518 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 518: Unveiling of the Sword's First Battle "The quickest way to seize power is to start a war." Upon receiving this information, Gu Tan frowned and said, "But it seems we're sacrificing too much for the Jiang family." "I thought you'd be happy about it," Ming Zhen replied sarcastically. "It's not about me; it's about the safety of the Chu Qin Sect," Gu Tan murmured to himself. "Don't be fooled by the fact that Bi Hu Sect has weaknesses everywhere; it's actually more prone to unexpected changes. If the price we pay is too high, it won't be good for me or the sect." Ming Zhen then spoke more seriously, "The sect master trusts you." "The problem is, before the war, the sect master already gave the Wei family's third-tier mountain gate to the Baisha Gang. Shanuo has renamed it Baisha Mountain, and it's unlikely to change. The largest reward is gone, so we can only work with what we have in Chu Qin's territory," Gu Tan said helplessly. "The more vassals we have, the less Chu Qin Sect has for itself. The longer the merger is delayed, the more my reputation in the sect is tarnished." "The rumored 'wild son,'" Ming Zhen recalled with a laugh about the speculations regarding Qi Xiu and Shanuo. "No." Years ago in Donghai City, when the young Shanuo called out Qi Xiu's name in the street, Gu Tan was present. The demeanor between them was far from that of a father and a long-lost son. Moreover, before the sect master went to Qin Nan, he left Gu Tan with a technique to control Shanuo... Gu Tan shook his head, thinking, “I fear...” He considered saying that perhaps the sect master had some leverage over Shanuo but decided against discussing it with Ming Zhen. "After all, it's a ten-year agreement, so don't be anxious," Ming Zhen, uninterested in these matters, offered a word of encouragement before retreating to his cave for cultivation. The spies previously sent out suffered significant losses in the Lingmu and Lihuo regions. However, due to the chaos within the Lianshui Alliance, operations in that area progressed smoothly. Gu Tan took out a map and cross-referenced it with gathered intelligence over the years, quickly immersing himself in strategic planning. Although he was plotting against Bi Hu Sect, any action was still a ways off. Meanwhile, in the Fengshui Basin, Zhan Jianfeng was already preparing to enter the battlefield. Zhan Jianfeng had traveled from Qifu City on a flying shuttle recruited by the Jiang family to gather itinerant cultivators. Qi Xiu had not arranged any special care for him, so he mingled with the group of scattered cultivators under the Jiang family’s jurisdiction. In the city of Fengshui on the border of the Fengshui Basin, he encountered the disciples of Fa Yin, renowned monks of the Law Sect, who had landed the prestigious job of inspecting city security. When Zhan Jianfeng tried to join their efforts, he was scolded by Fa Yin, accused of wanting to use the war to escape punishment and not given a chance to argue. In the early days of the war, flying shuttles arrived daily in Fengshui City from all directions. As more cultivators eager to make a name for themselves gathered, the Jiang family began investing heavily to recruit small families and itinerant cultivators, quickly swelling their ranks with mixed troops. Previously scarce, White Mountain cultivators became even rarer as itinerants came from everywhere, and Zhan Jianfeng found himself without any fellow White Mountain people nearby. No one seemed interested in Chu Qin's early family history or his achievements, making him feel like just another drop in the Fengshui River, swept along by the current. The main families participating in the battle had set up camp downstream of Fengshui. The Great Zhou Academy announced the start of the first phase of the mission, dividing forces to sweep the surroundings of the camps to prepare for the second phase of advancing upstream. After a brief period of training and organization, the peaceful days in the city quickly vanished as the Jiang family tirelessly moved their ragtag troops to the front lines. A military formation comprising forty-nine colored flags, forty-nine Qi Refinement cultivators, one Jiang family Foundation Establishment cultivator, and one Great Zhou Academy Foundation Establishment cultivator stood at a narrow mountain pass. Their mission was to block beasts fleeing from that direction. Standing centrally in the first row of the square-shaped formation, Zhan Jianfeng held his head high with confidence, lacking any experience of large-scale war since the Battle of Six Peak Mountain before his birth. Yet, with his ample martial arts experience, he considered himself well-versed in battle. Outside the formation, a temporary fire-based array provided the first layer of defense. The red-tinted shield glowed like a lantern at nighttime, said to deter low-level beasts. Jiang Huan led his main forces inside the valley, from which numerous beastly howls emanated—some filled with anger, others with despair. Even those who couldn’t understand beast-speak could sense the terror, desperation, and fighting spirit before death. As night fell, the sound of beast hooves grew louder and closer, raising clouds of dust. The pressure on the formation's cultivators increased as their grip tightened on the flags and their surroundings grew darker with every roar and pounding of hooves. "Why aren't you scared?" a fifteen or sixteen-year-old itinerant cultivator asked from behind Zhan Jianfeng. "What's there to be afraid of?" Zhan Jianfeng chuckled. "I don't even fear fellow cultivators of the same rank, let alone beasts!" "You're bragging..." The boy dismissed his words without politeness. "Ignorance!" Zhan Jianfeng shrugged off the boy’s comment. "Silence!" The Great Zhou Academy Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing them tapped each of them on the back with a ruler, emotionlessly. "Hiss..." The ruler struck an old wound on Zhan Jianfeng’s back, leaving him in a sharp sting. "You call that pain? And you're still bragging..." The itinerant boy teased further, making Zhan Jianfeng realize he was dealing with a relentless talker. Resigned, he decided to ignore him. The sky was overcast, hiding the stars. The fire shield illuminated the surroundings, beyond which lay pitch darkness. ‘Boom, boom.’ The ground shook as the sound grew nearer. Suddenly, the faces of horned beasts emerged before them. ‘Boom!’ The first horned beast crashed into the shield. ‘Boom! Boom!’ came the second and third in quick succession. The protective shield shuddered under the impact. As beasts collided with it, they piled into a wall of carcasses, and then a much larger horned beast appeared, its blood-red eyes glaring. ‘Boom!’ With a mighty crash, its horn pierced the shield, though its head remained trapped, sizzling against the fire energy and roaring in pain. "Lower flags, ready swords!" commanded the Jiang family Foundation Establishment cultivator, his voice a mix of fear and urgency. Zhan Jianfeng had seen the beasts trampling the fallen outside the shield, smelling the scent of death, the dark red of flesh, and the giant horned beast's crimson eyes. His legs began to tremble—something that had never happened on a dueling stage. At a loss, he stood momentarily frozen. "Ready swords! Ready swords!" The Jiang family cultivator’s desperate shouts echoed through the formation, his ‘Jiang’ flag pointing toward the bahemoth, even employing some Foundation Establishment pressure. Zhan Jianfeng regained his senses, setting the flag by his feet and pulling out the standard flying sword distributed by the Jiang family. Behind him, with a ‘whoosh,’ the itinerant boy released his sword first, piercing the giant beast's left eye. ‘Awooo!’ Blood mixed with tears spurted out, and the giant beast howled in agony, its forepaws kicking the protective shield, desperately trying to free its horn. "Excellent! Let it be known that itinerant cultivator Lang Zuo Bao Er takes the top credit for this formation!" The Great Zhou Academy’s Foundation Establishment cultivator gleefully announced. His own sword had impaled the beast's hard backbone with no success in retrieving it, which left him rather embarrassed. The other cultivators cast envious glances toward Bao Er, and Zhan Jianfeng could sense the satisfaction lingering behind him. “Bao Er, what a joke…” Zhan Jianfeng mocked, seizing the moment to scorn the boy’s name. He then deftly executed a finger incantation, infusing his personal flying sword with white lightning. Like a bolt, it plunged into the giant beast's right eye, driving deep into its brain and causing utter devastation within. The [Plundering Thunder Sword] was his life-bound weapon, and his natural talent [Lightning Pursuit] allowed Zhan Jianfeng to effortlessly strike the fixed beast at this distance. The one-horned giant beast spewed blood, its heat transforming into a foul black mist upon contact with the fiery shield. After a few final struggles, it lay motionless. The Jiang family Foundation Establishment cultivator channeled spiritual power into the formation’s core, replenishing scattered spirit stones to restore the protective shield, slowly pushing out the giant horn that had breached it. With the support gone, the enormous body collapsed, shaking the ground. "Excellent! Zhan Jianfeng of the Chu Qin Sect also earns credit!" boomed the supervising Foundation Establishment cultivator’s praise. His acknowledgment resonated timely, though how he memorized all forty-nine names remained a marvel. Just as the cheer settled, everyone sensed the impending presence of yet another threat—a pure black winged wolf emerged into view. "Prepare to draw swords! Prepare!" The Jiang family Foundation Establishment cultivator bellowed, prompting Zhan Jianfeng to form a spell incantation. He found his former sword unresponsive, lodged within the carcass of the giant beast. Not caring for the Jiang family's standard issue, a mere low-tier item, he retrieved his usual sword from his storage bag once more. With a resounding 'boom,' the tier-two superior sword [Thunderbolt Pursuit Stab] emerged, awing all present. Achieving first place in the Black River Square tournament secured a ten-year rental of a prime shop for Nangong Yanran, who brought it back to the sect. The prize was this formidable sword equipped with the [Low Requirement] attribute, allowing Qi Refinement cultivators to wield it. Beyond [Low Requirement], it bore seven additional attributes: [Extremely Sharp], [Wind Pursuit], [Thunderbolt], [Evil Suppression], [Durability], [Armor Penetration], and [Metal Subjugation]. It also came with an electric shield skill and a [Frightening Wind Stab] skill, which required being charged with spiritual power to release. The sword could even summon an electric butterfly phantom, equating to a Foundation Establishment level attack in certain situations, but needed time to recharge after use. Lightning crackled incessantly along the sword’s blade, making it feel like holding a bolt of lightning—a dazzling sight. Most who came to join the war effort were those dissatisfied with their local fortunes, thus the domineering sword instantly drew envious and jealous glances. "If we were in Langzuo, I'd definitely rob you," Bao Er from behind almost drooled at the sight, speaking enviously. "Yes, that's right! Gaze at me with envy! You'll never catch up!" Zhan Jianfeng shouted inwardly. The feeling from his tournament glory days resurfaced, and he flamboyantly threw the sword, which, thanks to its Wind Pursuit attribute, traveled faster than the others’ swords controlled by hand seals. The black winged wolf closely eyed the sword before choosing to spread its wings and glide silently several steps in another direction, leaping into the night sky and disappearing. The group’s sense of danger dissipated, prompting the supervising Foundation Establishment cultivator to shower Zhan Jianfeng with praise. "Is it alright to let that winged wolf escape?" Zhan Jianfeng, now brimming with confidence and responsibility, considered pursuing it. "Our mission is simply to hold the pass; others will deal with threats from other directions," answered Jiang family’s Foundation Establishment cultivator. They managed to fend off wave after wave of fleeing beasts at the pass without encountering anything as formidable as the winged wolf again. As dawn approached, the mountain's beastly howls quieted. A Great Zhou Academy cultivator approached from where the beasts had fled, announcing the end of the operation. The first battle concluded incredibly smoothly. In addition to earning some merit points, after the beasts’ carcasses were deconstructed, the supervising Foundation Establishment cultivator awarded Zhan Jianfeng the horn of the giant beast. "Brother, can I trade you for that beast horn?" Bao Er approached, treading over the blood-soaked ground with a face befitting flattery. He offered many beast pelts, crystals, and low-tier talismans as extras. "Exchange what? Take it if you want!" Zhan Jianfeng was in high spirits from the flattering exchange, not bothered to nitpick, and casually tossed him the horn. Its value was beyond his interest. "As a proud post-Golden Core cultivator, an inner disciple of the Chu Qin Sect, and Qi Refinement’s top dog, I don't covet such things!" (To be continued)