A Victory Left Incomplete

Perhaps it was because the fresh head on Yuan Jin's banner was too conspicuous, but the shouts of killing from the Double Brightness Alliance, accompanied by the gongs and drums, made the disciples of the nearby Three Immortals Cave dizzy and disoriented, as if they had lost their parents.

It is true that the general is the soul of the army. The disciples of the Three Immortals Cave were almost scared out of their wits when they first saw Yuan Chang's terrifying face.

At this moment, even the few peak True Cultivator who were usually known for their courage and fighting spirit were rarely heard among them. They shrank their necks and showed no sign of standing out, just like the other disciples of the Three Immortals Cave.

Jiang Qing, along with the two Pill Master Bian and Xu, stood atop auspicious clouds, overlooking the battle. Whenever they saw which side's Three Immortals Cave disciples were well-organized and advanced in a controlled manner, they would descend and use their Law Treasure and Spirit Artifact to dampen their spirits.

After breaking through six formations and killing more than ten Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, the morale of the Three Immortals Cave was truly at an irrecoverable level. Yuan Jin seized the opportunity, and the golden characters on the banner suddenly shone brightly.

The flags of each battalion and the hundred-man army also emitted spiritual light, and the flag-bearers, who were usually very stingy, took out pieces of mid-grade Spirit Stone and put them in their hands. As the array base spiritual objects that had just been given to them were refined in an instant, a large amount of spiritual power was seen to be combined with the array formation and poured into the array flags.

The simultaneous flashing of spiritual light from over a hundred military flags was dazzling. Before the disciples of the Three Immortals Cave could react, a plethora of enhancement runes—"Forge Courage," "Strengthen Heart," "Protect Body," "Restore Spirit," and "Break Edge"—were showered upon the cultivators in the formation as if they were free.

Before Duan and Kang, leading the Azure Jue Guard, could even exert their strength, they saw a general from the Crimson Zhang Guard tear off his already tattered Spirit Artifact armor, wield a mountain-splitting axe, and charge bare-chested. In just a few breaths, he had completely annihilated the hundred-man army formation that had a breach in the Three Immortals Cave.

When it burst out of the crowd, it was covered from head to toe in colorful bits of trash.

Yuan Jin, the commander of the main force, saw that the man's eyes were spitting fire and smoke was rising from his head, which scorched the fresh intestines hanging on his forehead into a charred color. Then he shouted several times and led his soldiers to charge forward.

Large chunks of flesh and blood flew out, the screams grew more and more miserable, and the general's shouts and encouragement grew louder and louder, proving him to be a truly fierce warrior.

"Ahem, Second Senior Brother, this head of the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household is really going all out."

The one speaking to Yuan Jin under the banner was Zhou Yixiu, whose figure had become even more hunched. Yuan Jin turned his head upon hearing the voice and looked at the latter's pale face. He was even a little worried that Zhou Yixiu would be overwhelmed by the Sha Qi of the army of thousands of people who had marched together.

However, Zhou Yixiu was getting old and his actions had become somewhat stubborn. Since his brothers could not persuade him, they had no choice but to leave him under the central banner so that Yuan Jin could take good care of him.

After carefully examining Zhou Yixiu for a while and confirming that she was indeed unharmed, Yuan Jin breathed a sigh of relief and then began to ponder the deeper meaning behind Zhou Yixiu's words.

Yuan Jin and Zhou Yixiu, who had also lived in Wild Fox Mountain for a long time, had a general impression of Yang Xun, the head of the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household, and both felt that he was sinister and not a kind person.

However, actions should be judged by deeds, not intentions. At least the Yang Household has always been respectful and obedient, and Yang Xun has always been brave in battle. Therefore, it should not be judged solely by personal likes or dislikes.

In fact, Yang Xun's desperate fighting style was quite effective.

As the saying goes, "One man's willingness to sacrifice himself is enough to frighten a thousand men." The head of the Yang Household has good judgment, and the timing he chose was indeed just right.

He charged alone for a while, and then led his elite troops in another charge. In just a few breaths, a large part of the elite army of the Three Immortals Cave, which was fighting against Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang, collapsed.

The retreat of these core members of the Three Immortals Cave sects truly sounded the death knell for this hastily assembled group. Yang Xun's actions also set a good example for the Double Brightness Alliance forces.

The Sect Leader Kang Da's long-standing practice of rewarding trust and punishing righteousness has indeed been effective. Even in this great battle of a thousand men, some still dare to follow suit, leaping out into the fray, some even charging straight into the enemy lines single-handedly.

After all, what ordinary cultivator has any foundation to speak of? If they yearn for a longer path to immortality, then having the chance to risk their lives for a bright future is already a rare opportunity, so why should they cherish their lives?

Although the disciples of the Three Immortals Cave were of varying quality, they were not yet at the point of collapse. Seeing that more of their comrades who jumped out died than survived, the fiery atmosphere that had surged in the various military formations of the Double Brightness Alliance gradually cooled down.

Upon witnessing this scene, Duan Anle, who was in charge at the front, not only did not show any anger, but also breathed a sigh of relief. While charging into battle could certainly boost morale, if the goal was truly to secure victory, it was still necessary to stabilize the army's formation.

The Double Brightness Alliance has almost secured victory. The right way is to continue to overwhelm the Three Immortals Cave army with overwhelming force. At that time, the latter will lose their will to fight, and even the strong among them will be swept away by the fleeing soldiers and become lambs to the slaughter!

The Azure Jue Six-Leaf Battle Lotus Formation is a military formation originating from the Fenli Zhang Household and popularized by Zhang Yuandao, the founder of the Chongming Sect Leader Kang Da. It has long been improved and enhanced by several veteran soldiers through the Fei Household's connections, thanks to the help of the Grand Master Kang.

The current changes in offense and defense are far beyond what they were when Yuan Jin led his army to Jia-Chou Military Stronghold to provide reinforcements. The disciples selected from the Chongming Sect, while not quite having mastered the Azure Jue Six-Leaf Battle Lotus Formation to perfection, are certainly highly skilled.

But then Duan Anle changed the command flag in his hand, and the group of fellow disciples in the Azure Jue Guard formation quickly changed their positions and incantations, with the timing of the spiritual light appearing in their palms being only a fraction of a second different.

The sharp lotus leaves were like knives and axes, rising and falling without any reason. Whether it was the solid Spirit Vein cliff or the physical body of a cultivator tightly wrapped in a magic robe, once it touched them, few could escape unscathed.

With the Azure Jue Guard maintaining their discipline and composure, the Crimson Zhang Guard, whose formation had already fallen into disarray, had no worries about their rear when they charged into battle.

The Blood Zhang Burning Formation that Yuan Jin tailored for him was found in the old papers of the armories of various counties. Although it may lack some of the essence, it has achieved some results over the years thanks to Yuan Jin's tireless practice.

Even though the Crimson Zhang Guard's formation was already scattered, they were still no match for the Three Immortals Cave disciples whose fighting spirit had been greatly diminished. Even with some losses, the killing intent in their eyes faded due to the thought of the generous supplies promised by Yuan Jin before the battle.

Moreover, at this moment, it was not only the two teams that Chongmingzong had personally trained that were Chongming Sect exerting their strength.

The newly compiled array formations created by the Hanshan Sect, selected from virtuous young men, have already shown initial results. Since becoming the Pill Master, Xu Liuxian has boldly begun recruiting rogue cultivators to establish their foundations. Some have been accepted as disciples, while others have been made guest advisors. In just a few short years, the number of true cultivators in the Hanshan Sect has increased to the number on both hands.

Zhou Zhaoyi and Ji Yunsheng, these two trusted sworn brothers, have also made great progress in their cultivation. If they gather their forces and launch a surprise attack, which of the Three Immortals Cave's armies could withstand them for even a moment?

Over the years, the Stone Mountain Sect has managed to make Pu Prefecture as impregnable as a fortress. After all, it is a prefecture, and no matter how barren and desolate it may be, it is still more than enough to support a False Core sect.

Compared to most families in the alliance, the equipment of the Stone Mountain Sect disciples was obviously a level higher. In other words, the Chongming Sect was quite enthusiastic about picking up Storage Bag, were a cut above them.

Despite their slightly weaker military formation, their strength and resources allowed them to fight True Cultivator, with He Yuanhe and his fellow cultivators causing the motley crew from the Three Immortals Cave to flee in disarray.

Besides the two False Core sects mentioned above, there was also Xiu Ming assisting Mo Wen in leading over a hundred magical artifacts from Ingenious Craftsman Fort, with more than ten kinds of puppets appearing one after another;

Furthermore, the Ming Household sword formation, presided over by Ming Hun, was dazzling and its myriad swirling lights pierced the darkness;

Furthermore, the heads of the five Foundation Establishment families— Hemu Dao, Ma, Shan, He, and Lu—all took the lead, personally guiding their family's elites to bravely charge forward.

Finally, there were over a thousand local soldiers from Ping and Jin counties, and several hundred volunteers selected from over four hundred families in Cold Crow Mountain. They were so tempted by the readily available military merits that they spared no effort and were able to kill the disciples of Three Immortals Cave so badly that they cried out in agony.

With such a downward trend seemingly irreversible, people's hearts are naturally in turmoil.

The number of retreating disciples from the Three Immortals Cave began to increase. Many of the newly added Chongming Sect army formations did not even get close to the enemy before the opposing square formations scattered.

Faced with such a situation, the True Cultivator Foundation Establishment the main formation in the Three Immortals Cave could neither resist nor dare to stop it. In fact, even they themselves couldn't say what the point would be if they continued to persist.

Therefore, there is no other way to determine the outcome of the Battle of Thunder Splendor Mountain.

By the time Kang Rongquan had gotten used to the slippery feel under his feet, even the number of times the Qingling magic array on his spirit boots could be activated was exhausted by the surging waves of blood.

The blades in the hands of Jin Shilun and his son had been dulled by the neck bones of the disciples from the Three Immortals Cave, and their two handsome faces were covered in blood.

As Han Xundao, Yuan Changsheng, and the others repeatedly used their Law Artifact to reap lives, they remained unfazed, even as their meridians were torn and burned by the exhaustion.

Standing on the clouds, Jiang Qing finally saw the Double Brightness Alliance's army formation resemble a wave, washing away the colorful sand and gravel of Three Immortals Cave, leaving it in ruins and unable to rise again.

"The Three Immortals Cave is no more here!!"

Before Jiang Qing could even utter a sigh, and before Bian and Xu could react, a purple-robed Pill Master with a hint of satisfaction on his face stopped concealing his aura, and rushed to his side with lightning speed, praising him:

"Having witnessed the might of your army today, I, Tiger, understand that the so-called 'overwhelming force' is nothing more than this."

"Fellow Daoist Tiger, you're too kind," Jiang Qing said politely, managing a slight, strained smile before falling silent.

Over the years, as his swordsmanship has become increasingly refined, Jiang Qing's personality has become increasingly aloof. Apart from a few close people within the sect, it is difficult for outsiders to see any other expression on his face.

However, since this Pill Master surnamed Hu was introduced by his own Martial Uncle Lian, Jiang Qing couldn't be too cold towards him.

The former had once helped Lian Xuepu, so Lian Xuepu reciprocated by the Double Brightness Alliance to give the current Second-Tier Supreme-Grade Spirit Vein to the Tiger-surnamed Pill Master so that he could set up a Daoist temple.

After all, it was already quite remarkable that the Double Brightness Alliance was able to bring its allied forces all the way to Mountain North Circuit, so it was even less likely that they would stay in this place where they had no foothold for long. Since they were going to be sold anyway, they might as well sell it to a Liang family who were close to Lian Xuepu, so that they could strengthen their wings a little.

These days, Ye Zhengwen has been searching for information everywhere and has finally learned some bits and pieces of news about the Hehuan Sect.

Dozens of scholars, comparable to Pan Bi and Wei Jie, spend their days revolving around a True Person Crimson Snow. If the sordid affairs and filth within them could be written down, they could support half the storytellers of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

Lian Xuepu was indeed the most favored among them, but his disadvantage lay in his lack of background and the fact that his Dao Path to power had been severed. In terms of having fully developed his power, he was far inferior to the others, such as Chunfeng and Fentao.

If he were still all alone as before, Lian Xuepu wouldn't have anything to worry about.

However, since he has already begun to fight against the Chongming Sect, the highest-ranking of the twelve Spring Wind Envoy under True Person Crimson Snow Chu Han, he also needs to properly gather his forces and come closer to him for his command.

These False Core forces are merely icing on the cake. Lian Xuepu's transcendent status within the Hehuan Sect has long been known. Even though Chu Han and others are True Core Formation cultivators with promising futures, they are far less popular than Lian Xuepu in the eyes of those Golden Core sects.

After all, everyone knows that True Person Crimson Snow is aloof and dislikes being disturbed by outsiders. Therefore, it would be a very worthwhile thing to seriously befriend Lian Xuepu True Person.

In just over a month, many powerful cultivators from the surrounding area sent their close nephews, nieces, and direct disciples to inquire after him, including the Ye Prefecture Yang Household, who had a fairly good relationship with Sect Leader Kang Da.

These powerful clans may be cruel and ruthless, or insatiably greedy, but by no means can they be called fools. Just as ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring, they are the ones most keenly aware of the changing times.

The bustling activity in front of the Hehuan Sect is a result of the increasingly desolate state of Five Old Mothers Mountain, another Nascent Soul sect located nearby.

This reasoning is indeed self-evident, since Five Old Mothers Mountain has no successor, it's no wonder that its vassals are each seeking their own way to survive. After all, apart from Five Old Mothers Mountain, no one else seems to care too much about whether the Mountain North Circuit will change hands in the future.

Therefore, given the current obsequious attitude of many cultivators towards Lian Xuepu, in this battle at Thunder Splendor Mountain, Chongming Sect might not even need to appear as the main character; they could easily see the bandit stronghold of Three Immortals Cave wiped out.

But according to Lian Xuepu's own thinking, since Chongming Sect was already being targeted, it was better to show some strength and avoid trouble.

As long as others can see your sharp claws, even if there are still people within the Hehuan Sect who covet the Fei Household's position, they will choose a more opportune place to make their move.

Objectively speaking, the Chongming Sect has now become Lian Xuepu's Achilles' heel. However, with Sect Leader Kang Da's Chongming Sect on the rise, it seems only a matter of time before this Achilles' heel is transformed into a powerful force.

However, since Thunder Splendor Mountain was captured by the Chongming Sect, Lian Xuepu was obviously unwilling to let his disciples suffer losses, so he asked the Hu-surname Pill Master to pay a very good price. It's just that the repayment period is a bit long, and it will take half a Jiazi (60 years) to pay off the principal and interest.

To be honest, this deal was hardly a bargain. But since it was a favor his martial uncle had to repay, what else could Chongming Sect, from Yuan Jin down, possibly say?

Jiang Qing was always intelligent and could easily sort out these complicated matters. However, he had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the Tiger-surnamed Pill Master. He only hoped that Yuan Jin below could finish presiding over the military formation as soon as possible and come up to take the old cultivator in purple robes to deal with him.

In an instant, Thunder Splendor Mountain's Blood Qi surged to the sky, even making the newly risen sunset seem to be dyed a shade darker.

The shouts of killing, pleas for mercy, wails, and cries of anguish went unnoticed. At that moment, a sweet, salty, and fishy smell permeated the air, attracting countless hungry, gray-feathered birds of prey.

They were often frightened away by the soaring Sha Qi, but then they couldn't bear to leave and would turn back. Heaven knows how long their race would be tempted to devour the flesh and blood on this mountain today, so they were unlikely to give it up.

Yuan Jin ignored the cries of agony in the arena and paid little attention to the ferocious bird overhead. Although this battle was a great victory, it was actually largely due to the overwhelming strength of his three Pill Masters, which turned the Three Immortals Cave into a disorganized mess.

The army's many shortcomings were overshadowed by this great victory. If they become complacent and fail to be mindful of potential dangers in times of peace, they will surely suffer another great loss in the future.

Yuan Jin stood beneath the banner, observing the situation with perfect clarity. For every word he spoke, Zhou Yixiu beside him would inscribe a word on Jade Slip, demonstrating their tacit understanding.

However, just as the brothers were enjoying their time together, Jiang Qing, who was above them, received two more messages. "A Golden Core cultivator is leading an army towards this place; our sect leader has already set off to return to the sect."