Boat Battle Against Blood Vultures in a Perilous Formation; the Duke of Qin Appears Before the Thunder Duel Is Decided

---Ten days later, Chongming Sect

Wei Gu, whose injuries had just healed, straightened his military uniform, glanced at the spirit boat waiting outside the hall, and then turned to ask Han Xundao, who had been ordered by the other masters to stay in the Shouxuan Hall, "Junior Brother Han, is there still no news of Elder Jiang?"

Before coming out, the latter had already checked the soul lamps inside the hall. The Shouxuan Hall, a crucial place, is always guarded by disciples intermittently. If anything changes, the news will not be delayed for long.

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wei. Elder Jiang is a lucky man; all the disciples and members of his sect found by following the hydrological search are there."

Han Xundao exchange a few more words with Wei Gu when he heard a whistle sound from the spirit boat urging the latter to board. He then changed his tone and gave a slight bow. "The battlefield is dangerous. Senior Brother, your injuries have not yet healed. Please be careful."

"I understand, Junior Brother Han can rest assured." Wei Gu said for a moment, then couldn't help but cough lightly before quickly using his movement technique to board the spirit boat.

This dragon-headed flying boat is also derived from the design used by Emperor Taizu.

If we follow the boat-making master's idea, and if the thirty-odd people who operate the spirit boat are highly skilled and there is no shortage of supplies, it would not be difficult for them to contend with ordinary False Core with this vessel.

However, these dragon-headed flying boats were only bestowed upon them by Sect Leader Kang Da Core Formation visited Kuang Liuting. There were a total of three such boats.

Unexpectedly, the selection of suitable charioteers alone took a great deal of effort from the Chongming Sect's leaders. As a result, over the years, these disciples have only been considered usable, and while they can wield the charioteers with ease, they are still far from being truly proficient.

Although the teachers and elders usually knew that these disciples had not done their best and therefore showed them leniency, they could not be so considerate at this moment.

When Wei Gu boarded the ship, he sat down next to He Yuanyi. The latter's golden aura had not yet dissipated, but the weariness on his face was even more pronounced than that of Wei Gu, who was still recovering from a serious illness.

This was clearly worn down by the countless magical Spirit Artifact and Law Artifact that were sent over.

According to Qi Ke, who is temporarily in charge of the Chongming Sect Medical Institute, if the gold dust flowing from the body of this elder of the Chongming Sect Artifact Hall could be extracted, it could be refined into a first-grade magic Law Artifact.

The two, each exhausted from their own work, only glanced at each other before nodding in unison and then quickly closing their eyes to regulate their breathing.

It wouldn't have taken long to travel on this spirit boat to the Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Grand Formation, but along the way they still encountered quite a few small beast packs that spilled in from outside the formation.

While there were certainly a few formidable figures among them, none of whom could even break through the wind barrier outside the Second Tier dragon-headed spirit boat, the splashes of bright red demonic blood that landed on the spirit boat's protective shield still caused the Double Brightness disciples on board to slightly change color.

Rumors had been circulating wildly within the sect that the Two Instruments Sect's Dao soldiers were so powerful that even the Fei Lineage's army could hardly withstand them.

Moreover, the breach in the barrier of Cold Crow Mountain had not yet been closed. These foolish beasts, who had been bewitched by the Demon Lieutenant and Demon Officer and only knew how to devour flesh and blood, were fearless of death. Not only were most of the elite troops of the Double Brightness Alliance routed, but even the batches of righteous followers urgently summoned to the front lines were mostly killed in the beasts' mouths.

Just as the cultivators were feeling uneasy, a group of Blood Vulture suddenly broke through the clouds and blocked their path.

Startled awake Wei Gu suddenly opened his eyes and glanced around; there were about fifty of them. Most of them had wingspans of over ten feet, and their three sharp toes were as hard as steel and as thick as teacups, making them clearly formidable opponents.

The Double Brightness disciples, who had been studying "Introduction to Cold Crow Mountain Spirit Things" since childhood, naturally knew that the physical characteristics they were seeing indicated that this was a Second Tier Blood Vulture flock that cultivators in Cloud Horn Prefecture had not seen for many years.

The expressions of the cultivators on the boat changed drastically. Without needing to be asked by their fellow disciples who were piloting the boat, they immediately took up their alchemical weapons and talismans and prepared for battle.

It should be noted that although most of the Double Brightness disciples on this ship are engaged in production and management, they are all quite experienced and have been through several major battles.

Even though many of them have been away from the mountains for a long time, they still show far less fear than the younger generation who are gradually taking on important responsibilities.

The Chongming Sect disciple standing at the bow was clearly young, but he was not frightened by what he saw. He hurriedly rushed towards the fine gold rudder at the center of the spirit boat. Afterwards, he deactivated the automatic runes on it and channeled his spiritual power from his fingertips into the rudder's patterns like a stream.

A moment later, a crisp "crack" was heard, and the sandalwood bulkheads on both sides of the spirit boat suddenly opened, revealing runes that shimmered with spiritual light.

Just as Linghua was in full bloom, two pairs of wind wing bones, each ten feet long, appeared from the side walls of the spirit boat and quickly unfolded, easily piercing through the bodies of the two or three fast-moving Blood Vulture around them.

These wing bones are made of thousand-year-old submerged wood, and even after being refined by spiritual fire, they still gleam with a dark brown luster;

The wing membrane was woven from Second-Tier Supreme-Grade Azure Gang Silk and Third-Tier Lower-Grade Azure Gang Silk using advanced techniques. When unfolded, it was taut and straight, instantly stirring up the surrounding clouds and forming two rotating air waves that forced the Blood Vulture in the front row to stagger backward.

"Form the Flood Dragon Shadow Seal!" the lead helmsman shouted sharply, his hands rapidly Hand Seals on the helm.

Suddenly, the dragon head statue at the bow of the spirit boat lit up with a blue light, and a ten-foot-tall dragon phantom leaped out of the statue. Its scales shimmered like broken gold, its eyes gleamed with a cold light, and its whiskers moved without wind. As soon as it appeared, it let out a low roar, which shook the clouds slightly.

The flock of Blood Vulture below seemed to pause for a moment in shock at the intimidation, but were quickly driven by their bloodlust. The lead Blood Vulture let out a sharp cry, its wings flapping and sending a stench through the air, and swooped down towards the spirit boat.

The Blood Vulture had a wingspan of twelve feet, and its three sharp toes gleamed with a cold, iron-colored light. One claw gripped the wind shield of the spirit boat, and with a "rip," three shallow marks were torn into the shield. Demonic blood dripped down from the toe tips, hitting the cabin floor with a "tap-tap" sound.

At times like these, no matter how serious Wei Gu's injuries are, he must step forward.

He suddenly stood up, placed his left hand on the array eye stone on the ship's side, and waved the array flag in his right hand. "Activate the Splitting Light Formation!"

Dozens of silver crossbow bolts suddenly sprang from hidden compartments on both sides of the boat, their tips glowing with a pale blue light, and shot toward the diving Blood Vulture with a "whoosh".

The three Blood Vulture in the front row couldn't dodge in time; the arrow tip pierced their wing membranes, and the shattering light exploded inside their bodies. Black blood mixed with feathers splattered down, and their corpses plummeted straight into the clouds below.

He Yuanyi wasn't idle either. He took out three newly opened "Vajra Chisel" from his Storage Bag, infused them with spiritual power from his fingertips, and the chisels glowed with Golden Light. He threw them, and the Vajra Chisel streaked across the sky like meteors, hitting a Blood Vulture that was trying to circle around to the back of the spirit boat.

With a "thud," the Vajra Chisel pierced the Blood Vulture's neck. It let out a short, miserable cry, flapped its wings weakly twice, and then collapsed.

"Watch out for the nasty blood in their mouths!" He Yuanyi, a model student, warned urgently.

As soon as the words were spoken, two Blood Vulture leaders opened their mouths and spat out dark red hot blood. As soon as it landed on the light shield, it instantly corroded two small pits, and the light shield's spiritual light dimmed a bit.

Upon seeing this, the charioteer hurriedly manipulated the illusory image of the dragon to meet it.

The dragon shadow suddenly swung its tail, sending a gust of air slapping at the two Blood Vulture, sending them tumbling over. Before they could regain their footing, the dragon shadow's sharp teeth had already bitten into the neck of one of them, tearing it in two. The Blood Vulture's corpse was ripped in two, and the black blood splattered onto the dragon shadow's illusory image, only to be dissolved by the Golden Light of the image.

The other Blood Vulture, clearly unaware of the concept of a loving couple, was so frightened that it turned and fled.

But at that moment, the spirit boat's wings suddenly flapped, and two azure wind blades shot out, severing its wings. It screamed and plummeted into the clouds, quickly disappearing from sight.

The two leaders' recklessness caused the Blood Vulture flock to lose its composure, which in turn allowed the disciples on the boat to Divine Ability.

The corpses of the Second Tier Blood Vulture fell one by one under the combined efforts of Jiao Ying and the other cultivators. After a short while of fierce fighting, Wei Gu's face turned pale. His injuries had not yet healed, causing his spiritual power to be consumed very quickly. However, he still gritted his teeth and controlled the Splitting Light Formation, firing crossbow bolts one after another at the Blood Vulture flock.

He Yuanyi repaired the light shield on the side, continuously injecting spiritual energy into the array's core with his fingertips.

Although the effects of the foul blood from the Blood Vulture' mouths and the spirit boat's protective shield had not completely faded, the Double Brightness disciples, with their keen eyesight, could see that this group of demonic birds was at its last gasp.

With a loud shriek suddenly exploding in the air, the remaining dozen or so Second Tier Blood Vulture finally chose to temporarily retreat under the command of their newly chosen leader.

The helmsman on the bow wanted to urge the dragon shadow to give chase, but considering that most of the energy-generating spirits in the cabin had already been depleted, he abandoned the idea.

He released his Divine Sense for a while to confirm that everything was alright before retracting the illusory image of the dragon. He then examined the damage to the spirit boat, frowning and muttering, "More than a dozen of the Azure Gang Silk of the Wind Wings are broken, and there are no spares. It will take half a day to repair and restore the spirit boat's protective shield."

"We can't afford to delay," Wei Gu said to himself, feeling somewhat better after taking a pill. He ignored the deathly pale faces of his fellow disciples on the boat.

"We've encountered such a horde of beasts before even reaching the Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Grand Formation. Without a second thought, we can tell just how dire the situation is at the front. If that breach isn't secured, our Cloud Horn Prefecture will be engulfed in flames, and we won't be able to save everyone!"

"Let's do as Senior Brother Wei says," He Yuanyi chimed in, having just wiped the bloodstains off the Spirit Artifact in his hand.

"We'll arrive soon anyway, and we have to take this risk. Our commanders are at the front lines, and we've been ordered to carry out our missions. How can we possibly hesitate here?!"

The two men were highly respected among the eighth-generation disciples, and their words were reasonable and well-founded, so how could anyone on the boat, from the helmsman down, not listen to them?

In the short time it takes to drink a cup of tea, this already dilapidated Second Tier spirit boat broke through the clouds and sped off again.

Whether it was good luck or not, they encountered no mishaps after setting off again and soon landed outside the Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Grand Formation. They also soon witnessed the fierce battle in front of the formation.

The battlefield was truly bustling at this moment. The cultivators from the Fei Lineage's territory were too far away to be of immediate help, but all the prominent figures who remained in Phoenix Cry Prefecture were present.

Even Han Ningyue, the eldest daughter of the Han Household who hadn't touched a weapon in who knows how many years, was leading Fei Shuhe and a group of attendants to the front lines, which shows just how perilous the situation had become.

The two Rogue Cultivators, High Person Three Words Guhongzi, who had just been recruited by the Duke's Mansion and were at the level of Fei Nanying Golden Core, the Marquis of Gucheng, were now enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

After exhausting all excuses, they still feared Fei Tianqin's infamous reputation and came to risk their lives for him.

However, even with the title of the number one Rogue Cultivator in Mountain North Circuit, Guhongzi was still no match for the old cultivator Pu Honggu. Although the latter was seriously injured, he spared no effort, and Guhongzi still had to use all his skills to barely protect himself.

However, this renowned Rogue Cultivator at Golden Core stage might not have known this, and even though he spared no effort in accumulating power, he still couldn't withstand it for long before being injured by the combined attack of two high-grade Law Treasure from Pu Honggu.

Even the High Person Three Words had known him for a hundred years, dared not save him. In the end, it was the somewhat reckless Yuan Jin, taking advantage of Fei Donggu's arrival to lend a hand, managed to pull Guhongzi back from the brink of death, carrying Third Tier spirit puppet on his back.

This was the first time in many years that Shangxiu had suffered such a crushing defeat. After the fear in his eyes faded, he remained lost in thought for a long time before his complexion improved slightly. However, he had no time to rest, as Fei Tianqin ordered him to go and help the army formation under his jurisdiction, which was struggling to breathe under the pressure of the beast horde.

At this moment, most of the Golden Core cultivators on the Office of the Duke of Qin's side were engaged in this matter. The Demon Beast that had emerged from the breach in the barrier, facing the pressure from the Spirit Awakening Demon Officer, did not know what "fear" meant.

If it weren't for the Fei Household's Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Grand Formation frantically absorbing the Spirit Vein energy of Pingrong County as protection, Fei Tianqin sending many superior cultivators to help, Pu Honggu would probably have already led a horde of beasts to attack Cloud Horn Prefecture by now.

The old cultivator was quite alert. As soon as he realized that Fei Tianqin seemed to be trying to capture him, he immediately fled into the beast horde, using the lives of these Demon Beast as defensive Law Treasure.

However, others, including Sect Leader Kang Da and Fei Donggu, were no match for him using ordinary methods.

Even though the Two Instruments Sect lost two leaders in succession, it still had the powerful Golden Core cultivator Qiu Yunsheng on.

Those cultivators sent by the Star-Picking Pavilion to serve under the Two Instruments Sect, whether they were heads of families or free- Rogue Person, were still completely subdued by the tragic deaths of their comrades, and not a single word of complaint could be heard from them.

The soldiers of the Two Instruments Sect are brave, resolute, and elite, like sharp cones; the beast hordes of the Li Mountain Lineage are enormous, like heavy hammers.

The cultivators from all sides were like stars, some hanging in the vast sky, others locked in fierce battles with the Golden Core cultivators of the Office of the Duke of Qin. Despite this, the Nine Heavens Mountain-Suppressing Grand Formation was still losing ground everywhere and struggling to find support, almost on the verge of collapse.

Yuan Jin hadn't even mastered the External Core Method, and his Third Tier spirit puppet was newly acquired and barely coordinated, making him hardly a worthy opponent for serious cultivation.

In addition, his main formation skills were much stronger than Duan Anle's, so apart from the rare risk of rescuing Guhongzi, he usually stayed hidden in the formation and commanded all sides.

Compared to Yuan Jin, Sect Leader Kang Da's hands were far more bloody.

With his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes of Insight, now at their peak, Kang Dabao was able to find many flaws in the battle formations composed of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement cultivators on the other side with relative ease.

Those who are interested have already found out from the Office of the Duke of Qin 'Artisan Office that the Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd that Master Craftsman Gu Rong gave him is extremely taxing on one's Divine Sense, and even many people who have used it later are amazed.

It's strange that the pair of ear-shaped halberds in the hands of Sect Leader Kang Da are completely without any problems.

However, seeing that he had committed too many killings, the Two Instruments Sect sent Golden Core cultivators to stop him. Unexpectedly, three advanced cultivators went together, and before they could even get close, they found their sea of consciousness completely blank.

In the end, it was Qiu Yunsheng, who was in charge of the proceedings, who stepped forward with his protective amulet and managed to save the three superior cultivators' heads that should have ended up in Sect Leader Kang Da's Storage Bag.

Kang Dabao fought him for a while, but finding it difficult to achieve a quick victory, he returned to a safe place.

After all, that old man Pu Honggu must have eaten something wrong, because he would come to cause trouble for him from time to time. He didn't even care about giving up the spoils he was about to gain. His enthusiasm was strange.

The aforementioned stories of the above-mentioned revisions may seem rather lengthy, but in reality, they are quite commonplace in Pingrong County recently. Cloud Horn Prefecture has not seen such a fierce battlefield for many years, not even comparable to the time when Shen Lingfeng led his men to exterminate the Mountain Rong.

On this battlefield, ordinary cultivators might be able to rest and recuperate, but the advanced cultivators are truly killing puppets who dare not close their eyes. In tense situations, it is not uncommon for them to fight for five or six days without rest.

Wei Gu and the others, who had just landed in the formation, also saw this scene. However, not long after they settled down, they saw the only senior cultivator in their formation who had received Fei Tianqin's permission and did not need to come to the front of the formation.

Luan Gongfeng, who had just achieved the Golden Core Attendant Luan, had no time to relax. Before he could even fully convert his core essence, he was summoned by the Fei Household to the front lines to refine pills day and night.

Because no one among the high-ranking cultivators residing here was more esteemed or noble than him, all the cultivators here were under his command. Wei Gu and the others had not yet met their own master, yet they were already being assigned numerous tasks and given specific dates for delivery without any room for argument.

The powerful array beneath his feet had instilled in Attendant Luan a more decisive and efficient demeanor in him. After explaining his needs and requests to Wei Gu and the other cultivators of Double Brightness, he instructed them to begin performing their respective duties.

The battle is currently extremely fierce, just as He Yuanyi said before. Even repairing one more low-grade magic Law Artifact would be a good thing.

Even just watching the battle between Golden Core cultivators outside the formation from a distance was enough to make them slightly turn their heads. Wei Gu took another pill, intending to first check on Jin Shilun, who was being treated at the clinic, and then give him orders after he was reassured.

Unexpectedly, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the formation, which seemed to shake the light barrier of the formation slightly.

Before the sound outside the formation had subsided, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly cleaved through the clouds, Qiu Yunsheng stepped out on the lightning, with the Chaos Thunder Bell hanging above his head, its surface shimmering with lightning patterns.

The lightning patterns made even Sect Leader Kang Da squint, but then Qiu Yunsheng pinched his fingertips again, and several bolts of heavenly lightning shot out like silver snakes, weaving a lightning net that enveloped Kang Dabao.

At this moment, the two were fighting on a low cliff. The latter's Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes suddenly shone brightly, and he saw through the weak point of the lightning net. Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd horizontally, and the clear light at the tip of the halberd shattered the lightning threads, but the residual force made his arm go numb.

Seeing this, Qiu Yunsheng threw out three thunder pearls, which exploded in the air and turned into thunder pillars ten feet thick that crashed down.

Kang Dabao spun and leaped up, the tip of his halberd pointing towards the core of the lightning pillar. The clear light collided with the lightning, and the shockwave sent the corpses of the surrounding Demon Beast flying. The overflowing lightning covered his entire body, a small part of which was blocked by the River Luo Mystic Armor, and most of it was easily dispersed by the Primordial Ancient Body. His movements were not slowed down at all.

Taking advantage of the Sect Leader Kang Da charged forward, his halberd aimed straight for Qiu Yunsheng's heart.

The Jade Palace Impurity Breaker Halberd unleashed Southern Brightness Li Fire from its left ear and Flowed Dark Nether True Water from its right ear. The Ten Thunder Command Talisman inscribed on the halberd shaft instantly shone brightly, but were completely blocked by the rolling thunder of the Chaos Thunder Bell!

With a loud clang, the lightning pattern rebounded, causing Kang Dabao's Qi and Blood to surge.

"This guy is really hard to kill!"

As this thought arose, he suddenly released his Divine Sense to probe his surroundings. After all, this wasn't the first time he had fought fiercely with Qiu Yunsheng, and according to past practice, Pu Honggu might be hiding somewhere. It was time to leave!

On the other side, Qiu Yunsheng had far fewer concerns than Sect Leader Kang Da and seized the opportunity to urge the bell on. The bell rang like thunder, and invisible sound waves wrapped in thunderous energy attacked Kang Dabao's sea of consciousness.

Kang Dabao gritted his teeth, using his spiritual power to protect his sea of consciousness. At the same time, he swung his halberd and unleashed three beams of clear light, his eyes flashing with Golden Light, all aimed directly at Qiu Yunsheng's face.

Qiu Yunsheng dodged to the side, but his Thunder Method faltered slightly. Kang Dabao also lost spiritual power due to the lightning force. The two faced each other from a distance, both with unstable breathing.

"You're quite something!"

Qiu Yunsheng snorted coldly, about to Chaos Thunder Bell to stop the lightning; Kang Dabao also leaned on his halberd, panting, Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes concealed their sharpness.

Both knew that another fight would only result in mutual destruction, so even though the outcome was still undecided, they stopped dwelling on it.

Qiu Yunsheng saw that Fang Yi had been surrounded by Fei Nanying and the High Person Three Words Master, and was about to go to his rescue. But at that moment, a bolt of snow-white lightning descended from above.

Before the violent thunderbolt could strike without warning, Qiu Yunsheng had no time to react. His heart sank, and he cried out that he was doomed!

Unexpectedly, the lightning did not harm him in the slightest. The ground beneath Qiu Yunsheng's feet was originally a thousand feet of rock and soil. The lightning only sheared away the excess part under his feet, leaving the remaining part tightly attached to his feet.

Kang Dabao was quite surprised, for the scene before him was astonishing.

After this bolt of lightning struck, Qiu Yunsheng appeared to have landed on a cylindrical pillar that was only half a foot in diameter but a thousand feet tall, making him truly conspicuous.

The latter suddenly felt that the scene was somewhat familiar, but unexpectedly, a thin Daoist priest silently descended from the clouds in the next scene.

Qiu Yunsheng smiled slightly upon seeing the newcomer and asked in a gentle voice, "Does Sect Leader Qiu still remember?"

"Kuang"

Kang Dabao only saw Kuang Liuting lightly point a finger at Qiu Yunsheng's chest.

With just a seemingly ordinary finger strike, this dignified late-stage cultivator was rendered completely helpless, his robes and Law Treasure artifacts utterly obliterated, unable to withstand the calamity of his physical body being reduced to dust!

A few breaths later, a trace of Qiu Yunsheng seemed to drift past the face of Sect Leader Kang Da on the wind. The restlessness within it was detected by his six senses, which made him hesitate to make any move for a moment.

However, Kuang Liuting, who had just accomplished something significant, reacted only calmly. He simply looked towards another part of the clouds and chuckled, asking, "Still dare not leave?"