Tianqin Unleashes His Might

"Senior, is the Blood Qi here still plentiful? Perhaps we should come later?"

Before Daoist Peng could finish speaking, Fei Tianqin's cold glare silenced him, and he could only stand awkwardly beside the Pill Furnace, saying nothing.

Heaven and earth can bear witness that his statement was indeed made with the old bird's best interests at heart.

This conflict between the two sides is far larger than when Shen Lingfeng led the Imperial Guard to quell the Mountain Barbarians. Both sides have lost several Golden Core cultivators each, and as for Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement cultivators, it will be difficult for either side to make a clear count until the war ends.

In just a few short months of fighting, Daoist Peng has collected more Blood Qi than he did in a hundred years at the Two Instruments Sect. For a heretical cultivator like him, this place is indeed a top-notch treasure land. If Fei Tianqin can delay the war a little longer, the benefits will certainly be considerable.

However, since this old bird wasn't very interested, there was nothing Daoist Peng could do.

Over the years in Shannan Circuit, he was considered a big shot who could stir up trouble. But after falling into the hands of this old bird, he couldn't use any of his tricks at all.

Despite his formidable strength, Fei Tianqin dared not interfere in the Nascent Soul battle between True Person Moon Hidden and Wenfengzi. Yet, within the current Great Wei Immortal Dynasty Domain, this old bird could definitely be considered a first-rate figure below the Nascent Soul.

Even though Jin Fengqing was a rising star of the Heaven-Rending Sword Sect, he was still completely manipulated by the Marquis of Fengcheng of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. According to this old bird, if it weren't for its concern about alchemy, it would have already annihilated Jin Fengqing, reducing him to ashes.

Although there must be some exaggeration in his words, this old bird is not one to speak without reason. Since he dared to make such a statement, he must have something to rely on.

Thinking of this, Daoist Peng felt extremely resentful, but he dared not show it on his face. He had cultivated for hundreds of years, and his experience was not as simple as just honestly refining pills on Rosy Lake Mountain.

Those who are ruthless and heartless often also believe they are enlightened about human nature. He could sense that although Fei Tianqin was not human, he was far more stubborn and obstinate than anyone he had ever met before, and was truly not someone he could defy.

According to Daoist Peng, this old bird not only didn't care about the lives of the immortals and mortals who contributed their Blood Qi to the Crimson Realm Life-Prolonging Pill, but his own life was probably not very valuable in his eyes either.

Such a character is certainly not someone a selfish and self-serving person like Daoist Peng could afford to offend.

Suppressing the little thought that had just crossed his mind, Daoist Peng adopted a very respectful demeanor, bowing deeply and saying, "This junior is at your service at any time, senior, and would never dare to disobey!"

"That would be best." Fei Tianqin's eyes were icy, revealing a sharp glint. Only after seeing through the Old Devil to the bone did he offer a cold promise, as a form of consolation:

"My younger brother is an unparalleled genius of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, and he is the most kind and loving person. If your pill can truly help him prolong his life and achieve the Nascent Soul stage, then you, the Daoist, will surely have a prosperous future."

Objectively speaking, this promise was utterly unrealistic. It was all empty talk and unlikely to entice anyone to put their heart and soul into it. But Daoist Peng heard it as if it were divine music, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He managed to get Fei Tianqin off the hook.

After the latter left the tent, the heavy footsteps that had left even the most powerful Daoist Peng speechless in his prime descended one after another.

The Daoist priest put away the Pill Furnace, but the earth fire beneath it, which had been restrained by Daoist magic, still burned fiercely. Without the suppression of the Law Treasure, the crimson flames soon crawled and spread, scorching a thick piece of rock and soil into a glassy charred shell.

Daoist Peng saw his own pathetic reflection in the fireworks, and the fierce look on his face could no longer be suppressed. The murderous light shooting from his eyes seemed to become nourishment for the fire to burn. In no time, the fireworks rose like a tide, creating a fire wave several feet high, burning all the surrounding utensils to ashes.

As Golden Core cultivator, even though his injuries had not yet healed, Daoist Peng's Dharma Body did not shy away from this level of earth fire. He was immersed in the sea of fire, thinking that such a huge commotion could not be heard from the outside world, and a sense of frustration arose in his heart.

"After four hundred years of arduous cultivation, you've actually been subdued by this hairy beast?!"

Gradually, the raging subterranean fire subsided, but the fierce look in Daoist Peng's eyes was much stronger than before. However, he only looked inward again after the subterranean fire had completely calmed down.

Only when he looked at the tattered banner enveloped in layers of Blood Qi essence within his Dantian, and at the still determined figure within it, did a glimmer of hope begin to stir in his heart.

After missing his target, Sect Leader Kang Da returned to his tent, where Yang Wuwei came to discuss the Dharma with him. The latter had performed remarkably well in this battle, not only nearly killing the North Mallow Sect, but also slaying a False Core Formation cultivator with his clansmen.

It is said that the two superior cultivators of the Ye Prefecture Yang Household, who were already very satisfied with him, loved him even more. The matter of preparing Core Formation spiritual object for him to form his core has already been put on the agenda. They are just waiting for the end of the battle in Three Ting Prefectures so that Yang Wuwei can usher in a great opportunity.

Unlike the Foundation Establishment stage, where most cultivators rely on external objects, the importance of Core Formation objects for Core Formation is much lower.

Perhaps because Foundation Establishment cultivators have already established their Dao Foundation, unlike Qi Refinement cultivators who have not yet completely Mortal Shedding mortal realm and Core Formation is not considered a success, and those who die directly are rare.

However, compared to the benefits of directly Core Formation without external aids, such as a stronger physical body and a slightly better quality core, most cultivators would rather seek out a Core Formation object that is particularly compatible with their own needs in order to achieve success in forming a core.

Even within the Shannan Circuit, the Ye Prefecture Yang Household could not be considered a first-rate family under the Star-Picking Pavilion. Therefore, the two upper cultivators of the Yang Household did not have such high ambitions. Rather than hoping that Yang Wuwei would achieve his core without relying on external Core Formation and become a legend, they hoped that Yang Wuwei, as the next generation's outstanding talent Yang Wuwei, could Core Formation as soon as possible, so as to relieve some of the pressure on the Ye Prefecture Yang Household.

Anyone with eyes can see that there will be no shortage of battles along the Mountain South and Mountain North in the future; only short-sighted leaders would fail to make far-reaching plans.

After Yang Wuwei took his seat, he was as generous as ever. Without asking for any promises, he first handed over the Core Formation manual he had purchased from Cao Xianlu to the Kang and Jiang brothers to read. This made the usually thrifty Sect Leader Kang Da feel unusually ashamed of himself.

Kang Dabao had heard snippets about the price of this note from Zhou Yun, only that Yang Wuwei originally intended to exchange the ten-year mining rights of a Second-Tier Lower-Grade warm jade mine in Red Drum County, Ye Prefecture Cao Xianlu.

This adds up to over ten thousand Spirit Stone. Yet Cao Xianlu still didn't budge, so it was clear that Yang Wuwei must have spent an even bigger sum to finally acquire this manuscript.

Compared to Cao Xianlu, who could barely be considered his brother-in-law, Sect Leader Kang Da found Yang Wuwei more to his liking. The latter was a man of great ambition and magnanimity, a rare and extravagant character, and indeed bore some resemblance to Kang Dabao's deceased elder brother.

However, even though Yang Wuwei was a bold and unrestrained man, he was not a foolish gentleman who blindly followed others and had no opinions of his own.

Since Cao Xianlu was able to sell a failed manual on which no one had successfully Core Formation to Yang Wuwei at a price higher than the market price, it must have something extraordinary about it. This is also why Yang Wuwei wanted to visit the Kang and Jiang brothers to preach the Dharma.

The three men sat in the tent, enjoying tea and discussing philosophy. It was unusual for them to be so open and honest. Even the younger members of the Yang Household who accompanied Yang Wuwei, along with the three Chongming Sect descendants Kang, Duan, and Ming, benefited greatly and broadened their horizons.

As the unclear parts of the notes became increasingly less numerous, Yang Wuwei's face lit up with joy, secretly thinking that he had indeed not misread them.

Of the ten people previously selected by Fei Tianqin to take turns fighting Funeng, apart from the three from the Yang Household, Zhou Yun and Fei Enwen were only barely qualified.

Qin Sufu came from a humble background. Although his leaf-grade cultivation was not high, he still stood out in the battle against Funeng. Normally, even Azure Leaf Dao Foundation wouldn't dare to dream of False Core, but Yang Wuwei felt that this Commander Qin had a great future and that his Dao Path was no less than his own.

Besides, Cao Xianlu was likely to surpass all the other cultivators mentioned above.

This man was originally a nobody, with neither Lineage support nor sect favor. He earned his position as Golden Core disciple and a prominent family's son-in-law solely through his willingness to risk his life.

He is only a little over a hundred years old, yet he has already attempted to Core Formation before the aforementioned individuals. Such a person, who rose from humble beginnings, is not to be underestimated.

But even such a figure was still no match for Jiang Qing in Yang Wuwei's eyes.

The latter, born into a minor sect, Ice Leaf Dao Foundation despite his incomplete Dao body. Even when it was passed down to the surrounding Dao sects, it was already worthy of praise. Furthermore, he cultivated Sword Essence with his Foundation Establishment body. Even though he was not yet proficient, it was already a rare achievement that many Golden Core cultivators had wasted hundreds of years of time on.

If Jiang Qing were to Core Formation, he might become an outstanding figure like Pu Honggu, the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect, the Head of General Xiang Tianxing of the Star-Picking Pavilion, a figure that ordinary cultivators could not even dream of reaching.

As for Kang Dabao, Yang Wuwei, who prided himself on his ability to judge people, found him difficult to understand. It was one thing that the former's Daoist skills were unmatched, but when discussing Daoism, he frequently uttered witty remarks that provoked deep thought, which was quite remarkable.

Yang Wuwei's willingness to generously lend out the notes this time is entirely due to the promising futures of Kang Youwei and Chiang Kai-shek. After all, even the most generous person won't be generous to useless people; there are rarely people in this world who are kind to you for no reason.

The three of them had only been engaged in the Daoist gathering for half a year when Kang Dabao felt that many of the previous mysteries had been cleared away, and the path to Core Formation had become much clearer.

Just then, Fei Enwen, who had just been promoted to a post in the Ying Mountain Army, came to deliver military orders. Fei Enwen did not exchange many pleasantries, but simply said to everyone in the tent, "The Ancestor asked me to come and tell Sect Leader Kang that True Person Moon Hidden has completed the preparations of all the families' troops, and we will launch a general attack on Xuanxiao Mountain in the next two days. Please do not slack off."

In the past, the Five Old Mothers Mountain faction would only engage in battle once every ten days. After all, compared to the various families of Mountain North Circuit were holed up in Xuanxiao Mountain, Five Old Mothers Mountain had relatively abundant resources.

Although True Person Moon Hidden had little lifespan left, he showed no sign of urgency in commanding his army. Since he had never been caught out by Wenfengzi on the other side, the Five Old Mothers Mountain faction, which already had the advantage in strength, would remain invincible without external interference.

Therefore, both Sect Leader Kang Da and Yang Wuwei felt a sense of surprise upon hearing Fei Enwen's words. However, before the former could express it, Fei Enwen silently transmitted his voice without moving his lips:

"This battle is different from usual. The deputy general asked me to convey the ancestor's instructions to you: you must closely follow the movements of the Ying Mountain Army and not advance rashly."

After listening, Kang Dabao showed no change in expression. He and everyone else in the tent politely saw off Military Fei Enwen, the envoy, out of the tent. Once Fei Enwen was out of the tent, Sect Leader Kang Da subtly exchanged a meaningful glance with Yang Wuwei.

The latter immediately became alert, and after a few hurried words, he took his leave and returned to his own camp.

Fei Enwen's actions were clearly not intended to reveal the unusual nature of the Ye Prefecture Yang Household, and Kang Dabao was naturally unwilling to do the same. Fortunately, Yang Wuwei was a clever man, and just one look was enough for him to understand many things.

Sect Leader Kang Da was not worried about being held accountable by the Fei Household afterward. After all, the Ye Prefecture Yang Household had recently been highly regarded by the Duke of Qin, and even if the two senior cultivators of the Yang Household were not as well-informed as the Fei Household, they would find out sooner or later.

Kang Dabao was merely trying to curry favor with them. After all, he had just seen the Core Formation Manual that they had purchased at a high price, and it wouldn't be right for the Yang Household cultivators to leave empty-handed; that wouldn't be the way of Sect Leader Kang Da's hospitality.

After seeing the guests off, Sect Leader Kang Da spoke with Jiang Qing and the disciples for a while. The cultivators understood the implications and their faces were solemn. When they left the tent, each of them carried military orders and was extremely serious.

The worry between Kang Dabao's brows lingered for a long time until the bugle call during evening drills dispersed the red glow of the sunset. Only then did he clear his mind of all distractions and begin his meditation.

----The following evening

On this day, the air around Xuanxiao Mountain was thick with murderous intent, so dense that birds and beasts within a hundred miles preferred to stay in their nests and starve to death rather than risk coming out to forage for food.

True Person Moon Hidden stood beneath the great banner, looking at Fei Tianqin with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The former, based on the old bird's performance several times, was already harboring a hidden anger. After all, as True Person, he was not so easily fooled. After a little thought about Fei Tianqin's actions, he realized that the old bird was indeed just going through the motions.

Although the reason is unknown, it is related to the military order that Five Old Mothers Mountain made to Kuang Liuting, and the matter is of great importance. If it weren't for the fact that the Ying Prefecture Fei Household is considered a trusted follower of Kuang Liuting, and if it weren't for the fact that True Person Moon Hidden had hesitated for a long time, he might have already sent back a report about the Fei Household's behavior.

But this time, Fei Tianqin unexpectedly volunteered, ordering all families to prepare their troops in order to break the Xuanxiao Mountain Formation in one battle and report the victory to the government. This left True Person Moon Hidden somewhat confused.

However, the sect leader of Five Old Mothers Mountain was quite happy with this situation. After all, he didn't have much time left in his lifespan, and he couldn't even find a single junior in his sect who could reach the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage. Being able to avoid offending the Ying Prefecture Fei Household in their heyday and continue to cultivate good karma for the descendants of Five Old Mothers Mountain was the best outcome.

The battle had escalated to the point where even Nascent Soul True Person were fighting each other. The Third-Tier Supreme-Grade array that the Li Valley Jin Household had set up in Xuanxiao Mountain had long been damaged and repaired repeatedly.

The fact that they've been able to hold on until now is only because the Jin family head has been relentlessly extracting Spirit Vein from the mountain's veins, allowing them to barely survive.

After this battle, regardless of who wins, this Spirit Vein will be severely damaged. To think that it can be restored to its original state without any effort is simply wishful thinking.

True Person Moon Hidden was also furious about this. Xuanxiao Mountain was considered one of the best spiritual sites in Three Ting Prefectures. If it were to fall into ruin like this, the people from the Hehuan Sect who were transferred from Guandong Circuit would likely face a lot of complaints.

However, these are all things that will cause headaches later. Since Fei Tianqin has become inexplicably proactive, True Person Moon Hidden is happy to reclaim this place as soon as possible.

As the resounding bugle call rang out and the floating clouds atop the great formation gradually dissipated, the Imperial Guards led by Shu Zhengde moved first as usual.

Shu Zhengde's original official position was Imperial Guard General, in charge of guarding the Three-One Forbidden Palace, which shows how highly he was regarded.

While it's true that Shu Zhengde couldn't bring all his elite troops with him when he rushed from Great Abyss Capital Mountain North Circuit to quell the rebellion, the Imperial Guards, though many of the regular armies in various parts of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty had been defeated, had always been relatively capable of fighting, and the selection criteria had never been relaxed.

He verified the innocence of his ancestors for three generations, Late Qi Refinement cultivator, and had mastered a low-grade offensive technique of the Hong family to the Minor Accomplishment Realm.

These few conditions alone are enough to deter most Qi Refinement Refining cultivators in the world. Only the Kuang Household clan, whose prestige remains undiminished even after death, still possesses such prestige to attract ambitious individuals from all over the world to apply.

Shu Zhengde's troops on this expedition numbered less than a capital city, consisting of only one battalion of Sound-Shooting Soldiers, three hundred Thousand Ox Guard, and one unit of Liangxi elite cavalry. After a series of battles, their casualties reached fifty-one.

However, for the already weakened Great Wei Imperial Guard, such casualties were not enough to shake morale.

According to regulations, the deputy general in charge of a battalion of Sound-Shooting Soldiers should be a True-Grade Golden Core cultivator. However, the emperor's authority is not as strict as before, so they could only bring in a righteous ruler who was close to the Immortal Dynasty to fill the position.

Of the more than five hundred people, nearly eleven were Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, a number that other teams, including those from Five Old Mothers Mountain, could not match.

However, since it was rare for the Great Abyss Capital to select and send the Imperial Guards to garrison the southwestern border, he naturally did not treat this team, which was there to show his respect, poorly. All the armor and weapons were provided by the Military Equipment Office in accordance with the ancestral system established during the reign of Emperor Taizu, which was quite rare.

The moment Shu Zhengde landed the flag, an invisible barrier appeared around him, isolating the Daoist arts and Law Artifact that flew out from Xuanxiao Mountain.

Meanwhile, half of the Sound-Shooting Soldiers each used Second Tier archery equipment to draw their bows and nock their arrows, while the other half operated in teams, using Third Tier crossbows. These soldiers, accustomed to killing, were quite relaxed in battle, and in no time they had carved a crack in the great formation of Xuanxiao Mountain.

Seeing that the great formation was about to break, none of the factions within it were willing to sit idly by and wait for their doom.

The North Mallow Sect is particularly skilled in the art of refining zombies. The Hairy Jiangshi and Iron Jiangshi zombies formed an unexpectedly solemn and orderly military formation. Led by several Bronze-Armored Jiangshi, they swiftly leaped out of the formation. In an instant, death filled the air, and even the surrounding Spiritual Qi seemed to be stained black.

Just as the horde of zombies was about to break through Shu Zhengde's banner and slaughter the Sound-Shooting Soldiers, the Ten Thousand Talismans Sect troops behind Shu Zhengde's formation moved first.

This sect has always been close to Five Old Mothers Mountain, and can be considered a staunch supporter of the latter, so it has never spared any effort in battle.

The Golden Core Sect Master was even willing to use several sect-protecting talismans passed down from his ancestors. The North Mallow Sect's corpse formation was broken by his talisman formation, and the thousands of corpses cried out incessantly. Even the leading Bronze-Armored Corpse were severely injured, and pieces of their armor turned into corpse fluid that flowed down, leaving them in a sorry state.

At that moment, Shu Zhengde changed the command flag in his hand, and three hundred Thousand Ox Guard, who had been hidden behind the flag, rushed out under the Pill Master.

These soldiers were clad in Second Tier heavy armor, and their double-edged long-handled broadswords were imbued with a demon-piercing aura, making them exceptionally sharp when facing these inanimate objects.

Even though they suffered many casualties when facing the Bronze-Armored Corpse, they did not retreat. The three hundred soldiers stood in formation and swung their swords down together. In just an instant, a bright, ten-zhang-long broadsword appeared in the field, almost splitting the Bronze-Armored Corpse and its golden mace in two.

With the surrounding families working together, the Third Tier formation that the families of Mountain North had used as a barrier was broken again in a short time.

Five Old Mothers Mountain was imposing, with Fei Tianqin leading the vanguard and the cultivators from various factions rushing into the mountain. Before long, they were locked in a fierce battle with Jin Fengqing.

Ying Mountain Army, however, remained unhurried, leading Chongming Sect Azure Jue Guard and other close relatives and friends on a slow march.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, had just led his troops onto the spiritual soil of Xuanxiao Mountain. After fighting for half a day, they heard unusual activity within the formation. A cry of alarm seemed to reach their ears, "Jin Fengqing has been killed by the Fei Household's patriarch!!!"