Chapter 520: Leaving a Way Out

To the west of Iron Immortal Fortress lies a massive mountain range stretching for ten thousand miles, known as the Yunque Mountain Range.

Like the Mount Yunwu Mountain Range to the east of Qinghe County, this mountain range is a place rarely visited by humans. There are no paths through it, and it is infested with venomous snakes and demonic beasts. Not to mention mortals without cultivation, even ordinary Qi Refining cultivators find it as difficult as ascending to heaven to pass through here.

For this mission to support Iron Immortal Fortress, the Nine Origin Sect specifically brought two large flying ships, just in case they could not defeat the Xiaoyao Sect and needed to evacuate Iron Immortal Fortress at any time.

The large flying ships used by the Ma family and the Nine Origin Sect are specifically used by major sects in the cultivation world to transport supplies. Their flight speed is only slightly faster than that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It would take at least seven or eight days to successfully cross the Yunque Mountain Range, and their evacuation speed is far inferior to the small flying ships used by Li Li Mufeng and the others.

Although the Nine Origin Sect had prepared in advance and used magic treasures to conceal the tracks of these two flying ships, they were quickly discovered by Li Li Mufeng and the others who had been pursuing them, less than three days after departing from Iron Immortal Fortress and entering the Yunque Mountain Range.

Seeing a streak of green light rapidly catching up from behind and knowing they could no longer hide, Wu Wu Jiuyuan immediately led all the Golden Core cultivators under his command to meet them, intending to stall the Xiaoyao Sect's pursuers and buy time for the two flying ships to evacuate.

"Li Li Mufeng, I have already returned Iron Immortal Fortress to you. There is no need for your Xiaoyao Sect to keep pestering us!"

"Hmph! If you voluntarily hand over Ma Ma Hongshan, I can give your Nine Origin Sect a chance and stop holding you accountable for interfering in the affairs of the Wei Kingdom. I am too lazy to waste words with you today, Wu Wu Jiuyuan. You had better think this through!"

Wu Wu Jiuyuan replied with a calm expression: "Fellow Daoist Li, I will say it again: the Ma family has already joined my Nine Origin Sect. It is impossible for me to ignore their affairs. I hope you will give me some face, Fellow Daoist, and not be too overbearing!"

"Too overbearing? You have the nerve to say that, Fellow Daoist Wu? You brought people to the Wei Kingdom to interfere in the affairs of my Xiaoyao Sect's subordinates; is that not being overbearing?"

After the demonic beast turmoil, facing the Xiaoyao Sect, whose strength had already declined, the Nine Origin Sect was also somewhat restless. Faced with the Ma family's voluntary defection, Wu Wu Jiuyuan did not think much and agreed directly. He not only promised the Ma family many benefits but also helped support Ma Fairy Qiudie in successfully forming her Golden Core.

Wu Wu Jiuyuan had not expected that in the battle for Iron Immortal Fortress, even with two Golden Core cultivators from the Ma family defecting to their side, the Nine Origin Sect still could not defeat the weakened Xiaoyao Sect. Wu Wu Jiuyuan had then helplessly chosen to voluntarily evacuate Iron Immortal Fortress.

He had thought that with the Ma family defecting, the Nine Origin Sect would have the strength to contend with the Xiaoyao Sect.

The Yue Kingdom, where the Nine Origin Sect is located, was originally a small country without a Nascent Soul sect. Wu Wu Jiuyuan was only able to break through to the Nascent Soul stage with the support of the Wanling Sect behind him.

After unifying the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world, although the Nine Origin Sect had become a Nascent Soul sect, it still nominally submitted to the Qin Kingdom and had not completely shaken off the influence of the Wanling Sect. This point was also what other Nascent Soul sects in the Fuyun Mountain Range looked down upon them for the most.

Although they could not hold onto the territory of Iron Immortal Fortress, Wu Wu Jiuyuan could not voluntarily abandon the Ma family cultivators they had worked so hard to recruit. Otherwise, the great price the Nine Origin Sect had paid this time would have been completely in vain.

Hearing Li Li Mufeng mention the Wanling Sect, Wu Wu Jiuyuan's expression changed, and he immediately looked quite displeased.

"Wu Wu Jiuyuan, if it weren't for the sake of the Wanling Sect, it wouldn't just be a matter of handing over the Ma family here today!"

The Wanling Sect that Li Li Mufeng spoke of is located in the Qin Kingdom to the west of the Fuyun Mountain Range. The sect has three Nascent Soul cultivators and is even stronger than the Xingchen Sect of the Wu Kingdom. It is currently recognized as the most powerful sect among the dozens of countries in the Fuyun Mountain Range's cultivation world.

The reason the Nine Origin Sect voluntarily came to Iron Immortal Fortress in the Wei Kingdom was also because they wanted to annex the Ma family, a Golden Core family, to enhance their own strength.

"I will stall Li Li Mufeng. You are responsible for stopping the other Golden Core cultivators of the Xiaoyao Sect. Do not get entangled with them; just keep them contained. I have already arranged for Yuhe to lead people to meet us ahead. As long as the flying ships cross the Yunque Mountain Range, we should be safe."

Seeing that Wu Wu Jiuyuan had not replied to him, Li Li Mufeng did not continue to pester them. With a command, he led the Xiaoyao Sect group and charged directly over.

It was just a pity that the Nine Origin Sect had only become a Nascent Soul sect for a hundred years; its foundation was still far inferior to an old-established Nascent Soul sect like the Xiaoyao Sect.

Over these years, he had led the Nine Origin Sect to expand its territory everywhere and enhance its strength, just to shake off the influence of the Wanling Sect on them as soon as possible and allow the Nine Origin Sect to truly rank among the top-tier sects of the Fuyun Mountain Range.

Two Nascent Soul cultivators flew toward the high sky, and soon a sound of earth-shaking magical combat came from the horizon. Seeing this, the Golden Core cultivators of both sides were also on the verge of breaking out, and they soon became entangled in combat.

Although the Nine Origin Sect side was clearly unable to defeat the Xiaoyao Sect in a head-on fight this time because Wang Wang Ziheng was injured and could not fight, having returned to the Yue Kingdom in advance, and thus missing one Golden Core cultivator.

However, under the leadership of Yue Yue Wuji, the Nine Origin Sect side learned from the lessons of the last time. They did not continue to fight alone but chose to gather together to face the enemy. This way, they could support each other at any time and would not give the other side too many opportunities to inflict heavy damage or kill their companions.

The two sides fought for half a day. Although the Xiaoyao Sect side held the upper hand, they did not gain much advantage and were unable to break through the defensive formation formed by the few people of the Nine Origin Sect, unable to break the stalemate on the battlefield.

Just at this moment, a streak of golden light flew from the distant horizon; it was Zhao Zhao Menglian, a Golden Core Elder who had been in seclusion in the sect until not long ago.

Seeing that another Golden Core cultivator had arrived on their side, Yao Yao Ganshu's expression turned joyful. He immediately transmitted his voice to Chen Chen Xuanxin on the side: "Junior Brother Chen, take Junior Sister Zhao and go pursue those two flying ships of the Nine Origin Sect. Uncle-Master Li has ordered that we must not let the Ma family people go. If we are any later, I'm afraid they will cross the Yunque Mountain Range."

After receiving the instructions from Sect Master Yao Yao Ganshu, Chen Chen Xuanxin immediately withdrew from the battle, retreated to the side to rendezvous with Zhao Zhao Menglian who had arrived at the battlefield, and directly bypassed the crowd to pursue toward the west.

Seeing the Xiaoyao Sect split their forces to pursue the flying ships ahead, Ma Ma Hongshan and Ma Fairy Qiudie also secretly thought it was bad. They also withdrew from the battlefield, wanting to pursue and stop Chen Chen Xuanxin and the other.

However, Ma Ma Hongshan and his companion had just withdrawn from the battlefield and had not run far before they were quickly intercepted by the joint efforts of Song Song Qingming and Jin Wu Ziyuan.

The strength of the two Ma family members was not stronger than that of Song Song Qingming and Jin Wu Ziyuan. The two of them desperately used many divine abilities, wanting to shake off Song Song Qingming and Jin Wu Ziyuan, but they were unable to do so. Instead, because they were too anxious, they were slowly forced back by Song Song Qingming and the others.

"Fellow Daoist Song, the Ma family is facing a disaster today, and it is all a forced and helpless move. I hope you can raise your hand high and make things convenient for us. The Ma family will definitely repay you in the future."

Just as the few were fighting, a secret voice transmission from Ma Ma Hongshan suddenly reached Song Song Qingming's ears, begging Song Song Qingming to let them pass.

Seeing that Song Song Qingming also did not pay attention to him and still had no intention of letting them go, Ma Ma Hongshan said with a sorrowful tone: "Think of my clan, with over a hundred years and a dozen generations of cultivators, who have gone through fire and water for their Xiaoyao Sect and shed so much blood, yet we still cannot get their trust.

Fellow Daoist Song, your Song family is still weak now and does not threaten the Xiaoyao Sect. When the Song family becomes strong in the future, you will definitely end up like our Ma family. I advise you, Fellow Daoist, to leave a way out for yourself first!"

Hearing Ma Ma Hongshan's earnest words, Song Song Qingming was only slightly stunned for a moment. He did not choose to clear the way for the two Ma family members, and his expression remained unchanged, as if he had not heard Ma Ma Hongshan's voice transmission at all.

Regarding this long-planned rebellion of the Ma family, although Song Song Qingming was very surprised at first, after learning some of the situation later, he slowly understood some of Ma Ma Hongshan's motives in his heart.

In Ma Ma Hongshan's hands, although the Ma family appeared to be developing very rapidly on the surface, the estrangement with the sect had also been growing larger and larger over these years, and the Xiaoyao Sect had long had the intention to suppress them.

Having guarded Iron Immortal Fortress for hundreds of years, many in the Ma family had already become accustomed to the days when the family dominated one side. They even dared to reach out and touch the interests of the superior Xiaoyao Sect and bargain, having long ago selectively forgotten their status as a vassal cultivation family.

The cultivation world is always ruled by the strong, and the weak will not have many choices. Even if the Ma family guarded the northwest of the Wei Kingdom for the Xiaoyao Sect for hundreds of years and made great contributions, in the eyes of the Xiaoyao Sect, they would always be a pawn of the sect and would not be qualified to be a chess player.

When the Ma family, this pawn, became increasingly powerful and somewhat disobedient, being suppressed by the sect was certainly an inevitable result. As long as the Xiaoyao Sect still exists in the Wei Kingdom's cultivation world, whether or not there is a Ma family will not have much of an impact.

What the Xiaoyao Sect needs is a pawn that can help them guard one side and deal with demonic beast invasions, not a Ma family that has broken away from the sect's control and wants to stand on equal footing with the Xiaoyao Sect and compete for cultivation resources.

Whether it is the Ma family today or the Song family tomorrow, as long as they are low-tier cultivators in the cultivation world, they will be oppressed by high-tier cultivators to a greater or lesser extent. To escape this fate, only by being strong enough oneself can one do so.

The Ma family's choice to betray the Xiaoyao Sect was both a helpless move and also because they were too greedy themselves.

If they had chosen to defect to a sect more powerful than the Xiaoyao Sect, which could make the Xiaoyao Sect voluntarily make concessions to them, perhaps the Ma family could have had a better result. But choosing a Nine Origin Sect whose strength was not even as good as the Xiaoyao Sect led to this situation today. Ma Ma Hongshan's choice back then was indeed a bit too hasty.

Seeing that Song Song Qingming was unmoved, Ma Ma Hongshan gritted his teeth and directly sacrificed a yellow talisman. After the talisman was activated by his magic power, it turned into an earthy-yellow crescent blade in Ma Ma Hongshan's hand, rapidly pressing directly toward Song Song Qingming in front of him.

"Junior Brother Song, be careful!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 521 =====