Battle of Golden Cores

---- Old Ox Mountain

As the Sect Leader Kang Da, Yuan Jin, and Ming Zhe rode the Kui Star Shuttle, they could barely make out the outline of the mountain in the distance when they saw several dazzling spiritual energies emanating from its peak, almost soaring into the sky. They were immediately startled. "How many Golden Core cultivators have come from both families?"

The thought had barely formed when an old woman appeared in front of him, carrying a dove-shaped cane and dressed in fine clothes.

"Greetings, Granny Liu," Kang Dabao leaped off the flying boat and came over to pay his respects.

"Hmm, young Kang is here. Don't rush over. Earlier, an old geezer from the Two Instruments Sect got really angry and almost killed Fellow Zheng Household." Since her battle with Funeng, Fei Granny Liu was much more amiable than before. In the past, when had Sect Leader Kang Da ever received such gentle advice?

However, that Pill Master from the Yunwei Zheng Household was unlucky; he had only been here a few years, how could he be injured again?

After a sigh, Kang Dabao gave up, as he had no time to concern himself with such matters. Coincidentally, the old lady's words were exactly what he wanted to hear, so the Sect Leader Kang Da immediately agreed, boarded the flying boat again, and took the helm, only to pry off a few mid-grade Spirit Stone from the trough.

Kui Star Shuttle's speed visibly slowed down considerably, and it leisurely made its way to Old Ox Mountain.

Kang Dabao had no time to dwell on the past few years, having not visited this place of sorrow until now. He simply noticed eight people standing face to face on the mountaintop.

Below the mountain peak, there were nearly a thousand cultivators on each side, divided into two rather chaotic formations. They were obviously hastily assembled from various nearby sects, with no discernible order or strategy.

Therefore, although the two sides are clearly distinct, they do not give people a sense of unease or panic.

Even so, Kang Dabao was very careful and did not speak loudly. He simply walked quickly to the Acting Sima Gun under the banners of the state government and paid his respects.

"Junior Kang Dabao pays his respects to Sima!"

"Sect Leader Kang, you are too kind. It has been a long time. You have indeed made great strides, making this old man feel inferior. Your future is limitless."

"Thank you for your praise, Sima. I wonder..." Kang Dabao looked towards the mountain peak, hesitating to speak, but the Acting Sima Gun shook his head and smiled, "It's a small matter. With you in charge, and Senior Fei Tianqin not here, how precious are the Golden Core cultivators? There shouldn't be any fighting."

"But I heard from Granny Liu that even Senior Zheng almost met with disaster before?"

"That's true, but two of the False Core from the Two Instruments Sect were directly lost. I'm afraid she didn't tell you?"

"Oh," Kang Dabao suddenly realized. Gun Shilu laughed again and pointed to Ming Zhe behind the former, asking, "Your family certainly produces talented people. When did this young man establish his Dao Foundation? How come there's not a sound at all?"

"It was a fluke, just some mere Green Leaf; I shouldn't trouble Sima Qingxiu."

Gun Shilu stroked his long beard and chuckled softly, "Ha, you're not afraid of disturbing my peaceful cultivation; you're just plotting to make a fortune in silence."

The Sect Leader Kang Da an awkward smile and urged behind him, "Ming Zhe, why don't you quickly come and pay your respects to Sima?"

"Junior Chongming Zong Mingzhe greets Sima!" As soon as Mingzhe bowed deeply, Gunshilu's eyes lit up. "Don't let Kang Dabao's rough appearance fool you; he's known for producing handsome men. Wait for Mingzhe?"

"Ming Zhe? Sect Leader Kang, is this your Jiang Third's disciple?" Gun Shilu paused in his movements and asked doubtfully.

Ming Zhe, neither humble nor arrogant, replied, "Reporting to Sima, Master Jiang, whose given name is Qing, is indeed my teacher."

Gun Shilu's gaze softened considerably, and he took out something to bestow upon the item: "Hmm, not bad. I have a few pills here that no one in my household can use; you may take them."

Ming Zhe was completely bewildered. He had never heard of a pill that could enhance cultivation and yet no one had the means to use it.

However, how could the Sect Leader Kang Da and Ye Zhengwen not know that the former had taken advantage of Jiang Qing? Ye Zhengwen and Ming Zhe accepted the Gun Shilu Pill and bowed to each other.

Gun Shilu nodded slightly in return, then stopped speaking to the two and turned to Kang Dabao, instructing him, "Go and rest well. If a fight breaks out, remember to come quickly and help me cut off one or two Pill Masters' heads, so we can save up enough dowry for Yuyao as soon as possible."

"Yes," Sect Leader Kang Da replied respectfully, then turned to think to himself, "This Acting Sima Gun doesn't seem to know that the Third is going to be detained by the Fei Household's Qiu River Hall, who want to take him as their son-in-law?"

He and Ye Zhengwen exchanged a smile, but there was nothing they could do. They led Ming Zhe toward the Fei Household's Ying Mountain Army.

Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun, the two Golden Core cultivators, stood at the forefront, clad in sturdy armor and possessing striking good looks. Upon seeing the arrival of Sect Leader Kang Da, they showed no arrogance whatsoever.

No wonder they were arrogant at first but humble later; it just goes to show that without a prestigious family background, one must have exceptional personal abilities.

Before the two could even exchange pleasantries, and before Kang Dabao had even finished half of his bow, he heard a rumbling sound overhead, the spiritual atmosphere extremely chaotic.

"Damn it, Gun Shilu guessed wrong?!" Sect Leader Kang Da cursed inwardly, then quickly moved to join Ye Zhengwen and Ming Zhe.

"Not good!" Without thinking, Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun immediately turned back to their formation. The Ying Mountain Army moved about, and in the blink of an eye, they had formed their battle array.

The cultivators from both sides, who were facing each other, immediately tensed up. Gun Shilu's expression turned solemn as he gripped the flagpole, which was emitting a chilling aura, as if molten iron was about to seep from his hand.

"Fei Nanying, you've gone too far!!"

"Li Yun, you brat, if you don't tell me today, don't even think about taking back your Rosy Lake Mountain!"

The two sharp shouts from the mountaintop sounded like thunder, immediately signaling the start of a battle for the cultivators in the arena.

Gun Shilu frowned, drew his judge's pen, and the military officers behind him waved their banners, creating afterimages. The golden energy emanating from the Law Artifact almost sliced open the exposed flesh of the weaker cultivators on both sides.

Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun's Ying Mountain Army were the first to move, but they looked down on the other cultivators of the same level and rushed towards the Golden Core battlefield on the mountain peak.

The leader of the opposing Two Instruments Sect, False Core, was also sensible. Upon seeing this group, he knew that he could not stop them at all, so he hurriedly urged his own cultivators to make way, allowing Ying Mountain Army to reach the mountain peak and engage in battle with the upper cultivators.

At the same time, he was just as surprised as Gun Shilu: "The two sides had a tacit understanding in the past, so why did they start fighting so hastily?"

Even the Golden Core cultivators above are fighting with all their might, so even if someone is confused, how could they not intervene?

They had originally intended to organize their formation, but upon seeing that Gun Shilu, who disregarded everything and charged forward with his judge's pen, they had no time to maintain order and could only rush forward with their men.

Kang Dabao sighed inwardly as he held the Slaughter and Extermination. This False Core was indeed decisive. If he Sect Leader Kang Da, had been given a moment to prepare his troops based on his prestige, even if the number of troops on the state court's side was slightly less after the Ying Mountain Army left, the chances of victory would definitely be a notch higher.

"So be it, let it be chaotic!" Sect Leader Kang Da had no intention of helping Gun Shilu as he had promised earlier. At present, both sides did not have many troops, but there were quite a few Foundation Establishment and False Core Foundation Establishment like the three from the Chongming Sect who had abandoned their disciples and rushed over first.

Ye Zhengwen's fighting skills were mediocre, and Ming Zhe was just about to reach the Foundation Establishment. Kang Dabao was not comfortable abandoning the two of them and went off to fight on his own.

Sect Leader Kang Da didn't want to get into a fight here in a muddle, so he stayed in the back. When he saw someone he knew who was of the same level, he would swing his halberd to help them. If anyone was blind or had a bloodthirsty temper and insisted on rushing forward, he would use the Eight Wastelands Suppress the Mountain to take their life.

Even with this "no merit, no demerit" tactic, they managed to acquire fifteen or sixteen Storage Bag of varying ages and styles in just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Ye Zhengwen and Ming Zhe also made some gains, their Spirit Artifact covered in a stench.

After a while, the battle between the two sides actually grew larger and larger. This was because more and more cultivators who had been informed of the situation and come to the rescue arrived and joined in. As usual, there was no one to organize the fighting, so the chaotic battle continued.

Fei Granny Liu, who had rushed over, spotted the Sect Leader Kang Da, who had just picked up a Storage Bag belonging to a mid-stage True Cultivator and was smugly pleased with himself. The old woman laughed angrily, then shouted sharply, "Lazy brat, come and help me at once!"

Even amidst the deafening roar of a thousand cultivators fighting, the old woman's voice remained piercing. Kang Dabao had no choice but to greet Fei Enwen, who had come to help alongside Fei Granny Liu, and ask him to take good care of Ye and Ming.

As soon as he landed on the clouds in front of the old woman, Sect Leader Kang Da heard her ask in a puzzled voice, "Didn't Nanying just say that we wouldn't fight the Two Instruments Sect this time? How come we're fighting all of a sudden?!"

Kang Dabao had no way of answering this question, but fortunately, Fei Granny Liu didn't press him. Instead, she turned her attention to the fiercely contested battlefield. She had a keen eye and immediately spotted the most outstanding enemy Pill Master with shaved hair.

The shaved- Pill Master and the yellow-robed Pill Master from the Two Instruments Sect were the two most powerful cultivators on the opposing side, and they were currently fighting against the Acting Sima Gun. The latter looked unwell, clearly having failed to gain the upper hand.

"You wicked monks, be slaughtered!" The old woman roared with great force, her dove-shaped staff flying out like a black serpent, knocking the tiger-headed cudgel offered by the Pill Master quite far away, and even as it spun, it seemed as if gold dust was falling.

With reinforcements arriving, Acting Sima Gun's pressure was greatly reduced. He made a heavy stroke with his judge's pen, and a black sword slashed out swiftly, almost separating the yellow-robed Pill Master who had just become somewhat smug.

"Good lad, you even went out of your way to find Old Madam Fei to help me." With the formidable enemy temporarily at bay, Acting Sima Gun looked at Sect Leader Kang Da with a hint of admiration in his eyes. Before the latter could respond, the shaved-hair alchemist brought down his Pill Master cudgel.

Slaughter and Extermination's halberd barely blocked the tiger-headed staff, and the Law Treasure was stripped of another layer of gold dust. Kang Dabao was forced to retreat several steps. The spiritual patterns on Slaughter and Extermination's body trembled violently. Not only did the spiritual shoes under his feet tear open, but even the fresh footprints under his feet emitted steam.

After blocking the attack, Sect Leader Kang Da roughly estimated that he was stronger than Xue Wu, but far Yuan Buwen.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he saw the wolf-patterned wrist guard hanging on the shaved head Pill Master tremble, and his whole body seemed to grow taller all at once. His tiger-headed staff was even more merciless, and in just a few blows, it made the black snake transformed from Fei Granny Liu's dove staff cry out in pain.

"She really picked a tough one," Sect Leader Kang Da helplessly, only inwardly criticizing Fei Granny Liu's judgment. Before picking up Slaughter and Extermination to fight, he first turned his head to look towards the mountain peak. He didn't have time to observe the battle closely, but was just pondering to himself:

"No matter how fiercely we fight here, it's useless. Without a proper formation, who has the ability to withstand the magic cast by any Golden Core cultivator from the victorious side? It seems we're lacking a superior cultivator. If that's the case, I wonder if my Boyue can show his prowess this time?"

The wind whistled past his ears, forcing Kang Dabao to abandon his thoughts. He quickly summoned the Immortal Game Disc to block a crimson lightning bolt from the shaved- Pill Master. Knowing he couldn't afford to be distracted now, he activated his movement technique, joining forces with Fei Granny Liu to fight the powerful enemy together.

A huge, solid palm print instantly formed, its aura extremely violent. This caused Two Instruments Sect leader of the Li Yun, to frown and dare not confront it head-on. He retreated several steps to avoid its sharp edge.

After presenting the square tablet, Li Yun finally felt relieved. However, a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face. After all, he had been Core Formation expert for over a hundred years, had advanced to the Middle Stage of Golden Core realm, and was temporarily serving Two Instruments Sect of the Liangyi Sect in the Mountain South. Yet, he was being overshadowed by Fei Nanying, a junior who had only Core Formation a Core Formation expert for a little over ten years. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"This fellow truly lives up to his reputation as a direct descendant of a great master. His mastery of the 'Immortal Wei Thirteen-Story Ascension Method' is indeed formidable!"

Of the seven Golden Core from the Two Instruments Sect Li Yun, there were also three other cultivators: Wei Guze, Huang Siniang, and Mo Hegu.

Li Yun steadied himself slightly, and upon observing the battle situation, his already furrowed brows furrowed even deeper.

In the distance, Wei Guze and Yang Baoshan, both at the mid-stage of cultivation, were locked in a fierce battle, with Wei Guze holding a slight advantage thanks to the strength of his sect. However, it would likely take a long time for Wei Guze to secure victory.

Huang Siniang's situation was fraught with danger. Although Senior Cultivator Wufeng the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court, was not considered a formidable fighter and was far weaker than Huang Siniang, the addition of a well-equipped battalion of the Ying Mountain Army made it difficult for Huang Si Niang to cope.

The situation was equally bleak for Mo Hegu. He had only managed to form his Golden Core with great difficulty, and it had only been a little over sixty years since he achieved it. Among those of the same level, his skills were not considered high; at most, he could only be slightly stronger than Rogue Cultivator with a poor lineage like Senior Cultivator Wufeng.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to hide their whereabouts so well, and would have been caught by Yue Lin, a junior, at Old Ox Mountain.

On the other hand, although Yuan Buwen and Yue Lin were both fake Dan masters, one was highly skilled in halberd techniques and the other was experienced in swordsmanship. They could definitely be considered top figures among fake Dan masters. After fighting Mo Hegu for a long time, they not only did not show any signs of weakness, but also suppressed the latter to the point that his face turned red and he could hardly fight back, which was also embarrassing!

"The key to breaking this deadlock lies with me!" With a determined heart, Li Yun flipped his hands, and a green flame burst forth, leaping into his robes and illuminating the Two Instruments Dust Diagram on his chest. This Third-Tier Supreme-Grade Law Treasure did not belong to him personally, but was reserved for the use of the Two Instruments Sect's leader.

Although not as powerful as the natal magic Law Treasure of the same level, Li Yun, who was equipped with the Two Instruments Sect Master's token, did not need to worry about the spiritual power consumed by controlling the magic Law Treasure, making it very suitable.

A gray-white mist suddenly rose in front of Li Yun, and with the easy flow of Yin and Yang energies, it completely erased the giant beast palm print that Fei Nanying had transformed into once again.

"Fellow Daoist Li's methods are mediocre!" Fei Nanying's cold snort was like a slap across Li Yun's face. The latter was inwardly ashamed and annoyed, but his face remained impassive. His hand gestures changed rapidly, so fast that even Fei Nanying was of the same level, could not discern a single claw. All that could be seen was that the surrounding Spiritual Qi was suddenly swept away by Li Yun, splitting into yin and yang energies and stirring them together. The yin and yang energies circulated rapidly, like a spinning wheel, as large as a millstone. As soon as they pounced out, they crushed all the remaining light and spiritual energy in front of them and covered the former.

His words were merely meant to sow discord among the enemy; Fei Nanying was not so arrogant as to look down on a Middle Stage of Golden Core cultivator. Seeing the gray-white millstone pressing down on him, he remained calm. The "Immortal Wei Thirteen-Story Ascension Method was not limited to the " Great Alligator Pushes the Mountain " move; its movement Movement Method were still extraordinary.

As Fei Nanying activated "Azure Nether Treads the Waves," a large amount of water vapor suddenly appeared beneath his feet. Although he clearly saw himself in mid-air, he was actually walking on waves, a truly ghostly sight.

Li Yun's methods were indeed formidable, and even Fei Nanying found it difficult to come up with a suitable method to block them. However, thanks to her swift Movement Method, she still managed to make the former use up all her strength in vain, and her brows finally relaxed.

"A member of a prestigious lineage, yet you dare not fight head-on? Aren't you ashamed?!"

Li Yun's provocation had little effect on Fei Nanying, who merely curled his lips into a slight smile, continuing to dodge and refusing to confront him directly. Gradually, streaks of water remained in the void, lingering for a long time, and seemed to connect to form some kind of formation, echoing each other.

Li Yun, who was wielding the magical Law Treasure, remained focused, but soon noticed the anomaly. The Two Instruments Sect acted decisively, and the Yin-Yang Millstone immediately abandoned its pursuit of Fei Nanying. It rolled over the water mark in the air and instantly crushed it into water vapor, which then disappeared.

Fei Nanying wasn't surprised. Even though his pills were of high quality, he had only recently Core Formation. Li Yun, with his years of experience in the Golden Core stage, was quite capable of discerning his strategy, so it wasn't surprising at all.

It's a bit of a pity, though. If he had waited until the Cloud Dream Marsh Boundary Formation was fully set up, forcing Li Yun back would have been effortless.

"Fellow Daoist Li seems to have run out of tricks. If you would generously tell me the purpose of your visit, I will immediately order a halt to the fighting and politely escort you all out of the country. Wouldn't that be wonderful?!"

How could Li Yun possibly tell us that Mo Hegu had been sent by Pu Honggu of the Two Instruments Sect Liangyi Sect to search for Daoist Peng's whereabouts in Cloud Horn Prefecture Court?

He merely scoffed at the sound, "If you want war, then let's fight! Have you, the lackeys of the Immortal Dynasty, ever had a shred of integrity throughout history? Why bother making up stories to deceive us?!"

Despite having his thoughts exposed, Fei Nanying was not angry. Instead, he patiently dealt with Li Yun.

The two were locked in a stalemate, but Huang Siniang was the first to falter. Senior Cultivator Wufeng's black arrow Law Treasure was tightly wrapped by Huang Siniang's red silk and was about to break in two, which terrified the latter so much that her face turned pale. Meanwhile, the Ying Mountain Army unleashed its power.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fei Bofeng reorganized the military formation. As the command flag in his hand suddenly fell, rows of Xuanjia Dao soldiers with brightly colored armor stepped out in the Heavenly Gang Steps, their iron boots crushing the floating clouds with a series of fine crackling sounds.

Fei Bofeng and Fei Zhongyun, who were at the forefront, roared battle cries like tigers, and more than four hundred bronze halberds pointed diagonally at the sky. The murderous aura condensed at the tips of the halberds actually formed into a black dragon in mid-air, which seized the opportunity to kill.

Even though nearly 51% of the Ying Mountain Army soldiers have been killed or wounded in the battle so far, the remaining men show no sign of fear. Their faces remain ashen, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Huang Siniang looked terrified. In the past, she had always heard about the Daoist soldiers kept by noble families, but she had never taken it seriously. Now that she had seen them for herself, she realized that they were not just rumors.

The dark dragon exuded a murderous Sha Qi; even from ten feet away, it slammed into her face, causing gashes and blood to flow. How could she possibly maintain control of an already difficult situation?!

"Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Wei, I have to go now!!"

It wasn't a major event concerning the survival of the sect or the individual's Dao Path. If Fei Nanying pushing too hard, this battle between the two sides at the Golden Core stage would have been difficult to even begin. Huang Siniang was decisive; she wrapped herself in the black arrow Law Treasure of Senior Cultivator Wufeng and drifted away.

Senior Cultivator Wufeng naturally wanted to chase after his natal magic Law Treasure, but Ying Mountain Army regrouped at the sound of military orders and charged towards Mo Hegu, the weakest point of the enemy.

Mo Hegu, who was already at a disadvantage against the two False Core Formers, turned pale with fright. How could he dare to accept the challenge? He summoned two talismanic treasures to briefly block Yue and Yuan Er, and then left without even saying goodbye.

Even after enduring a sword and a halberd that left his back bruised and battered, he still didn't look back and fled desperately toward Tengwen Prefecture.

With the outcome decided, Wei Guze knew that the Ying Mountain Army would definitely come for him next. He exchanged a glance with Li Yun and then tacitly agreed with Yang Baoshan to stop fighting.

With the tide turning against them, Li Yun lacked the ability to turn the tide, but he dared to stay until the very end, which meant he had something to rely on.

He sighed, neither uttering harsh words nor cursing, but a hint of pain appeared on his face. When a stream of light appeared in his hand, the surrounding cultivators knew something was wrong.

The moment the purple talisman burned to ashes in Li Yun's palm, his entire body seemed to be torn apart and reassembled by invisible threads. All the cultivators saw was that the gale beneath Li Yun's feet had not yet subsided, yet he had already transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the clouds. Only a sharp whistling sound remained in their ears before he was no longer seen.

"Thousand-Li Instant Talisman, you're really willing to use it!"

Golden Core Fei Nanying didn't show much regret on his face. He simply raised his hand and shouted, "The Two Instruments Sect has broken the agreement between the two families and secretly sent Golden Core into the territory of the Five States. This is an act of blasphemy against Lord Liang, a heinous crime deserving of death! Follow me to bring them to justice!"

Its sound was like thunder, and its power soared to the heavens.

Even if the fighting below the mountain was fierce, it was clear that the battle between the Golden Core had already been decided. Now, the cultivators summoned by the Two Instruments Sect had no will to fight left. They had no formation to begin with, and now they wished they could just blast them apart.

Kang Dabao and Fei Granny Liu were already gaining the upper hand in their battle against the shaved-hair Pill Master, and now their momentum was unstoppable. The latter had to abandon his Law Treasure in order to barely escape with his life from their combined attack.

Sect Leader Kang Da knew that Fei Nanying's words about "raising an army to demand an explanation" were just to boost morale. If he really took this small force to Tengwen Prefecture, he would probably be pushed back halfway.

However, he also knew that searching for the remaining enemies at this moment was a worthwhile and cost-effective thing, so he immediately grabbed his short halberd and rushed over first.

Meanwhile, the search in Chongming City, overseen by Duan Anle, had already begun.