Second Brother Gao, I Trust You Have Been Well

"Trapped like turtles in a jar, putting up the desperate fight of caged beasts!" Shan Xiu pointed a finger skyward. A massive ice spear, thirty feet long, flickered with intense killing intent. With a low bark, he shouted: "Go!" "Hold! You must hold!" His expression fraught with anxiety, Zhou Yuanli paced restlessly along the perimeter of the formation. Watching the colossal ice spear hurtling toward them, he prayed fervently in his heart. The next moment, the ice spear plunged into the earthy-yellow barrier of light, screeching with an ear-piercing grind that grated right against their eardrums. *Crack, crack, crack...* The two sides locked in a stalemate for several breaths until the spear finally disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only freezing frost qi diffusing across the surroundings. The suppressed yellow light barrier restored itself to its former state once more. Though it appeared precarious, it was actually rock-solid! Seeing this, Zhou Yuanli couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. *Poof! Poof! Poof!* Looking down at his feet, he saw the pile of spirit stones had already crumbled into grayish-white stone powder. "Someone, replenish the spirit stones!" He barked out an order, and cultivators behind him immediately rushed over. Outside the formation. Shan Xiu caught his breath and shot a resentful glare at the turtle-shell-like Shutu Formation. Turning around, he stormed up to Gao Tingyuan in indignation. "Bastards, why am I the only one attacking? Are the rest of you just sitting back to watch the show?" Lan Tianyun furrowed his brows. "Mind your tone! Besides, didn't Second Brother dispatch over sixty mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators to assist you in attacking the formation?" "If a bunch of Qi Refinement cultivators could blast through it so easily, this Shutu Formation wouldn't deserve its name as one of the finest first-tier grand formations." Shan Xiu remained unsatisfied. His glare locked onto Gao Tingyuan beside Lan Tianyun. The order had come from Gao Tingyuan, but it looked as if he was merely going through the motions. Gao Tingyuan nudged Lan Tianyun aside and stepped up to the front line, pace by pace. Lifting his head, he gazed at the colossal light curtain shrouding all of Crescent Moon Valley. "We really have dragged this out for too long." "Fellow Daoist Min, after testing it so many times and watching for so long, do you have any thoughts?" Shan Xiu froze, subconsciously looking toward the man behind them who had not uttered a single word from beginning to end. No, in fact, he *had* spoken—it was just within a sound-isolating barrier, communicating solely with Gao Tingyuan. Looking back now, had he and that group of mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators been attacking the formation just to test its strength and uncover flaws for this man? Was he a formation master? As doubts swirled in Shan Xiu's mind, Min Longyu chuckled softly and produced an octagonal formation plate. "Using earth qi as veins, taking the valley as terrain." "Embracing unity and guarding the center, the You branch rests in the Dui palace." "With the depletion of earth qi and the collapse of the valley, a manifestation of flourishing Metal and vacant Earth has emerged." "Hence, attack when Metal flourishes, and crumble when Earth turns vacant." "This formation is already broken by my hand!" His laughter grew louder and louder. He tossed the formation plate in his hand into the air, where it hovered directly above the earthy-yellow barrier sustained by the Shutu Formation. Beams of multicolored light showered down in succession. Yet each beam that struck the yellow light barrier sank like an ox of clay into the sea, producing no reaction whatsoever. Witnessing this, Shan Xiu, Fu Zhang, and the others looked puzzled. The intensity of such an assault didn't even provoke as much of a reaction as the earlier barrage from the mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators! Yet as more and more beams sank into the light barrier, all of Crescent Moon Valley—and even the surrounding tens of li—began to emit a faint tremor. At first, it was barely perceptible. Later, the entire Crescent Moon Valley shook violently. Massive boulders and debris rolled down continuously, forcing the cultivators within the valley to either activate flying artifacts to rise into midair or cast the Wind Riding Technique to barely lift themselves off the ground. "Not good, the formation is about to break!" Murong Qinglian blurted out. Caiyi looked tense, her hand subconsciously grasping Luo Chen's sleeve. "Our reinforcements haven't arrived, and the enemy is overwhelming. When the formation breaks, you must protect yourself!" Luo Chen gave an acknowledging hum, his expression remaining calm. Taking Caiyi's hand in turn, he made her freeze in surprise. A blood-red pill slipped silently into her palm. Luo Chen nodded at her, then called out to Murong Qinglian. "Sister-in-law, help me put away the pill furnaces in the other two alchemy rooms!" Why worry about such things at a time like this? Helpless, Murong Qinglian followed him into the alchemy rooms. In the Pill Hall, the rest of the cultivators were terrified. Granny Yuan stood in front, whispering softly to her eldest son, Yuan Dongsheng, behind her. Sikong Shoujia's eyes darted restlessly. Meanwhile, Zhou Yuanli gathered Liu Qiang, Dongfang Liang, and several other late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators close to him, solemnly issuing instructions. *Boom!* A thunderous rumble suddenly sounded. The Shutu Formation was on the verge of breaking! Inside Crescent Moon Valley, every cultivator raised their head toward the sky. Over a hundred enemy cultivators clustered densely, blotting out more than half the heavens. Streaks of spiritual radiance flashed, gleaming vividly against the night. The man in the lead took advantage of the moment before the formation shattered completely to project his voice loudly: "Today, our Great River Gang, united with the Lianyun Merchant Alliance and the Xuanyi Society, crusades together against the Mountain Breaker Gang!" "The destruction of the Mountain Breaker Gang is already an established fact." "There is no need for you to put up a stubborn resistance. Lay down your arms and surrender! Your past offenses will be forgiven, and your lives spared." "Join our Great River Gang, and your treatment will be as it was before; your pursuit of the Great Dao may still continue!" Hearing these words, the panicked early- and mid-stage cultivators wavered with suspicion and uncertainty. Would their past misdeeds truly be forgiven? Would their benefits and treatment really remain unchanged? For a time, many felt inclined to surrender. When all was said and done, the Mountain Breaker Gang was merely an organization formed of rogue cultivators. Without heritage, masters, or honor, it naturally lacked true cohesion! Just as some harbored thoughts of surrender, an aged voice barked in fury: "Do not be deceived by him!" "The Great River Gang and our Mountain Breaker Gang share a bitter feud! Have you forgotten the life-and-death combat on the Dao Discussion Platform?" "Everything coming out of that shorty Gao's mouth is pure fart and lies!" *Shorty Gao...* *Pfft!* A few people couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Gao Tingyuan was indeed quite short, which was a distinctive build among immortal cultivators. Still, was it Elder Sikong who spoke those words? Sikong Shoujia continued to roar: "Besides, will they truly spare you if you surrender on the spot?" "Even if they don't kill you, do you think they'll leave behind the spirit stones you've saved, the robes you wear, and the magic artifacts you slaved away to earn?" "Everyone, under no circumstances should you believe such preposterous nonsense!" With that final roar, Crescent Moon Valley's scattered fighting spirit began to coalesce once more. Even if not for the Mountain Breaker Gang, they had to fight for themselves! Most of the enemies outside were at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. They, too, had many mid-stage cultivators among their ranks; would the enemies willingly pass up the resources on their corpses? Every single one of these belongings had been painstakingly accumulated over half a lifetime. No one was willing to hand them over without a fight. Elder Sikong was right—the enemy's sweet talk was nothing but a trick to deceive them! Luo Chen stood between Murong Qinglian and Caiyi, with Zhou Yuanli and the others primed and ready behind them. He cast a glance at Sikong Shoujia, who was bristling with rage and cursing wildly. *The old man is quite clever!* Evidently, those Great River Gang fellows only intended to spare the low-tier cultivators. For the late-stage Qi Refinement cohort, their main goal was slaughter. After all, they had to provide spoils of war for all the men they had mobilized. Consequently, Sikong Shoujia and the other elders would be in grave danger once the barrier fell. However, if he incited all the cultivators in Crescent Moon Valley to join the fray, the ensuing chaos would give everyone a fighting chance to escape by their own wits! Outside the formation. Gao Tingyuan shrugged helplessly at the people behind him, gesturing that he had done his best. Fu Zhang and Lan Tianyun both frowned, intuitively sensing that Gao Tingyuan had done this on purpose. He clearly could have said more just now to refute that Mountain Breaker Gang elder, which would have made the upcoming battle easier. Shan Xiu cared nothing for such subtleties and asked impatiently, "Fellow Daoist Min, how much longer?" Min Longyu sat cross-legged on the ground, his fingers held like swords as he controlled the formation plate from afar. The corners of his lips curled into a smug, confident smile. "Soon, very soon!" "Break!" "Break!" "Break!" *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Beam after beam blasted out from the spinning formation plate. Each beam struck the Shutu Formation with a tremendous crash. After eight such strikes, Min Longyu threw back his head and let out a long cry: "How can a petty minor formation hope to hinder me? Watch me break it!" Leaping into the air, he caught the formation plate in one hand, dazzling spiritual light erupting from his entire body as he slammed it downward with ferocious force. *Crack!* Under that heavy press, the already teetering Shutu Formation seemed as if the sky had caved in and the earth split apart. The earthy-yellow barrier collapsed in an instant. At that exact moment, over a hundred cultivators in Crescent Moon Valley turned into streaks of light across the sky, scattering in every direction toward the outside. Seeing this, Shan Xiu took the lead. "Kill!" Gao Tingyuan's gaze was fixed on the center of the clustered cultivators near Crescent Moon Valley's Pill Hall. He took a step forward, but his figure suddenly halted. "Tianyun?" "Second Brother." Lan Tianyun looked at him with conflicted eyes and shook his head slightly. "Luo Chen cannot be killed. He is the person the Gang Leader specifically asked for." "When did you turn to Wang Haichao?" Gao Tingyuan's expression turned vicious. "I just don't want you to anger a Foundation Establishment cultivator over this. You cannot bear the wrath of a True Cultivator." "Let go!" "I..." "Ridiculous! If you keep dithering like an old woman, they'll all escape! Let's see how you answer to Wang Haichao then!" Lan Tianyun froze, and his grip loosened. Gao Tingyuan broke through the air, a blue water flood dragon cleaving through the night sky, slaughtering gods and buddhas alike in its path. ... Shouts and wails. Flesh and severed limbs. Explosions and roars. Almost instantly, blood dyed Crescent Moon Valley beneath the moonlight. Naturally, no mercy was shown to those putting up a desperate resistance. Slaughter became the sole theme of this moment. Sikong Shoujia unleashed his full strength without hesitation and flew toward the periphery. Wherever he passed, neither mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators nor those at the seventh or eighth layers could block him for even an instant. Yet such an ostentatious display drew the most attention. A golden melon sledgehammer tore through the air, smashing toward him. Accompanying it came Fu Zhang's haughty voice: "Sikong Shoujia, chief of the Mountain Breaker Gang's four great elders! Killing you will serve perfectly to establish my Fu family's prestige!" "Young friend, why must you drive things to utter ruin?" Sikong Shoujia retorted as a dark turtle shell blocked behind him, taking that hammer blow head-on. Fu Zhang was taken aback, then beamed with delight. "No wonder you survived before—you actually had such a good artifact!" After the pleasant surprise, his attacks grew increasingly fierce. The first battle between ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators unfolded in the most common fashion. Seeing Sikong Shoujia draw away the strongest fighter of the Fu family, Granny Yuan in the Pill Hall nodded to Luo Chen and the others. "You go first!" Murong Qinglian was taken aback, noticing the man behind Granny Yuan. She frowned. "The remnants of the formations left in the valley won't hold off that Min Longyu." "No matter. This old woman still has a few tricks up her sleeve." Granny Yuan smiled kindly and took her son with her, flying toward the original site of the Medicine Hall. Meanwhile, down in the valley, a figure strolled nonchalantly across the spiritual fields. Occasionally dipping his head to inspect some minor formations, he displayed the eager fascination of a hunter spotting quarry. As for the fighting and killing nearby, none of it seemed to concern him. Seeing an old woman flying toward him, he frowned and casually tossed out a few formation flags. Immediately, golden light blazed brilliantly! In midair. Luo Chen flew outward amid the crowd. Were he alone, he could have cast everything aside and fled at leisure. However, his friends were here as well. Unless driven to absolute desperation, he could not bring himself to abandon them and escape alone. "Hall Master, we will create an opening for you to escape in a moment. I know your speed is extraordinary; you must seize the chance!" Looking at the backs of Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang ahead, Luo Chen sighed, his lips parting slightly. "At this point, there is no need to fulfill your bodyguard duties anymore. In a moment, just focus on keeping yourselves alive!" To his surprise, Zhou Yuanli remained silent. Not just him—Liu Qiang and Dongfang Liang were the same. Luo Chen suddenly realized something. Those assigned to protect him had to be people Mi Shuhua trusted most. Yet these bodyguards clearly had not reached the level where Mi Shuhua could trust them implicitly. How, then, could they have been assigned to this post? Was Mi Shuhua not afraid that they would abandon Luo Chen and flee in the face of peril? Therefore, there was only one explanation! Mi Shuhua must have tampered with them in some way. Only this could explain why, even now, they remained determined to protect Luo Chen with their lives. Just as this thought crossed his mind, a figure blocked their path. "Danchenzi, pay me back for that palm strike!" It was that rogue cultivator from Snow Lotus Market—Shan Xiu! His fighting spirit soared, and a massive pitch-black pair of shears hovered above his head. It was the very superior-grade magic artifact that had emitted black light when he ambushed Luo Chen back then. That time, Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang had joined hands to block it. This time was no different. "Get lost!" Shan Xiu roared furiously, but Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang yielded not an inch. A saber and a sword wheeled out, tangling him in tight combat. "Go!" Murong Qinglian grabbed Luo Chen, shielding him in the middle alongside Caiyi as they flew to the flank. The other late-stage Mountain Breaker Gang cultivators were also pinned down by nearby enemies. "Stay behind!" A sigh sounded. A blue-robed cultivator blocked the path ahead, his robes fluttering without wind. Murong Qinglian sneered, letting go of Luo Chen and striking first. "Caiyi, take Luo Chen and go!" "Mm! Sister Qinglian, take care!" Caiyi looked tense, pulling Luo Chen to run. Yet his body did not budge an inch. "What's wrong?" "We can't leave!" Luo Chen chuckled softly, gazing at the roaring blue flood dragon stained with countless clouds of blood mist charging in from the flank. Caiyi's face paled drastically. The speed was so great that she could not react in time at all. Her defensive magic artifact was utterly too slow to deploy to protect Luo Chen. *Did I promise to take him away just a moment ago, only to watch him die right before my eyes the next?* The thought flashed through her mind. In a brief daze, she saw four-colored tassels cascade from the heavens. *Boom!* Luo Chen pulled Caiyi by the hand and retreated continuously. Above his head, the Four Elements Cauldron radiated four-colored brilliance, strand after strand of tassels coiling around the blue flood dragon. Suddenly, Luo Chen gave Caiyi a shove. "Go help Sister-in-law!" Flung back through the air, Caiyi looked back. Luo Chen stood clad in a green robe, the four-colored cauldron hovering above his head, holding a fiery crimson spear in his grasp. Opposite him, a short, stocky figure reached out with his hand. Two glimmering blue short halberds revealed their true forms. "Second Brother Gao, I trust you have been well!" Luo Chen smiled faintly, pointing his spear at an angle. The spear tip grew redder and redder, its scorching heat seeming as though it would melt the void.