Rongquan Weeds the Field (Revised)

The battles fought by the Golden Core cultivators high above their heads had no direct relation to the low-level cultivators in the formation who were fighting for their lives.

When Sect Leader Kang Da went to greet Yu Nian'en with his halberd, Duan Anle naturally landed under the banner.

This sect leader disciple had never commanded so many fake alchemists before, but his deliberately stern face did indeed bear some of his master's imposing presence.

Duan Anle had completely mastered Kang Dabao's mannerisms, keeping his eyes glued to the formation below. Command flags were issued from time to time, and even his tone was as authoritative as that of the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Among the Pill Master of the Double Brightness Alliance, some may have been dissatisfied, but none dared to utter a word. Even though Duan Anle's tone was not pleasant, they could only follow the command flag in the hands of this Foundation Establishment cultivator and hurriedly rush to their respective destinations.

The arrival of these False Core naturally drew warm hospitality from the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall's side of the same rank. This also meant that although both sides had already fought to the point of bloodshed, the real prelude to the great battle had only just begun.

The struggle for the position of Pill Master is clearly not something that ordinary people can get involved in. The mere aftershocks of the Daoist arts and talismanic energy are enough to overwhelm those Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Qi Refinement who have lost their positions.

Thus, after only a few breaths, the already bustling battlefield became even more lively.

Suddenly, large sprays of blood erupted from the countless small formations on both sides, and severed limbs flew everywhere. Then, bursts of screams filled the air, a truly horrific scene.

Fortunately, the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall still has a large force in Si Prefecture to resist the other two. Although the force brought back by the Fourth Palace Master Yu Nian'en is elite, it is not many. In terms of the number of Pill Master, it is even less than that under the jurisdiction of the Double Brightness Alliance.

The Pill Master of the Double Brightness Alliance come from relatively good backgrounds compared to ordinary sects, but they are still only third-rate forces in Ying Prefecture. Even though they have some wealth and their Daoist techniques are quite profound, they still lack the ruthlessness of disciples from the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, who grew up in the borderlands.

Therefore, although the Double Brightness Alliance had a numerical advantage, the situation was still somewhat unsightly.

This made it almost impossible to hide the eagerness of Third Master Jiang, who was still under the banner. However, he knew his limits and did not forget that he still needed to stay by Duan Anle's side to ensure that the central army was not lost and that there was no dissent.

At this time, the Double Brightness Alliance was in a very good position. The great formation built by the shaman soldiers and warrior monks was getting thinner and thinner with each battle. The tragic Buddhist chants and Witchcraft Incantation incantations were mixed together in a strange way, which urged the disciples of each family who were eager to make merit to work even harder.

Kang Rongquan led a battalion of Crimson Zhang Guard to the front, his handsome face glowing with a crimson-gold color from the Buddhist light before him, yet he showed no sign of fear.

It's true that he was under the command of Elder Spirit Plant within the sect, but his behavior was completely different from Zhou Yixiu's, who had never taken a single life in his entire life.

This grandson of the sect leader was both calm and domineering, and even the cultivators within the Chongming Sect were influenced by him, making them all less good-tempered.

Even many of the notoriously arrogant disciples of the Punishment Hall, upon seeing these peasants carrying hoes breaking the law, would first have to consider whether it was worthwhile to detain these hard-working and camaraderie fellow disciples.

In fact, under the tutelage of Elder Kang Rongquan, the disciples of the Chongming Sect who were able to enter the Spirit Plant Hall were not like the scraps and leftovers of other sects.

Now, who in this sect doesn't know that Elder Kang's most admired disciple is one who can "plant rice seedlings in one hand and wield a sword in the other"?

As a result of this top-down influence, the cultivators of the Spirit Plant Hall, while fulfilling their duties, were also unconsciously enveloped in a fierce aura.

Although Kang Rongquan was not a direct disciple of the Sect Leader Kang Da, unlike Duan Anle, Jin Shilun, and others who could not receive the latter's cultivation Cultivation Method, Kang Rongquan was the only disciple in the Chongming Sect who could comprehend the "Profound Clear Withering and Flourishing Secret Manual".

Kang Rongquan paid a heavy price to cultivate this Zhou Grade Upper-Grade Cultivation Method. It took him nearly ten years just to switch to this technique. Before that, Kang Rongquan had already reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

However, Kang Rongquan felt that these ten years were well worth it, because just looking at the current situation, he knew that he had chosen the right path.

At this moment, facing the enemy, stood a disheveled monk with a ferocious expression, showing no trace of compassion. His Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation made him a formidable opponent.

Some of the small battle formations of the monks were about to collapse, and the monks inside were about to flee, only to be killed by the Double Brightness Alliance cultivators who were about to pour in. However, they were stopped by this ascetic and a group of Buddhist monks.

The crescent-shaped staff in the monk's hand was a top-grade Spirit Artifact, truly extremely sharp. Even standing in the midst of a thousand-man battle formation, it could not conceal the fierce aura emanating from him.

Yang Xun, Yixin had been eager to atone for his sins, was not willing to fall behind. He immediately led two deputy Crimson Zhang Guard to stop the fierce and imposing monk with disheveled hair.

"Haha, well done! I was just looking to cut off some valuable heads so I could exchange them for wine before the Palace Master after I've dealt with you Buddha Enemy!"

Instead of being surprised, the ascetic laughed, and with a sudden sweep of his crescent-shaped staff, boundless golden energy, extremely sharp and fierce, instantly arose around Yang Xun and the others.

Dai Fuzhi, the head of the Dai Household in West River Valley, was already at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. He was one of the strongest cultivators in the Crimson Zhang Guard, second only to Yang Xun, and enjoyed great prestige in the army.

However, the moment Dai Fuzhi encountered the sharp edge of this disheveled monk, he was filled with fear after just one encounter.

His cherished robes were easily torn apart by the sharp force of the monk's staff, and the spiritual seal on them immediately collapsed. If it weren't for his excellent Movement Method, he might have lost his life in the blink of an eye.

However, Xu Bing, another deputy general of the Crimson Zhang Guard who was slightly inferior to him and Yang Xun, was not so lucky. After slowing down, the disheveled monk opposite him spread his hand, and a bright red handprint suddenly shot through him.

Xu Bing was not someone who had grown up in a pampered environment, so even when facing a life-threatening situation, he did not panic.

Suddenly, a jade pendant belonging to a high priest hanging on his chest shone brightly, and a tall high priest immediately landed in front of him, wielding two crimson maces, wearing black armor, and riding a qilin mount, truly a valiant and heroic figure.

After the tall priest appeared, Xu Bing could even hear his soldiers gasping in surprise behind him, but he wasn't surprised at all.

After all, relying on this treasure, he had easily killed several late-stage True Cultivator and earned a lot of merits within the Crimson Zhang Guard. According to his thinking, with more accumulation, he might be able to plot the creation of False Core like Yang Xun.

However, the bright red handprint did not vanish rapidly under the priest's double maces as expected. Instead, the priest and his qilin were blasted apart like bubbles by the handprint. Xu Bing's expression changed drastically in shock, and he exclaimed, "How is this possible?!"

This disheveled monk's Buddhist teachings were far more profound than the other practitioners had imagined. However, Yang and Dai, who had been forced to avoid Xu Bing's sharp edge by the Crescent Moon Staff because of his troubles, hurriedly came to his rescue.

However, the monks surrounding the disheveled monk were well-prepared, with pagodas, vajras, wooden fish, and various other Spirit Artifact appearing, filling the air with the aroma of yak butter, and easily stopping the two.

Kang Rongquan, the commander of this camp, was naturally very anxious upon seeing this change, but he remained calm and composed, steadily leading his battalion of Crimson Zhang Guard forward.

Since Xu Bing had no powerful allies, the miasma Spirit Artifact he haphazardly conjured up were unlikely to help him hide and escape.

But the billowing smoke was instantly melted into spiritual light by the Buddha's light emanating from his crimson palm, completely exposing him.

This time, nothing could stop the bright red handprint. Yang Xun and the others who were nearby heard the Buddhist chants and stared wide-eyed as the handprint landed on Xu Bing's chest.

All that could be heard was a curse from the latter. Even though the jade pendant on his chest was already shattered, it was still trying its best to protect its master. But even after it had been reduced to dust, it still couldn't stop the hand seal for even half a breath.

"Die!"

The disheveled monk merely let out a sinister laugh, and Xu Bing's chest flesh seemed to melt away like the first snow meeting the setting sun. As a miserable scream rose, the latter's entire body was also soaked into the Buddhist light of the hand seal.

A few breaths later, as the spiritual bones were bathed in the Buddha's light until they were as white as jade and covered with swastika symbols, they also took away Xu Bing's last bit of life.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

As the monks' morale soared and they chanted Buddhist prayers, the bloodlust in their eyes intensified. The disheveled ascetic also felt pleased, but just as he smiled, countless sharp lights pierced through the air from the opposite formation.

"The lotus protects me!"

With a flick of his staff, the ascetic summoned the group of Buddhist monks who were locked in combat with Yang Xun and Dai Fuzhi back to his side. Once in their positions, the monks softly exclaimed, "Lotus protects me!"

The Buddhist disciples, wielding various Law Artifact and fiercely battling the enemy, also heard the Buddha's name. Their faces immediately filled with piety, and they directly abandoned their enemies, closed their eyes, clasped their hands in prayer, and sincerely chanted the Buddha's name.

"Lotus protects me!!"

"Pfft pfft pfft"

The magical Law Artifact showed no mercy, striking directly at the bodies of numerous Buddhist practitioners.

To the surprise of all the Double Brightness Alliance cultivators, even with blades at their feet, these bald bandits still looked satisfied.

Large amounts of blood were seen gushing down, quickly forming streams along the ground.

Many precious lives were lost, but afterwards, a group of Buddhist monks, led by the unkempt monk, seemed completely unconcerned, continuing to silently recite scriptures with the former.

Only after the crossbow bolts pierced the sky and fell, within a mile radius of the chanting of the monk with disheveled hair, a cloud of lotus petals suddenly rose and enveloped everything, completely blocking out the barrage of crossbow bolts that the Puppet Master in the Ingenious Craftsman Fort had painstakingly prepared with great effort and resources.

At this moment, the battalion of shaman soldiers led by the disheveled monk also broke through the enemy in front of them and rushed towards Kang Rongquan's troops.

Protected by the lotus flowers, the monks were able to withstand the various Daoist rituals and Law Artifact before them. Although they and the shaman soldiers came from the same school and were not usually harmonious, they were perfectly in sync when fighting together.

But then they saw a group of shaman soldiers coming shirtless, their upper bodies covered in tattoos, so much so that it was hard to find a piece of white flesh on their heads. The disheveled monk led the monk to give up his position, and then abandoned his crescent-shaped staff, taking up a treasure bottle and performing incantations.

The sudden, loud, buzzing chanting was extremely disturbing, but in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the ferocious sorcerers in front of them in a layer of Buddhist light Protect Body.

The leader of the shaman soldiers swallowed the talisman water as he marched, and the moment it entered his throat, the patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and beasts on his body lit up.

Then, the skin of the shaman leader burst open, turning him into a blood-soaked figure in an instant, while also making his aura much stronger.

This change made the leader of the shaman soldiers so arrogant that he disregarded the cultivators of Double Brightness and broke away from the ranks of the shaman soldiers, charging alone into the Double Brightness formation.

Even the long-haired ascetic from the same region was startled upon seeing this. "A Guman's sorcery has improved again; it seems he's already overtaken me. I wonder if he's going to take advantage of the situation to form False Core, or if he's going to compete for the main road!"

"Whoosh."

A Guman's Movement Method were ghostly and unpredictable; even with a hail of crossbow bolts, few could graz him. A few scattered bolts, however, couldn't even penetrate the Buddhist aura emanating from him—how could they possibly stop him?!

As for the screams and howls emanating from his shaman soldiers behind him, they did nothing to stop A Guman's movements.

He was shorter than many women.

Even though Dai Fuzhi of humble origin, he was rarely seen as such a fierce person. Before the battle even began, he already showed some fear. Yang Xun, on the other hand, remained fearless. As soon as his seal swelled, it pressed down on A Guman like a small mountain.

This Spirit Artifact was acquired by Yang Xun after he sold Daoist Peng's Law Treasure, so its power should not be underestimated. However, the A Guman opposite him only glanced at it before understanding its significance.

He quickened his pace even further, making no attempt to dodge, and leaped unharmed, grazing the falling square imprint, to Yang Xun's side. The latter was not unprepared; he opened his mouth and unleashed more than ten ice spikes.

A Guman looked surprised, but did not dodge. He let half of the ice spikes shatter the Buddha's light, and he didn't even try to avoid the rest of the ice spikes. He simply blocked them with a layer of black blood scab. Afterwards, ignoring the several bloody holes that appeared on his body, he swung his fist fiercely with a ferocious expression and smashed it down on Yang Xun's head.

"So arrogant and unruly!!"

Yang Xun also became ruthless, summoning another black jade tablet to form a shield to block, but the A Guman sneered and smashed Yang Xun's jade tablet with a single punch. Before the latter could react, Agu Man poured black blood all over Yang Xun, scalding him and causing him to lose his mind, grimace, and look utterly disheveled!

"Die!"

The mountain-like seal flew back swiftly with the angry shouts, but A Guman was not afraid at all. His huge fist was full of ferocity, and he slammed it down on Yang Xun.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two loud crashes rang out in succession. Yang Xun's chest armor was smashed apart, and large patches of flesh were torn off. Even his Dao Foundation was on the verge of collapse. Kang Rongquan hurriedly sent soldiers to bring him back, but his gaze was fixed on the barbarian cultivator who was still standing there, having carried a top-grade Spirit Artifact.

He had no idea how much effort Preceptor Huang Mi, the Grand Master of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, had put into training these witch soldiers.

They would find suitable cultivators to teach them witchcraft, and have specialists use a hundred kinds of Spirit Plant, regardless of their medicinal properties or toxicity, to create a spiritual liquid that would seep into the body and bones. This single step would eliminate eleven people; if they couldn't withstand it, they would surely lose their Dao Path.

Afterwards, a large sum of money will be used to temper the body with barbarian witchcraft Cultivation Method, and the Essence Blood of a hundred kinds of Demon Beast will be brought in to soak in the pool. Only one-third of them will retain their intelligence.

A Guman was able to stand out from the crowd of shamans and become a disciple of the Golden Core cultivator. With a bit of luck, he might even be able to produce a fake False Core cultivator with the resources he expended. However, he was no match for Yang Xun, who had some luck.

Even with his reckless actions, he was seriously injured and it was hard to say that there was no price to pay. But seeing the high morale of the group of witch soldiers behind him, who were like tigers and wolves, one could tell that his actions were not a loss.

"As the lord of the northern border of Huangpi Circuit, how could he be without any foundation?!"

Kang Rongquan's expression turned serious. He sighed at how violent A Guman's actions were. Every move he made was as fierce as if he were fighting for his life, which caught him off guard, as he had thought Yang Xun could hold him off for a while and that he would not rush to help.

As he looked around, he noticed that the Crimson Zhang Guard around him were somewhat timid because of the death and injury of their two usually imposing deputy generals, Xu Bing and Yang Xun. He then knew what to do.

"Junior Brother Jin, I'll trouble you to lead the charge!"

"Senior Brother Kang, please wait."

Before Jin Shilun could finish speaking his words of concern, Kang Rongquan had already transformed into a beam of blue light and landed where A Guman was.

The latter, Sheng Yang Xun, was also in a bad state. His injuries had not yet healed, and he was still bleeding profusely like a tattered sack. However, he did not arouse any pity in Kang Rongquan.

With a flick of his finger, a black peach pit shot out and pierced A Guman's chest, causing the latter to be even more horrified than when he carried the Yang Xun seal on his back.

"Zheng"

The sudden metallic clang caused blood to splatter from the ears of several of the shaman soldiers who had followed A Guman.

A Guman was astonished. His fist, which had always been invincible among those of the same level, had burst open, revealing cracked finger bones.

The force of the recoil caused the wounds on his body, which were just about to be closed up by the witchcraft, to explode again, and black blood immediately splattered everywhere, but none of it could get close to Kang Rongquan.

But as soon as the black peach pit that A Guman knocked away landed, it disappeared into the soil.

The cultivators present immediately felt a lightness beneath their feet, as if much of the nutrients in the spiritual soil had been instantly drained away, causing them to tremble incessantly. The shaman soldiers, fearless of death, did not stop; seeing the change, they still strode forward like mad tigers.

They had only gone halfway, and had not yet engaged the Crimson Zhang Guard, when a burly wooden demon suddenly appeared beneath their feet, disarming the first few Foundation Establishment sorcerers, crushing their flesh and bones, and swallowing them whole.

A Guman and the disheveled monk in the rear were both startled. The latter's expression changed for a moment, and then he chanted Buddhist prayers, leading the monks to change the scriptures.

The Buddhist chanting sounded less serene than before, and seemed to create a more hazy, illusory atmosphere for the listener.

However, Kang Rongquan had overcome his past mental tribulation, and his temperament was no less than that of an ordinary Pill Master. He could not be disturbed by such Buddhist chants. With a flick of his sleeve, the wooden demon, which was at least ten feet tall, began to kill in all directions amidst the scattered formation of the shaman soldiers. Even the ferocious A Guman could only temporarily withstand its attacks.

"After switching cultivation methods, my Spirit Transformation Technique has only become a couple of times stronger!"

Kang Rongquan exclaimed that it was a good deal, remaining where he was and wielding his wooden demon to collect the lives of the sorcerer soldiers. Jin Shilun and Dai Fuzhi did not stop their actions, leading a battalion of Crimson Zhang Guard, each adorned with jade talismans and holding round shields, to form a battle formation.

Five hundred Crimson Zhang Guard silently recited the Mnemonic they already knew by heart, imbuing their crimson spears with a layer of spiritual energy, and then unleashed them, the spearheads plunging one after another into the parched spiritual soil as hard as metal.

With a series of sharp, Sha Qi, they soared into the sky. As the Buddhist chants dissipated, they also stripped away a layer of the Buddhist light and ferocious flames from the sorcerer in front of them.

After this, the drums and gongs sounded, the banners were raised, and the Star-Hunting Crossbow Platform behind the formation were activated again. Golden Light crossbow bolts as thick as bowls fell down in a flurry. The Crimson Zhang Guard were roused and rushed forward. As soon as they engaged in battle, they carved out clearings in the ranks of the witch soldiers.

The splattered blood and severed limbs finally brought a slight clarity to the eyes of these humanoid beasts who only knew how to kill.

It was at this moment that the disheveled ascetic became truly anxious, and even the prayer beads in his hands were rubbed until they felt like hot coals.

But A Guman was even more anxious than the disheveled monk. The wooden demon he was facing not only had fists that carried wind and thunder, making it extremely difficult to block, but his own fists, which collided with the demon's, were gradually turning into wood and then developing golden and iron spots. Even his spiritual energy was no longer circulating smoothly.

"That pretty boy is so fierce!!"

A Guman was Golden Core seed within the sect, unlike the subordinate cultivators who were obsessed with killing. Therefore, he did not expect to suffer too much blame after the defeat, and knowing that he was no match for the enemy, he immediately had the idea of retreating.

However, Kang Rongquan was unwilling to grant his wish. He stopped the "Jade-Unraveling Vine" incantation and paused the spell to heal the Crimson Zhang Guard. Spring-Pointing Finger forward, and three streaks of green light swept around the Wood Demon, which was in the midst of a fierce battle, and landed as three green-armored grass puppets.

"Aaaaaah!"

A Guman screamed in terror, but was ultimately smashed into a pile of minced meat, barely surviving. The disheveled monk in the rear ranks was horrified by this sight; if he was like this, what would become of the warrior monks and shaman soldiers?

Led by Jin Shilun and Dai Fuzhi, the Crimson Zhang Guard, with their spears like a forest, were no match for the already chaotic formation of the sorcerers and warrior monks. They could be reaped as easily as weeding with a sickle.

At this moment, neither Buddhist chants nor fighting spirit could stop the rapidly spreading will to survive.

The disheveled monk looked around and saw that it wasn't just them; in the battles around them, the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall's side had won more often than they lost.

As the fence erected by the Double Brightness Alliance tightened, even those Pill Masters had been dominating the battlefield found it difficult to gain the upper hand after their initial three blows, once the False Core from the capital region had adapted.

"The tide has turned... No, no, if the Fourth Palace Master wins, the tide of battle can be turned around."

But just as the disheveled monk had this thought, he saw a heavy object fall heavily from the void!