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Chapter 210: Great Defeat and Breakthrough
Chapter 210: Great Defeat and Breakthrough
At the Five Clans and Ten Kingdoms.
Five Finger Peak.
Fang Xing, who rarely left his seclusion, encountered Han Qingyun, who had come to report on his work.
At this moment, Han Qingyun had successfully established his foundation and become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
He wore a green robe, exuding a sense of youthful vigor.
After all, with the attention from Fang Xing and the full support of Supreme Elder Lu Yi, he had finally succeeded in establishing his foundation, extending his lifespan by two sexagenary cycles!
Now, with the ongoing war, if he could seize a few more opportunities, he might even have a chance to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment and possibly break through to the Core Formation stage.
His spiritual root quality was average, or even below average. Even if he could form a false core, he would be content.
"Paying respects to the General!" Han Qingyun bowed respectfully, clearly aware that he knew who his true backer was. Even when Fang Xing was in seclusion and not receiving visitors, Han Qingyun would often come by, hoping to get lucky and meet him.
This time, having caught the opportunity, he naturally wanted to make the most of it.
"Hmm... What has happened recently?"
Fang Xing stood atop a cliff, hands behind his back, his entire being exuding an ethereal aura as if he could ride the clouds and soar into the sky at any moment.
"The remnants of the Wang family, who had been constantly on the run, were captured and fought a major battle near Triple Yin Pond. The last Foundation Establishment Cultivator was slain..."
"The entire Five Elements Sect's territory has been completely pacified in terms of Foundation Establishment Cultivators."
Han Qingyun respectfully reported.
He served as one of Fang Xing's information channels, aside from Lu Yi.
It was said that hearing from multiple sources brings clarity, while relying on a single source can lead to obscurity. Leaders must maintain open channels of information.
Otherwise, one might be caught off guard, thinking they are invincible, only to find the enemy at their doorstep.
"Unknowingly, so many years have passed..."
Fang Xing gazed towards the Wood Slaughter Sect: "It's said that the battle over there is fierce. The Wood Slaughter Sect has deployed a Near Fourth Stage Formation... Uncle Fu even used a Fourth Stage Ground Pulse Orb. But... there should be good news soon, right?"
The Wood Slaughter Sect's biggest weakness was its insufficient spiritual vein energy. After all, it was only a Golden Core sect occupying a single Upper Grade Third Stage spiritual vein.
Deploying a Near Fourth Stage formation required a massive consumption of spirit stones.
In a continuous war like this, where the formation's peak power must be maintained at all times, the consumption of spirit stones was like mountains and seas.
After years of continuous warfare, it was rumored that the Wood Slaughter Sect's spiritual vein had shown signs of shrinking, and it was highly likely that it would downgrade after being conquered.
Han Qingyun felt a chill down his spine.
Such a fierce battle was rare even in the Immortal Cultivation World.
"The more critical question is... why?"
Fang Xing's eyes deepened, "Why defend the Wood Slaughter Sect so stubbornly... Using the terrain of the Five Clans and Ten Kingdoms to continuously launch ambushes, sacrificing the Wood Slaughter Sect, the True Returning Dao, and the Blood River Palace one by one, to hinder our army's advance and exhaust the sword cultivators' fighting spirit... Only to wait for us to be deeply entrenched in the south, where the Ten Thousand Phenomena Sect can then take advantage of their home turf and rest while waiting for us. That's the normal strategy!"
He was, after all, one of the few who had slipped through the net of the Blue Star Federation's compulsory education—no, he was an elite! He had studied military strategy in his classes.
However, Han Qingyun was left bewildered.
As a cultivator, he might be skilled in cultivation and combat, and even passable in pill concoction and talisman crafting.
Recently, he had also been studying artifact refinement in his spare time.
But when it came to military tactics, he had never learned them, nor had he paid much attention to them.
After all, in the eyes of cultivators, military strategies were just games for mortals.
"You can't carve a rotten wood..."
Seeing Han Qingyun's bewildered expression, Fang Xing shook his head, not bothering to explain.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a sharp and urgent sword cry suddenly echoed through the sky.
"A flying sword message?"
Han Qingyun looked up in surprise, "And it's the highest-level flying sword message?"
He saw Fang Xing perform a hand seal, casually grabbing the flying sword, and with a sweep of his divine sense, his expression changed slightly. He pondered for a moment, and then a cold smile appeared on his face, "Han Qingyun!"
"Disciple is here!"
Han Qingyun quickly bowed.
"Go ring the bell... There's a catastrophic disaster."
Fang Xing held the flying sword and said calmly.
"Catastrophic disaster? A disaster that will wipe us out?"
Han Qingyun's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't dare delay for a moment.
Soon, the sound of bells reverberated across Five Finger Peak.
Accompanying the bells, Foundation Establishment Cultivators rode on spirit lights or transformed their bodies into spirit lights, flying into the grand hall.
"What's going on?"
"Could it be that Supreme Elder Lu Yi wants to make an example of someone again?"
The Foundation Establishment Cultivators exchanged glances, a hint of unease in their eyes.
Previously, a single sentence from Fang Xing had caused Lu Yi to slaughter the Reward and Punishment Hall, temporarily suppressing the various factions.
But it didn't take long for them to revert to their old ways.
Despite Elder Lu Yi's apparent leniency, who could tell if he was baiting them?
However, this time, after Elder Lu Yi's arrival, he didn't make any announcements and simply stood below, just like before.
Before long, a flash of sword light illuminated a youth with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes sitting in the Great Hall Master's seat. His gentle gaze swept over the numerous cultivators below, "Fellow cultivators... I just received news that the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect has launched a surprise attack and has already broken through the Great Camp of the Ten Thousand Beast Sect in Zheng Kingdom... In other words, our rear has been cut off, and we're at risk of being flanked."
His words caused an uproar in the hall.
Even if cultivators weren't well-versed in military affairs, they understood the implications of having their rear cut off.
It was common knowledge that even after completely conquering the territories originally under the Five Elements Sect, a significant number of cultivators and special resources would still need to be transported from Zheng Kingdom as reinforcements.
Even for injuries, rotations, and other needs, they had to go through Zheng Kingdom.
Now that the Ten Thousand Beast Sect's main camp had been breached, it meant their supply lines were cut!
In warfare, nothing was more devastating than cutting off supplies!
Of course, for cultivators, the situation wasn't as dire, but it was still terrible.
"Silence!"
Fang Xing lightly snapped his fingers, and the commotion in the hall instantly ceased.
After all, this General was a formidable figure who could slay a false Golden Core with a single sword. Even at this critical juncture, Elder Lu Yi didn't dare to provoke him.
"If there are any questions, ask one at a time. Elder Lu Yi!"
Fang Xing began to call out names.
"May I ask the General... How did they manage to break through the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain's formation and numerous cultivators?"
Elder Lu Yi's face turned slightly pale as he asked, and this was the question on everyone's mind.
"They were overwhelmed by force... It's rumored that a Nascent Soul True Monarch was involved. Although the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain had one of our Golden Core Sword Cultivators stationed there, along with a formation, they were still defeated... That Golden Core Senior Uncle has already fallen in battle."
Fang Xing didn't hold back, stating the facts directly.
"A Nascent Soul True Monarch?"
These four words carried a heavy weight, causing the previously calm hall to stir once more.
"Alright, next, you."
Fang Xing pointed to Han Qingyun.
Han Qingyun took a deep breath and calmly asked amidst the gazes of numerous Foundation Establishment mid and late-stage cultivators, "Did the Nascent Soul True Monarch from the Ten Thousand Beast Sect try to stop them?"
According to the rules of the Immortal Cultivation World, it was always soldiers against soldiers and generals against generals.
In their opinion, if the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect had taken action, then Chu Kuangtu should have countered, and there would still be a chance to turn the tide of battle.
"Regarding this..."
Fang Xing's expression was peculiar, "I can tell you that our Supreme Elder is currently restraining the Nascent Soul Old Demon of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect, and neither side has made a move..."
"What? The Demonic Path actually has another Nascent Soul True Monarch supporting them?"
"Th-this..."
The cultivators were on the verge of losing their minds.
In reality, faced with such a situation, this group of non-Heaven Sword Sect disciples was already considering surrender.
However, they couldn't bring themselves to defeat Fang Xing.
"May I ask the General... What should we do?"
Finally, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stepped forward to ask.
He was originally a mid-stage Foundation Establishment solitary cultivator, but after repeatedly distinguishing himself in battle, he had obtained a large number of pills to enhance his cultivation. He also exchanged for a Rank-Breaking Pill and finally broke through to the late-stage Foundation Establishment, becoming one of the beneficiaries of the war.
"Finally, a practical question."
Fang Xing nodded, snapped his fingers, and a light screen appeared, displaying a map of the Five Clans and Ten Kingdoms. "This surprise attack by the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect was clearly a long-planned scheme... After our rear is cut off, we will undoubtedly face encirclement!"
According to the map, the Heaven Sword Sect, although occupying the original Heavenly Waterfall Sect and the Five Elements Sect's spiritual veins, along with an army in the Wooden Slaughter Sect, had lost its rear.
"At this moment, the most dangerous situation is with the army in the Wooden Slaughter Sect's direction, which is in the midst of a fierce battle and will likely face a fierce assault if they can't withdraw smoothly..."
"Our smaller detachment can split up and break through the encirclement... First, head to Zheng Kingdom, then to Qi Kingdom... Of course, many of you are from Zheng Kingdom, so if you don't want to go to Qi Kingdom, that's fine too. You can either hide in Zheng Kingdom or engage in guerrilla warfare..."
Fang Xing spoke.
Although he knew that once the Demonic Path gained the upper hand, nine out of ten of these cultivators would defect.
However, no matter what, they were still fighting for him at the moment, and he couldn't kill them just because of what might happen in the future. Moreover, these useless individuals wouldn't be of much help even if they defected.
So, he let it go.
Besides, it wouldn't be easy for them to make it back to Zheng Kingdom alive.
"Now, pass on my orders. Disperse and break through the encirclement individually!"
Fang Xing waved his hand.
This was essentially an order to disband.
And he didn't even want to bring along the burden of the Heaven Sword Sect.
As soon as he finished speaking, he transformed into a blade of light, shooting up into the clouds and disappearing from sight...
"This..."
Han Qingyun looked at the chaotic hall, his mouth twitching slightly, "Is this a split-up retreat? Isn't this the main general abandoning his troops in the midst of battle?"
He actually wanted to follow the general.
Even without thinking, he knew that the return journey would be filled with thorns, and the chances of survival were much higher with a high-level cultivator.
Unfortunately...
Fang Xing hadn't actually left; he was just hiding in the clouds, observing the chaos below.
He fully witnessed what it meant to have locust-like cultivators.
First, Supreme Elder Lu Yi directly used his cultivation to suppress and sweep away all the spirit materials and pills that he looked down upon in the treasury, then led a small team of Azure Profound Sect elites to quickly depart on flying vessels.
He also chose to abandon most of the Azure Profound Sect cultivators!
The remaining cultivators, after fiercely competing for the leftover scraps from the high-level cultivators, also scattered in disarray.
In some places, they even dug up immature spirit herbs from the spirit herb garden, roots and all!
There were even conflicts and fights over this, truly a chaotic scene.
Moreover, halfway through the chaos, a demonic army had already appeared in the south.
Upon seeing this, the cultivators didn't hesitate at all; they scattered like birds and beasts, each displaying their unique abilities, just like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.
"Hmm, some are flying in the sky, some are burrowing underground, some are riding spirit beasts, and some are controlling puppets..."
Fang Xing observed and nodded, "Although these miscellaneous cultivators have weak individual combat power, their escape techniques are indeed well-practiced."
"Oh? There are also a few who are heading straight towards the enemy army. Are they planning to surrender directly?"
For him, the top-grade spirit materials from Five Finger Peak had long been stored in his storage ring. Even in the Heaven Sword Sect, these miscellaneous cultivators were not worth considering.
If they were lost, then they were lost.
Moreover, this was a failure of grand strategy, not a fault in battle.
'Although abandoning the troops is not a big deal, it doesn't quite match my reputation as a sword cultivator... I should at least take a few heads to make this trip worthwhile.'
With this thought, Fang Xing concealed his sword light and followed behind the surrendering loose cultivators.
Boom! The demonic army from the south consisted of dozens of flying vessels.
Upon seeing cultivators approaching, they immediately released a cloud of blood, and within it, an elderly man holding a demon banner shouted, "I am the Third Palace Lord of the Blood River Palace... Now, as the vanguard of the army, with the Heaven Sword Sect's defeat, what will you do?"
"We are willing to surrender to the Demonic Path, no, to the Holy Path!"
An elderly loose cultivator smiled and bowed, "Third Palace Lord, you may not know... When the Heaven Sword Sect's true disciple guardian heard of the army's arrival, he directly abandoned the formation and fled. Now, with the army's departure, we can take the mountain without a fight..."
"What?"
The Third Palace Lord of the Blood River Palace, however, was furious, "Damn it... That true disciple has such a big reputation, and I wanted to refine him into a blood corpse. How dare he run away?"
For the Blood River Palace, the essence blood of cultivators was the most precious resource.
Upon hearing that the mountain was filled with fleeing cultivators, the Third Palace Lord was so angry that his beard and hair stood on end, "Since it's like this, what use do I have for you?"
He waved his large hand, and a blood river surged, engulfing the surrendering loose cultivators. Their artifacts and garments were instantly corrupted.
Even their bodies turned into a pool of pus and blood in an instant.
"Damn it... Damn it!"
The Third Palace Lord roared, "Go, a group of you, take over Five Finger Peak... Then we'll head to the Wooden Slaughter Sect. With the army of the Holy Sect holding them back, that Heaven Sword Sect army will have nowhere to run..."
Just then, a sword's roar echoed through the void!
A dazzling sword light slashed through the blood river!
The Third Palace Lord, who was at the early Core Formation stage, didn't have time to react before a sword shadow pierced his sea of consciousness, causing him intense pain and making him lose his senses momentarily.
"Heavenly Heart Sword Intent!"
Fang Xing wielded the Rusty Iron Sword, and a blade of light followed a trajectory like heavenly punishment, slamming down and shattering the Third Palace Lord's protective true essence.
"Argh!"
At this critical moment, a blood demon suddenly leaped out of the Third Palace Lord's life-bound magic banner, opening its hideous mouth to bite the flying sword.
It was the life-bound treasure automatically protecting its master!
"Blocking a chariot with one's arm."
Fang Xing coldly smiled, and the sword light flickered like thunder, incredibly dense and filled with an extreme cutting intent.
The Great Freedom Profound Gold Sword Aura tore through the blood demon and landed on the Third Palace Lord, who had finally regained his senses, instantly killing him.
The sword light shifted, picking up a storage bag, and then man and sword merged, transforming into a shocking rainbow that soared into the sky and disappeared...
(End of Chapter)
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