Trapped for a Time

---- Cloud Horn Prefecture Building

A middle-aged woman, even more mature and beautiful than Yan Qingwei, stood in the stable, looking out of place in the messy and dirty environment around her.

She watched patiently with her clear eyes as the old groom used an iron comb to clean the skinny horse in the stable before she spoke:

"My mother sent me to ask you, Old Jiang, since the Daoist Black Shoes has already left, and Kang Dabao is no longer valued by the state court or the Fei Household, why was False Core still sent to save his life?"

Jiang Hongdao adjusted his filthy trousers, picked up a handful of dry grass from the ground, and roughly rubbed it to wipe the grime from his hands. Only then did he turn to the beautiful woman and say, "Vice Pavilion Master, does this pavilion truly lack a False Core Formation expert to oversee things?"

The beautiful woman's brows furrowed slightly in displeasure, and her tone turned colder. "Old Jiang, now I'm asking you a question."

Jiang Hongdao's eyes widened in surprise, then a faint smile appeared on his face:

"Vice Master, it's just a matter of sending that bastard Yang Jue on a trip to the Cold Crow Mountain Range. He can return in a few days. He sits around Tengwen Prefecture all day with nothing to do, so it won't hurt him to move around. Even if he can't drive away the beasts, it shouldn't be difficult to save Kang Dabao's life."

"That's easy for you to say. Steward Yang is stationed in Tengwen Prefecture, the most important town in Shannan Circuit. Unlike you, old man, who spends your days leisurely indulging in debauchery in a commoner's manor. Why should Steward Yang abandon the many urgent matters of Tengwen Prefecture and ignore them? Why should you save him?"

"Why not save them?" Jiang Hongdao's tone became somewhat flippant again, simply saying:

"Vice Master, you should know that Kang Dabao is the nephew-in- Fei Nanying, the head of the Fei Household's She Mountain Hall; a trusted minister of Kuang Liuting, the most prominent member of the current imperial family of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty; the closest descendant of the Daoist Black Shoes who went to the outer sea to seek the opportunity of a high- fortuitous opportunity Upper-Grade Golden Core Elixir; and one of the most outstanding heads of families in the surrounding states. You may look down on him, but if any one of these identities is useful in the future, saving him will be a worthwhile investment."

The beautiful woman sneered, "Nonsense! If Kang Dabao were truly that valuable, how could he have fallen so low that our Fearless Tower had to send people to rescue him?"

Jiang Hongdao nodded and said, "The deputy tower master is right. If he weren't far away from those hot stoves now, our Fearless Tower would hardly have found an opportunity."

"But Vice Master, our Fearless Tower covers twenty-six prefectures and hundreds of counties in the Shannan Circuit. Is it possible to find a cultivator with an even more valuable identity than Kang Dabao and easily recruit him? Can you be absolutely certain that our Fearless Tower will never need Kang Dabao in the future?"

The beautiful woman scoffed, "Old Jiang, that's the same rhetoric you used to fool me and my mother back then. All these years, only Kang Dabao has ever benefited from the brothel. You talk about those multiple relationships, but has anyone inside the brothel ever gotten even a single thing over the years?!"

After being reprimanded by the beautiful woman Jiang Hongdao remained neither ashamed nor angry. He cupped his hands and said, "Vice Master, please don't be impatient. I, Old Jiang Hongdao, already received your approval for these matters back then. It's not that we don't need them, but rather that the time hasn't come yet."

These words were hardly respectful, and the beautiful woman frowned, about to retort, when she heard the old monk opposite her say again:

"Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? Back then, the former Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion was the most closely related sect leader to the imperial family within the Immortal Dynasty. He was almost like a master and disciple to the founding emperor."

Wasn't he the first to rebel when Emperor Great Wei was trapped in the forbidden area, causing True Person factions of the Immortal Dynasty to gather in response and shattering the Kuang Household's empire?!

"The fact that you Old Jiang my actions back then shows you didn't value the amount of capital we invested. Besides, since we've already invested Fearless Tower capital, we have to get the borrower's life back before we can recoup our principal and interest, right?"

The woman's anger subsided slightly, and she then spoke in a gentle voice, "Old Jiang, you are indeed becoming more and more presumptuous. You even dare to casually mention matters involving True Person."

The old cultivator chuckled dismissively before saying, "A local official is no match for a county magistrate. This is a simple truth even a child knows. Besides, there's no one else around. What's there to be afraid of if I, Old Jiang, privately discuss some well-known old news with the deputy head of the building? And what's there to be ashamed of?! I didn't mention the 'Watching Exalted Cultivator Guanyu' in front of the deputy head of the building."

"Jiang Hongdao!!" Upon hearing the last four words, the beautiful woman's face immediately changed color.

After the loud shout, her full breasts trembled violently, and a flash of light appeared in her hand, revealing a pair of gleaming, snow-white mandarin duck knives, which made the beautiful woman appear even more aloof and stunning.

"Haha, why is the deputy director so angry? Let's not mention it, let's not mention it! Old Jiang will not mention it again." Jiang Hongdao waved his hands repeatedly, feigning a look of fear on his old face.

"Some jokes are not to be taken lightly. If this happens again, I won't care that you're one of my mother's former subordinates; I'll take your life!"

The beautiful woman had just finished uttering her harsh words when she noticed a smile appear on the old man's face, who had been bowing and begging for mercy.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, Vice Master. I know you're unhappy with me because Yan'er and I suggested she try to get a position in Kang Dabao's household. That's understandable, though. It's hard to find many mothers in this world who would be willing to do such a thing with their own flesh and blood."

At this point, Jiang Hongdao's smile vanished, and the flippant tone disappeared completely. "However, if the Daoist Black Shoes truly manages to form Upper-Grade Golden Core and returns in the future, I, Old Jiang, will have paved a smooth road for Yan'er."

Hearing this, the anger on the beautiful woman's face gradually faded. After a moment of contemplation, she asked in a clear voice, "Old Jiang, do you really think so highly of the Daoist Black Shoes?"

"Does the Deputy Master truly believe that Daoist Black Shoes has absolutely no chance of forming Upper-Grade Golden Core?" The old cultivator turned his gaze aside, asking a question instead of answering.

"Enough with the noise! How can you say things like that?! Even I, even you old bastard, couldn't possibly beg for Upper-Grade Golden Core, let alone the Daoist Black Shoes?"

"That makes sense. She's just a daughter with decent potential. What's there for the Vice Master to be reluctant about?"

"Be careful."

Seeing that the beautiful woman had finally relented, Jiang Hongdao let out a few more strange laughs before saying, "Vice Master, this matter is not something we can decide. That young man surnamed Kang is not lacking in women these days, and ordinary methods may not be enough."

"Just do it!" These were the only five words the beautiful woman left behind before she departed.

Jiang Hongdao didn't seem to care much about the beautiful woman's words and actions. As soon as she finished speaking, he picked up the iron grate from the ground again.

The skinny horse in the stable seemed quite intelligent and strolled over affectionately. But Jiang Hongdao didn't show the smile he usually wore.

He expertly washed his now-cleaned fur, muttering to himself, "If this matter can truly be resolved satisfactorily, then I, Old Jiang, will have repaid the favor I owed you, Master She Fu Yi Fuyi."

---- Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, South Wall

The beast horde, which had become unusually excited after hearing E Yuan's somewhat urgent howl, was now splattered with blood.

At this moment, Jiang Qing, wielding a sword with only one arm and soaked in blood, was about to cut through the horde of beasts blocking his way in just a few breaths.

This wasn't Jiang Qing being reckless; after all, no matter how proud and arrogant the Chongming Sect Third Master Jiang was, he never intended to fight his way through the beast horde to enter the stronghold.

However, one of the beast packs, Second Tier Silver-Bristled Hound, had an exceptionally keen sense of smell and saw through Jiang Qing's concealment technique, which had kept him hidden all along. This is why the latter was unable to escape and ended up in a predicament.

However, the Second Tier Silver-Bristled Hound did not fare well either. With a vertical slash from the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword, it sliced its nose and skull in two.

Such actions naturally caused the beasts to become restless. As soon as Jiang Qing withdrew his sword, he realized that his retreat was cut off.

"Now there's only one path left. What a pity. I originally intended to linger outside the military camp to see if I could find a few lone Demon Beast to use as sacrificial offerings for my senior brothers, so I could help them maneuver within the camp. But this beast has ruined everything, and might even drag my senior brothers down with me."

Fortunately, the Second Tier Silver-Bristled Hound has a keen sense of smell, but the other Demon Beast don't react as quickly as it does.

These Demon Beast have besieged Jia-Chou Military Stronghold for over twenty days. Every day, the cultivators inside the stronghold are only seen silently taking hits. They never imagined that there would be cultivators from the outside world coming to their aid.

Taking advantage of the Demon Beast's suddenness and gaining the upper hand, Jiang Qing found a weak point in the horde and moved swiftly, urging his flying sword forward.

For a moment, the sword light was as fierce as fire, scorching the flesh and blood creatures in front of Jiang Qing, causing them to fall like withered leaves.

Ignoring his injuries, Jiang Qing resolutely moved closer to the wall of the military camp, and in an instant he was within a hundred paces of the camp.

The fastest chasing Demon Beast were indeed in deep trouble. Every time a sword light appeared in the herd, someone would die. The mournful howls made even the leading Second Tier Demon Beast tremble with fear.

However, with the Spirit Awakening- awakening Demon Beast in charge, they could hardly act in a way that sought to avoid harm and had no choice but to grit their teeth and block. These beasts had some intelligence and did not act as recklessly First Tier Demon Beast.

Four or five Second Tier Demon Beast gathered together, not daring to approach. They could only exert their Technique Method from a distance to suppress the fierce sword light in front of them.

After these beasts arrived, Jiang Qing found it difficult to harvest the lives of the Demon Beast as easily as before, and his actions were inevitably slowed down.

The surrounding Demon Beast charged forward fearlessly, pressing him so hard that he could barely unleash his sword skills, and he couldn't even shake off the pool of blood and bits of flesh on the blade.

"Cough," Jiang Qing coughed up blood again, his face darkened, and a spiritual essence suddenly emanated from the Sword-Sharpening Stone in his bosom, slowly landing on the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword. A violent Sword Qi burst forth instantly, taking many lives in an instant and leaving countless pieces of rotten flesh and broken bones in front of Jiang Qing.

It wasn't just those weak, First Tier Demon Beast that suffered.

The four- Four-Horned Yellow Rhinoceros facing Double Brightness Sword Immortal was also fortunate. This Second-Tier Middle-Grade Demon Beast, which was usually known for its physique, could not withstand the sword's edge this time. Its scales and the flesh and membrane beneath were as fragile as its skin. After letting out a miserable scream, its internal organs were ripped apart and it died.

Several Second Tier Demon Beast were so frightened that they stopped in their tracks. However, the E Yuan's shriek from earlier seemed to still linger in their ears, preventing them from feeling even the slightest bit of fear.

Jiang Qing saw that the eyes of these ferocious beasts were still incredibly red, and their mouths were still covered in drool, so he knew that he needed to put in more effort.

"Fifty steps!"

"Clang!" The sound of the sword was clear and melodious, and the flash of the blade was alluring!

A Sword-Ray shot out swiftly, fast enough to blind the Blood-Toothed Vulture, which was known for its "speed." Jiang Qing was not smug. As soon as he turned around, the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword flew out of his hand again and entered the left ear of the attacking Iron-Armed Ape.

After churning the beast's brains, the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword sliced open its skull, smeared off its slick body, and finally returned to Jiang Qing's hands.

"Thirty steps!"

"Roar!!!" The other Second Tier Demon Beast were not deterred by this ferocious scene. Instead, they urged the surrounding beasts to rush towards Jiang Qing, the center of the vortex, like a flood.

Jiang Qing looked unwell, knowing that while his killing move, which he had been cultivating for several years, was indeed powerful, it also consumed the most spiritual energy and was difficult to sustain.

But even at this critical moment, Jiang Qing did not show the slightest sign of panic. Even his swordplay remained unhurried and perfectly composed.

Although he knew he couldn't withstand the beast horde's attack for long, Jiang Qing felt relieved when he saw a tall figure land on the stockade wall.

The burly man who descended from the top of the stockade had no intention of dealing with these bloodthirsty beasts in front of him. He simply used Golden Light to lead the way and cleared a path with his short halberd without any regard for reason.

With E Yuan yet to appear, no matter how ferocious the Demon Beast surrounding the stronghold may be, they are no match for Sect Leader Kang Da.

These clumsy beasts could never fathom the subtleties of "The Military Strategy Taught by the Star Lord of the Wood Palace," nor could they fathom the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes of Delusion.

Even if any fish slipped through the net along the way, Kang Dabao could calmly place them in front of him and easily crush them with the "Eight Wastelands Suppress the Mountain" technique, which he had become increasingly proficient in.

With the remaining half of the Lion Insect protecting him, he wasn't in a hurry to kill the Demon Beast in front of him; he was only eager to rescue Jiang Qing, so he moved very quickly.

It's true that the Demon Beast in the horde didn't flinch at the sight of such a tragic scene, but in just a few breaths, their actions to fill the empty space in front of Sect Leader Kang Da were far less swift than the short halberd in his hand reaping lives.

Just like when he single-handedly confronted the horde of beasts last time, Kang Dabao's spiritual energy receded like a tide, but he dared not slow down his movements even a fraction.

This was because he could see that the spiritual energy in the Sword-Sharpening Stone in Jiang Qing had dissipated, and it was barely enough to support a few Second Tier Demon Beast. If he didn't hurry, his third junior brother might not survive.

"Ten steps!"

The Slaughter and Extermination easily sliced open the short belly of the blind Blood-Toothed Vulture, drawing a line of blood and relieving the Demon Beast's pain.

At the same time, Kang Dabao's golden eyes never stopped flashing, and beams of Golden Light shot out, killing any Demon Beast that dared to obstruct him. Only a few Second Tier Demon Beast beasts managed to escape unscathed.

Faced with the hordes of beasts surging in from all directions, he used only the Immortal Game Disc for protection, and even the insect clouds had all been dispersed to devour their lives.

"Almost there!!" Kang Dabao thought to himself again, and finally unleashed the Neck Metal Mace he had been holding to his chest.

As the massive golden mace suddenly fell, splashing up a cloud of blood mist, the familiar shrill whistle rang in the ears of Sect Leader Kang Da once again.

"Roar!! Roar!!!"

"Alliance Leader!! The Second Tier trapping formation set up behind the western secondary formation is about to break!!" Shan Shijie's urgent shout rang out after the shrill cry, causing Sect Leader Kang Da's expression to change drastically.

"Didn't they say this Second-Tier Lower-Grade trapping formation could hold that beast for half a day? It's only been a short time; he probably didn't even have time to take a dump. We shouldn't believe Wei Gu's words too often! Damn it, if Zhang Qingran dares not to come again next time, see how I deal with her!"

No matter how much they regretted it, it was useless. Before coming, Sect Leader Kang Da only wanted the disciples of the alliance to test their skills in preparation for the Fei Household's possible summons at any time. He never expected to encounter an enemy like E Yuan.

Having ended up in this predicament, he could only furiously smash the talisman with a livid face before finally managing to grab Jiang Qing's already icy wrist.

The two brothers didn't need to say a word of nonsense; they simply turned back to the village in perfect unison.

Just then, a loud bang came from the direction of the western wall of the stockade, followed by a large amount of spiritual energy scattering around, brightening half of the sky.

"Yellow-eyed brat!! You've got some clever tricks up your sleeve!!!"

"Alliance Leader! The trapping formation is broken!! The Jade Crocodile has arrived!!!" As Mo Wen shouted, he personally wielded the Star-Shooting Crossbow and shattered the head of a Second Tier Golden-Ringed Viper beside Kang and Jiang.

Shan Shijie was so frightened that his face turned as white as paper, and he thought to himself:

"If anything were to happen to Kang Dabao and his companion, this military camp would truly be impossible to defend. Even if all the clansmen I brought here were to perish here, I must return to Jade Moon Valley. The family legacy painstakingly passed down by Shan Sheng must be safely passed on."

The roar of E Yuan could already be heard from afar. Given the critical situation, Kang Dabao could no longer afford to wait for Mo Wen's warning from the stockade wall.

From Jiang Qing's current performance, Sect Leader Kang Da could tell that the latter was already at his limit and could hardly fight anymore. Therefore, he wielded the Neck Metal Mace great speed, his eyes flashed with Golden Light intermittently, and his short halberd left many afterimages.

A sliver of hope flickered in his mind. "Even if this beast is incredibly fast, it can't possibly catch me ten paces from the stockade wall, can it?!"

The beasts in front of them were finally subdued by the power of the Fei Household Sect Leader Kang Da, and the fanaticism in their eyes involuntarily faded. In addition, the fact that they had surrounded the two of them and were too close to the stockade wall with their backs turned allowed the cultivators on the stockade wall to exert their full strength.

After this two-pronged approach, a thick layer of the dense horde of beasts in front of Kang Dabao and his companion was finally removed.

Five steps!

Kang Dabao looked excitedly at the seven or eight Star-Shooting Crossbow on the stockade wall, while simultaneously aiming at the Second-Tier Upper-Grade One-Horned Mountain Mandrill that was risking its life to block his way.

However, after a series of bowstring twangs, none of the seven or eight crossbow bolts struck the One-Horned Mountain Mandrill; instead, they were all intercepted by a turquoise shadow.

With a series of cracking sounds, only a few very shallow bloodstains were left on the green-clad figure in front of him.

"Walk!"

Sect Leader Kang Da's face immediately darkened, and he used all his skills to push Jiang Qing into the formation.

E Yuan watched with amusement as Sect Leader Kang Da pushed Jiang Qing into the military camp's formation, while Mo Wen and the other guards hurriedly came to catch him.

The beast remained unperturbed, continuing to use its serrated array and Technique Method.

It doesn't care about the lives of any cultivators here except Kang Dabao, because as long as the latter is left alone, all the cultivators in the village will only have one path: to be surrounded and die.

"Those cultivators who are skilled in many arts should not be killed casually. Perhaps their lives can be spared, their Primordial Spirit Slave Seal planted, and their cultivation resources provided. Who knows, they might even help me achieve great things in the demon realm in the future."

Having temporarily suppressed his injuries, E Yuan's confidence soared. He glanced at Kang Dabao, who had just managed to block several small green-glazed arrows with the Immortal Game Disc, and chuckled maliciously.

"You beast, you even know how to come here to fawn over the master!" Sect Leader Kang Da cursed angrily. Before E Yuan could react, the already extremely sharp phantom of the Neck Metal Mace solidified and grew even larger, accompanied by a great gust of wind, and crashed down on the ferocious beast in front of him.

E Yuan was slightly surprised by the power of the talisman, and quickly recalled the serrated circular array to protect himself.

Even though the golden aura surrounding the Neck Metal Mace was constantly being shaved away by the saw teeth, turning into wisps of dim yellow clouds scattered across the sky, it still forced E Yuan's saw-tooth array to be suppressed.

E Yuan, who was at a disadvantage, naturally realized that Kang Dabao's talisman was much more powerful than the last one, and he vaguely guessed the reason. "This brand-new talisman has only been used twice, and this guy is actually willing to throw it away?!"

Just as E Yuan had predicted, the serrated circular array was indeed smashed apart by Neck Metal Mace, but the talisman had also lost its spiritual light in the hands of Sect Leader Kang Da, becoming nothing more than waste paper.

E Yuan opened its mouth again and inhaled, and its still intact sharp teeth fell back into its mouth one by one. Then, the spiritual power around the beast quickly gathered into its mouth, and in just an instant, fine sharp teeth grew out of the empty grooves on its jaws.

After doing all that, several Golden Light attacked from the opposite side, and the black flames that Slaughter and Extermination had nurtured for many years were released with all their might. Even though E Yuan was now comparable to a False Core, he was still slowed down by this fierce attack.

After the newly formed array of teeth dispersed the Golden Light and the black flames were shattered by the small green-glazed arrows, E Yuan looked up again.

Having suffered heavy losses, Kang Dabao had already fled back to his camp.

E Yuan didn't show much disappointment, but continued to roar fiercely, urging its pack of beasts to attack relentlessly. It had already vaguely sensed some danger; perhaps the reinforcements from the cultivators in the stronghold were already on their way.

As Wei Gu had predicted, the Second Tier formation of Jia-Chou Military Stronghold was indeed a main formation with four secondary formations linked together. After the western wall of the garrison was breached, only two days later, the three secondary formations on the east, north, and south sides also fell one after another.

When the northern wall of the stockade fell, Lu Xingbei was separated from his companion and was found by the Second-Tier Upper-Grade One-Horned Mountain Mandrill, who killed him on the spot.

Jiang Qing, Ji Yunsheng, Li Mingyuan, and Ming Hun originally intended to go to the rescue, but they were surrounded by more than a dozen Second Tier Demon Beast and their hordes. If Kang Dabao, Mo Wen, and Shan Shijie hadn't risked their lives to gather a large number of disciples to come to their aid, the three of them would probably have been seriously injured.

However, this resulted in many more casualties among the disciples of the Double Brightness Alliance, and in the end, they could only retreat to the cramped inner stronghold to hold their ground.

Fortunately, on the very evening that the southern secondary formation was breached, a Swift Movement flying boat carrying eight Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Double Brightness Alliance and bearing the Six-Leaf Azure Lotus Dao Flag appeared in the sky that had already been stained crimson with blood.

(According to everyone's feedback, it has been a bit dragging, so I'll speed things up today, and this part of the story will most likely be finished tomorrow.)