116: Chapter 75 Northern Expedition

The flying boats headed north.

The gray clouds grew thicker and thicker.

Demonic Qi permeated the horizon, covering the sky like a thick layer of ash.

Chen Xuan stood by the ship's railing, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his fingertips cold.

Liu Lili stood beside him, silent, merely gazing at the gray, hazy sky to the north.

Senior Sister Wen Yao was polishing her swords in the cabin. Both swords were already unsheathed, and the cold light from the blades reflected onto the red lotus petal mark between her brows.

President Liu Yishou was counting supplies at the stern; Storage Pouches were piled all over the ground, filled with Medicinal Pills for healing and Talismans to repel Yao.

Liu He sat in the corner, resting with his eyes closed, gripping his Magical Artifact so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Five Golden Core flying boats led the way. The five Golden Core auras were like five great mountains, pressing down so heavily that the surrounding Demonic Qi dared not approach.

Yet, the Demonic Qi merely receded, not dissipating.

It followed on both sides of the flying boats like a school of sharks that had caught the scent of blood, waiting for the moment their prey grew weak.

Half a day later, the flying boats landed.

On the edge of the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range stood an abandoned Human Race outpost.

The outpost was built on a low hill. Most of the stone walls had collapsed, the watchtower lay on the ground, and weeds grew from the cracks in the stones, taller than a person.

Master Liu Yun jumped down from the flying boat, landing in the open space in front of the outpost.

He scanned his surroundings and raised his hand, releasing a streak of Sword Qi.

The Sword Qi sank into the ground, and a moment later, a muffled rumbling sound came from beneath.

The earth surged, stones rose, the collapsed stone walls stood up again, the watchtower straightened itself up from the ground, and the weeds were uprooted and turned into dust.

A complete outpost appeared before everyone.

Master Liu Yun sheathed his sword and turned to look at the Cultivators behind him.

"Make camp."

"Rest here tonight, and advance tomorrow."

A thousand Cultivators filed into the outpost, with teams from each Sect and Family stationed in separate areas.

Chen Xuan led Liu Lili, Senior Sister Wen Yao, President Liu Yishou, and Liu He to occupy a row of stone houses on the east side of the outpost.

The stone houses were not large, but they could shelter them from the wind and rain.

Liu Lili took a few Spirit Beast pelts from her Storage Pouch to spread on the ground and lit a burner of soul-soothing incense.

"Junior Brother, do you think we will fight tomorrow?"

Chen Xuan shook his head.

"No."

"Revered Master needs to set up a Formation; it won't be ready for three or five days."

"We won't fight until our retreat route is secured."

Liu Lili nodded, leaned against the wall, and closed her eyes.

Senior Sister Wen Yao sat by the doorway with her two swords laid across her knees, resting with her eyes closed.

President Liu Yishou and Liu He kept watch outside the house, one on the left and one on the right, staring at the northern horizon.

Chen Xuan did not sleep.

He sat cross-legged on the Spirit Beast pelts, closing his eyes to look within.

The dark blue ball of light in his Dantian rotated slowly. In the center of the ball of light, that golden Talisman Treasure floated quietly.

The three streaks of Sword Qi within the Talisman Treasure lay dormant like dragons, ready to be unsheathed at any moment.

He circulated the Nine-Turn Sea-Steaming Method, his magic power rushing through his Meridians, nourishing the Sword Intent within his bones inch by inch.

His Innate Sword Bone emitted a faint hum, resonating with the ball of light in his Dantian.

The Sword Intent became increasingly solid and sharp.

Chen Xuan opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword.

Five days later.

Master Liu Yun's Formation was set.

The grand Formation was centered on the outpost, covering a radius of fifty miles, with the Formation core set beneath the outpost, guarded in turns by the five Golden Core Cultivators.

When the Formation was activated, a pale golden light shield rose from the ground, enveloping the entire outpost.

Runes flowed across the light shield, and Sword Qi crisscrossed within it.

This was a simplified version of the Liuyang Sword Sect's mountain-protecting Formation. Although its power was less than one-tenth of the Sect's main Formation, it was enough to block any Yao Race below the Golden Core stage.

Master Liu Yun stood on the watchtower, looking north.

His white hair fluttered in the wind, his white eyebrows drooped, and his gaze was as calm as stagnant water.

"At the Hour of the Rat tonight, we will take the initiative to attack."

He turned to look at the Cultivators in the outpost; his voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly.

"The target is the Snake Yao lair three hundred miles to the north."

"That Snake Yao is at the Golden Core Early Stage, one of the three Golden Core beings in the northern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range."

"Kill it, and the Yao Race in the north will lose one of their pillars."

"The five Golden Core Cultivators will deal with the Snake Yao; your task is to block the Foundation Establishment Yao Race on the perimeter."

"You must retreat before dawn."

"After dawn, whether we have succeeded in the kill or not, you must retreat."

The Cultivators were silent for a moment, then bowed in unison.

"Understood."

The Hour of the Rat.

The moonlight was blocked by Demonic Qi, and the world was pitch black.

A thousand Cultivators silently surged out of the outpost, turning into streaks of escaping light, flying north while skimming close to the ground.

Chen Xuan led his small team behind Senior Sister Wen Yao, their escaping light kept very low, almost skimming the tips of the grass.

Liu Lili's breathing was a bit rapid, and her palms were sweating.

Chen Xuan reached out and held her hand, squeezing it firmly.

Liu Lili glanced at him, took a deep breath, and her heartbeat steadied.

Three hundred miles, half an hour.

The Snake Yao's lair was in a valley. The valley entrance was narrow, the cliffs on both sides were steep, and the valley was filled with thick Demonic Qi.

There was a fishy, foul smell in the Demonic Qi, like rotting snake skin.

Master Liu Yun did not enter through the valley entrance.

He led the four Golden Core Cultivators and dropped down directly from above the valley.

Five Golden Core auras erupted simultaneously, and five Divine Abilities smashed into the depths of the valley.

Boom!

The valley exploded.

Debris flew, Demonic Qi surged, and a behemoth rushed out from the valley.

It was a giant snake, its body covered in black scales, with a fleshy crest on its head and eyes like lanterns.

Its body was as thick as a water vat, over a hundred zhang long, and with one sweep of its tail, half the cliff collapsed.

A Golden Core Snake Yao.

Master Liu Yun did not waste words; the long sword in his hand transformed into a thousand streaks of Sword Qi, slashing towards the Snake Yao.

The other four Golden Core Cultivators attacked simultaneously, their five Divine Abilities sealing off all of the Snake Yao's retreat routes.

The Snake Yao roared, opening its mouth to spew a stream of black poisonous mist.

The poisonous mist permeated the air, corroding several streaks of Sword Qi, but more Sword Qi pierced through the mist and slashed onto the Snake Yao.

Scales shattered, and black blood splattered.

The Snake Yao felt the pain and twisted its body crazily, lashing its tail toward the nearest Golden Core Cultivator.

That Golden Core Cultivator was an elder from the Fusheng Sect; he raised his hand and released a beam of spiritual light, which turned into a light shield to block the snake tail.

The light shield shattered, and the snake tail was also repelled.

Master Liu Yun's Sword Qi slashed down again, this time aiming straight for the Snake Yao's seven-inch mark.

The Snake Yao sensed the danger and its body contracted violently, trying to dodge.

But the other four Golden Core Cultivators had sealed off all its retreat routes; it could not dodge.

The Sword Qi slashed onto the seven-inch mark, scales shattered, and the tip of the sword pierced into the flesh.

The Snake Yao let out a shrill hiss, its body trembling violently.

It opened its large mouth, and a blood-colored light shone from deep within its throat.

That was its Inner Core.

The Inner Core of a Golden Core Yao Beast is the crystallization of its lifelong cultivation and its final trump card.

The Inner Core flew out, turning into a beam of blood-colored light that smashed toward Master Liu Yun.

Master Liu Yun's expression did not change; he changed his sword incantation, and the thousand streaks of Sword Qi merged into one.

This sword strike condensed his four hundred years of cultivation.

The sword light collided with the blood-colored light, exploding in a blinding burst of radiance.

The radiance dissipated, and the Snake Yao's Inner Core split into two, falling from the sky.

The Snake Yao's body froze.

Its eyes were wide open, the light in its pupils fading inch by inch.

Then its body severed at the seven-inch mark, its upper and lower halves separating and falling heavily to the ground.

Black blood gushed out, staining the entire valley black.

The Golden Core Snake Yao was dead.

Master Liu Yun sheathed his sword and landed on the Snake Yao's head.

He looked down at the massive snake head; it no longer had any vitality, but its eyes were still open, reflecting his figure in their pupils.

"Retreat."