Chapter 203: Reinforcements Arrive and Grim News

"Sigh~ Let's withdraw from this place!"

Xu Zhanglao gazed at the situation outside; even as a False Dan ancestor, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness surge within him.

He immediately beckoned Qin Ming, preparing to use a teleportation talisman to escape Canghai Xiancheng via the transmission array.

Qin Ming could not wait any longer for the other party to activate the transmission array.

Indeed, he was somewhat impatient. "Xu Zhanglao speaks most wisely; let us depart quickly!"

Just then!

Zeng! A brilliant sword light piercing the heavens transformed into a white ribbon dozens of zhang long, sweeping across the sky with unstoppable force, arriving in an instant! The third-tier Earth-Shaking Xiong Wang, locked in fierce combat with True Person Canghai, suddenly felt a chill of danger strike its back!

Thus, it abandoned its slaughter of Nalan Xi, swiftly turning to cast a demonic technique to block! Puchi!

Despite its thick hide and tough flesh, that exceptionally sharp sword qi still carved a horrifying gash across its chest.

Countless drops of demonic blood sprayed forth like a gushing spring.

As the foremost swordmaster of Wei State, Wei Wuya, upon achieving Jin Dan, drew blood with every strike—and this opponent was a third-tier Demon King! Roar! The Earth-Shaking Xiong Wang, filled with shock and rage, lifted its head to gaze at the newcomer, only to see a tall man wearing a high crown and possessing a jade-like face, flying toward the immortal city like a divine sword unsheathed.

Before the man arrived, his sword had already struck.

Following closely behind was another Jin Dan ancestor from Xuanxi Valley.

True Person Canghai and Ancestor Xuan Yu, who were engaged in fierce battle with the Demon Kings, perceived the arrival of Wei Wuya, the newly advanced Jin Dan ancestor of Lei Yuanzong, along with another Jin Dan cultivator from Xuanxi Valley.

The taut nerves of both individuals instantly relaxed.

Even Qin Ming and the members of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, who had just been preparing to flee via the transmission array, turned back and halted their steps.

Xu Yue's face lit up with delight as she exclaimed, "Ancestor Wan has come to reinforce us!"

"And Ancestor Wei from Lei Yuanzong as well!"

Xu Zhanglao looked up at the battlefield, heaved a long sigh of relief, and lamented, "This perilous situation can finally be resolved."

"There is no need to teleport away."

Qin Ming also followed the sound to look.

Above the sky of the Xiancheng, with the addition of two more Jin Dan cultivators to the human side...

The battle at the upper echelons, where the situation had been teetering on the brink of collapse, was instantly reversed.

In particular, Wei Wuya, having achieved Jin Dan with a Heaven-grade spiritual root, possessed strength far surpassing ordinary Jin Dan cultivators; with a single sword strike, he severely injured the Earth-Shaking Bear Demon King.

Meanwhile, Ancestor Wan, who had arrived together from Xuanxi Valley, wielded divine abilities that were nothing to scoff at; with four Jin Dan cultivators joining forces, they soon forced the three Demon Kings into a steadily retreating defeat.

They even severed one of the Xiong Wang's paws.

At this point, seeing the tide turn against them, the three Demon Kings fled one after another, escaping back to the Beast Roar Mountain Range.

The demonic beasts below, having arrived swiftly, retreated just as quickly.

Following their respective kings, they receded like a tidal wave.

The city-defending cultivators of Canghai Xiancheng seized the opportunity to slaughter every demonic beast that had rushed into the city.

However, in the northwest district of the outer city, where the formation had been breached, the area bore the brunt of the attack and suffered severe devastation, with nearby cultivators sustaining heavy casualties.

Fortunately.

Due to the timely reinforcement by Wei Wuya and Ancestor Wan, the inner city and the core zone managed to avoid significant impact from the demonic beasts.

Gazing out at the outer city filled with billowing smoke, Qin Ming sighed deeply.

"Qin Xiaoyou, now that the crisis in the immortal city has been resolved, please come upstairs so we may converse."

"The subsequent matters should be handled well by the people of the immortal city."

Xu Zhanglao, his expression returned to normal, made a gesture of invitation toward Qin Ming.

Qin Ming nodded and followed the two up to the Pill Cauldron Pavilion.

After all, with the beast tide having just receded, venturing out of the city now would likely be unsafe; it was better to wait until the immediate danger passed before observing the situation further.

The three sat in a private room, drinking spiritual tea, gradually recovering their composure from the earlier chaos.

"It is truly thanks to the two Jin Dan ancestors of our sect coming to aid Wei State; otherwise, I fear the immortal city would have been unable to withstand this calamity!" Xu Zhanglao lamented after sipping the spiritual tea.

Xu Jing, sitting nearby, gently nodded in agreement.

But Qin Ming frowned tightly, seemingly lost in thought.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, are you worried about something?" Xu Jing asked as she poured him more tea.

Qin Ming accepted the tea cup and said with some uncertainty, "This wave of the beast tide seems somewhat off!"

"As far as I know, the three demonic clans that assaulted the immortal city are distributed in far-flung regions of the Beast Roar Mountain Range."

"Yet, judging from the situation just now, the three demonic clans displayed unprecedented unity, as if someone were issuing commands from behind the scenes."

"Even the three leading Demon Kings set aside their mutual grievances to jointly attack the immortal city. I have heard that historically, the Earth-Shaking Bear Clan and the Horned Deer Clan have always been like water and fire, incompatible with each other, so how is it they are now joined together?"

Only then did Xu Zhanglao and the other two suddenly realize; listening to Qin Ming's analysis, a chilling speculation suddenly arose in their hearts upon deeper reflection.

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Qin means..."

"The earlier retreat of the beast tide back to the Beast Roar Mountain Range was merely an illusion, and behind it all, there is likely an even more powerful demonic force driving them?"

Qin Ming nodded without confirming or denying.

The mood of Xu Zhanglao and Xu Jing, which had just begun to recover, was instantly shrouded once again in gloom.

"Sigh! We must wait for the two ancestors of our valley to return; this old man will inquire further and hear their opinions."

According to Qin Ming's deduction, if the situation were truly this severe, then the Pill Cauldron Pavilion assets of their Xuanxi Valley in Canghai Xiancheng would likely have to be abandoned and evacuated as soon as possible.

That way, they could at least reduce some losses.

"By the way, Qin Mou has come this time intending to purchase a batch of spiritual materials from your pavilion."

"Additionally, I have a jar of Bai Yulin Wine and some pills to sell."

The previous topic was indeed rather heavy.

Qin Ming immediately changed the subject, addressing the grandfather and grandson of the Xu family.

"Oh~ hehe, I nearly forgot the main matter!" Upon hearing Qin Ming's words, Xu Zhanglao's eyes instantly lit up.

Next.

The heavy atmosphere within the room eased somewhat.

Qin Ming drew up a list based on his needs and made extensive purchases; it included not only the auxiliary materials required to refine the Void-Breaking Pill but also other items useful for daily cultivation.

Because Qin Ming sensed that after this, he might not return to Canghai Xiancheng for a very long time. 'When did the sanctuary of rogue cultivators become the eye of the storm?'

The transaction concluded.

Both parties felt much more cheerful.

Especially since Qin Ming had facilitated another major deal at the Pill Cauldron Pavilion; not only Xu Jing, but even the Elder broke into a smile.

"Alas! In this old man's view, Young Friend Qin's talent in pill refining is in no way inferior to our valley's Grandmaster Gongsun Yang."

"I imagine Young Friend Qin is not far from breaking through to the realm of a third-tier Grandmaster?"

"I wonder if, when our valley's Pill Tower opens again in three years, we will be able to select a few disciples with outstanding talent in the Dao of Pills."

Hearing this, Qin Ming's heart suddenly stirred; three years later?

Immediately, he restored his calm demeanor and replied modestly, "For Qin Mou, reaching the level of a third-tier Grandmaster is still premature."

The three then chatted about other topics.

Half a teacup of time later.

Thump, thump, thump! Suddenly, the room door was knocked by an attendant, who subsequently reported respectfully:

"Reporting to Xu Zhanglao, outside the shop there is a senior of the Foundation Establishment stage surnamed Lü, who has urgent matters and wishes to see Senior Qin."

Hearing this, Qin Ming frowned slightly, then informed the two others, "Please wait a moment while I go down to see what the matter is."

Afterwards, Qin Ming quickly descended the stairs.

As soon as he entered the main hall, he saw Lu Wanjun covered in wounds, weeping so bitterly her face resembled rain-washed pear blossoms; ignoring her injuries upon seeing Qin Ming descend, she stepped forward, bowed, and choked out, "Fellow Daoist Qin, sob sob sob, my master... he is nearly gone!"

"His final... wish is to see Fellow Daoist Qin one last time."

Upon learning this news, Qin Ming's expression changed drastically.

"What?! Fellow Brother Lü, he..."

Far too many cultivators had perished in Canghai Xiancheng today, yet he never expected that Lü Liang, who was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, would be among them! "What exactly happened?"

"Take me there immediately."

Although Qin Ming's relationship with Lü Liang was not particularly deep, they had known each other, after all.

Lü Liang had also helped him quite a bit; he held considerable goodwill toward this master and disciple pair.

Under Lu Wanjun's guidance, Qin Ming...

... the two arrived at a tent located in the outer city of Canghai Xiancheng.

The moment they entered the tent, they saw Lü Liang lying on a bed, his breath as faint as a gossamer thread; his face was paper-white, and two fatal piercing wounds on his chest and abdomen were still gushing fresh blood.

Qin Ming scanned the other man with his divine sense, only to find that Lü Liang's Qi Sea and dantian had been shattered by a tremendous force; his entire cultivation was ruined, a condition beyond even the gods' ability to heal, leaving no hope for recovery. 'Sigh~ this cruel Immortal Cultivation World; with the slightest carelessness, even those in high positions cannot escape death and the extinction of their Dao if they are not vigilant.'

(End of Chapter)