Chapter 189: A Combination of Kindness and Severity
Chapter 189: A Combination of Kindness and Severity
"Even the weakest detachment needs a commander with at least a Golden Core level of power... The outer sect elders and executives of the sect will follow me to the main battlefield. Therefore, we can only bring one Fake Core cultivator, and the danger is extremely high."
Fu Hongyi's gaze fell upon the true disciples, and her eyes landed on Fang Xing.
"I am willing to go to the Five Elements Sect!"
Without hesitation, Fang Xing spoke up.
"Good, it's decided then. Lu Yi will be under your command!"
Fu Hongyi nodded, making her decision without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing that it was Fang Xing who had stepped forward, Yu Jianzi, who had been eager to give it a try, fell silent.
He knew his own capabilities; although his foundation-building spiritual power was profound and he had cultivated a sword aura, it would only be enough to protect him against a Fake Core cultivator.
Killing a Fake Core cultivator with a single sword strike was absolutely impossible.
And if he were to encounter a true Golden Core cultivator, he would be forced to kneel!
Among sword cultivators, the sword comes first.
With Fang Xing's superior strength and fame, it was only natural that no one would dare to disobey him.
As for why he chose the Five Elements Sect, he naturally had a personal motive.
Upon browsing through the intelligence reports, Fang Xing discovered that the Five Elements Sect possessed a large-scale 'Five Elements Killing Formation'. Every year, they could extract several strands of 'Five Elements Killing Qi', which could be used by cultivators practicing elemental techniques to build their foundation. It was one of the most famous killing formations in the land of the Five Sects and Ten Countries.
'After attaining the Martial Arts Golden Core, the requirements for killing Qi attributes aren't too high, as long as it's killing Qi... But the Five Elements Killing Qi is balanced, born from yin and yang, making it the most stable method.'
In other words, Fang Xing was determined to obtain this 'Five Elements Killing Formation'!
...
Soon after, a large number of cultivators flew out of Wanshoushan and divided into three groups.
The largest group, with spirit ships filling the sky and hidden formations, headed towards the Wood Sha Sect.
The second-largest group, led by a blue-clad sword cultivator, charged directly towards the Tianfa Gate.
Fang Xing's group had the fewest people, with only a thousand cultivators, most of whom were from Zhenguo.
As cultivators from Zhenguo, they were used to hearing about his mighty reputation, so they could barely be persuaded to obey.
"Master provided us with five spirit ships, which should be enough to accommodate everyone... Let's go!"
Fang Xing turned to take one last look at the mountain gate of Wanshoushan and gave the order.
"Yes!"
Lu Yi seemed to have become his aide, going down to assign people and board the flying ships one by one.
Fu Hongyi's decision to assign Lu Yi to Fang Xing was not to scheme against him.
It was because most of the cultivators under Fang Xing were from Zhenguo, and with the demise of Wanshousou, Qingxuzi would be their leader. By having Lu Yi take charge, she could control the largest group of Qingxuzi cultivators.
The rest would be easier to manage.
'As expected... the biggest shortcoming of sword cultivation sects is their lack of numbers... The Celestial Sword Sect is slightly better in that regard, at least they established an outer sect.'
'Otherwise, with just the few hundred swordsmen from the inner sect, after this division of forces, we wouldn't even have enough people to guard the "Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Sect" formation...'
Sword cultivators relied heavily on talent, and outstanding disciples were rare.
Fang Xing sighed to himself and immediately ordered, "Let's depart!"
The five large-bellied spirit ships shimmered with spiritual light, their flags fluttering as they headed south together.
Many cultivators stood on the decks, some excited, some lost in thought, and others fearful...
'After this great battle, I wonder how many of these thousand cultivators will survive?'
Fang Xing calculated silently.
'The total number of cultivators assigned to me is one thousand and twenty-seven... including one Fake Core cultivator, forty-eight foundation-building cultivators, and the rest are at the Qi Refining stage.'
'After letting them practice the "Five Elements Sword Formation" for a period, they can now be considered semi-proficient. By gathering the power of the formation, it should be possible to help Lu Yi advance from the Fake Core stage to the Golden Core stage... or temporarily give me the cultivation base of a mid-Golden Core cultivator...'
'Strictly speaking... they're still useless! They're far inferior to the few broken formation treasures provided by the sect.'
He glanced at the deck and then entered the cabin, calling out, "Lu Yi... come here!"
For some unknown reason, Lu Yi's face turned slightly red, and she displayed the coy and angry demeanor of a young girl.
However, after hesitating for a moment, she still followed him into the cabin, which was exclusively for the commander.
Seeing this, the other cultivators dared not say anything, but they exchanged glances, the air thick with unspoken words.
On the deck, within the Qingxuzi camp.
Han Qingyun and Meng Zijin looked at each other, their expressions complex.
"Although Elder Su had already hinted at it, actually witnessing it is still... hard to believe."
"That person is actually the descendant of that figure from the markets..."
Han Qingyun murmured, shaking his head. "He only treated our elders with courtesy because of their past connections. We have no right to ask anything of him. With this great battle approaching, we should focus on finding a way to ensure our own survival."
"Yes..."
Meng Zijin sighed. He knew that in front of that commander who shook Zhenguo, he was nothing.
...
In Fang Xing's opinion, Han Qingyun was a subordinate he had taken in before, but they had never been close.
Moreover, these two had later followed someone else.
Although... they had now rejoined him along with Su Ye, but it was true that their relationship was distant.
As for Meng Zijin, he was even more distant; he was just the son of a neighbor from his temporary residence, and a transaction had been made with his mother.
In the event that they could stand before him on their own merits and achievements after this great war, he might still be interested in investing in one or two of them.
If they happened to perish in battle, then so be it...
These thoughts flitted through his mind as he turned his gaze toward Green Ripple, who sat across from him.
With this woman leading the Azurewood Peak, and Azurewood Peak overseeing the other cultivators from Divine Country, everything would fall into place.
After all, Azurewood Peak is a sect! A band of rogue cultivators would never be able to defeat a well-organized legion!
'I'll bring the Black Heaven Peak supervisor into this later, and I shouldn't have much of a problem giving them orders...'
A thought flashed through Fang Xing's mind as he glanced at Green Ripple, her face flushed with excitement, and asked, "Do you know why I called you here?"
"I don't know..." Green Ripple felt a mix of sadness and anger. Did she have to take the initiative even for this?
"Well, as the Grand Elder of Azurewood Peak, you should be quite familiar with the Five Elements Sect. Give me a rundown of their intelligence."
Fang Xing cleared his throat.
"Is it just... to discuss the battle situation?" Green Ripple couldn't tell if she felt relieved or disappointed, but as a pseudo-pill cultivator, she quickly calmed herself and said, "The Five Elements Sect is skilled in various spells of the five elements... Their current Grand Elder has taken on the title of 'Five Elements Ancestor', a title that is passed down from generation to generation, assumed by each Grand Elder of the sect. It is said that the founding Five Elements Ancestor had a cultivation base that shook the heavens and earth. He was just half a step away from Nascent Soul... He also cultivated a powerful divine light that broke through all five elements divine abilities, earning him a formidable reputation..."
Fang Xing listened intently.
Arrogant as he may seem when unsheathing his sword, he never underestimated any opponent to avoid potential pitfalls.
"Fortunately, according to intelligence, the current Five Elements Ancestor, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, has already left to visit the Musha Sect. The Five Elements Sect should now be led by 'Hu Yu Zhenren,' another Golden Core cultivator at the early stage of the Golden Core realm. His famous treasure is the 'Hunyuan Bowl'..."
As the situation concerned life and death, Green Ripple was extremely diligent, even going so far as to reveal Azurewood Peak's secret agent within the Five Elements Sect.
Unfortunately, that agent from Azurewood Peak wasn't very successful and was still struggling at the outer gate, rendering them practically useless.
'These cultivators... Each and every one of them has a scheming mind...'
Upon hearing all of this, Fang Xing had only one thought in mind.
Azurewood Peak must have also attempted to plant spies in the Beast Tamer Sect and the Celestial Sword Sect if they dared to send one into the land of the Five Sects and Ten States.
This wasn't necessarily for the purpose of a sneak attack but rather to obtain general intelligence to ensure their own safety.
However, if the power dynamics were to reverse, who knows what might happen.
'The Beast Tamer Sect must have similar arrangements in place... But I avoided a lot of trouble by cutting through the mess without regard for reason.'
Fang Xing mentally patted himself on the back and offered words of encouragement: "I intend to put the Five Elements Sword Formation under your command. Don't let me down...”
While this battle formation could boost one's magical powers, it was rather cumbersome to maneuver, sacrificing the agility sword cultivators prized.
He didn't value the slight boost in power it offered, so he decided to hand it over to Green Ripple.
A hint of delight flashed across Green Ripple's face, and she quickly responded with modest words.
"There's no need to be humble," Fang Xing said, shaking his head. "You're the only pseudo-pill cultivator here. If not you, should I give it to that Black Heaven Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator instead?"
"This battle will give you ample opportunity to accumulate merit," Fang Xing continued, waving his hand. "After the war, I can take charge and reward you with a magical treasure."
Pseudo-pill cultivators had no hope of advancing further, so the only way for them to increase their strength was through external means, such as magical treasures.
A magical treasure would be most suitable.
In fact, Fang Xing even thought of the 'Feifeng Cha,' which had been collecting dust in his storage bag—an heirloom passed down from the previous Grand Elder of Azurewood Peak.
Since they shared the same lineage, there would be little to no difference in their main cultivation techniques or the restrictions used to refine magical treasures, allowing them to unleash the treasure's full power.
'I wonder what expression she'll have when the time comes... But even if she thinks I killed the previous Grand Elder, she'll have no choice but to greet me with a smile!'
'And since I'm offering a personal reward, according to the rules, Green Ripple's merit will have to be transferred to me... I'll be the one exchanging it, which will allow me to get my hands on even better items. It's a win-win situation!'
"You may leave now, and bring the Black Heaven Peak supervisor in on your way out," Fang Xing instructed, waving his hand to dismiss Green Ripple.
Soon after, he was greeted by a frail, elderly Taoist with a skeletal frame.
The old Taoist entered and immediately performed a grand ritual, bowing deeply. "Black Heaven Peak's 'Wu Xuan' pays respect to the General!"
"Hmm, you've reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and you have a chance to glimpse the Dan realm. You must not miss this opportunity..."
Fang Xing, as usual, spoke with a mix of kindness and sternness before making a promise: "There may even be Golden Core spirit objects within the Five Elements Sect, so you must strive to obtain them. After all, Black Heaven Peak is a Golden Core sect, and its stability relies on having a Golden Core cultivator at its headquarters."
This promise instantly excited Wu Xuan.
However, this old Taoist was a true veteran, and it was hard to tell if his emotions were genuine or feigned.
But Fang Xing didn't mind either way, as long as he could keep the Black Heaven Peak cultivators in check and prevent any trouble.
With these two major sects under his influence, he could use their disciples to keep an eye on the loose cultivators.
Additionally, by placing disciples from the Celestial Sword Sect in several key positions, Fang Xing managed to exert control over this group of a thousand people.
Several days later, the flying boat sailed through the vast mountains and truly entered the chaotic land of the Five Sects and Ten States.
(End of Chapter)
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