Chapter 671: An Autumn of Many Troubles, A Great Battle Against Demon Cultivators (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Four days later, in the Meeting Immortals Pavilion atop Mount Funiu, Song Qingyu stood on the top floor looking at the distant scenery, a trace of worry on her face.

It had only been half a year since the Battle of "Mount Tuoyun" repelled the army of demonic beasts invading from the Floating Yunshan Range to the north. Unexpectedly, formidable demon cultivators had appeared in the territory of Qinghe County to cause trouble. Thinking of the recent events, Song Qingyu felt deeply helpless in her heart.

"The wind and rain are coming; it truly has become an autumn of many troubles!"

Just as Song Qingyu was lost in thought, Song Yuanfang had already walked quickly up to the pavilion. Seeing his figure appear, Song Qingyu immediately put away the worry on her face, replacing it with a very relaxed expression.

"Yuanfang, how are things on your side? Is everything prepared?"

Song Yuanfang stepped forward and replied in a firm voice: "Reporting to Great-Aunt, everything is already prepared. Apart from the Gao family, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the other vassal families have all arrived at the family council hall to assemble.

Great-Aunt, should we wait two more days to see? Ancestor Siyuan is estimated to be back in these few days. It would be safer if she, the elder, went along with us."

"No matter! The situation is pressing now, and Gao Yubai is still in the hands of the demon cultivators, his life or death unknown. We cannot just sit here and wait; otherwise, how will outsiders view us in the future?

Yuanfang, I will take them to set off first; everything here is left to you." After Song Qingyu solemnly entrusted this to Song Yuanfang, she turned and left the "Meeting Immortals Pavilion."

After sending a message to the Xiaoyao Sect explaining the Gao family's situation, she waited for several consecutive days, yet still did not see the sect send anyone over. Song Qingyu was now also somewhat unable to hold back.

Judging from the information provided by the Gao family, Gao Yubai was still alive. If they ignored his life or death and it ultimately led to him dying at the hands of the demon cultivators, this would certainly have some impact on the Song family's reputation.

After all, eliminating demons and defending the Dao was the duty of all righteous cultivators. If the Song family allowed the vassal families under its banner to be bullied by demon cultivators without asking or intervening, it would be somewhat unjustifiable no matter where it was said.

After some deliberation, Song Qingyu still decided to summon the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the vassal families under her banner in Qinghe County alone, preparing to first go to "Mount Bailin," where Gao Yubai had gone missing, to check the situation.

In the Song family council hall on Mount Funiu, three Song family Foundation Establishment elders—Song Changze, Song Yuanhao, and Song Yuanxue—as well as several vassal immortal cultivation families under the Song family banner—Huang Mengde, Li Chengyue, Wang Huaqing, Chen Yun'an, and Luo Daozhen—a total of eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, had already gathered here.

Luo Daozhen was a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator who had migrated from the Zheng Kingdom a few years ago. This person had originally occupied a second-tier spiritual vein near Guiyun Market and founded an immortal cultivation family. Now, there were already several dozen cultivators in the family.

A few years ago, because the demonic beast unrest in the Northern Frontier was imminent and Luo Daozhen did not want to move his family into Guiyun Market to take refuge, he inquired everywhere, wanting to move his family to a relatively safer place.

Later, Luo Daozhen made connections with the Song family through others, purchased a second-tier spiritual vein near "Red Cloud Market," and moved his entire family to Qinghe County, becoming the sixth Foundation Establishment family in Qinghe County.

Luo Daozhen's cultivation was about the same as Chen Yun'an's; he was also a sixth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, he was younger than Chen Yun'an and still had some hope of breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in the future.

Seeing Song Qingyu walk in from the doorway with a smile on her face, everyone hurriedly stood up and bowed respectfully with cupped hands.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

After Song Qingyu swept a sharp gaze over everyone present, she said with a calm expression: "Everyone! You should all know the purpose of this trip."

"Eliminating demons and slaying devils is the heavy responsibility of our generation of righteous cultivators. I hope you can all work together to face the enemy and not let this seat down. Now, saving people is urgent; I will not say more, let's set off with me!"

"We respectfully obey the Ancestor's order!" After everyone responded in unison, they immediately followed behind Song Qingyu and walked quickly out of the council hall.

This time, apart from Song Qingyu, the Jin Dan Ancestor, the eight summoned Foundation Establishment cultivators all had cultivation bases at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment or higher, which was the strongest batch of Foundation Establishment cultivators that could be gathered in the entire Qinghe County now.

After leaving Mount Funiu, Song Qingyu led everyone to the Gao family's "Mount Lianhua" in the south. After joining with Gao Changjin of the Gao family, the group of ten then came together to "Mount Bailin," not far from the Gao family.

Just as they arrived near "Mount Bailin," everyone saw demonic Qi soaring into the sky from one side of the distant mountain peak. It seemed that demon cultivators were casting spells to refine some formidable demonic artifact.

Seeing this, Song Qingyu and the others did not delay any further, directly accelerating their escape speed and turning into streaks of light, rushing toward the location of the demonic Qi on the mountain peak.

After arriving there, Song Qingyu and the others soon discovered Gao Yubai, who had been tied to a rack and was already unconscious, in an open space. Beside him were also many Gao family Qi Refining cultivators who had likewise lost all movement.

Not far from where the Gao family members were tied, there were four Foundation Establishment demon cultivators sitting cross-legged, struggling to cast spells to temper a blood-red jade plate emitting bursts of powerful demonic Qi. It seemed they wanted to use Gao Yubai and the others to sacrifice and refine the demonic artifact in their hands.

"Patriarch, are you alright!"

Once he saw the unconscious Gao Yubai and the demon cultivators casting spells not far away, Gao Changjin, who was standing to the side, suddenly became somewhat agitated and couldn't help but want to rush forward to rescue his many clansmen.

"Do not be anxious. Everyone, listen to my order: first eliminate these demon cultivators, then go to save the people."

Before Gao Changjin could take two steps, Song Qingyu immediately gave a light reprimand to stop his behavior, and subsequently issued the order to attack those few demon cultivators to the many cultivators beside her.

Seeing Song Qingyu, a Jin Dan cultivator, leading so many Foundation Establishment experts to arrive here, those few Foundation Establishment demon cultivators who were tempering the demonic artifact were also immediately thrown into a panic.

After putting away the blood-red jade plate that was still in mid-air, these demon cultivators immediately turned and fled toward the direction of a large hall behind them.

"Demonic thieves, don't run!"

Seeing these few demon cultivators wanting to escape before their eyes, everyone, eager to prove their abilities in front of Song Qingyu, the Jin Dan Ancestor, also immediately flew in pursuit.

The opposing side only had a mere four Foundation Establishment demon cultivators, and the one with the highest cultivation was only at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment; they were not that formidable.

The Qinghe County side, including Gao Changjin, had a total of nine people who came. Except for Gao Changjin, who had reached Foundation Establishment late and was only at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, all were cultivators at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment or higher.

Such combat power on the Qinghe County cultivator side had already exceeded these few demon cultivators by more than double. Taking them down could be said to be a sure thing.

Including the few Song family Foundation Establishment cultivators, no one present wanted to miss this great opportunity to kill demon cultivators and earn merit. Only Song Yuanxue, who was relatively more cautious, acted slightly slower.

Before those demon cultivators could escape into the hall, Li Chengyue, who was the first to catch up behind them, cast a spell and threw out a seal. This seal grew with the wind, quickly turning into a huge bronze seal over a zhang wide, directly smashing toward the heads of those few demon cultivators.

Seeing the huge bronze seal in Li Chengyue's hand about to fall, the four demon cultivators, having no time to dodge, took the initiative to stop their steps. Turning to face the people who had come to chase them, they threw out the demonic artifact they had just been tempering in mid-air.

Only to see that "blood-colored jade plate," after flying into mid-air, merely struck lightly, and it bounced back Li Chengyue's huge golden seal magic treasure.

Subsequently, this "blood-colored jade plate," under the control of the few demon cultivators, suddenly shot out nine streaks of blood light, trapping all nine people from Qinghe County who had come in pursuit inside a blood-colored cage.

Facing this sudden change, Li Chengyue and the others did not pay too much attention at first, hurriedly waving the magic treasures in their hands to launch fierce attacks against the blood-colored light barrier, wanting to break this blood-colored cage.

However, unexpectedly, under the full-force activation of the "blood-colored jade plate" by the four demon cultivators sitting cross-legged on the ground, the recovery ability of the blood-colored cage was extremely formidable. Just as a gap was opened and before everyone could rush out, it immediately restored itself.

Li Chengyue, Song Yuanhao, and the others each displayed many formidable means they possessed, but none could break the blockade of the blood-colored cage, and they were trapped inside all at once.

"What, what on earth is this ghost thing? How is it so tough!"

Discovering that this blood-colored cage was somewhat wrong, the people trapped in the cage suddenly felt something ominous and couldn't help but become somewhat anxious.

Song Qingyu, standing not far behind, had also long since discovered that something seemed somewhat wrong ahead.

Seeing this, Song Qingyu, who originally did not want to intervene in the battle, immediately flew into mid-air and flicked out a sword Qi of incomparably tyrannical power, heading straight for the four demon cultivators sitting cross-legged, wanting to stop them from continuing to cast spells and rescue the Qinghe County group who had just been trapped.

However, just as Song Qingyu made her move, a gust of evil wind suddenly rolled in from behind those four demon cultivators. Immediately following, a mass of red blood mist arrived in mid-air in front of the four of them, revealing a black-clothed figure.

Facing the sword Qi launched by Song Qingyu that was already close at hand, the black-clothed person showed no panic on their face, instead revealing a few traces of light laughter with indifference.

Only to see the black-clothed man quickly raise his hand and wave it, and a magic treasure similar to the "blood-colored jade plate" that the few people had just taken out appeared out of thin air in front of him.

This "blood-colored jade plate," compared to the one controlled by the four Foundation Establishment cultivators just now, was clearly much more powerful; it was evidently a third-tier magic treasure of not low quality.

The sword Qi launched by Song Qingyu had just reached the shield formed by the "blood-colored jade plate" when a burst of harsh metallic clashing sounds immediately rang out.

However, in a moment, that sword Qi confronting the black-clothed man directly vanished into mid-air. "Hehe! Bullying these juniors is not a glorious thing. If you, Excellency, want to make a move and have a fight, how about I come and meet you!"

After blocking this attack from Song Qingyu, the black-clothed man smiled and put away the magic treasure in front of him, looking toward Song Qingyu not far away with a mocking expression.

"A Jin Dan demon cultivator, it really was as I guessed!"

Seeing the aura emanating from the person in front of her, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on Song Qingyu's face. She looked solemnly at the black-clothed man who had suddenly appeared in front of her, and her hand also involuntarily gathered a mass of magic power again.

The powerful strike that this black-clothed man had just displayed showed a cultivation base clearly much higher than Song Qingyu's, having already reached about the sixth layer of Jin Dan.

Although before coming here, Song Qingyu already had some premonition that those who made a move against Gao Yubai and the others might be demon cultivators above the Jin Dan stage, seeing such a Jin Dan sixth-layer demon cultivator expert like this black-clothed man, Song Qingyu still couldn't help but reveal a few traces of surprise on her face.

A demon cultivator with such a profound cultivation base, logically speaking, was unlikely to set their sights on an ordinary Foundation Establishment family like the Gao family. Moreover, this black-clothed man in front of her was not at all surprised by the appearance of Song Qingyu and the others; it was evident that he had also long since guessed that they would come to rescue Gao Yubai.

"The other side has been deliberately staying here waiting for us to come to the rescue; could the real purpose be aimed at me?" After quickly calculating in her heart, Song Qingyu suddenly felt a trace of something wrong.

Without too much hesitation, after waving her hand to launch another sword light to slash at the black-clothed man, Song Qingyu immediately turned to want to leave this open space where she was.

Unexpectedly, just as Song Qingyu had moved, another person covered from head to toe in a black robe flew over quickly from not far to her side behind, waving a fierce punch to block her path.

Immediately following, a mass of purple cloud mist in mid-air had also flown above her head. Subsequently, more than ten streaks of blood-colored spiritual light suddenly flew out from the purple cloud mist and landed on the ground not far around Song Qingyu as the center.

"Fellow Daoist, since you have arrived here, why are you in such a hurry to leave."

After a burst of a woman's laughter came from the purple cloud mist, streaks of blood light suddenly flew out from around the open space where Song Qingyu was, gathering toward the high sky.

After these streaks of blood light flew into mid-air and gathered into a mass, they immediately turned into a huge blood-colored cage several hundred zhang in radius, covering everyone present, including those demon cultivators, all inside the blood-colored light barrier.

After the blood-colored light barrier was formed, the purple cloud mist in front of Song Qingyu changed again, turning into a somewhat enchanting purple-clothed woman, who looked at her with a giggle.

This purple-clothed woman full of evil Qi had a cultivation base about the same as Song Qingyu's; she was also a troublesome Jin Dan third-layer demon cultivator. And the black-robed person who had just made a move to force back Song Qingyu also had a cultivation base of the Jin Dan second layer from the aura on his body.

However, just now, through the exchange with the black-robed person, Song Qingyu clearly felt that there was not a trace of vitality on the other side's body; it should just be a Jin Dan corpse puppet refined by a demon cultivator, and its controller was that Jin Dan sixth-layer black-clothed man not far away.

Seeing that the other side had come with another Jin Dan third-layer demon cultivator not weaker than herself, and also used a Jin Dan corpse puppet with no small strength, Song Qingyu, who had already been besieged in the middle, instantly frowned as well.

However, at this moment, Song Qingyu did not appear too panicked; instead, her face became calm. She spoke in a tranquil tone to the two people in front of her: "You really have enough courage, actually daring to stay here. Could it be that you really do not put my Xiaoyao Sect in your eyes."

Facing Song Qingyu's verbal deterrence, the black-clothed man replied with a look of contempt:

"Fellow Daoist Song, now that it has reached this point, I think you had better not open your mouth here to scare people. To tell you the truth, everything today was carefully prepared for you for a long time. This Blood Sea Demon Cloud Array outside was laid out using the essence blood of tens of thousands of mortals and cultivators. Even a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator would find it difficult to escape. Since you have now fallen into the array, it is not very likely that you will leave here alive."

"Hehe! Senior Brother, no need to bother with her. Her pretending to be calm like this should also be wanting to delay time, waiting for people from the Xiaoyao Sect to come to the rescue! But it's a pity, the Xiaoyao Sect side doesn't know what happened here at this moment, and it's impossible for reinforcements to come here today. I advise you to give up this idea and accept reality."

After the purple-clothed woman laughed and mocked Song Qingyu, she waved her hand and threw out a red sound-transmission talisman. It was exactly the emergency sound-transmission spiritual talisman she had sent to the Guyang Mountain side a few days ago to ask for help.

Seeing this spiritual talisman appear in the other side's hand, Song Qingyu's face suddenly became somewhat ugly, as if she had completely not thought that the sound-transmission spiritual talisman she had sent to the sect had actually already been intercepted by the other side.

"So you have always been hiding near Mount Funiu, you really are somewhat calculating. No wonder it has been so long and the sect side hasn't sent anyone over. Today, I finally know the reason."

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Song is truly smart, it's just a pity that you are smart a little too late!" Hearing Song Qingyu's belated realization and feeling that the other side had been played by her, the purple-clothed woman couldn't help but laugh out loud a few more times.

"Fellow Daoist Song, I advise you not to count on too much. Before coming to deal with you, we had already inquired clearly that your family patriarch went out for training, and the other Jin Dan elder is not in the clan now. In Qinghe County, there is only you, a Jin Dan cultivator, left.

Now there will be no one from the Xiaoyao Sect to come to the rescue, and it is impossible for you to have a chance to escape. I think you should know your current situation now.

If you voluntarily take this spiritual elixir and join my Demon Sect, the Cangyun Gate, from now on we will all be fellow disciples, and we naturally will not make things difficult for you.

I am giving you good advice; if you, Fellow Daoist, still do not know what is good for you.

Hehe! My magic treasure has already refined the spirits of hundreds of cultivators, and it is just lacking the spirit of a powerful Jin Dan cultivator. If you are refined into it, it should be able to increase its power quite a bit. Fellow Daoist Song, I don't need to remind you again how to choose, right!"

The black-clothed man grabbed a blood-red spiritual elixir in one hand, while the other hand cast a spell to release a black flag. As soon as the flag appeared, bursts of soul-stirring ghost wailing and wolf howling sounds immediately came from it.

"Senior Brother! I still wanted to refine her into a corpse puppet after killing her in a while. Why are you saying so much to her? Could it be that you see this girl looks good and can't bring yourself to make a move!"

Just as the black-clothed person finished speaking, the purple-clothed woman to the side suddenly became somewhat unhappy and asked with some incomprehension.

"Hmph! You demonic petty people, no need to put on an act here. Whatever means you have, just use them. Even if I can't leave here today, I will definitely not let you have an easy time!"

Watching the two people opposite singing in harmony, as if they had already decided her fate, a cold glint flashed in Song Qingyu's eyes. With a movement of magic power on her body, her natal magic treasure, the "Xuanming Golden Light Sword," immediately appeared beside her.

"Hmph! Truly not knowing what is good for you."

Seeing that Song Qingyu was unmoved by his inducements, the black-clothed man's face turned cold, and he immediately commanded the black-robed corpse puppet to the side to directly launch an attack on Song Qingyu's position.

"Senior Brother, let me meet her first!" The purple-clothed woman to the side, seeing this, was likewise unwilling to fall behind. Turning into a purple cloud, she flew toward Song Qingyu's side, and both sides immediately became entangled in a fight.

Song Qingyu cultivated the sword cultivation path, and her combat strength was much more formidable than ordinary cultivators of the same tier. Although the purple-clothed woman was also a Jin Dan third-layer cultivator, plus the help of a Jin Dan second-layer black-robed corpse puppet, she still couldn't take any advantage in front of Song Qingyu.

Seeing that the purple-clothed woman couldn't take down the other side, the black-clothed man was just about to join the battle when he heard a cry for help from the few Foundation Establishment demon cultivators below to the side.

"Master, these people are about to escape!"

Song Qingyu's side had already started fighting, but the nine Foundation Establishment cultivators from Qinghe County, who had been trapped in the blood-colored cage below, still did not know what was happening outside.

The Qinghe County group trapped inside, seeing that Song Qingyu had been slow to come and help, had no choice but to take out a set of formation flags they had prepared beforehand, starting to form an array and join forces to impact the blood-colored cage trapping them in front of them.

This set of third-tier low-grade formation flags was refined by Song Qingming after he broke through to become a third-tier formation master, and it had always been stored in the family's Golden Treasury Pavilion.

This time, coming to deal with demon cultivators, to prevent any problems, Song Yuanfang had taken this set of formation flags out of the Golden Treasury Pavilion and handed them to Song Yuanxue to carry.

This set of third-tier low-grade grand array was named the "Qiankun Wind and Cloud Array." It was a type of formation that could combine arrays to share the attack damage of high-tier cultivators from the enemy side, and could also aggregate the power of a portion of the cultivators within it to counterattack the enemy.

Years ago, when Song Qingming was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he participated in the battle to encircle and suppress the Black Flame Tiger at "Mount Tuoyun" and had once paired with others to use this grand array to contain a mid-stage Jin Dan demon king.

After the nine people trapped in the blood-colored cage activated the "Qiankun Wind and Cloud Array," the strength they exerted was already equivalent to a small half of a Jin Dan cultivator.

Under their joint attack, the four Foundation Establishment demon cultivators controlling the cage outside suddenly felt huge pressure and could only open their mouths to ask for help from the black-clothed man in mid-air.

Seeing this, the black-clothed man hesitated slightly for a moment, then waved his hand and released six Foundation Establishment corpse puppets to go and help. He himself then directly rushed toward Song Qingyu's side, wanting to make a quick decision and first eliminate Song Qingyu, this most formidable Jin Dan opponent.

Just as the black-clothed man joined the battle, Song Qingyu, facing the pincer attack of three people, felt the pressure on her body becoming greater and greater, gradually falling into a disadvantage.

However, at this moment, although she was no match for the other side's siege, she also displayed the powerful attack power of a sword cultivator. After fighting for over a hundred rounds, although she had gradually been suppressed by the other side, she was still able to counterattack them from time to time, making them not dare to get too close.

Just as everyone was fighting inside the blood-colored light barrier, a huge sword light suddenly appeared outside the light barrier and slashed onto it, shaking the entire blood-colored light barrier with a burst of trembling sounds with one strike.

"What is going on? Who is here!" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 672 =====