Chapter 490

Ji Qun Zhong artillery bombards cultivators — Chapter 522: Dari Sect Will Be Reasonable. Jiang Ding stepped out of Lingbao Trading House and scanned the intel within the jade slip with his spiritual sense.

Much of this information was once top-secret; even expending vast quantities of Yuan Ying-tier heavenly treasures might not have revealed it.

But as time passed, it became known to many—though lower-tier cultivators remained clueless.

Given Lingbao Trading House's reputation, the authenticity of this level of intel was relatively high.

The Day of the Sun's Fall.

This was the name Shang Clan gave to the civil war within Dari Sect that day—brimming with malice.

During this battle, Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun, a Yuan Ying peak cultivator of Dari Sect, allied with Liu Dao Sect's Supreme Elder, Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo, and Tiangui Tiangui Laoguai of the Tie Family of Guishan, and together the three Yuan Ying peak cultivators ambushed Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun of Dari Qingse Jianzong, severely wounding him. He barely escaped, fleeing into a formation on Sword Vein, barely clinging to life, and retreated into hiding—

Know that this man was Dari Sect's strongest swordsman; previously, only Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo and Tiangui Tiangui Laoguai, leading multiple Yuan Ying cultivators, could barely hold him off for so long.

This was the Zhengmo Alliance's advantage: accumulated time, more Yuan Ying cultivators.

But as time passed, the situation reversed.

The Zhengmo Alliance's Yuan Ying cultivators kept dying, dwindling, with replacements coming only from a few direct-line disciples' promotions.

Dari Sect, by contrast, drew its reserves from countless commoner hermits, branch families, and mid- to small-sized sects across the Northern Plains—all Jin Dan cultivators. In just over two hundred years, Dari Sect surpassed the Zhengmo Alliance in Yuan Ying numbers, crushed them head-on, and began chasing down the fleeing remnants.

Had nothing changed, the complete annihilation of all twenty-eight Zhengmo Alliance families would not have been surprising.

Unfortunately, later Jin Dan cultivators from hermits, branch families, and mid- to small-sized sects, compared to the rigid sword path, found Dari Sect's cultivation methods more suited to them. They drifted closer and closer, until the two factions began merging.

Thus, similarly, they grew dissatisfied with Dari Sect's current state: all resources, all heavenly treasures, devoted solely to Dari Sect's sword cultivators.

During the years of war between Dari Sect and the Zhengmo Alliance, conflicts of varying scale had already erupted—yet, with an external enemy still present, both sides had suppressed their grievances.

When the Zhengmo Alliance collapsed, Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Dari Sect's strongest law cultivator, could no longer endure it.

He allied with Liu Dao Sect's Supreme Elder Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo, Tiangui Tiangui Laoguai of the Tie Family of Guishan, and numerous Dari Sect Yuan Ying law cultivators and Zhengmo Alliance Yuan Ying cultivators, and once again ambushed Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun and Dari Sect's sword cultivators.

That battle darkened heaven and earth; powerful cultivators fell one after another.

Over eighty percent of Dari Sect's sword cultivators died; eight or nine Yuan Ying sword cultivators perished; the remaining Jin Dan and Foundation Establishment sword cultivators suffered incalculable casualties.

In the end, mortally wounded and near death, Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun retreated to Dari Sect's Zhudian, relying on the sect's ancient, continuously reinforced Grand Protection Formation to barely hold out.

Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun, Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo, and Tiangui Tiangui Laoguai—the three Yuan Ying peak cultivators—led a host of Yuan Ying Master Dinghai Zhenjun in a multi-year siege, but failed. Mutual suspicion ran deep; many bore blood feuds, conflicts persisted, even erupting into small-scale vendettas, making continuation impossible.

Helpless, Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun and his allies withdrew.

Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun and the many Dari Sect law cultivators rebuilt Dari Sect on another fourth-rank supreme spiritual vein seized from the Zhengmo Alliance. He declared himself Dari Sect's Supreme Elder, and exterminated the entire Gangti Yang Clan that had previously occupied the land—regardless of cultivation level, from Yuan Ying to Jin Dan to Foundation Establishment to Qi Condensation, all slaughtered; even commoners of the Yang Clan—nobles, marquises, dukes, ministers, physicians—were all wiped out.

Within the original Dari Sect's mountain domain, Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun did not contest the name "Dari Sect." After surveying the few surviving sword cultivators across the mountain for months, he remained silent for a long while, then renamed the sect Dari Qingse Jianzong.

It seemed like a sign of weakness, acknowledging Master Tianyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun's Dari Sect as the legitimate authority.

Later, Dari Sect fought another battle against the Zhengmo Alliance, won decisively, and seized even more land and spiritual veins.

Dari Sect remained the most powerful force in the Northern Plains.

Below it was the Zhengmo Alliance; last came Dari Qingse Jianzong.

Though Dari Sect was strong and possessed the most Yuan Ying cultivators, it could not eliminate any one faction under the watchful eyes of the others, and was forced into reluctant compromise, gradually forming a tripartite stalemate.

To this day, the three factions remain hostile, with Jin Dan and Foundation Establishment cultivators occasionally clashing—but large-scale Yuan Ying battles are rarely heard of.

After over two hundred years of war, the Northern Plains had finally glimpsed hope for peace.

But everyone knew this was merely the lull between two great wars; all three factions were striving to restore their strength.

The moment one faction recovered first and pulled ahead in power, a war of annihilation would erupt instantly.

Among them, the many families of the Zhengmo Alliance were particularly pessimistic.

The speed of restoring strength.

Over the past two hundred years, it had been proven that Northern Plains families were utterly incapable in this regard.

Many Yuan Ying Master Dinghai Zhenjun grew deeply anxious and drove their factions to enact numerous reforms—Shenyang Master Dinghai Zhenjun was one such figure.

"What a mess. What a… wonderful thing."

Jiang Ding finished reading the jade slip and marveled.

"Dari Qingse Jianzong's power has declined. This is very good for me. Once I reach sufficient strength, I can ask Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun for the Dari legacy he holds."

"He won't give it…"

"No, that's impossible."

"Master Dinghai Zhenjun Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun will gladly offer me his help."

His tone was calm.

During his stroll through Chu Ling Xiancheng, the sky had grown darker.

Night was approaching.

On the city walls and streets, countless fine formation patterns began to awaken.

Low-cultivation commoners and Qi Condensation cultivators' eyes grew hazy; their expressions changed, and they hurried toward their homes, dog kennels, horse stables, fish ponds, and the like.

Moments later,

Many began sprouting hair, scales, feathers; they barked like dogs, gnawed grass, preened feathers.

Some even transformed fully into wolves, jackals, snakes, eagles, hunting on the streets, often swallowing prey alive, spilling entrails and blood across the roads.

"Skin-removal Art…"

Jiang Ding glanced at these people.

This seemed a special cultivation method: by fully immersing oneself in the behavior of beasts, one's understanding and cultivation speed of Chu Dao De Gong were enhanced—effectively a formation that accelerated cultivation.

But it was bloody.

Carnivores and herbivores periodically devoured each other, fled or chased, only stopping upon entering homes—some taboo prevented further violence.

A faint, misty shell began forming on Jiang Ding's body, resembling a third-rank spiritual eagle. Simultaneously, threads of bloodlust seeped silently into his spiritual sea.

Jin Dan cultivators nearby also began exhibiting this phenomenon.

Some turned pale and rushed toward inns or cultivation caves; others showed no hesitation, willingly accepting the bloodlust, charging at the half-human, half-beast creatures, chewing flesh and bone, transforming it into pure essence and spiritual energy that flooded into their bodies.

"Not bad, it's even become a trial ground."

Jiang Ding watched the gradually frenzied crowd around him.

Some were not in control of themselves, forced to leave their homes—the reasons being debt, or paying the blood tax, or hoping to gain something, varied and many.

Others had nothing at all, simply wanting to kill, throwing themselves in of their own accord.

He concealed his form, and before the surrounding people's gazes could land on him, vanished from sight, striding quickly toward the city gate.