Everyone was shocked and furious, not expecting the enemy to arrive so quickly, without giving anyone the slightest chance to react.
One moment they were still discussing matters in the hall, and the next the enemy had already come knocking at the door.
“Bastards, how dare you disturb the old alliance leader during his closed cultivation.”
Fu Jingmen was extremely agitated.
Han Xie, the leader of Qianji Sect, looked up at the sky. Narrowing his eyes, he carefully scrutinised and his expression changed slightly as he said,
“There is a flying magical artefact in the air.”
Cao Qingyang and the other senior figures looked up, and indeed saw a black dot suspended in the azure sky.
Even with their eyesight, they could only just make out that it was a boat-shaped artefact.
A flying artefact… Cao Qingyang’s heart sank, but he did not panic. He had set up checkpoints and scouts on Quanrong Mountain and along the surrounding roads, and there were numerous ballistae installed all over the mountain.
The cavalry in the military garrison slept in their armour, ready to ride out at a moment’s notice, able to launch attacks or fall back into the mountains to defend against powerful enemies.
The experts and soldiers within the Wulin Alliance co-operated, functioning as a considerable fighting force.
“Sound the gong!”
Cao Qingyang turned to give the order to Deputy Alliance Leader Wen Chengbi, then looked around at the others.
“The nine of you, come with me to the rear mountain to ward off the enemy. Everyone else, gather the disciples and be on guard, in case other enemies take the opportunity to cause trouble.”
With that, he leapt onto the roof and glanced at the square outside the residence, where the disciples of various sects were beginning to stir.
If the number of enemies was small, and they were all top masters, then these people could at least save themselves, they only needed to spectate.
Whether the Wulin Alliance met victory or defeat, it would not concern these lower-ranking disciples.
But if those aboard the flying boat were only the vanguard and there were large-scale enemy forces following, then the disciples outside the square and the Wulin Alliance’s direct disciples would face a life-and-death calamity.
The heads of the nine major subordinate sects, including Fu Jingmen and Xiao Yuenu, followed Cao Qingyang, sweeping towards the rear mountain.
They could all briefly travel through the air, but the most agile in movement was the Sect Leader of the Shenxing Sect. This lean Sect Leader did not ride the wind, but sped along the treetops.
Each time his toes lightly touched a treetop, he shot forward like an arrow. When his burst slowed, he would lightly tap another treetop, repeating this in a cycle, making his speed considerably faster than the even pace of the fourth rank martial artists.
Very soon, they arrived at the rear mountain, where the roars of beasts never ceased, mixed with overlapping explosions of qi.
Cao Qingyang and the others abruptly soared upwards, leaping into the sky to overlook the situation on the rear mountain.
They saw, before the stone gate in the cliff, a beast about forty feet long, shaped like a dog, fiercely fighting a golden figure.
It had a face close to human, covered all over in short black fur, and its eyes were blood-red, glowing like two red lanterns.
“Roar!”
The Quanrong leapt at the golden figure, trying to tear him apart.
But the golden figure was exceptionally nimble, dodging the Quanrong’s lunges and swipes with agile manoeuvres.
Boom boom boom…
The hard rock split again and again beneath the Quanrong’s pounding. The golden figure seized an opening, slid suddenly forward from under the Quanrong’s belly, and in an instant appeared behind it.
Crack!
The golden figure stamped, cracking the ground, turning into a golden streak that shot towards the stone gate, as if intending to smash it open.
Clang!
With a heart-shaking clang, the golden figure was knocked flying back. What had struck him was the Quanrong’s six thick tails.
Jingyuan crashed through several thick trees before just managing to steady himself. He carelessly tore apart his tattered monk’s robe, revealing a body like sculpted gold.
After driving off his foe, the Quanrong raised its head and roared, venting its fury, the sound echoing throughout the entire Quanrong mountain range.
Pata… Cao Qingyang led the group to land, coming to the Quanrong’s side, soothing the giant beast as he spoke:
“Vajra Body, as expected, a man of the Buddhist sect.
“Heh, a fourth rank Warrior Monk, eh? The main player hasn’t showed up yet, who will go meet him?”
The Shenxing Sect Leader stepped forward, musing,
“My movement technique restrains him, I’ll…”
Before he could finish, the Tieyi Hall Leader cut him off with a huff,
“Circle around him, eh? You lot from the Shenxing Sect are good at running, not so much at fighting. If he just stands there and lets you hit him, you’d go bald before you scratched him.”
This was a man as solid as a tower, not tall, but extremely broad.
Monks have no hair anyway… the Shenxing Sect Leader muttered inwardly, not insisting, since he was stating the truth.
“You Shi, be careful,” Cao Qingyang said, raising his head, on guard against the Wind-riding Boat in the sky.
There was an awkward problem: though fourth rank martial artists could briefly fly, their height and speed were limited, and the Wind-riding Boat was now clearly beyond their reach.
“Don’t worry, Alliance Leader, I’ve long wanted to see which is stronger: the Buddhist Vajra Body, or my Tieyi Hall’s protective art.”
The short, stocky You Shi’s eyes shone as he fixed them on the golden figure in the distant woods.
Jingyuan stood by a broken tree trunk, gazing coldly at the gathering of the Wulin Alliance, expressionless and arrogant, as though he did not take them seriously.
What an arrogant monk… Xiao Yuenu and others all frowned.
With a heavy pounding, You Shi dashed forward, leaping halfway, descending on Jingyuan like a meteor.
Clang!
You Shi’s fist struck Jingyuan’s cheek, snapping his body backward violently. Just as he was about to fall, Jingyuan arched his back like a roly-poly, then snapped upright again.
Clang!
Another deafening crash. You Shi felt a sharp pain in his forehead, his mind spinning, and his body flew backwards.
Jingyuan, who had just headbutted his opponent away, casually rubbed his forehead and said in rather unpolished central plains common tongue:
“Still lacking.”
Yang Cuixue and the other fourth ranks all wore serious expressions. From that exchange alone, they could tell You Shi’s physique was inferior to this Buddhist Warrior Monk.
Of course, You Shi had not gone all out with his strength, but no one could be sure if the Warrior Monk had either.
If merely the vanguard Warrior Monk was this strong… Looking above him, Cao Qingyang called out in a loud voice,
“Friends on the boat, since you’re here, why hide yourselves?”
His voice echoed far.
Moments later, as if responding, five figures leapt down from the Wind-riding Boat.
They were: a young monk in plain robes, whose gentle features and sharp contours revealed him clearly as from the Western Regions; a burly, one-armed giant with tiger eyes and a square jaw, exuding awe and surrounded by a whirl of wind;
A middle-aged man with curly hair, blue eyes, brown skin wearing a brilliantly coloured robe, obviously from the Southern Marches;
A beautifully cold young woman armed with a sabre, standing on a branch peering down coolly;
And finally, a stunning, seductive beauty in a long red dress, with captivating looks and a graceful figure.
“Liu Hongmian?!”
Xiao Yuenu’s tone changed.
Swaying her slender waist, Liu Hongmian approached, chuckling, “Sister, long time no see.”
Xiao Yuenu replied coolly, “You betrayed Wanhua Tower long ago. I am unworthy of being called ‘sister’.”
A flash of bitterness appeared in Liu Hongmian’s eyes and she sneered,
“If it weren’t for you, dear sister, meddling from the shadows, how would I have been forced out of Wanhua Tower? It’s time to settle that old debt.
“White Tiger, didn’t I tell you? Xiao Yuenu is a peerless beauty, was I lying?”
The one-armed White Tiger scrutinised Xiao Yuenu and slowly nodded,
“Even with a veil, she’s truly a rare beauty among humans. I am very satisfied.”
Liu Hongmian gave a dazzling smile,
“Very well, then I shall capture her to be your slave girl, for your pleasure.
“Alas, Young Lord Ji Xuan and Qihuan Danxiang aren’t interested in women, and Xu Yuanhuai is oblivious, lucky you.”
White Tiger nodded, “Thank you. I owe you one.”
As the king of all beasts, women to him were merely tools of desire, he could not even be bothered to feign lust or longing.
This made Liu Hongmian quite upset, she wanted a lecherous tag-team partner to mock Xiao Yuenu.
Cao Qingyang’s measured gaze swept over the five fourth ranks present, neither underestimating nor overestimating them, pausing for a moment on Liu Hongmian.
Liu Hongmian… All the senior members of the Wulin Alliance recognised her.
Back then, the struggle for the position of Wanhua Tower’s master had caused quite a stir.
Ordinarily, it was not unusual for disciples to compete for the leadership of their sect or house, many had turned against each other for it.
However, the previous contest for the mastership of Wanhua Tower was noteworthy. Both Liu Hongmian and Xiao Yuenu were disciples of the former master, both key contenders for the role.
Xiao Yuenu was renowned as the number one beauty in Jianzhou, so naturally Liu Hongmian was not far behind.
However, Liu Hongmian was later removed from contention due to her wanton behaviour.
As a sect composed entirely of women, Wanhua Tower placed great importance on the master’s personal virtue, how could they allow a licentious person to control the sect?
Liu Hongmian refused to accept this, insisting she had been wronged.
Not long after, she deserted Wanhua Tower and disappeared.
No one expected her to return to Jianzhou today, and to bring such a group of enemies with her.
“Tch!”
The Tieyi Hall Leader You Shi, his interest ruined, silently retreated to Cao Qingyang’s side.
Both sides now faced off.
…
On the flying boat, Ji Xuan looked down at the overlapping mountain ranges below and stroked his chin.
“The bait is not enough. With just them, Xu Qi’an will not come out.”
At the bow, Dongfang Wanrong gave her opinion.
“It’s also possible that he simply doesn’t know what’s happening here.”
Ji Xuan shook his head with a smile.
“No, I would bet that he has definitely come.
“Destroying the Wulin Alliance is the National Teacher’s will. This means it involves a contest between the National Teacher and the Jianzheng. The Jianzheng will not just stand by and watch the Wulin Alliance get destroyed.
“Right now, the only martial artist Great Feng can use is Xu Qi’an. If he doesn’t come, who will? At most, maybe Sun Xuanji will join in.”
Dongfang Wanrong listened for a while, then nodded slowly, agreeing with Ji Xuan’s words.
Ji Xuan continued.
“It’s like two armies facing off, probing each other. Xu Qi’an fears the National Teacher. He won’t make a move recklessly unless he’s pushed to the limit, or before he figures out our trump cards.
“It’s the same for us. Who knows how many tricks the Jianzheng has up his sleeve besides Xu Qi’an?”
Dongfang Wanrong smiled charmingly, radiant and captivating. She turned to look at the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon behind Ji Xuan and said,
“Then let’s push the limits and force him to show himself.”
Ji Xuan nodded. He turned around and said respectfully,
“Azure Dragon, please go and meet the experts of the Wulin Alliance.”
Azure Dragon walked to the edge of the boat and leapt down, followed by the seven cloaked figures behind him.
The eight cloaked men dived headfirst, their robes fluttering like banners.
…
Below, Cao Qingyang suddenly looked up, staring at the eight black dots swooping down. He spoke slowly.
“Eight?”
Another eight fourth ranks? These three factions have mobilised so many fourth-rank experts to attack the Wulin Alliance?
He was somewhat puzzled. Fourth rank in any system was a backbone, a true ruling class.
But on tonight’s battlefield, fourth rank martial artists were just the starter. This fight was clearly going to escalate to the third rank, the beyond-mortal realm.
Sending fourteen people of the fourth rank all at once, weren’t they afraid that Xu Qi’an, who might be lying in ambush, would wipe them all out in one go?
“Be on your guard!”
Cao Qingyang’s face suddenly changed, because he realised that beyond-mortal experts were very likely hidden among these eight.
At that moment, as the eight men dived, they adjusted their formation in mid-air, connecting head and tail in a line.
Their qi surged and instantly formed into the illusory image of a dragon, baring its fangs as it swooped down.
Almost in the next instant, a terrifying force of qi descended from the sky, as if a mountain was collapsing.
“Third rank?”
Cao Qingyang clenched his fists, and his robe swelled like a balloon. Currents of qi gathered at his fists, creating a blazing surge of energy.
He punched upwards.
From Xiao Yuenu’s sleeve, a small sword sprang forth, enveloped in qi, and followed the force of Cao Qingyang’s punch to meet the Seven Constellations and their Azure Dragon.
Other fourth-rank sect leaders either launched attacks with both fists, drew swords to unleash sword energy, or continuously fired arrow volleys of qi… all attacking the enemies in the sky together.
Boom!
The forces of qi collided, and with a deafening, thunderous explosion, the energy unleashed a hurricane, causing all the trees atop the mountain to shake.
Witnessed from afar, it was truly spectacular.
The dragon’s shadow faltered slightly, weakened somewhat, but did not dissipate. Realising it could not be stopped, Cao Qingyang roared,
“Retreat!”
Everyone scattered, fleeing in all directions, leaving the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations to descend.
As the illusory dragon fell, the entire mountain peak shook.
The Azure Dragon Seven Constellations drew sabres from their waists and gazed at the distant stone gate, behind which there was no movement at all.
“The old fellow is indeed not in good shape. You lot keep the Wulin Alliance trash busy, I’m going to cut down that old bastard.”
A hoarse voice issued from within the cloak of Azure Dragon.
“Awoo!”
The Quanrong charged with a roar, swinging claws the size of a grown man’s head.
Azure Dragon’s blade flashed upwards with a screech, sparks exploded, and the beast’s huge paw was sliced clean off.
Bang!
Taking advantage of the brief clash between one man and one beast, Cao Qingyang suddenly appeared ghost-like behind a cloaked figure, letting loose a burst of violent martial intent with his fist.
But at that moment, he suddenly felt his target’s aura surge, and in an instant, it broke through the fourth rank, reaching a realm unattainable by mortals.
The martial artist’s crisis instincts screamed. Cao Qingyang immediately withdrew his punch and slid backwards.
Nearly at the same time, that cloaked figure slashed out with a sabre, and where the blade struck where Cao Qingyang had just been, it cleaved a rift in the ground so deep one could not see the bottom.
What’s going on? Is this one a third rank too?
Cao Qingyang’s expression changed slightly. He glanced at the leader of the cloaked figures and saw that at this moment, he had exchanged another blow with the Quanrong. The sabre that had been able to sever the beast’s claw with ease just now had only managed to produce a shower of sparks against the giant beast’s body.
Their strength has weakened… Cao Qingyang suddenly realised and shouted,
“They aren’t true third ranks, their formation lets them unleash beyond-mortal power.
“Everyone attack together and break their connection!”
These eight can combine their strength into one, circulating it among any of them. Any one of them can become a third rank, but not all at the same time.
Therefore, as long as they swarmed all eight at once, they could effectively restrain their opponent.
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