This was a strike from Jiang Linglong, a move of unparalleled force. It was a sword formed using a third-tier jade treasure as its core, infused with a strand of Jiang Linglong's original blood essence.
Such a blow exceeded the limits of the Purple Mansion realm. Even a Golden Core cultivator would have to face it with caution.
As the sword light descended, the Purple-Striped Wolf King's face was filled with terror.
It could never have imagined that Jiang Linglong would go to such lengths, sacrificing a strand of her life essence to create this strike.
Because of the extreme value of life essence, even with Jiang Linglong's cultivation, it would take thirty years to recover from the loss of a single strand.
Thus, this sword's power was boundless, far surpassing Yang Patriarch's Heaven Void Immortal-Slaying Talisman. It was equivalent to the full-force strike of a Golden Core cultivator expending a significant price.
In its panic, the Purple-Striped Wolf King attempted to activate the Purple-Gold Heaven Shield to defend itself but found it useless. It then realized its defensive treasure had already been destroyed and could no longer be used for the time being.
Even its repertoire of treasures and techniques had been exhausted against the Yang and Xu Patriarchs, leaving it defenseless. In desperation, it could only spit out its demon core to resist.
The sword light, however, was unstoppable by anything below the Golden Core realm.
With a crisp clang, the radiant sword light cleaved through everything, slicing the Purple-Striped Wolf King into two halves.
The Purple-Striped Wolf King died in shock, its demise so swift that no one had time to react. None could have anticipated that a foe as strong as four or five early Purple Mansion cultivators combined would fall so quickly.
Yang Patriarch was the first to recover, summoning his Thunderfire Sword to attack the Scarlet Flame Python.
The sudden death of the formidable Purple-Striped Wolf King presented an excellent opportunity. The allied forces quickly adjusted their focus, aiming to annihilate the remaining two Purple Mansion beasts.
The Golden-Horned Bull and Scarlet Flame Python were incredulous, but it was too late for them to escape.
With two mid-Purple Mansion cultivators freed to join the battle, accompanied by two second late-stage Foundation Estabilishment cultivators, their doom was sealed.
The combined might of six Purple Mansion-level human combatants overwhelmed the two beasts. Ultimately, they were surrounded and killed in the wilderness.
Yang Patriarch used his Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Axe to strike down the Golden-Horned Bull, allowing the group to collectively breathe a sigh of relief. They then turned their attention to the remaining lower-level beasts, slaughtering them in droves.
Within half an hour, the beast forces scattered into the wilderness. The victors regrouped, tidied the battlefield, and returned to Fengyang Market.
Back at Fengyang Market, Elian and the four Purple Mansion cultivators, despite their exhaustion, began cataloging the spoils of war.
Yang Patriarch, with a smile, spoke graciously to Elian:
"This victory is largely thanks to you. Without your slaying of the Purple-Striped Wolf King, we would likely have only eked out a pyrrhic victory."
"You flatter me, Elder. I merely relied on the contingencies Senior Jiang left behind to achieve this result," Elian replied humbly. He understood that Yang Patriarch's amicable attitude stemmed primarily from the white jade bracelet gifted by Jiang Linglong.
Yang Patriarch nodded, his smile unwavering, as he presented the spoils of war to the group.
"Although we've overcome this hurdle, the beast crisis is far from over," he said.
"Let us divide the treasures to strengthen ourselves, and after the crisis ends, we can redistribute them based on contributions."
The others nodded in agreement, their faces showing a mix of excitement and satisfaction as they eyed the gathered treasures.
This battle had seen the fall of five Purple Mansion beasts, marking a resounding victory and yielding abundant rewards.
Excluding the five Purple Mansion beast cores, the haul included numerous high-tier artifacts: the Flaming Heart Piercing Needle, the Surya Golden Shield Banner, the Wolf Fang Artifact, the Blue-Gold Spear, the Purple-Striped Wolf King's flying sword, and the Purple-Gold Heaven Shield.
The Scarlet Flame Python had possessed two third-tier artifacts, but the beast, unyielding in its pride, had destroyed them during the fight, causing great regret among the victors.
Among the treasures, the Purple-Gold Heaven Shield stood out as the most valuable, being the Purple-Striped Wolf King's sole third-tier high-grade artifact.
After some discussion, the group decided to allocate the Purple-Gold Heaven Shield to Yang Patriarch, as his immense magical power would allow him to maximize its defensive capabilities.
Yang Patriarch accepted the shield with evident joy.
"This shield's defensive strength is unparalleled. Since everyone agrees, I shall shamelessly accept it," he said.
"There's no need for modesty," Xu Patriarch replied gravely.
"This shield's defense is extraordinary. The Purple-Striped Wolf King relied on it to barely withstand Elder Jiang's attack. With this shield and your Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Axe, you might even stand against a Golden Core cultivator. It's only fitting that you lead the charge in the coming battles."
The reminder of the ongoing siege of Tianxu Mountain sobered the group.
Yang Patriarch took the Purple-Gold Heaven Shield, and Xu Patriarch claimed the second-tier high-grade flying sword. With his unparalleled Flaming Goldfire Dragon Shears in hand, Xu Patriarch didn't lack offensive options, but the flying sword would significantly enhance his mobility.
Of the remaining treasures, the Wolf Fang Artifact required wolf lineage to fully activate, relegating it to a quasi-third-tier status. The Blue-Gold Spear, despite its excellent materials, was crudely forged, limiting its power to quasi-third-tier levels.
Only the Flaming Heart Piercing Needle and the Surya Golden Shield Banner were deemed capable of significantly boosting their combat capabilities.
The Surya Golden Shield Banner, powerful but mana-intensive, went to Xu Daoyuan, whose abundant magical reserves could handle its demands.
Elian, constrained by his spiritual energy and mental capacity, lacked the ability to wield a fourth third-tier artifact. Thus, the Flaming Heart Piercing Needle was handed to the Patriarch.
The Patriarch, in turn, replaced his Ethereal Wood Green Spirit Pearl with the Flaming Heart Piercing Needle, passing the orb to Yang Yuanhe, for whom its wood-water attributes were a perfect fit.
With the treasures distributed, the group set aside their excitement as Yang Patriarch addressed them.
"Although we have quelled the Purple-Striped Wolf King's detachment, the beast crisis is far from over," he began.
"Tianxu Mountain remains under siege, and now that we've freed up forces, we may finally tip the scales in that battle."
Elian nodded in agreement.
He understood that their current success was largely due to the Purple-Striped Wolf King's overconfidence and haste.
Had the Wolf King consolidated its forces to attack Yuyang Market, the defenders might still be embroiled in a bitter struggle.
While Yuyang Market had stockpiled a hundred thousand spirit stones, prolonged resistance against the Wolf King's assault would have been unsustainable. However, with timely reinforcements from Fengling Counties, the Wolf King might still have failed to breach the strategically crucial market.
The lack of intelligence among the lower-tier beasts worked in their favor. While these creatures possessed some degree of cunning, their intellect was only slightly above that of wild animals. Internal rivalries, natural enmity among certain species, and the absence of logistical support further undermined the cohesion of the beast forces.
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D