Neck Metal Mace

---- Chongming Sect

"Have the Xue Household and the other families arrived yet?"

"The Pingrong Commandant already sent a messenger to urge them yesterday, but they said it's still on its way."

"We won't rush them anymore. If they don't return by 5 PM today, they will be punished according to the law for being late."

"Sect Leader Xu of the Cold Mountain Sect has sent a message saying they will arrive tomorrow."

"Tell your Senior Sister Zhou to arrange the food, lodging, and supplies; don't neglect our guests from afar."

Elder Chen of Ingenious Craftsman Fort said that the amount of spirit ink stored in their fortress is slightly insufficient for the great battle, and they hope that our Chongming Sect can lend them some Spirit Stone.

"Have them issue a list detailing the required supplies and the amounts in shortfall. I'll go talk to Magistrate Deng of Double Brightness Trade Market myself and see if he can give me some face."

"The New Year's gifts from 194 households with known names in the two counties have all been submitted in advance. Uncle Yuan, please make a move to check them."

"I can't leave right now, so please have Senior Brother Pei take a look. Have these supplies be registered and recorded. It was agreed beforehand that this was a loan from them, and they will have to repay it soon. Interest will be calculated as usual, so they won't suffer any losses."

Yuan Jin dealt with the important matters reported by the disciples in turn, working from noon until the sun was setting, before finally managing to sort out the urgent matters.

He was also busy at this time. Zhou Yixiu hurriedly brought over a list, and Yuan Jin took it and saw that it was full of black characters. His heart sank. "In just one day, so many of our soul lamps have gone out again?"

Zhou Yixiu counted on his fingers like a nouveau riche, his face filled with undisguised grief. "Five inner disciples and eleven outer disciples have perished. Of the disciples the sect leader brought, less than half are left. And who knows which of the remaining half are clinging to life, and which have had their Dao Path completely destroyed!"

Yuan Jin's expression darkened slightly, but he was much Zhou Yixiu. He said, "This is much better than we expected. If it weren't for Senior Brother personally overseeing things at Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, we might have been wiped out long ago."

As the two brothers were talking, Pei Yi and Ye Zhengwen walked in as well.

The latter two were also extremely busy these days. Ye Zhengwen had to communicate with various families, and Pei Yi had to train the troops. Although all four of them were focused on sect affairs, they rarely had time to get together these days.

Ye Zhengwen, who entered last, became the focus of attention. Before anyone could ask him, he spoke first:

"My sister-in-law went to the She Mountain Hall and hasn't returned yet. I did see Master Qi in Xuanwei City. However, Madam Qi is in seclusion and hasn't come out, so he didn't dare to inform her. He only said that he could send Brother Yi back to help."

As instructed by my senior brother before his departure, I, in my capacity as the Assistant Magistrate of Pingrong, went to the Governor's Office and the Sima Office to report the battle. I only said that the beast tide had risen again and that my Chongming Sect was caught in a bitter battle because he was protecting the people of Ping and Jin counties.

The governor's office remained silent, saying they would discuss it again during the state council meeting; the Sima Office was polite, but only offered tea, and when asked when troops would be dispatched, they said they were currently raising military funds.

Zhou Yixiu frowned, her tone anxious as she asked, "Did Senior Brother Ye bring that..."

"The promises have been made. The two shops in Xuanwei City and the Lingtian Manor in Clear Stream Mountain have all been promised. Otherwise, even these perfunctory promises would be hard to get back."

Ye Zhengwen sighed, and after looking at his fellow disciples, said, "Regardless of whether they are willing to come to the rescue or not, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. This time, I'm afraid we still can't rely on others."

Yuan Jin grinned coldly after hearing this. "When have we ever relied on anyone else?"

Pei Yi, who had remained silent until now, said in a deep voice, "Training the troops will take some time. Let's wait for my sister-in-law's news before making any plans."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yixiu's face darkened further. "Our sect leader and senior brothers are in imminent danger; we're afraid we should..."

"Junior Brother Zhou, don't panic. According to what he wrote on the letter, the situation may not be as critical as we think. We shouldn't lose our composure."

Ye Zhengwen's gentle words of comfort did not improve Zhou Yixiu's expression. She only stammered, "We haven't received the message from Jia-Chou Military Stronghold for three days. Third Senior Brother is still missing, and we don't know where he is."

Yuan Jin was somewhat annoyed by Zhou Yixiu's mournful expression, and his tone became harsher as he said bluntly, "Alright, no matter how critical the situation, we must reorganize the team before we can proceed. If we rashly go into battle, we will only end up being overwhelmed by those desperate beasts with bloodshot eyes."

After he said those words, the hall fell silent again.

Heavy breathing filled the air. After a long while, Ye Zhengwen finally spoke again, "Push the things at hand a little faster. Even if it's just to get things done a little earlier, we can still set off a little earlier."

Everyone silently nodded in agreement, their expressions not good. Yuan Jin casually removed the soundproof barrier he had set up, and immediately a sound of weeping entered the hall.

"Who is crying?" Yuan Jin asked again in a deep voice.

Zhou Yixiu recognized the voice and said in a low voice, "It's Junior Brother Niu Kuang. He came to ask Second Senior Brother about the progress of the recruitment of Rogue Cultivator and is waiting outside the hall."

"Nephew Xing is dead?" Pei Yi asked in a trembling voice.

Zhou Yixiu stroked his long beard, his tone even more sorrowful. "The soul lamp was just extinguished at three-quarters past Shen time today. I thought I couldn't hide it from him in the end, so I told him. At first, he looked alright, and I thought he was just experienced and had weathered many storms. I didn't expect that Junior Brother Niu still couldn't hold back."

"He's spent half his life wandering before finally finding such a disciple to carry on his legacy; it's hard for him to bear it," Pei Yi added.

Among those present, who, besides Ye Zhengwen, hadn't lost a close relative or descendant? A wave of empathy washed over them once more.

Amidst the mournful cries, the fellow disciples dispersed. Yuan Jin was the last to stand up and walk out of the council hall, his face expressionless. Only Niu Kuang and Sun Fu, two elderly monks, remained, both grieving, their hair and beards soaked with tears.

Upon seeing Yuan Jin appear, Niu Kuang, fighting back tears, bowed deeply while holding the Jade Slip and said in a trembling voice:

"Senior Brother Yuan, this... this... this is the list of Rogue Cultivator that I've recorded over the past three days. There are thirty-two in total, including eighteen early-stage cultivators, ten mid-stage cultivators, and four late-stage cultivators. This is the allocated supplies; everything has been checked against the treasury, and there are no discrepancies. More will be provided later."

Niu Kuang's voice trembled with suppressed sobs as he spoke, but his tone calmed down towards the end.

Yuan Jin didn't know how to comfort him, so he simply replied with a few "okay"s. The disciple who had brought the news earlier also returned.

Yuan Jin took a moment to ask, "How is it?"

The disciple, whose expression was also grim, reported, "Uncle-Master, two families arrived after 3:45 PM."

"The heads of these two households shall kneel before the Punishment Hall and be questioned. If they cannot reveal any extremely urgent matter, they shall be executed. Their entire families shall be subjected to the Yang Blood Heart-Locking Incantation, incorporated into the battle formation, and made war slaves."

Upon hearing this chilling tone, Sun Fu was startled. He immediately abandoned Niu Kuang and rushed to Yuan Jin, admonishing him, "Senior Brother Yuan, Senior Brother Yuan, such actions clash with our sect's spirit of benevolence and leniency, and may even offend the heavens!"

Yuan Jin did not answer him at this moment. He lowered his head slightly, and no one present could see the color in his eyes.

When he spoke again, his tone was even colder, addressing only the disciple who had come to report, "If the crime of being late is confirmed, then the news of those two heads will be sent to every household in both counties. If anyone dares to be late again in the next few days, their entire family will be executed without trial!!"

After Yuan Jin finished speaking, he turned his head away and strode out.

His hunched body, as he bowed his head, clutched the booklet of "The Scripture of Clear Mind and Crossing Calamity, the Sea of Huihai and the Realization of Truth," which he had obtained from Kuang Liuting, tightly to his chest, as if unaware that his eyes were already as red as flames, and as if he could no longer hear Sun Fu behind him still calling out repeatedly:

"Senior Brother Yuan! Senior Brother Yuan! This cannot be done! It's against the principles of Heaven! It's against the principles of Heaven! Senior Brother Yuan!"

"Puff"

Another small green-glazed arrow struck the Immortal Game Disc, splashing out thick green liquid that made the smooth surface of this top-grade Spirit Artifact appear slightly mottled and uneven with pinholes.

Kang Dabao slashed first with his short halberd, unleashing billowing black flames that scorched the large group of Demon Beast in front of him, deterring them from approaching.

E Yuan, however, had a solution. With a flick of his green eyes, his 365 sharp teeth lined up in an array, swirling wildly and whipping up a fierce wind, carving out a narrow path amidst the black flames.

The Demon Beast, emboldened, charged forward again indiscriminately.

Several Second Tier Demon Beast were the first to be attacked, followed closely by thousands of First Tier beasts.

For a time, the beasts beneath the stockade walls were so densely packed that the Star-Shooting Crossbow no longer needed to be precisely aimed; as long as the spiritual energy was sufficient, even a blind man could hit his target without fail.

This display of power was enough to make even the seasoned Sect Leader Kang Da tremble. At this moment, Little Qi and the Immortal Game Disc alone would hardly be able to withstand it.

So he quickly summoned Little Qi back to his side, and then with a gesture, the Lion Insect swarm, which had already eaten their fill, abandoned the beasts in front of them and gathered back in front of Kang Dabao to form a silver wall.

Although the silver wall was somewhat thin, even the leading Second Tier Demon Beast could only carve deep marks on it; ordinary Technique Method could not harm them.

First Tier Demon Beast were even less able to deal with these little creatures that were impervious to water and fire. Only when they encountered those weak ones whose spiritual power was insufficient could they squeeze them to death as they fell to the ground.

These Lion Insect, raised on Star Frost Soil, truly surprised Sect Leader Kang Da, just as Kang Yilong had predicted.

For a moment, this thin silver wall actually held back the bloodthirsty beasts in front of them, preventing them from advancing an inch.

Seeing this, E Yuan was astonished. "In terms of Divine Sense power, even if cultivators are slightly superior to our Demon Race, they shouldn't be able to control so many Second Tier spirit insects by a mere mid-stage True Cultivator. This fellow must have had some extraordinary encounters, but to have had so many in just a few years, he can't be allowed to live any longer!"

E Yuan was so frightened that his killing intent surged. As the beast core spirit energy in his Dantian was released, his own blood vessels were also shaken so violently that a mouthful of blood gushed from his stomach, but it was forcibly swallowed back by the beast.

The green-glazed arrows that were fired in quick succession were not only much thicker, but also stained with an undeniable amount of rich blood.

The disciples of Ingenious Craftsman Fort, who were operating crossbows on the stockade wall, seemed to have noticed something amiss. They abandoned their easy victory and fired three crossbow bolts in a triangular formation, the sound of the wind whistling through the air, which made E Yuan look up and glance at them.

The beast glanced at it once and then ignored it, letting the three ten-foot-long silver crossbow bolts grazed its protective Gang Qi as they fell to the ground and shattered into dust.

Its fierce eyes were fixed on the several Technique Method that were being unleashed in quick succession, watching them pass through the bodies of ferocious Demon Beast, turning truly crimson, smashing through the seemingly indestructible silver light insect wall, and getting as close as one foot between Kang Dabao's eyebrows.

"Die!!!"

E Yuan emitted a harsh and unpleasant syllable from its throat, as if trying to use the sound to gain an advantage.

"Bang"

The green-glazed blood arrow, which E Yuan had placed high hopes on, splattered as always, pouring onto the surrounding Lion Insect and Demon Beast, scalding them with plumes of white steam. Along with it, several dazzling Golden Light Technique Method also dissipated.

The latter's power was clearly not much less than E Yuan's charged attack. Just by looking at Kang Dabao's calm expression, one could tell that this was probably not difficult for him.

"This eye technique... this fellow's skill seems to be no less than that of the Yue Household sword cultivator we encountered in the Mountain-Viewing Cave back then." E Yuan felt a sense of apprehension, because Kang Dabao's progress over the years had been much faster than it had imagined.

The thought had barely formed in its mind when suddenly its stomach churned again. Unable to hold back any longer, a large amount of blood turned into hundreds of blood streaks, overflowing from between its teeth and making the already salty and fishy ground even more vivid in color.

"I never imagined that there would be so many troublesome people in Mountain-Viewing Cave back then. I took the pill too hastily in the cave abode and used the pill energy too much, which is why I am now in this predicament."

While it was still lamenting, the Demon Beast in front of it kept charging in through the broken silver wall. Immortal Game Disc and Slaughter and Extermination protected it one after another. Although the Sect Leader Kang Da was struggling to deal with them, he was not injured. In the end, all that was left in front of him was a pool of indistinguishable pieces of flesh.

He fought fiercely at the foot of the stockade wall for a short while, and Ji Yunsheng also led his well-prepared troops out to fight his way out.

Although the Cold Mountain Sect was newly established and its members' hearts were not yet settled, the four brothers had spent most of their wealth to establish the sect, and they had not neglected their disciples.

The disciples of the Cold Mountain Sect followed Ji Yunsheng out of the gap in the formation in an orderly fashion. Each of them wore a rare lightning-type spiritual item, but their grades and styles varied, making it difficult to describe them as uniform.

However, Ji Yunsheng's courage increased greatly as a result. His disciples held spiritual objects and silently chanted Mnemonic. Faint thunder energy arose in the formation and then quickly gathered around Ji Yunsheng.

"Imperial Edict!!"

After Ji Yunsheng roared, the ten golden rings on his ten thick fingers shone brightly, and then ten crescent-shaped lightning scythes appeared, which fell one after another on the Demon Beast that were still screaming incessantly in front of Sect Leader Kang Da.

The two low-grade Second-Tier Lower-Grade Demon Beast that were the first to be hit received a great deal of attention, each receiving three blows. One Purple Fire Jackal was scorched and mangled, while the other Golden-Winged Tiger, which was slightly more powerful, only had its two front claws cut off.

Second Tier Demon Beast are much more lucid than First Tier Demon Beast, which are chaotic and mindless. Having suffered such severe injuries, the Golden-Winged Tiger naturally knew to run away.

The area around it is now much clearer. The Demon Beast from before haven't left, but they've been cut into pieces by the lightning sickle and are lying on the ground, unable to speak.

As soon as the Golden-Winged Tiger turned around, it saw a pair of green eyes filled with ferocity staring at it.

Then a fierce wind appeared overhead, and three hundred and sixty-five sharp teeth fell one after another, easily slicing through its flesh and skeleton, cutting it into pieces that were more convenient to be used as fresh meat for other Demon Beast.

"That beast is ruthless! He's probably killed just as many Second Tier Demon Beast as I have!" Kang Dabao cursed angrily, his hand seals changing again.

The insect cloud formed a silver wall once more, but it was much thinner, forcing Little Qi to step forward and fight. The Immortal Game Disc couldn't even rest for a moment, as it was used by the exhausted Sect Leader Kang Da to fend off countless Demon Beast Technique Method.

Even though Kang Dabao had already mastered the Long Breath Art and his foundation was incredibly solid due to the Golden Core spiritual source, it was still astonishing that he could hold out until now against such a massive horde of beasts.

Yet, spiritual energy surged forth from his body like a tidal wave, and the swarm of Lion Insect that he relied on as a shield became increasingly sparse, while the beast horde in front of him remained inexhaustible and endless.

This situation naturally caused Sect Leader Kang Da to feel anxious.

"Wei Gu, how much longer!"

"Half a quarter of an hour, half a cup of tea!" (Half a quarter of an hour is seven and a half minutes, half a cup of tea is five minutes)

"Damn it, you want another half cup of tea?!"

"."

Knowing that urging and scolding would be useless, Kang Dabao could see that Little Qi was covered in wounds, and his own Divine Sense burden was also lightened, which meant that the number of Lion Insect swarms was less than half.

Ji Yunsheng's disciples could not withstand such power. One after another, they made mistakes in their Mnemonic and hand gestures, which disrupted his Technique Method. The gold rings on his ten fingers cracked, and the lightning spear that he had managed to gather spun and disappeared in an instant. He was in a very sorry state.

Originally, Ji Yunsheng had planned to have Mo Wen or Lu Xingbei lead the rest of the disciples out of the village to fight after they had established a foothold outside the village walls, thus buying time for Kang Dabao to repair the formation for the formation master.

However, given the current situation, his plan is unlikely to succeed. It's also uncertain whether there will be enough time to transfer elite troops from the other stockades.

Furthermore, the other sections of the stockade are still under attack by Demon Beast, so they may not have the resources to come to the rescue of this one.

"We can't fight anymore, you can't stop us!" Sect Leader Kang Da could feel that the pair of green eyes behind the beast horde hadn't left him for a moment. He cursed again, grabbed something in his hand, and the swarm of insects narrowed again, covering an even smaller area, causing Ji Yunsheng to frown and feel panicked.

"Fellow Daoist Ji, please step back!"

"Alliance Leader, this..." At this critical moment, Ji Yunsheng could not hesitate for too long. He waved his hand and gave the order, and the Cold Mountain Sect disciples, who had just been somewhat in formation, scattered like birds and beasts.

Without even turning around, Kang Dabao could see the anxiety on the faces of Wei Gu and the other array masters.

"This secondary formation cannot be held. Fellow Daoist Ji, please lead the alliance disciples to temporarily retreat to the main formation. I will arrive shortly!"

"As the Alliance Leader commands!"

"You yellow-eyed brat, you've got a good plan! You're not going anywhere!"

Faced with such a favorable situation, E Yuan could no longer resist. Even though blood was still gushing from his belly, he still squeezed out of the herd and charged forward.

The silver wall of Lion Insect that could hold off the beasts only delayed the enraged creature for a moment before it was breached by the beast.

Despite being relentlessly bitten by the Lion Insect covering his body, E Yuan led a large horde of Demon Beast to attack, until even the Sect Leader Kang Da could see the beast's mouthful of red teeth.

The latter, however, was surprisingly calm at this moment, considering that if he turned his back and walked away, he would be surrounded by these beasts, and even with the protection of the blue smoke, he would hardly be able to save his life.

So he first put the already exhausted Little Qi back into his bag, and his own scattered Lion Insect swarm only transformed into a life-sized square shield that fell back in front of him.

Upon seeing the colossal object before him again, the object in his hand was finally activated.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a huge golden mace appeared in front of the horde of beasts, like a divine weapon, and fell from the sky.

This caused Crocodile Primordial Spirit to change drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise, "A talisman treasure?!"

The array of teeth immediately returned to its front, then collapsed and broken teeth flew everywhere. E Yuan vomited blood again, but managed to withstand Kang Dabao's deadly attack.

Other Demon Beast, however, lacked its ability. Regardless of their rank, they were all ungrateful and left first, dissolving into the E Yuan's claws and turning into mud.

"Damn it, you're forcing me to use my capital!!" Kang Dabao shouted, and then brought his golden mace down again.

E Yuan's skills, even without considering his hidden injuries, were already at the level of an ordinary False Core. However, with preparations, he was not afraid of talismanic treasures. This beast, covered in blood, entangled the Sect Leader Kang Da, giving him no chance to turn his back and escape. Subsequent Demon Beast kept surging in, only to be smashed into mincemeat by the golden mace.

The beast horde under the command of a Spirit Awakening Demon Beast is different. Even though the arena has now become a meat grinder, most of the Demon Beast still rush forward one after another without the slightest fear.

Seeing that Kang Dabao power was almost depleted, E Yuan became even more desperate in his actions.

"Damn it, I'm going to lose money too!!!" Sect Leader Kang Da cursed again, and the Immortal Game Disc suddenly trembled. Points of light suddenly appeared in front of Kang Dabao, each one a mix of black and white, each one a balance of yin and yang.

E Yuan recognized the spell, yet easily discerned that its power far surpassed its former self. He immediately cursed inwardly, "How come this guy's Spirit Artifact has also increased in power?!"

Cursing was useless; E Yuan watched helplessly as 361 Yin-Yang Yin-Yang Mystic Lightning suddenly struck.

Then, the screams of the Demon Beast rose and fell in my ears, and I could not bear to listen to them. I also felt waves of pain in my body, which aroused the evil blood in the beast's belly and made it stop its attack.

But in that brief moment, Sect Leader Kang Da had already found his opportunity.

He put away the talisman, turned around, and returned to the formation. The remaining half of the insect cloud was more human-like than the disciples of the Cold Mountain Sect. Its silver armor remained intact and blocked many of the various Demon Beast spells shot at him by the demonic beasts.

After E Yuan's injuries were temporarily suppressed, he led the beasts to charge again. However, he was only about ten feet away from the stockade wall when he was knocked away by a tremendous force.

E Yuan was indeed covered in wounds and filled with rage. When he looked up again, the great array light screen of Jia-Chou Military Stronghold had been restored to its original state.

"When did they repair the formation?!"

Not only was this beast surprised, but even the disciples guarding the Sect Leader Kang Da, who had entered the formation and saw that everyone was present, were also pleasantly surprised.

Before he could even ask, Wei Gu, drenched in sweat, replied, "It only took half a cup of tea."

Ji Yunsheng praised without reservation, "This disciple of the Alliance Leader is truly remarkable; he has a bright future ahead of him."

Mo Wen and Lu Xingbei, the two True Cultivators, also felt as if they had just walked through the gates of hell, and their gazes toward Wei Gu were filled with admiration.

At the same time, he sighed inwardly, "How come all these talented and beautiful people seem to come from the Chongming Sect?!"

The Sect Leader Kang Da wondered if these people, looking back at that down-on-his-luck Rogue Cultivator who was over forty years old and only a First-Tier Lower-Grade array master, would still think of him as a promising talent.

Just as Kang Dabao was about to say a few words of praise to Wei Gu, the Demon Beast outside the formation became restless again.

"Everyone, stay put! Stay put!! Hold out a little longer, and once we're caught in a pincer attack with reinforcements, all those Demon Beast outside will become our food and supplies!"

The sounds of battle continued to resound, but the ferocious beast with green eyes outside had lost its initial confidence.

"If this fellow cultivates for a few more years, he'll be truly terrifying."