Old Ox Mountain (2)
The giant owl looked rather disheveled; a large bald patch covered its back, and a deep, bone-revealing sword wound ran from the back of its neck to the tip of its tail feathers, bleeding profusely with no sign of improvement.
Gusts of wind swept across the air, cutting its wounds like knives, leaving them bloody and mangled. Yet, Snow-Feathered Night Owl dared not stop, ignoring the excruciating pain, and kept glancing back, fearing that the deadly harbinger would catch up with it.
It was a spirit bird that had lived for hundreds of years. Even a hundred years ago, when its cultivation was weaker than it is now, it was able to escape from the hands of a severely injured pseudo-Dan master.
But the swordsman today was far too ferocious. If Dai Fu hadn't risked his life to cover his retreat, Snow-Feathered Night Owl didn't think he could have escaped back.
There are countless cultivators in the world who raise spirit beasts and birds, but few are like Dai Fu, who first protected the spirit birds and escaped while staying behind to cover the retreat.
However, Snow-Feathered Night Owl did not waste the opportunity that Dai Fu had created for him. Now that he had finally shaken off the pursuit of Daoist Black Shoes, he felt relieved.
At this moment, it was very close to the Changning Sect's great formation, but the feathered beast was no longer flustered. It raised its ferocity, spread its wings and swept low over the still relatively well-organized Zi Maple Valley army formation.
Zi Maple Valley's leader panicked slightly Shen Tu, and was so frightened that he shook the flag, causing the formation to become slightly chaotic again.
Snow-Feathered Night Owl has seen countless battles in his life; he would never let such a golden opportunity slip by.
Its feathers were like steel blades. With a single sweep, the white feathers on its body easily blocked a large number of talismans, Daoist spells, Law Artifacts, and spiritual tools that came at it. Then, it neatly sliced the first row of Zi Maple Valley disciples into several pieces, with their organs and chunks of flesh falling to the ground.
The disciples of Zi Maple Valley who had survived the ordeal had no time to feel fortunate before they felt something slippery beneath their feet.
White is fat, yellow is ointment, pale is blood, and thick is slurry. For a moment, the front line of Zi Maple Valley seemed to have opened up a paint shop, with all sorts of colors, so vibrant and colorful.
Shen Tu's face was extremely ugly at this moment. Most of the disciples in front of the battle were the elite of the new generation of Zi Maple Valley, and they had been wiped out by this feathered beast. This Second-Tier Supreme-Grade spirit bird was truly not to be underestimated!
"You beast, why didn't you let the Daoist Black Shoes kill Suanqiu!" Shen Tu cursed under his breath, his expression full of heartache as he looked at the disciples in the formation, but he dared not relax his grip any longer.
He knew that if his army's formation hadn't been relatively well-organized, weakening most of the power of Snow-Feathered Night Owl's iron wings, Zi Maple Valley would have suffered far more losses than just those few disciples.
After suffering a great loss with his disciples, Shen Tu became much more clear-headed.
The flags in their hands changed shape, and the eight elders of Zi Maple Valley in the formation replaced their original ritual objects with palm-sized bronze mirrors inscribed with animal patterns. The polished surfaces of the mirrors faced the sky and emitted beams of light, which shone brightly on each other.
In just a few breaths, the light shield formed by the mirror tightly enveloped the entire Zi Maple Valley army formation.
Before this, some disciples in the Ge Household's Hundred Corpses Grand Formation wanted to take advantage of the situation and break up Zi Maple Valley's formation again. However, after seeing the changes in Zi Maple Valley, Ge Qinglan waved the Corpse Banner and strictly ordered her subordinates to return to the formation as soon as possible.
The fierce aura of Snow-Feathered Night Owl, still spurred by his severe injuries, was not yet subsided. He dodged the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes shot by Sect Leader Kang Da, and with his wings wrapped in more than a dozen gusts of wind, he swept across the Zi Maple Valley army formation.
The sound of metal clanging was deafening.
The change in formation by Shen Tu was indeed effective. Although the disciples of Zi Maple Valley were struck by the powerful wind and their faces turned blue and blood spilled from their mouths, the number of casualties was significantly reduced.
Seeing this, Shen Tu's expression remained unchanged. This was because after this change, the disciples of Zi Maple Valley who were in formation could no longer use any offensive methods and could only passively take the beating.
If the Snow-Feathered Night Owl weren't so ferocious, the Shen Tu would never have used this tactic; the risk was too great.
Although Snow-Feathered Night Owl was displeased with the sight, he knew he shouldn't stay any longer.
The Ge Household's troops have now withdrawn. Kang Dabao and Nanny Sun, fearing that the vicious bird might turn back and attack the remaining disciples of the Chongming Sect behind them, led their men and slowly retreated.
At this moment, Ye Zhen showed some responsibility. He formed a formation and pressed forward, commanding all the cultivators to obey his orders. Together, they condensed a thick, dark sword and slashed fiercely at the feathered beast in the sky.
This is a black sword formed by six Foundation Establishment True Cultivator and over a hundred Qi Refinement elites. Even ordinary False Core with fake Core Formation cultivation would have to take it seriously.
Although the Snow-Feathered Night Owl is fierce, it is only a top-grade Second-Tier Supreme-Grade spirit bird.
Even in his prime, he would have avoided the sword's edge; now, with his injuries severe, how could he dare to face it even for a moment?
In addition, it had just fought a fierce battle with the Daoist Black Shoes, and now, seeing this ink sword, it felt a chill run through its body and its back ached. So, without thinking, it relied on Movement Method agility to dodge it directly.
The ink sword from the Book and Sword Gate did not miss its target, slamming heavily into the protective array of the Changning Sect. The booming sound resounded through the sky, and countless birds within a five-mile radius were shaken to their deaths.
The array's light dimmed for a moment, then soon brightened again.
Despite his injuries, Snow-Feathered Night Owl launched a furious attack. Now, seeing that he could not gain any advantage by attacking alone, he simply raised his head and let out a sharp shriek. The True Spirit Gate disciples in the formation understood and used their tokens to open a gap several feet in diameter, just enough for Snow-Feathered Night Owl to turn back into the formation.
Ye Zhen, standing to the side, repeatedly lamented that the hairy beast was too fast and could not be allowed to live. Once it recovered from its injuries in the formation, it would be much more difficult to take its life next time!
In this initial battle, the New Cloud Alliance has not yet gained much of an advantage.
With Hemu Dao scattered and Zi Maple Valley losing its Shen Xing, even the strongest among the various sects, Book and Sword Gate, could only manage a draw against True Spirit Gate Sect, whose leader was absent. This record was truly dismal.
On the contrary, Chongming Sect repelled the Lin Lineage's army, and Kang Dabao even killed a Foundation Establishment, which greatly enhanced the reputation of the New Cloud Alliance.
Speaking of Chen Ye, he was quite decisive. Seeing that things were not going well, he simply and directly used the rare treasure bestowed upon him by his master Jiang Yuan: a black conch shell with a bulging mouth.
Suddenly, a black wind arose, and sand and gravel filled the area.
This evil wind was no ordinary thing. Not only did it greatly affect the Chongming Allied Forces, who were locked in Double Brightness Changning Sect reinforcements brought by Chen Ye, but even someone like Lord Shan felt the biting wind and the sand and stones stinging his eyes.
Chen Ye feinted, then charged into the formation with his sword, slashing wildly. Though seemingly chaotic and without any order, it caused considerable hardship for the Qi Refinement in the formation, including Yuan Jin.
The Sword Qi left several bloody streaks running through the entire formation of the Double Brightness forces, which were somewhat flustered by the sudden rise of the black wind.
Chen Ye wasn't satisfied and used the same trick again. More than a dozen sword lights came intertwined. This time, Lord Shan was on guard and swept his jade axe across the air, annihilating most of the sword lights.
Qian Liu gritted his teeth and stepped forward, leading the six or seven surviving Armored Fire cultivators to raise their shields and block again. However, he saw Yuan Jin grit his teeth and frown, actually breaking away from the formation. His body resembled an ape demon, and he used both fists to block several more sword lights.
The remaining sword light, having passed through two layers of interception, was already at its last gasp when it reached the front lines.
This gave Qian Liu and his subordinate cultivators a lot of confidence. Although they were still worried about the risk of the Law Artifact being destroyed, they still blocked all the weakened sword light.
At this critical juncture, the remaining disciples of the Changning Sect, who had been locked in a fierce battle with the Double Brightness Allied Forces, began to disengage and retreat in an orderly manner.
Yuan Jin would not let them go, and led his men, including patrolmen, forward.
The Wang family leader of Green Lotus Courtyard still wanted to show off his men to the young master, but the little achievement they had just made was nothing to boast about. With this in mind, he led his men forward with even greater determination.
The disciples of Ingenious Craftsman Fort didn't want to give up the credit they were about to claim when they had the upper hand, so they hurried forward, afraid that the group of walking heroes would run even faster.
Chen Ye was grabbed by Lord Shan again, but the latter had little chance of getting rid of the former.
Even though Lord Shan had been cultivating for nearly two hundred years, Chen Ye was no ordinary person. Putting aside how terrifying his feat of Qi Refinement Foundation Establishment cultivator while refining Qi was, after reaching Foundation Establishment, he actually managed to refine the mid-grade Spirit Artifact flying sword left behind by the former Shen Ang of Zi Maple Valley, Shen Ang, using the "Blood and Bone Artifact Immersion".
Not to mention that after this Second Tier spirit sword was imbued with the Blood Qi of the "Blood and Bone Artifact Immersion," its power was even greater than it was back when Shen Ang.
Lord Yin Shan Gong's unwavering resolve and exceptional Daoist skills are undeniable, but he is ultimately only a Qi Refining Qi Refinement. Even with his impressive methods, his physical and mental energy expenditure cannot keep up with that of a genuine Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
No matter how skilled he was, Chen Ye had spent decades honing his skills and finally achieved Foundation Establishment. He had also become a disciple of the False Core Sect of the Two Instruments Sect, so his abilities were far beyond what they used to be. This time, Lord Yin Shan found the battle very difficult.
Jiang Qing was watching from the sidelines as Mo Wen surrounded and killed Lin Kunxue, saw everything clearly. After thinking it over, he decided to abandon the Lin Household head, who was already on his last legs, and instead joined forces with Lord Shan, leaving Lin Kunxue to Mo Wen to deal with alone.
As soon as Jiang Qing joined the battle, Chen Ye felt the pressure increase dramatically. This was because the former's Swordsmanship had visibly improved to a higher level, emphasizing substance over form.
Jiang Qing was unaware of Chen Ye's high regard for him. The White Dew in his hand shone brightly, and he thrust it straight at the head of Chen Ye's Six Yangs.
Upon entering the arena, Jiang Qing immediately took over the main position from Lord Shan, and used Bai White Dew to unleash the Chongming Sect's signature "Three Yang Sword Instruction." Flames surged and Sword Qi crisscrossed, striking Chen Ye's flying sword, which was also Second-Tier Middle-Grade weapon, causing it to clang and clatter, making it difficult for it to show any outstanding performance afterward.
However, Chen Ye's purpose in coming out this time was not to fight Jiang Qing. He had been stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for decades and would not delay his important business just to compete with someone for a short time.
The battle between the two sides, though seemingly long, actually lasted only a short period of time, almost immediately following Snow-Feathered Night Owl's return to the formation.
Seeing that his cultivators were leaving in an orderly fashion, and that Lin Kunxue was surrounded by a Foundation Establishment elder from the Book and Sword Gate who had arrived, and was too deeply trapped to escape, Chen Ye knew it was time for him to leave.
He was always decisive in his actions. He threw out four or five Second Tier Hundred Swords Talisman, and the rain of swords disappeared on Jiang Qing's flying sword and Lord Shan's jade axe, but it did buy Chen Ye time to escape.
Jiang Yuan, the Black Sand Peak of the Two Instruments Sect, was truly willing to spend a lot of money for this disciple he had picked up by chance, even giving him Second-Tier Upper-Grade Roaming Dragon Talisman.
Furthermore, since the two sides were not far apart during the fierce battle, even with Jiang Qing's exceptional Movement Method, it was difficult for him to intercept them.
As the White Dew rippled out, three incredibly hot sword beams of fire rapidly approached from behind, so close that Chen Ye could clearly feel his back being scalded by the fire, with numerous blood blisters forming.
He slowed his pace, and the Lord Shan's signature jade axe came again.
Chen Ye focused his gaze, and a wisp of pure energy gently sliced through the palm of his right hand. He then rubbed the hot blood flowing from his palm with his fingers, dispersing it into a blood mist, and used it to clean the flying sword in his hand.
Chen Ye's flying sword then became significantly more powerful. The originally snow-white flying sword instantly turned Blood Qi. Even the dignified and peaceful aura on Lord Shan's jade axe could not harm this flying sword.
The two weapons clashed, and the jade axe, unable to withstand the attack, retreated back into the hands of the Lord Shan. The Lord Shan grunted, his expression solemn, "This fellow has improved so quickly! He truly is a rare genius in Pingrong County. Once he passes the Foundation Establishment stage, the vast world will truly allow him to do as he pleases!"
Seeing that Jiang Qing's three fiery sword beams had knocked off most of the Blood Qi from Chen Ye's flying sword, Lord Shan finally felt a little relieved. "I misjudged him back then, and taught this scoundrel a lesson. At least that young He is not bad, he has returned a few pillars of society to me! Otherwise, hmph..."
Seeing Chen Ye's humiliation, Lord Shan felt somewhat comforted. Chen Ye, on the other hand, glared fiercely, baring his teeth in anger. At this critical moment of life and death, he couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy when he looked at Jiang Qing.
"Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment at the age of less than forty, how unkind has Heaven been to me!"
Despite his jealousy, Chen Ye couldn't bring himself to make those foolish moves driven by anger. Now that the True Spirit Gate and the Ge Household had retreated into their formations, the Book and Sword Gate and the other three families were able to free up their forces.
Every breath that lingers increases the risk of death!
The Roaming Dragon Talisman on Chen Ye's back shone brightly, and his speed was so fast that even Jiang Qing's White Dew could not catch up with him.
Just then, Sect Leader Kang Da arrived, but he was too late. His Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes struck empty air, blasting a deep crater several feet in diameter at Chen Ye's feet.
The splash of hard earth struck Chen Ye's groin, a sound so loud that even the distant Sect Leader Kang Da seemed to hear it. However, Chen Ye, who was already quite accustomed to the rhythm of Foundation Establishment battles, remained unfazed and quickly retreated back into the formation.
The delicious meat that was about to be eaten escaped, and Kang Dabao and Jiang Qing were very unhappy. The two of them went back and, together with the Foundation Establishment of the Book and Sword Gate and Sword True Cultivator and Mo Wen, surrounded Lin Kunxue tightly.
"The Lin Household is gone! No, no, no, no, I am the Lin Household, the Lin Household is me. Without me, there is no Lin Household!"
As the only remaining Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Lin Household at this moment, Lin Kunxue saw things very clearly. He was only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage; how could he possibly withstand the successive waves of Foundation Establishment cultivators swarming in from the New Cloud Alliance?!
"I surrender! I surrender! This sinner is willing to submit to Your Excellency's judgment!"
Although everyone was slightly taken aback, it was not unreasonable for Lin Kunxue to surrender. In this world, there are those who sacrifice themselves for others, and there are those who show no pity for their blood relatives.
With Lin Kunxue's surrender, the fate of the Lin Household members who returned to the Changning Sect's main camp at Old Ox Mountain is hard to predict. He's quite willing to let them go!
Although Sect Leader Kang Da didn't mind killing another Foundation Establishment from the Lin Household to commemorate Yundao, he also knew the stakes. Capturing him alive was always more valuable than killing him. So he snatched Lin Kunxue from beside the Book and Sword Gate Foundation Establishment of the Shujian Sect and bound him with various means.
Upon seeing the unexpected turn of events, two or three more Foundation Establishment from the Book and Sword Gate gathered around. Ye Zhen, leading the majority of his forces, watched the Changning Sect's grand formation warily, neither participating nor hindering his disciples.
"The Book and Sword Gate Sect has put in a lot of effort in this battle, and we can't let the Chongming Sect take all the credit for this impressive achievement." This thought isn't wrong, but it doesn't show the magnanimity that an alliance leader should have.
But at that moment, the Daoist Black Shoes strolled back, instantly easing the tense atmosphere.
He was holding Dai Fu's head in his hand.
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