Jiangxue plots to sever the enemy's arm; Chongming seeks materials, troubled by Core Formation

---- Mountain North Circuit

The permafrost was trampled and turned up into black mud, and the roars of tens of thousands of Demon Beast shook the surrounding spiritual mountains, causing rocks to fall in a rustling sound.

A giant crocodile beast's Serrated Teeth Grand Formation swept across the spirit field, shredding the corpses of cultivators and Demon Beast into a bloody pulp wherever it went. Only a few sword intents tore through the chaos, and as the sword wind swept by, a bloody path was cleaved through the pile of corpses, only to be filled with corpses again in an instant.

The talismans in the cultivator's formation rose into the air like a torrential rain, and the blue flames wrapped in lightning crashed into the beast horde. The howls of the Demon Beast and the crisp sound of the talismans exploding were mixed together, and severed limbs and broken scales spun in the fire.

These horrific scenes are still everywhere in the Mountain North Circuit today. There are also Rogue Cultivator Golden Core, seeking wealth and power, have been hiding among the beasts, their curved swords Law Treasure shining brightly, repeatedly tearing apart many elite military formations.

Unexpectedly, just as he had made the beasts around him taste human blood, he was chosen by the royal guards who came towards him.

These elite soldiers risked their lives, ignoring the attacks of the Demon Beast in front of them, and formed a silver net with the tips of their spears. After the dozens of supporting soldiers on the flanks were pounced on by the beasts, the soldiers on the side, along with three or five Pill Masters, were immediately killed or wounded.

However, in that instant, the runes on each silver spear instantly connected and formed an array.

As soon as the net of spears pierced through the bodies of the many Demon Beasts, it also broke through the Golden Core's physical body. The Golden Core was immediately thrown into a panic and lost its way. In the blink of an eye, it was stripped of its Law Treasure. With its body riddled with holes, it turned around and killed a large number of Demon Beast with its palms before finally fleeing.

The horde of Demon Beast beasts was thrown into a brief panic. The deputy general leading the army seized the opportunity and was about to break through the breach when the two Demon Officer controlling the horde behind the Demon Beast made their move again.

These two tiger-headed Demon Officer were clearly far more powerful than the Rogue Cultivator the Golden Core stage. As soon as they joined forces, six-colored mysterious light emanated from their hands. With their tiger mouths open and spewing out more Sha Qi, the six-colored mysterious light instantly hung in the sky like the evening glow.

Although this did not cause any physical harm to the soldiers in front of him, it did cause them all to pause slightly and become unable to move.

At this moment, the tiger-headed Demon Officer unleashed another fierce wind, its sharp gale like a golden knife, seemingly about to annihilate the entire army. However, this thought was shattered by a piercing whistle.

Upon hearing the commotion, the two tiger-headed Demon Officer didn't hesitate; they were about to abandon the easy victory and turn to leave.

"Why wouldn't I let those two kittens stay after they've seen their ancestor?!"

The deputy general of the Ya Army, who had just escaped with his life, finally came to his senses. He was still shaken by his momentary lapse in concentration on the battlefield when he saw a giant bird soaring through the air. The two tiger-headed Demon Officer visibly trembled before they fled in panic, each trying to find a way to escape.

"Didn't you, old bird, suffer Nascent Soul injury?!"

After hesitating for a while, Fei Tianqin unfortunately chose the tiger-headed Demon Officer and let out a miserable howl. Then he heard the wind behind him getting closer and closer, which made him so frightened that all the ferocity in his eyes disappeared.

At this moment, Fei Tianqin's cold laughter also came. "When I was killing bandits under the command of the Great Ancestor, I even saw Spirit Transformation True Lord on the battlefield!"

Bai Canhong's star core wasn't aimed directly at me; it would be a miracle if it even managed to injure me for a while. And you, little kitten, are you really thinking about how long I'll be injured?!

These words made the tiger-headed Demon Officer even more terrified, because it knew how rare the bloodline of the old bird behind it was. Even at the peak of the Third Tier, it was still difficult to transform into human form, which was far superior to most of the Demon Lieutenant of the Li Mountain Lineage.

How could a mid-grade third-tier Demon Officer possibly stand against it now?!

Even if he manages to escape severely injured, it's probably because this old bird didn't get to his full potential and stumbled. He should be thankful for that!

With his spirit broken, he only had half of his original abilities left, so he naturally couldn't escape Fei Tianqin's clutches. A few breaths later, he took out a magic Law Treasure he had recently acquired to hold off Fei Tianqin for a while, but was then killed by the old bird.

Fei Tianqin opened its sharp beak, and the enormous tiger body that had just revealed its true form was immediately stored inside its belly. What happened to the bones and flesh was unknown. But after a few breaths, the old bird exhaled a breath of pure air, and a demon core appeared before it.

Its sharp eyes swept across the area for a while, then it swallowed the pills again, taking a ball of mysterious light to wrap them up with the other Golden Core pills and verify their number. After doing this, Fei Tianqin did not talk to the deputy general of the Ya Army who came behind him, but after a moment he transformed into mysterious light and chose the next battlefield.

However, this advantage was not so easy to gain. The remaining tiger-headed Demon Officer who escaped with his life obviously spread the news, causing several Golden Core cultivators to come and stop Fei Tianqin wherever he went.

These Golden Core cultivators disregarded all decorum; even though besieging the old bird Fei Tianqin would ruin their own formation and allow the Duke of Office of the Duke of Qin to gain an advantage, they still refused to let Fei Tianqin go.

Fei Tianqin was not afraid at first, but as soon as Divine Sense that several more Golden Core were coming to his aid, he changed his mind and returned to the Duke's Mansion formation.

This old bird has a lot of influence. As soon as he returned, one of the three True Person who stayed behind had to come and see him.

As Shen Lingfeng walked towards Fei Tianqin, he wore an air of arrogance. The hem of his black cloak, inlaid with silver patterns, fluttered in the cold wind of Mountain North Circuit. The mermaid pearl on the jade belt buckle at his waist gleamed coldly with his movements, and his spiritual power Nascent Soul True Person was not concealed at all.

His left hand rested on the hilt of the silver sword at his waist. The cloud patterns on the scabbard, nourished by spiritual energy, gleamed with a warm luster in the sunlight. This was a Fourth Tier spiritual treasure bestowed upon him by Emperor of Wei when he reached the Nascent Soul stage, which is why he was known as the Silver Saber Prince Consort.

However, once Fei Tianqin, who had shrunk in size, reached him, the arrogance on the True Person's face gradually faded. He then said, "You've had a hard time," and spoke gently:

"The Marquis of Fengcheng has indeed rendered great service. When I was in the Mystic Firmament Palace, His Majesty was always pleased whenever he heard of the Marquis of Fengcheng and righteous deeds."

"I don't deserve such praise from Your Highness," the old bird said, rarely showing any temper in front of True Person. As for his arrogant and condescending attitude, he never did, which made Shen Lingfeng nod in satisfaction.

However, at this point, the man and the bird had run out of things to say.

After the old bird finished explaining what had happened and hurriedly bid farewell to the prince consort, Shen Lingfeng also withdrew his gaze and turned back to the main tent.

Today was the day for the three of them to discuss matters, but Kuang Liuting, who always liked to be in full armor, was not present as usual.

After all, as the latter once said, with him by their side, it would be difficult for all the True Person to speak the truth, so it would be better to gather again when something really big happens.

When Shen Lingfeng entered the tent, the graceful True Person Crimson Snow, according to her highest cultivation level, took the main seat.

The days of fighting did not leave this beautiful woman with much fatigue; on the contrary, she was quite interested in taking a couple of young men as her male concubines while celebrating her achievements. However, it was said that these two young men had only been in high spirits for a short time before they disappeared without a trace.

Beside him was the increasingly listless True Person Moon Hidden. Recently, due to Bai Canhong's ruthless actions, the master of the Five Old Mountains was in poor condition. Shen Lingfeng wondered if he was just imagining things, but he felt that True Person Moon Hidden, seemed to be exuding death energy and did not have much time left.

Lian Xuepu, who was serving by the side of True Person Crimson Snow, was about to stop what he was doing when Shen Lingfeng entered the tent, but was stopped by the former's slender finger.

Seeing this, Shen Lingfeng was about to say something, but then he remembered that True Person Moon Hidden beside him might have received Hehuan Sect promise from the Hehuan Sect, as he always spoke up for True Person Crimson Snow. So he gave up the idea and simply said in a low voice:

"We obtained another Golden Core from the Marquis of Fengcheng."

Upon hearing this, the True Person Crimson Snow was enjoying herself with her eyes closed, immediately opened her beautiful eyes, a faint smile appearing on her lips, and said softly, "This old bird is working so hard; if Fei Ye Shui of Ying Prefecture really plans well, he might actually be able to protect his family's spiritual land from being completely plundered."

The playful remark had barely left his lips when True Person Crimson Snow's tone turned slightly somber. "Yet you have gained even more than we have."

Upon hearing this, True Person Moon Hidden shook his head and smiled bitterly, but there was nothing else he could do but smile bitterly.

He, Jiangxue, and Shen Lingfeng could have acted independently. With three True Person entering the beast horde and military formation, the Star-Picking Pavilion faction, which only had one True Person on its side, was unable to coordinate their actions.

But if he were truly so selfless, then Bai Canhong would have found out that even after revealing all his trump cards, the True Person Moon Hidden still had a chance to escape.

Even when the three of them joined forces, they could barely protect themselves in front of Bai Canhong, which forced them to stay inseparable.

Whenever he appears on the front lines, he's usually engaged in a fierce battle with the flails wielded by Bai Canhong. How could he possibly gain any advantage under such circumstances?!

This lousy war has dragged on for so long that the millennia-old reserves of Five Old Mothers Mountain are almost exhausted.

Even a Nascent Soul sect would need at least sixty years to cultivate a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. During this time, they would need renowned teachers to instruct them, to study scriptures and doctrines, and to be provided with resources and elixirs.

However, once they entered the battle, all their decades of hard work could be reduced to nothingness in an instant by a few ordinary Fireball Talisman.

If it weren't for Shen Lingfeng's recent message that the capital region was still exerting effort and coordinating reinforcements, True Person Moon Hidden might have already started to regret his actions.

If the Immortal Dynasty is defeated and the Star-Picking Pavilion truly gains sole control of the southwest, then even if his Five Old Mothers Mountain were to relocate to another place to eke out a living, his fate might not be much better than waiting for Bai Canhong to devour it all back then.

He had been eagerly awaiting reinforcements, but now news spread that the Ninth Prince was preparing to become a Nascent Soul cultivator.

This made True Person Moon Hidden increasingly uneasy, and he repeatedly sent the Purple Imperial Golden Palace Talisman into the Mystic Firmament Palace.

Emperor of Wei was quite considerate this time, replying to most letters in his own hand. Even when he was truly too busy, the Grand Eunuch Wei would write the official reply on his behalf, demonstrating his leniency.

Although the text was full of encouraging and praising words, the matter that True Person Moon Hidden truly cared about remained unanswered from beginning to end.

Thus, True Person Moon Hidden's mind had been in turmoil these past few days, and he remained silent upon hearing True Person Crimson Snow's words. However, Shen Lingfeng seized the opportunity to say, "The Duke has also made gains, and the situation is very favorable."

Even if these encouraging words are useless, they should still be said. True Person Crimson Snow chuckled softly, offering no rebuttal, and changed her tone. "I recently heard that True Person Cloud Trust of the Ancient Mysterious Circuit is planning to come to the Mountain North to meet with Bai Canhong?!"

"Where did you get this information, senior?"

The True Person Crimson Snow feigned profundity, a faint smile playing on her lips, her allure inadvertently revealing a captivating charm. "This is no big deal. Your Highness need not delve into it; it is best to be prepared."

"I also heard Bai Canhong being misled by Supreme Unity Temple, and he wants to widen the breach in the barrier even further, and might even release the Demon Lieutenant."

At this moment, the beautiful eyes of the True Person Crimson Snow lit up, her tone unchanged, as if she were talking about something that was not very related to her.

Of the three, the most impatient was the eldest, True Person Moon Hidden. He lowered his gaze, his expression complex, and after a moment of contemplation, he weakly spoke:

"This matter is probably not true, because it would ultimately be of no benefit to the Star-Picking Pavilion. Bai Canhong currently enjoying favorable military campaigns and is quite ambitious, having already regarded the Three Southwest Circuits as his own domain. He wouldn't do such a thing."

Shen Lingfeng, who was standing to the side, hurriedly echoed her words for a while, and finally, seeing that True Person Crimson Snow's smile remained unchanged, she spoke up again:

"Tonight I will send a letter to the Mystic Firmament Palace. There is some progress on the matter of the Prince of the North's southward march and the deployment of troops from the Buried Spring Mound. However, the trouble is still quite significant, and the officials in the court still need to discuss it carefully. I believe a decision will be reached soon."

True Person Moon Hidden was content; upon hearing this, he made no attempt to hide his joy, and his face immediately lit up with delight.

The beautiful woman sitting at the head of the table had much more complicated thoughts. She nodded for a moment, but thought to herself, "It seems that His Majesty is indeed capable. The Prince of the North has returned from Liangxi Circuit, so he probably has a Nascent Soul to meet him."

Moreover, most of them were able to persuade local families like Buried Spring Mound to temporarily put aside their businesses based on their performance on the battlefield at Kuang Liuting.

It seems that afterwards, the mediocre people like Buried Spring Mound will have little chance to achieve anything, but afterward, it will be much easier to manage the Two Rivers Circuit adjacent to the capital. At that time, the areas directly under the control of the imperial clan will again...

When she had this thought, she disregarded her own situation, clearly showing that she never considered her own Hehuan Sect to be compared to a sect like Buried Spring Mound.

Kuang Liuting has recently been leading from the front and has achieved numerous merits. First, he fought alone against six Golden Core cultivators in the middle and late stages, including Cloud Water Sect Niu Yanqing, and won a great victory, leaving only Niu Yanqing to escape alone after using Cloud Water Sect's trump card.

After this battle, even Xiang Tianxing, the head of the general affairs department of the Star-Picking Pavilion, was intercepted by Kuang Liuting. Although he escaped with his life, his Law Treasure was confiscated and his battle formation was destroyed, leaving him in a truly sorry state.

Apart from Bai Canhong, the True Person, who had to disregard his dignity and personally intervene, the Star-Picking Pavilion faction used every means at their disposal, yet it was truly difficult to contend with them.

Now, they can only rely on the seemingly endless herd of beasts to withstand the lord's sharp edge.

Objectively speaking, it's normal that Kuang Liuting's performance would lead Buried Spring Mound, who had already switched sides to the Immortal Dynasty, to come and help him.

Temporarily setting aside the stunning beauty of Kuang Liuting, and then urging the court to send troops, True Person Crimson Snow gently stopped Lian Xuepu's movements and stepped into the hall, speaking softly:

"Simply taking the beating in silence won't do any good. We've been fighting for so long, and we don't even know how many of our own disciples from the Star-Picking Pavilion have died. As for the traitors and collaborators like the Cloud Water Sect, even if many die, that bastard Bai Canhong probably won't care. We need to think of a way to deal with this."

Upon hearing this, True Person Moon Hidden unconsciously rubbed the pill bottle in his sleeve with his withered fingers, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. "What insightful opinion does Fellow Daoist Jiangxue have? Currently, the Star-Picking Pavilion is relying on the beast horde and the sympathetic sects to maintain its prestige. If we cannot sever their arms, this messy battle will likely drag on for a long time."

Shen Lingfeng also looked at True Person Crimson Snow. The cloud pattern on the hilt of the silver knife moved slightly with his fingertips, emitting a faint spiritual light. "There are too few disciples of the Star-Picking Pavilion. Even if they injure us, it will be difficult for them to know."

However, most of the sects that have sided with Bai Canhong are only afraid of his power and may not be truly surrendering. If an opportunity can be found, it might be possible to turn some of them against him, but how to do it still needs careful consideration.

These remarks were exactly what True Person Crimson Snow thought. As far as she knew, after hearing Kuang Liuting's performance, even some Supreme Unity Temple Nascent Soul sects that were close to Taiyi Temple became somewhat ambiguous, let alone these small, inexperienced families.

The Immortal Dynasty has a terrible reputation, but recently Bai Canhong has shown signs of being impatient for quick success and has been as domineering as ever.

These Golden Core sects and aristocratic Aristocratic Clan lost countless lives, and all they got in return was a piece of land that had been ravaged beyond recognition. Did they expect any sympathy whatsoever?!

If there were a way to choose from, they would surely consider it carefully. Even if it only showed some signs of loosening, it would be enough for the battlefield in Mountain North Circuit at this moment.

However, this matter requires a prerequisite, such as, "How can we make Bai Canhong lose the first match?"

The beautiful woman's mind stirred, and she immediately asked, "Ah, do you two fellow Daoists still know if that True Person Jiuzhen from the outer sea is still a guest in Phoenix Cry Prefecture?!"

The other two True Person in the hall had a thought, and although they did not speak, they both showed hesitation.

---- Yangming Mountain

It was rare that the Sect Leader Kang Da, had just reviewed the detailed account of the various spiritual items withdrawn from the Merit Points Hall presented by Ye Zhengwen. He made a few notes on it and then issued instructions:

"Recently, more than ten disciples have advanced to the True Cultivator. Most of them are from the lineage of True Disciple. Even among the inner and outer disciples who have gone through great hardships to obtain spiritual items, there are still a number of them who have failed in the process of Foundation Establishment."

The remaining majority not only struggle to make progress but also suffer from injuries and illnesses that hinder their Dao Path, and they also have a lot of Merit Points to repay. A solution must be found for this situation. Otherwise, if this continues, it may lead to resentment and discord.

Ye Zhengwen was one of the few in the sect who dared to argue with Sect Leader Kang Da, but he had a different opinion on the matter. "The law of the jungle is the way of the world."

However, the Sect Leader Kang Da acted unilaterally, stating to himself:

"We heard these words too many times when we were young, so there's no reason to repeat them to future generations. Qi Ke and Chen Zihang have already Foundation Establishment. Perhaps one of them could go to Xuanwei City again, bring some valuables, and Attendant Luan to see if he can do anything about it."

Among the noble families, including the Fei Household, few of their disciples died violently during their Foundation Establishment. It's unreasonable that they were all protected by spiritual objects; there must be a secret.

"Another large amount of spiritual items are going out," Ye Zhengwen sighed softly. He then turned his head and remembered that although the Chongming Sect's treasury still had some treasures, it was urgently needed to be retained now that everything was in need of rebuilding.

Despite his nervousness, he had no choice but to nod in agreement. The current Sect Leader Kang Da was becoming more and more decisive and imposing, and it seemed that the task of being a florist had been transferred to Ye Zhengwen, who was destined to be a hard worker.

The two discussed several other matters. After Guhongzi gave three lectures, the disciples of the Chongming Sect made considerable progress.

However, this method is only effective and produces immediate results the first couple of times; it cannot be guaranteed to work every time.

Most importantly, it sparked a wave of learning, and a small number of people were fortunate enough to pass the Foundation Establishment, which in turn filled the Chongming Sect with vitality.

Just as the two were discussing this, good news arrived from Xuanwei City: Jiang Qing had completed his Core Thesis and now needed a spiritual object for Core Formation.

Ye Zhengwen was overjoyed, but then he began to ponder: where could he find such a Core Formation spiritual object?

After a flash of joy in his eyes, Sect Leader Kang Da remembered something in his storage container.