Fa Prefecture Fully Reclaimed

"The Golden Core cultivator was actually forced away by us?!" Upon seeing this scene, the Azure Jue Guard, who were full of fighting spirit, were suddenly filled with pride. Their arrogance almost overflowed, and it was hard to see the usual complacent and unassuming demeanor that their elders in the sect often showed.

Bian Hu took a deep breath, and only now did his right hand, which was tightly gripping the Law Treasure, dare to tremble slightly. "That's Golden Core!"

If his Pu Prefecture Stone Mountain Sect ever produces a True Core cultivator, he, as the sect leader, would gladly kill himself by crashing into the sect's ancestral hall.

Kang Dabao and his group of juniors were truly audacious, daring to offend the dignity of the higher cultivators. In particular, Yuan Jin, who was usually inconspicuous, actually dared to use his Dao soldiers to force this dignified Pill Master to come and help him.

"He's risking his life like that, he probably won't live long!" Bian Hu thought to himself for a moment, then stopped. He turned his head and looked at the Sect Leader Kang Da, who was holding a short halberd and silently watching the direction Gu Chengsen had fled in, for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "If this kid continues to be so domineering, I'm afraid it's not even worth guessing who the next Grand Master of my Stone Mountain Sect will be."

Kang Dabao and Bian Hu were actually quite apprehensive. The reason they were able to force Gu Chengsen to leave was because they had just achieved the Golden Core stage, but lacked suitable Law Treasure for refining and transformation of their core essence. Furthermore, they had been severely injured by Chu Yanran's Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp.

If even one of these factors is not met, our side will likely face only defeat and destruction.

He might be comparable to Yuan Buwen, but if they were to truly fight, he might be less experienced than the latter. Jiang Qing and Bian Hu, the Pill Master, might be evenly matched. After all, few of the four hundred Azure Jue Guard had Foundation Establishment stage, so they should be qualified to be Pill Master.

Even with their combined strength, they are still far inferior to Yue and Yuan Er, who can fight Senior Cultivator Wufeng alone. If Gu Chengsen is willing to risk his life, the outcome of today's battle is hard to predict.

That said, even if Gu Chengsen valued his life, didn't this disciple of the Crimson Heart Cult still manage to retreat calmly? How could Sect Leader Kang Da and his group of lesser cultivators dare to pursue him?

Thinking of this, Sect Leader Kang Da suddenly couldn't suppress his injuries and vomited a mouthful of hot blood. The Golden Qi of a dignified cultivator was not so easy to withstand. If it were someone with False Core in a different situation, they might have also lost their life to Gu Chengsen's full-force attack.

After Kang Dabao vomited blood, all the cultivators present paled. Even Bian Hu, the only outsider, showed genuine concern and hurriedly came over to examine his injuries.

"It's nothing," Sect Leader Kang Da waved his hand and turned to Yuan Jin, saying, "Second, you continue to oversee the search for remaining enemies among the various factions in the alliance. If you encounter any troublesome ones, surround them if possible, otherwise let them go. Make sure no more disciples in the alliance suffer casualties."

"Understood," Yuan Jin replied, his body drenched in sweat as if he had just been pulled from the water.

Commanding a military force is an extremely demanding task. Not to mention Yuan Jin, even someone like Shu Zhengde, who is well-versed in military affairs and has entered the imperial court, would find commanding a major battle of the Great Wei Imperial Guard of the capital exhausting, no less than fighting to the death with several peers.

Fortunately, at this time, of the two Golden Core cultivators belonging to the Crimson Heart Cult, the sect leader, Exalted Cultivator Honggu, was still recovering from his injuries and would likely have little chance of winning against Chu Yanran.

Chixin Daozi Gu Chengsen was just forced to leave, and it's unknown what his future plans are, but he probably won't get involved in the battle again anytime soon;

All four False Core, except for the Grand Elder Core Master Hongfeng, perished.

In other words, at this point, only a few Foundation Establishment True Cultivator cultivators and their followers would be able to form an array to protect themselves. With the Crimson Heart Cult Sect leaderless, no one in the sect would be capable of overturning the situation.

Kang Dabao, disregarding his long period of recuperation, was eager to rush off to help Madam Qi. After all, whether he could actually help was one thing, but whether he would go was another.

This time, however, it was Jiang Qing who remained to protect Yuan Jin. Bian Hu Pill Master was given a dangerous task by the Sect Leader Kang Da, but unlike Yuan Jin, he didn't try to find excuses to refuse. He simply looked at the short halberd gleaming with mysterious light in Kang Dabao's hand and obediently agreed without saying a word.

After all, he knew this day would come when he joined the Double Brightness Alliance. The Sect Leader Kang Da didn't just want to hang him up as a Pill Master and support him; he really wanted him to be at the forefront and lead the troops into battle.

"However, even Exalted Cultivator Honggu wouldn't be a match for Senior Chu, would he?"

Bian Hu put away his Law Treasure and rode alongside Kang Dabao toward the place where Chu Yanran and Exalted Cultivator Honggu Swift Movement the front of the battle.

At this moment, the Exalted Cultivator Honggu was in a rather disheveled state. He could be considered a seasoned cultivator, Core Formation nearly two hundred years ago, but perhaps due to limitations in aptitude and resources, he was still only at the Golden Core Early Stage.

The cultivation after Core Formation the Foundation Establishment Qi Refinement is infinitely more difficult than the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stages.

Those who can form True-Grade Golden Core are all geniuses in their respective provinces and sects. However, even these geniuses, after forming Golden Core, may encounter some setbacks in their cultivation and remain stuck at the bottleneck of the initial stage for the rest of their lives.

Logically speaking, for Exalted Cultivator Honggu to surpass a newly promoted junior like Chu Yanran, given his years of experience in Core Formation, shouldn't have been considered too difficult.

However, the latter's Law Treasure was extremely powerful, and its origin was clearly extraordinary, far surpassing the Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token used by the Exalted Cultivator Honggu.

In his prime, Exalted Cultivator Honggu Chu Yanran was found to have a weakness by Chu Yanran and was forced to flee in a sorry state. Now that he is still injured, how could he possibly be a match for this vile woman?!

Whether to fight or not is not up to him, this Evil Cultivator, to decide at this point.

Exalted Cultivator Honggu had some difficulty withstanding the Purifying Fire Blade projected by Chu Yanran's palace lantern. After the flames melted the spiritual light on his forehead, the hand seal in his hand immediately broke open. The pain made his nostrils burn and blood gushed out.

"You wicked woman!!" Exalted Cultivator Honggu cursed again, his brows twitching as the mournful cries and screams of the Crimson Heart Cult members echoed in his ears.

"Even if this lowly maidservant cannot take my life, if I escape alone, wouldn't I be losing all my ancestral possessions and my entire fortune here?! If that happens, even after I recover from my injuries, wouldn't I be no different from a Rogue Cultivator?! How can I still hope for the Dao Path?!"

The plight of Rogue Cultivator at the Golden Core stage will be evident in the example of Senior Cultivator Wufeng, a path Exalted Cultivator Honggu is unwilling to follow.

Upon reaching this point, the Daoist seemed to be driven to desperation. He formed a sword with his right hand and slashed fiercely at the last joint of his left little finger.

A section of finger bone, about five-tenths of an inch long, along with a few drops of hot blood, fell off. Xiu silently chanted a spell on the Exalted Cultivator Honggu, and as soon as the obscure incantation was uttered, the flesh attached to the finger bone rotted into a muddy mess and fell off sparsely.

The translucent finger bones were suddenly revealed, resembling blood jade, dazzlingly beautiful.

"Imperial Edict!"

After Exalted Cultivator Honggu let out a loud shout, his finger bones shattered and scattered into red dust. The Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token suddenly exploded into a scarlet blood mist in Exalted Cultivator Honggu, and bronze skeletons, numbered according to the Heavenly Stems, emerged from the air wrapped in corrosive black smoke.

The ground was instantly melted by the poisonous fog, creating honeycomb-like pits, and the stench of rotting flesh caused all the surrounding Spirit Plant to wither and turn yellow instantly.

Chu Yanran's expression hardened slightly as the colorful embroidered lantern spun rapidly on her wrist, its six lampshades reflecting six different colors of light: red, gold, blue, purple, and white.

As the poisonous mist falling from the sky was shredded into dust by the colorful light, the bamboo-bone lamp stand emitted a clear phoenix cry, and the phantom images of six Law Treasure— sword, mace, knife, spear, lance, and club—emerged together and slammed down on the ten bronze skeletons.

The movements of these ghosts suddenly froze. Exalted Cultivator Honggu frowned, his hand about to change the spell again, but unexpectedly, he only made half of the spell when the old wound on his left shoulder burst open. Dark red blood instantly broke through the ointment used to repair his body, gushing out as if it were free.

Not long after Exalted Cultivator Honggu's momentum waned, seeing that the bronze skeletons were all beaten and listless, a fierce look flashed across his face. Then, the red demon tattoo engraved on his waist suddenly detached and transformed into a figure over ten feet tall, protecting him in front of him.

The red demon spewed out black smoke with sparks from its seven orifices, which mixed with a few wisps of poisonous mist that had not yet dissipated. Just as it wrapped around the bronze skulls, it suddenly expanded and exploded, and the flying bone fragments actually reformed in mid-air into a burning demon face totem.

"Break!" Chu Yanran's pretty face turned cold. She bit her tongue and spat out her Essence Blood. Several silver seal characters appeared on the surface of the Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp. They leaped out from the red flames bursting from the lamp wick and scattered in more than a thousand places in just a few breaths.

Even under the blazing sun, these crimson flames were still dazzling and bright as stars.

"Just who is this lowly servant girl?!"

The Exalted Cultivator Honggu's expression grew increasingly grim. The ghost-faced totem floating in mid-air twisted and deformed under the scorching heat of the supreme yang fire. The red ghost on the other side had its beard and hair standing on end, and the ferocious look on its face also faded considerably. The madness between its brows was gradually replaced by fear, and the wild roar was stuck in its throat, unable to come out!

"Fight to the death then! Do you really think my four hundred years of cultivation have been for nothing?!"

The crimson flames burned brighter and brighter, and suddenly a blood-red array rose from the ground. The Heart- Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token flew out of the Exalted Cultivator Honggu's hand and instantly transformed into Root Bone spear that burst out of the ground.

Before the dark green venom condensed on the spear tip could even drip, the Spiritual Qi energy of half of the Wood Gen Mountain was instantly devoured by the poisonous mist, and within a few breaths, they rotted into a lump of mud.

This bone spear was obtained by the Exalted Cultivator Honggu after nearly three hundred years of studying the Hong Grade Supreme Grade Cultivation Method of the Crimson Heart Cult's top-grade Hong-level cultivation technique, "Marrow-Burning Bone-Scorching Instruction." He also used his natal Law Treasure weapon to refine and utilize it, making it a truly formidable weapon. If he cannot stop Chu Yanran's momentum, then there is indeed no need for further battle.

Chu Yanran flicked her fingers, and the palace lantern in her hand leaped into the air in front of her, spinning rapidly. Clusters of crimson flames formed a wall of fire, scorching the poison on the bone spear until it was completely dried. The foul smell that had just been released was immediately burned away by the wall of fire.

However, the "Marrow-Burning Bone-Scorching Instruction" Exalted Cultivator Honggu was not to be underestimated. Chu Yanran's wall of flames could not block it. After only a short while, it carved out a hole the size of a tree stump, with starlight scattering in all directions, like shooting stars.

The moment the bone spear pierced the wall of flames, the illusory images of six Law Treasure —sword, mace, knife, spear, lance, and cudgel—trembled and rushed to block it, only to be blasted away to an unknown location.

With the last barrier outside Chu Yanran's palace lantern blocked, it meant that there were no longer any obstacles between the two Law Treasure!

"Bang"

The Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp collided with the bone spear formed by the Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token. A ring of air burst forth where the two Law Treasure struck, and the surrounding rocks cracked in response. Two True Cultivator who were fighting far below the rocks were caught in the crossfire. Their minds were thrown into chaos, and both suffered internal injuries and serious wounds.

Exalted Cultivator Honggu widened in shock. As his injuries worsened, he vomited black blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, and the Bone-Corroding Token foul-smelling pus to seep from the cracks on their surface.

Chu Yanran's expression grew colder, but her eyes flashed like lightning. The golden flame of the wick inside the palace lantern suddenly surged nine feet, and clusters of crimson flames rose again, burning the remaining poisonous mist around them into a sky full of phosphorescent fire.

A crisp "crack" shook the battlefield, and the broken bamboo lanterns suddenly burst forth with their original radiance.

The six colorful rays emanating from the six embroidered brocades bound the vital acupoints of the Exalted Cultivator Honggu like chains. The bright lamp wicks burned brighter and brighter, and the thousands of flames projected out almost roasted the Exalted Cultivator Honggu and bones, until they were charred dry.

Clutching the Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token tightly, the latter had no more will to struggle, and the mournful cries of the Crimson Heart Cult around him could no longer move him in the slightest.

The old man opened his mouth and inhaled sharply, sucking the Crimson Demon, which was teetering on the brink of death under the lamplight, into his belly. Although Chu Yanran was young, seeing this scene at this moment, how could she not know that the Crimson Heart Cult member was about to escape?!

Even if we can't stop him, we'll make sure this old man suffers another beating!

The beautiful woman stretched out her soft hand, and the ten scallion-white hairs intertwined to form a mysterious incantation. The Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp immediately increased in size, and the six Law Treasure that had just been repelled and scattered in all directions solidified again, suddenly pressing down on the Exalted Cultivator Honggu.

The latter showed absolutely no intention of resisting. The moment the Crimson Demon entered his stomach, he clutched the Heart-Burning Bone-Corroding Token and turned to flee. What of his millennia-old foundation, his lineage, his disciples, his concubines and children—was any of these more important than his own life?!

Having cultivated for many years, and having honed his skills in the face of life and death for countless years, the Exalted Cultivator Honggu was indeed quite adept at finding a way to survive. Even though he was in a very sorry state, he managed to escape from the increasingly tight fire prison woven by Chu Yanran.

As Chu Yanran watched the figure of Exalted Cultivator Honggu fade away, the two Sect Leader Kang Da and Bian Hu, arrived in a disheveled state, covered in blood. The beautiful woman did not reprimand them, but listened attentively to what they had to say. A hint of surprise suddenly rose in her eyes and then quietly disappeared.

Chu Yanran dispersed her Divine Sense, the entire Wood Gen Mountain was exposed, revealing that most of the Crimson Heart Cult members had scattered like birds and beasts. The only ones who still had the will to fight were a few stubborn members of the Crimson Heart Cult with white hair and beards, who were still gathered at the core array plate, constantly repairing it.

With a flick of her slender finger, the Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp hanging in front of her slowly came to a stop and ceased to turn, gradually withdrawing the surrounding crimson flames into them, leaving only a single, beautiful Chu Yanran remaining on her fingertip.

With a sip of her almond-shaped lips and a fragrant breeze, Chu Yanran flames, carried by the wind, burned ever brighter as they hurtled towards the Crimson Heart Cult's array masters. By the time the flames reached them, they seemed to have covered half the sky, transforming into a sea of fire.

The fate of these array masters was not hard to guess; they couldn't even keep their bodies intact and perished with the wind. However, the core of the Wood Gen Mountain Grand Array was still solid. Under such an attack, it only dimmed its spiritual light for a moment, and there was no sign of any major damage.

After doing all this, Chu Yanran showed no sign of pride. Instead, she spoke softly and melodiously, "Young Kang, go and inform the Office of the Duke of Qin that today, the two senior cultivators of the Crimson Heart Cult have all fled. Our forces are currently searching for and eliminating the remaining members of the Crimson Heart Cult, and all fourteen counties within the territory of Fa Prefecture will be recovered today. This is a small contribution to repay your generous treatment."

"Yes!"

---- Mountain North Circuit, Three Ting Prefectures

Both being Golden Core sects, the current battles experienced by the Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect are far more intense than those of the Crimson Heart Cult.

Outside the mountain gate, which was not particularly luxurious or grand, most of the people from Five Old Mothers Mountain, who had been guarding the Mountain North Circuit for quite some time, were crowded together;

The Imperial Guards, led by General Shu Zhengde, were the same Great Wei Imperial Guard that had just annihilated the Blood Sword Sect's Battle Hall Elder Wang Beixing's forces.

The Ying Mountain Army, built by Fei Ye Shui, the head of the Fei Household, has proven its prowess in every battle.

There were also disciples from various sects in the Mountain North Circuit who were affiliated with Five Old Mothers Mountain, and elite troops from the five prefectures who were ordered by the Office of the Duke of Qin.

The number of highly skilled cultivators, rarely seen in the past, is now more than two, not to mention the presence of True Person Moon Hidden and Fei Tianqin in the center. What can Golden Core cultivator possibly use to contend with them?

If it weren't for the return of his prodigy and the presence of the Wenfengzi True Person Fengzi in the center, the Jin family head would have readily given in, kneeling and bowing in submission.

Even so, the Li Valley Jin Household and the North Mallow Sect have fewer and fewer disciples available, not because True Person Moon Hidden Wenfengzi.

While it was true that the schemes of the former and Jin Fengqing had resulted in True Person Moon Hidden being injured, leaving him in a similar predicament to Wenfengzi was still recovering from his injuries.

Although Jin Fengqing was no match for Fei Tianqin, he could easily hold his own against this veteran.

As for the remaining powerful spirit ships and cultivators on the other side, Xuanxiao Mountain now gathers at least one-third of the Golden Core sects in the entire Mountain North Circuit. Relying on the already severely damaged mountain gate formation, they can barely maintain their position.

The various factions had long been dissatisfied with Five Old Mothers Mountain, and they were even less inclined to have a favorable impression of the Office of the Duke of Qin, which had brought Five Old Mothers Mountain under its control.

Furthermore, Wenfengzi's instigation, along with the claim that soon most of the Nascent Soul sects in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty would rise up in rebellion, and that the whole world would be in rebellion, with the Mountain North Circuit being the first place to raise an army, would surely bring great wealth and honor to all the families within it.

Thanks to Wenfengzi's half-truths and half-lies, seemingly nonsensical rhetoric, the morale of the various factions in Xuanxiao Mountain was still relatively high, enough to hold out for some time.

After all, if the world really changes drastically, and each family puts in so much effort and risk their lives to help others, it is not impossible that they will actually become rich and powerful in the future, and even be able to rise to the top of the local government and enter the imperial court of Great Abyss Capital.

The sound of cannons rang out again today, and even though the Jin family head was recuperating in his quiet room, he could faintly hear it. Since he was not the one on duty today, the Jin family head could suppress his fear and focus on his recovery.

Unexpectedly, as time went on, the sound of cannons outside grew louder, and gradually, the noise of drums could no longer be masked and came through the walls.

Unable to calm his mind, the Jin family head gestured with his fingers for a while, then glanced at the scene on the Mirage Qi Screen. He was shocked and broke through his barrier, rushing towards the great Swift Movement.

The Mirage Qi Screen still retained the image of Wenfengzi being severely injured by the Five-Colored Magic Sword of the True Person Moon Hidden Man. If Jin Fengqing hadn't risked his life to snatch him back from the front lines, he might not have survived.

Meanwhile, True Person Moon Hidden was not as smug as one might expect. He watched as the Fei Household's Ying Mountain Army was once again forced to retreat by Xuanxiao Mountain's grand formation, and Fei Tianqin made no noteworthy achievements amidst the encirclement.

"After these few battles, the Ying Prefecture Fei Household is not as formidable as I had previously heard."

The various factions gathered in Xuanxiao Mountain were resilient enough that even though their own master was True Person injured, they gradually stabilized their position and showed no signs of collapsing.

The True Person Moon Hidden had also suffered considerable losses from injuring Wenfengzi, making it difficult for him to achieve further success. Moreover, seeing that his own army's momentum was gradually being worn down by Xuanxiao Mountain's large formation, he calculated for a while and realized that he had indeed gained a significant advantage.

With their forces overwhelming their strength, there was no need to expect to achieve victory in one battle. Upon realizing this, True Person Moon Hidden sounded the gong to signal a retreat.

The Immortal Dynasty's forces retreated like a tide. Fei Tianqin, who had been besieged by several high-level cultivators, was much more composed during his retreat than before. He only glanced briefly at the Ying Mountain Army, who had easily escaped the entanglement with the Xuanxiao Mountain and returned to their formation, before swiftly returning to his own tent.

A feather brushed past the layers of spiritual barriers within the tent, revealing a gigantic Pill Furnace that was burning hot. Beside the Pill Furnace stood a Daoist priest with a sinister face, looking listless and clearly overworked.

Fei Tianqin skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. "The play can't go on for much longer, how much more Blood Qi are you lacking?!"

(Thanks to the super handsome guy who can't wake up every day for the 1,745 coins)