.

Fire Dragon Daoist picked up Luo Heng and handed the array flag to another minor Lineage leader in the Late Qi Refinement stage for protection.

The latter certainly knew this was a path to certain death, but with Foundation Establishment in front of him, how could he dare utter a single word of dissent?

He went in dejectedly with the flag, but soon after, he died on the spot.

Enraged, the Fire Dragon Daoist was about to find another unlucky soul to fill the vacancy when suddenly, he heard a faint cracking sound.

After that sound, several loud bangs followed.

The once intact protective array instantly collapsed by more than half. When the Fire Dragon Daoist looked up, he saw that four of the eight array pillars had already crashed to the ground.

The Fire Dragon Daoist's stern old face turned panicked.

The formation has been broken!

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