Blood Before the Yangming Formation

At sunset, Yangming Mountain is like a rouge box that has been overturned by the heavens, with layers of rosy light spreading over the bluish-gray mountain peaks.

The outermost layer is a molten gold-like orange-red, flowing along the ridgeline like a river, making the eaves of the main hall on the mountaintop translucent. The copper bells on the eaves sway gently in the flow of light, reflecting tiny golden spots that fall onto the moss in front of the steps.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ye Zhengwen was suddenly stunned. If it weren't for the fact that the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall's army was arrayed outside and that many disciples from various families inside the formation had already been killed or wounded, this scene alone might have been enough to accompany a meal.

A ray of the setting sun fell on his face. He lowered his head, and the moment his gaze fell on the Jade Slip in his hand, the leisurely expression on his face vanished. He then quickly handed it to Kang Dabao.

The latter took it and glanced at it lightly, only to feel that the Jade Slip was bleeding. His heart tightened with pain, but he suppressed it with a calm expression and passed it to Buse beside him.

"Please take a look, Chief Secretary."

At this moment, Buse longer dared to regard Sect Leader Kang Da as the weak junior he once was. He hurriedly shuffled over, his belly protruding, and accepted the gift with both hands. After only a few cursory glances, he sighed, "Your sect is truly loyal and righteous."

"Serving the country loyally is simply our duty."

The Sect Leader Kang Da's tone was devoid of emotion, but he later said, "However, the Chongming Sect is weak and inadequate. It is indeed insufficient for them to fight against the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall alone. I need the Chief Secretary to inform the Duke's Mansion so that all the officials may be aware of this."

"Rest assured, Marquis of Martial Peace, I will report everything to you without missing Huiyi." Buse patted his chest and assured him. Kang Dabao didn't say much more, only instructing the former again:

"That Huang Mi has paused his offensive, but we don't know when he'll strike again. I urge you, Chief Secretary, to rest and recuperate at your residence, ready for battle."

"Then this old monk will take his leave first," Buse's eyes. After bowing to Kang and Ye, he quickly left the hall and returned to his cave abode.

After the people had left for a while, Ye Zhengwen, who had been silent all along, finally sighed and said, "This old monk, after Core Formation, seems to have lost much of his ambition and drive compared to before?"

Kang Dabao couldn't explain it either, only casually replying, "Everyone has their own ambitions, it's not surprising." He turned to Duan Anle and asked, "Have all the gaps at the front been cleared up?"

"Master, your disciple has calculated everything," Duan Anle, presenting a Jade Slip as well.

"The standard armor and Huang Mi were transported from home by a caravan just before the battle, so the shortage is still relatively small. However, there is a severe shortage of various talismans and pills. The army lacks talisman masters and Alchemist, and it is difficult to make up for the shortfall."

"Yes, the Duke's mansion will send some reinforcements after a while. Tell all the disciples this news clearly, just say that if we can hold out for a while, we'll have everything we need."

Kang Dabao was not intimidated by the military might of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall. It was true that the disciples of this long-established sect were experienced and difficult to defeat. However, he had devoted himself to building the Chongming Sect for many years and now had all his elite troops. In addition, he had the advantage of the terrain of Yangming Mountain. It was almost impossible for Preceptor Huang Mi to defeat him in one battle.

However, Preceptor Huang Mi was now determined, and he recalled the list of items on the Jade Slip:

"The Lu Household head, Ma Yansong Lu Yunniang, has died; the Ma Household head, Zhou Zhaoyi, has died; the Cold Mountain Sect Cloud Valley Zhang Household's first elder has died; the Wind Stone Fang Household's second head has died; the Zheng Household head, Zheng Taibai, is seriously injured; and the Stone Mountain Sect's leader Bian Hu, is seriously injured and unconscious."

The words on the Jade Slip were tinged with red. Apart from these Chongming Sect, five or six True Cultivators of the Chongming Sect also died on the battlefield, and two or three hundred Qi Refinement were killed or injured.

While the battle losses were better than those of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, they still caused Sect Leader Kang Da some pain. It took him a long time to recover from his numbness before he calmly explained:

"Bian Hu is seriously injured and unlikely to wake up. Old Ye, please send this medicine to the Stone Mountain Sect later. At the same time, spread the word that I intend for Yuanhe to temporarily take over all affairs of the Stone Mountain Sect."

"Okay, I'll deliver it myself later."

Ye Zhengwen didn't think that Sect Leader Kang Da was too direct at this time, after all, Stone Mountain Sect was now considered one of the strongest sects under the Chongming Sect.

Since Bian Hu was caught off guard and fell into the siege of several opponents of the same level, resulting in a severe and irreparable injury, it is only natural that He Yuanhe should succeed him as the sect leader.

Moreover, the other Pill Master and seasoned True Cultivator within the Stone Mountain Sect should have already figured this out long ago, so there's no need for Kang Dabao to worry about his old friend's son anymore.

"Old Ye, you shouldn't go to the battlefield these days. The newly made Mirage Qi Screen is ready, it's only for testing performance. Keeping people's hearts stable is far more important than taking off a few False Core pills."

"Understood," Ye Zhengwen replied solemnly. After seeing Kang Dabao urge him to leave, he withdrew from the hall.

Duan Anle was busy and was about to take his leave, but was stopped by Sect Leader Kang Da. As he approached, he heard Kang Dabao speak:

"Go and warn Rongquan that we are not yet at our wits' end. I have won over so many people's hearts so that they can be used as weapons against you, but there is no need for them to charge into battle."

Sect Leader Kang Da's words were truly blunt; only a close confidant would hear them.

Duan Anle's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he immediately recalled the scene of Kang Rongquan blocking the gap in the formation to fight against the False Core from the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall. He broke out in a cold sweat.

He was about to respectfully respond when he heard Kang Dabao speak again, "You are the same. I should have told you to stay in the sect and cultivate diligently, but I can't do without you. I wonder how far you have come to understand the 'Crimson Pearl Thoroughly Illuminating True Chapter'?"

If you are no longer wavering, then once this matter is settled, you should stay at Little Ring Mountain and begin your cultivation journey. If you can truly take on this responsibility, then I, your master, can finally have some peace and quiet."

Duan Anle felt a mix of emotions, but ultimately showed it, simply replying respectfully, "Disciple obeys."

Before Duan Anle left, Kang Dabao spoke again, "Go, and do your job well. The newly recruited militia has only recently arrived and is still lacking in training. Bring Yunzhou to me so you can study the training manuals left by Patriarch Zhang."

"The apprentice understands."

"Go and visit the wounded soldiers often," Sect Leader Kang Da gave his final instructions, but Duan Anle hesitated and said, "Master, Brother Zhao and Brother Yan have also been injured."

"Don't say anymore. Yuan Household came looking for me, but I scolded him away," Kang Dabao's expression was complex and hard to explain. After a moment of contemplation, he continued, "Even on the battlefield, though dangerous, we can always protect them. But if this fire fails to temper them into true gold, then they'll only be scrap iron for the rest of their lives, returning to Chongming City to focus on procreation."

Duan Anle was stunned by the sound, unsure of what to say. He only heard Sect Leader Kang Da speak again, "As their father, I'll make one last decisive move and choose for them one more time. If it doesn't work out, then they can give up their pursuit of the Dao and enjoy their wealth and status. Actually, that wouldn't be so bad."

Duan Anle said nothing more, but simply bowed again and left the hall.

Left alone in the hall, Sect Leader Kang Da softened somewhat, and he couldn't help but murmur, "Enjoying wealth and honor is not so bad. But I'm terrified of experiencing the pain of a parent outliving their child again."

A blurry figure gradually became clearer in his eyes, then blurred again, until he could no longer recall that stubborn, handsome face.

----Outside the formation, at the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall camp

"Of the four hall masters captured, three Pill Master killed, twenty-six Foundation Establishment died, and about fifty were wounded. Three battalions of battle monks were destroyed, and six hundred shaman soldiers were missing. The rest are from various families."

The chanting disciple holding the sacred silk saw that the head Preceptor Huang Mi's expression was becoming increasingly grim, and his tone involuntarily lowered as well.

The chanting swirled within the tents of the Shaman Venerable Hall camp, like frozen wind.

The bone ring between Preceptor Huang Mi's fingers clicked, and the rosy light that swept through the tent pierced through the gaps in the silk, leaving several golden-red marks on his dark face.

The chanting swirled within the tents of the Shaman Venerable Hall camp, like frozen wind.

The bone ring between Preceptor Huang Mi's fingers clicked, and the rosy light that swept through the tent pierced through the gaps in the animal hide, carving several fine golden-red marks on his dark face.

"The rest of the families?!" he suddenly spoke, his voice icy cold. "Even those Rogue Cultivators who live by sucking blood dare to omit their casualties in front of me?"

With a "thump," the chanting disciple immediately knelt down, the silk scroll slipping from his trembling hands and spreading out inside the tent. The densely packed vermilion characters on it were dazzlingly bright under the glow of the sunset.

"I dare not deceive the Grand Hall Master. I heard that Old Monster Li from Black Wind Valley led his remaining forces to surrender to the Chongming Sect, and... and that group of Gu Masters from Mist-Hidden Mountain, who even tried to raid our Medicine Camp to join us before, were all wiped out by the Second Hall Master. Only the casualties of these two groups have not been included in the count."

Preceptor Huang Mi slammed his hand on the table, and the surface, made of fine gold, cracked into a spiderweb pattern.

The shaman's bone banner on the altar shook violently, and the countless human faces embroidered on the banner twisted and roared in the rosy light, as if trying to break free from the cloth.

"Useless!" he roared, his gaze sweeping over the disciples standing bowed in obeisance within the tent. "From top to bottom, you are all useless!! Our Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall has a thousand-year-old tradition, and all our ancestors were outstanding figures. Yet you, bearing the legacy of our forefathers, are no match for that opportunistic Kang fellow when it comes to winning hearts and minds?! You have fallen Lower Vehicle before him?!"

To be fair, Preceptor Huang Mi asked the wrong question, but even so, the disciples only dared to complain in their hearts, and did not show it at all.

Seeing his disciples struggling to lift their heads under the immense pressure, Gou Shier, the Eighth Palace Master, gritted his teeth and stepped forward. His snake-shaped tattoo gleamed oily in the light, and his mouthful of yellowed, decayed teeth were clearly visible as he spoke.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger."

Seeing that Preceptor Huang Mi's gaze had been drawn over, Gou Shier then spoke, "Although our expedition suffered a minor setback, relying on the power of the Palace Master, we still managed to suppress all the traitors of the Chongming Sect in Yangming Mountain, leaving them to die in despair."

Kang Dabao was born into a lowly family. He later used underhanded means to climb the social ladder and became a lackey of the Immortal Dynasty through bloodshed. He was ashamed to accept titles and honors before the current emperor.

Since he Core Formation, he has been habitually killing and wiping people in the three paths of Mountain South, Mountain North, and Huangpi, and no one knows how many fellow cultivators he has harmed, yet no one has ever been able to stop him.

But now, under the overwhelming power of the Grand Master, he is like a turtle in a jar.

Seeing that Preceptor Huang Mi's expression had softened slightly, Gou Shier felt reassured. He suddenly raised his voice and said solemnly, "Our disciples have now ascertained the details of the bandits in Yangming Mountain. When we fight again tomorrow, we will not let them gain the slightest advantage!"

Seeing that Preceptor Huang Mi's complexion had improved, Second Hall Master Xia Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and flattered Gou Shier for a while, which dispelled the gloom in the tent and gave the hall's officials a chance to catch their breath.

Preceptor Huang Mi traced the cracks in the table with his fingertips, the bone ring scraping against the refined gold with a grating sound. "A turtle in a jar?"

He suddenly chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the fading sunset outside the tent, his tone less icy than before:

"If Kang Dabao is truly a turtle, he's a thorny one. The Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion doesn't have much patience left. I never imagined he would go to the person behind Rouge Temple and Thousand Buddha Grove to smooth things over because of my Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall."

You must understand, even if we were to recover all the lost territory, he might not be satisfied, let alone that we are still stuck at the foot of Yangming Mountain, suffering heavy losses and unable to advance an inch!

Even the two Golden Core cultivators dared not answer Preceptor Huang Mi's questioning. Fortunately, although the latter was still dissatisfied, he had withdrawn his piercing gaze, and as the atmosphere gradually improved, Preceptor Huang Mi simply instructed in a deep voice:

"The next day, bring all the useless people to the front lines and send out True Disciple to patrol the formation. If there are any who are just going through the motions or pretending to be there, regardless of whether they are disciples of the hall or not, just cut them down on the spot without reporting to me."

Some families are easier to coax than a three-year-old. The ancestors' notes clearly record what kind of lives each family led during the reign of the Great Ancestor. Do they really think they can be even half as benevolent as my Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall?

If even the Kuang Household couldn't do it, how could a mere junior like Xingjin possibly accomplish it? It's a joke! Once Chongming Sect is free from external threats, the resources painstakingly accumulated by the wealthy families within his jurisdiction will simply be at the mercy of that Kang fellow.

A mere century of hypocrisy has yielded a fortune in return; no wonder he started as a peddler, a master of commerce! Listen up, all of you! My Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall cannot withstand the wrath of True Person. Tomorrow on the battlefield, there will be no master-disciple bonds, no camaraderie. If we cannot break this formation, then death is the only option!

"As the Lord commands!!"

"Bang bang bang"

Hearing a muffled thud and seeing the heads lying on the ground, Preceptor Huang Mi was still dissatisfied, but he said nothing more. He simply waved his sleeve and walked out of the tent.

The tent seemed to warm up instantly, giving even the Second Palace Master Xia Ming and the Eighth Palace Master Gou Shier a chance to wipe away their cold sweat.

He and his two trusted disciples selected one by one before saying, "Have you all listened carefully to what the Palace Master just said? There is no room for carelessness. What are you lacking? Speak up quickly."

"The number of shamanic soldiers and rattan armor is quite large. If they adopt a defensive posture, their ability may be reduced by half compared to normal times."

"Stop pretending to be obedient and docile here; go and borrow from the various households within your jurisdiction."

"The efficacy of this batch of Restore Spirit Pill presented by Red Leaf Valley is slightly inferior,"

"This batch needs to be reviewed by the Palace Alchemist to see if it can be saved with some added Blood Qi. Also, send someone to bind that False Core Valley Master of Red Leaf Valley and place him before his Alchemist's Pill Cauldron. His Alchemist must begin refining it immediately; if he fails again, he'll be executed along with the rest!"

"My lords, the warrior monks have just consumed the Viper Blood Spirit Soup, and they still need one or two hundred Joyful Bodhisattvas to perform qi-dispersing exercises."

"You dare tell me such a thing? Don't you even recognize a two-legged woman?!"

After a full cup of tea's time, the cultivators finally finished presenting all the various matters to the assembly.

At this moment, Gou Shier's expression suddenly turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "I'll let you take whatever you want! But you must remember what the Palace Master just said: 'Until Yangming Mountain is destroyed, you are not allowed to retreat, even if you die!'"

"Yes, sir! We will not retreat until Yangming Mountain is breached!!"

As the sun rose, its generous rays bathed the light screen of the Chongming Sect's grand formation in a golden-red hue.

Outside the great formation, the putrid fumes and Buddhist light mingled into a cloud of gray mist. Preceptor Huang Mi stood beneath the array flags of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall, six pairs of Esoteric Buddhism golden rings jingling on his earlobes. Buddhist chants and Witchcraft Incantation struck the rock wall, and the rebounding shockwaves caused the surrounding witch soldiers and warrior monks to kneel down.

"Kang Dabao, come out and face your death!"

Preceptor Huang Mi's angry roar, wrapped in spiritual power, exploded, and the Spirit-Devouring Algae in the swamp suddenly grew wildly, their roots shooting into the formation like black lightning, but were blocked in mid-air by the clear light of the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd.

A loud laugh came from within the formation. Kang Dabao stepped out slowly on the bluestone slabs, his short halberd hanging diagonally in his hand. Where the tip of the halberd passed, the clouds dispersed and light scattered in all directions.

This Law Treasure, which has yet to claim many Golden Core cultivators' lives, is now becoming increasingly agile in his hands, with even the runes flowing along its body subtly matching the patterns of the River Luo Mystic Armor.

"Master Jia has come from afar, so we should offer you some spiritual tea," Kang Dabao said, tapping his fingertips lightly on the hilt of his halberd, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Unfortunately, this place is adjacent to the Ink Cloud Marsh of Huo Prefecture, where the water is murky, salty, and foul-smelling, so it is unsuitable."

Before he finished speaking, the Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes suddenly lit up, and two golden rays pierced through the gray mist, heading straight for Huang Mi's sea of consciousness.

The latter was prepared, forming a hand seal with both hands. The Buddha's light was like a full moon hanging in the sky, as if the sun and moon shone together for a moment. The golden light, however, was not afraid at all. It collided with the light wheel, splashing up a sky full of sparks.

"You beast, how dare you strike first!!"

Preceptor Huang Mi roared like thunder, his left palm Moon Wheel Mudra and his right palm forming the Qike Mudra. The Guanyin's Tears of Compassion Arhat Sha Qi that surged from his navel chakra intertwined into the Sanskrit characters of the Great Compassion Incantation Mantra, forming a chain of fire that covered the formation like a spider web.

Kang Dabao recognized the scene and instead of retreating, he advanced. The Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd suddenly grew larger, its tip drawing a seven-star trajectory. The dark gold chains of the "Seven Sha Lock the Dragon" appeared from the void, binding the fire chains layer by layer.

As the chains tightened, the Sanskrit characters burst open.

Preceptor Huang Mi was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "This fellow just obtained Law Treasure, and it already fits so perfectly without any nurturing?"

At this critical moment, it was difficult to keep him in a state of surprise for long. Suddenly, Preceptor Huang Mi bit his tongue, and the golden rings on his ears shone brightly with Buddhist light, which barely managed to suppress Kang Dabao's imposing manner.

However, Preceptor Huang Mi was forced to retreat repeatedly by the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd, and six pairs of golden rings rang in unison, with Buddhist light surging in like a tide.

Kang Dabao did not take the hit head-on. His figure suddenly split into six afterimages, and seven halberd shadows moved according to the Big Dipper. The battle aura of "Greedy Wolf Devours the Moon" transformed into a silver wolf, which bit through Huang Mi's Buddhist chain.

"This fellow... this is nothing like the Yuan Household Halberd Art!"

Yuan Buwen, the Pill Master, was quite famous, and even Preceptor Huang Mi was far away in Huangpi, had heard of him. After searching around for information about Sect Leader Kang Da, he also learned a little about the reputation of "The Wood Mansion Star Lord's Halberd-wielding Military Strategy".

But no one expected that the same halberd technique, in Kang Dabao's hands, would have such power.

Preceptor Huang Mi was both shocked and angry. Before he could recover, he suddenly felt a pain in his sea of consciousness, and then all the Buddha light around him began to dim.

"Oh no, Divine Sense Secret Method!"

The moment the thought arose in his mind, two Golden Light approached him. These Golden Light made the Spiritual Qi in front of Preceptor Huang Mi extremely hot, and suddenly large blood blisters appeared on his deeply lined old face, making the old monk look quite disheveled.

If it were an ordinary late-stage cultivator, they might have died on the spot. But Preceptor Huang Mi was a great master of the Southwest Esoteric Buddhism School, and he was not someone to be trifled with.

Under the regretful gaze of the Sect Leader Kang Da, the old monk formed a Buddhist chant with his hands again, and a full moon appeared in his palms, finally managing to stop the two Golden Light that were about to take his life.

Just as flames and sparks were flying everywhere, Preceptor Huang Mi formed another mudra, softly uttered a Sanskrit chant, and pushed out a palm. The Kang Dabao's close attack with the force of a landslide. The Eight Wastelands Suppress the Mountain suddenly burst out. The fist and the Buddha's hand collided, but Preceptor Huang Mi still had the upper hand.

However, the latter dared not be complacent in the slightest, but endured the excruciating pain in his sea of consciousness and returned to his own formation.

Seeing this, Sect Leader Kang Da was not angry. This old monk was quite skilled. It was truly rare for him to gain some advantage by taking advantage of the monk's unpreparedness during their next battle. However, if he wanted to advance further, it would be extremely difficult.

Fortunately, the outcome of this battle is not worth discussing. Seeing the high morale of the Double Brightness Alliance disciples in the battle, Kang Dabao was also pleased. He wanted to go to the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall to take another head, but he was forced back by Xia Ming and Gou Shier, who were waiting in full battle, and returned empty-handed.

Following instructions from Preceptor Huang Mi, Xia Ming and Gou Shier did not stop while they were ahead, but instead launched a counterattack. Two bronze corpses and two Third Tier spirit puppets served as the vanguard, and as soon as several powerful Dao spells landed on the array's light barrier, they immediately gave the cultivators inside the array a taste of their own medicine.

In an instant, disciples from various families collapsed, their internal organs ruptured and blood gushing from their seven orifices, shocking their respective leaders who shouted incessantly.

The warrior monks of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall arrived on lotus platforms ten feet high. The robes of the warrior monks were stained with blood, and their faces showed no compassion. Prayer beads spun rapidly in their palms, and with each verse they recited, the Buddhist light around them intensified.

Following closely behind were countless disheveled sorcerer soldiers, their bodies clad in various colored armors, with tattoos of flowers, birds, fish, and beasts appearing from time to time.

As they ran, they were clearly prepared to fight to the death. Their skin was torn open inch by inch, and black blood flowed down the ravines, forming winding streams on the ground. The rising Blood Qi seemed to redden even the sky.

Just as this great battle was beginning, the situation of the several forces that had been launching feigned attacks in the Mountain South and Mountain North seemed to have changed unexpectedly.