Fighting for a Way Through

The Kang Dabao held in his hand for combat was a long spear Law Treasure that he had taken from some Golden Core bag. Although this weapon was of a higher grade, it was new to him and did not yet make the Sect Leader Kang Da feel that it was better than the Slaughter and Extermination that he had nurtured for many years.

But now that the Slaughter and Extermination has ceased, we have no choice but to deal with this situation hastily.

"After returning to the sect, I'll probably need to set aside some time to travel to Phoenix Cry Prefecture to find Master Gu Rong at the Office of the Duke of Qin and have a suitable magic Law Treasure custom-made."

However, even this alone was enough to make the combined forces of the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shier and the Ninth Palace Master Du Yun'er on the opposite side difficult to withstand.

Despite both of them being renowned cultivators in Huangpi Circuit for many years, having achieved the Golden Core stage over a century ago, their cultivation levels are not far from the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

However, neither of them felt any shame or anger upon suffering this defeat.

After all, the opponent was a rising star who had been granted a title by Emperor of Wei, and it was possible that his death was closely related to the late-stage Golden Core You Song Songshangxiu, the Third Palace Master. It would be strange if the two of them could defeat him.

Fortunately, their original purpose was merely to delay the migration of the Chenjiang Kang Clan. They considered it a success if they could save their lives from the powerful enemy. If they really wanted to capture someone, they would have to wait for the palace to send strong reinforcements.

Seeing that Preceptor Huang Mi of the three Golden Core —Lianjiang Sect, Fengyi Sect, and Fushan Orthodox Sect— had not personally come, and that Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall had not yet appointed a sufficiently influential hall master to oversee the matter, they naturally harbored the intention of going through the motions without putting in any real effort.

Not to mention the soldiers themselves, even the elite troops they selected would often only lose a dozen or so lives before retreating after engaging in battle with the Chenjiang Kang Clan.

After seeing this, Gou Shier and Du Yun'er didn't dare to say a harsh word, since all the Golden Core sects in the vicinity that could be summoned to help were here.

The two individuals were not particularly prestigious, and it was already considered respectful enough that the three families were willing to put on a show of compliance; there was no need for them to harbor any further ambitions.

Fortunately, the three cultivators put in a good amount of effort during the battle of the Golden Core stage; otherwise, the thug wielding the spear on the other side might have been unstoppable.

However, on this day, the cultivators received news that the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall was summoning the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shier, back. Upon hearing this, the three Golden Core were once again filled with rage.

After all, what kind of world has a master who does all the work but only lets the farmhands contribute money and labor?

Among the Golden Core cultivators sent by the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall this time, only two were actually quite important.

If the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shier were to be recalled, leaving only the speechless Du Yun'er behind, it would be more convenient for each family to leave. However, after the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shier handed the letter to each of the cultivators for them to read, their intense anger subsided.

"That's how it is. Although I have other duties to attend to and will be returning to the palace to report back soon, my master will be arriving with a large army and my fifth and tenth brothers in a few days. At that time, I will need the help of you three. You should know that my Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall will never treat my friends unfairly."

That man surnamed Kang is quite ruthless, but he's still hard to defeat. Since I returned to my sect, fellow Daoists, there's no need for much action. Just wait for my Grand Master to lead reinforcements."

Gou Shier made no attempt to hide his delight as he spoke, since Preceptor Huang Mi had already emerged from seclusion, the current crisis should be easily resolved.

Moreover, not having to confront the spear-wielding villain directly was something to be happy about for Gou Shier. After all, if it hadn't been for the use of a protective treasure passed down from his master last time, he might have been stabbed to pieces by the spear.

The Ninth Palace Master Du Yun'er, showed no unusual expression. She simply responded to Gou Shier's words along with the three heads of the family, and then fell silent. It was unknown what she was thinking.

Finally, however, he still earnestly advised, "Myna is traveling alone; there may be many dangers along the way, so please be careful."

Gou Shier nodded upon hearing this, without any other reaction, then bid farewell to the other cultivators, rode on a cloud of witchcraft, and returned via a detour.

After he left, the cultivators did not rush to take any action.

After all, this time Chenjiang Kang Clan was taking mortals with him. Even if they were all close relatives of cultivators, the number was still around 100,000.

The distance between Si Prefecture Cloud Horn Prefecture is so great that even an ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator would likely lose half their life traveling there alone, let alone these breathing burdens?

Du Yun'er relied on the Preceptor Huang Mi's letter, and her tone became much firmer when facing the three Golden Core.

However, since she was far less legitimate than Gou Shier in the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, she did not completely follow Gou Shier's instructions before leaving when she spoke.

But then she gently stroked her white beard and said in a clear voice:

"I advise all fellow Daoists not to slacken our efforts. After some time, once we are fully prepared, we should urge our disciples to launch another attack, just as we have done before."

Don't be too stingy with lives this time; try to save some. After all, that way, when the Grand Master arrives, you fellow cultivators won't be left with nothing to show for yourselves.

You must know, within ten days at most, my shamans and warrior monks will all arrive. At that time, this Chenjiang Kang Clan family will surely be littered with corpses, with little chance of survival."

After the old woman finished speaking, the cultivators remained silent, each pondering their own plans.

When Gou Shier first spoke, it was true that the cultivators all harbored the mindset of seeking no merit but rather no merit. However, Du Yun'er's words made them think deeply.

Preceptor Huang Mi teachings originated from the Snowland Esoteric Buddhism. He was indeed cruel and tyrannical. It was difficult to find a good master in the four realms of Huangpi Circuit, but the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall under his command was the most difficult.

If anyone here has other connections, then only someone raised by a concubine wouldn't go to them!

This time, four Golden Core cultivators have perished in his family. It's easy to imagine how furious he must be. If he really gets evidence of them not putting in their best effort, what will their fate be?

The three cultivators simultaneously reached this point, exchanged glances, but remained silent for a long time.

----Five days later

Yuan Jin looked at the elite troops of the Lianjiang Sect, Fengyi Sect, and Fushan Orthodox Sect opposite him, a hint of worry on his brow.

When he turned to speak with Sect Leader Kang Da, he disregarded Kang Xiangyi's expression and said directly, "Senior Brother, this time they seem to be serious. If we continue to bring these mortals, we'll definitely have a hard time getting through!"

Kang Dabao nodded for a moment, but then showed no concern. He simply asked, "Xiangyi, what do you think?"

Kang Xiangyi, whose name was called, looked sorrowful and regretted going to Shannan Circuit to acknowledge his ancestors.

You should know that Chenjiang Kang Clan gained absolutely nothing from this. Not only did they lose the ancestral cave abode, but they also had to force their entire family to leave their hometown.

Even if the Golden Core cultivator from the Fire Gang Sect happened to die at the hands of Sect Leader Kang Da, it wouldn't make a difference.

However, at this moment, Kang Xiangyi dared not reveal anything.

The old man nodded hurriedly, "Elder Yuan is absolutely right. Ancestor, although mortals are the foundation of the clan, as long as there are still a thousand or so clan members, and they reproduce well, we can always recover."

The clansmen Kang Xiangyi mentioned in his last sentence were referring specifically to those who cultivated immortality. This was the most valuable asset of the Chenjiang Kang Clan, and even if Kang Xiangyi lost his own life, he could not afford to lose them.

Kang Dabao and Yuan Jin nodded in approval, thinking that Kang Xiangyi hadn't completely lost his mind after all. However, the latter was still dissatisfied, because in his opinion, even low-level cultivators like Chenjiang Kang Clan could be left out.

However, he could not voice this thought, otherwise Kang Xiangyi might really disregard his dignity and fight to the death with him.

Seeing the sorrow in Kang Xiangyi's eyes, Sect Leader Kang Da spoke up to comfort her, "Xiangyi, don't worry. Things haven't reached the point of no return yet. Let me speak with the cultivators opposite me."

The latter immediately bowed and thanked him profusely, but then Kang Dabao waved his hand to stop Yuan Jin from trying to dissuade him, and stepped forward. He truly had the imposing and majestic bearing of a dragon and tiger.

Upon reaching the front of the formation, they saw Sect Leader Kang Da cupping his hands in greeting and loudly proclaiming, "We invite our fellow Daoist on the other side to come forward and speak."

He had been on a winning streak lately, taking many lives, including many renowned elders and outstanding new talents from various families. Therefore, Kang Dabao's appearance immediately caused some commotion in the originally quiet military formation.

Countless people within the ranks are chewing until their gums bleed and their pupils are filled with blood.

The Sect Leader Kang Da's Divine Sense was not bad. Without needing to probe further, he could tell that there were nearly a hundred spirit crossbows and cannons of various ranks aimed at his vital points. However, he was not afraid at all. He just waited for the person in charge to come out and speak. Even the slight smile on his face did not fade in the slightest. He really had a sense of being calm and composed.

Finally, it was only after the Ninth Palace Master, Du Yun'er, stepped forward that the commotion from the disciples was quelled.

The old woman didn't bow when she came out, and her tone was icy when she spoke. However, despite her wrinkled skin and white hair, her voice was strangely more melodious and pleasant than that of a young woman in her late teens.

"You, surnamed Kang, our two families have no past grudges and have lived peacefully in our own territories. Yet you are implicated in the deaths of several of my fellow disciples. What else do you have to say to this old woman?"

This reasoning is indeed sound. After all, the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall has lost four palace masters, not to mention the many False Core and True Cultivator who have perished. What other sect in the world could let go of such grudges and ignore them?

This was one of the few times that Sect Leader Kang Da's actions were utterly unreasonable. He felt a pang of regret for having acted rashly when he went to ambush Daoist Peng, fearing that it might lead to unforeseen complications and endless trouble.

Driven by greed and a desire to monopolize the Daoist's Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and unwilling to risk the news being leaked, he ruthlessly killed him.

Looking back now, it was a terrible move. If we hadn't killed Feng Buyao and the Seventh Palace Master back then, we might still have had a chance to turn things around with the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall group.

"These debts cannot all be placed on me alone. Today, I only ask whether you will give way. If you are willing to do so, regardless of how I get along with the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall in the future, I will still owe you a favor."

"Ha, your favor?!" The old woman's sneer was indeed sharp, but Sect Leader Kang Da didn't react much, only nodding and asking calmly:

"Does Fellow Outer Dao Yu also think like the Ninth Palace Master? If so, then I, Kang, will show no mercy today. Let's each rely on our own abilities!"

Du Yun'er's brows furrowed with even greater anger, and she immediately retorted, "The various families have always been of one heart and one mind with me, how can we tolerate your provocation?!"

The moment she uttered her last word, the spear-like Law Treasure in the hand of Sect Leader Kang Da shot out suddenly. At the same time, a sharp shout from Kang Dabao also reached their ears on the wind:

"Today, I, the Daoist, will test your so-called 'shared blood'!"

Du Yun'er's expression changed drastically. She immediately summoned a black protective shield. Although this Law Treasure was only of low grade, it had been nurtured by the old woman for nearly 60 years. It was also the treasure that Preceptor Huang Mi had used to recruit her back then.

Protected by this treasure, and being a person who prefers quiet to movement, this old woman had not suffered any major injuries for one or two hundred years, if you count carefully. It was only recently, when she encountered Sect Leader Kang Da, who was of the same level, that she suffered some losses.

Kang Dabao was already used to the thick miasma emanating from the black banner, and he knew that the old woman had devoted most of her attention to refining this treasure, and that she did indeed have some skill in it.

However, the spear he threw was unable to break through the black miasma scattered by Du Yun'er's black banner. But the true form of the Sect Leader Kang Da that followed was not something that this Law Treasure could withstand.

The latter withdrew his spear, but instead of using it, he put it back in his bag. Then, with just his bare hands, he shattered the barrier in front of him. Just as a gap was about to appear, his golden pupils flashed, startling the old woman opposite him so much that she hurriedly shielded the black banner in front of her, thus saving her life.

However, just as she was about to call for help, she saw Sect Leader Kang Da take out a mirror.

A beam of spiritual light flashed rapidly from its front, while the sea beast on its back was lifelike. Its originally closed eyes were suddenly opened when the spiritual light swept over them, and then a sharp sword Sword Qi flew out, slashing towards Du Yun'er's head of the Six Yangs.

"Help! Help!!"

This cry came too late. Kang Dabao could already slay Third-Tier Upper-Grade bronze corpse with his Soul-Rending Sword Qi, so how could Du Yun'er, an ordinary upper-level cultivator, possibly withstand it?

At this point, Sect Leader Kang Da was not in a position to lose another Hall Master of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, so he naturally did not hold back.

The three Golden Core cultivators who came to seek help, seeing the situation was dire, had only gone halfway when they witnessed Du Yun'er's physical body being annihilated into ashes.

The poor old woman thought her reckless actions would be a great success, and that her caution would save her life. But in the end, she still couldn't achieve her goal and perished under the trump card of Sect Leader Kang Da.

The three Golden Core cultivators could no longer hide their shock, and their already weak fighting spirit diminished even further.

After all, this newcomer hadn't displayed such abilities before. How could the cultivators have imagined that he could kill someone of the same level in a single encounter?

It now seems that the Third Hall Master of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, whose cultivation had reached the Late-Stage Golden Core, was very likely killed by this burly and extraordinary Sect Double Brightness Chongming.

The three men's skills were only on par with the nearly dead Du Yun'er. Seeing this situation, how could their will to fight be strong?

However, if they were to retreat, and the true form of Preceptor Huang Mi were to arrive and investigate the matter afterward, the various factions would likely face further troubles. This put the three Golden Core sects in a dilemma.

"What are your thoughts, fellow Daoists? Whether to fight or retreat, you must give me, Kang, an explanation."

Of the three Soul -Soul-Rending Sword Qi contained within the Grand Unity Bronze Light Mirror, which were comparable to those of Middle Stage of Golden Core sword cultivator, only one remained. If it weren't for the need to establish authority at this moment and force the enemy to retreat and clear the way, Kang Dabao would certainly not have been willing to unleash it.

After all, this could be considered one of his trump cards for facing Preceptor Huang Mi, so using it on these early-stage cultivators would be a bit of a waste.

Although Sect Leader Kang Da wasn't even very familiar with the techniques for wielding a spear, the three cultivators opposite him dared not underestimate his movements. Finally, the old cultivator carrying a sword spoke up:

"The Marquis of Martial Peace is renowned throughout several prefectures, Fushan Orthodox Sect would not normally dare to cause us trouble. However, we dare not disobey the orders issued by our superiors. We beg the Marquis to consider our predicament and not take offense."

Although the remaining leaders of the Lianjiang Sect and Fengyi Sect did not speak, it was not difficult to tell from their expressions and actions that they shared the same thoughts as the old cultivator carrying the sword.

Since things have come to this point, there is no other way.

Yuan Jin and Jiang Qing, having received the signal, urged their spirit servants and drew their spirit swords to come and assist. Kang Xiangyi, however, had no choice but to grit his teeth and drag Zhou Yun along to fight alongside many of his clansmen against the disciples of the three Golden Core sects.

One side had a large number of people, a desperate army, and a united will; the other side had fewer people, but were small yet highly capable. It was only because they lacked communication and unity that they could not work together effectively.

Therefore, although the Kang Lineage was at a disadvantage when they first engaged in battle, they did not collapse at the first touch as Kang Xiangyi feared.

Seeing that Chenjiang Kang Clan had not lost their composure, the Sect Leader Kang Da was quite relieved. As for the deaths and injuries of the mortals caused by the fighting between the two sides, no one cared about them at the moment.

Opposite them were three seasoned cultivators, all of whom were heads of their families. Their spiritual treasures might not be much less than those of the soon-to-be-deceased Du Yun'er. Even if their Cultivation Method and foundations were slightly lacking, they could not be simply regarded as easy opponents.

Fortunately, although the three brothers hadn't fought side by side for many years, their tacit understanding hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Jiang Qing was most interested in the old swordsman among the three, and as soon as he got close to the front of the battle, he immediately found him and started fighting him.

The two sides had been entangled for some time. The old cultivator carrying the sword already knew a lot about Jiang Qing's abilities. He was even more envious of the latter's swordsmanship, which was able to comprehend Sword Essence at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He has cultivated for nearly five hundred years, comes from the Aristocratic Clan immortal cultivators, and possesses the exceptional qualities of having Dual Spirit Root.

He never lacked cultivation resources from a young age, and when he grew older, he joined a celestial sect and was taught by his masters. When he reached the Qi Refinement, he became a sword prodigy, a rare talent in the sect, one that was seen only once in a hundred years.

Although his cultivation has been stagnant at the Golden Core Early Stage for two or three hundred years, his cultivation in this life has been quite smooth.

Yet even now, this old swordsman still can't even grasp the basics of Sword Essence. Looking at Double Brightness Jiang Third, who is only a hundred years old, the difference between the two is truly lamentable.

To overcome this seemingly insurmountable barrier, the old cultivator climbed famous mountains, visited great sects, paid homage to eminent monks, and sought scriptures. He accumulated a long list of favors and spent countless resources, but in the end, he only brought back the word "enlightenment."

As the saying goes, "a difference of a hair's breadth leads to a difference of a thousand miles," and after two or three hundred years, his swordsmanship had not progressed at all, and his cultivation had also encountered a bottleneck, which gradually wore down the old cultivator's spirit.

After all, he has now reached the Golden Core, enough to roam freely throughout the prefectures and counties. To put it more grandly, he could even look down upon all living beings. Why wouldn't he be satisfied?

When this person's spirit is scattered, even the blade of his sword becomes much duller than others.

However, although this sword-wielding cultivator was old, his foundation was not weak. Jiang Qing was, after all, a late-stage True Cultivator, so the outcome of their battle was self-evident.

Seeing that this old cultivator was simply overwhelming people with brute force, without using any exquisite moves or profound Method Formula, he was able to make up for the difference in swordsmanship between him and Jiang Qing. Fortunately, Cao Xianlu, who was injured, came to his aid when he saw that the situation was not good. The two of them worked together and were able to barely fight the old cultivator to a draw.

There's not much to say Xie Yi Yuan Jin's situation. The Third Tier Spirit Slave he created from Jieyi's cultivation is only about 60% of his former strength. In addition, he is only at the Foundation Establishment, so controlling him is not smooth. It's already a feat that he can barely hold off the Lianjiang Sect leader on the other side, let alone win.

Only the Fengyi Sect Master, with the highest cultivation level and the most unlucky, happened to be Kang Dabao's opponent.

Although the latter was reluctant to give up that last Soul-Rending Sword Qi, he was still far beyond what he could handle with just a spear, a pair of golden eyes, and a pair of bare hands.

However, he overlooked a skill that Sect Leader Kang Da had just learned.

Kang Dabao pierced through the low-grade defensive magic Law Treasure of the Fengyi Sect Master with Golden Light. Just as the latter was still in shock, Kang Dabao suddenly changed his hand seals and used the "Sharpened Spirit Thorn" technique, which he had only just mastered. This immediately caused the Fengyi Sect Master's eyes to freeze, leaving him wide open.

What else could be said? The moment Sect Leader Kang Da took the life of the Fengyi Sect Master, the group he brought immediately fell into chaos.

Some loyal and righteous men wept blood, growing ever more courageous as they sought revenge; others, cowardly and ungrateful, turned and fled at the first sign of trouble. The scene was more than just chaotic.

Seeing this, and knowing that his senior brother had freed up his hands, Yuan Jin, who was in the midst of a fierce battle, felt relieved. After careful consideration, he even decided to abandon the Lianjiang Sect leader in front of him and let the Third Tier Spirit Slave hold on by himself.

He then used his footwork to leap swiftly to Kang Xiangyi's side, disregarding Kang's personal wishes, and directly snatched the battle flag and main position from the latter's hands, issuing commands in succession.

He was indeed skilled in military affairs, and having followed Sect Leader Kang Da through countless battles over the years, he had witnessed countless battles. Although his cultivation years were much shorter than Kang Xiangyi's, his ability to lead the battle was far superior to the latter's.

Once the flags were in Yuan Jin's hands, the various flag signals changed constantly, and the positions of the formations shifted unpredictably. Before a cup of tea had been brewed, the situation on the field had already changed.

After a brief test, the seemingly meticulously planned three-family combined formation appeared flawed and full of weaknesses in Yuan Jin's eyes. It was only because the Kang Lineage's troops were not particularly elite that Yuan Jin was confident he could break the formation immediately.

It was at this moment that the Kang Lineage soldiers, who had been fighting for a long time, suddenly felt that the enemy in front of them had become much weaker, and most of the time, their side was actually outnumbered.

Given this situation, and with the army facing defeat, how could they possibly lose?

Having just witnessed the death of the Fengyi Sect Master and the heavy casualties among his disciples, the leader of the Lianjiang Sect was now fighting alone against the Sect Leader Kang Da and that Third Tier spirit corpse. How could he possibly have the slightest will to fight?

After painstakingly creating an opening and taking a spear thrust, he disregarded the consequences, clutching his life-saving talisman, and vanished in a streak of light. He still had some conscience; as he left, he kept shouting, "Go! Go!!"

The army formation, which could have held out for a while, collapsed immediately upon hearing the shouts.

The Lianjiang Sect disciples fled in panic, while the Fengyi Sect disciples, who were still filled with grief and indignation, were killed by the Law Artifact and spells in an instant. Only the Fushan Orthodox Sect disciples, whose leader was still alive, did not leave for the time being, but they were also inevitably bewildered and at a loss.

At this moment, even though the swordsman still had the upper hand, he knew that one person could not hold the line. Seeing that Kang Dabao had failed to catch the leader of the Lianjiang Sect and was now charging at him with a spear, he immediately used his sword to separate the two people in front of him and fled at high speed.

At this moment, the Kang Lineage soldiers had no stronger enemies in front of them. Their momentum was unstoppable, and every strike was swift and deadly. Who could possibly slow them down?!

The swordsmanship and escape techniques are quite good; at least the current Sect Leader Kang Da is not as good as him.

At this moment, the former didn't know whether he should feel fortunate to have escaped, or feel remorse for the countless disciples who had died or been injured, or feel secretly pleased that the Fengyi Sect Master had died and the spiritual land beneath him had become a no-man's land.

With his sword in hand, Shangxiu had no time to care about his disciples and simply fled in silence. Little did he know that he had only been heading towards the sect for half a day when he saw an old monk carrying the head of an acquaintance, riding on the clouds with fury in his eyes.

"Great Palace Master!"

"Turn around and lead the way!!!"

The head shattered in his hand, the skull fragments tearing a large chunk of flesh from the old man's face as he carried the sword. He was almost too shocked to utter a sound, only watching as Preceptor Huang Mi's anger seemed to materialize into smoke, and he wondered how much blood would be needed to quell it.