A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 55: Chapter 52: News Arrives

The night grew darker, and above Yuqing Mountain, the two floating battleships had ceased their attack. Of the original dozens of escape lights, only a dozen remained, still surrounding Yuqing Mountain to maintain the siege.

One of the floating battleships was suspended with luminous pearls and lit with rootless fire, brightly illuminated and particularly conspicuous. This was the flagship of the Chaosheng Sect.

So-called floating battleships merely adopted the form of a boat, but their specific construction was different from those of mortal ships. On the deck of the ship, there was a two-story pavilion, fully occupied, where two cultivators were arguing loudly.

”We can’t retreat, absolutely not!” said a long-bearded cultivator, ”Even if the Zhou Family has found two Foundation Establishment Feathered Scholars to assist, so what? Our Qi Cultivation combat strength is far superior to the Zhou Family’s, and now that we’re in a siege formation, we can’t easily give up.”

The other cultivator looked unnaturally pale: ”The Zhou Family’s Mountain Protection Array is too strong. Without Sect Leader Zhang and Elder Qian taking action, we can’t break the Grand Array with just us.”

The long-bearded cultivator continued eloquently: ”The new Feather Scholars of the Zhou Family have just joined and aren’t yet loyal, so they certainly won’t exert their full strength. If we launch a full-scale attack, those two Feather Scholars might not stay bound to the Zhou Family.”

The pale-faced cultivator sneered: ”A full-scale attack? Alright, then who attacks first? Sect Leader Xu, is it you? If you’re willing to lead your Qingli Mountain disciples to charge at the front, I’ll be willing to have our whole Liuhua Valley army follow.”

Sect Leader Xu flushed with anger and was about to retort when someone at the head gently clapped, ”Enough, stop quarreling.”

A spiritual pressure flashed through, making the Qi Cultivators shiver and fall silent, except for the cultivator seated to his left, who remained calm and composed.

These two Foundation Establishment Feathered Scholars were the Chaosheng Sect’s Sect Leader, Zhang Shouchang, and Honored Guest Elder Qian Ruyi.

Zhang Shouchang said solemnly, ”Sect Leader Xu is right, we cannot retreat. This time our Chaosheng Sect, along with the elites of Qingli Mountain and Liuhua Valley, have fully mobilized, totaling one hundred and fifty cultivators. We definitely have the upper hand against the Zhou Family in terms of combat strength. I’ve also dispatched envoys to sway three of the Zhou Family’s vassals. The army is nearby, and they’re bound to be in a state of panic. If we can persuade them to come over, our advantage will be even greater.”

Qian Ruyi clapped and smiled, ”At this moment, the Zhou Family’s Feather Scholars have only recently attached themselves and are at their weakest. If we don’t go all out now and withdraw hastily, once the Zhou Family recovers, with their Foundation Establishment strength looming over the area, those three vassals will turn back to the Zhou Family. Next time, attacking won’t be so easy.”

Sect Leader Xu was thrilled to see that both Foundation Establishment Scholars agreed with his view and gave the pale-faced cultivator a defiant glare. The pale-faced cultivator felt a jolt and quickly declared, ”Since the Sect Leader commands, our Liuhua Valley will also give our all. Tomorrow, let us and Qingli Mountain lead the charge.”

He was conniving to drag Qingli Mountain into the water no matter what, making Sect Leader Xu curse in his heart.

Zhang Shouchang nodded satisfactorily and cupped his hand toward Qian Ruyi, ”Elder Qian, tomorrow, we will give our all to test the mettle of the Zhou Family’s Feather Scholars.”

Having received money, one must solve others’ troubles. Qian Ruyi naturally complied, smiling, ”Perhaps, just as Sect Leader Xu from Qingli Mountain said, if we launch a full-scale attack and the Zhou Family’s Feather Scholars see no hope of victory, they might stop risking their lives.”

Seeing his viewpoint recognized again, Sect Leader Xu was even more excited. Just as he was about to speak, a commotion sounded outside the pavilion.

”It’s bad! It’s bad! I need to see the Sect Leader! Let me see our Sect Leader!”

”How dare you! Who are you to make such a racket here? Out with you!”

”Sect Leader Master— Sect Leader Master—”

A familiar female voice shocked Sect Leader Xu, then he heard her shout, ”Let me go, something’s happened to Qingli Mountain!”

Sect Leader Xu abruptly stood up, Zhang Shouchang frowned and ordered, ”Bring her in.”

The door of the pavilion opened, and a disheveled woman staggered in.

Sect Leader Xu immediately recognized his young disciple and hurriedly asked, ”Qing’Er, quickly, what happened to Qingli Mountain?”

Upon seeing Sect Leader Xu, the female cultivator wept and choked out, ”Master, master, something terrible has happened! A group of cultivators breached our mountain gate and killed all the fellow disciples! Even Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Zhao is dead!”

The Senior Brother Zhao she mentioned was naturally her love partner.

But Sect Leader Xu couldn’t care less about their trivial affair. Upon hearing the first half of her sentence, he felt as though struck by lightning, roaring, ”What did you say? Say it again?”

”Master! Dozens of cultivators broke through our Mountain Protection Grand Array, killing anyone they saw, plundering anything they could. Our Qingli Mountain, Qingli Mountain has been destroyed!”

Sect Leader Xu felt a sharp pain in his heart, his vision darkening, mumbling, ”Impossible, impossible...”

The cultivators present whispered among themselves. The pale-faced cultivator internally rejoiced at others’ misfortune but donned a façade of sympathy and was about to offer comfort when the female cultivator’s next words nearly choked him with his own saliva.

”They also said, next would be Liuhua Valley!”

The pale-faced cultivator jumped up, ”What?!”

”Enough!” Zhang Shouchang roared, and the pressure of the Feather Scholars flashed, making the female cultivator shudder, ”You’re Sect Leader Xu’s disciple, right? Tell me, where did those cultivators come from?”

”I...I don’t know, I was at the foot of the mountain at the time, and when I looked up, I saw them charging towards the mountain gate. Then they caught me. They quickly breached the gate, and then rushed in, looting and pillaging...”

Zhang Shouchang asked patiently, ”Think carefully, did they mention anything in their conversations?”

Sect Leader Xu also anxiously looked at her; she thought hard for a while, then suddenly exclaimed, ”It seemed like there were several Sect Leaders among them, and something about three sects!”

Three sects? Three sects!

In the surrounding hundreds of miles, who else but the Zhou Family’s three vassal sects could attack Qingli Mountain and Liuhua Valley?

In an instant, everyone realized, and Zhang Shouchang shouted angrily, ”Bastards! We thought they could be used by us and have always been treated with courtesy, yet they dared to backstab us! A mere Qi Cultivation Sect, where did they find the courage to provoke trouble like this, truly audacious!”

Sect Leader Xu could no longer contain himself, falling to the ground, pleading loudly, ”Sect Leader! Sect Leader! I must immediately withdraw my forces and return to the mountain gate. Please allow me to return to the mountain!”

The pale-faced cultivator also hastily knelt, ”Sect Leader! The bandits have gone towards our Liuhua Valley, please allow me to return and defend!”

Zhang Shouchang’s face was ashen, Qian Ruyi said coldly, ”The bandits deliberately let a disciple return with the news, deliberately revealing their objective to shake our army’s morale and get us to recall our forces, relieving the siege on Yuqing Mountain. We cannot fall for it.”

Those cold words made Sect Leader Xu and the pale-faced cultivator feel as if they were in an ice cave. They lay prostrate on the ground, trembling and pleading even louder.

At this moment, the female cultivator cautiously added, ”They also said that after breaching Liuhua Valley, they would attack the Chaosheng Sect next.”

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