Surrender on Their Knees

After experiencing a minor setback on the first day, Kang Dabao realized that the Mi Household Stockade Village had elite shaman soldiers, well-trained Mi Household leaders, and Foundation Establishment to assist them, making it not an easy place to take.

Speaking of which, the Mi Household's leader, with his Qi Refinement stage, had the ability and courage to invite three Foundation Establishment True Cultivator assist him; he was truly a remarkable figure.

This is not a deal that can be settled with just a few Spirit Stone. It is difficult to control the strong when you are weak. If you give too many Spirit Stones, you may cause people to have bad intentions. If you give too few, you may not be able to hire anyone.

Even if the price is right, there's still the fear that these hired seniors might not put in the effort.

However, the Mi Household's top leader managed to make this happen. Just the fact that the Feng family member risked going into battle on the first day of Foundation Establishment was enough to demonstrate the former's keen eye for talent.

To be fair, if he were in the same position, Sect Leader Kang Da might not have done as well as Master Mi Household. He truly deserves to be called a leader among his peers, like He Dezong, who was highly praised by everyone back then.

If the two families remain at peace, even if Sect Leader Kang Da achieves Foundation Establishment, there are still many miscellaneous matters within the Chongming Sect, and he wouldn't be so idle as to come and help the Changyun Ma Household quell their discontent.

However, Mi Household Da Dang, this old bandit, failed to understand Kang Dabao's lineage. He did not foresee that from the moment he set his sights on Sect Leader Kang Da's disciple, the two sides were destined to fight, with no way to escape.

The two sides still did not fight the next day. After all, the Ma Household members were exhausted and needed to recuperate before they could regroup and start anew.

To be honest, Ma Wenhan's ability to manage a household is really just average.

It should be noted that no matter how well the Mi Household's elite soldiers were trained, the more than two hundred Ma Household cultivators who went into battle were all genuine disciples of Foundation Establishment clans.

Even though the Ma Household had declined somewhat, the Cultivation Method, Law Artifact, and resources they used were still far superior to those of the sorcerer soldiers who relied on exploiting merchants and robbing to obtain resources.

However, this scion of a prominent family was scattered by a group of sorcerers who were completely clueless about qi circulation techniques. If word got out, the Changyun Ma Household would likely be ridiculed by outsiders once again.

Perhaps because of this, Ma Wenhan's face has been frighteningly gloomy these past two days.

Sect Leader Kang Da was well aware that the fortress, which he had originally thought he could capture in one fell swoop, was now in a stalemate.

This is somewhat inconsistent with the Chongming Sect's original intention to establish his authority by pacifying the Mi Household Stockade, but the die is cast and cannot be rushed.

However, this means that both sides will inevitably have to fight a bitter battle for some more time, and it would be a bit much to ask the Ma Household to contribute any more men.

Ultimately, they were just looking to reclaim their own sacred land while also forging a good relationship with the Chongming Sect. The two sides were cooperating based on mutual benefit, not being subservient to each other.

If the Ma Household cultivators suffer further losses, it might break Ma Wenhan's heart and he might simply quit. If that happens, the Chongming Sect would be in a difficult position.

So, Sect Leader Kang Da thought that if he transferred most of the patrolmen from Double Brightness Trade Market to this location, Deng Baichuan would surely agree.

This was because after Green Lotus Courtyard and Chongming Sect's relationship improved, Deng Baichuan, the market magistrate, also became much more enthusiastic towards the Chongming Sect.

After all, the Pingrong County might not be taken seriously by the city magistrate Deng, but the son-in-law of the Fei Household was a true family member, a disciple of the fake Sima.

There is a distinction between close and distant relationships, and no one is exempt from this.

This requisition of patrolmen is only the first step. Right now, the title of Sect Leader Kang Da, the Pingrong County, is far more valuable than it was when Xie Fu and Luo Heng were in office.

If he wanted to conscript a large army and suppress rebellions, it was something Kang Dabao could accomplish simply by issuing a few decrees.

As for whether to recruit more disciples from the sect, Sect Leader Kang Da did not consider this.

Originally, even sending Duan Anle and others to the expedition was just a way to appease Ma Wenhan, that old strategist. If any one of them were to be injured, Kang Dabao would be heartbroken.

After all, before Chongming Sect established its Foundation Establishment and took charge, Sect Leader Kang Da had to lead his disciples to the front lines;

But now that Chongming Sect already has two Ice Leaf alive, if the disciples under their tutelage still can't escape being treated as pawns, then the Foundation Establishment that Jiang Qing and Kang Dabao achieved through countless hardships and fortuitous encounters with their Dao hearts and fortuitous opportunity would be rather worthless.

Chongming Sect, compared to the number of disciples and followers of most Foundation Establishment forces in Cloud Horn Prefecture, Chongming Sect already had an extremely small number of disciples.

Although seemingly declining clans like the Changyun Ma Household and the Jade Moon Shan Household only have one Foundation Establishment leader, they have accumulated quite a few Qi Refinement cultivators over the years, at least three or four hundred.

The reason is that taking the step from Qi Refinement Refining to Foundation Establishment is an insurmountable chasm for ordinary cultivators; while the difficulty of a nascent immortal seedling overcoming the hurdle of Drawing Spirit into the Body is, in comparison, quite easy.

Therefore, the matter of Foundation Establishment has never been something that any Qi Refinement cultivator could even dream of, from ancient times to the present. Ordinary cultivators with Five Spirit Roots, no matter how diligent, would find it difficult to reach the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer in their entire lives;

For cultivators with Four Spirit Roots, it is no easy task to meet the requirements for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment before the age of ninety if they cannot obtain relatively sufficient resources.

A cultivator with Triple Spirit Root is considered a prodigy in a small family. As long as they cultivate diligently, breaking through the Foundation Establishment stage is not a difficult task.

Needless to say, cultivators with Dual Spirit Root will have a significantly increased chance of Foundation Establishment stage.

Single Spirit Root and Heavenly Spirit Root are rare Two Instruments Sect path, especially the latter, which is rare even in the history of the Liangyi Sect, a major Golden Core sect that dominates several states.

Even if some small families are lucky enough to have one or two descendants emerge from their ancestral graves due to lava flow, they will mostly have to be offered up to the main lineage.

Judging from the Spirit Root aptitude of most Foundation Establishment True Cultivator Cloud Horn Prefecture, it can be seen that most of them have Triple Spirit Root, Four Spirit Roots are extremely rare, and as for those with Five Spirit Roots, one might not appear for decades.

However, while cultivators with Triple Spirit Root are relatively rare, major Foundation Establishment clans such as the Changyun Ma Household and the Jade Moon Shan Household have accumulated nearly 20 disciples with the aptitude to meet this requirement after a century of development.

We can exclude those who perish along the way, those who are lazy, those who lack sincerity in their practice, and those who are distracted by their dedication to cultivating various arts.

Of those remaining people, how many can truly be considered Foundation Establishment seeds? It's hard to say.

Furthermore, if the clan's public funds are tight, where will the Foundation Establishment spiritual items for these Foundation Establishment seeds come from?

Will obtaining Foundation Establishment Seed from a spiritual object guarantee a successful Foundation Establishment?

Do those who haven't yet obtained a spiritual object have the courage to break through to the Foundation Establishment their own without relying on it?

All of these are problems; it is no exaggeration to say that Foundation Establishment is difficult.

Like the Jade Moon Shan Household, after losing a Foundation Establishment in the battle of Little Wu Mountain, they both obtained two Foundation Establishment Pills, but both Foundation Establishment seeds failed. (Please don't rush to criticize, gentlemen. 0.65 * 0.65 ≈ 0.42. Although it was a bit unlucky, it's not an exaggeration. I will strictly control the word count in parentheses, and it definitely won't cost money.)

Shan Sheng Shengyang's lifespan is not long. The Shan Household previously sent a Foundation Establishment, and as the head of the family, he is not able to support the Shan Household. It is already difficult for him to hold on to the many resources that the Shan family has acquired with the New Cloud Alliance over the years.

Shan Sheng had previously hoped to rely on his fellow members in the alliance to overcome this difficult situation.

After offering a series of humble words, and seeing that the other leaders only reacted indifferently, Shan Sheng felt somewhat uncertain.

Therefore, it's hard to say whether the Jade Moon Shan Household will be seen as an ally or a lucrative target to be shared after Shan Sheng passes away.

If his family hadn't suffered this calamity, Shan Sheng, as the head of a large family, wouldn't have needed to personally come to Mi Household Stockade to help Chongming Sect, hoping to earn some goodwill for future generations.

Because of this sense of urgency, even Sect Leader Kang Da, who always liked to take advantage, thought that this Shan Household head was being a little too enthusiastic.

This time, Kang Dabao did not ask any questions. The next day, he sent a message ordering the person in charge of the Jade Moon Shan Household to send one hundred clansmen to serve him.

With this two-pronged approach, over a hundred Higher Vehicle -quality Qi Refinement cultivators could be mobilized to assist. In terms of quality, they would be better than those recruited by Sect Leader Kang Da through a conscription order.

After all, Pingrong County had already suffered greatly from the misdeeds of two incompetent magistrates. If Magistrate Kang were to continue to disregard public opinion and act arbitrarily, it would inevitably cause trouble for the local people.

It should be noted that the reputation of Sect Leader Kang Da is not exactly good these days.

Even though he has reached the Foundation Establishment, he still hasn't been able to shake off the label of "bullying women," and will most likely have to be given the title of "brutal and abusive towards the people."

If someone harbors resentment and adds fuel to the fire, his reputation will likely soar towards becoming a "lustful fiend," progressing rapidly.

Although Kang Dabao has now established himself as Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment, there will be far fewer people who dare to gossip. However, in the grand plan of the Sect Leader Kang Da, the Chongming Sect still intends to recruit Pingrong for its own use. If this reputation is damaged, it will ultimately be a bad thing.

Therefore, conscripting a large army was merely a backup plan by Kang Dabao. Only after the Ma Household cultivators and the two reinforcements had joined forces and still failed to conquer Mi Household Stockade would Sect Leader Kang Da consider whether to take such action.

After arranging this matter, the two sides fought again on the third day. Kang Dabao, Jiang Qing, and Ma Wenhan were at the forefront of the battle, leaving only Shan Sheng to guard the Star-Shooting Crossbow driven by the Chongming Sect disciples as usual.

The Ma Household cultivators were still demoralized and in poor condition; the sorcerer soldiers in the formation were also lacking in vigor due to heavy casualties.

Of the three Foundation Establishment the Mi Household Stockade who came to help, only the one surnamed Feng was energetic and worked quite hard. The Toothless Old Man and the Foundation Establishment old woman were rather perfunctory.

Although the Foundation Establishment surnamed Feng was powerful, he knew he was no match for the combined strength of Kang Dabao and the other two, so he couldn't unleash his full power as he had on the first day.

Anyone with eyes can see that although the Mi Household has put in their best efforts, the Mi Household Stockade cannot be defended for long.

Therefore, apart from the fact that the witch fire in the Mi Household Stockade formation was really strange and difficult to defend against, and that they suffered some casualties, the Ma Household cultivators did not suffer significant losses overall.

Moreover, under the rather overstepping leadership of Sect Leader Kang Da, and through steady and methodical efforts, a crack has appeared in the foundation of the Second Tier grand formation at Mi Household Stockade, making it difficult to repair.

With minimal losses and substantial gains, the attacking cultivators were all delighted by the end of the day, except for Ma Wenhan, the patriarch of the Ma Household, who had somewhat mixed feelings.

Sect Leader Kang Da could sense that the morale of the sorcerers in the formation had collapsed, and he also caught a glimpse of the ashen face of the Mi Household's head clencher.

Kang Dabao didn't pay too much attention to these two changes. What concerned him most at the moment was that the mentality of the three Foundation True Cultivator Foundation Establishment him remained unchanged.

"You want me to surrender?! Bare-chested and carrying thorns! Don't even think about it!!" The head of the Mi Household had bloodshot eyes. Hearing the suggestion of surrender, even though there were three Foundation Establishment standing in front of him, he couldn't help but roar in anger.

"This great formation is clearly doomed! If you surrender, the three of us can come out and put in a good word for you. I guarantee you'll be spared."

Seeing that the Mi Household's chief had rejected his suggestion, the Toothless Old Man suppressed his displeasure and still tried to explain. However, the contempt on his face and the dissatisfaction in his words were undisguised.

Mi Household Jiadang wouldn't listen to any of this, and made up some random reasons to argue. "If you spare my life, even if that treacherous Kang Dabao agrees, how could Ma Wenhan of the Ma Household still want me alive?! It's better to hold on for a while longer. The Chongming Sect has always been hated by the Two Instruments Sect and the Hongyi Sect."

Our Changyun County is adjacent to Ding Prefecture. If we handle this battle well, we might even gain the favor of the upper sect and receive reinforcements! This junior is doing this for the sake of the three seniors!

After Mi Household's outburst, the three Foundation Establishment present remained silent for some reason.

The room fell silent for a moment. Mi Household's head clerk was stunned, as if he had just realized what he had said earlier.

He took a deep breath, his expression changed, and even the crisscrossing scars on his face seemed to carry a hint of obedience. "This junior has been impolite; please forgive me, seniors. This junior will go and prepare some spiritual dishes, and will come back later to drink with you all."

The three remained silent as before, waiting until the head of the Mi Household bowed and left the hall before the Toothless Old Man scanned him with his Divine Sense and then whispered:

"He's certainly a dreamer. The Two Instruments Sect and the Hongyi Sect wouldn't even look at a piece of trash like him? No wonder he amassed such a large fortune; he's a master at making empty promises. He deserves to be rich."

The Toothless Old Man paused briefly, then turned to look at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators beside him, his tone becoming respectful. "May I ask what you two fellow cultivators think?"

The old woman who had just Foundation Establishment answered decisively in a deep voice, "We came here hired to harm our master and left. This kind of behavior is ultimately detrimental to our reputation. If we want to earn some money in the future, we'll probably have to resort to a business that depends on the weather."

The Toothless Old Man and the Foundation Establishment old woman were doing the same thing, so he naturally understood the meaning behind the Foundation Establishment old woman's words.

The reason why even a minor Qi Refining Qi Refinement like the Mi Household dared to invite them, despite their status as Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator, is that they have a good reputation. While they may not be considered respectful or accommodating to elders, they can at least be described as honest and trustworthy.

Therefore, generally speaking, the businesses they can conduct are difficult for their ordinary peers to do.

Rather than being asked by fellow Foundation Establishment to help them fight to the death, they preferred to do things for the younger Qi Refinement.

After all, normally, the latter hires them to do small things like upholding justice and acting as mediators.

Although the pay for these kinds of jobs is less, the employer is respectful and there's no fear of being owed Spirit Stone, making them incredibly easy to do, much better than those high-risk, high-reward jobs.

But if their reputation is ruined, then these easy jobs will no longer be available to them. Making a living is difficult and not worth the effort.

These independent cultivators who lack any special skills don't have many ways to earn resources. They might become retainers in a family or sect, but that would only lead to suspicion and control from others.

Alternatively, one could become a bandit king, exploiting merchants and travelers, living at the mercy of the weather;

The next level is to become Bandit Cultivator who slaughters sects and wipes out entire clans. Although the risks are considerable, if you manage to make a deal, you can use it for ten or eight years on your own.

As for matters like managing and developing power, just look at how even an old cultivator like Ma Wenhan, who has been an ancestor for nearly a hundred years, couldn't do it very well. This shows that it's even more difficult for rootless and adrift Rogue Cultivator like the Toothless Old Man and the Foundation Establishment Old Woman.

"Ha, he's staked everything on this, and now he's got the three of us stuck here! Fellow Daoists, what should we do? We're supposed to be Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, we can't just let this junior get away with it, can we?"

The Toothless Old Man said with dissatisfaction, "If I had known that these Spirit Stones would be so hard to obtain, I shouldn't have taken this job."

This Mi Household leader isn't his own son or grandson. If the Foundation Establishment on the other side were all as weak and old as Ma Wenhan, it would be fine, but the other three are clearly not paper tigers that can be easily defeated.

It's impossible for a selfish person like the Toothless Old Man to fight to the death for the Mi Household's big boss.

The man surnamed Feng, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment, held his breath and remained silent. The old woman, however, spoke up, saying, "No matter what, we cannot have the blood of this master on our hands."

Upon hearing this, the Toothless Old Man lightly tapped the door, a knowing glint in his eyes. Looking in the direction the Mi Household's head had left, he immediately had an idea.

The Foundation Establishment surnamed Feng could see through the schemes of the Toothless Old Man and the Foundation Establishment old woman. They clearly had malicious intentions, but they were concerned about their reputation and thus did the deceitful thing of burying their heads in the sand.

Feng disliked this move but remained silent. Cutting off Dao Path inevitably leads to a deadly feud. Feng, having just completed his Foundation Establishment, was content to focus on doing his own job well and had no right to interfere with others' actions.

Ultimately, it's just that the Mi Household brand's offerings weren't substantial enough. Since he dared to gamble, he has to admit defeat!

The morning after the Mi family's chief advisor and the three independent cultivators who had just established their foundations, Headmaster Kang, who had gone out early to gather qi, saw the Mi family stronghold ablaze with flames and filled with the sounds of battle.

The riot lasted for quite some time, more than half an hour, and the sounds of fighting still echoed throughout.

Kang Dabao was unaware of the story behind it, and being a man of steady character, he did not act rashly. He simply mustered his troops and lined up outside the formation to observe the changes.

Now that victory is assured, and we've decided to aim for a sure win, there's no need to take risks due to unforeseen circumstances.

Before his surprised thought had even passed, the protective array of Mi Household Stockade was activated, and colorless, mysterious light rained down.

The fighting within the stronghold continued unabated. Amidst the clamor, dust, and raging flames, a figure in golden armor instantly vanished from the ranks and disappeared into the distance.

Sect Leader Kang Da recognized who it was but made no move; Ma Wenhan was furious and spat out a string of curses, but dared not stop them.

A few breaths later, the gate swung open, and a scholar-like cultivator limped out, his face filled with sorrow, and knelt down to beg for surrender.

His left hand tightly gripped a scarred, bloodstained head, while his right hand covered the anus, which was still dark red.

"The chieftain of Mi Household Stockade has defied his master! He has defied the laws of heaven! Now, the loyal and righteous men of our village have risen up and killed him. We beg our master to be merciful and spare our lives as a sign of benevolence!"

The scholar spoke with fierce eyes and gritted teeth, each word dripping with blood, as if it were genuine.

When he slammed his head into the ground, he used too much force, creating a deep crater. Yellow mud covered the wound on his forehead, and muddy red blood flowed down his cheeks to his neck and chest.

Even from this distance, Kang Dabao seemed to be so overwhelmed by the complex emotions emanating from him, a mixture of sorrow and elation that made him dazzled.

It was at this moment that Kang Dabao recognized the scholar carrying the head of the Mi Household as the one who had been mentioned earlier as the one apologizing under the Chongming Sect archway.

"Old Ghost Feng has escaped! The other two Foundation Establishment cultivators have incited discontent among the rest of the village, leading them to kill the head of the Mi Household!"

The Sect Leader Kang Da understood the implications almost instantly. The Ma Household patriarch was no fool either; seeing this, he led the Ma Household cultivators into the stronghold first.

Shan Sheng was also somewhat excited. Without even saying a word to Kang Dabao, he rushed in alone.

Sect Leader Kang Da and Duan Anle first quelled the restlessness of the disciples. Without answering the scholar, they simply used their boots to hook up the head in his hand and examine it.

After completing the Foundation Establishment, Kang Dabao's eyesight became even sharper. With just a scan, he could tell that the head of the Mi Household was not a fake.

Seeing his old friend again in this way made Sect Leader Kang Da sigh, saying, "I can guarantee you won't die here; as for the rest, good luck to you."

After saying this, he returned the head to the scholar and led his men into the village.

Duan Anle had visited Mi Household Stockade several times when he was a merchant. Every time he came in, this honest boy would marvel at how peaceful and prosperous the village was, ranking it among the top three Qi -Qi Refinement forces he had ever seen.

But at this moment, the Mi Household Stockade is filled with dilapidated walls and broken eaves. Even if it is cleaned up, it will never be able to regain its former glory.

Inside the village, two groups of shamanic soldiers were fighting amongst themselves, and in the eyes of the Ma Household members, they were extremely weak as they had not yet formed any battle formations.

Therefore, even those witch soldiers who betrayed the Mi Household's main force were killed by the Ma Household cultivators under various pretexts in order to vent their anger and obtain Storage Bag.

While Kang Dabao's decision to restrict his disciples was prudent, it did mean his disciples would lose a significant amount of income, and even Chu Huer showed signs of resentment.

However, the Sect Leader Kang Da did not notice anything amiss. People with a strong gambling addiction may win big, but they are also prone to ruin.

Kang Dabao would never do something like the Mi Household's gamble. The latter not only lost his vast fortune, but also had his head sold by a male prostitute in exchange for his life.

Although the Double Brightness disciples didn't get many of the Storage Bag hanging on the shaman soldiers' waists, Sect Leader Kang Da still grabbed a shaman soldier as a mouthpiece and led his disciples slowly toward the main storehouse in the village.

Right now, a fierce battle is still raging here.

(Yesterday, Lao Bai arrived at the hotel after 3 a. m. from his business trip. He thought he could write more after arriving, but he was too exhausted to write, so he didn't have time to ask for leave. Please forgive him! If he finishes his work tonight and still has time, he will post another chapter. Thank you all for your support!)

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