Chapter 89: Nanshan Fang Under Attack!

The Peach Blossom Fang war was extremely brutal; the cultivators recruited from Nanshan Fang sacrificed over sixty percent in less than half a month! The survivors made a huge profit, obtaining many good items and treasures enough to let them cultivate peacefully for years, even to advance their cultivation.

But the sacrificed cultivators effectively worked for the Sun family for free. Their battlefield merits for killing Evil Cultivators also vanished.

Half a month later, Peach Blossom Fang sent back a batch of cultivators who had earned enough but were too badly wounded to continue fighting, and also recruited another batch of new cultivators to go to Peach Blossom Fang.

This time the recruited cultivators still numbered over seven hundred.

Even with covert support from Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley, the Cao family could no longer sit idle.

One time was enough, and you come again? Though Nanshan Fang has many cultivators, it can't endure being drained like this.

After two consecutive recruitments, nearly twenty percent of Nanshan Fang's cultivators have been taken away!

If they come a few more times, Nanshan Fang will be weaker than Peach Blossom Fang, causing Demon Sect Evil Cultivators to shift their target!

Although the high‑end combat power of the Foundation Establishment Realm, Nanshan Fang is far stronger than Peach Blossom Fang.

Peach Blossom Fang's three Foundation Establishment cultivators are only of ordinary Foundation Establishment Initial Stage strength; Nanshan Fang has Cao Hao at the mid‑stage of Foundation Establishment and Xiao Zhangqing who can threaten the late stage of Foundation Establishment. Yet in this war, high‑end power is not the sole determinant; the number and quality of Qi Refining Realm cultivators matter more.

After all, even a mid‑stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would surely die when besieged by dozens of Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

Cao Hao stepped forward, directly confronted the Sun family's Foundation Establishment cultivators who came to recruit, issuing a stern protest: this is the last time.

If they come again aboard a flying vessel to recruit, don't blame him for striking.

The Sun family's Foundation Establishment cultivators argued for a while, citing Luoxia Sect and Baihua Valley as excuses, but Cao Hao ignored them, remaining very hard‑line.

Given Cao Hao's mid‑stage Foundation Establishment level, the Sun family's Foundation Establishment cultivators dared not make a scene and left dejectedly.

If it really doesn't work, Peach Blossom Fang's manpower is insufficient, so they'll harvest elsewhere.

……

The facts proved that the Cao family's actions were not unfounded worries.

Two and a half months after Peach Blossom Fang was invaded by Evil Cultivators, Nanshan Fang finally faced Evil Cultivator troops at its gates.

On this day.

Boom! The clear sky seemed ripped apart as massive thunderbolts suddenly fell, like dragons and serpents lunging at Nanshan Fang.

Usually hidden in clouds and invisible to mortals, this cultivation fang city was instantly torn through its outer illusion array, revealing its true form.

The terrifying commotion made Nanshan Fang's cultivators look up, where four massive flying vessels hovered around the city's perimeter, surrounded by countless excited Evil Cultivators exuding black aura, like raindrops or ants, in a massive swarm.

Fortunately, Nanshan Fang's Mountain Guard Array had sufficient defensive power to intercept most of the attacks.

Many scattered cultivators inside the city looked up at the sky; some were terrified, some bewildered, some howled, and some gradually filled with excitement and frenzy.

"Do not panic!"

"Guard squads, each fulfill your duties!"

"Those who cause trouble now and loot the fire shall be killed without mercy!"

Led by the Cao family, the major families and factions within Nanshan Fang acted swiftly.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Cao family no longer stayed hidden; like a dragon seen only by its head, they frequently flew across Nanshan Fang's sky, defending while asserting their presence, boosting the city's cultivators' confidence.

Since the fall of Silver Leaf Peak, the major fang cities in the Southwest Region of Da Yu's Cultivation World have begun preparations, with Nanshan Fang being one of the most proactive, so after a brief chaos it quickly became orderly.

The underground spirit vein power of the city was continuously drawn and infused into the Mountain Guard Formation; with earth veins and abundant spirit energy supporting it, the Mountain Guard Array's grade rose to nearly third‑tier level!

Only a Jie Dan cultivator can forcefully break the formation!

However, among the Evil Cultivators besieging Nanshan Fang, there are four Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom seems especially skilled in formations; he roams the formation's corners, occasionally striking, causing the Mountain Guard Formation to tremble violently.

He appears to be a formation master who has reached the second‑rank level! Fortunately, this Evil Cultivator is likely only a lower‑mid second‑rank, and with the Mountain Guard Array bolstered by massive spirit veins, it is hard to find a flaw to break through.

Even opening a small area or crack would be good enough, making Nanshan Fang's defense much simpler.

"Nanshan Fang won't be breached, right?"

Jia Yi Cave.

Because spirit energy was heavily drawn, the entire city's spirit energy level dropped significantly.

For example, the already sparse Peng Hu Qu is now almost as barren as the spirit‑less Mortal World.

Jia Yi Cave also fell from second‑rank superior to second‑rank inferior.

The Lin sisters stayed home with Xiao Zhangqing, watching the sky from afar as occasional booms echoed, clusters of energy waves burst, and occasional brutal battle screams from the city startled them.

Even the usually bold Lin Zixi did not go out at this time.

If it were before they followed Xiao Zhangqing, she might have been tempted by the prospect of war profit.

For low‑rank cultivators, war is a disaster, with them bearing the heaviest casualties each time. Yet it is also an opportunity; chaos breeds heroes, and many ordinary people who never had a chance can now rise and change their fate. However, now that Lin Zixi follows Xiao Zhangqing and has the Guangju Tower, they already have plenty of Spirit Stones, so there's no need to risk it.

"Should be fine."

Xiao Zhangqing's eyes flickered; inside he also felt some worry.

Under normal circumstances, with the Mountain Guard Array, Nanshan Fang is definitely advantaged; a Jie Dan Real Person need not act for safety.

But now that a second‑rank formation master is searching everywhere for flaws, it could be a complication.

Nevertheless, even if a Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator dares to seize the chance, plunging into formation cracks to fight, Cao Hao stands at the front, and Xiao Zhangqing has recently sold over forty second‑rank lower‑grade Talisman Scripts to Nanshan Fang—distributed to more than twenty Late Stage of Lian Qi cultivators, most of whom are Cao family's Late Stage members.

With this group, although they are Late Stage of Lian Qi cultivators, they can threaten Foundation Establishment Initial Stage! And because of his role as a Second‑rank Talisman Master, Xiao Zhangqing stays off the front lines, drawing talismans from behind.

However.

Even from behind, Xiao Zhangqing's sense of safety is not strong.

If Nanshan Fang cannot hold and is breached, hiding further back would be useless.

It still comes down to hard power!

Although now he is infinitely close to a full Lian Qi circle, his internal magical force already surpasses that of ordinary Lian Qi cultivators by a large margin, and even the magical force of those without Foundation Establishment is nearly liquefying.

At the same time, his original Soul Transformation strength has reached an outward radius of twenty zhang; after being enhanced by the Caged Dragon Bracelet, it is forty zhang, a great increase since he killed Mu Renjie.

But Xiao Zhangqing still feels it's unsafe! "We can't delay any longer. Rest ten days, let spirit, qi, and mind reach their peak, then strike for Foundation Establishment!"

Xiao Zhangqing made his decision in his heart.

Failing to achieve Foundation Establishment leaves one forever short; even with all sorts of trump cards and secret arts, they're futile—foundations too shallow and unstable.

Only after truly achieving Foundation Establishment can he have absolute self-preservation power in this war! By then, even if Nanshan Fang is breached, he will fear nothing; whether to leave or stay is entirely up to him.

Taking advantage of the war just beginning, Nanshan Fang is still relatively stable, and Evil Cultivators won't be able to attack for a while; he must seize the time to achieve Foundation Establishment.

As for lacking Foundation Establishment Pills, it's not absolutely safe, and he can't worry about that much.

Being cautious is fine, but when it's time to fight, he must not be timid; he needs to be more decisive! Just as Xiao Zhangqing was preparing to announce his seclusion, to nurture his essence and energy for the final Foundation Establishment preparations, unexpectedly, Mu Chunfeng came again.

This time, Mu Chunfeng came alone, without bringing any other members of the Mu family.

Seeing the situation, the Lin family sisters did not obstruct, reported to Xiao Zhangqing, and led her into Cave Dwelling Jia-Yi.

Compared to a few months ago, Mu Chunfeng has become much thinner, and her expression is full of fatigue.

Upon seeing Xiao Zhangqing, she bluntly said: 'The Grand Elder was forcibly arranged by the Cao family to be at the very front lines battling Evil Cultivators, and he died at the hands of a Foundation Establishment Realm Evil Cultivator.'

Hearing this, Xiao Zhangqing frowned slightly and asked, 'Miss Mu, are you blaming me?'

Mu Chunfeng quickly shook her head, explaining: 'I dare not. I want Symbol Master Xiao Zhangqing to know that those of the Mu family who offended you have already paid with their lives and are gone. Symbol Master Xiao Zhangqing, could you help, save the Mu family? This favor will surely be deeply appreciated by the entire Mu family. Now the Cao family has not only seized almost all of the Mu family's properties, but also plans to wipe them out completely, forcing Mu family members to the front lines of the war, essentially as a suicide squad. If this continues, before the war ends, the Mu family will be wiped out.'

Last time she came asking Xiao Zhangqing for help, the Mu family's situation was already truly miserable, and Mu Chunfeng felt she could barely hold on.

Who would have thought that only now, with the war's outbreak, is the Mu family's true doom.

The Mu family now faces not just disbandment, but extermination! Therefore, even though Xiao Zhangqing refused her last time, she still couldn't help herself, thickening her skin to come again.

"Are Mu family members being arranged as a suicide squad at the front?"

Upon hearing this news, Xiao Zhangqing was somewhat surprised, yet found it reasonable.

The Cao family's practice is not surprising.

After all, arranging one's own clan members to the front is certainly reluctant; arranging other Scattered Cultivators of Nanshan Fang would require a great cost, with promised benefits.

Only the Mu family, because their former patriarch committed a grave mistake, can be disposed of at will, making them free labor.

Moreover, the Mu family has a large population, and there are not a few experts at the Late Stage of Lian Qi.

Like the already-deceased Mu family Grand Elder, he was once renowned as the number one Foundation Establishment cultivator in Nanshan Fang.

Being able to resist Evil Cultivators without cost, and also solve Cao family's future troubles—two birds with one stone, why not? 'I still can't help with this.' Xiao Zhangqing shook his head.

He holds a poor impression of the Mu family, and it's not just the Mu family Grand Elder.

Moreover, the Cao family now controls the situation in Nanshan Fang, he handles logistics, and there's no reason for him to interfere with the Cao family's defense strategy.

Remove the Mu family, who would replace them? Himself?

Mu Chunfeng seemed to have made up her mind, taking out a jade bottle from her storage bag, looking at Xiao Zhangqing and asking: 'This is a Foundation Establishment Pill; could I ask Symbol Master Xiao Zhangqing to help the Mu family once?'

Huh? Foundation Establishment Pill?!

(End of Chapter)