Chapter 534: The Slaughter Between Branch and Main Line

"These people's willpower is still not bad."

Jiang Ding looked at them, nodded slightly, and didn't really care.

This kind of sacrifice and devotion, in the eyes of the General Heishi branch family, was a source of pride and confidence—an invincible spirit. At least at this moment, this spirit even surpassed that of the Dari Sect and the Dari Sword Sect; they had only frequently displayed such a phenomenon more than two hundred years ago.

After the internal split, once the Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun divided up the benefits, it became extremely rare.

This was something that only appeared during the rising period of an organization.

However, for an immortal sect, these things were merely routine, taken for granted.

Wasn't it normal to shield and block for one's comrades-in-arms?

Comrades-in-arms would do the same for you.

"... Nothing more than that."

Jiang Ding thought for a moment, then made another judgment.

He noticed that those fighting bravely were only from the General Heishi branch family; as for the loose-cultivation Jin Dan and vassal Jin Dan who had been swept along, they were cautious and timid, holding back more than half their strength, ready to retreat at any moment.

Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun and a group of staff officers and adjutants thought in silence for a long time, completely scratched the objective they had previously set, and chose another direction.

But the contradictions between the General Heishi branch family and the main line had accumulated to the limit; they didn't even have this kind of tacit understanding, and started slaughtering each other the moment they met.

Even without the Blood Cloud Eighteen Riders, this place was still very lively.

The second faction, the General Heishi branch family, was led by one of the two strongest members of the branch family according to intelligence, peak Jin Dan cultivator Hei Hei Louxi, with over sixty people.

Jiang Ding glanced at the crowd wandering around in front of his personal library.

Such a place was naturally a must-contest territory.

Because it was close to the Disciple Peak—the Disciple Peak that Dong Xue Shou Ren Mo Li Tu had once visited.

"Moreover, even if they succeed, they should, in a very short time, split into things similar to branch and main-line clansmen to safeguard their own and their descendants' interests; this kind of selfless, devoted sacrificial spirit will quickly be lost."

Various military formations' black-cloud baleful aura spread in all directions, formation patterns expanded, spiritual lights collided and collapsed.

After traveling another thousand-plus kilometers, an octagonal high tower piercing the sky appeared before their eyes.

In fact, the Blood Cloud Eighteen Riders' original primary target was right here. They were all of loose-cultivation origin, more eager for inheritances than anyone; the Luoxu Sect's library was simply an irresistible temptation to them, worth risking their lives for.

The last faction was the loose cultivators. They had the most people, over a hundred, more than any other faction, but they had no organization and no military formation; their strength was scattered, and their actual power was the weakest.

Luoxu Sect, the Library.

Now, this temptation was restrained.

The slaughter continued, broadly divided into three factions.

The first faction was led by the General Heishi main line, peak Jin Dan cultivator Hei Hei Tianlan, commanding over forty Jin Dan cultivators, forming the General Heishi military formation, baleful aura running rampant.

Yet they refused to give up, prowling around like hyenas, eyeing the General Heishi branch and main-line armies covetously.

Once anyone drove them away, they didn't dare resist, immediately fleeing far away; after a period of time, they would once again hide their tracks and sneak back.

Logically speaking, with an external enemy present, the two sides should have united to first clear out the neutral forces, and only then fight to the death.

"Unable to absorb fresh blood, limited to the General Heishi branch family—this group has made some progress, but that's about it."

After observing for a while, Jiang Ding turned and left.

Several dozen Jin Dan cultivators forming a military formation, their combined force could not be underestimated, already reaching the standard of the quasi-Nascent Soul tier.

Apart from slow movement speed, there were almost no flaws.

"Kill!"

Hei Hei Louxi commanded a pitch-black greatsword magic treasure, leading the charge. Crow feathers sprouted on her cheeks, spreading to her neck, chest, and body; each crow feather had a metallic luster, clanging as they collided.

Finally, black feathers sprouted on her back, forming a pair of gorgeous black wings several zhang long, draped behind her; rolling black flames rose from within the wings, and a terrifying aura spread outward.

With the power of the Divine Crow military formation added to her, wherever her pitch-black greatsword and black wings reached, formation patterns shattered, Jin Dan cultivators were cut in half at the waist, and Zhong Pin Fa treasures and top-grade magic treasures, once touched by even a bit of black flame, had their spiritual light dim and extinguish.

Unstoppable!

Clearly, the General Heishi main-line Jin Dan cultivators had stronger cultivation, with as many as ten peak Jin Dan cultivators, while the branch family only had two peak Jin Dan cultivators.

This was why they had taken the initiative to enter the Luoxu Sect, to settle things once and for all.

In the Cultivation World, numbers were all an illusion; only the cultivators with the highest cultivation were the true combat power.

"Lowly bastard, die!"

Peak Golden Core cultivator Hei Hei Tianlan, his face twisted in a grimace, carved a path forward. Bolstered by the power of a military formation, he wielded a pitch-black treasure axe refined to seventy-two layers of Earth Sha prohibitions, a masterpiece of Earth Sha perfection, and hacked horizontally with momentum like a mountain.

Around them, eight peak Jin Dan main-line cultivators saw the danger and likewise each employed their methods, coordinating with military formation power to surround and kill.

Under this kind of military formation power, even a quasi-Nascent Soul cultivator would have to give way!

"You... are too weak."

Hei Hei Louxi's expression was calm.

Facing the siege of eight Jin Dan cultivators, she neither dodged nor avoided, commanding her pitch-black greatsword to slash horizontally, her several-zhang-long black wings crisscrossing in killing strikes, rolling black flames sweeping up.

Boom!

Only a loud roar was heard, countless dust rose, a large pit was blasted into the surrounding ground, eight figures vomited blood and were sent flying, completely outmatched.

The several-zhang-long black wings flashed again.

Two peak Jin Dan cultivators were cut in half at the waist, black flames spread, turning the four sections of corpses into ashes.

"Impossible!"

"You hid your strength before?!"

As the dust cleared, Hei Hei Tianlan vomited a large mouthful of blood, his face pale, saying in disbelief.

Clearly just a lowly branch-family bloodline wretch, the power she had previously revealed was already strong enough.

Why did she still hide so much strength?

The power previously revealed wasn't even one-tenth!

This exceeded his imagination.

General Heishi Hei Louxi did not answer his words, walking slowly.

Her entire body was covered in exquisite, magnificent feather armor; her eyes were cold, the crow-feather armor clinging to her seductive body curves, her hips swaying left and right.

A pair of black wings several zhang long slowly unfolded behind her, black flames burning.

"Since ancient times, among the collateral branches of the Northern Plains,"

"how many outstanding talents who could have achieved Nascent Soul have been buried and forgotten."

General Heishi Hei Louxi manipulated the power of the military formation, landing upon her twin wings; only a flash of black light was seen, and two more Golden Core peak cultivators from the General Heishi main lineage were sliced in half, burning into ash.

Then she sighed softly, the sound spreading in all directions.

The collateral branch Golden Core cultivators around her had red-rimmed eyes, feeling the same emotions.

They, after reaching adulthood, had to constantly bear children for the main lineage, then offer them as sacrifices to the main lineage cultivators to improve their spiritual root aptitudes, while also working everywhere to support them.

Moreover, once a collateral branch member possessed excellent, outstanding aptitude, they would immediately face severe suppression; often, on some pretext, the entire person would vanish without a trace.

Guarding against the inside is even more critical than guarding against the outside.

"She is so beautiful!"

Jiang Ding, who had been watching from the side, had his eyes shining with light.

Looking at the woman on the field clad in feather armor, with seductive curves and black wings slowly unfolding behind her, resembling a Goddess of Death, his heart, for some reason, pounded.

"This person is very suitable to become my Head Maid."