Chapter 388: Carpet Bombing, Sword Array Slaughter, Mountain Collapse, Canyon Collapse

Chapter 388: Carpet Bombing, Sword Array Slaughter, Mountain Collapse, Canyon Collapse

A civil war within the Jade Cauldron Region, spanning two decades.

Countless battles, twists and turns, all leading to this final confrontation at the Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains.

Luo Chen had gathered extensive knowledge about this civil war.

He even dispatched the intelligence department of the Luo Tian Association to collect various pieces of information.

Whether it was factual or hearsay, he never stopped seeking understanding.

Luo Chen repeatedly analyzed the entire battlefield, untangling the threads of the conflict, attempting to predict the war's conclusion.

It could be said that Luo Chen believed that, aside from the Golden Core elders of various sects and the two elusive Yuanling Zhenren, his understanding surpassed that of most sect disciples, vassals, and wandering cultivators.

The more he learned, the more perplexed Luo Chen became.

Because!

Wars are not fought like this! In his understanding, if one side is strong and the other weak, it should be a blitzkrieg, a war of annihilation.

A thunderous strike for a decisive victory, just like the Luo Tian Association's actions against the Fu Clan and Duan Clan.

It shouldn't drag on for a prolonged twenty years.

If it's a stalemate between two powerful forces, there are two possibilities.

Either they sit down for negotiations or engage in a protracted tug-of-war.

The former is impossible, as it involves the Fourth Tier Spiritual Land required for Yuanling Zhenren cultivation, making negotiations futile.

So, the only remaining option is a protracted war! Given the current situation, it seems to align with common sense.

But wait, something's amiss! A genuine stalemate should have correspondingly important targets as the focus of attacks.

The Fourth Tier mineral vein at Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains seems to fit this criterion.

However, the acquisition of such resources can be achieved through more "civilized" means.

Small-scale duels between true disciples, or even bolder confrontations between elders.

If necessary, a simple exchange between two Yuanling Zhenren could resolve the issue.

There's no need for such a grand-scale battle!

One could argue that Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains is of no consequence to Yuanling Zhenren.

If the Luoyun Sect genuinely desires a Fourth Tier Spiritual Land, they should focus their offensive on the heartland of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Even if they dispatch allied forces to deplete the Sword Sect's vitality, it should be directed at the Sword Sect's core territories, not a distant outpost thousands of miles away.

The current strategy is utterly pointless!

It serves no purpose other than to wear down the forces of Qingdan Valley, Ailao Mountain, Ice Fortress, Flame Alliance, and numerous first-rate vassals under the Sword Sect.

Oh, and let's not forget the countless wandering cultivators who have been consumed in this conflict.

Moreover, these are the elite among wandering cultivators.

The problem!

Lies in the word "other."

At this moment, it seems that the significance of this prolonged stalemate is to decimate all forces in the Jade Cauldron Region, except for the two dominant sects.

Qingdan Valley, with its vast strength and numerous cultivators, performs poorly in combat.

On the battlefield, facing opponents of the same cultivation level, only Tao Wan and other geniuses can compete against disciples from other sects one-on-one.

Ice Fortress, with its limited vassals, has already begun to deploy its disciples without puppets after suffering heavy losses.

Ailao Mountain's main force, entangled in the Black Water Swamp battlefield, has incurred significant casualties.

Even a Golden Core Elder has fallen.

This is the situation on the Four Sects Alliance side.

As for the Sword Sect Alliance, according to Luo Chen's knowledge, three first-rate vassals of the Sword Sect have been devastated.

Among them is the renowned Heaven Saber Gate, whose disciples, except for the Sect Leader, have suffered heavy losses in the Foundation Establishment stage.

The Flame Alliance is also faring poorly.

The Black Water Swamp has cost them much time and the loss of a Golden Core Elder.

At the Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains battlefield, where heavy troops have been dispatched, vassals have suffered extensive casualties, and the time for the Yuanling Zhenren to personally take the field is drawing near.

As for the two dominant Yuanling Zhenren sects?

The Luoyun Sect primarily employs puppets in combat.

Even if they face defeat, they can abandon the puppets to preserve their lives.

The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, on the other hand, has sent very few true disciples.

Luo Chen and Chu Kui barely managed to kill a late-stage Foundation Establishment true disciple of the Sword Sect after hunting for two days.

This indicates that both dominant sects are consciously preserving their strength.

"The current situation resembles another war I experienced, a war without gunpowder smoke!"

Luo Chen reminisced, recalling when he led the Luo Tian Association to relocate to Heavenly Wave Immortal City.

To open up the elixir market, the Luo Tian Association and the Dragon Ridge Zheng Family engaged in a commercial competition for elixirs.

The competition was fierce, and the best outcome was a win-win situation, with both sides profiting handsomely. But who lost?

Dan Yuan Gate lost, the Qin Hua River Li Family lost, the Tan Mountain Hu Family lost...

When the big guys fight, the little guys suffer.

Isn't the current situation similar, where the civil war between the two dominant sects results in the greatest losses for the other forces in the Jade Cauldron Region?

Luo Chen faintly remembered when he first arrived at Qingdan Valley for the Dao Competition, Tao Yisheng enthusiastically boasted about the sect's strength and numerous cultivators.

There were tens of thousands of Qi Condensation cultivators, over a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, and fifteen Golden Core Elders.

This was just Qingdan Valley; what about Ice Fortress, Flame Alliance, Ailao Mountain, and the Flame Alliance?

Aside from the Hundred Flowers Palace, which had few disciples and only three Golden Core Elders, the other four sects had an overwhelming number of cultivators.

Additionally, the Jade Cauldron Region's proximity to the Million Mountain Range provided abundant resources.

Consequently, among wandering cultivators, Foundation Establishment cultivators were commonplace, and numerous second and third-rate sects gathered in the ten immortal cities.

Over the years, even first-rate sects with Golden Core Elders have emerged.

Could a single region support so many cultivators? Yes!

But after supporting so many cultivators, it became impossible to sustain the two dominant Yuanling Zhenren sects!

One could even say that the original hegemon, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, would find resources insufficient for expansion.

If they could weaken, suppress, and destroy most of the forces through this war, wouldn't that expand their development space?

After realizing all this, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"The vast Jade Cauldron Region cannot accommodate seven major sects. However, it can accommodate two Yuanling Upper Sects!"

"As long as the other five sects decline significantly, and the loose cultivator realm is only in name, the power of one region would be enough to support two Upper Sects!"

"In the end, whether it's the Sword Sect or the Luoyun Sect, they are not ancient sects with thousands of years of heritage. There's only one Yuanling cultivator in each sect. Their current needs are not as great as those of the Upper Sects in other regions."

After this analysis, Luo Chen gradually clarified everything from his perspective.

However, there were still many doubts.

The simplest point was that he didn't believe that all the members of the other four sects were fools.

Since his arrival in this world, he had rarely encountered any foolish high-level cultivators.

The so-called advantage of a time-traveler's advanced knowledge was insignificant in the context of the Mountain and Sea Realm's long history, often spanning tens of thousands of years.

There must be someone smarter than him within the four sects!

The intelligence and information controlled by the four sects must be more comprehensive than what the Luo Tian Association had gathered!

Could they not see through this point?

Or, even if they did see it, were they still forced to take this path due to certain reasons?

Was it for benefits or grudges? Or, like the Luo Tian Association being coerced by Jue Qing Xian Zi, were they also forced to participate in the war under the pressure of the Yuanling Zhenren?

This was one of the doubts.

There was another point that puzzled Luo Chen.

Even if the two Upper Sects weakened or even destroyed the other sects, the Jade Cauldron Region would still only have one Fourth-Stage Spirit Land!

Jade Emperor Mountain! He didn't believe that Jade Cauldron Zhenren would be willing to share that Fourth-Stage Spirit Land with Han Zhan Zhenren.

So, what conditions were agreed upon when the two Zhenren met that allowed...

"That's not right!"

Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat, and a continuous mountain range gradually appeared in his mind, a sect's stronghold with abundant spiritual energy.

"The Jade Cauldron Region has more than one Fourth-Stage Spirit Land; there's also a potential Fourth-Stage Spirit Land!"

"Qingdan Valley!"

In his vision, he seemed to see the geographical layout of the five peaks surrounding the valley, naturally forming a spirit vein.

In his ears, he seemed to hear Tao Yisheng's proud and hopeful words.

"During the opening of the war four hundred years ago, the elders of Qingdan Valley secured this place."

"Using secret methods to connect the mountains and rivers, moving mountains and filling the sea, they created the layout of the five peaks surrounding the valley."

"Now, after several hundred years, Qingdan Valley has reached the Second-Tier High-Grade level. Given time, after a thousand or even a hundred years, this Dan Valley will undoubtedly become a Fourth-Stage Spirit Land!"

"At that time, if Qingdan Valley produces a Yuanling Zhenren, there will be no need to search for another Fourth-Stage Spirit Land for cultivation."

With the strength of the Qingdan Valley's Golden Core cultivators, it would take a thousand years.

But what if it was done with the means of a Yuanling Zhenren? A thousand years?

Luo Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcing himself to wake up from his endless thoughts.

These things were too distant and lofty for him to grasp at the moment.

All he could do was seize this opportunity, strive to accumulate merit points, and take a solid step towards achieving the Golden Core Stage.

"No matter how the two Upper Sects plot, if I achieve the Golden Core Stage, with my pill refinement technique, I can become a distinguished guest of one of the two sects!"

As he muttered, Luo Chen once again took out an Intermediate Spiritual Stone.

Closing his eyes, he absorbed the pure spiritual energy within.

...

This rest lasted for an entire day and night.

When Luo Chen stepped out of his humble cave abode, he saw numerous escape lights heading towards the warfront.

Among them, some looked down at where they were and expressed envy, disdain, or ridicule.

"How is the war progressing?"

Xu Hantian and Duan Feng had already gathered.

The former immediately replied, "The Sword Sect Alliance is not giving an inch, gathering a large number of cultivators and guarding the Eighth Mountain, as if they're determined to fight us to the death."

The latter, however, was full of confidence, "The new war puppets of the Luoyun Sect are extremely powerful. After a few rounds of firing, they can destroy a section of the battlefield. Now, with the Luoyun Sect leading, the three sects are continuously reinforcing the Eighth Mountain. I feel that within three days, we can conquer it!"

"Three days? I don't think so," Chu Kui said as he walked over, drinking from a gourd.

The rich spiritual energy could be clearly sensed even from a few steps away.

This was his preparation for the war, a spiritual wine from Taibai Market that could quickly restore spiritual power.

As he approached, he said excitedly, "If a Golden Core Senior personally takes action, breaking through the formation will be as easy as turning over one's hand! Next, it will be our Foundation Establishment cultivators' turn to show our strength."

Hearing this, Xu Hantian and Duan Feng silently nodded.

They had both witnessed the might of Golden Core Seniors.

In the unique geographical environment of Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains, ordinary Third-Stage Defensive Formations, even at full power, couldn't withstand the full-force attacks of several Golden Core Seniors.

As the three of them chatted enthusiastically, they gradually noticed that Luo Chen hadn't joined the conversation.

Chu Kui looked at Luo Chen in confusion, "What are you thinking about?"

Luo Chen's face was calm.

"Nothing much, just thinking that it's time for us to set off. How's your recovery?"

Chu Kui patted his chest, "No major issues, how about you?"

"Then let's go!"

As the two of them started moving, Xu Hantian and Duan Feng wanted to say something but stopped.

In the end, they could only silently watch the two leave.

During the journey to the Eighth Mountain battlefield, Chu Kui lamented, "If only Min Longyu were here."

Luo Chen hummed in agreement.

With their strength and prior planning, they could indeed avoid the top-tier powerhouses and hunt down ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But if they encounter an Eighth or Ninth Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator or a group of a larger scale, they still need to retreat and avoid confrontation.

It’s not that they can’t fight, but they don’t want to waste too much time.

However, if there’s a formation master like Min Longyu, the three of them together would dare to challenge anyone.

"How many merit points do we have now?" Chu Kui asked.

"Six thousand and one," Luo Chen replied.

Hearing this number, Chu Kui was reinvigorated.

They were not far from ten thousand! If they had good luck these few days and caught a few lone late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, they might quickly accumulate enough.

Compared to his optimism, Luo Chen was less hopeful.

They relied on each other, but the fact is increasingly declining, the cooperation had become increasingly declining, the sentence with English annotations, and additional explanations about the meaning behind it.

On the first day, they still dared to attack camps and exterminate sects, intercepting nine Foundation Establishment cultivators.

On the second day, they could only roam within the hundred-mile desert, hunting relatively weaker ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

By today, both of them were not even at eighty percent of their peak condition.

When choosing opponents, they would have to be more cautious.

When they arrived at the front line, the battle had already begun in full force.

Just like last time, the Golden Core Seniors personally broke the formations.

However, this time, it was different. Instead of the initial seven Golden Core Seniors, there were now ten!

On the Eighth Mountain, six or seven Golden Core Seniors also took action to resist.

Among them were sword cultivators with overwhelming sword aura, capable of fighting three at once! These were sword cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, surely from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!

However, despite their strong offensive, the defensive formations of the Eighth Mountain were still broken after multiple interceptions.

Even the Luoyun Sect deliberately summoned a thunderstorm to completely destroy the foundation of the formations, cutting off the Sword Sect’s thoughts of subsequent repairs.

When the formation was destroyed, the subsequent process was the same as before.

The Luoyun Sect’s puppet army mobilized collectively.

Preparing to bombard the area!

One could imagine that after several rounds of bombardment, the defensive formation of the Eighth Mountain would inevitably be disrupted, followed by the same scenario of paired battles as before.

However!

When the puppet army of the Luoyun Sect appeared, a series of "stars" suddenly rose from the Eighth Mountain.

To be precise, they were not stars!

They were sword orbs!

Hundreds of sword orbs converged, forming a vague array diagram in the air.

Seeing the array diagram, the Luoyun Sect’s Elder Ling Huo’s face changed drastically.

"Ten Thousand Swords Formation!"

In shock, he slammed a palm out, attempting to prevent the formation from completing.

However, before the palm print reached, a beam of sword light shot up into the sky.

Swoosh!

The massive palm print instantly dissipated.

A young Daoist with a clear and handsome appearance flew out from the Eighth Mountain.

"Elder Ling Huo, let the juniors handle their own disputes. If you intervene, it would be unseemly."

Seeing this person, Ling Huo Jie’s face darkened.

"Kaiyang!"

Kaiyang Elder smiled slightly, "Now, shall we engage, or shall we observe?"

Ling Huo Jie fell silent.

As the two spoke, the attacks had already formed.

The Luoyun Sect’s puppet army released intense firepower, bombarding the gathering place of the Eighth Mountain’s people indiscriminately.

At the same time, the Ten Thousand Swords Formation constructed by the Sword Sect erupted with intense light, emitting countless sword auras that fell like rain.

The four-sect alliance’s army, which was about to take advantage of the situation, suffered heavy casualties instantly.

At this point, both sides were in a difficult position.

But suddenly, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and fierce winds howled.

Endless silver lightning flickered.

Seeing this scene, Ling Huo Jie sighed in relief.

With the gathering of heavenly thunder, the Ten Thousand Swords Formation would not last long.

Sure enough, moments later, the many sword orbs flew back.

Under the bombardment of heavenly thunder, these mind-cultivated items could not withstand any damage.

Thus, both sides returned to the same starting line.

"Attack!"

"Everyone, attack!"

With the command of the two Golden Core Seniors, two waves of cultivators clashed together.

In a corner.

Luo Chen and Chu Kui looked up in awe at the slowly dissipating sword formation.

A hundred people forming an array, unmatched in combat.

Even a Golden Core Senior had to retreat.

Fortunately, the timing and location were on their side.

Seeing the intense battle, Chu Kui’s heart trembled.

"Fortunately, I joined the Luo Tian Association, allowing us to act freely together. Otherwise, in such a large-scale battle, the title of Heavenly Crown Master would be nothing but a joke."

Luo Chen forced a smile.

The strength of the major sects was beyond their imagination.

They originally thought the puppet army was invincible.

They didn’t expect the sword cultivators to form an array as a tactic.

However, in the special geographical conditions of the Thunder Accumulation Nine Mountains, the Ten Thousand Swords Formation could not last long. Now, they were back to the familiar battle scenario.

After the initial clash, the cultivator waves began to continuously divide into smaller groups.

Before long, there were tens of thousands of scattered small battle groups.

This created the perfect chaotic situation for the Heaven Wave Twin Heroes to take advantage of.

"Initially, the spirit qi fluctuations were too intense, so I couldn’t form the Water Mirror Technique."

Chu Kui was well aware of the current environment, "So, shall we follow the original plan?"

"Sure, go to the edge of the battlefield and wait for the right moment!"

Reaching an agreement, the two figures and quietly flew to the outskirts of the mountain.

Based on their experience, as the battle groups continuously divided, the battlefield expanded.

In the relatively outer areas, they could wait like a hare for a rabbit, and prey would inevitably fall into their net.

...

Three hours later.

"How many is this now?" Luo Chen asked in a low voice.

Chu Kui’s face was serious as he held up three fingers.

"The third one, an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, seems to be an inner disciple of the Flame Alliance."

"Lu Chen's eyebrows furrowed, "Their alliances are becoming more serious, and our opportunities seem to be getting fewer and fewer."

The alliances weren't just on the side of the Sword Sect.

The Four Sect Alliance was facing a similar situation.

Chu Kui sighed helplessly, "There's no other way. In order to gain merit points, many people are taking risks and doing the same thing as us. Whether it's the Sword Sect or the Four Sects, as far as I know, the Yinmeng Twin Demons and the Lian Cang Four Elders are all doing this."

The Yinmeng Twin Demons and the Lian Cang Four Elders were all like Chu Kui, outstanding figures among the scattered cultivators.

They were very famous in the immortal cities where they had lived for a long time.

During the Dao Seed competition in Qingdan Valley, Lu Chen had seen the Yinmeng Twin Demons, a man and a woman.

They were invited by Shangguan Yan, and even when fighting alone, they still helped Shangguan Yan achieve third place in the first round.

It was known that even the second-place He Yuanqing, with Chu Kui and the clan's experts, barely managed to secure second place.

As for the Lian Cang Four Elders, they were already great figures a hundred years ago.

The four brothers, when working together a hundred years ago, were extremely formidable.

Now, with all four having advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage, they were rumored to be able to rival a Golden Core Senior when working together.

These beings were also doing the same kind of hunting as Lu Chen and his group, and their efficiency was undoubtedly high.

"What should we do now?" Chu Kui asked hesitantly.

Without the guidance of Lu Chen's Water Mirror Technique, their area of activity was a blur.

"Let's change locations!"

"Hmm."

A familiar scene reappeared as the two slightly detached themselves from the battlefield and searched for a new ambush spot along the edge.

As they passed by a canyon, Lu Chen's figure halted.

Chu Kui looked down at the battle below, "Are we going to tackle this tough nut?"

It was indeed a tough nut to crack, as the Foundation Establishment cultivators involved in the battle below numbered more than ten.

According to their plan, it was best to avoid battles of this scale.

However, this time, Lu Chen did not hesitate to summon his artifact.

"Let's take action. That kid is down there, and I can't just watch him die."

"Hmm?" Chu Kui was taken aback for a moment, his gaze falling on a disheveled young man, and he instantly realized.

"Fine, that kid's mother is a high-ranking member of the Luo Tian Association, and I'm also part of the Luo Tian Association now, so I'll help him."

As he muttered to himself, the Heaven-Battling Staff fell into his hand.

Within the canyon.

A fierce battle was underway.

Judging by their clothing and badges, they were clearly Flame Alliance vassals and inner disciples of the Luoyun Sect.

"Killing these Luoyun Sect disciples will be a great achievement!"

"Don't hold back!"

"Kill!"

In the crowd, an elder with gray hair and beard had a fierce gaze, giving orders.

His spiritual seals constantly moved in his hands, and under his control, a flying sword weaved through the crowd, occasionally eliciting cries of agony.

He was a late Foundation Establishment cultivator! Although he had only advanced not long ago, he was still considered an expert among the vassal forces.

Combined with his close relationship with the Flame Alliance, these people listened to his commands.

On the other side.

The young inner disciples of the Luoyun Sect were terrified.

Their team leader had been assassinated.

Their specialized puppet technique was not easy to fully utilize in the narrow canyon environment.

Restricted by the environment, they were instead being suppressed by a group of vassal forces that were not the sect's elite.

Under intense pressure, someone went crazy! "Let's all die together!"

The disciple at the third layer of Foundation Establishment recklessly activated his puppet.

A dazzling pillar of light shot out.

The enemies scattered to avoid it.

But in the midst of the chaotic battle, some still didn't manage to dodge in time.

A mid-stage Foundation Establishment enemy was grazed, and half of his body was vaporized.

Upon seeing this, the disciple was delighted.

However, from behind, a mournful voice reached him.

"Brother Li, how did you kill Brother Wu?"

Brother Li was startled and looked at a puppet falling to the ground without control. Its owner was right in the center of the pillar of light's path.

Did I accidentally kill a fellow disciple? Just as he was in a daze, a flying sword flashed through his chest.

"You can't distinguish friend from foe, and your combat experience is weak. In the midst of battle, you even dare to daydream. With such a mindset, do you really deserve to be at the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Zheng Tianfang, with his gray hair and beard, sneered.

Ignoring the man, his gaze fell on the remaining three Luoyun Sect disciples.

Facing this cruel gaze, one of them, Qin Yuan Jiang, trembled.

Their senior brothers were all dead!

Among the three remaining people here, he, who had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, had become the leading senior brother.

"Senior Brother Qin, what should we do?"

"Our puppets are damaged, and we're going to die."

Qin Yuan Jiang listened to the panicked words of his two junior brothers and forced himself to calm down.

"Don't be afraid. Take out your artifacts to fight!"

"We, the disciples of the Luoyun Sect, don't have a tradition of waiting for death."

"The flying sword techniques the elders usually teach you can also defeat enemies!"

As he spoke, he took out a golden longsword.

The sword's edge was cold, as if it had never been sharpened.

Facing this scene.

Zheng Tianfang scoffed, "You're just stubbornly resisting. Just wait for your death obediently!"

The other Foundation Establishment cultivators, seeing that the situation was settled, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Just as they were about to end the battle, Zheng Tianfang's face suddenly changed.

He abruptly looked up.

A red-robed Daoist hovered in the sky, his hands clasped as if pulling something.

The next moment! He roared.

"Mountain Collapse!"

Boom! Boom! Two loud explosions echoed, and the canyon's walls on both sides collapsed.

The massive walls exploded, causing spirit qi to surge and rocks to fly through the air.

The stockpile of drafts has been completely exhausted, and this chapter was written and published on the fly. There may be typos and omissions, which will be corrected in real-time.

If you spot any errors, please forgive me.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end