Cultivation: From Servant to Revered Immortal

Chapter 265: Chapter 13: The Betraying Earth Spirit Root Cultivator!

”Greetings, Brother Zhou!”

As soon as Sunx Yuanque saw Zhou Xun, he cupped his hands in salute.

”Brother Sunx is in charge of the summons; truly, you hold great authority!” Zhou Xun smiled slightly and returned the salute.

”Brother Zhou, you flatter me; I am merely doing my duty for the sect!”

At this moment, Sunx Yuanque’s face was glowing with satisfaction, looking very pleased with himself.

Although the sect had set a standard for summoning one-third, the actual execution depended entirely on the whims of their summoning team.

Moreover, Sunx Yuanque had a grandfather in the Fake Pill Realm responsible for the entire western region of Xui Country.

Sunx Yuanque naturally thrived in this environment.

And during this period, he received countless benefits.

”To this day, no one from Wangchuan Lake has received the summoning order. Is it perhaps Brother Sunx’s assistance?”

Zhou Xun shifted the topic, asking curiously.

”If someone else were to ask, I would take on the responsibility without hesitation, but since the matter involves Brother Zhou, I dare not hide it from you. But as to who specifically, I dare not say,”

”However, this matter involves a True Pill Cultivator!”

Sunx Yuanque glanced around, then lowered his voice to say.

”A True Pill Cultivator?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun could not help but chuckle; what Sunx Yuanque said was tantamount to telling him directly.

Cloud Light Sect only had three True Pill Cultivators.

Master Fengyue harbored a grudge against him, so couldn’t possibly have helped him, and Master Yun Yi had no interactions with him whatsoever.

Such figures naturally would not concern themselves with a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him.

The only possible candidate was Master Jin Hong.

The two had a connection through the Song Family of Qingyue Square and had once worked together in White Cloud Immortal City, maintaining an exceedingly good personal relationship.

Combining this with the fact that Sunx Yuanque had, during his attempt to recruit Zhou Xun, indicated it was by Master Jin Hong’s command.

All signs pointed to Master Jin Hong being the one to help him.

”Regarding this matter, please convey my gratitude to that senior for me!” Zhou Xun stated.

Upon hearing this, Sunx Yuanque hurriedly waved his hand.

”I dare not take on such a task; it would be best if Brother Zhou personally meets that senior and thanks them face-to-face in the future!”

”By the way, there’s another matter I’d like to inquire about, Brother Sunx!”

Seeing Sunx Yuanque’s demeanor, Zhou Xun smiled slightly without insisting and began inquiring about Fang Tianlun.

The summoning order from Cloud Light Sect was quite clear; as long as each faction sends out one-third of its cultivators,

yet Wuli Mountain, having only two Foundation Establishment cultivators, being entirely summoned was clearly suspicious.

”Please, Brother Zhou, ask freely!”

”This Wuli Mountain only has two Foundation Establishment cultivators; why were they all summoned away?”

”Does Wuli Mountain have some connection to Brother Zhou?” Sunx Yuanque asked in surprise.

”Fang Tianlun and his wife from Wuli Mountain are my close friends, and they encountered this matter and thus asked for my help!” Zhou Xun did not hide anything, directly explaining the situation.

”Speaking of which, this matter is related to a senior brother from my summoning team!”

”A few years ago, he had a conflict with Daoist Fang Tianlun. Knowing that I was responsible for the summons in this area, he asked me to help vent some frustration!”

”I had no idea that Daoist Fang was a friend of Brother Zhou, truly a case of a flood washing the Dragon King’s temple. I will refuse that senior brother of mine regarding this matter!”

Upon hearing this, Sunx Yuanque seemed enlightened, then unwound the whole story to Zhou Xun.

”The summons are not a problem, but could they remain on Wuli Mountain and still be willing to accept any internal sect tasks?” Zhou Xun continued to ask.

”If both of them are willing to accept the summons, then it’s not impossible for them to stay on Wuli Mountain; I can make this decision!”

Sunx Yuanque thought for a moment and replied.

”If that’s the case, then many thanks, Brother Sunx!”

Soon after, Zhou Xun handed over the fifteen batches of refined elixirs to Sunx Yuanque.

Sunx Yuanque opened the elixir bottle and could not help but praise:

”These elixirs are potent; many are close to premium quality. It seems Brother Zhou’s skills in the Alchemy Dao have improved again!”

He then handed Zhou Xun the alchemy materials for the next cycle and stated:

”This time is the same as last time, five furnaces of Healing Pills and ten furnaces of Qi Recovery Pills!”

”No problem!”

Zhou Xun nodded, then took out pills worth twenty thousand spirit stones and traded them with Sunx Yuanque, part of their private deal.

”This quantity is quite large!” Sunx Yuanque exclaimed in surprise upon seeing it.

”The excess is for Brother Sunx to help placate that senior brother, to let go of Fang Tianlun’s family!” Zhou Xun smiled slightly and explained.

”In that case, I won’t refuse!”

Sunx Yuanque nodded; even if just to placate, the amount was quite significant.

It wasn’t until he saw Zhou Xun’s slightly meaningful gaze that he realized that part of it was his own benefit.

Sunx Yuanque sighed in admiration, deeply impressed by Zhou Xun’s thoroughness.

With exceptional alchemy talent and a personality as delightful as a spring breeze, it was no wonder that even Master Jin Hong held him in high regard.

He became even more determined to foster a good relationship with Zhou Xun.

...

At the same time, on the northern border of Xui Country,

a massive fortified city had risen, built relying on the Golden Fate Valley.

Imposing and well-ordered grand arrays appeared one after another in great quantities.

In the rear,

flying ships soared through the sky, spiritual light streaked along, and on the ground, teams of cultivators

traversed mountains and rivers, converging from all over Xui Country towards the Golden Fate Valley.

As time passed day by day, more and more cultivators gathered here, and countless enemy defense prohibitions centered on the Golden Fate Valley spread across a radius of ten thousand miles.

The entire Golden Fate Valley had become a war fortress.

Though the exact number could not be estimated, at the moment, at least over a hundred thousand cultivators were gathered here.

...

A thousand miles across from Golden Fate Valley, enormous camps rise and fall in succession.

These are the garrisons of the Celestial Feather Sect cultivators.

Three months ago, the first flying ship of the Celestial Feather Sect arrived.

Seeing this, Master Yun Yi decisively struck, but unfortunately, among the first batch accompanying the ship were two True Pill cultivators.

Moreover, one of them was a Middle-Stage cultivator.

Unable to drive them out in one fell swoop before they gained a foothold,

They could only watch as the enemy set up camps, and by now, several have been established, protected by Tier Three Arrays.

At the same time, the Celestial Feather Sect continued to reinforce its troops.

Flying ships carrying cultivators continually sailed into the camps.

However, due to the presence of the Hundred Thousand Swamp, reinforcing was not easy for the Celestial Feather Sect.

Although the swamp has begun to dry up and the toxic miasma has retreated, only cultivators above Foundation Establishment can safely pass through.

Cultivators below Foundation Establishment can only traverse safely by large flying ships.

Xui Country naturally discovered this issue.

Thus, several elite squads, led by Core Formation cultivators and comprising Foundation Establishment cultivators, were assembled.

They specialized in infiltrating the Hundred Thousand Swamp, seeking opportunities to intercept flying ships transporting Celestial Feather Sect cultivators.

Wang Erniu, a renowned Sword Cultivator, was assigned to the ambush squad under the command of a master.

For a time, the Celestial Feather Sect suffered significant losses in cultivators and flying ships, with the number of flying ships drastically reduced due to the harassment tactics of Xui Country.

The reinforcement speed of the Celestial Feather Sect was greatly slowed.

At this time, the cultivators from Xui Country had, after six months of recruitment, basically gathered.

With reinforcements from the Fengg Country:

Led by a True Pill cultivator, accompanied by ten Fake Pill, two hundred Foundation Establishment, and ten thousand Qi Refining cultivators.

This power already exceeded that of the Celestial Feather Sect.

Therefore, Master Yun Yi decided to take the initiative and seek an opportunity to launch a decisive battle!

...

The day of the attack arrived in an instant.

A long, resonant bell tolled, and from Xui Country’s camp, many cultivators who had been gathering their strength for a long time swarmed out.

Transforming into countless streaks of light, they soared into the sky, heading overwhelmingly towards the Celestial Feather Sect’s encampment.

Like clouds of cultivators, they blotted out the sky, vibrant lights stretching thousands of miles,

the winds surged, rife with murderous intent!

Wang Erniu floated above a formation of a thousand cultivators, looking toward the opposing side.

These were the cultivators summoned by Red Leaf Square, naturally led by Wang Erniu himself.

Seeing this, the Celestial Feather Sect’s cultivators, not to be outdone, mustered their entire forces.

Tens of thousands of cultivators donned in Celestial Feather Sect attire assembled into nearly a hundred orderly teams, evidently well-drilled and coordinated over time.

In front of them, several silhouettes floated.

The leading four exuded an even more imposing aura, evidently all True Pill cultivators.

”Second Elder, the Xui Country has many people, and half of our people have not yet arrived; why not hold the camp and wait for the main forces before launching the decisive battle!”

A black-robed middle-aged man advised the elder standing at the forefront.

Obviously, he did not understand the elder’s decision.

In his view, Xui Country’s numbers were several times theirs, and they weren’t opponents in a direct clash.

”Our army of cultivators comes from a single sect, trained together for years, in perfect harmony. They’re not something those scattered soldiers can resist!”

”Besides, although they seem more numerous, most of them are just Qi Refining cultivators,”

”Once at the Foundation Establishment level, they’re not much stronger than our sect,”

”And at the Core Formation level, they’re not even as strong as us!”

”Surely, you don’t think mere Qi Refining cultivators could sway the tide of the battle, do you?”

”Or do you think we can’t resist these minor country True Pills?”

”Oh, I almost forgot, Brother Wu is from Xui Country himself, no wonder he’s so timid!”

Another bald man immediately mocked upon hearing this.

”You!”

The black-robed man was immediately furious.

”Alright, Daoist Wu is now one of our Celestial Feather Sect cultivators,”

The elder chided, then explained to the black-robed middle-aged man.

”As for Daoist Wu’s words, they are not without reason,”

”But if we’re already mobilizing and dare not engage, it will certainly damage the reputation of our Celestial Feather Sect and affect morale. Besides, the camp isn’t far; we can retreat if needed without sustaining too many losses!”

”I was being reckless!” the black-robed middle-aged man conceded, cupping his hands if he felt his words were inappropriate.

If Master Yun Feng were still alive, he would recognize the black-robed middle-aged man as Wu Zongdao, the Earth Spirit Root cultivator of the Wu Family, the first noble family from Red Leaf Square (refer to Volume 1, Chapter 37).

Years ago, Master Yun Feng was ordered to pursue this person, not expecting him to escape into the Hundred Thousand Swamp.

It was thought that this person was destined to die.

Unexpectedly, he crossed that perilous zone and joined the Celestial Feather Sect, now a True Pill cultivator.

Actually, the reason Wu Zongdao survived back then,

was because the swamp had already started drying, and the toxic miasma began to retreat.

This allowed Wu Zongdao to find a path to survival within.

Later, he informed the Celestial Feather Sect about the drying swamp and, through intense persuasion, led to today’s invasion.

If the Cloud Light Sect knew, who knows if they would regret not dispatching a stronger True Pill cultivator back then.

Just at this moment, a resonant horn sound suddenly echoed across the battlefield!