The first day of the Anti-Luotian Alliance's assault drew to a close with Luotian Association's array master, Min Longyu, displaying terrifying might by decapitating ten Foundation Establishment cultivators within the array.
They had arrived with ferocious momentum, only to suffer catastrophic losses.
The outcome sent shockwaves through the cultivators of Tianlan.
Amid the clamor, many guessed the alliance's intentions when they saw the Zheng family set up a massive spirit-gathering array.
Until the grand array was thoroughly breached, Zheng Xian and his cohort would not dare set foot on Danxia Peak.
To destroy the Luotian Association, they first had to shatter the array.
Now, setting up a large spirit-gathering array clearly showed that after brute-force assault failed, they prepared to wage a prolonged war of attrition.
Such a strategic mindset fit the conventional stereotype of clashes between major powers in the cultivation world.
Rarely did one achieve victory in a single stroke; patience and steady erosion were the norm.
A century ago, the Min family of Danxia had also held out under siege for an entire year before their enemies dared make a total sweep into the mountain.
Today was merely history repeating itself.
And that was fine!
At least the onlookers could enjoy the spectacle for a while longer.
Yet a few astute individuals caught the scent of opportunity hidden within.
Amid the crowd, an unfamiliar elderly man whispered casually to the person beside him, "Earlier, I saw Wei Bofan of Mount Xuchen perish within that rosy cloud array."
"Indeed. Fellow Daoist, were you on good terms with him?"
"Heh... What I mean is, Mount Xuchen only had Wei Bofan as a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. Now that he is dead, hasn't Mount Xuchen lost its pillar of stability?"
"Uh..."
"This old man takes his leave!"
After that brief exchange, the old man slipped cautiously away from the crowd. His companion hesitated for a heartbeat before hurriedly following suit.
Such a scene appeared discreet.
Yet how sharp were the spiritual senses of cultivators!
The pair had not communicated via divine sense, but spoken aloud. As a result, quite a few overheard them.
A minor commotion rippled through the spectators.
Among the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators who had just perished, Wei Bofan was hardly the only one!
Black Panther Mountain, Changliu Gorge, the Feathering Sect, the Tan family...
At this moment, all were leaderless!
Even if one or two Foundation Establishment True Cultivators remained behind in some of those powers, a few rogue cultivators banding together with friends could easily muster a formidable squad.
Storming fortifications might be out of reach, but raiding their homes while they were vulnerable was well within capability.
In less than half a day, the watching crowd shrank by a third as cultivators rushed off toward their chosen targets.
Such unusual movements naturally did not escape the eyes of observant figures.
Hidden in the shadows, Luo Feng watched the old man—the very one who had supposedly whispered, yet conspired quite loudly—return after slipping away, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his face.
Beside him, Chen Xiuli, a female cultivator from the Chen family of Tianyi Workshop, noticed his expression and asked with curiosity, "Fellow Daoist Luo, do you know that fifth-layer Foundation Establishment elder?"
"Naturally!"
Luo Feng transmitted his voice via divine sense. With both of them in the late Foundation Establishment stage, they had little fear of being eavesdropped upon.
He smiled and said, "That man is Kang Dongyue, head of the Kang family from Taishan Market! Years ago, I crossed paths with him a few times. It is said his ancestors had ties with the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect."
Taishan Market? Kang Dongyue?
Chen Xiuli furrowed her brows slightly. That was a rather remote market, far removed from Tianlan Immortal City. The adjacent sects were supposed to be the Luoyun Sect and the Yan Alliance, so why had their family head run all the way to Tianlan?
Moreover, those words just now...
"It seems Fellow Daoist Kang has boarded the Luotian Association's ship completely, helping them siphon away outside pressure!" Luo Feng sighed.
Chen Xiuli was puzzled. "If he is a vassal of the Sword Sect, why help the Luotian Association instead of the Yan Alliance?"
"What can the Sword Sect's vassals give them?" Luo Feng countered.
Before she could reply, he continued, "The Luotian Association, on the other hand, shares tangible commercial interests with them. The Kang family's Golden Quality Jade Liquid has sold remarkably well in Tianlan over the years, and much of that credit belongs to the Luotian Association."
Chen Xiuli still found it difficult to understand.
Even with business dealings, one shouldn't disregard one's own backing like this!
What she did not know was that between Luo Chen and Kang Dongyue, beyond commercial profit, there was also a debt of gratitude for saving a life.
Back then, when Kang Xianqiong came to Tianlan seeking medicine to treat her grandfather, it was thanks to Luo Chen that she managed to successfully bid on a Tier 3 healing spirit medicine at the Tianlan Auction.
This time, Kang Dongyue had arrived alone without bringing along cultivators of the Kang family, clearly indicating it was his personal action.
Shaking her head, Chen Xiuli set the doubt aside for the moment and turned her gaze toward the mountain enduring repeated bombardments.
"Are we going to help the Luotian Association?"
The question put Luo Feng in an awkward spot.
Several months ago, they had met with Sima Huiniang, the President of the Luotian Association.
At the time, she invited them to lend a hand and resist the formidable enemy together, but they had stalled and given no definitive reply.
Now, what she feared had truly come to pass.
The time had come for them to make a choice.
Luo Feng suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, who do you wish to see win?"
Chen Xiuli smiled faintly. "Naturally the Luotian Association. Their internal breeding of various spirit silkworms has already reached a substantial scale, making them one of the primary raw material suppliers for our Tianyi Workshop. If they truly perish, my Chen family's current business will shrink by at least twenty percent."
The dharma robe trade was far easier to run than the dharma artifact trade!
In this era, defensive artifacts and treasures were difficult to acquire, making dharma robes imbued with basic protective attributes the go-to choice among cultivators.
Even if one possessed protective items, no one hesitated to buy one or two fine dharma robes.
Even when Luo Chen first arrived in Tianlan, he spent heavily at Tianyi Workshop to purchase a top-grade Fire Cloud Daoist Robe.
Later, after Gu Caiyi achieved Foundation Establishment, she personally bought him a brocade white long gown.
In between, Luo Chen had also bought a dharma robe for Sima Huiniang.
And that was merely three individuals.
Across the entire cultivation world, from Nascent Soul and Golden Core grandmasters down to lowly Qi Refinement cultivators, the dharma robe trade touched virtually everywhere!
Chen Xiuli turned the question back on him. "And what about you, Fellow Daoist Luo? Your Luosha Workshop also shares business ties with the Luotian Association, does it not?"
"Who do I hope will win?"
Luo Feng chuckled derisively.
"Of course I hope the Luotian Association wins, but not for the sake of business. Our trade with them is merely a minor portion of my Luosha Market."
"Oh? Then why?" Chen Xiuli asked, intrigued.
Luo Feng gestured with his chin toward a certain direction.
The woman looked over, and from afar, she spotted a one-eyed man flanked and guarded by several Foundation Establishment True Cultivators of the Xiahou family.
Understanding dawned on her instantly.
The Xiahou family of Yinxia!
They were old nemeses of the Luo family. Years ago, they had fought viciously over a small ore vein, forging a blood feud.
In recent years, they had clashed several more times.
Even Xiahou Kun's blinded eye was the result of an ambush orchestrated by Luo Feng.
If anyone desired the Xiahou family's destruction most, it was unquestionably the Luo family.
Now enlightened, Chen Xiuli promptly asked, "Since we both hope the Luotian Association wins, when do we step in to help?"
"Help?"
Luo Feng shook his head once more.
"Set private grievances and old hatreds aside for now!"
"Our two families joining hands this time is not for the sake of aiding the Luotian Association."
"When the time comes, whoever wins, we help!"
Chen Xiuli was baffled. "If the Yan Alliance's vassals win, how do we help them? I doubt they would appreciate our gesture!"
Luo Feng replied with absolute confidence, "Why do we need their appreciation? When the moment comes, you and I will lead our subordinates to storm the mountain, seize the spirit silkworm resources your Chen family needs alongside the treasures I desire, and then calmly withdraw. Wouldn't that suffice?"
Chen Xiuli parted her lips, struck momentarily speechless.
Indeed.
That was also a method to recoup the losses their business would suffer upon the Luotian Association's demise.
However, it did smack of betrayal and bad faith.
For the Chen family, which had always adhered to the tenet of harmony breeding wealth, such an act was somewhat hard to stomach.
Seeing her conflict, Luo Feng offered an easy smile. "Of course, if the Luotian Association shows clear momentum toward victory, we can add flowers to the brocade, go with the flow, and lend them a helping hand!"
And so it circled back to that very sentence.
Whoever wins, we help!
The Chen and Luo families were far from the only ones harboring such calculations.
Mingling among the rogue cultivators were numerous allies of the Luotian Association.
A delicate female cultivator whispered quietly to an elder beside her.
A sharp-eyed man with sword-like brows gazed toward Danxia from afar, his expression fraught with hesitation.
A resolute female cultivator made as if to intervene, only to be called over by Yin Yuehua of Ice Fort and ordered strictly to stand down.
Over the past few years, the Luotian Association had expanded aggressively in Tianlan Immortal City. While it made many enemies, it cultivated even more business partners and friendly allies.
Among them were figures Luo Chen himself barely recognized.
Yet under Sima Huiniang's outreach over the preceding months, they had all gathered in the vicinity.
Driven by diverse reasons—profit, debts of gratitude, opportunistic chance—these people were all waiting!
They waited for a turning point that would reveal the victor.
When that moment came, some might cast caution to the wind to offer aid, while others might turn their blades to seize what they desired.
Everything hinged on the direction of this battle!
***
*Boom!*
A deafening roar detonated once more.
Five hundred Qi Refinement cultivators, coordinated with five Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, unleashed a joint large-scale spell.
Under normal circumstances, such a magnificent and vast bombardment would have drawn breathless gasps.
Yet over the past few days, the crowd had grown weary of the sight.
Some even began to view the Anti-Luotian Alliance with growing skepticism.
"It has been five days!"
"The Luotian Association remains holed up, and senior cultivators like Zheng Xian still cannot breach the Danxia Grand Array. I fear we might see another year-long siege like the Min family endured a century ago."
"But the Luotian Association is hardly without backing; behind them stands Ice Fort's Jueqing lineage. If this drags on, Ice Fort will never sit idly by."
"Tsk, when that time comes, Zheng Xian and his lot will have more than they can chew."
Amid the mounting murmurs, Zheng Xian, despite being underestimated by the crowd, wore a dark and sullen expression.
Watching the five hundred Qi Refinement cultivators retreat into the spirit-gathering array to meditate and recover, he muttered under his breath, "This cannot drag on any longer!"
The longer it dragged, the harder it would be for the Yan Alliance to reclaim its lost face.
If reinforcements from Ice Fort truly arrived, their hastily assembled coalition would face dire consequences.
When that happened, the Yan Alliance's Golden Core seniors might not necessarily step forward to shield him.
When all was said and done, he was no longer an official disciple of the Yan Alliance, merely an outcast.
And an outcast had no desire to become an abandoned pawn!
Beside him, Xiahou Kun looked equally anxious.
Over these days, news of Mount Xuchen's Wei family and Changliu Gorge's Chang family had reached him.
Rogue cultivators had taken advantage of the chaos, storming their ancestral gates to pillage, slaughter, and burn before vanishing into the wind.
None cared about the prestige or connections of those families.
Now, the longer the siege lasted, the more precarious the Xiahou family's situation became.
He approached Zheng Xian. "Fellow Daoist, whatever hidden cards you hold, it is time to play them!"
Zheng Xian naturally held methods in reserve, yet his gaze swept over the other prominent late Foundation Establishment experts.
Songfengzi smiled faintly. "It has dragged on far too long. I possess an item capable of unleashing the full-power strike of a Golden Core cultivator. Why not let me go first?"
For the sake of the Core Formation secret technique, he was prepared to stake it all!
Zheng Xian nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, let no one hold back. Prepare your methods!"
"Within these few days, we must shatter the array and charge up Danxia Peak!"
***
Atop Danxia Peak.
The stone door was pushed open, and a young man and woman stepped inside.
"Master!"
"Master!"
His face somewhat pale, Min Longyu opened his eyes. "How is the array holding up?"
His two disciples answered immediately, "According to our inspection, the array foundations have sustained severe damage, and spirit stone consumption is excessive."
This was grim news.
An array did not form naturally.
It involved countless interlocking components: engraved formation runes, array foundation structures, the flow of earth veins and mountain terrain, and the energy sources driving the entire construct.
Employing extraordinary means, he had buried twenty-one magic treasure flying swords to suppress and stabilize the array foundations.
Yet such a technique could only anchor the formation and borrow a fraction of the swords' sword intent.
With his cultivation, he was naturally incapable of driving twenty-one magic treasure flying swords.
If the array foundations collapsed, the cascading backlash would cause those very magic treasure swords to disrupt his control over the grand array instead.
"What did Hall Master Duan Feng say?" he asked again.
The two disciples exchanged a glance, and the male disciple said softly, "The senior brothers in the Forging Hall are doing everything they can to help repair the formation. But Hall Master Duan stated that relying on the materials accumulated by the Luotian Association over the years, we can maintain it for at most four more days."
Four days...
Min Longyu murmured the timeframe. Looking down at the layer of pale grayish powder beneath him—the remnants of drained spirit stones—worry filled his eyes.
The crisis came not only from within, but from without!
He could sense that recently, the spiritual energy the Seven-Colored Danxia Grand Array could plunder from heaven and earth was dwindling steadily.
To the point where it increasingly relied on the Luotian Association's stockpiled spirit stones to sustain operations.
This had to be the result of the Anti-Luotian Alliance forcefully setting up a Tier 3 spirit-gathering array outside.
They were not merely draining the Luotian Association's reserves; they were executing a strategy of pulling the firewood from beneath the cauldron!
Had he been overly arrogant?
The ten-day period he had promised earlier was slipping out of reach after all.
Right at that moment, his expression suddenly shifted!
He jerked his head up, looking outward.
Beyond Danxia, fierce winds whipped through the air, and pines rustled like roaring waves.
Amid the vast expanse of pine billows, a hundred-zhang azure log was slowly congealing into form.
The enormous log was a deep azure throughout, its tip chiseled into a tapered point as though hewn by axes and blades.
To the eye, it resembled a battering ram of the mortal world!
Yet the boundless spiritual pressure radiating from it was something no one could possibly overlook.
Min Longyu's eyes nearly tore at the corners.
"Report to the President immediately!"
"Mobilize everyone to reinforce the array with all their might!"
The two disciples dared not delay and rushed down the mountain.
In truth, before they could even deliver the warning, Sima Huiniang had already noticed.
She looked with deep anxiety at the colossal log outside the mountain. Behind her, Gu Caiyi and Murong Qinglian had also turned pale.
Could the Seven-Colored Danxia Grand Array withstand an attack of this magnitude?
"Do what we can to stall it!"
A low shout sounded beside them.
In the next instant, Wang Yuan strode out from the grand hall. With a wave of his hand, a massive bow materialized in his grip.
It was a magic-treasure-grade longbow!
Three black arrows were plunged firmly into the hard ground before him.
Such an exotic magic treasure came from Chu Kui's spoils of war and was ideally suited for Wang Yuan's use.
Nocking an arrow, surging blood-qi coursed through his limbs.
Wang Yuan's expression strained slightly. He had obtained the bow only recently; a few short months were nowhere near enough to refine it completely.
Yet some things had to be done even knowing the difficulty.
When the bow was drawn halfway, Wang Yuan could barely sustain the strain.
Refusing to force it further, he released the string.
"Go!"
A streak of light pierced through cloud and sun, shooting straight toward Songfengzi, who was fueling the battering ram outside the mountain.
Faced with this sudden arrow, the outside world paused in surprise.
Yet Songfengzi, still channeling the talisman, showed no concern.
He knew someone would intercept it for him.
Sure enough, in the next heartbeat, Zheng Xian stepped forward from the ranks, waving a hand to unleash a vast curtain of flames.
The streak of light plunged into the fire, swimming like a fish, darting through the blaze.
Before long, it burst through the fiery curtain.
Yet by then, the blood-qi enveloping it was practically spent.
Zheng Xian gave a cold snort and snatched out with a single hand.
*Buzz!*
The black feather arrow fell into his grasp, struggling fiercely, yet devoid of any real threat.
Flames erupted from Zheng Xian's hand, and within moments, the black arrow melted into a pool of molten iron, dripping down to the ground.
"A petty trick, daring to flaunt skill before an expert!"
Just then, Songfengzi's voice called from behind him.
"It is ready!"
"Step aside, Fellow Daoist!"
Zheng Xian promptly withdrew.
In the next moment, the hundred-zhang log rumbled forward, slamming into the seven-colored light barrier with unstoppable momentum.
Upon impact, a brief stalemate held.
Yet in the blink of an eye, the seven-colored barrier tore open like coarse fabric.
The battering ram, its momentum unspent, plunged straight toward the body of Danxia Peak.
Under every watchful eye, a figure shot into the air, unleashing a colossal palm imprint that barred the ram's path.
*Boom!*
Beneath the palm strike, the battering ram remained resolute; its advance paused for a fraction of a second, but it pressed on.
The figure's expression shifted slightly, and he unleashed two more palms in rapid succession.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Three palms struck consecutively, and the battering ram's momentum finally ground to a halt.
Outside Danxia, a smug smile appeared on Songfengzi's face.
"Still, that is not enough!"
"Once this strike hits the mountain body, the grand array tied to the earth veins will suffer massive disruption, and at that point..."
Yet in the next heartbeat, his triumphant smile vanished completely.
An equally colossal staff abruptly expanded from within Danxia.
Concentrating immense force onto a single point, it slammed squarely against the battering ram.
"Break!"
With a low roar, the battering ram finally shattered, dissolving into specks of spiritual light that scattered across Danxia Peak.
Only now did the onlookers outside, peering through the ten-zhang breach in the light barrier, clearly see the two men who had joined forces to repel the strike.
One wore coarse hemp garments, his black hair floating behind him without wind, standing steady as a mountain and poised as a grandmaster.
The other was towering and imposing, wielding a golden-black Qitian Staff, his face radiating an unyielding, domineering aura.
"Blood Demon Wang Yuan!"
"Tiankuizi Chu Kui!"
Recognizing the pair, countless people blurted their names.
Songfengzi's expression shifted slightly, and he quietly retreated behind the crowd, avoiding their line of sight.
These two were formidable!
He had no desire to become the target of either man.
Zheng Xian, however, showed no fear. Looking across at them from afar, a savage grin spread across his face.
"Splendid!"
"Fellow Daoist Songfengzi's technique forced out three top experts of the Luotian Association in one breath. Truly worthy of a renowned rogue cultivator from the Medicine King Domain and current Sect Master of Iron Sword Hall!"
Songfengzi, having already retreated behind the crowd, froze.
His face flushed red and green; he nearly burst into curses.
Yet he ultimately reined himself in.
"My City-Breaker Talisman can only be activated once in a short span. What happens next depends on your methods."
He spat the words bitterly, then turned without looking back and entered the Tier 3 spirit-gathering array to restore his condition.
Zheng Xian sneered, indifferent to his displeasure.
He could see clearly that under this blow, the seven-colored array had suffered heavy trauma.
Though it had not completely collapsed, making a full-scale charge premature, they still had other cards to play.
"Fellow Daoist Xiahou, it is your turn."
Xiahou Kun grunted in acknowledgment, stepped forward, and said with slight concern, "Our family's joint secret technique is potent, but it has range limitations. If the Luotian Association's experts snipe at us, you must provide cover."
Zheng Xian waved his hand. "Rest assured, I will personally protect you!"
Xiahou Kun breathed a sigh of relief.
He exchanged nods with the four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators of the Xiahou family behind him.
The five stepped forward together, halting five li outside Danxia Peak.
Four sat cross-legged, weaving spirit incantations.
Xiahou Kun stood centered among them, his robes fluttering in the still air. Before him, a massive sword radiated biting cold.
As the five joined their strengths, the great sword floated into the sky, and a vast sword-light slowly coalesced.
Seeing this, Zheng Xian raised an eyebrow.
A secret technique of shared bloodline?
Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators could never draw out the full might of a magic treasure.
Obstacles of divine sense and magic power stood in the way.
Yet the Xiahou family clearly possessed unique heritage.
By pooling the Foundation Establishment cultivation of five clan members sharing bloodline origin, they drove this heirloom flying sword magic treasure they had refined for years.
Once brought to peak power, its strike would surely rival the full blow of an early Golden Core cultivator!
Time ticked away.
The Xiahou family's four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators furiously channeled spiritual energy, channeling it all into Xiahou Kun.
Exhaustion crept onto their faces.
More than half of Zheng Xian's attention remained fixed on Danxia Peak.
Through that massive breach, he saw Wang Yuan nocking an arrow once more, seeking to disrupt the strike.
When the shooting star flew out, Zheng Xian laughed heartily.
"Repeating an old trick—useless!"
The same blazing flames surged as he easily reached out to intercept the black feather arrow, just as before.
Yet before he could melt it down, his expression twisted.
"No!"
Looking sharply toward the peak, he saw Wang Yuan and Chu Kui acting together, their formidable physical bodies forcefully pulling the magic treasure longbow to near full draw.
This strike—was unstoppable!
He hastily swept out a massive torrent of fire, while he himself pulled back in retreat.
In doing so, nothing remained between the arrow and the five Xiahou cultivators.
"Everyone strike together, block this blow!"
Zheng Xian's commanding roar reached Xiahou Kun's ears, but everything came too late.
Within his single eye, only that arrow descending from beyond the heavens was reflected.
His eye nearly splitting in horror, Xiahou Kun abandoned coalescing the magic treasure's lethal move and forcefully shifted several zhang aside.
Even so—
*Boom!*
The black streak slammed into the spot where he had just stood.
A tempest of spiritual energy flung him dozens of zhang away.
Ignoring the roiling blood-qi in his chest, he scrambled back toward the crater, shouting frantically, "Second Brother! Third Brother! Little Seventeen..."
No answer came.
Only severed limbs and shattered bones lay scattered across the churned earth.
This single arrow had not only broken the build-up of the Xiahou family's five True Cultivators, but had outright obliterated four of them.
Trembling from head to toe, he rose from the ground and looked at Zheng Xian in sheer disbelief.
"You promised to shield me from their snipers!"
Zheng Xian wore an apologetic look. "My apologies. I did not anticipate that two men could join forces to draw that magic treasure."
"Did not anticipate?" Xiahou Kun laughed in tragic misery. Could the slaughter of four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators of his clan be brushed aside with a simple 'did not anticipate'?
Zheng Xian's face hardened with solemnity. "Nevertheless, you have rendered a tremendous service in this battle."
"What?" Xiahou Kun was baffled.
Yet the answer came swiftly.
Tuoba Lingfei, Xiang Zhonghe, and another senior cultivator from the Zheng family soared forward simultaneously.
The trio mirrored one another's movements, thrusting their hands forward in unison.
A vast expanse of dark light surged forth, carrying a foul stench so sickening it induced nausea.
As that dark light splashed over the barrier enveloping Danxia Peak, the seven-colored expanse was instantly dyed with a pitch-black hue.
The discoloration was faint at first, yet as the barrier trembled in an effort to purge the taint, the blackness grew ever denser.
Faintly, the seven-colored barrier weakened.
Xiahou Kun's jaw dropped slack. Only now did he realize that he had merely served as overt bait.
Tuoba Lingfei and the other two were the true hidden vanguard.
Watching the black light spread across the barrier, excitement surfaced on Zheng Xian's face.
"With my Yan Alliance's Withered Fire True Fiend, this array will dissolve into smoke within three days!"
Below him, over a thousand cultivators roared in jubilation, chanting, "Shatter Danxia, destroy Luotian!"
Zheng Xian looked down at Xiahou Kun and offered comfort, "The ones who killed your kin were Wang Yuan and Chu Kui. Once the array falls, we will avenge your family. If we seize the Core Formation secret technique, you shall be the first to view it!"
Xiahou Kun let out a miserable laugh, his mouth stopped by empty promises so that he could say nothing.
Amid the grief, fury, and worried welcomes of the Xiahou family's Qi Refinement cultivators, he walked into the spirit-gathering array.
Compared to the others, his retreating figure appeared utterly broken.
***
Atop Danxia Peak.
*Pfft!*
A mouthful of blood sprayed out, and Min Longyu's face turned deathly pale.
Manipulating the grand array over these days had already consumed immense mental energy.
Today, the array had suffered blow after blow, particularly the corruption of the Withered Fire True Fiend, which sent terrifying backlash through his spiritual connection to the formation.
He was now severely wounded.
With trembling fingers, he retrieved several pills from his storage bag and swallowed them down in haste.
"I cannot fall!"
"This array must endure day by day. I must buy enough time for the President, or the tragedy of the Min family's fall a century ago will repeat itself!"
As he murmured to himself, a soft breeze stirred beside him.
In a daze, a familiar figure stood before him.
"You have done all you can. Conserve your energy now, and prepare for tomorrow's battle!"
"Tomorrow?"
Min Longyu froze.
The figure nodded, placing a hand atop his head. Gentle, cool, and soothing spiritual power seeped into his body.
Like spring rain moistening the earth, it quietly and delicately healed the injuries he had sustained while governing the array.
Closing his eyes, Min Longyu accepted the treatment without resistance.
Yet he could not help but whisper, "President, can we truly win this battle?"
"We can!"
Luo Chen, who had not appeared publicly in days, possessed eyes that shone with brilliant resolve.
His gaze shifted from Min Longyu, penetrating the stone walls as though looking into the distant sky at the figure that desired nothing more than to see him dead.
His wide sleeves fluttered without wind, and his confident voice echoed within the stone chamber.
"Even if losses are heavy, even if Danxia collapses, we will surely win this battle!"
***
Night fell.
The booming rumbles outside continued unabated.
Cultivators of the Anti-Luotian Alliance were wearing down the Danxia array with all their might, seeking to expedite its demise.
Inside the main hall of the Luotian Association, Luo Chen sat studying the intelligence reports in his hands, frowning in contemplation.
Footsteps sounded outside, and Sima Huiniang soon arrived at his side.
"Must we truly drop the array ahead of time?"
Luo Chen set down the letters and sighed. "Fairy Jueqing is nowhere to be found. Rather than prolonging this, it is better to preserve Min Longyu's strength as a trump card."
"Yet in a direct clash, the enemy still possesses eight senior cultivators and sixteen Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. In high-end combat power alone, they outmatch our Luotian Association completely."
Comparing the two sides, Sima Huiniang felt the disparity was immense.
She said softly, "Though Kang Dongyue played a few tricks outside and lured away some rogue cultivators, we are still surrounded by wolves."
She spoke the truth.
The Anti-Luotian Alliance was formidable on one front, while opportunists seeking to plunder were another.
Combined, if the Luotian Association showed the slightest sign of flagging, the wall would collapse and everyone would push it down!
This was one of the reasons why the Luotian Association had chosen to hold out inside the formation.
Luo Chen whispered, "What concerns me is far more than just that."
Sima Huiniang asked softly, "Is it Qin Tairan, the mid-stage Golden Core elder from the Yan Alliance?"
Luo Chen gave a slight nod.
Qin Tairan was a disciplinary elder of the Yan Alliance, notorious for his cruelty and violence.
Were it merely that, it might be manageable, but he possessed the formidable cultivation of fourth-layer Golden Core, far exceeding Di Wanyun of the past.
If the Luotian Association was to survive this trial, Luo Chen would have to take the field personally.
Yet if Luo Chen acted, Elder Qin would never let him off.
At present, Qin Tairan simply had not lowered himself to intervene directly, and could not be certain whether Luo Chen was truly still in Tianlan.
"Tao Wan said she could have an elder from her sect intervene to protect me once. But that Elder Long is merely at the second layer of Golden Core, by no means a match for Qin Tairan."
"The elder from Mount Ailao watching from the sidelines holds an ambiguous attitude."
"If Fairy Jueqing does not appear, I remain in grave peril. Even with a powerful Tier 3 Primeval body, before a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator..."
Luo Chen pondered silently.
In the end, noting Sima Huiniang's anxious face, he said, "Go rest. For tomorrow's battle, you only need to command from the rear."
Sima Huiniang opened her mouth, wanting to speak, yet felt utterly powerless.
Only now did she realize that managing and expanding a faction was never enough.
Only personal, overwhelming strength could truly turn the tide!
In the past, Luo Chen had always sheltered her from the wind and rain.
Yet this time, even Luo Chen found himself strained to the limit.
What could she do?
Never had Sima Huiniang despised her own weakness as intensely as she did now.
*If only I had the strength of late Foundation Establishment, I could share some of his burden.*
*Even mid Foundation Establishment would let me charge at the front and clear away obstacles.*
*Yet I am only at the third layer of Foundation Establishment.*
Under flickering lamplight, Sima Huiniang stepped out of the main hall, her spirits sinking low.
Luo Chen had no time to dwell on other thoughts. His gaze settled on the water mirror before him.
Vague silhouettes flickered on its surface, but at higher altitudes, everything turned hazy and obscure.
With a flick of his wrist, a black bead appeared in his palm.
"A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, is it?"
"When lives are staked on the line, how much of an advantage can you truly claim?"
"That Mount Ailao cultivator shares bad blood with you—would he pass up such an opportunity?"
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen carefully placed the Immortal Thunder Bead in the most prominent and accessible compartment of his storage bag.
***
The following day, as dawn cracked the horizon.
A shout suddenly rang out.
"It has dispersed!"
"The light barrier has dispersed!"
In an instant, countless eyes turned toward Danxia Peak.
The seven-colored barrier that had shrouded Danxia for days fell away reluctantly at the cusp of night and day.
*Whoosh!*
A figure soared into the sky.
Zheng Xian's face was flushed with wild joy. It was even faster than the three days he had anticipated.
In the end, they were merely a minor sect; how could they withstand the methods of his Yan Alliance?
Still, the array had dissolved too slowly for comfort.
"Give them no time to prepare!"
"Everyone, prepare to attack!"
His mighty shout pierced through cloud and mist, echoing in all directions.
At his command, squad after squad marched out from the spirit-gathering array.
Tuoba Lingfei stepped out of the encampment and sighed to Xiang Zhonghe beside him, "The day has finally come. Troublesome, truly troublesome."
Xiang Zhonghe smiled, shaking his head. "How could a faction that forced an elder of the Yan Alliance to expend such effort be lacking in tricks?"
"No matter. Let us finish this swiftly and return to Skyfire Immortal City!"
Not far off, Songfengzi snapped his eyes open.
Opposite him, two senior cultivators stood ready for battle.
"Fellow Daoists, destroying Luotian and seizing their Core Formation secret technique happens today."
The two nodded slightly. "We follow your lead. Whatever the plan, you call the shots."
Songfengzi chuckled softly. "Simple. When the time comes, drive the cultivators of Iron Sword Hall to charge at the vanguard. Losses are of no concern to us; at worst, once it is done, we flee back to the Medicine King Domain."
"Very well, we listen to you. Though you truly let go easily—what a pity for this Iron Sword Hall you seized with such effort."
Within the Xiahou family's camp.
Xiahou Kun had long emerged, staring at Danxia Peak.
At this moment, even with many elite Qi Refinement cultivators of the Xiahou family gathered around him, he felt profoundly alone.
"Only by destroying the Luotian Association can our blood feud be avenged!"
"Only by seizing the Core Formation secret technique can my Xiahou family rise again."
"Otherwise, even if we return alive, Yinxia will no longer be a place where our Xiahou family can abide."
"Zheng Xian..."
Taking a deep breath, Xiahou Kun adjusted his eyepatch and waved a broad hand.
The Qi Refinement cultivators of the Xiahou family mobilized in full force.
***
Beyond the Anti-Luotian Alliance camp, the lingering rogue cultivators also began to notice the commotion.
One after another rubbed their palms, preparing to scavenge scraps.
Some even sent out transmissions, urging companions who had left in previous days to hurry back.
Everyone knew.
This protracted war, which had drawn the gazes of countless cultivators across Tianlan Immortal City, would draw to its final curtain today.
Would the once-dominant Luotian Association continue to reign supreme and dictate terms in Tianlan Immortal City?
Would factions like the Zheng family, Iron Sword Hall, and the Xiahou family rise on the back of this triumph?
And would those Golden Core grandmasters cast aside their dignity and take the field in person?
Everything would be settled today.
The only regret lingering in many minds was:
"In such a grand gathering, not to see the protagonist Dan Chenzi—what a pity!"
Chapter 407