Dragon Canon

Three months had passed since Qingming was established. Wei yuan began to assess the situation around him.

The Shaman city in the northwest had suffered severe damage, with sixty or seventy percent of its residents killed or missing, and thirty or forty percent of its ordinary soldiers killed or wounded. Reconstruction was currently underway with immense difficulty. Every day, vast quantities of supplies and large numbers of civilians and soldiers were brought to the city. Since the reconstruction process would take some time, Wei Yuan decided to let them continue building for the time being.

To the east and south, Western Jin had established a series of strongholds. However, they were virtually useless.

The situation here differed from that of the northern regions. In the northern regions, strongholds were often positioned to provide mutual support with nearby settlements. However, the area surrounding Qingming had originally been a wasteland. The strongholds were also quite far apart from one another, so in the event of a battle, they essentially could only count on themselves. That was why it was easy to defeat them one by one.

When Yuan Qingyan had first deployed this linear “snake formation”, he had a specific strategy in mind. He was betting that Wei Yuan wouldn’t dare openly attack the strongholds, as doing so was tantamount to rebellion. It was also why he felt confident enough to station only about a thousand men in each stronghold. There was even a time where he feared that Wei Yuan might prove too cowardly to attack them.

Yuan Qingyan never imagined that Wei Yuan would be so audacious as to don the guise of a horse bandit and openly raid the strongholds not once, but multiple times. As a result, the entire army was in a state of panic right now. Li Shuangchen, the confidant Yuan Qingyan had planted within the ranks, had also been executed in front of the troops. As if that wasn’t enough, the horse bandits had issued a direct threat: whoever dared to serve him loyally would be sent to their graves.

After dishing him several setbacks, Wei Yuan believed that Yuan Qingyan had run out of tricks. As long as Yue Jinshan’s main forces remained stationary, the commandery administrator simply lacked the strength to disrupt Qingming.

As for the possibility that Western Jin might launch a full-scale campaign against him? That was a serious concern before, but now, he was a man with allies within the court!

With the area around Qingming now pacified, Wei Yuan reorganized his forces and prepared to explore the fragments of the grotto-heaven. Over the past period, he had gathered all the relevant information he could find.

However, grotto-heavens belonging to noble clans differed from those of sects; they were often kept strictly confidential. Wei Yuan had found little information besides the fact that this particular grotto-heaven had once been highly valued, was vast in scale, and connected to the Imaginary Worlds of three World Rulers.

The Shamans seemed to know something, considering that they had spared no effort in shattering this grotto-heaven. Things settled down after that. Before the grotto-heaven collapsed, the Xu Clan must have already removed everything of value. That was why they paid no further attention to the fragments afterward[1].

Shattered grotto-heavens were inherently extremely dangerous, yet the opportunities they offered were pitifully scarce. That was why Wei Yuan had little interest in them. Only independent cultivators who were driven mad by poverty would risk venturing into such regions in hopes of snatching up whatever the major sects had let slip through their fingers.

But things were different now. Anything that could catch the attention of Trueman Chu He had to be immensely valuable.

The fragments of the grotto-heaven weren’t far from the realm of Qingming. Since the Realm Lord was setting out to explore the region, the scale of the exploration was naturally on a different level from that of an independent cultivator. Prior to their departure, Wei Yuan had dispatched several hundred men to clear a path ahead. Only then did the main exploration team officially set out.

To ensure that this expedition was foolproof, Wei Yuan had brought along 1,000 soldiers and 100 Dao Foundation-stage cultivators. He intended to set up a large camp outside the grotto-heaven to serve as a base for support, rest, and resupply. According to the records, this fragment should be quite large in size—perhaps spanning 100 li in radius.

Once all the preparations were complete, Wei Yuan asked Ji Liuli to choose an auspicious time. Then, they set off for the grotto-heaven fragment.

The journey was uneventful. They were able to reach the entrance of the grotto-heaven without trouble.

The entrance was situated in a small valley. As soon as they entered the valley, Wei Yuan felt a chilling breeze sweep through him. The valley was eerie, gloomy, and far colder than the area outside. Speaking of which, the area outside the valley was perpetually hot and dry like summer, while the inside was cold and windy like late autumn.

The plants within the valley had undergone noticeable mutations. Many trees had withered leaves and twisted branches, sprouting long thorns that resembled cacti. The flowers were vibrant-colored yet eerie in shape. The grass was exceptionally thick. Occasionally, small animals such as deer and rabbits would wander in, only to be sliced everywhere. They would bleed profusely until they collapsed, and the surrounding foliage would slowly envelop around them.

Wei Yuan’s heart stirred at the sight of the eerie meadow, but he immediately shook his head. This grass might be deadly against mortal beasts, but the elite troops of the Shamans wore steel boots that covered their feet. It wouldn’t do a thing to them.

Trueman Chu He did have several powerful demonic plants in his possession, but they were so powerful that even he couldn’t control them. Once planted, who knew what they would become under the influence of Jia Wood Nurtures Life? Wei Yuan’s situation wasn’t so desperate that he had to take that risk.

The wild grass preyed on small animals, but there were also animals that preyed on the grass. For example, they saw a rabbit that was several times the normal size, with deep gray fur and blood-red eyes. It was gnawing effortlessly on the giant blades of grass that Wei Yuan knew was as sharp as a blade. He would believe it if something told him that it was a rabbit under the influence of Life is a Flash.

After surveying the valley’s terrain, Wei Yuan ordered the group to set up camp at the valley entrance. The men unloaded pre-cut iron plates from the carts, fell trees to erect walls around the perimeter, and nailed the iron plates to the wooden walls for defense.

While the camp was being established, Wei Yuan and the cultivators of the Palace of Absolute Beginning ventured deep into the valley to explore the entrance.

There was a small lake in the valley. The entrance to the grotto-heaven lay at the bottom of it. From the surface, it looked like a shimmering shadow. The group did not rush inside; Trueman Chu He first sent a spirit snake into the water to probe the grotto-heaven. After it returned, the old Daoist said, “There’s no real danger at the entrance, but some of the areas are unstable—there are patches of void here and there. We must be careful.”

Ji Liuli set up an array on the spot to stabilize the entrance. Wei Yuan then summoned dozens of Dao Foundation stage cultivators to dig a canal right by the lake and divert the water to a nearby low-lying area.

A massive project such as this would normally take ordinary people months to complete. The Dao Foundation stage cultivators were able to finish it all in less than half a day.

By the time all the preparations were finished, it was already late at night. Wei Yuan was in no hurry. He ordered everyone to rest for the night so that they would be fully refreshed by sunrise. They could continue their exploration then.

In addition to the standard preparations, Wei Yuan had also set up an array for fortune-fishing. This time, he was using the qi of the grotto-heaven fragment as the bait. Hopefully, he would be able to draw something out.

Dawn had just broken, and Wei Yuan had just finished his breakfast, when suddenly, he sensed a powerful presence approaching from the east.

Had a fish actually taken the bait?

Wei Yuan silently marveled at how effective the fishing array the Immortal Lord had passed down to him. Although the array disc crafted by the Immortal Lord had long exhausted its mystic energy, he now possessed more than one type of immortal spirit aura of equivalent rank. Thus, the effects were quite outstanding.

The newcomer was an elderly man dressed in a cyan scholar’s robe. His features were refined, but the corners of his eyes were drooped slightly. It was clear at first glance he was a stern individual. From a distance, he bellowed, “This is the Xu Clan’s territory. Who dares to trespass?”

His shout echoed far and wide and shook the heavens and the earth. In terms of mystic power alone, he actually surpassed Trueman Chu He. However, Trueman Chu He rarely entered a battlefield without his snake and cat by his side, so few enemies were a match for him.

In the blink of an eye, the old man soared above the valley. He visibly paused when he saw the large encampment already set up at the valley entrance. Clearly, the scale of the operation had exceeded his expectations.

Down in the camp, Wei Yuan gave Cui Yu a nudge. So, his senior brother stepped forward and said in a loud voice, “Old man, judging by your mediocre cultivation and advanced age, you must be exhausted after traveling such a long distance, right?”

The old man froze, then gradually turned blue. He forced himself to suppress his anger and replied, “I am Xu—”

Cui Yu interrupted him, “Save it. All we need to know is that your surname is Xu. So, what were you going to say? Keep it brief.”

The old man’s eyebrows shot up in fury as he snapped, “Ignorant brat, you think you have the upper hand just because you have a sharp tongue? I—”

Wei Yuan cut him off, turning around to call out, “It’s time. Let’s go, let’s go!”

The old man surnamed Xu flew into a rage and blocked directly in front of their path. He growled menacingly, “This is the site where the Xu Clan’s grotto-heaven had fallen. Everything here belongs to the Xu Clan! It’s not something the likes of you petty scoundrels can lay a finger on. All of you, get out of here!”

His final word erupted from his tongue like thunder, causing those with weaker cultivation to feel a wave of dizziness in their heads.

Wei Yuan sneered. “Your Xu Clan couldn’t hold this place and lost it to the Shamans long ago, and you have the nerve to call it the Xu Clan’s territory?”

The old man’s expression darkened. “As long as this place bears the Xu surname for a single day, it shall bear the Xu surname for all eternity! Even if the Xu Clan temporarily failed to defend it, you have no right to lay a finger on it! Do you disagree?”

Wei Yuan suddenly broke into a grin. “No, no, we completely agree with you.”

That was what he said, but a ring of light was slowly lighting up and expanding from his hand. The old man’s eyes narrowed sharply, instantly drawn to the light like an animal sensing an impending disaster. He could never have imagined that a mere Dao Foundation stage cultivator could cast a Dao spell that made his heart tremble with fear.

Wei Yuan had captured the old man’s attention so thoroughly that he failed to notice a bed crossbow being pushed out of the camp. Cui Yu personally took the reins, aimed the weapon at the old man, and stomped down on the trigger!

The massive bolt shot forward like lightning, reaching the old man in an instant!

The old man surnamed Xu was caught by surprise, but a simple sidestep was all he needed to dodge the surprise attack. Judging from his speed, he was clearly a man of considerable skill.

But just as the bolt whizzed past him, Cui Yu clenched his fist, and the bolt suddenly exploded. Not expecting this at all, the old man was blasted backward, his body lacerated by countless shrapnel fragments and bleeding like a pig.

The old man was shocked and enraged. Suddenly, he noticed Wei Yuan had retreated far, far away from him. Just as realization struck him, a searing pain abruptly shot through his perception, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground. He had no choice but to activate his life-preserving trump card and flicker ceaselessly, appearing several li away with each flicker. In the blink of an eye, he had fled a thousand li, leaving Wei Yuan unable to catch up.

Cui Yu looked delighted, though. Five points of Heavenly Merits weren’t much, but it was a start.

1. I couldn’t remember the chapter number, but there was a chapter where the Xu Clan members were having a meeting and discussing kicking Wei Yuan’s ass. They also mentioned about ignoring the fragment for Wei Yuan to uncover and have it explode in his face. ☜