A True Person Injured

---- Mountain North Circuit

True Person Moon Hidden's actions were much faster than everyone expected. Of the eleven Golden Core cultivators of Five Old Mothers Mountain, only the sect leader and the elder of the Punishment Hall remained at the mountain and did not go out. The other nine cultivators, under True Person Moon Hidden's leadership, began to completely pacify the Mountain North.

While there are no True Person in charge of the rest of the Mountain North Circuit, the combined strength and quantity of cultivators from all sides are comparable to that of Five Old Mothers Mountain and its vassal states.

Even though True Person Moon Hidden was a Nascent Soul Nascent Soul, no matter how powerful he was, he was still overwhelmed and had no choice but to abandon most of the territory and select his elite troops to go to Three Ting Prefectures.

In its early years, Three Ting Prefectures was one of the most prosperous places for Daoist practices in the Mountain North Circuit, and it was no less prosperous than Mountain North Circuit and the present-day Zhenxiong Prefecture of Five Old Mothers Mountain.

However, after a True Person emerged from Five Old Mothers Mountain, Three Ting Prefectures in the Mountain North Circuit lost its former status as a force to be reckoned with, comparable to Zhenxiong Prefecture. After being severely weakened by Five Old Mothers Mountain, the place gradually declined into an ordinary prefecture in the Mountain North Circuit.

Only when a prodigy who can rival the Daoist of Five Old Mothers Mountain appears from time to time can others vaguely glimpse the shadow of its former glory.

However, even Five Old Mothers Mountain itself has never had two True Person standing side by side, so it is naturally difficult for Three Ting Prefectures to produce a True Person. They can only remain silent and let others bleed them dry.

The Three Ting Prefectures Prefecture is filled with numerous immortal sects, and the order is quite good.

For nearly a thousand years, the cultivators in the state have always been governed by two major Golden Core sects: the Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect.

It's quite strange, really. These two major sects of the Golden Core realm, with their righteous and evil cultivation Cultivation Method, are surprisingly harmonious, almost like family. There has never been any discord between them.

As a result, Three Ting Prefectures was gradually managed by these two powerful families to the point that it was as solid as an ironclad wall, impenetrable and unassailable. Especially in the last hundred years, even the Five Old Mothers Mountain above these two families could only accept the usual offerings and rarely get involved in other matters.

The fact that a mere Golden Core sect could make the Nascent Soul sect of Mount Five Old Mothers Mountain hesitate to act rashly suggests that they must have something to rely on.

Jin Fengqing, the eldest son of the Li Valley Jin Household, became a disciple of Songyangzi Yangzi, the leader of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect in Guanxi Circuit. After sixty years of study, he was promoted to a personal disciple and achieved Middle-Grade Golden Core.

Jin Fengqing, who is not yet two hundred years old, has already reached the Golden Core Peak stage, which is enough to make most cultivators in the world extremely envious.

Even if True Person Moon Hidden didn't care about Songyangzi, Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator, he would only consider Jin Fengqing himself. The latter was one of the most likely people to reach the Nascent Soul stage in the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty within the Jiazi year, and he could not be taken lightly.

In the past True Person Moon Hidden was concerned about what would happen after his death, so he naturally did not want to provoke such a family.

This is because Five Old Mothers Mountain suffered a major upheaval within its sect, resulting in significant damage to its vitality. It simply lacked the resources to govern the entire Mountain North region, and maintaining a semblance of order was considered acceptable.

After all, if a talented person like Jin Fengqing were to achieve the Nascent Soul stage, even if he were a bit Nascent Soul, his combat skills might still surpass those of the frail and elderly True Person Moon Hidden.

However, things are different now. The Heaven-Rending Sword Sect has become quite close to the Blood Sword Sect, a core sect of the Extinction Guard faction, and has many grievances against the Kuang Household clan, but it has not openly rebelled like the latter.

When Wang Beixing, a remnant of the Blood Sword Sect, wandered to Mountain North Circuit and stirred up trouble Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect, although they did not directly join the rebellion, secretly colluded with him. Shu Zhengde, the Imperial Guard General, caught them with a lot of evidence, but he kept quiet because he was also worried about the people behind these two families.

True Person Moon Hidden knew that Kuang Liuting, the newly appointed Duke of Qin, was completely different from seasoned military strategists like Shu Zhengde, who knew how to endure temporary setbacks.

This nobleman was intolerant of any dissent, and he could not allow such a force that showed no respect to the Immortal Dynasty to remain in the world. In that case, it would be better to offer up this fertile land to prepare for the Hehuan Sect's southward advance.

The Hehuan Sect is one of the major sects in Guandong Circuit, second only to the top sects like Supreme Unity Temple and Original Response Temple. It still has two True Person and dozens of advanced cultivators.

After Emperor of Wei took the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect as his concubine, the Hehuan Sect completely lost its affectation and devoted itself solely to serving the Immortal Dynasty.

True Person Moon Hidden knew the news that, in order to the Hehuan Sect Kuang Liuting Sect's leader, Xiao Wan'er, had selected five top cultivators and over a thousand disciples at the beginning of their journey south.

There were even rumors that Xiao Wan'er, the leader of the Hehuan Sect, intended for her master, the True Person Crimson Snow, to also travel south from Guandong Circuit to assist Kuang Liuting, the heir to the throne, in achieving great things.

Those within the family know their own affairs. True Person Moon Hidden knew that his Five Old Mothers Mountain was far less Hehuan Sect, and that the Kuang Household clan still harbored the intention to recruit Star-Picking Pavilion.

Bai Canhong was, after all, one of the top figures below the late-stage True Person in the world, far surpassing ordinary True Person Immortals, and thus naturally received much favor from the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Office of the Duke of Qin carved out five prefectures from the Shannan Circuit. If nothing major happens in the future, it wouldn't be surprising if there were no wars in the Shannan Circuit area for decades.

However, the situation is different in the Mountain North Circuit. After the Nascent Soul cultivator, True Person Moon Hidden, passes away, even the Five Old Mothers Mountain, the number one sect in the Mountain North Circuit, will probably be worthless in Kuang Liuting's eyes.

Even if Kuang Liuting still remembers True Person Moon Hidden's kindness in protecting him, such favors will eventually run out.

Afterwards, can the remaining disciples of Five Old Mothers Mountain safeguard the legacy passed down from their ancestors? True Person Moon Hidden was not very optimistic about this.

Therefore, rather than facing the extinction of the lineage in the future, it is better to generously cut losses now.

As for whether the Hehuan Sect will devour all the fertile land of Five Old Mothers Mountain after it enters the Mountain North Circuit, True Person Moon Hidden is not concerned about that. He has already lowered his stance so much that as long as Kuang Liuting remembers the old friendship in the future, he can always find a way out for the Five Old Mothers Mountain lineage.

"Elder, Xuanxiao Mountain."

At the gentle call of a Golden Core cultivator with braided hair from Five Old Mothers Mountain, True Person Moon Hidden opened his eyes, feeling the flying boat beneath him pause slightly, and looked up at the towering mountain range a hundred miles away, shrouded in mist and its shape appearing and disappearing.

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked towards the stern of the ship. His wide sleeves hung on the ground, and as he brushed against the deck, a few wisps of pale white Spiritual Qi spilled out.

True Person Moon Hidden knew that the Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect must have received the news long ago and were gathering their vassals to cower in their formation in preparation for his army's attack from Five Old Mothers Mountain.

The True Person carefully examined the protective aura formed by the Third-Tier Supreme-Grade array outside Xuanxiao Mountain, a complex and indescribable expression appearing in his eyes. Finally, he softly murmured, "Greet them first, then speak to persuade them to surrender."

"Yes!" The braided Golden Core, turned his head and waved the command flag. The magical restrictions on the twelve Black Tiger Cannon Emplacement on the bow of the ship suddenly disappeared. The dozens of Foundation Establishment cannonmen who landed in their positions shouted in unison. At the same time, the Black Tiger Cannon Emplacement lit up with cyan-purple lightning patterns, and the surrounding clouds were torn open with spiderweb-like cracks by the boiling Spiritual Qi.

Then, the black iron dragon bone of the Third Tier flying boat emitted a piercing whistle, and the cannons deeply embedded with runes successively shone with a blazing red light, like a ferocious beast slowly opening its crimson eyes filled with killing intent.

Xiu Jiangxuan's braided hair reflected the runes flowing on the Xuanxiao Mountain Protection Array in his pupils. A crimson light condensed at his fingertips, floating on the tip of the command flag and cutting his palm. The blood droplet splattered in the void and condensed into golden runes. At the same time, twelve Black Tiger Cannon Emplacement simultaneously spewed out black beams of light.

The moment the beam of light collided with the array, most of the hundreds of defensive runes circulating on the array suddenly exploded.

The powerful airflow overturned a cluster of low peaks surrounding Xuanxiao Mountain, and even cultivators standing on flying boats a hundred miles away could feel the aftershocks.

The Third-Tier Supreme-Grade Nightmare Hidden Hunt Vessel, facing the Third-Tier Supreme-Grade Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation, is unlikely to achieve any results in the first round.

The one guarding the core of the allied forces was Golden Core Jin Fangze, another Golden Core cultivator from the Li Valley Jin Household. He was quite skilled. He led dozens of True Cultivators and, following the instructions of several Second Tier array masters, poured their spiritual power into the array flags around them. The array patterns, which had been flickering, suddenly trembled.

The defensive runes, which had been mostly destroyed by the black beam of light, suddenly reappeared, flowing continuously, and upon closer inspection, they seemed to be even brighter than before.

However, no matter how confident the braided cultivator of Five Old Mothers Mountain was in his own flying boat, he never thought that he could break the Third-Tier Supreme-Grade formation that the Li Valley Jin Household had built up over hundreds of years with just a few rounds of artillery bombardment.

However, after this round of fire and the spray of thousands of Spirit Stones, True Person Moon Hidden had already accomplished his goal of greeting the people in the formation. But the braided cultivator was clearly not satisfied with this, and he took out a short gun from his Storage Bag.

The gun's body was slender and long, as bright as silver. Even a mediocre person could immediately tell at a glance that it was a rare magical weapon. The man with the braided hair murmured, "Imperial command!"

"Imperial command!" After landing, the runes on the gun body, coated with Third Tier spirit ink, flickered incessantly, and a blazing flame shot out from the muzzle, even more fierce than the previous tiger cannons.

The flames were incredibly swift, and Jin Fangze's reaction was a beat too slow. In his haste, he could only lead the flag bearers in the formation to wave the array flags, drawing down a ray of sunlight to condense into a barrier of fire, attempting to keep the flames out.

However, in this battle of fire against fire, the method of braiding hair cultivation ultimately prevailed. The fire barrier was scorched open with a gap several feet wide, and the power of the Xuan light falling on the main body of the Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation was still there, showing a few fine lines on it.

Although Jin Fangze led his disciples to repair the damage in just a moment, the few True Cultivator whose bodies had been shattered by the raging flames were unlikely to survive.

The braided-haired cultivator took in the entire scene, a smug look appearing in his eyes. However, after the attack, the runes on the short gun he had painstakingly crafted with considerable resources dissipated, and the spiritual light on it dimmed considerably, making it clearly unusable.

True Person Moon Hidden sighed with some displeasure, thinking that all his disciples had gone astray. How could they waste so much effort on the Hundred Arts, thus delaying their cultivation of the true Dharma and making it difficult for them to reach the Nascent Soul?

Before he could speak out to persuade them to surrender, he shaved the front of his braid and leaped out of the flying boat. With a light step, he landed steadily on the colorful clouds outside the Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation.

"My lords, if you surrender now, it may not be too late."

Nascent Soul True Person are fewer than a hundred in the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, making them extremely prestigious. Even if most of the rebel cultivators in the formation are acting under the orders of their own masters, they should be quite certain of this.

But upon seeing the legendary True Person Moon Hidden appear today, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Although some noise and chaos arose within the formation, there was no situation where the few words True Person Moon Hidden could incite anyone to rebel.

True Person Moon Hidden knew that the two families in charge of the formation had long harbored resentment towards Five Old Mothers Mountain. Having done everything he could, he had no more hope and simply joined forces with Nightmare Hidden Hunt Vessel to attack the Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation in front of them.

As Third-Tier Supreme-Grade formation, the Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation is naturally not only for protection. This formation can draw the sun as a screen, and it can also use stellar power to condense endless sword rain.

The disciples of Five Old Mothers Mountain who landed on the Nightmare Hidden Hunt Vessel had a barrier, but the other affiliated sects suffered heavy casualties. Even a Golden Core cultivator who had been recruited was injured by several star swords and was in a sorry state.

True Person Moon Hidden has always only been wary of the future Nascent Soul cultivator in the Li Valley Jin Household, and he doesn't care at all about Golden Core sects that dare to overestimate themselves and defy him.

As Nascent Soul True Person, he naturally possesses such qualifications.

There was a cold snort from True Person Moon Hidden, his brows furrowed slightly, and after muttering a few words, he lightly waved the jade ruler in his hand three times.

In the next instant, three beams of jade-colored light ignited the sky, and at the same time, the crimson barrier formed by the sun's rays of the Zhoutian Star-Attracting Formation was torn apart, exposing the array's light screen within.

The people of Five Old Mothers Mountain were numerous, and despite suffering some minor losses, their morale soared after witnessing the True Person's prowess.

Countless Daoist spells, talismans, and Law Artifact flew out from outside the formation, striking the array's mystical light and causing the Third Tier's patterns to tremble incessantly. The cultivators inside the formation did not give up their resistance and, despite the pressure from the True Person Moon Hidden Nascent Soul, True Person to urge their star swords to fall in rapid succession.

In an instant, blood-red light bloomed both inside and outside the formation.

However, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that, unlike the outside of the formation where all the vassals of Five Old Mothers Mountain suffered, those who perished first inside the formation were many elite disciples of the Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect. If the two families did not have any backup plans, then it would probably not be long before this rare Third-Tier Supreme-Grade formation was broken.

Just as the battle was in full swing, another unexpected event occurred outside the battleground.

True Person Moon Hidden wielded his jade ruler and struck a few times, shattering Law Treasure belonging to an early-stage cultivator within the formation and tearing apart several array flags. Just then, he felt a sword light approaching from behind.

Looking up, it seemed as if thousands of silver snakes suddenly exploded in the clouds, and clumps of clouds rolled irrationally, obscuring the bright sun.

The sound of swords rang out clearly, and the light of swords flashed brightly.

As the sword light suddenly fell from the sky, rivers within a hundred miles boiled and insects and birds perished.

"Sword Essence Great Accomplishment, Jin Fengqing!" True Person Moon Hidden narrowed his eyes, showing no fear on his face. He simply extended the jade ruler in his hand to gently block the sword light. After the spiritual light on the sword light dimmed, he pinched it with his fingers and easily crushed it.

"Junior Jin Fengqing, here to greet senior on my master's orders!" The one wielding the sword in the clouds was an unremarkable, dark-skinned, and thin man. After speaking, his hands did not stop moving. Jin Fengqing, who had mastered the "Heaven-Rending Sword Canon," a mid-grade sword Swordsmanship of the Yu Grade, unleashed three Sword Qi in succession. However, his target was not True Person Moon Hidden, but the Golden Core cultivator from another family who was attacking the formation the most vigorously.

This cultivator had cultivated for nearly four hundred years. After achieving the Golden Core, he became a sect leader and ancestor. He rarely encountered Nascent Soul True Person cultivators, and even when he did, he rarely met someone of the same level who would take his life without saying a word.

It wasn't until the Heaven-Rending Sword Qi tore through the clouds and fell like a rain of star swords that the cultivator suddenly realized that the last time he faced such a life-or-death crisis was probably sixty years ago.

But if you react too slow at this moment, it can be fatal!

Even though he knew that his defensive Law Treasure were probably no better than paper against this Sword Qi energy, Shang Xiu still used them all to protect himself, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Fortunately, True Person Moon Hidden, who was standing by watching, released his Jade Ruler Spiritual Treasure, easily dispersing the Sword Qi and saving the cultivator's life. At the same time, he muttered, "This is at least Minor Accomplishment Realm of the 'Heaven -Heaven-Rending Sword Canon'."

However, no matter how talented he is, Jin Fengqing is still only a Golden Core cultivator, True Person Moon Hidden does not think there is anything about him that is worth his attention.

Without further ado, he asked, "Young friend Jin, is it possible to persuade your father to surrender? Duke of Qin has a compassionate heart and truly does not wish for further bloodshed in this world. I can promise you here that if the Li Valley Jin Household can relocate to this region, I can also spare the lives of your entire family."

"Ha, senior is content to be a lackey of the Immortal Dynasty. We disciples of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect only want to live honestly, nothing else!"

The moment the word "want" landed, streaks of Sword Qi energy crisscrossed the sky, falling with a sense of rage.

"Excellent Swordsmanship!" True Person Moon Hidden's turbid eyes lit up, and he lamented in his heart why his family did not have such an outstanding successor to inherit the sect.

However, Golden Core is still Golden Core True Person Moon Hidden felt that the dark and thin man in front of him was actually comparable to that old bird from the Fei Household, he still did not take him too seriously.

As expected, even though True Person Moon Hidden had many concerns and did not go all out, Jin Fengqing still did not surrender easily. After the two fought for half a pipe's time, Jin Fengqing ran out of tricks and hurriedly created an opening to escape.

In True Person Moon Hidden's view, the life of Jin Fengqing, this Nascent Soul seed, was far more valuable than all the other cultivators combined, so he certainly couldn't let him go.

"This lad has mastered sword-fighting techniques quite well. Does he think that's enough to remain undefeated? He's probably forgotten my abilities!"

True Person Moon Hidden confidently rode his Chi Dragon Jade Carriage in pursuit. Meanwhile, since the braided Golden Core from Five Old Mothers Mountain took over command, the allied forces of the various families in Three Ting Prefectures, who had previously been silently taking the beating, actually began to boldly launch a counterattack.

After a long and fierce battle, the bronze corpses refined by the North Mallow Sect and a spirit beast from the Li Valley Jin Household led a group of cultivators from Three Ting Prefectures who were full of fighting spirit to launch a surprise attack. The Braided Golden Core cultivator had already made preparations.

The Nightmare Hidden Hunt Vessel turned its Black Tiger Cannon Emplacement around, and the two Golden Core cultivators from their own sect and three vassal Golden Core who accompanied them, along with their disciples, formed a military formation and fearlessly stepped forward to meet them.

Amidst the thunderous roar of cannons and the spray of blood, neither side of the cultivators knew that they were using their lives to usher in a corner of a chaotic era.

The fighting continued until the next morning before it seemed to subside slightly. The ceasefire was not due to either being unable to continue, but rather because neither True Person Moon Hidden nor Jin Fengqing had yet returned.

Two days later, Little Ring Mountain

Kang Dabao frowned, looking at the battle report sent by the Office of the Duke of Qin with a sigh, "True Person Moon Hidden was actually injured, who could have imagined this?"

Before the other junior disciples could ask any questions, they passed the battle report around for a while. Only then did the most experienced Ye Zhengwen sigh.

"After the Blood Sword Sect's mountain gate in Two Rivers Circuit was breached, the only remaining True Person, Wen Wenfengzi, could not be found for many years. Who would have thought that he had been taken in and worshipped by the Li Valley Jin Household in Mountain North Circuit all along?! Fortunately, True Person Moon Hidden was cautious, and even though Wenfengzi and Jin Fengqing joined forces to devise a plan, he only suffered some minor injuries."

"But in this way, True Person Moon Hidden will be trapped in Xuanxiao Mountain with most of his disciples, unable to escape." Yuan Jin keenly noticed this, his tone tinged with worry. "The other places in Mountain North Circuit, relying solely on the few remaining cultivators from Five Old Mothers Mountain, will likely be insufficient to pacify them; it's possible that..."

"They might even suffer a great loss!"

Sect Leader Kang Da also sighed. Heaven knows how Five Old Mothers Mountain has managed Mountain North Circuit all these years, how much they have exploited each family, that even the elderly Nascent Soul, True Person Moon Hidden, couldn't wait for his death, and they all rebelled after being slightly provoked by outsiders?!

Apart from a few close relatives and friends, Five Old Mothers Mountain was practically friendless and surrounded by enemies in the Mountain North Circuit. No wonder True Person Moon Hidden; now it seems that his words were quite insightful.

Kang Dabao then took out another letter and said, "According to the letter from my Boyue this morning, Ancestor Tianqin has already led several cultivators to Xuanxiao Mountain to provide reinforcements. It's likely that Wenfengzi's injuries have improved considerably, and with Jin Fengqing joining forces, True Person Moon Hidden is finding it difficult to subdue him."

Jiang Qing, who had remained silent the whole time, didn't want to seem out of place in the hall, so he deliberately started a conversation and asked, "Senior Brother, what should our Chongming Sect do?"

"If the situation truly spirals out of control, the Duke's Mansion will naturally conscript cultivators from its jurisdiction to fight in the Mountain North Circuit." Kang Dabao paused here, thought for a moment, and then said:

"In the past, according to Elder Tianqin's words, even if we were to go to Mountain North Circuit, it would only be to fight a battle where we had an easy time and help Five Old Mothers Mountain clean up the remnants of the enemy after the war. But judging from the current situation, it seems that things won't be so comfortable."

Everyone frowned, knowing just how dangerous this battle, now led by various True Person, was.

It should be understood that the Mountain North Circuit is now very different from before, with Nascent Soul cultivators now in charge of the various rebel factions.

To put it bluntly, even if the True Person Wenfengzi from Two Rivers Circuit had no power to actually do anything, just having him there as a signboard would still embolden the various factions in Mountain North Circuit and cause Five Old Mothers Mountain a lot of trouble.

"Old Ye, the Sword Discussion Assembly and the Sect Competition need to be held as soon as possible; we probably don't have much time left."

"Yes!"

"Second, after the Sword Discussion Assembly, quickly select talented individuals to urgently expand the Crimson Zhang Guard and train them diligently. Even one more person is beneficial."

"Yes"

"Third, come with me," Kang Dabao beckoned Ye and Yuan Er to disperse, then led Jiang Qing into the cloud room, taking out an exquisite iron box containing a glowing inner core and a bundle of jade Jade Slip imbued with spiritual light.

After taking the Jade Slip, Jiang Qing quickly scanned it, then looked up and exclaimed in surprise, "The External Core Method?!"