Chapter 438 ·The Battle of Severing Dragon Begins
Chapter 438: The Battle of Severing Dragon Begins
The next day.
Within the main stronghold of Severing Dragon Cliff, a luxurious grand hall.
Blood Origin True Lord reclined sideways on a cloud couch, jade arms entwined around him on both sides, surrounded by warm fragrance and softness.
He looked languid as if drunk, casually plucking grapes in his hand while his eyes gazed toward the beautiful female cultivators on the stage, whose cloud sleeves fluttered gracefully, their figures exquisite as they stirred waves of flowing radiance.
As Blood Marrow True Lord Yun Xi's martial uncle, Mo Buyun's cultivation was somewhat lacking and he was not skilled in combat, but he was still a highly esteemed Supreme Elder of the Blood Fortune Sect, representing the Blood Fortune Sect in guarding the main stronghold of Severing Dragon Cliff.
Even though the cultivators within the main stronghold now consisted of the combined forces of the Crimson Sun Sect, Azure Spirit Sect, and Blood Fortune Sect, he was still unquestionably the most important figure, and hardly any cultivator would refuse to give him face.
There was no other reason than that this Severing Dragon Cliff was territory personally seized by his good nephew, Blood Marrow True Lord, who had led the Blood Fortune Sect army to take it.
“Your dancing is not bad. As a reward, I shall spend the night with you in pleasure tonight.” Mo Buyun praised them.
Hearing this, several female cultivators on the stage shrank their pupils, their movements stiffening as they wanted to kneel.
Within Severing Dragon Cliff, which female cultivator did not know the miserable fate of spending a night with Blood Origin True Lord?
Just then, a streak of flowing light swept in from outside the grand hall, and a middle-aged man dressed in azure robes suddenly appeared, completely ignoring the many scantily clad female cultivators inside the hall, whose snow-white breasts were exposed.
“True Lord Mo, this is bad! I have received an urgent report!”
“Making such a racket, what kind of decorum is this?” Mo Buyun glanced at the newcomer and reprimanded him. “With this True Lord here, what could possibly be so serious?”
Daring to disturb his mood, if this man had not been a Golden Core Perfection Elder of the Azure Spirit Sect with hopes of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm in the future, barely qualifying as a high-level figure of the Azure Spirit Sect, according to past practice, Mo Buyun would have directly extracted thirty percent of the blood in his body as punishment.
“Speak. What matter is worthy of disturbing this True Lord's pleasure? If you cannot give a satisfactory explanation, you should know the consequences.” Mo Buyun raised an eyebrow, his divine sense locking onto the middle-aged cultivator.
Hearing this, cold sweat seeped from the newcomer's temples. He cupped his hands and respectfully said, “I received a secret report. In the direction of Black Stone Gorge, Mirror Moon Sect's True Martial True Lord has led an army of four thousand cultivators to attack us. At present, the army is already less than three thousand li from Severing Dragon Cliff.”
“Such a trivial matter, merely four thousand cultivators.” Mo Buyun yawned. “Severing Dragon Cliff is guarded by this True Lord and True Lord Crimson Dragon, while the three-sect allied army numbers as many as ten thousand cultivators.”
“Ten thousand against four thousand, the advantage is ours. This True Lord does not understand why you would come here to disrupt the morale of our three-sect allied army!”
“Could it be that you have some connection with the Mirror Moon Sect?” Mo Buyun warned.
The middle-aged cultivator lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly together.
Fool, you are not worth conspiring with.
If the sect's Supreme Elder, True Lord Fuli, had not left Severing Dragon Cliff for the ruins at First Heaven, why would he have had to suffer such suppression?
“Right, what is the background of that True Martial True Lord? Is he a newly advanced True Lord of the Mirror Moon Sect?”
Although Mo Buyun enjoyed beauty and killing, he was not an empty-headed fool. He knew that since the Mirror Moon Sect army dared to attack recklessly, it must have some reliance and would never come here to die for no reason.
But he did not take it too seriously.
Now that the Three-Realm War had fallen into a stalemate, the attention of the Supreme Elders of the various sects had all turned toward the newly emerged Primordial Void Formation Sect at First Heaven.
Mo Buyun simply did not believe the Mirror Moon Sect's experts would be willing to abandon the Primordial Void Formation Sect ruins, which contained countless opportunities, and come attack this impoverished Severing Dragon Cliff that possessed only strategic value.
“True Martial True Lord is the honorific title of the Mirror Moon Dao Child after he attained the True Lord Realm.”
“What!”
Hearing this, Mo Buyun suddenly rose, forcing the attendants on both sides back as he exclaimed in astonishment, “True Martial True Lord is Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang?”
“Yes, True Lord Mo.” The middle-aged male cultivator answered.
If an ordinary Nascent Soul True Lord had come attacking, he would not have been so apprehensive.
The three-sect allied army's arrangements at Severing Dragon Cliff over the years were not to be underestimated!
Unfortunately, the one who had come was True Martial True Lord, whose reputation had spread far and wide, who had slain Blood Marrow True Lord and Bitter Soul True Lord, and forced True Lord Bewitching Desire to retreat.
Such a powerhouse could no longer be described as a newly advanced True Lord. Calling him an established Nascent Soul True Lord would not be an exaggeration!
“No matter. Let him be strong. With this True Lord guarding Severing Dragon Cliff to the death, no one can break through this main stronghold.” Mo Buyun spoke heroically.
Although Chen Ziang was merely a junior, his strength was formidable, and even his martial nephew had fallen at his hands.
However, battlefield warfare and battles between powerful cultivators were different. If he relied on the three-sect allied army and the restriction formations of Severing Dragon Cliff to defend with all his might, he was confident he could hold the stronghold even against a late-stage Nascent Soul True Lord, let alone Chen Ziang, who had attained the True Lord Realm only a short while ago.
Hearing this, the middle-aged male cultivator was quite speechless.
True Lords of demonic sects truly had no shame. Even being frightened before battle and defending Severing Dragon Cliff to the death could be described in such a heroic manner.
“Boom!”
The next instant, the world's fire-element aura erupted violently, the temperature suddenly rising as a vast, scorching, and domineering pressure swept over from outside the grand hall.
“Step!”
“Step!”
“Step!”
A powerhouse dressed in crimson Dao robes, with handsome features and blazing true flames burning deep within his pupils, descended upon a crimson-red cloud.
At this moment, all the female cultivators within the hall felt their souls sting. They instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at the newcomer's figure.
“Fellow Daoist Mo, why defend to the death? He is merely a newly advanced True Lord. This old man would like to see whether Chen Ziang is truly as formidable as the rumors claim.” The crimson-robed cultivator spoke indifferently.
Hearing True Lord Crimson Dragon's words, Mo Buyun's expression turned solemn.
Although he was nominally the highest-ranking person responsible for Severing Dragon Cliff, the strongest person in this main stronghold was undoubtedly True Lord Crimson Dragon Sun Tianyi of the Crimson Sun Sect.
“Fellow Daoist Sun, True Martial True Lord is far too strange. How about we exercise a little more caution?” Mo Buyun reminded him.
Three hundred Dao Soldiers and three Crimson Sun Generals of the Crimson Sun Sect had fallen at the hands of True Martial True Lord, resulting in heavy losses.
Mo Buyun could understand True Lord Crimson Dragon's desire to restore his sect's reputation, but he was unwilling to risk his life alongside him.
“If you fear an accident, Fellow Daoist Mo can be responsible for guarding Severing Dragon Cliff. This old man alone will lead the three-sect allied army into battle.”
Sun Tianyi's tone was indifferent, carrying the bearing of a powerhouse.
“Then I shall trouble Fellow Daoist Sun.” Mo Buyun smiled slightly and did not stop him again.
……
On the other side, one thousand two hundred li outside Severing Dragon Cliff.
The setting sun sank in the west. Streaks of escaping light followed the Earthly Fiend Treasure Boat through the clouds before descending and gathering together to establish the Mirror Moon Camp.
Chen Beiwǔ's divine sense stirred, and he could vaguely see a long spiritual vein ahead, fractured like a dragon's spine and slanting toward the sky. On one side was an unfathomably deep ten-thousand-zhang abyss, while on the other was a perilous cliffside stronghold.
There was no vegetation around the main stronghold, only a group of armored cultivators wielding weapons, standing atop the city walls and patrolling the surroundings.
“The formation restrictions of Severing Dragon Cliff are still intact. How was it breached by Blood Marrow True Lord back then?” Chen Beiwǔ slightly furrowed his brows.
The main stronghold and natural barrier painstakingly built by the sect had now become an iron wall difficult for the sect's cultivators to cross.
Jiang Yuyan and the other three looked toward Shu You, who bowed slightly toward Chen Beiwǔ and spoke softly:
“Back then, the cultivator responsible for guarding Severing Dragon Cliff was the Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator Lin Ziqian. This person was audacious and reckless. In order to seek an opportunity to attain the True Lord Realm, he betrayed the sect, pretending to be unable to resist and flee in defeat, using the surrender of the Severing Dragon Cliff stronghold as the condition for a deal with the Blood Fortune Sect.”
At this point, Shu You paused slightly. “But a demonic sect is a demonic sect. Their temperaments are fickle and unpredictable. In the end, Blood Marrow True Lord suddenly attacked, tore up the agreement, turned the false battle into a real one, and caused Lin Ziqian to die amid the chaotic battle.”
“No wonder. The sect's middle ranks are practically riddled with holes.” Chen Beiwǔ sighed somewhat.
This was the fundamental difference between cultivators of the Southern Wasteland and those of the Immortal Alliance.
Southern Wasteland cultivators revered the strong and advocated the survival of the fittest. Some cultivators, in order to advance their cultivation and increase their lifespan, would even hesitate to betray their families and sects, solely for their own benefit.
Immortal Alliance cultivators valued benefits as well, but placed greater emphasis on the atmosphere of their families, revered the rules and order of the Immortal Alliance, and knew what could and could not be done. Cultivators who betrayed their families or sects were rarely seen.
Therefore, betrayal among the middle ranks was a common occurrence in Southern Wasteland sects. It was not limited to the Mirror Moon Sect; the cultivators of the Azure Spirit Sect, Crimson Sun Sect, and Blood Fortune Sect were the same.
The reason the Mirror Moon Sect had been able to maintain the upper hand on the front lines over the years also owed something to the traitors within the three-sect allied army.
Shaking his head and suppressing the distracting thoughts in his heart, Chen Beiwǔ ordered the entire army of cultivators to rest and prepare for the pre-battle mobilization, boosting morale and seeing whether he could use this battle to select a few promising seedlings.
A quarter of an hour later, on the Mirror Moon Platform.
Chen Beiwǔ stood upon the platform. Beneath him, a dense formation of cultivators stood silently, emanating a chilling aura.
“For this battle to seize the city, Battle Merit shall be determined by life and death and by who reaches the stronghold first. Heads shall serve as proof.”
Chen Beiwǔ raised his right hand slightly. A decree floated in the air as he concisely said, “Slay three Qi Refining cultivators, take their heads, and record Grade-C Merit.”
“Slay a Foundation Establishment cultivator, take their head, and record one Grade-B Merit.”
“Slay a Golden Core True Person, take their identity token, verify their identity, and record one hundred to five hundred Grade-B Merits.”
“The first cultivator to ascend Severing Dragon Cliff shall be awarded three hundred Grade-B Merits.”
With great rewards, there would surely be brave men!
Hearing the conditions for obtaining Battle Merit announced by Chen Beiwǔ, the atmosphere below the platform froze for a moment, and the breathing of every Mirror Moon cultivator began to grow heavier.
Grade-B Merit was extremely difficult to obtain. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator could accumulate forty Grade-B Merits, they could exchange them for an opportunity to form a Golden Core at the sect's Mystical Secrets Hall!
Shu You, Mo Li, Wang Hao, Yu Pan, and Jiang Yuyan also had their eyes light up.
The sect's rewards this time were extraordinarily generous!
One had to know that three thousand Grade-B Merits could be exchanged for one Grade-A Merit, which could in turn be exchanged for an opportunity to form a Nascent Soul.
“Everyone, tomorrow follow me into battle and seize Severing Dragon Cliff!”
The moment Chen Beiwǔ's voice fell, a roar like a volcanic eruption resounded throughout heaven and earth.
Especially among the Mirror Moon cultivator army, the five hundred strongest Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers and five Upper Moon Generals each revealed killing intent in their eyes.
One night passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Beiwǔ set the attack time for early morning rather than the middle of the night.
There was no other reason. A late-stage Qi Refining cultivator could already see the night as if it were daylight, so attacking in the middle of the night and attacking at dawn made no difference, while the latter at least allowed the Mirror Moon army to conserve its strength for an entire night.
“Attack directly?”
Shu You was slightly stunned, somewhat unable to believe what she had heard.
“What is it? Is there a problem?” Chen Beiwǔ glanced at Shu You.
“No problem.” Shu You shook her head.
“Patriarch, Severing Dragon Cliff is the sect's main stronghold, and it contains the 《Six Yin Clear Radiance Severing Dragon Absolute Formation》. Once this formation is fully activated, it can freeze the world's spiritual energy with Six Yin Fiendish Radiance, transform the stored moonlight within the formation into Severing Dragon Absolute Light, which specializes in corroding the souls of cultivators.”
Yu Pan interjected, “Cultivators below the Golden Core Realm who charge directly into the formation will have their souls frozen and Dao Foundations destroyed in less than a breath.
“Even a Golden Core Perfection True Lord, without a special soul Mystical Treasure or the protection of a Nascent Soul True Lord, cannot last ten breaths……”
Simply put, without a high-rank Mystical Formation Master responsible for finding the formation's weaknesses, relying solely on four thousand cultivators to charge recklessly would merely amount to throwing away their lives.
“Enough. Follow orders. Those who disobey shall be executed.” Chen Beiwǔ interrupted Yu Pan.
“Yes.”
Yu Pan took a deep breath as she watched Shu You go down to relay the order.
“Formation, rise!”
“Form ranks!”
Upon receiving the order, there was not the slightest hesitation. The five Upper Moon Generals flashed into position, each occupying one of the five directions, and successively raised their Upper Moon military flags.
“Upper Moon Dao Formation·Moonfall Tidebirth!”
The five generals shouted together. A phantom of an azure-blue military flag quietly took shape, instantly enveloping the five hundred Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers, gathering the force of the Dao Soldiers and forming a terrifying giant spear nearly one thousand zhang long, its edge composed of countless Dao Soldiers, its aura far surpassing that of an early-stage Nascent Soul True Lord.
“Where the spear points, both jade and stone shall be burned!”
Without probing or any flashy movements, the five Upper Moon Generals led five hundred Dao Soldiers, carrying an overwhelming force capable of crushing a thousand jun, and charged fiercely toward Severing Dragon Cliff, which was guarded by the three-sect allied army.
Behind the Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers, spiritual lights of various colors flashed as more than two thousand Dao Soldiers each performed their respective duties.
One thousand cultivators controlled Earthly Fiend Treasure Boats and soared on the right, providing cover for the charge of the five hundred Dao Soldiers.
The remaining more than one thousand cultivators coordinated with the Formation Hall cultivators to cast spells that disrupted formations, while simultaneously throwing out one Destruction Ban Pearl after another.
“Meet the enemy, activate the formation!”
Atop Severing Dragon Cliff, Blood Origin True Lord Mo Buyun had long since completed preparations for battle and waved his right hand.
The next instant, extreme cold descended.
As streak after streak of Six Yin Fiendish Radiance continuously surged into the sky, illuminating the entire world in a vast expanse of bleakness, the world before the Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers charging at the front suddenly changed, turning into an extreme-cold hell.
“Crack, crack!”
Even with the protection of the Upper Moon Dao Formation, the armor and skin of the Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers gradually began to be covered in frost, and they could not help letting out muffled groans.
The five Upper Moon Generals at the front were even more immersed in the Six Yin Fiendish Radiance. Their flesh, bones, Golden Cores, and even souls were covered by a biting chill, their auras plummeting as they struggled to advance even an inch.
“Interesting. Throwing the troops in without a brain, this so-called Mirror Moon Dao Child is merely a junior who has gained an undeserved reputation.”
Seeing this scene, Mo Buyun sneered disdainfully, and most of the unease in his heart dissipated.
Sure enough, there was no perfect genius in this world.
Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang's combat strength was certainly unparalleled, but his ability to deploy troops and formations was laughably childish.
There was no need for him or True Lord Crimson Dragon to act. Within merely a quarter of an hour, the Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers and Upper Moon Generals that had recklessly entered the Six Yin Clear Radiance Severing Dragon Absolute Formation would all be annihilated.
‘It's over!’
Yu Pan stared blankly at the extreme-cold hell in the distance, her emotions complex beyond words.
An entire army of four thousand sect cultivators—if they all perished at Severing Dragon Cliff, the Dao Child might be able to lightly evade severe punishment from the sect, but she, a newly advanced Golden Core Elder, would be unable to escape responsibility.
Unlike Yu Pan's reaction, Shu You, Mo Li, Wang Hao, and Jiang Yuyan all looked toward Chen Beiwǔ.
They believed the Dao Child was by no means someone without a plan; every action he took had a deeper meaning.
‘It's time to make our move!’
Ignoring everyone's gazes, Chen Beiwǔ's thought descended. Shu You and the other four only felt the firmament darken as a three-phase flood dragon, resembling a god or demon, came crashing down.
Chen Beiwǔ stomped his foot and flipped onto Golden Egg's back.
Golden Egg raised its three heads and let out a dragon roar. Then, amid the shouts of the four-thousand-strong Mirror Moon cultivator army, it launched into an extreme charge.
In an instant, one man and one dragon crossed over the Remnant Moon Dao Soldiers and charged toward Blood Origin True Lord above Severing Dragon Cliff in the most domineering manner, becoming the focal point of the battle between the two armies.