Camp Breached

"Evacuate Mount Shuangjing right now and fall directly back to Yucheng?" Fairy Qiuzhi had not expected to receive an order like this, and her brows knitted tight. Prior to this, Daoist Canghong had anticipated that the situation might shift. According to his plan, if the Two Domains Alliance proved too formidable to resist, an order would be given to consolidate their forces. The Sin Abyss cultivators would all pull back into the three main camps and hold their ground, biding their time. They had not just arrived on the Tianxing Plateau; they had operated here for years and laid a solid foundation. By taking a defensive stance to await the offensive, they would force the Two Domains Alliance to pay a heavy price. Even if they were ultimately forced to withdraw, each additional day they held out yielded benefits. To say nothing of the various spirit mines and resources across the plains and the Tianxing Plateau. By now, they had pushed nearly to the foot of the Tianxing Plateau's second tier, and the sects along the southern foothills had essentially abandoned their grounds and fled in panic like rats. The spirit veins belonging to those sects were resources in their own right. Lower-stage cultivators from Sin Abyss could obtain superior cave dwellings. Furthermore, there were certain drain-the-pond secret techniques that extracted power at the cost of damaging spirit veins. They would never bear to unleash such methods on their own sects' land, but on the Tianxing Plateau, they had no such scruples. Even if they were to retreat, they should never fall back so far. Wouldn't that be handing back the spoils of two hundred years of warfare on a silver platter? "Even though one Fellow Daoist has fallen, holding Mount Shuangjing is by no means difficult with this top-tier grand array and all our preparations! If you two help me break the Xun Wind Great Array, we can turn defeat into victory!" Fairy Qiuzhi was deeply unwilling. Mount Shuangjing was essentially her personal creation, and she refused to surrender it so easily. "What? A Fellow Daoist has already fallen?" The two were astonished. They had arrived at Mount Shuangjing just as the battle erupted, contacted the cultivator directing the array, tracked down Qin Sang, and moved in to lie in wait, so they had missed the moment Qin Sang slew Yue Sanren. Cultivator Song sighed. "Elder Ye sent us here precisely out of concern that everyone might underestimate the enemy and let them take advantage. Especially Leng Yuntian—Elder Ye seemed to dread him even more than Qin Sang. Who knew we would still be a step too late?" Upon learning that the dead man was Yue Sanren, Cultivator Shan's anger cooled slightly. Aware of Yue Sanren's vile deeds, he felt Qin Sang had actually done something of a service, and said nothing more on the matter. "Elder Ye and Senior Canghong are presiding over the other two camps, and both have already begun preparations for withdrawal. If you do not decide swiftly, Fairy, you will be encircled on three sides by the Two Domains Alliance! You cannot hesitate any longer! Yucheng is merely a contingency plan Elder Ye arranged just in case. He and Senior Canghong have chosen several strategic passes along the route suitable for garrisoning the army. When the time comes, they will adapt to the circumstances—we may not actually have to withdraw that far." Both men urged her repeatedly. "Do not forget, Fairy, that what drove Elder Ye and the others to reach a consensus and launch a joint expedition in the first place was never to wipe out the Two Domains Alliance and dominate the Beichen Realm. This outcome was actually anticipated. No matter how powerful the Two Domains Alliance is, they could never push into Sin Abyss. At worst, it will simply be another stalemate. If you fall into peril over a momentary fit of pique, you would only be sacrificing the greater good for the petty." At these words, Fairy Qiuzhi wavered, her resolve softening. "If we evacuate in haste, what about the resources stored in the mountains?" Mount Shuangjing served as a depot for Sin Abyss, holding vast quantities of spirit stones, spiritual materials, and other war provisions, alongside countless treasures plundered from the Tianxing Plateau. A cultivator's mustard seed bag had limited capacity; they could take only a small fraction with them. They had not anticipated the Two Domains Alliance rising against the odds or top experts emerging out of nowhere, so they had never planned to transport the supplies away beforehand. Now, there was no time. "Take what we can, carry off the most precious treasures, and destroy the rest! Most of it was plundered from the Two Domains Alliance anyway; abandoning it is no great loss," Cultivator Shan said decisively. Fairy Qiuzhi hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the proposal. "The concrete details still require careful discussion. The battle is urgent; I ask both of you to strike and drive back the approaching enemy first." "Of course!" Cultivator Shan nodded and readily agreed. "I have long wished to experience his capabilities, but never had the chance. Follow me, Daoist Song. If that Qin fellow doesn't dare show himself, we'll hunt down the others. Let's see how long he can hold out!" The three promptly split into two groups. Fairy Qiuzhi returned to direct the grand array. …… The news that Qin Sang had slain an enemy Nascent Soul Patriarch swept across the battlefield like a hurricane, sending the morale of the Two Domains Alliance soaring. Meanwhile, the forces of Sin Abyss were thoroughly terror-stricken. They had heard too many legends about Qin Sang, and now that another Nascent Soul Patriarch had perished by his hand, their minds were shaken to the core. Some even viewed Qin Sang as a demonic terror, more terrifying than Daoist Zhenyi himself. Moreover, when Fairy Qiuzhi went in person to intercept Qin Sang, she handed control of the grand array to another cultivator. That person's cultivation and skill fell short of Qingjun's, and Qingjun seized the opportunity to launch a fierce offensive. At this point, the tide was heavily in favor of the Two Domains Alliance. While Fairy Qiuzhi and the two newcomers were conferring, Qin Sang had already retreated into his alliance's ranks. He passed the news to Qingjun and his fellow daoists, warning them to stay on guard. After confirming the identities of the reinforcements, Qingjun chose not to rush rashly for quick gains. Instead, she pulled back the battle lines, advancing steadily and consolidating every step. When Shan and Song joined the fray, they failed to gain any real advantage. After a bout of slaughter, Qingjun had the gongs beaten to recall the troops, bringing the fierce clash to a hurried close. Following the battle, the Two Domains Alliance pitched camp right on the mountain slopes, pointing their spearheads directly at Mount Shuangjing's encampment. The Sky Lake atop Mount Shuangjing gradually settled back to calm, its breathtaking beauty concealing the gore left behind by the battle. When the various Nascent Soul cultivators saw Qin Sang, they stepped forward one after another to offer congratulations on winning yet another battlefield exploit. Qin Sang repeatedly demurred, attributing it to luck. Just then, everyone received a message from Qingjun summoning them to discuss future operations. Knowing that Qin Sang excelled at reconnaissance abilities, she instructed him to stay behind and keep watch on Sin Abyss. After seeing off Jing Lin and the others, Qin Sang's figure flickered repeatedly as he slipped into hiding. Circulating his Heavenly Eye divine ability, he observed the movements of the Sin Abyss cultivators so they would not be caught off guard. Even as he stood vigil, he reviewed the gains and losses of the recent clash. There was little to say regarding the death of Yue Sanren; everything had gone completely according to plan. His subsequent exchange with Fairy Qiuzhi, however, laid bare the shortcoming of his insufficient cultivation. When dealing with a seasoned Nascent Soul expert who was on guard, many of his techniques struggled to secure victory. He had several treasure troves in his possession, but things like the flame seed and the sword array required time and energy to comprehend—they could not be rushed. For his cultivation to rise rapidly, he had to wait until the purification of the Corpse Flower Blood Amber was complete. For now, he could only seek ways to draw on external strength. He had no control over when Bai would break through, so focusing on the Nascent Soul talisman puppet was his best option. Though the talisman puppet could not be exposed to the light of day, it could serve as a hidden trump card. Over the past few days, he had brought the talisman puppet to consult his senior sister multiple times. Working together, they had studied it jointly, and combining her understanding of the Dao of puppets, she had already made some headway. Just as Qin Sang was pondering this, he noticed an unexpected commotion spreading through the battle array. Surprised, he stood up and saw Jing Lin flying rapidly toward him, his face radiating overjoyed excitement. "Daoist Qin! Word just arrived from Mount Shiqu! Daoist Zhenyi has won a great victory, and the camp guarded by Old Demon Ye himself has been breached!"