Chapter 479

Now, all the important combat forces at the Jin Dan level that the Xiaoyao Sect could mobilize had already been sent to various battlefields, leaving only this only third-tier mid-grade puppet beast in the sect's treasury.

This puppet beast, if used well, was equivalent to a Jin Dan cultivator. Back then, when Chu Fengping faced the two Spirit Kings who broke through Jin Shan Market alone, it was precisely by relying on the help of this puppet beast that he blocked the spirit beast army north of Pingyang County. For the current Xiaoyao Sect, this was the sect's last and most critical Jin Dan combat power.

Li Mufeng not using it in Gao Yun County to block the spirit beast army that had already headed south, but instead wanting to transfer it to support Jin Shan Market, truly left True Person Daoist Guangling, who was standing below, somewhat unable to understand.

One must know that the several counties in Jiangling County here at Jin Shan Market were all relatively remote places within Wei Guo, far less prosperous than Gao Yun County, which backed onto Guiyun Market. In terms of importance to the sect, Gao Yun County certainly had to be ranked ahead.

Moreover, Gao Yun County further south entered the territory of Guyang County, which was the core territory that the sect had operated for thousands of years. Whether it was spirit veins, spirit fields, or the number of cultivators and mortals, none of the other counties in Wei Guo could compare to it.

Once the spirit beast army heading south from Guiyun Market broke through this last line of defense in Gao Yun County and was allowed by them to enter Guyang County in the south, then the entire Wei Guo cultivation world would likely suffer its greatest loss in nearly two thousand years.

Once the number of mortals in the sect's territory suffered too great a loss, the number of new cultivators in the Xiaoyao Sect each year would also plummet, and these were all things that were very difficult to recover in a short time.

Without a stable injection of fresh blood, even a great Nascent Soul sect like the Xiaoyao Sect, which had been established for thousands of years, was destined to decline after a long time.

Which was lighter and which was heavier between Gao Yun County and Jin Shan Market, even True Person Daoist Guangling could see at a glance. Li Mufeng, the sect's Supreme Elder who had controlled the Xiaoyao Sect for hundreds of years, naturally could not be unaware of the pros and cons involved.

Li Mufeng waved his hand at True Person Daoist Guangling, who was full of doubts, and continued: "This spirit beast turmoil is not like the past. In just half a year, the sect has already suffered such great losses. The longer it drags on, the more unfavorable it will likely be for us."

After True Person Daoist Guangling finished speaking, he turned around and prepared to return directly to Gao Yun County. Just as he was about to reach the door of the great hall, a golden talisman suddenly flew from above the great hall into his hand.

"When Jingxuan arrived with people, unfortunately, he also happened to run into the Silver Elephant Spirit King. In order to cover the retreat of others, he took the initiative to go and lure the Spirit King away, and later, later..."

Ma Hongshan, who was sitting at the head of the great hall, heard this news and asked with a look of doubt: "Didn't we already send people to support them a few days ago? How could the Yu family lose Mount Fulong so quickly? Did these people flee in the face of battle?"

After hearing the shocking words from Li Mufeng, True Person Daoist Guangling finally reacted, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and nodded: "This disciple understands. Please rest assured, Uncle. As long as I, Yang Daoist Guangling, still have a breath left, I will definitely not let a single spirit beast easily cross Gao Yun County."

Ma Hongshan, who had just gone through a great battle, still had many traces of fighting on his clothes and was listening to a Foundation Establishment cultivator below report the war situation he had just obtained.

"According to what the cultivators who escaped back said, the Silver Elephant Spirit King suddenly appeared on Mount Fulong yesterday, catching us off guard. Except for the twenty or thirty people who escaped back, most of the Yu family's cultivators had already died on the spot."

True Person Daoist Guangling turned around and glanced at Li Mufeng, who had already turned his back, bowed slightly with some emotion, then put away the golden talisman and walked quickly away from Mount Guyang.

——

Tiexian Castle, inside the Ma family's great hall,

"During this period, I have been planning a strategy to counterattack the spirit beasts. If it can be successfully implemented, the sect has about a fifty percent chance of ending this turmoil ahead of schedule. This is also the breakthrough opportunity we need most at the moment."

"Take this talisman first. In case you encounter a crisis and the situation is not good, this talisman should also be able to help you buy a little more time. You must be careful when using it."

Since the spirit beast turmoil, the Ma family had been holding onto Tiexian Castle alone for half a year. The current Ma Hongshan no longer had the heroic demeanor he had at the Mount Tuoyun trade fair back then, and he was also full of fatigue and sorrow.

"However, now that all aspects are not fully prepared, in order to prevent other changes in the plan, I cannot inform you of the full situation for the time being. The sect still needs you to hold on for a few more days over in Gao Yun County."

Seeing that the Jin Dan ancestor Ma Hongshan above already had a trace of anger on his face, the Ma family cultivator who reported the war situation hesitated for a moment before replying directly to Ma Hongshan:

"Third Uncle, news has just been received that Mount Fulong was broken through by the spirit beast army yesterday."

"What happened to Jingxuan? Speak quickly!"

"I just went to the ancestral temple to check, and Jingxuan's soul lamp has already gone out!" After the Ma family Foundation Establishment cultivator who came to report said this with some difficulty, a few tears flowed down his face involuntarily.

Since the spirit beast turmoil began, over the past half year, in order to guard Tiexian Castle, the Ma family had already lost hundreds of clansmen. These people were all cultivators that the Ma family had cultivated for many years, and they were also their blood relatives and brothers.

Watching familiar clansmen fall before his eyes one by one, even though the person before him was already a Foundation Establishment cultivator with accomplished cultivation, he still could not help but feel a burst of sorrow in his heart.

Hearing the news that his family had lost another Foundation Establishment cultivator, Ma Hongshan also found it somewhat difficult to accept. He clenched his fists slightly, and only after a long time did he sigh and say:

"First concentrate and control all those cultivators from the Yu family who escaped back. Do not let the news that Mount Fulong was broken through by spirit beasts spread. Also, block the news about Jingxuan. At this time, we must not shake the morale of the army."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator standing below nodded and said: "Third Uncle, rest assured. I have already arranged this before I came. The Yu family's cultivators have also all been locked up in the back mountain."

Ma Hongshan nodded and said: "I am at ease with you handling things. Losing Mount Fuyun is nothing. As long as we can hold onto Tiexian Castle, these can all be taken back in the future. It's just that the situation is critical now. May Heaven bless the Ma family so that we can successfully survive this disaster."

"Third Uncle, how is the situation over at Mount Tuoyun? Didn't Feng Yangde say he had injured the Cloud Crane Spirit King? Why are they still delaying in coming to support? Could it be that Ancestor Chen really doesn't want to care about us this time?"

Ma Hongshan sighed and said: "Ancestor Chen's lifespan was already running out. With no news for so long, he has likely already passed away. Over at Mount Tuoyun, in order to stabilize people's hearts, they dare not say it directly now."

"This junior Feng Yangde, back then he still had an honest look in front of me. Now that he has just formed a fake core, he really treats himself as a Jin Dan cultivator. Every time he writes a letter, it is full of perfunctory words. I really don't know how Chen Jinliang could choose to hand over Mount Tuoyun to such a thing."

"If I had known that this kid Feng Yangde was such an ungrateful person, when Chen Jinliang came to discuss this matter with me, I should not have agreed to help him support Feng Yangde in forming a core. Handing Mount Tuoyun over to this person, Chen Jinliang was truly blind."

Once Feng Yangde of Mount Tuoyun was mentioned, Ma Hongshan's face also revealed a trace of disgust at this moment, venting his dissatisfaction with Feng Yangde in his heart for a while.

Back then, when Chen Jinliang came to Ma Hongshan to discuss the crusade against Mount Dahei, their three-party alliance actually had their own purposes.

The reason Chen Jinliang took the lead in this matter was to support his disciple Feng Yangde in forming a fake core, so that he could help him hold onto this foundation that Mount Tuoyun had worked so hard to create.

The Xiaoyao Sect was for the sake of earning spirit stones, participating their own forces into Mount Tuoyun. Over the years, the new market established by both sides on Mount Tuoyun had also allowed the Xiaoyao Sect to earn quite a few spirit stones.

In order to hold onto this new market, after this spirit beast turmoil, the Xiaoyao Sect also specifically sent a batch of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators to support Mount Tuoyun.

The Ma family's biggest purpose in helping was to clear out Mount Dahei, which was the greatest threat to the northwest of Wei Guo, and try to make some preparations as early as possible, so that their days would be easier when the spirit beast turmoil followed.

Ma Hongshan also knew that after Chen Jinliang passed away, Mount Tuoyun lost this powerful Jin Dan ancestor, and the overall strength would definitely plummet, and it might be unable to support Tiexian Castle in time every time there was a spirit beast turmoil like before.

According to the plan in Ma Hongshan's heart, as long as they could successfully eradicate the Black Flame Tiger, the mid-stage Jin Dan spirit beast that was the greatest threat to Tiexian Castle at that time, the other two early-stage Jin Dan spirit beasts that had been dealing with Tiexian Castle for hundreds of years, even without the support of Mount Tuoyun, the Ma family would have enough ability to deal with them by themselves.

It was just that Ma Hongshan never expected that in this spirit beast turmoil, two strange spirit beasts suddenly appeared in the northwest of Wei Guo. The situation at Tiexian Castle was now extremely critical, even worse than the situation a hundred years ago.

However, to mention the relationship between the Ma family of Tiexian Castle and Chen Jinliang of Mount Tuoyun, it actually had to be said about the previous generation of the Ma family patriarch.

Tiexian Castle was the family business created by the previous generation of the Ma family patriarch hundreds of years ago. Back then, this Ma family patriarch successfully formed a core by a twist of fate, leading the Ma family to gradually rule this territory in the northwest of Wei Guo, and it had already continued for more than six hundred years by the time it reached Ma Hongshan's hands.

Back when the previous generation of the Ma family patriarch was still alive, he had once helped Chen Jinliang, who had just successfully formed a core. The relationship between the two was very good. Later, he also helped Chen Jinliang take Mount Tuoyun, a third-tier spirit vein, from the hands of spirit beasts. From this point of view, the Ma family still had some kindness to Chen Jinliang back then.

Tiexian Castle was located on the only way for spirit beasts to head south, and the pressure of spirit beasts it faced was greater than that of Mount Tuoyun. After the previous generation of the Ma family patriarch passed away, although he supported the current patriarch Ma Hongshan in successfully forming a core, Ma Hongshan at that time had just formed a core not long ago, and his strength was still somewhat insufficient.

Facing the once-in-a-hundred-year spirit beast turmoil, it was indeed difficult for Ma Hongshan alone, who had just formed a core, to block it, and the entire Tiexian Castle soon fell into a huge crisis.

(End of chapter)