An Old Beast's Scheme

Jiang Qing followed the trail of blood to a remote mountain cave a hundred miles away from Old Crow Mountain. His flying speed on his sword was much faster than that of ordinary people of the same level, so he could smell the blood of the heavily injured Demon Beast ahead as soon as he reached the cave entrance.

Second-Tier Middle-Grade Iron-Feathered Bird is no ordinary beast; among Demon Beast of the same tier, it's definitely a troublesome opponent. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment would avoid it at all costs upon hearing news of it, let alone pursue it relentlessly like Jiang Qing.

The Double Brightness Sword Immortal activated his spiritual eyes, and in an instant, the dark cave interior became as bright as day in his eyes.

Suddenly, Jiang Qing seemed to feel a gust of evil wind coming from behind him. Without thinking, he pinched his fingers into a sword shape, pointed into the air, and the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword flew back. Flames rose on the sword, making the surrounding air extremely hot.

With a "clang," a few iron filings were sliced off by the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword, scattering in all directions Iron-Feathered Bird, which had been attacking from the shadows, looked quite surprised.

"Heh," Jiang Qing grinned and sneered. He had never seen a demonic bird hiding in a cave and lying in ambush before, so this time he had certainly broadened his horizons.

Although Jiang Qing had already used the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword to repel the Iron-Feathered Bird, he did not stop there. His slender fingers swept across the sword from top to bottom, and the blazing red flying sword immediately emitted a soft sound, followed by a burst of intense flames.

In an instant, Sword Qi crisscrossed the area, leaving nowhere to hide; sword shadows filled the cave.

Every feather on the Iron-Feathered Bird seemed to gleam with a cold light under the scorching flames, but this gleaming was short-lived, as the feathers were soon roasted red-hot by the fire, resembling hot charcoal.

If it couldn't even withstand the residual power of these fireworks, how did it manage to single-handedly defeat two hundred relatively large local militia members with its back to the enemy?

The demonic bird let out a sharp, piercing cry, then twisted its body and shook, causing the countless feathers on its outermost layer to swirl and change direction.

The feathers that were naturally attached to its body were sharper than ordinary Law Artifact. While using them individually to deal with Jiang Qing's mid-grade spiritual sword would be extremely difficult, if they were combined as they were now, their fate would be uncertain.

The sounds of "clanging and clattering" echoed through the cave. Feathers and sword light scattered and collided wildly. When the scene calmed down, it could be seen that the small cave had been widened considerably by the feathers and sword light.

"You beast!" Jiang Qing, who hadn't fought in a long time, hadn't expected the Iron-Feathered Bird to be so tough. Now it seemed that the two hundred local soldiers couldn't be blamed for being cowardly.

"Taking advantage of the cramped terrain in this cave, this beast certainly won't have time to fly away and turn around. Once I get close enough, I can kill it with one sword strike and be done with it."

With a thought, Jiang Qing stepped forward and took the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword back into his hand.

It wasn't that he thought it was simple; rather, he had defied the Sect Leader Kang Da's prohibition and come to the Cold Crow Mountain Range alone to hunt demons since he was a child. His skills and experience were indeed excellent, and he had rarely been defeated since childhood.

People who win many battles naturally become less prone to fear. Therefore, even though Jiang Qing was facing this iron-haired beast whose cultivation far surpassed his own, he was not afraid in the slightest.

At this moment, the blade of the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword had already been riddled with tiny, needle-like nicks from the endless barbs of the Iron-Feathered Bird.

After glancing at the sword, Jiang Qing felt a tenderness that was not mixed with anything else. He then gently stroked the sword, and the spiritual light on the blade shone even brighter.

"Kill!"

The Iron-Feathered Bird opposite him endured the excruciating pain from its wounds. It could see Jiang Qing's intentions and naturally could not easily let the latter succeed.

Its two slender feet moved swiftly, carving deep gashes into the hard, resilient rock beneath its feet, which Hardness it could be used to forge Law Artifact. Its wings, covered in iron feathers, blocked and parried the attacks, finally managing to deflect all the deadly Sword Qi.

However, this aggravated the wound, tearing the flesh outside the wound open and almost causing the internal organs to slip out.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!" At this moment, the Iron-Feathered Bird's shriek was exceptionally piercing and unpleasant to hear.

Seeing that Jiang Qing's sword strikes were becoming even more ferocious, the Iron-Feathered Bird's own ferocity was also forced out. Knowing that Jiang Qing's movements were swift and that it could not shake him off at all, the beast simply abandoned the idea of rushing out of the cave abode, returning to the blue sky, and fighting for its life again.

With a sudden thud, its two slender legs dug its eight sharp claws into the rock, which was as hard as rotten tofu.

The countless feathers on its wings merged seamlessly together, transforming into two enormous swords, each gleaming with a chilling light and incredibly sharp. Along with the giant swords, the Iron-Feathered Bird's courage also emerged.

The beast coiled its wings, stirring up endless evil winds, and crashed head-on into the sword light unleashed by Jiang Qing Qingyu.

Iron-Feathered Bird's reaction was beyond Jiang Qing's expectations. He had never imagined that this feathered beast would not be frightened and turn away, but instead engage in close combat with him.

It was this hesitation that caused Jiang Qing to fall behind under the relentless onslaught of the Iron-Feathered Bird. He scalded himself with several cuts, which bled, but he ignored them.

No wonder this beast dared to fight Jiang Qing in close combat. It turns out that after combining all the feathers on its wings, they were not as weak and pathetic as people imagined!

But after seeing clearly, Jiang Qing smiled faintly. If this beast in front of him wasn't afraid, what did he have to fear?

Over the years, he has devoted himself to cultivation, rarely even leaving his sect. Such diligence has naturally yielded results.

Previously, Jiang Qing thought he had mastered the sword manual "Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic" to perfection. However, as his own swordsmanship became more and more profound, "Ten Discourses on Qingfuzi's Sword Classic" also became more and more relevant with each reading.

This made Jiang Qing admire it privately, and he even said that it was no wonder that Senior Black Shoes had been quite fond of this sword manual back then.

Thanks to the blessing of the Sword-Sharpening Stone and this book, as well as the Chongming Sect sword manuals that Chongming Sect has acquired over the years, albeit of varying quality, Jiang Qing's swordsmanship has progressed by leaps and bounds in recent years.

It was precisely because his swordsmanship training was so smooth that he neglected his own cultivation.

Otherwise, given his talent, even with flaws in his physical body, he wouldn't still be just an early-stage True Cultivator after more than twenty years of Foundation Establishment.

Under these circumstances, even with its ferocious power, the Iron-Feathered Bird was still defeated by Jiang Qing Qingjian.

The Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword finally pierced through the Iron-Feathered Bird's thick, armor-like feathers. The blazing sword blade tasted a slightly salty, fishy flavor, and after a few more sips, it became even more intense.

Jiang Qing let out a long sigh, cleaned the spiritual materials from the Iron-Feathered Bird's body, and cut several large pieces of Higher Vehicle- quality meat from the corpse, intending to take them back and cook them for his senior brother, the sect leader, who always had a good appetite, to enjoy a fresh meal.

After completing these steps and carefully checking to ensure nothing was missed, Jiang Qing headed towards the cave entrance that was faintly glowing.

The cave had been ravaged by the previous battle and was in a terrible state. The walls inside were riddled with horrific cracks, and sand and rocks were cascading down, indicating that it would collapse soon.

A hint of urgency appeared on Jiang Qing's face, and he quickened his pace. Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed Fang Yi he stepped out of the cave when a rumbling sound came from behind him.

"If we really get caught up in it, it might cause some trouble."

After a brief moment of reflection, Double Brightness Sword Immortal traveled for another quarter of an hour before encountering Ming Zhe, who had come specifically to find him after hearing the commotion.

"Greetings, Master!" Ming Zhe's handsome face was almost filled with joy as he hadn't seen Jiang Qing for a long time.

In contrast, Jiang Qing's reaction was much calmer, simply nodding and saying, "The surrounding area is not as safe as before, with quite a few Second Tier Demon Beast appearing. Zhe'er, you shouldn't travel alone."

"The caravan is stopped at the back, not far away." Ming Zhe's face lit up with even more joy. The master and apprentice had only walked a few steps together when Jiang Qing paused slightly.

Ming Zhe became wary and asked, "Master, have you discovered something?"

Jiang Qing didn't rush to answer, but slowly relaxed her furrowed brows before saying calmly, "It's nothing, or perhaps I'm mistaken."

He only felt a trace of fierce energy linger on his body, but it vanished in an instant. He didn't know if it was because he had just fought a fierce battle, causing his mind to become disordered.

Only after the two had walked far away did the pair of emerald green eyes hidden in the woods dare to blink.

"I never expected that besides Kang Dabao, Jiang Qing's progress in the Chongming Sect would be so rapid. He didn't even use that broken stone, yet he's already comparable to a late-stage True Cultivator." After marveling at this, the Green-Eyed Master sighed softly and thought to himself, "Perfect, I'll settle all our old and new scores this time."

The moment this thought crossed his mind, the green-eyed master's expression changed.

"Cough!" A large mouth full of sharp teeth vomited out a lot of foul blood, which killed all the green grass around it.

A hint of regret appeared in the green-eyed owner's eyes, and he sighed again, "I still miscalculated Jiang Qing's strength. The plan failed, and we ended up losing a rare Iron-Feathered Bird for nothing."

Cough. If I weren't still at the crucial stage of refining the demon core, how could you possibly... cough cough That's a good thing, let's settle all the old and new scores together! Kang Dabao, Jiang Qing, you two bastards probably don't know, this Cold Crow Mountain Range is still quite vast, enough for us to have a good fight!

----In the rear command tent

"Reporting to Sect Leader Kang, the casualties of the two hundred men in the central army have been tallied: forty-six dead, ninety-three wounded, and the rest are mostly injured and have been taken back to the infirmary for treatment."

Ma Yanwen respectfully presented the newly recorded Jade Slip to Kang Dabao. The names on it had become stiff and cold, a pitiful sight, for how many small families had suffered this calamity.

The latter simply nodded and replied, "I understand."

He ignored the casualty Jade Slip that Ma Yanwen had prepared, and instead turned his gaze back to the map, looking at the densely packed markings in various colors. After pondering for a while, he finally spoke slowly, "Fellow Daoist Ma, please take a look."

"Yes," Ma Yanwen picked up a blank green Jade Slip again, holding a pen and knife, his gaze resolute, ready for battle.

Sect Leader Kang Da didn't care whether Ma Yanwen's serious demeanor was genuine or not, and simply said in a calm voice:

"First, order the deputy generals of each battalion to transport their wounded to the old site of Bing-Zi Military Stronghold within ten days. No delays are allowed, and those who fail to do so will be punished according to military law. Chongming Sect Ming Zhe, the disciple in charge of the Mingzong Merchant Caravan, transport the wounded first on his return journey, and only after the wounded have been transported can supplies be transported if there is any remaining capacity."

Double Brightness, Elder Punishment Hall Jiang Budui, and Elder Cold Mountain Sect Zhou Zhaoyi will lead the team to ensure the wounded are safe and sound during the journey. Chongming Sect Transmission Elder Pei Yi, External Affairs Elder Ye Zhengwen, and Artifact Hall Steward Yuan Jin are to be responsible for receiving the wounded on the outer edge of the Cold Crow Mountain Range and must not be negligent.

"Secondly, as Ye Yaoling suggested beforehand, she claimed that Cloud Horn Volunteers's advance to such places would not be of much help, so she first selected the elite among them to fill the ranks of the local soldiers, and the rest returned to the rear to help manage the spirit mines and spirit fields that we had just captured."

I instructed Yuan Changsheng, a disciple of the Chongming Sect Alchemy Hall, to establish General Affairs Hall to Xiu An Yuan Changsheng. I spent a considerable amount of Spirit Stone to invite them here, so there's no reason for them to leave now. At the same time, I ordered Song Cheng, a disciple of the Punishment Hall, to leave the mountain gate and select elites from various sects for patrol duties, to deter those who commit crimes.

"Thirdly, ask Li Mingyuan and Mo Wen. They said three days ago that they had already set their sights on an unclaimed Second Tier spiritual land. Why haven't they taken it yet?"

If they cannot make the trip and secure a Second Tier spiritual land for themselves, I will ask the Cold Mountain Sect to intervene. Even if their hard work is taken by someone else, they must not blame me.

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could finish speaking, Ma Yanwen presented the meticulously engraved Jade Slip.

Kang Dabao conjured a sword with his fingers and made a few slight cuts in the air to make corrections. Afterwards, he took another Jade Slip recording the spoils and quickly skimmed through it with a serious expression, then muttered, "This expedition to open up the spiritual land should probably come to an end now."

He glanced again at the text on the Jade Slip: "Twenty-three First-Tier Lower-Grade spirit mines, four First-Tier Middle-Grade spirit mines, spirit springs, and Demon Beast."

Having mobilized nearly three thousand cultivators to fight for so long, the Chongming Sect has spent a fortune on food, supplies, and daily expenses, yet they have only gained this little bit of wealth in return. It is hardly much.

Not to mention, our Chongming Sect can't yet claim all these gains. Ingenious Craftsman Fort and Hemu Dao are still eyeing us covetously.

"We urged Li Mingyuan and Mo Wen to cheer up and seize the Second Tier Spirit Vein as soon as possible so we could begin our return journey. It's strange, considering the sect's records and the map provided by the Fearless Tower, there shouldn't be so many Second Tier Demon Beast roaming in such a remote place, right?"

They've come out, and quite a few of them are ruthless characters, which is rather strange. Could it be... could there be some change within Cold Crow Mountain? Or is someone hiding in the shadows, deliberately plotting against my family?"

Kang Dabao's expression suddenly turned solemn. He had many enemies, but it wasn't hard to guess that there were only a few who actually lived in the Cold Crow Mountain Range.

After taking a deep breath, Sect Leader Kang Da disregarded everything else, ignoring the others in the hall, and said slowly, "Back in the Mountain-Viewing cave abode, Uncle Black Shoes let you escape. Although I don't want to compete with you, if you've really set up the chessboard again, I'm not incapable of playing a good game with you, you armored beast."