Campaign Against the Crimson Heart Cult

The Sword Discussion Assembly organized by the Chongming Sect specifically for its vassals was rather uneventful. After about ten days, Yang Xun of the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household rightfully emerged victorious, overwhelming the Foundation Establishment from the other families with virtually no chance to retaliate.

However, although the rewards prepared by Sect Leader Kang Da for this Sword Discussion Assembly were decent, they were quite meager for Yang Xun, a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator.

After all, the former's original intention was to select talented people to join the Crimson Zhang Guard so that they could fight alongside the disciples of the Chongming Sect.

Those Foundation Establishment who joined Chongming Sect's ranks were already struggling to escape their duties, so there was no reason for them to suddenly show off.

It was Ye Zhengwen was always good at reading people's minds, who spoke up, saying that Yang Xun still harbored the idea of leading the Yang Household to occupy a seat in the Double Brightness Alliance, which relieved Kang Dabao's doubts.

However, the Double Brightness Alliance is not so easy to join now. Although it has small Qi Refinement clans such as the Caishi Lu Household and the Hong County He Household, there are always ways to deal with them. With the Chongming Sect's reputation soaring and it is not what it used to be, it is not necessary to absorb Foundation Establishment sect like the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household as an ally.

Even if Bian Hu had reached the False Core Foundation Establishment, and the Stone Mountain Sect was powerful enough to dominate Pu Prefecture, he would still have to send someone to offer some gifts to the Alliance Leader Sect Leader Kang Da, on every three festivals and two birthdays.

Yang Xun's current abilities are far from sufficient to earn him a place at the Double Brightness Alliance's table.

Once the Sect Leader Kang Da returned, he stopped paying attention to these trivial matters and even assigned the task of speaking with the top-ranked swordsman to Jiang Qing.

Normally, compared to the former's humble and gentle nature, Double Brightness Jiang Third had a more stern but not wicked demeanor, which made him more capable of suppressing ambitious people like Yang Xun.

Kang Dabao glanced through the list of one hundred people selected and presented by Ye Zhengwen, but lost interest. He then instructed Yuan Jin beside him:

"Second, remove Du Qing and Mo Gu from the list. I know they still have the will to serve the sect, but since they have retired, they should enjoy their grandchildren and raise their children in peace, so that their family can be elevated and the sect's reputation can be revitalized in the future. Also, have Zhu Yunsheng, the disciple in charge of internal affairs, keep a close eye on them. If either family needs anything, allocate some funds accordingly."

"Brother Rende."

"What are you saying? They are our own disciples, how could we mistreat them?" Kang Dabao turned his back and looked at the thousands of cultivators of all kinds in the training ground without saying a word.

Yuan and Jiang remained silent by his side. Ye Zhengwen, realizing that Sect Leader Kang Da was preoccupied and had probably made a fuss again, immediately comforted him, saying, "Don't think too much. To have the opportunity to risk their lives on the battlefield is their good fortune. Back when we were carrying goods and traveling with the Jiang Household's caravan, did we ever fear that we wouldn't survive this journey?!"

"Ha, you've won Wanjun's favor and are poised to become the Jiang Household's son-in-law, so you're not afraid. Back then, I, your humble master, couldn't sleep at night, constantly worried that some bandit would rip my head off in my sleep." Sect Leader Kang Da chuckled, but Ye Zhengwen's words had indeed relieved him considerably. He no longer looked down at the masses below the platform, but simply said:

"Since this is an unavoidable trend, then let's fight a good battle. The sect's restoration is imminent; we cannot afford to retreat even a step!"

The junior disciples immediately bowed in agreement, and after inspecting the cultivators from various sects in the training ground with Kang Dabao, they returned to their mountain gate.

----One year later, in Mountain North Circuit, Fa Prefecture, and Bi County Turbulent Wind Ridge

Leaning on a red-tipped spear that had changed hands, You Xiaobao laboriously searched the recently calmed battlefield for any remaining magical Law Artifact and pills.

This wasn't because the newly formed Pine Wind Volunteers defeated. In fact, this battalion of True Cultivator soldiers, including You Xiaobao, had just achieved a great victory against a force of three hundred men organized by the Xuan Mysterious Duke Gate, a local landlord group in Bi County, under the leadership of two true cultivators, Duan Anle and Kang Rongquan.

Duan and Kang showed no pride in defeating this force. After all, Mysterious Duke Gate was merely a Foundation Establishment sect, and with their numerical advantage, their victory against a weaker force was hardly remarkable.

After this incident, Mysterious Duke Gate will lose its only elder cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage uphold its reputation. It will probably retreat into its mountain gate and have no intention of going to the aid of the Crimson Heart Cult Sect, the master of Fa Prefecture.

The righteous troops under Duan and Kang's command were merely a detachment. The main fighting forces of the Chongming Sect, namely the Azure Jue Guard and the Crimson Zhang Guard, along with most of the troops under the Double Brightness Alliance's jurisdiction, were all led by Alliance Leader Kang Da and all the leaders of the alliance to besiege the Crimson Heart Cult in Zhangwen County, the capital of Fa Prefecture.

However, the Crimson Heart Cult is a newly established Golden Core sect in the last hundred years, and it is difficult for the Double Brightness Alliance alone to contend with it. After all, Sect Leader Kang Da has already won the favor of Emperor of Wei, and even if he only mentioned it briefly, his subordinates are naturally very cautious.

With the high-ranking officials of the Duke's Mansion in charge, including Madam Qi had just emerged from seclusion, and the Zheng Lineage of Yunwei Zheng Household, a family that had previously been involved in the False Core, the allied forces of these families fought three battles against the Crimson Heart Cult.

Unaware of the terrain in their first battle, Zheng Taibai, the patriarch of the Yunwei Zheng Household, was surrounded and defeated by three Pill Masters from the Crimson Heart Cult Sect, and fled in panic.

Seeing the situation was dire, the Zheng Household army was quickly overwhelmed by the Crimson Heart Cult's scheme. The Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Guards also suffered minor losses. Just as their originally well-organized formation was about to crumble, Chu Yanran used her Law Treasure Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp, to force back the Red Crimson Heart Cult Exalted Cultivator Honggu, thus turning the tide.

Regardless of Madam Qi's continued use of Law Treasure to subdue the enemy, she may not have anticipated that even after the defeat of the Exalted Cultivator Honggu, the Crimson Heart Cult followers would remain as fanatical and fearless as ever.

Over a thousand followers still surged forward like a tidal wave. After Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang calmed their troops, they steadily pushed them back, preventing these lunatics from gaining much advantage.

Just as Madam Qi had not returned for a long time, and the outcome of the battle between the two superiors was uncertain.

It was only after the combined efforts of Sect Leader Kang Da and Headmaster Bian Hu of the Stone Mountain Sect, who fought three veteran Pill Master of the Crimson Heart Cult without defeat, and the single-handedly wielding sword of Third Master Jiang Chongming Sect, who killed four renowned elders of the Crimson Heart Cult Sect, that the fervor in the eyes of the Crimson Heart Cult members subsided and they slowly retreated.

Only then could Sect Leader Kang Da order Yuan Jin to promptly gather the Zheng Household troops and send someone to find Zheng Taibai, the head of the Zheng Household.

In the first battle, the Double Brightness Alliance suffered a wounded Pill Master and the morale of the Zheng Household army collapsed; the Crimson Heart Cult Sect lost a key elder, but its followers suffered few casualties. In truth, the Double Brightness Alliance was slightly at a disadvantage.

In the second battle, the Crimson Heart Cult, Exalted Cultivator Honggu, once again sought out Madam Qi as his opponent.

The latter possesses powerful Law Treasure and slightly stronger abilities, but he has only recently Core Formation core. Defeating the Crimson Heart Cult, a cultivator on the verge of advancing to the mid-stage, will not be an easy task.

After this, the outcome of the battle between the two armies was no longer affected by the high-ranking officials overhead.

In this battle, the Crimson Heart Cult Sect received reinforcements from its vassals, bringing together four Pill Masters to fight Kang, Bian, and Zheng. The two sides were evenly matched until one side of their armies was defeated, at which point the fighting stopped.

Yuan Jin sat in the central army, holding the Six-Leaf Azure Lotus Great Banner alone.

The Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Guards were positioned in the center, with the disciples of the Stone Mountain Sect leading the Zheng Household army in front, and the disciples of other families forming the flanks. The Crimson Heart Cult members remained as arrogant as ever, while the Double Brightness Alliance forces were still uneven in strength and difficult to resist.

It was only after the Crimson Heart Cult members had lost their fighting spirit due to the weakened army that Yuan Jin, together with Jiang Qing, led the central army to break through the elite Battle Hall of the Crimson Heart Cult's most elite disciples.

At that time, Jiang Qing alone held his own against the three elders of the Crimson Heart Cult's Punishment Hall, Battle Hall, and Law Enforcement Hall, holding his own. Yuan Jin, his armor stained with blood, led the Azure Jue Guard in a one-on-one battle against the army of three of the Exalted Cultivator Honggu's personal disciples, and was slightly better.

The disciples of the Double Brightness Alliance were greatly encouraged by this, and their morale soared. They made their hand seals with lightning speed, managing to suppress the Crimson Heart Cult Sect, which had just received reinforcements.

During this battle, the Double Brightness Alliance had a slight advantage, but neither side suffered any key casualties. It is likely that the Crimson Heart Cult Sect suffered only minor setbacks and minor injuries.

During the third battle, the situation was much simpler. After a long battle, Madam Qi found a weakness in the Exalted Cultivator Honggu. The latter was burned by the fire of the palace lantern, leaving him without a single hair on his body, and even his physical body showed signs of damage. Without thinking, he immediately turned around and ran back to the Crimson Heart Cult mountain Wild Goose Return Mountain, where he hid and did not come out.

Upon witnessing this scene, the fanaticism in the eyes of the Crimson Heart Cult members finally subsided, while the cultivators in the Double Brightness Alliance and the Zheng Household army turned bloodshot and looked as if they wanted to devour people.

Even if the Crimson Heart Cult members were still capable of fighting, their opponents were no pushovers, and with Chu Yanran above them, there was no one to stand against them. How could they possibly win?

In just a quarter of an hour, the Crimson Heart Cult was utterly defeated. Chu Yanran descended from the void and took the life of the Crimson Heart Cult Master Core Master Hongxu.

Taking advantage of the Crimson Heart Cult Sect's morale being low, Sect Leader Sect Leader Kang Da injured the Crimson Heart Cult's Grand Elder, Core Master Hongfeng. Unfortunately, the latter was alert and did not engage Kang Dabao in a prolonged fight, causing Third Master Jiang rushed to help, to miss his target.

However, since all the Pill Master had been defeated and fled, the disciples of the Crimson Heart Cult could no longer hold on and could only cry out in despair before abandoning the formation and fleeing.

Thus, during the third battle, the Crimson Heart Cult Sect suffered the loss of a Pill Master, a senior cultivator and another Pill Master, who were both seriously injured and forced to retreat. Countless disciples were killed or wounded, forcing them to retreat into the enemy lines and urgently order their allies to come to their aid.

Given this situation, the outcome is self-evident.

After this incident, the entire Crimson Heart Cult never left the mountain again.

The Crimson Heart Cult had been operating in Fa Prefecture for a long time and had accumulated considerable influence. As a result, forces in various counties of Fa Prefecture responded one after another, wanting to rush to the Crimson Heart Cult's headquarters in Zhangwen County to provide assistance.

It was only at this point that Sect Leader Kang Da ordered his disciples to return to Ping and Jin counties, gather the families within their jurisdiction, and organize them into two forces: the Pine Wind Volunteers Pingjin Militia Local Army. These forces were then stationed in Fa Prefecture to suppress the families that had sided with the rebels.

This task wasn't too difficult for either of the two teams. After all, the only False Core sect under the Crimson Heart Cult's jurisdiction had already been locked inside the mountain gate along with them, and the remaining sects had limited strength and couldn't really cause any trouble.

Therefore, it seems that the Crimson Heart Cult of Fa Prefecture, relying solely on itself, has no way to turn the tide. They can only hope that the situation in other places will change in order to resolve the sect's crisis.

However, this situation of the Crimson Heart Cult in Fa Prefecture was playing out in all thirteen states of Mountain North Circuit.

As the center of the battle in Mountain North Circuit, Three Ting Prefectures, even with the reinforcements of Wenfengzi Li Valley Jin Household Jin Fengqing North Mallow Sect, had high-end combat power that was no longer afraid of the combined forces of True Person Moon Hidden and Fei Tianqin, still suffered more defeats than victories under the encirclement of the Ying Mountain Army and Five Old Mothers Mountain disciples.

Indeed, their situation was no different from that of the Crimson Heart Cult Sect in Fa Prefecture, which was besieged by the Double Brightness Alliance and had no way out.

However, the life-and-death struggles of these high-level cultivators have little direct connection to You Xiaobao, a mere fire chief in the Pine Wind Volunteers Righteous Army who couldn't even join Qi Refinement Crimson Zhang Guard.

After all, he rarely even gets to see Yuan Changsheng, who is closest to him in the Chongming Sect, let alone the two True Cultivators, Duan and Kang, who command this battalion of volunteers.

After carefully searching for a while, You Xiaobao found only two bottles of Restore Spirit Pill pills whose medicinal power had diminished, and one or two damaged magical Law Artifact soaked in filthy blood.

Even this small amount of profit is not bad, considering that the people who just cleaned up the battlefield were trusted disciples specially selected by the Chongming Sect. They did things with the meticulousness of Sect Leader Kang Da. After their cleaning, they didn't find many spiritual items.

You Xiaobao was a content man. After calculating the time for a while, he realized it was a little late, so he hurriedly leaned on his red-tipped spear and returned to his military tent.

He obtained this high-grade magic weapon by pursuing and defeating an inner disciple of the Xuan Gong Sect as he fled.

You Xiaobao was not capable of taking the lives of those cultivators, since they were all at the late stage of cultivation. If the two of them were to meet alone, You Xiaobao would be the only one who would flee at the mere sight of them.

However, the latter's body was just grazed by a beam of light from the battle between the two Foundation Establishment. The shattered defensive Law Treasure pierced his body, leaving him covered in fragments and bleeding profusely, looking like a tattered sack.

You Xiaobao was extremely decisive, using a magical artifact to end the life of this inner disciple of the Xuan Gong Sect. It could be considered merciful, and it was only right that he should obtain a magical artifact for protection.

As soon as You Xiaobao returned to the military tent, he was glared at by the team leader Dong Hu with considerable displeasure. Feeling guilty, he could only force a smile.

It makes sense. As a righteous fire chief and the head of a small family, it's not very respectable for him to abandon his subordinates to search for useful spiritual items and even miss the meeting time. It would be difficult to say anything harsh to his superiors.

By this time, the team of cultivators had gathered in the military tent, most of whom were You Xiaobao's neighbors from Cold Crow Mountain.

In ordinary times, each family would often conduct military drills in units of the Baojia system, and they had a tacit understanding with each other, so they could not be afraid of ordinary Foundation Establishment when they went into battle.

However, many of the prayer cushions in the tent were unoccupied, which made You Xiaobao feel a little sad. But he was a seasoned soldier, and he quickly calmed down.

After all, the current situation is still unclear, and a fierce battle has not yet been fought. It is far from the time to spare for such extravagance as to indulge in sentimentalism.

After You Xiaobao was seated, Dong Hu, who was at the head of the table, cleared his throat and said, "The camp's military commander has just finished recording the merits, and the camp's granary officer has allocated all the rewards according to regulations. They are currently on the large carts carrying ten thousand shi of grain outside, loaded with Desolate Ox. During the battle, the Gray Spirit Falcon recorded the images, which were then compiled by the Beast Masters and recorded in Jade Slip. There will be no errors or omissions, so you can rest assured."

Even if Dong Hu hadn't mentioned it, the cultivators in the tent certainly knew about it. After all, regardless of whether they had entered the formation entirely voluntarily, Chongming Sect's commitment to keeping its word was beyond reproach.

There's no need to worry about others embezzling your war merits; as long as you risk your life, you can gain some wealth and a promising future. This is only natural, but for ordinary Rogue Cultivator and small families, it's a luxury.

Therefore, even though they knew that Chongming Sect would not let their military achievements go unnoticed, the faces of the cultivators in the tent became much more excited after hearing Dong Hu's words.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Dong Hu's expression relaxed a little, and his tone also softened slightly. "General Bai just returned from discussing matters in the deputy general's tent. He said that our Gui team performed exceptionally well in this battle, so after this, we can rest and recuperate for a while."

The task of eliminating other Qi Refinement sects and cutting off the Mysterious Duke Gate's wings will have to be handled by the other teams. It may be more than a month before our Gui team rejoins the main force to set off again.

"You can make your own arrangements during this time, but you need to report before you can leave the camp," Dong Hu said, glancing at You Xiaobao as if he were not looking at him. You Xiaobao simply lowered his head and avoided his gaze.

Dong Hu snorted coldly again, then said, "The accompanying merchant caravan has some cultivation supplies, all sold at fair prices. If any of you need them, you should go there as soon as possible."

"Captain, are there any women in that caravan?!"

The moment the gossipy person in the tent uttered their words, it drew a burst of laughter and a few barely audible scoldings. Dong Hu seemed accustomed to such scenes, showing no embarrassment on his face, but simply said in a deep voice:

"Our sect has its own dignity; how could it do such a thing?!"

Dong Hu's stern shout, his face changing color, immediately silencing the laughter in the tent. But after only a few breaths, he spoke again, "After leaving the camp, you are responsible for your own conduct. Just make sure the military officers don't bring your head back to question you!"

After Dong Hu finished speaking, he waved his hand and opened the spiritual barrier of the military tent, which meant that the cultivators inside could now move freely in and out of the tent.

Instead of scattering in a panic, the cultivators fell into an eerie silence, as if the laughter that had just erupted had never happened.

You Xiaobao knew that most people were happy that they would no longer have to fight on the battlefield, a small number were saddened by the deaths and injuries of their relatives and friends, and a few were unhappy because they could no longer make contributions and earn spiritual items.

Even knowing all this, You Xiaobao didn't know what his State of Mind was. He felt joy, sadness, and unhappiness—truly a very complex mix.

After seeing his superior Dong Hu leave the military tent and after Dong Hu's relatives led the cultivators in the tent to distribute the spiritual items outside, You Xiaobao chatted with the people in the fire for a while before heading off with the military caravan.

The caravan accompanying the Wood Character Camp was small, with only four or five people stationed there. The person in charge was a handsome, fair-skinned, beardless cultivator. He looked very young, but no one dared to underestimate him in the slightest.

It should be noted that this person is the only nephew of the Chongming Sect Leader Kang Da. Even the two True Cultivators, Duan and Kang, who command the entire camp, must treat him with the utmost respect.

When You Xiaobao arrived at the accompanying caravan, it wasn't as busy as he had imagined.

He Chang had been drinking tea, glanced at him briefly upon seeing him arrive. After examining him for a while, he seemed to realize something, so he abandoned his tea and slowly approached. "Is it You Xiaobao in person?!"

"I am You Xiaobao from Phoenix Forest Mountain. Greetings, esteemed cultivators of your sect."

"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I am but a Qi Refining Qi Refinement; how can I speak of advanced cultivation?!" He Chang's smile was truly captivating, even causing You Xiaobao, whose mind was currently preoccupied with cultivation-related spiritual objects, to pause for a moment. However, he quickly recovered and said, "I have come to purchase some suitable pills."

After speaking, he took out a talisman with a dim spiritual light. It was a gift from his superior Dong Hu, before he left Cold Crow Mountain. With this talisman, he could get a discount when purchasing spiritual items in the accompanying merchant caravan, making it a rather rare item.

Even Dong Hu only received a few because of his kinship with the two elders. To be honest, such items should not be issued to the Righteous Army; they should be exclusively for the cultivators of the Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Jade Guards.

He Chang showed no surprise, simply pushing the talisman back from You Xiaobao's hand and saying, "Let's leave it at that this time. Senior Brother Yuan already spoke to me, so feel free to choose, fellow Daoist. It'll be a bargain."

"Thank you so much, Gao Xiu!" You Xiaobao never expected that the favor he owed Yuan Changsheng for fighting alongside him would come in handy today.

However, he knew his limits and didn't try to strike up a conversation with He Chang. He simply listed the spiritual items he needed and handed them to the latter. The caravan manager then had his men calculate the price and quoted a price that made You Xiaobao cheer with delight.

You Xiaobao had just finished expressing his gratitude and was about to leave when he saw He Chang receive a token in his hand, and his expression suddenly became much more serious.

"If Fellow Daoist You has nothing urgent, you should return to camp as soon as possible."

After speaking with You Xiaobao, He Chang didn't wait for the latter's reaction and immediately flew towards the main tent in the center of the camp on his flying sword. You Xiaobao knew that He Chang wouldn't bother to amuse him, so he carefully put away the spiritual item he had just acquired.

Just as You Xiaobao returned to the Gui team's tent, before even a cup of tea had been brewed, he heard his superior Dong Hu, urging him from outside the tent:

"Where have all the people gone?! Your Excellency did not allow anyone to leave the camp! Where are they?! Where are they?! Damn it, if anyone dares to leave without permission, this time I will show no mercy and tear your bones apart to sell to Evil Cultivator for ointment!!"

The cultivators of Team Gui were well-trained by Dong Hu, and they regrouped in no time. After the cultivators entered the tent, Dong Hu did not speak, but stood alone at the head of the tent with a gloomy face, looking at the cultivators in the tent without saying a word.

You Xiaobao had no idea how much time had passed; he only heard the drums and gongs resounding through the camp, echoing to the heavens, and the angry shouts of the other team leaders also rang out in the camp one after another.

In an instant, curses, shouts, and the sound of whips mingled together in a chaotic mess. Not only did You Xiaobao realize that something terrible had probably happened, but which of the cultivators in the tent was slow-witted enough to not see it?

Just as everyone was feeling uneasy, General Jiang Zhong used the iron seal to break the spiritual barrier in the tent. After a quick glance and counting the number of people, he was somewhat satisfied.

"Not bad, your Gui team is quite well-organized. If I were to lose face in front of you two high-ranking cultivators like that guy next door, see how I deal with you!!"

Upon hearing Jiang Zhong's words, everyone in Team Gui, from Team Leader Dong Hu down, took the matter seriously. This was because this General was extremely close to Jiang Qing, the Elder of the Punishment Hall, and they were both within five degrees of kinship. If he wanted to deal with someone, it would be truly difficult for ordinary people to find connections to protect them.

"You should know what happened. That fellow next door needs to stay here to gather his troops. Our force of one hundred was originally scheduled to rest and regroup before immediately setting off for Zhangwen County."

Jiang Zhong gave Dong Hu a few words of explanation and left, while the latter began to busily arrange matters large and small.

You Xiaobao and Dong Hu were neighbors and close friends in Cold Crow Mountain. Seeing that this matter concerned his own safety, which was no ordinary one, You Xiaobao disregarded Dong Hu's serious expression and boldly asked, "Team Leader?!"

Dong Hu initially hesitated, but considering his relationship with Yuan Changsheng, he finally spoke, "The Crimson Heart Cult's Daoist has advanced to the Golden Core, the Yunwei Zheng Household army has been wiped out, and the fate of the patriarch, Zheng Taibai, is unknown. Our sect urgently needs our assistance; we cannot delay."

"Phew, got it."

"So anxious, are you afraid?"

"It would be strange if I wasn't afraid," You Xiaobao said, seemingly unconcerned about his fear, though he gripped his newly acquired red-tipped spear tightly as he spoke, "If the Upper Sect is defeated, will Cold Crow Mountain still be ours?"

Dong Hu simply smiled after hearing this, remaining silent and having no time to confide in You Xiaobao. He merely patted his meticulous old friend on the shoulder before leaving the tent to arrange the remaining matters.

As Dong Hu stepped out of the tent, he saw a beautiful sunset hanging in the sky, its colors resembling those of a fresh battlefield after a fierce battle.