Usually, the higher a cultivator's cultivation, the more they cherish their own life, hoping to set foot in the ethereal Immortal Realm and touch the Great Dao of Eternal Life. Therefore, very few Spirit Transformation cultivators in the lower realm would be willing to use such a self-destructive fighting style. The Tianli Clan's Great Priestess, however, adopted this extreme method, taking two Spirit Transformation -level Wind Beasts with her.
It had been over a hundred years since Gong Shanhe went to the Forsaken Continent . Who knew if anyone from the Tianli Clan had broken through to the Spirit Transformation stage by now? Although the chances were not high, Li Yan still wanted to confirm.
"Currently, neither the three Wind Beast clans nor the Tianli Clan have any Spirit Transformation -level cultivators. However, the 'Wind-Goose Clan' has a peak Fourth-rank Wind Beast, and the Tianli Clan's Great Elder is also at Late-stage Nascent Soul . They are the most likely to reach that level!"
Zhuo Lingfeng understood Li Yan's thoughts. Li Yan was weighing the strength of both sides, including what he needed to pay attention to when he went over. Moreover, Li Yan only asked about Spirit Transformation -level cultivators, which made his heart stir slightly. However, he also knew that the Malevolent Spirit Sect had strange methods and a profound heritage. For Li Yan to cross realms to come here, he might have treasures on him capable of dealing with Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, but he would not press the matter.
After getting this information, Li Yan also felt a sense of relief.
"Many thanks for your guidance! Fellow Daoist Zhuo, there is one more thing I don't understand. I wonder if you could tell me?"
Although Li Yan intended to leave as soon as possible after unexpectedly learning of the Tianli Clan's trouble, he still had other questions he wanted to clarify.
"Fellow Daoist Li, please speak!"
"Since the Wind Beasts are so rampant and are the common enemy of all clans, why don't you all join forces to exterminate them? Even if there are some reasons, at the very least, the human race cultivators should help each other. Otherwise, after a clan like the Tianli is devoured by the Wind Beasts, won't they then attack other human territories?"
Li Yan pondered for a moment before finally asking the question he had been unable to understand.
After hearing this, Zhuo Lingfeng's expression remained normal, as if he knew Li Yan would ask such a question.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you're half right! The Wind Beasts of the Wind God Continent have a very strong sense of territory. Usually, the Wind Beasts within one territory won't go to other places. The reason is simple: a 'Sky Eye Pit' can only produce one species of Wind Beast. And their best place for cultivation is the 'Sky Eye Pit,' but they can't take it with them. Therefore, they usually only spread out from their own 'Sky Eye Pit' as a center. Mid to high-rank Wind Beasts already have high spiritual intelligence, no less than that of the human race and other intelligent beings. The Tianli Clan is located at the edge of these three Wind Beast clans' territories, and its cultivation resources are very rich, so it has always been coveted by them. If other Wind Beasts were to attack the Tianli Clan, it would be a provocation to these three Wind Beast clans, and a great war would definitely break out. If these three clans were to conquer the Tianli Clan, they would divide it amongst themselves. If they don't find another suitable territory, they won't easily attack. As for why the human clans don't help each other, the Wind God Continent is infested with Wind Beasts everywhere. Just like our Shamen Temple, we are also surrounded by two clans of Wind Beasts. If we dared to go and help other human clans, those two Wind Beast clans would take the opportunity to destroy Shamen Temple. So it's not that we don't join forces, but that the overall strength and numbers of the Wind Beasts are greater. The most common situation is that the cultivation resources needed by cultivators are not gathered in one place, which leads to great distances between the various sects. Take the Tianli Clan's territory, for example. It's impossible for Shamen Temple to also move there. In that case, forget about joining forces, we and the Tianli Clan might have a falling out first, and a fight would be inevitable. Cultivating immortality is about cultivating opportunities, cultivating resources. Therefore, the strategy on the Wind God Continent for so many years has been to have more offspring and cultivate more sect disciples. To tell you something you won't believe, although Shamen Temple seems powerful now, only three or four out of ten in the temple are true monks. The vast majority are lay disciples. Firstly, many of the true monks have long since died in battle. Disciples are hard to find, and disciples willing to become monks are even harder to find. So, Shamen Temple simply opened its doors wide and recruited a large number of lay disciples. This way, the lay disciples can stabilize the temple after entering, and many tasks can be assigned to them. Secondly, because they are lay disciples, they can find Dao Companions. Once they have offspring, the possibility of those children choosing to cultivate at Shamen Temple is very high. Thirdly, Shamen Temple is a major sect. Although the cultivation methods in the temple are not completely open to lay disciples, the ones they offer are not comparable to those of ordinary sects. After all, only good cultivation methods can make a cultivator stronger and better able to survive on the Wind God Continent. However, the matter of not being able to join forces is not absolute. Some small sects originally didn't occupy a very large territory, so there are also many small neighboring sects that do join forces to support each other."
Zhuo Lingfeng spoke helplessly. The gist of his words was that there were far more Wind Beasts than cultivators of other races, and because of the distribution of cultivation resources, the various sects could not easily join forces.
Li Yan nodded after hearing this. On his journey, he had indeed felt that he encountered Wind Beasts far more often than cultivators.
"Fellow Daoist Zhuo, we shall meet again if fate allows!"
As Li Yan spoke, he had already stood up. He could not delay any longer.
"Amitabha. Is Fellow Daoist Li heading to the Tianli Clan now?"
Zhuo Lingfeng also stood up.
"Of course. After hearing your introduction, Fellow Daoist, the situation of the Tianli Clan is not good. I must go over as soon as possible!"
As Li Yan spoke, he was already walking directly towards the door.
"Fellow Daoist Li, wait!"
Just then, Zhuo Lingfeng suddenly called out to Li Yan.
Li Yan paused and turned his head, his face calm.
"What is it? Does Fellow Daoist have other matters?"
"Fellow Daoist Li, if you just fly over like this, a journey of nearly a million li, it will still take a lot of time, won't it?"
Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Li Yan's eyes.
"Oh? Does Fellow Daoist Zhuo have a faster way? As far as I know, there are no long-distance teleportation formations for rent in this area that go towards the Tianli Clan!"
"Hehehe, what Fellow Daoist Li says is correct. There are no long-distance teleportation formations in that direction in the market. But there are long-distance teleportation formations to Shamen Temple and another sect. These were established for the convenience of those of us who come here to guard the market. And Shamen Temple is only about one hundred and seventy thousand li from the Tianli Clan. So, after you arrive at Shamen Temple, you can save more than half the time!"
Hearing this, a look of joy appeared on Li Yan's face.
"Oh, what a coincidence. Then I must really thank Fellow Daoist Zhuo."
Zhuo Lingfeng also walked over, smiling as he spoke.
"It is a trivial matter. Due to my duties, I must remain here for another three months, so I cannot accompany you, Fellow Daoist. If you have any matters in the future, you can send a message to Shamen Temple, or come find me here within three months!"
Li Yan smiled and cupped his hands towards Zhuo Lingfeng!
"Many thanks!!"
Amidst the mountains and ridges, the sounds of battle soared into the sky, a mixture of angry roars, tragic screams, the sound of sharp weapons sinking into flesh, and the gushing of blood.
Large swathes of trees on the mountainside had fallen, revealing the stilt houses burning fiercely in the forest. The huge, dark green banana leaves were burnt black, many of them curled into balls.
The corpses of demonic beasts and humans lay strewn from halfway up the mountain all the way to its foot, and stretched even further, covering the ground in a pool of blood. As far as the eye could see, it was a mountain of corpses in a sea of blood.
The sky was filled with multicolored lights. Earth-shattering explosions echoed continuously, shaking the land and mountains below.
On the battlefield, the three clans of Wind Beasts continuously charged up the high mountain from the ground and the air. Today, they had finally broken through the Tianli Clan's defensive line once again!
They were the "Wind-Iron Beasts," covered in iron-like armor; the "Wind-Elephant Beasts," with bodies like small mountains; and the "Wind-Goose Beasts," like sharp arrows in the sky.
Apart from some mid to high-rank Wind Beasts that had taken human form to fight against the Tianli Clan cultivators and warriors, the vast majority of Wind Beasts had revealed their true forms to join the battle, as their true forms could better display all their advantages.
Among them were even more low-rank Wind Beasts that were unable to take human form.
Such a fierce battle had not ceased for a single day in the past ten years, and today was the most tragic day of all!
From the very beginning, over ten years ago, when the mid to high-rank cultivators of the three Wind Beast clans fought against the Tianli Clan cultivators, to later when the three Wind Beast clans brought out a large number of low-rank Wind Beasts with unopened spiritual intelligence, it was clear that the Wind Beasts were also short on troops and had deployed all available forces.
On the mountainside, a "Wind-Elephant Beast" weighing several thousand jin let out a low roar. Its four limbs, like four giant pillars, madly stomped on the ground. The ground was covered in a bloody paste, which splattered everywhere as it stomped!
This "Wind-Elephant Beast" had three-quarters of its long trunk sliced off by a sharp blade. A long spear was stabbed into one of its giant eyes. Its entire body was covered in blood, like an ancient ferocious beast that had been fished out of a blood pool.
It was not yet capable of transforming, so it had no innate divine abilities or magical power to protect its body. It charged and killed purely on instinct, constantly roaring in agony. Its one wide-open eye was crimson, spinning wildly as it charged, searching for any enemy it could kill. Its four thick elephant legs continuously trampled the Tianli Clan warriors underfoot.
As it ran, the long spear in its eye trembled. This "Wind-Elephant Beast" had lost its most flexible trunk and had no way to pull out the spear. The charge only made it more agonized and frenzied. At times, it would even support its several-thousand-jin body with its two hind legs, its massive body rearing up high, before bringing its two thick forelegs crashing down heavily.
The whole earth let out a huge tremor, splashing countless blood, venting its madness. And the Tianli Clan warriors under its feet were instantly crushed into a meat pulp, like stomped watermelons. Their bones, unable to bear the weight, let out a dense series of cracking sounds as jets of blood shot out...
Stimulated by the overwhelming stench of blood that rose to the sky, this "Wind-Elephant Beast" became even more ferocious.
At this moment, a thin figure appeared in its single eye. It was a Tianli Clan youth, only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Just now, after three "Wind-Elephant Beasts" had charged into their squad's position, three had fallen into the traps they had set and were dismembered by their chaotic blades. But in the dying struggle of those three, and under the frenzied attack of this one "Wind-Elephant Beast" that had avoided the traps and charged into their ranks, the slender youth had watched helplessly as his captain, vice-captain, and another team member were killed in battle. The spear sticking out of this "Wind-Elephant Beast's" eye was the one thrown by the captain as he was dying.
At the beginning of the melee, as the squad leader, the responsibility of mainly attacking this "Wind-Elephant Beast" naturally fell to him. In the fierce battle, the captain was caught by the elephant's trunk. With a powerful swing from the "Wind-Elephant Beast," the captain of this squad, even though he had cultivated a simplified mortal version of the "Qiongqi Purgatory Art," had his steel-like bones broken in an instant. But before the trunk swung, he had thrown the spear in his hand into the opponent's huge eye socket.
He was then flung into a heap of limp flesh. Seeing the captain let out a pained cry and then fall silent, the squad's vice-captain slid sideways, kicking up a spray of blood, and slid directly under the belly of this "Wind-Elephant Beast." The next moment, he was beneath its reared-up head. Before he had even stood up, the vice-captain's incomparably sharp broadsword, held by its long handle, was swung forcefully at the long elephant trunk that was still wildly swinging the captain's corpse.
The weapons they used had all been refined with witchcraft by the priests in the clan. Although those priests were not as powerful as the Great Priestess with her heaven-defying divine abilities, they could still make ordinary sabers and swords capable of inflicting fatal damage on low-rank demonic beasts. At the same time, although these people were all mortals, the Tianli Clan was martial. Even those without a Spirit Root would cultivate a specially simplified version of the "Qiongqi Purgatory Art." Coupled with generations of fighting against Wind Beasts, each one of them was the bravest warrior in the clan.
Furthermore, this "Wind-Elephant Beast" had not yet opened its spiritual intelligence. Apart from its great strength and thick skin, it had no innate divine abilities to easily kill these mortal warriors.
A flash of the blade, a "swish," and the "Wind-Elephant Beast's" severed trunk, still holding the squad leader whose bones were now jelly, flew off to the side.
This "Wind-Elephant Beast" hadn't even felt the intense pain assault its brain when "plop!" the long trunk had already fallen into a large pool of blood!
Immediately after, a fountain of blood shot out from the "Wind-Elephant Beast's" face. Only then did it feel the pain and begin to stomp and kick its four legs wildly.
The squad's vice-captain, although agile, slipped on the slippery, blood-covered ground as he rolled. As his heel pushed off the ground, he slipped violently and was directly stomped on the right side of his chest by one of the "Wind-Elephant Beast's" thick legs.
"Crack!" With a sound, the vice-captain's sternum was shattered. His sturdy body caved in deeply, and a jet of blood mixed with internal organs shot straight into the sky from his mouth...
The remaining six members of this squad had just finished dealing with the three "Wind-Elephant Beasts" in the trap. With a turn, they charged desperately towards this "Wind-Elephant Beast." Having fought against Wind Beasts for a long time, they had long known the ferocity of this beast. Therefore, cowardice would only provoke its ferocity and would have no other result...
The "Wind-Elephant Beast's" single, bloodshot eye stared at the youth. Everyone else in this squad had died under its rampage. But it had also suffered several fatal wounds. A large gash had been torn in its lower abdomen, and its internal organs were hanging out. Its body was a mess of wounds, large and small, deep enough to see bone. But it was still not dead. At this moment, only this little ant remained before its eyes!
This "Wind-Elephant Beast" also felt waves of dizziness in its head, and the sounds of killing that rose to the sky around it seemed somewhat distant!
Its body swayed as it charged towards the slender youth.
The youth was covered in blood and mud, also holding a broadsword. This long-handled weapon was their favorite, suitable for both long-range attack and close-range defense.
The slender youth took several steps back, and suddenly his body jolted. His back had hit a rock.
Feeling the rumbling vibrations from the ground, although the youth's eyes were filled with fear, the moment his back hit the rock behind him, his heart suddenly calmed.
He turned his head and quickly glanced at the many stilt houses burning fiercely in the distance. Although the elderly and children here had all been evacuated to the rear, leaving only empty houses, this was the place where he had walked every day since he was a child, singing mountain songs...
"Mama, take care!!"
The slender youth seemed to see his mother on the stilt house porch, waving at him, calling him home for dinner.
He... violently tightened his grip on the broadsword!