Chapter 204 Xu Chuan's Conditions, Ruthless Young Master, Joining Forces to Slay Demons (10k Long Chapter)
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two days ago.
Zhou Qingfang's Immortal Official Order sent a shock, it turned out that a large beast tide had occurred in Tongshan County.
The Cao Clan of Great Wei issued an emergency mission, ordering Immortal Officials of the sixth rank and above to go to the aid, this was unpaid
but profitable.
After all, those demonic beasts themselves were a kind of resource.
Moreover, a large beast tide would inevitably include demonic beasts of the Foundation Establishment stage and above, and their numbers would not be small.
Zhou Qingfang set off with some of the Zhou Clan's elites, informing Xu Chuan along the way.
Xu Chuan also gathered his elite disciples, including martial artists of the Innate Perfection stage and above.
After a long period of training, it was time to take them out for a spin.
The Xu family's martial artists primarily train in five-person battle formations. Two of the five are swordsmen and shieldmen or axemen and shieldmen, one specializes in close combat, one wields long weapons, and the other is an archer.
This five-person formation allows them to defeat enemies of higher levels, even those in the mid-to-late stages of a Grandmaster's level.
As for cultivators, they operate in groups of three.
Their positions are not fixed, but typically two are the main attackers, using spells or flying swords, while one provides support, employing talismans or defensive artifacts.
However, this is commonly used in the mid-stage of Qi Refining.
Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators mostly fight alone.
Xu Chuan made a detour to Guangling County to inform the Guangling branch to send suitable disciples.
Ren Xiaoyao also set off.
At this point, even if the Wei family had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare attack the Xu family.
Otherwise, the Wei family would face the wrath of the Foundation Establishment families of Tongshan County, as well as the fury of the Cao family.
On the way...
"Mingwei, keep an eye on the younger generation when you have time."
"What about you, Father?"
"Fighting and killing aren't for me, so I want to use my alchemy skills to make a deal with Tongshan County and expand the market.
The resources here are much richer than in our Yuehu County.
Whether it's spirit iron, spirit ore, or the demonic beasts and spirit herbs from the Cangwu Mountains, they're among the best in the entire Great Wei."
Xu Mingwei glanced at the younger members of the Xu family who had come this time: Xu Mingqing, Xu Deqian, Xu Deyue, and Xu Chonghui.
Xu Chuan had brought them here for training.
Clearly, in a decade or two, they might also be core figures in the Xu family.
Xu Mingxuan had also come this time. His cultivation level had recovered to the late stage of the seventh level of Qi Refining, and it wouldn't be difficult for him to return to the peak of Qi Refining in another three or four years.
After all, all his cultivation resources were of the highest quality.
They arrived at Tongshan County.
Outside the city, there were tens of thousands of wild beasts, and more were constantly leaping out of the mountains, heading straight for Tongshan County.
Most of them were heading towards the county town.
Because the magical artifacts on the city walls of the prefecture could lure the demonic beasts towards the city.
If they were scattered throughout the prefecture, the manpower would be too dispersed, making them difficult to handle.
However, the effectiveness of these artifacts was limited, so some demonic beasts still ravaged Tongshan Prefecture.
Some villages suffered.
Those particularly large beasts in the beast tide were mostly demonic beasts.
At this time, many cultivators and martial artists were already engaged in battle.
Martial artists cleared away the wild beasts, while cultivators either rode their swords through the air or dealt with the demonic beasts on the ground.
When someone saw the Xu family arriving in their magical boat, someone immediately stepped forward and asked, "May I ask which family you fellow Daoists are from?"
"The Xu family of Yuehu Prefecture. We came to assist in the battle after hearing about the beast tide." "
So it's the Xu family. Please enter the city first, register, and receive your wartime tokens. With these tokens, you can enter the city's protective array at any time.
You can also record the number of wild beasts and demonic beasts you kill for post-battle statistics, so that Tongshan Prefecture can distribute rewards."
The person led the Xu family members into the array to register.
Then Xu Chuan said, "Mingwei, take them there."
"Yes, Father."
Xu Mingxian was very interested in the restrictions in the token, so instead of going out to hunt monsters, he stayed in the city to study it.
Xu Chuan said, "I have a past connection with Prince Cao. I wonder where he is? May I pay him a visit?"
"You two are Foundation Establishment seniors, right? All the Foundation Establishment seniors who have arrived so far are gathered in the Prince's Mansion. You two seniors can go and rest for a while.
Would you like me to lead the way?"
"No need, I know the way."
"Then I won't disturb you two seniors any longer. I'll take my leave."
Xu Chuan led Ren Xiaoyao and Xu Mingxian to the Prince's Mansion.
In the main hall of the Prince's Mansion,
Xu Chuan saw many familiar faces.
There was a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wei family of Guangling County, and the patriarch of the Feng family of Yunshan County
. "Fellow Daoist Xu, you've arrived," Zhou Qingfang said with a smile.
There were only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators here. Some who arrived early were already cultivating in the guest rooms of the Prince's Mansion.
"Master San Shu, it's been over twenty years since we last met. You've also reached the Foundation Establishment stage," the dignified middle-aged man on the main seat said with a smile.
"Thanks to Your Highness's blessing, if I hadn't had the good fortune to meet Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi at the Prince's residence, I might not have had this opportunity."
"That's your own destiny," Cao Jinming laughed heartily.
"Please, everyone, have a seat."
The Feng family patriarch also clasped his hands and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, we meet again. The last time we met, you were still at the Qi Refining stage. In the blink of an eye, several years have passed, and you have successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage."
" Good luck." "
Fellow Daoist Feng," Xu Chuan said, cupping his fists.
Cao Jinming said, "There are no Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts yet. Let the juniors hone their skills with those wild beasts and Qi Refining stage demonic beasts. I hope you all have no objections."
"Of course."
"Fellow Daoists can stay temporarily in my royal residence. When Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts appear, that will be our time to act."
Everyone cupped their hands and said, "We will do as Your Highness commands."
More than twenty years ago, Cao Jinming was at the peak of the third level of Foundation Establishment, stuck at the bottleneck for many years. Now, he has finally stepped into the fourth level of Foundation Establishment.
Among those present, he has the highest cultivation.
Ren Xiaoyao and Xu Mingxian rested in their rooms, while Xu Chuan was invited by Cao Jinming for a chat.
"I heard that Fellow Daoist Xu did not become a Celestial Official. Why did you come to my Tongshan County to help this time?" Cao Jinming asked.
"Firstly, it's to give the clan's youths some experience. Secondly, Tongshan County shouldn't withhold rewards just because those who come to help aren't celestial officials, right?"
"Haha, not at all." Cao Jinming said, "Such a large-scale beast tide is a once-in-a-century event. The numerous aristocratic families of Tongshan County alone cannot withstand it.
The more aristocratic families come to our aid, the easier it will be for Tongshan County."
After a pause, Cao Jinming added, "Fellow Daoist Xu, you were able to reach the Foundation Establishment stage on your own; your aptitude is quite high."
"My aptitude is only average, but I had a better chance thanks to a rare thousand-year-old spiritual herb and my superior divine sense.
During my breakthrough, I even fell into a mental block and almost lost my way, failing the attempt.
Fortunately, I gained enlightenment.
Perhaps because of this, breaking through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck later became much easier."
"Encountering a mental obstacle while attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment? That's quite rare." Cao Jinming's eyes showed surprise. "While this isn't as bad as the mental demons one might encounter when attempting to break through to the Golden Core stage
, it still leads to failure for most people.
However, perhaps this is where your opportunity lies, Fellow Daoist Xu. The appearance of a mental obstacle greatly increases the difficulty of Foundation Establishment, but if you break through the barrier, you can loosen the bottleneck."
"Perhaps."
"However, in any case, congratulations, Fellow Daoist."
"Haha, congratulations also to Your Highness on reaching the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment."
After a short while,
Cao Jinming finally got to the point.
"Now that Fellow Daoist Xu has entered Foundation Establishment, your alchemy skills must be even stronger, right? I heard that you were close to Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi when you were practicing Qi Refining, and now I think you're not far behind."
"I dare not compare myself to Fellow Daoist Yun Zhongzi. I've only been in Foundation Establishment for a few years, and I still need to spend time on cultivation, so my alchemy skills haven't improved much."
Xu Chuan now revealed himself to be at the first level of Foundation Establishment, as did Ren Xiaoyao.
If, within just a few years, two members of the Xu family were to advance to the second level of Foundation Establishment, it would likely arouse malicious speculation from those with ulterior motives.
"I've discussed this with my fellow cultivators from the five Foundation Establishment families of Tongshan County. After the beast tide ends, besides distributing rewards based on battle merits, we also intend to refine some pills and magical artifacts as a token of our gratitude.
Regarding magical artifacts, one of my fellow cultivators from Tongshan County is a top-tier artifact refiner.
He can refine exquisite and high-grade magical artifacts as rewards for the top three families in this battle.
The rest will be rewarded with pills or beast materials.
As for Foundation Establishment families,
refining top-tier magical artifacts is too difficult. That fellow cultivator only has a 20-30% chance of success, and the material consumption would be too great, making it not worthwhile. Simply providing a small amount of beast materials is also somewhat unreasonable.
After all, without an artifact refiner, these beast materials aren't actually that valuable.
Therefore, we've considered refining some Foundation Establishment pills to improve cultivation.
We were even planning to send someone to the Pill Hall to invite a few retainers in a few days, but unexpectedly, Fellow Daoist Xu has arrived."
"If you have any conditions, please feel free to name them." "
If you have the essence of a mid-Foundation Establishment beast, I'd like a portion; if not, an early-Foundation Establishment beast will also suffice."
"With two Foundation Establishment cultivators from your Xu family, one of them will surely be hunting Foundation Establishment demonic beasts. Fellow Daoist Xu has also worked hard to refine pills for us, so this condition is not unreasonable."
"Furthermore, my Xu family would like to request that Tongshan County open its doors to us, allowing our Xu family disciples to train in the Cangwu Mountains."
Cao Jinming nodded, "This is not a big problem either."
"My Xu Clan Trading Company would like to establish itself in the markets of Tongshan County, selling pills and magical artifacts."
"Magic artifact materials are quite abundant in Tongshan County, but mid-to-high-grade pills are not plentiful. If the Xu family can trade these, it will also benefit Tongshan County. I
, the King, have agreed to this matter."
Xu Chuan grinned, clasped his hands, and said, "Then thank you very much, Your Highness. I have no further questions. May I ask what kind of pills Your Highness wishes to refine?"
"For the first tier, let's have Qi Gathering Pills and Barrier Breaking Pills. With your alchemy skills, refining mid-to-high-grade pills should not be difficult."
"For the second tier, let's have True Essence Pills and Azure Spirit Pills. Fellow Daoist Xu, refine as many as you have, and we will allocate them according to the situation."
"I understand. Your Highness, please send someone to deliver the pill formula and materials to my room. I will go to the alchemy room to refine them when I have time."
"Thank you," Cao Jinming said, clasping his hands in thanks.
There were naturally alchemists in Tongshan County capable of refining second-tier pills, but producing only one or two low-grade pills from six or seven portions was too inefficient.
After all, a considerable amount would be needed as compensation for the Foundation Establishment cultivators who came to their aid. Therefore,
they had to ask a top-tier alchemy master for help.
As for the compensation Xu Chuan offered, only the essence of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator was truly valuable; the rest was insignificant.
Even if it were open to the Xu family, how could they possibly compete with so many powerful families in Tongshan County?
Cao Jinming had initially thought Xu Chuan would offer some rare, centuries-old spiritual herbs.
However, Xu Chuan had already set aside a portion of the reward for his services in the amount of the pills he refined.
It wasn't unreasonable for an alchemist to take a cut after refining pills for others.
After deducing the token's restriction, Xu Mingxian also went out to hunt demonic beasts.
He rode his magic boat, standing above the city wall. As far as the eye could see, the ground was scorched, the air thick with the stench of blood mixed with the smell of burning.
Most of the wild beasts were skinned and had their claws removed before being burned.
As for the demonic beasts, after they were killed, people in Tongshan County collected them and transported them back to the city for processing.
Groups of cultivators flew out of the city's outer formation, while many others, having exhausted their magical energy, returned to the city to recuperate.
Martial artists did the same.
Xu Mingxian searched for traces of the Xu family.
Suddenly, a flying bird swooped down, its claws outstretched, aiming for Xu Mingxian's head.
He flicked his sleeve, and a high-grade flying sword flew out from within.
A flash of cold light streaked across the twilight, tracing a dark blue path as it pierced the bird's head like a comet striking the moon.
Then, his token absorbed the beast's soul energy.
Based on the strength of the soul, he distinguished between wild beasts and demonic beasts, recording them separately.
Soon, he discovered the tracks of Xu family's innate martial artists on the ground. A five-person team formed a striking formation,
like a sharp knife tearing a gaping hole in the beast horde.
"Father's personnel allocation is quite ingenious; their coordinated attacks far surpass the effect of one plus one."
The sword-and-shield warriors focused on defense but also possessed offensive capabilities, capable of repelling close-range enemies.
They were paired with a ruthless fighter, capable of combat beyond their level, relentlessly reaping kills. If any were missed, the spear-wielding warrior could force them back.
The archer warriors also cleared out distant enemies first, preventing their numbers from becoming too great. The
battle raged for a long time.
The Xu family's various teams suffered only minor injuries. They all carried healing and qi-restoring pills, giving them far greater combat endurance than other aristocratic families.
Many young masters from prominent families were discussing which family they belonged to.
Upon discovering the demonic beast
, Xu Mingxian quickly went forward, the three members of the Xu family forming a rather conspicuous formation.
"Fifth Brother, you've arrived," Xu Mingqing greeted Xu Mingxian with a smile.
Then, a flying sword flew past him.
With a clang, the flying sword clashed with the claws of the late-stage Qi Refining demonic bird, forcing it back.
"In the battlefield, one must not be careless."
"Understood, Fifth Brother,"
Xu Mingqing replied with a smile, turning and instantly casting two mid-grade first-tier wood-elemental spells with one hand, binding the demonic bird.
At the same time, he used his flying sword to kill it.
He had also cultivated the *Nine Flames Technique*, allowing him to perform hand seals and control his flying sword simultaneously.
"Truly worthy of being the most talented person in our Xu family, killing a late-stage Qi Refining demonic bird in a short time,"
Xu Mingxian smiled faintly.
Xu Mingqing possesses the eighth-grade Yi Wood bloodline and the [Taiyi Qingling] destiny talent, allowing him to conserve 30% of his mana when casting wood-type spells.
The power of his spells is also significantly enhanced.
Coupled with his comprehension of wood-type spells, he has already learned numerous first-tier high-grade wood-type spells at the early stage of Qi Refining 7, and can cast them quickly.
Spells below high-grade can almost all be cast instantly.
For other Qi Refining 7 cultivators, casting high-grade spells alone would take considerable time, making it unsuitable for combat.
Xu Mingwei and his group are also nearby.
These elders intentionally haven't spread out too much, ensuring they can supervise the Xu family's cultivators.
After all, the Xu family has very few cultivators; losing four or five would be a painful loss.
Although they still recruit rogue cultivators, few pass the Xu family's screening.
The Xu family prefers quality over quantity, preferring to spend more time cultivating loyal individuals.
Even those with pseudo-spiritual root aptitude can be trained to Qi Refining 6.
As for Qi Refining 7, it's very difficult for them to reach that level on their own.
However, if one makes a significant contribution to the Xu family, the Xu family will bestow upon them breakthrough pills to assist them.
A dozen miles away,
an elder of a powerful family was about to slay a late-stage Qi Refining demonic beast.
Suddenly
, a streak of light arrived in an instant, piercing the beast's head with an arrow, instantly killing it.
Then, the arrow returned along the same path.
Enraged, the elder cursed, "Which fellow Daoist is so unscrupulous!"
Looking around, he found no one using bows or magic weapons.
Someone said, "Fellow Daoist, stop looking. That person isn't nearby at all; he's over ten miles away."
"What? Over ten miles away? Killing a late-stage Qi Refining demon beast with a single arrow?" "
Right there." The person pointed to the location of the Xu family. "If you want to reason with him, you can go, but you only need to be able to withstand one of his attacks."
"Someone once went to demand an explanation and was pierced through a mid-grade magic weapon by an arrow. If he hadn't shown mercy, he would probably be dead."
The elder of this family's Adam's apple bobbed. "So terrifying! Which family's prodigy is he?"
"Moon Lake County, the Xu family, Xu Mingwei!"
"Many fellow Daoists have given him a nickname: Arrow Demon!"
"Any demon beast that enters his sight is shot dead by him!"
"But even from over ten miles away, it's still terrifying. What kind of eyesight is that!"
"A fellow Daoist once said that Xu Mingwei's eyes seem unusual when he shoots arrows; they are dark gold. Moreover, he also has a black tiger spirit beast, which is also extremely ferocious."
However, they seemed to be protecting their own descendants and didn't launch a large-scale attack, otherwise we would have gained absolutely nothing!
"The Xu family, a family that has just advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, actually has such a strong expert." The elder of the family sighed.
"That Xu Mingwei seems to be the number one Qi Refining expert in the two prefectures of Yuehu and Guangling, no, in my opinion, he should be the number one expert in the surrounding five prefectures!"
"That Xu family is really remarkable, probably another third-grade family like the Liu family of Qingbo."
This elder of the family had completely lost his previous anger.
Sometimes the gap is too large, making people completely lose the will to compete.
The Xu family almost completely controlled the area of more than ten miles around Xu Mingwei.
Xu Mingwei would let some demonic beasts in.
As for other families, if they wanted to make a move, Xu Mingwei would shoot them down faster than him.
He forced them to leave. However, there were always those who were unwilling to admit defeat and would come knocking. "Fellow Daoist, isn't it a bit too much for your family to occupy this area of more than ten miles around?" A young man came with his sword behind
his back . A crimson robe billowed in the wind like burning flames, its hem rustling in the breeze. Dark patterns, seemingly embroidered with gold thread, shimmered in the sunlight, subtly exuding a chilling aura. His face was sharply defined, with sword-like eyebrows that slanted upwards towards his temples. His eyes were deep, like stars reflected in a cold pool, their coldness tinged with an unyielding domineering presence. The crimson robe was not made of ordinary fabric, but woven from thousand-year-old fire silkworm silk. The cuffs and collar were trimmed with jet-black cloud patterns, and a dark gold dragon-patterned belt cinched his waist, from which hung a jade token. The token was engraved with the character "Liu." A half-smile played on his lips, not a gentle one, but rather the mocking gaze of a predator surveying its prey. "That's Liu Wuqing, a genius from the Liu family, also known as the Ruthless Young Master, because he dabbles in the myriad flowers but never takes a single one away." "Some say he has exceptional talent and will soon become the next Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Liu family." "Impossible. Geniuses who haven't yet reached Foundation Establishment are all preparing for the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly,' and would never hastily achieve it." "So you are the Arrow Demon, Xu Mingwei?" Liu Wuqing said with a faint smile. "What does Young Master Wuqing want with me?" "I've heard that a skilled archer has emerged in Guangling County, next to Longjiang, with formidable combat power. I've always wanted to test my skills against him, but unfortunately, I haven't had many opportunities. Now that we've met in Tongshan, I'd like to ask for your guidance." "Second brother, watch over him, I'll go deal with this person." Xu Mingwei transmitted his voice and ascended into the sky, saying, "Come up and fight!" "Excellent!" Liu Wuqing's lips curled slightly, and his flying sword suddenly shot vertically upwards, quickly rising to the same level as Xu Mingwei. "I'll only use four moves. If you can withstand them, you win!" "Then I'll see just how strong your bow and arrow really are!" Xu Mingwei said no more, quickly nocking an arrow and firing. The first move was a normal attack. He didn't use any magic power, relying solely on strength and the power of the magic weapon itself. Liu Wuqing held a bluish-white longsword, the blade trembling slightly, and a bluish-white sword light over ten feet long shot out. Like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens, the air hissed wherever it passed, even the twilight was forcibly cleaved in a pale crack. A point of dark golden cold light shot out from a distance. Before the arrow even arrived, the sharp killing intent already stung the skin. It transformed into lightning and collided with the sword light in mid-air. "Boom—!" The bluish-white sword energy and dark golden lightning intertwined into a violent net, instantly clearing the clouds within a ten-foot radius. The aftershocks of the explosion stirred up a gale, rippling in all directions. Just then, Xu Mingwei's second arrow moved. A surge of magical power, binding the arrow, transformed into a black dragon, roaring as it charged towards Liu Wuqing. Liu Wuqing's pupils constricted slightly. His fingertips swept across the bluish-white sword, then abruptly changed hand seals, his five fingers opening like lotus blossoms before snapping shut again . He shouted sharply, "Slash!" The bluish-white sword trembled violently in response, a dazzling bluish-white light erupting from its tip, transforming into a three-zhang-long blade of light, its edges crackling with fine lightning, tearing the surrounding twilight to shreds. As the sword light pulsed, nine overlapping sword shadows faintly appeared, unfolding behind Liu Wuqing like a peacock spreading its tail. A gale arose from the ground, whipping up his robes and hair, but his gaze was colder than the sword light. The nine sword shadows flew out one after another, overlapping each other, each adding ten percent to their power. "Boom—!" The dragon roared, the sword light clanging. This attack... once again, the two were evenly matched. "Twin Dragons Playing with a Pearl!" Two black dragons, each three zhang long, materialized, intertwining and churning, their roars shaking the air. "Azure Lotus in Full Bloom!" Liu Wuqing's gaze was calm, and the swordplay in his hand suddenly changed. His figure moved like a crane's shadow, the trajectory of his sword no longer sharp as thunder, but instead exuding a mysterious rhythm. With each swing of his sword, a wisp of azure-white sword light lingered in mid-air, instantly weaving into a nine-petaled lotus shape. As his final sword struck the lotus's heart, the sword lotus burst into bloom— the moment the petals unfolded, pure azure light surged like a tide, each petal condensing an extremely powerful sword light, almost tangible. The black dragons tried to strangle the azure lotus from both sides, but were shattered by the powerful sword light. In the end, they transformed into two arrows that swept back. "Three Stars Reflecting the Moon!"
Xu Mingwei's bowstring twanged, and three black iron arrows shot through the air, weaving together in mid-air to form a bright, three-zhang-wide moon.
Silver flames surged at the moon's edge, like a meteor falling from the heavens, hurtling towards Liu Wuqing with the force to crush mountains and rivers!
Liu Wuqing saw the moon, beautiful yet filled with murderous intent. His expression turned grim, and he
immediately bit his fingertip, a drop of blood slicing across the bluish-white blade of his sword. A blinding crimson light erupted from the sword's spine.
His sword techniques shifted rapidly, his face visibly paling, but three gigantic azure lotus phantoms suddenly appeared behind him.
The three azure lotuses slowly rotated, crashing fiercely into the moon.
When the three azure lotuses merged
, a dazzling azure light shone, attracting even the wild beasts on the ground to look up, their eyes filled with the moon and the azure light.
After the moon was cleaved into countless points of light by the sword light, only one dazzling azure lotus remained in the air, spinning rapidly before vanishing without a trace.
Xu Mingwei's eyes showed more joy than anger, but he still clasped his hands and said, "Young Master Wuqing's strength is formidable, and his swordsmanship is astonishing. I have lost."
"You think you can just admit defeat like that? I didn't agree!" Liu Wuqing's face was pale as he shouted angrily, "I know you must have a backup plan. Show it to me!"
Xu Mingwei seemed tempted to see if his opponent could withstand his "Four Symbols Strangulation".
Just then, a middle-aged man in green robes arrived on his sword, his bearing elegant. He
clasped his hands and smiled, saying, "My younger brother is unruly, Brother Xu, please don't take it to heart. It's just a friendly spar; it wouldn't be good to get serious, especially with the beast tide nearby."
Xu Mingwei glanced at him and clasped his hands in return, saying, "What you say makes sense, fellow Daoist."
"Third brother, I..."
"Father sent me here. The fight here is too intense and has already attracted the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators in the city. It's not advisable to draw any more attention."
"I understand."
Liu Wuqing said to Xu Mingwei, "Fellow Daoist Xu's strength is formidable, as his reputation suggests. If we don't settle the score today, we can fight again another day when we have time."
After saying this, he left with the middle-aged man in green robes.
"Eldest brother, Xu Mingwei of the Xu family might be stronger than me," Liu Wuqing transmitted his voice.
"It's not a matter of 'maybe,' you're clearly slightly inferior to him. Qinglian Yaoshi defeated him in the fourth move, but not necessarily in the fifth, especially since you haven't truly mastered that move yet. You
only used it by forcibly activating it with your essence blood before.
If you use it like this frequently, it will leave indelible damage on you."
"Third Brother, I was wrong. I won't be so reckless next time."
"After you go back this time, go into seclusion and cultivate diligently. The Ancestor once said that this 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly' might not be simple, and it will be more brutal than before."
"I understand."
Xu Mingwei landed from the air. Xu
Mingyuan stepped forward and teased, "Big Brother, it's rare to see you fight someone, and you lost by a point."
"Yes, it's really rare." Xu Mingxuan also smiled and said.
"I didn't lose," Xu Mingwei said. "Liu Wuqing's last move was clearly not fully mastered; he forcibly activated it with his essence blood, which amplified its power.
However, he was indeed a notch stronger than Feng Qingyang of the Feng family.
It can only be said that he is worthy of the Liu family of Qingbo Lake, one of the few third-rank families in various prefectures."
Xu Mingyuan pondered and said, "Based on my brother's several encounters with geniuses from various families, if Mingxuan, Mingshu, and Mingxian cannot withstand your fourth move,
then there is no need for him to participate in the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly' at all."
"No, at least he has to withstand my fifth move.
If a third-rank family is like this, what about the second-rank, first-rank, and the Cao family!" Xu
Mingwei said solemnly, "Even if his sword techniques and moves are similar to Liu Wuqing's, his trump cards are definitely stronger. Even I have to avoid his sharp edge."
"That's why Father let Mingxuan enter as well. If there's danger, he should avoid it. And Mingshu's combat strength isn't too strong, but her beast-taming skills will surely play a great role in an environment like this secret realm."
Xu Mingwei sighed, "Father always thinks more comprehensively than us."
The next day.
The battle between Xu Mingwei and Liu Wuqing spread throughout the entire Tongshan County.
People from all the counties came here.
The two of them could be said to have become famous overnight!
Xu Chuan heard about this and just shook his head and smiled.
"Cultivating immortality doesn't necessarily require fighting and killing."
After Cao Jinming delivered the spiritual herbs to Xu Chuan, he began to refine pills.
He only refined those required by Tongshan County, taking a cut of the rest.
Xu Chuan certainly wouldn't mind having more Qi Gathering Pills and Barrier Breakthrough Pills, after all, with the Xu family around, there would be a continuous supply of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators.
The seventh day arrived in the blink of an eye.
With a series of astonishing roars, the sound waves materialized, rippling outwards like a tide.
Foundation Establishment demonic beasts finally emerged from the mountains.
There was a Foundation Establishment flying demonic bird, the Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle, whose aura was comparable to a third-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, but because it was a flying demonic beast and could use lightning magic, even a fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be a match for it.
There was also a Centipede, a second-level Foundation
Establishment demonic beast; a Blood Fiend Black Panther, a third-level Foundation Establishment demonic beast;
a Golden-Backed Blood
Mantis, a third-level Foundation Establishment demonic beast; a White-Scaled Flood Dragon
, a fourth-level Foundation Establishment demonic beast; and a Vajra Violent Ape, a fifth-level
Foundation Establishment demonic beast. Finally, there was a seventh-level Foundation Establishment Blood Python Tiger.
Even with top-tier magic weapons, Foundation Establishment cultivators generally find it difficult to kill demonic beasts of the same level alone, unless they possess extremely strong combat abilities or profound hidden strengths.
Above the city wall of Tongshan County, more than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators stood suspended in mid-air, their gazes fixed on the eleven Foundation Establishment demonic beasts.
"There are even late-stage Foundation Establishment demonic beasts," Cao Jinming said with a faint smile. "Gentlemen, Foundation Establishment demonic beasts are treasures from head to toe."
Its feathers, fur, sharp claws, and fangs are all excellent materials for crafting fine or even top-tier magic weapons.
"Fellow Daoists, please do not hold back. Once the beast tide is resolved, Tongshan County will reward you for your assistance."
"Your Highness is too kind. This is also our duty."
They had all come on a mission from the Great Wei royal family's celestial officials, while the family members were here for training.
"For early-stage Foundation Establishment demonic beasts, two people per group; for mid-stage Foundation Establishment beasts, three or four people should work together; the rest will join me in dealing with the late-stage Foundation Establishment Blood Python Tiger."
"Yes, Your Highness."
And then...
Zhou Qingfang asked, "Fellow Daoist Ren, where is your Grand Elder?"
"The Grand Elder has other important matters to attend to and will not participate in this Foundation Establishment demon beast hunt."
"Is that so? How about we hunt a Foundation Establishment demon beast together?"
"I'd be delighted."
Both of them were newly established Foundation Establishment cultivators; Zhou Qingfang was at the second level, while Ren Xiaoyao appeared to be at the first level. They were well-suited to deal with a second-level Foundation Establishment centipede.
The two flew to the vicinity of the centipede.
The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible, sweet-smelling odor.
This was the unique scent emanating from the second-level Foundation Establishment demon beast, the Iron-backed Centipede.
Its massive body was coiled in a forest clearing, its dark brown carapace gleaming with a cold, metallic luster in the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Its numerous, steel-nail-like legs twitched slightly, each scrape producing a teeth-grinding "rustling" sound.
The triangular head was held high, its massive jaws opening and closing erratically with a threatening "click-clack" sound, its compound eyes staring intently at the two figures in the air.
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes were sharp as an eagle's.
He formed hand seals, and a flash of light appeared in his storage pouch at his waist. Instantly, a simple yet exquisitely crafted Five Elements Box flew out and hovered about a foot in front of him.
With a few soft "clicks," the box unfolded gracefully in a fan shape like a peacock spreading its tail, revealing five inlaid grooves.
"Out!"
With Ren Xiaoyao's command, five sword lights of different colors and shimmering brilliance suddenly shot out from the grooves!
The golden sword was sharp and imposing, the wooden sword vibrant with life, the water sword agile and flowing, the fire sword blazing and explosive, and the earth sword steady and heavy.
Each of the five exquisite flying swords occupied a position, their tips pointing at the centipede, trembling slightly in the air and emitting a clear, melodious sword cry.
In an instant, it formed a simple sword formation containing the principles of the Five Elements, its sharp sword energy stirring the surrounding air.
Zhou Qingfang was secretly amazed. "I only caught a glimpse of it last time, but now, upon closer inspection, Fellow Daoist Ren's magic weapon is truly extraordinary, containing the essence of the Five Elements.
If one doesn't have a deep understanding of the Five Elements, one cannot control such a magic weapon at will.
Moreover, I observe that this magic weapon also contains a sword formation.
I estimate its power is no less than that of a top-tier magic weapon!" "
Fellow Daoist Zhou, you flatter me. This was obtained by chance. My Xu family's foundation is still limited, possessing only one Xuanbing Cone, which I heard was a gift from you to the Xu family."
Speaking of this, he felt a pang of heartache.
Zhou Qingfang's lips twitched slightly.
But he was also glad that he hadn't turned against the Xu family because of greed.
Otherwise, the two families would never have such a harmonious relationship.
Looking across all the prefectures, there are probably few families like his.
He cast aside distracting thoughts and calmed his mind.
A flash of light appeared in Zhou Qingfang's left palm, and a small, exquisite black mountain, exuding an aura of immense pressure, materialized out of thin air, resting steadily on his hand.
Though small, the mountain was adorned with jagged rocks and ancient pines, emanating a powerful and heavy earth elemental energy.
His right hand gripped a gleaming azure wooden sword, its blade engraved with mysterious runes, its edge pulsating with vitality yet concealing a sharp edge.
"You beast, take this!"
Zhou Qingfang roared, his figure shooting towards the centipede like an arrow released from a bow!
His left hand changed its hand seal, and the black mountain he held instantly grew larger, transforming into a phantom of a pitch-black peak over ten feet tall.
With an overwhelming force, it roared down upon the centipede's head, covered in a thick carapace!
He intended to suppress its ferocity with absolute power!
The centipede let out a sharp hiss, clearly enraged by the sudden pressure.
Its thick tail lashed out, sending a gust of foul wind through it, lashing fiercely at the crashing phantom of the Xuanmo Peak!
"Clang!"
A dull, bell-like impact resounded!
The phantom of the Xuanmo Peak trembled violently, its downward momentum momentarily halted.
Sparks even flew from the point of impact between the centipede's hard exoskeleton and the Xuanmo Peak!
Zhou Qingfang swayed slightly, clearly struggling to control his magical artifact against such a tremendous force, but his eyes hardened.
Without hesitation, his right hand wielded the Azure Wood Sword, transforming it into a streak of azure light, aiming straight for the centipede's exposed jaw, exposed by its upward-facing attack!
This sword strike was swift and cunning, imbued with the wood element's sword energy, possessing penetrating and corrosive power.
Just as the centipede's attention was completely drawn to the Xuanmo Peak, and its response to the Azure Wood Sword was somewhat rushed—
"Five Elements Rotation, Swift!"
Ren Xiaoyao's cold voice rang out.
His hand gestures shifted like butterflies flitting among flowers, and the five hovering flying swords moved in response!
Five sword lights crisscrossed and weaved into an impenetrable net, precisely slicing towards the centipede's relatively vulnerable joints and abdominal legs!
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
The flying sword struck a crack in the carapace, producing a teeth-grinding cutting sound.
Although it failed to immediately break through the strong defenses of the Foundation Establishment Level 2 demon beast, it successfully left a clear sword mark on its tough shell.
The centipede, in pain, went berserk!
It inhaled sharply, its chest and abdomen bulging violently, and a foul-smelling, highly corrosive dark green poisonous mist gushed forth like a fountain towards Zhou Qingfang, who was standing nearby!
Wherever the poisonous mist passed, the weeds on the ground withered and turned black instantly, and the rocks sizzled.
"Watch out for the poisonous mist!" Ren Xiaoyao's pupils contracted, and he warned sharply. Zhou
Qingfang had already anticipated this move. The instant the poisonous mist was released, he slammed his left hand down on Xuanmo Peak, forcing the mountain's illusory form to drop a foot, narrowly blocking his path and forming a solid barrier.
At the same time, his body rapidly retreated.
"Pfft—!"
The thick poisonous mist slammed into the illusory Xuanmo Peak, producing a sound like boiling water being poured on snow.
The heavy earth-elemental spiritual energy flickered, stubbornly resisting the corrosive poison, but the illusory peak's light visibly dimmed.
"A good opportunity!"
Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed with brilliance, his hands suddenly forming a magic seal, and he poured all his spiritual energy into the core of the Five Elements Box!
"Five Elements Sword Formation, Break Evil!"
Buzz—!
The five flying swords emitted a deafening buzz, instantly abandoning their individual trajectories and transforming into five intense primordial lights of gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow.
As if drawn by some powerful force, they suddenly converged at a single point!
The five colors of light intertwined and flowed, ultimately transforming into an extremely condensed, destructive-aura-filled Primordial Sword Qi, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.
At several times the previous speed, it shot directly at the centipede's mouthparts, which were unable to fully close due to the poisonous mist it had spewed!
Sensing a deadly threat, the centipede's compound eyes flashed with terror, but it was too late to shut its mouth and defend itself!
"Pfft!"
The Primordial Sword Qi pierced its open mandibles with pinpoint accuracy!
"Hiss—!!!"
A shrill, distorted scream echoed through the mountains!
The centipede's massive body convulsed and writhed violently as if struck by lightning, its hard skull being ravaged by the raging Five Elements Sword Qi!
Dark green, foul-smelling blood mixed with shattered tissue gushed from its mouth and nose!
Zhou Qingfang's face lit up with joy.
He leaped up again, channeling his surging magical power, and the Azure Wood Sword in his hand erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant azure light.
Like an enraged azure dragon, with unstoppable momentum, he pierced deep into the centipede's compound eyes, which were vulnerable to attack due to intense pain!
"Die!"
The Azure Wood Sword Qi exploded within the centipede's skull!
The mountain-like body of the Centipede stiffened abruptly, and then all its struggles and hisses ceased abruptly.
Its head, once held high, drooped limply, crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Its countless centipedes twitched a few times before finally falling silent.
The open space was a scene of devastation; the ground was torn apart, and the enormous centipede's corpse lay motionless, its carcass still bearing traces of sharp sword energy.
Poisonous mist also lingered in the air.
Ren Xiaoyao glanced at it, then quickly used a hand seal to completely purify the mist.
He then waved his hand, recalling the five flying swords whose light had dimmed slightly.
Zhou Qingfang also retrieved the Xuanmo Peak, wiping the sweat from his brow. Looking at the dark green blood dripping from the tip of his green wooden sword, a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Senior, please keep this monster's corpse. We'll hand it over to Tongshan County after the battle."
"Alright."
Tongshan County would certainly gift a considerable amount of monster materials to the various families, but it was impossible for them to take all the materials,
especially the Foundation Establishment monster materials.
"Let's go check on the others!"