Chapter 256: Core Formation Battle (Seeking Subscription)
Chapter 256: Core Formation Battle (Seeking Subscription)
"Daoist Friend Zhan, take care. . ."
Fang Xi watched Zhan Tu depart.
Although he acted as if he was very reluctant to part with the 'Ground-Shrinking Golden Light Talisman', Zhan Tu ultimately did not relent.
"Not bad, cautious enough. Only then can one go far in the cultivation world. . ."
He silently graded Zhan Tu.
He had also gleaned a little about this person's background: "When an old man loses his horse, who knows if it's a blessing? When an old man gains a horse, who knows if it's a misfortune. . ."
...
Tai Shu Hong's successful self-Foundation Establishment was, naturally, a breaking news item for the many cultivators of Dragon Fish Island.
Seeing that the struggle for Dragon Fish Island's succession was about to surface, Fang Xi, never one to shy from a spectacle, further fueled the fire. He announced that the 'Black Wind Baleful Qi' set to be produced in over a decade would be the prize in a "Treasure Contest" to determine its ownership. Any Qi Refinement cultivator who had resided on Dragon Fish Island for at least ten years could participate.
This news caused a sensation throughout almost the entire Myriad Islands Lake. A large number of Qi Refinement experts converged on Dragon Fish Island, all eager to roll up their sleeves, hoping to emerge victorious in the Treasure Contest and claim the Core Formation Spiritual Item!
Seizing this opportune moment, Fang Xi immediately raised the rental price of Dragon Fish Island's cave abodes by several tenths. It felt as if he had already earned back two or three Core Formation Spiritual Items. . .
Truly, there was no loss in this at all.
...
Five years passed in a flash.
During this period, the Green Wood Sect and the Black Heaven Sect engaged in several major battles, with both sides suffering extremely heavy casualties.
Even Zhan Tu stopped pretending. In one transaction, he secretly took out a set of Core Formation cultivation insights and directly traded it with Fang Xi for a 'Ground-Shrinking Golden Light Talisman'!
This clearly indicated that he must have encountered several life-or-death crises; otherwise, he would never have resorted to such a measure.
According to him, the Green Wood Sect's Core Formation Ancestor, Old Ghost Qing, had secretly left the cultivator military camp outside White Peace Immortal City for a period, infiltrating the State of Yue to specifically target high-level cultivators of the Black Heaven Sect.
This caused the Black Heaven Sect cultivators to live in constant fear.
After Patriarch Zhang learned of this, he would emerge from the formation daily to engage Old Ghost Qing in a battle. Although he was at a disadvantage each time, he could at least firmly pin down Old Ghost Qing.
However. . . as time slowly passed, the third-tier city-protecting grand array of White Peace Immortal City inevitably became damaged.
Historically, the lowest strategy for attacking a formation was to besiege it for years, consuming its earth vein qi and spiritual power until its might declined, then seeking an opportunity to break it!
The war between the two sides had lasted nearly ten years, and the third-tier spirit veins within White Peace Immortal City were struggling to keep up. Recently, they had to fill the deficit with a large number of Spirit Stones.
As for the damaged earth vein qi, it was utterly irreparable.
With the gradual collapse of the third-tier grand array, this major war of the Green Wood Sect invading the State of Yue finally reached its conclusion. . .
...
White Peace Immortal City!
"Attack!"
Accompanying shouts, dozens of cultivator phalanxes outside the city collectively chanted incantations, their magical power converging.
In the void, a large amount of wood-attribute spiritual energy gathered, transforming into thick logs several tens of meters long, which ruthlessly smashed against the city wall of White Peace Immortal City.
After another round of impacts, the light barrier that had enveloped White Peace Immortal City began to tremble precariously.
"Last round, activate the Boundless Falling Wood Grand Array!"
From the cultivator ranks flew out an old man in a green robe. His face was extraordinarily ordinary, yet a tremendously terrifying magical power fluctuation emanated from his body. It was none other than the Green Wood Sect's Core Formation Ancestor—Old Ghost Qing!
One thick log after another continuously struck the third-tier formation of White Peace Immortal City.
Finally, the protective light shield covering the entire city let out a mournful wail and shattered into countless pieces.
After years of continuous attrition and siege. . .
The third-tier grand array. . . was broken!
Old Ghost Qing transformed into a streak of light, standing atop White Peace Immortal City, his voice echoing throughout the entire Immortal City: "Zhang Zhu Sheng. . . come out!"
Zzt!
With a flash of electricity, Zhang Zhu Sheng, clad in a purple spiritual robe, appeared mid-air, facing Old Ghost Qing from afar.
"The situation today, in the end, belongs to my Green Wood Sect. . ."
Old Ghost Qing smugly stroked his beard: "Daoist Friend, why persist in futile resistance?"
"My sect's fate is at stake; I must fight!"
Zhang Zhu Sheng's eyes turned purple, with lightning flashing within them: "Old Ghost Qing. . . do you truly believe that with your breakthrough to the mid-stage Core Formation, you can easily subdue this old man?"
"Our previous clashes were merely because you had a third-tier grand array as your rear, retreating into it whenever things went awry. I'd like to see now what reliance you have left!"
Old Ghost Qing chuckled, a plain short wooden staff appearing in his hand.
Seeing this, Zhang Zhu Sheng's expression immediately became incredibly solemn.
That seemingly unremarkable wooden staff was Old Ghost Qing's life-bound artifact, cultivated by him with Core Formation True Essence for many years. Its power was astonishingly great, and it had caused him much trouble several times before.
"Hmph!"
Patriarch Zhang roared, forming hand seals. A layer of purple lightning-flashing armor appeared on his body.Around him in the void, faint purple lightning bolts generated, continuously spitting sparks outwards.
"Purple Lightning Armor? It's a pity this artifact, though top-tier, has been nourished by Core Formation True Essence for too short a time. . . Although artifacts of our generation of cultivators have grades, their ultimate power depends on the duration of their cultivation. . ."
Old Ghost Qing chuckled and tossed out the short wooden staff.
The staff exploded with astonishing spiritual energy in mid-air. One green rune after another continuously appeared and shimmered upon it.
Then. . . one became two, two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen. . .
In an instant, the nearby void was filled with the green shadows of short staffs.
"Take this!"
Old Ghost Qing pointed at Zhang Zhu Sheng, and countless green shadows, carrying terrifying immense force, continuously smashed towards Patriarch Zhang.
Rumble!
Zhang Zhu Sheng formed hand seals, and thick purple lightning continuously erupted from his lightning armor, sweeping away patches of short staff illusions. However, their numbers were simply too great, forcing the purple lightning to constantly retreat.
"Little Ghost Zhang, didn't your Patriarch Jiang teach you that artifacts are crucial to a Core Formation cultivator's power, and it's best to choose an offensive type?"
Old Ghost Qing smiled faintly at this sight: "Even if your defense is extremely strong, turning yourself into a turtle, what good is it?"
Chirp!
Just then, from within the green shadows of the wooden staffs, a fiery, red and yellow flame suddenly burst forth.
A dazzling circular ring spun, spewing forth a large amount of Southern Bright Vermillion Bird Fire, faintly forming the image of a majestic vermillion bird. Its wings blazed furiously, and with a single swoop, it landed amidst the countless short staffs.
The sky-filling green shadows receded, revealing the true form of the short wooden staff artifact.
The Vermillion Bird phantom showed no fear, directly pouncing upon it.
Fire counters Wood!
"Vermillion Bird Ring? You actually refined this treasure. . ."
Old Ghost Qing's face turned ashen, as if recalling some unbearable past event.
"Thanks to Patriarch Jiang's generosity, he gifted this artifact to me. I naturally understand the principle that artifacts are generally chosen for their offensive capabilities. . . But since I already have the Vermillion Bird Ring, I naturally had to refine a defensive artifact!"
Zhang Zhu Sheng's magical power surged, pouring into the Vermillion Bird Ring.
Although this ring was another cultivator's life-bound artifact, and had been refined into a talisman treasure, losing much of its power, it remained incredibly sharp in his hands.
Even during their previous perilous clashes, Patriarch Zhang had not released this ring, precisely to achieve an unexpected effect!
"Southern Bright Vermillion Bird, burn the firmament to ashes, go!"
Zhang Zhu Sheng pointed at Old Ghost Qing. The Vermillion Bird Ring spun, and the enormous fiery bird's divine ability flared, actually enveloping Old Ghost Qing within, as if intending to refine him to death with its true fire!
"Hmph, do you think you're Old Ghost Jiang?"
Old Ghost Qing's face flickered with green light. He opened his mouth and spat, and amidst a flash of blue light, a shimmering blue, spherical artifact appeared.
Core Formation cultivators could at most refine one or two life-bound artifacts, but using other third-tier artifacts was also fine, though their power would be somewhat reduced.
"This 'Ice Sea Pearl' was specially sought out by me to deal with Old Ghost Jiang. Now that Old Ghost Jiang is dead, consider yourself unlucky!"
The shimmering blue orb spun, and streams of azure water generated out of thin air, carrying bone-chilling coldness. They actually managed to painstakingly block the Southern Bright Vermillion Bird Fire from the outside.
Seizing this opportunity, Old Ghost Qing's mid-stage Core Formation magical power surged wildly into the short wooden staff, and he struck a blow at Patriarch Zhang.
A sly look flashed across Zhang Zhu Sheng's face. He neither dodged nor avoided, his hands covered in lightning armor, and he grasped the short wooden staff artifact's true form, roaring, "Why aren't you making your move? !"
"Hm? !"
Old Ghost Qing's soul nearly fled, a deep sense of unease washing over him, when sudden dragon roars echoed in his ears!
Whoosh!
Fiery dragons soared into the sky, their momentum astonishing. Carrying terrifying spiritual energy of the Core Formation level, they heavily slammed into the water barrier of the 'Ice Sea Pearl'.
Roar! Roar!
Amidst the dragon roars, the water barrier shattered. The fire dragons and the Vermillion Bird, one after another, pounced onto Old Ghost Qing's body.
Rumble!
A blindingly huge fireball erupted mid-air. Its astonishing power, even after being weakened layer by layer, easily swept through White Peace Immortal City below, shaving off a layer from most buildings!
"Youngster You, it's you! ?"
With a flash of green light, Old Ghost Qing's figure appeared atop a giant tree on the ground. However, his hair and beard were scorched black, and his clothes were tattered, looking severely depleted of vitality.
The person he stared at with surprise and uncertainty was remarkably young. He was a purple-robed cultivator with sharp, star-like eyes and sword-like eyebrows. Nine fire dragons coiled and danced around him, emitting scorching fire spiritual energy.
This person was named 'You Kun', and he was the current Grand Elder of the Ethereal Valley Sect!
It was just unknown why the usually neutral Ethereal Valley Sect would be involved in this matter.
"Haha. . . Naturally, my Ethereal Valley Sect has long since secretly allied with my Black Heaven Sect. Today, with the two of us joining forces, we shall surely slay you here!"
To stall Old Ghost Qing, Zhang Zhu Sheng had endured a strike from his life-bound artifact, half his lightning armor shattered, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Yet, his expression was utterly exhilarated.
It was as if he was finally avenging all the humiliation he had suffered over the years!
Upon hearing this, Old Ghost Qing's expression was strange: "Ethereal Valley Sect. . . you aren't. . . No good!"
No sooner had his words fallen than a sword light appeared in the void. It moved erratically, unseen and formless. With a single slash, it erupted with astonishing power, cutting off Patriarch Zhang Zhu Sheng's head with one strike!
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