Fellow Daoist, Do Not Seek Your Own Ruin!

Across the Gaoling Plain, the towering giant bear puppet strode forward. Wherever it passed, it swept aside all in its path. During the battle of Mount Xiaohuan, the puppet had been toppled in just a few strikes by the exploding ape Xiaohong's hammers, displaying none of its true might. But that did not mean it was truly useless. In truth, it had simply lacked Duan Rui's direct control back then, leaving it incapable of nimble combat. Moreover, Xiaohong was, after all, a second-tier demon beast, far beyond anything the puppet could withstand. Today, under Gu Caiyi's undivided control, it unleashed the full measure of power it was meant to wield. Its frame was immense, forged from extraordinary materials. Blades and swords struck it without marring its frame; spells and talismans failed to halt its march. Thick-skinned and resilient, it could also draw upon the medium-grade spirit stones slotted within its core to erupt with orbs of radiant light. When a massive orb of light blasted from its maw, anyone below the ninth layer of Qi Refinement died on contact. Even cultivators at the ninth layer could only retreat, unable to face it head-on. "Caiyi, have you found an exit yet?" Sima Huiniang's voice called from afar. Gu Caiyi gritted her teeth, drenched in sweat. She couldn't find one! She couldn't find it! Still nothing! Ignorant of array formations, she could only charge in a straight line, relentlessly battering against the grand array. Yet what the eyes saw was often an illusion. As those stone pillars shifted, they repeatedly disoriented her, rendering her forward advances entirely futile. "If this continues, we'll all be trapped inside and slaughtered!" Behind her rose the endless agonized cries of Luotian Association cultivators. Countless familiar faces had already perished under the barrage of attacks filling the sky. Just as despair began to creep into Gu Caiyi's heart, she suddenly noticed an anomaly. Pillars on both sides had collapsed, slumping together in heaps that subtly pointed in a single direction. She hesitated for a split second, then decisively formed an incantation gesture! Spiritual light blazed within the giant bear as the spiritual qi within five medium-grade spirit stones was drained completely dry. A massive orb of light then erupted from its maw. *Roar!* Like an enraged beast, the puppet's pinnacle strike burst forth. Wherever the light orb swept, any Great River Gang cultivator standing in its path dissolved into a mist of blood. After obliterating dozens of foes in succession, its momentum remained unbroken, tearing along the path indicated by the collapsed pillars until it blasted completely free of the Gaoling Plain. A passage had opened! Catching sight of the moonlight outside, Gu Caiyi nearly wept with joy. Suppressing the surge of emotion, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Follow me!" *Thud, thud, thud!* The giant bear broke into a thundering run. At its sides, Sima Xian and Zhou Yuanli led groups to protect its flanks. In the rear, Qin Liangchen, Su Xiaolin, Liu Qiang, and Bian Zhen fought with all their might to cut down incoming enemies, while Duan Feng swung the top-grade artifact Heluo Sword, holding the choke point single-handedly. "Move, Little Duan!" shouted Feng Xia, her flying sword spinning through the air. With a wild look on his face, Duan Feng shoved her backward with a palm. "You get out first!" Caught completely off guard by the shove, Feng Xia was forced to fall back in haste. At that moment, several more artifacts came hurtling toward them. Duan Feng's expression turned ferocious as the Heluo Sword unleashed surging waves of force, sweeping outward to meet them. Even so, several artifacts slipped through the barrier. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* By sheer coincidence, an enormous stone pillar rumbled into position. It looked as if it were about to crush Duan Feng, yet it ended up deflecting the barrage of incoming artifacts. Duan Feng blinked in surprise, then kicked off the stone pillar without hesitation, pulling back swiftly. Several Great River Gang cultivators rushed forward, recalling their artifacts. "What is Min Longyu playing at?" "A sure-kill strike ruined for nothing!" "What a waste. That Duan Feng is the master of Luotian Association's Artifact Hall—he's loaded with top-grade flying swords and high-grade defensive artifacts!" "Forget it, keep chasing!" *** Deep underground. Min Longyu sat cross-legged. A formation disk shimmering with five colors slowly rotated before him, flanked by massive water mirrors reflecting the outside world. With a grave expression, he repeatedly cast one incantation after another. As his fingers moved, the stone pillars shown in the water mirrors continuously shifted their positions. Had any Great River Gang cultivator been present, they would have been shocked to discover that those pillars were not hemming in and slaughtering the Luotian Association at all. Instead, they were subtly shielding them. "Wang Haichao, this is what you owe me... Danchenzi, don't you dare disappoint me!" Muttering to himself, he pressed a hand firmly onto the formation disk. The next instant, a violent surge of spiritual fluctuations erupted outward. Above, across the Gaoling Plain, countless massive stone pillars violently self-detonated, as though buckling under an unbearable strain. The shattered stones turned into endless fragments, spraying in every direction. Caught completely unprepared, the surrounding cultivators were riddled with holes like sieves. Duan Feng, who had just broken out, turned pale in an instant. Had he still been inside, he likely would not have escaped that fate. Yet witnessing the scene, a deep suspicion arose in his heart. *The one operating the array seems to be...* "Duan Feng, are you alright?" Qin Liangchen and Murong Qinglian darted over, falling into position to shield him. Duan Feng caught his breath. "Just winded, that's all. Nothing serious!" Though he said this, the wounds covering his body could not be hidden. Qin Liangchen shook his head. "Head to the rear and rest for a bit. Leave this to us." Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the Gaoling Plain, where enemies continued to pour out in pursuit. *Their murderous intent still hasn't died!* Soon, Sima Xian and Zhou Yuanli arrived with a contingent of experts. "Director-General, what do we do now?" Sima Huiniang's delicate face had turned utterly cold and vicious as she glared at the Great River Gang cultivators. "A bunch of rabble! Back in the array, our hands were tied, but out here, it's no longer their home turf! Everyone, hear my command!" "Early and mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, use talismans for long-range attacks! Late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, form teams of three and cut them down! Every ninth-layer cultivator, roam the battlefield—show no mercy, kill to the last man!" With that order, the Luotian Association cultivators shouted their assent! This battle had to be settled here and now. Running was out of the question. The Association Leader and the master of the Battle Hall were still locked in fierce combat with Foundation Establishment True Cultivators—where could they possibly run? Moreover, during their desperate breakout, the association had suffered grievous losses. At least a hundred people had perished within the array. Among them were their friends, their kin, and their Dao companions! This blood debt had to be paid in blood! Under Sima Huiniang's orchestration, the remaining Luotian Association cultivators swiftly formed ranks to intercept the Great River Gang. Thanks to the numerous fierce battles fought during the association's early founding days, the surviving members were all hardened veterans who felt no panic in such a clash. Furthermore, those past battles had yielded bountiful spoils. The Fu family's talismans and the Duan family's artifacts were all top-tier items. Even treasures like the giant bear puppet comparable to Qi Refinement perfection, the top-grade flying sword Heluo Sword, and the high-grade artifact Fire-Tipped Spear had been bestowed upon them by Luo Chen. In contrast, while the Great River Gang held numerical superiority, they possessed no cohesion whatsoever! Wang Haichao was miserly by nature and would never bestow fine items upon them. To a man, they were as poor as beggars. Sima Huiniang calling them rabble was by no means arrogance. The moment the Luotian Association organized their ranks and mounted a methodical counterattack, the tables turned completely! Stripped of the terrain advantage of the Gaoling Plain and shorn of the array's cover, superior numbers merely made them sheep to the slaughter. What was more, the Luotian Association fielded more than ten ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators. Even someone as aged as Granny Yuan could stand at the rear and cast the Grass-Mowing Geng Metal Sword Art, reaping lives just as easily as she harvested spirit grain. *** Sima Huiniang commanded from the center. Beside her, Gu Caiyi was loading medium-grade spirit stones into the giant bear puppet. Looking out over the battlefield, she saw that the Luotian Association was steadily taking control. "Director-General, there's something off about that Min Longyu," Gu Caiyi suddenly remarked, looking up. Sima Huiniang nodded. "I felt it too. That grand array was meant to fracture our ranks and pick us off one by one. Yet our main force remained largely intact throughout. Instead, it was the Great River Gang who were hindered by illusions, unable to coordinate their strikes effectively." Gu Caiyi still felt a lingering chill. The siege earlier had been truly despairing. Even with the Luotian Association's many experts, had the array exerted its full might against them, their losses would not have stopped at a mere hundred people. Escaping with a hundred survivors would have been lucky. Thinking of the dead, Gu Caiyi couldn't help but glance back at the low-tier Qi Refinement cultivators who were pouring everything into activating talismans to attack from afar. Behind them lay a group of wounded—those who had broken out with all their strength only to collapse, incapacitated by severe injuries. It was precisely because of these wounded that Sima Huiniang had resolved to fight to the death. The leader was still fighting, Wang Yuan was still fighting, and the injured could not flee far. How could they simply run? "Our battlefield here will not decide the ultimate outcome, win or lose," Sima Huiniang said, a thread of deep anxiety showing beneath her stern expression. "Everything still rests on the Association Leader and Wang Yuan." She had seen clearly that two Foundation Establishment True Cultivators had pursued the leader. "Still, the leader is resourceful and possesses extraordinary means. He should be able to stall for some time. As long as Wang Yuan can quickly resolve... hm?" Sima Huiniang snapped her head upward. High in the night sky above them stood three figures divided between two spots! It was Li Yixian! Along with the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from Mount Yihua's Yu clan. Beneath that woman's feet was a spirit beast whose aura surpassed even the exploding ape the leader had enslaved. Noticing her gaze, Li Yixian gave a bitter smile and sent a voice transmission. Sima Huiniang paused, then turned a solemn gaze toward Yu Rou. *** High in the sky, Yu Rou swept a cold, detached gaze across the battlefield below. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the Gaoling Plain. "Hmph! Traitorous cur!" Snorting coldly, she finally turned her gaze deep into the stone forest of the Gaoling Plain. Fierce spiritual fluctuations and vast vitality blood were clashing in wild, violent eruptions. Li Yixian looked in the same direction. After watching for a while, she sneered, "This is the man your Yu family wants to marry into?" Yu Rou's brow furrowed tightly. "This shouldn't be happening!" "Why shouldn't it?" Li Yixian scoffed. "Huo Hu has been coddled by his elders every step of the way. His only combat experience amounts to sparring competitions among disciples within the Flame Alliance. The war between two Nascent Soul sects was supposed to be his chance to temper himself, yet he turned out to be as timid as a mouse." Yu Rou shook her head. "Even so, he is still a Foundation Establishment cult—" "And Wang Yuan has reached the second realm of body cultivation, rivaling Foundation Establishment! Furthermore..." Li Yixian let out a string of cold laughs. "You may not know this, but Wang Yuan has been renowned in Dahe Market for years. Among those of the same realm, none have ever bested him! Combined with his fearless, indomitable battle intent, how could Huo Hu possibly match him?" Seeing that Yu Rou still refused to believe it, Li Yixian's expression turned disdainful. Did she truly believe that being a sect disciple or a clan cultivator meant one could look down from on high and crush rogue cultivators at will? Those sect cultivators who could truly dominate their peers were all exceptional geniuses who had thoroughly mastered their sect's arts, experienced extensive trials, and possessed forged mental fortitude. Only such people could suppress rogue cultivators of the same rank. Huo Hu was hardly a genius of the Flame Alliance. As for magic treasures? Li Yixian had not fully understood them before, but ever since acquiring the Misty Chill Gauze, she realized how shallow her previous understanding had been. Magic treasures were standard equipment for Core Formation Masters not merely because of their steep price. That was only one factor! What truly restricted Foundation Establishment cultivators from wielding them freely was spiritual power. It was the same principle as an early Qi Refinement cultivator being unable to wield high-grade or top-grade artifacts at will. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to casually use a magic treasure was nothing short of a pipedream. An ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, even after completely exploring a magic treasure and nurturing it to the point of commanding it at will, could still draw out only fifty to seventy percent of its might. Moreover, they were constrained by their cultivation realm. Someone like her in the early Foundation Establishment stage could only treat a magic treasure as a trump card, never to be deployed repeatedly. Huo Hu was even worse off than her! Having only recently entered Foundation Establishment, his realm was likely not even stable, and he couldn't have nurtured that magic treasure for long. If he failed to overcome his opponent with the treasure's power right at the start, the subsequent drain on his spiritual power would only spell his doom. *Even once I successfully refine the Misty Chill Gauze, I cannot rely entirely on it. In normal combat, I must still rely on top-grade artifacts. The Misty Chill Gauze can only serve as the decisive strike to seal victory!* Huo Hu's current wretched state served as an excellent lesson for Li Yixian. Since establishing her foundation, she had fought very few battles against peers of the same realm—only a handful, and rarely to the death. She too was someone with little combat experience among her peers. Watching this battle had yielded tremendous insight. As her thoughts drifted, her expression suddenly shifted. "Yu Rou, what are you doing?" Astride the emerald-feathered white eagle, Yu Rou's spiritual power surged. "Huo Hu is no match for Wang Yuan, and the man clearly intends to kill him. I cannot stand by and watch him die." *Clang!* A longsword drifted into view, spiritual light pulsing at its tip. Yu Rou frowned. "You mean to stop me?" "Didn't you stop me earlier?" Li Yixian sneered. Yu Rou shook her head. "That was then, this is now. If Huo Hu dies here, neither of us will escape the fallout." Seeing that Li Yixian still intended to bar her way, her face darkened as she uttered two words: "The Li family!" Li Yixian froze, her weakness firmly seized. Just as the two were speaking, a burst of dragon astral and tiger fiend aura erupted violently in the distance! A figure vaulted into the sky from the ground, fleeing toward them in utter madness, cursing furiously as he ran. "Madman!" "You absolute madman!" Where the dragon astral and tiger fiend had erupted, countless stone pillars collapsed. A towering figure stood atop a hundred-meter-long pillar, watching his retreating back from afar. The figure extended his right hand. Four fingers curled inward without forming a fist, leaving only the index finger slowly pointing forward. Watching this, Yu Rou's expression changed drastically. "Stop—!" Yet the figure acted as if he had not heard her at all. Thunderous booms erupted from his body as his joints cracked, his meridians trembled in unison, and boundless vitality blood converged entirely into that single finger. *Whoosh!* The next instant, a beam of blood-red light shot through the sky like a meteor, tearing across the void with the speed of thunder and piercing straight through Huo Hu's body. "Urgh..." Huo Hu stared with wide eyes at the hole in his chest. Then, his body plummeted toward the ground like a stone. Yu Rou froze on the spot. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind. All that followed was a shrill shriek that erupted into a sound wave, washing out in all directions. "How dare you!" *Whoosh!* The emerald-feathered white eagle shot forward like an arrow, diving straight after Huo Hu's falling body. Caught in shock, Li Yixian hesitated, yet instinct drove her forward. Her sword light trembled as she moved to intercept Yu Rou. But almost immediately, the sword light died down. Down on the earth, vines were spreading frantically like serpents, weaving into a cage that completely trapped Huo Hu's body. Not only that, a blazing sun was slowly rising! "Fellow Daoist, do not seek your own ruin!"