278: Chapter 278 Let them go

The power of the two golden sword beams was equivalent to a full-strength strike from a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, slashing toward him wrapped in sharp Metal-attribute spiritual energy.

He channeled the hundred soul banner to defend with all his might. The black gas on the banner's surface was torn open with a large gap by the golden sword beams, and Mo Chen himself was pushed back over ten zhang by the force of the impact.

The spiritual energy chains of the Binding Talisman entangled Chen Tai's Divine Soul phantom, temporarily fixing him in place, unable to move.

The mental shockwave from the Soul-Shaking Talisman slammed directly into Mo Chen's Sea of Consciousness defense, causing his head to buzz for two breaths.

Su Yunling took advantage of this gap to consume another supreme grade Spirit Recovery Pill, her internal spiritual energy becoming abundant once more.

She did not stop, her right hand continuously drawing from the pile of Talismans, activating them one after another.

The sixth, the seventh, the eighth.

Golden sword beams, fire-attribute explosions, and earth-attribute binding—three types of Tier 2 High Grade Talismans bombarded Mo Chen in turns.

Mo Chen was beaten until he only had the strength to parry. The black gas of the hundred soul banner grew thinner under the repeated hacking of the golden sword beams, and more than half of the resentful souls on the banner's surface were burned away by the Fire-attribute Explosion Talismans.

“You're crazy!” Mo Chen shouted in shock and anger. “These are Tier 2 High Grade Talismans, and you're using them like this on a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like me?”

Su Yunling's answer was the ninth Talisman.

On the battlefield twenty li outside the Soul-Severing Ravine, spiritual lights and Spells crisscrossed as eight Qinghe Prefecture Cultivators and thirteen Pingling Prefecture Cultivators fought inextricably.

Elder Jiang's Battle Intent surged upon seeing Chen Tai's soul. The attack frequency of his bronze flying shield nearly doubled, forcing the Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Black Rock Palace to retreat repeatedly, unable to spare any effort to support the others.

Elder Liu and the Elder from the Hundred Beasts Gate cooperated seamlessly, using a sword and a beast to pin down four people from Qingfeng Valley and the Spirit Talisman Sect.

Two Cultivators from the Wanfa Pavilion each entangled the Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Qiankun Gate and Black Rock Palace, fighting back and forth.

On Su Yunling's side, Mo Chen had already been forced into a wretched state.

After the continuous bombardment of nine Tier 2 High Grade Talismans, seventy percent of the resentful souls on the outer layer of the hundred soul banner had been burned away, several cracks appeared on the banner's surface, and the black gas was thin enough to be nearly transparent.

Mo Chen's own spiritual energy was mostly exhausted, and the Yin-attribute spiritual light on his Bone Sword flickered unsteadily.

However, Chen Tai's Divine Soul phantom regained its mobility after the Binding Talisman's effect faded, once again launching a mental assault toward Su Yunling.

Su Yunling drew another Soul-Shaking Talisman and activated it. The mental shockwave collided with Chen Tai's Divine Soul attack, canceling each other out.

Mo Chen took advantage of this gap to pull away, retracting the hundred soul banner to his side, his face ashen.

He understood now; the number of Tier 2 High Grade Talismans in the opponent's hand likely far exceeded his imagination.

Nine had already been used, and the opponent showed no sign of distress, with no telling how many more were hidden in her Storage Pouch.

This was no longer a fight he could win.

The power of each Tier 2 High Grade Talisman was equivalent to a full-strength strike from a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. As a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator whose hundred soul banner had been mostly weakened, he would surely meet his end here if he took a few more.

Just as Mo Chen was about to retreat and regroup with his side's other Cultivators, a violent surge of spiritual energy suddenly came from the direction of the valley entrance.

Everyone's combat actions paused for a moment. The intensity of that fluctuation was that of a Golden Core True Person.

Moreover, it was extremely chaotic, mixed with the sounds of explosions, collisions, and shattering, rapidly moving from deep within the Soul-Severing Ravine toward the valley entrance.

Immediately afterward, eight figures shot out from the valley entrance.

Their speed was extremely fast, but their posture was wretched.

Leading them was the Late Golden Core Stage Grand Elder of Black Rock Palace, whose left sleeve was completely destroyed, revealing an arm corroded into a bloody mess by dark green venom. His right hand was continuously applying protective spiritual light to the wound.

The situation of the seven Golden Core Cultivators behind him was not much better. A semi-transparent snake tooth was lodged in the back of the Qiankun Gate's Golden Core Cultivator, the Horsetail Whisk Elder from Qingfeng Valley had half his body blackened by toxic miasma, and the two from the Spirit Talisman Sect were supporting each other while flying, with three of the flags on one of their Talisman poles broken.

The eight Golden Core Cultivators only stopped after rushing over ten li from the valley entrance, each collapsing in mid-air and gasping for breath.

The Grand Elder of Black Rock Palace glanced back at the valley entrance, his raspy voice filled with disbelief and endless rage: “How is this possible!!! Both of them have actually reached the Golden Core Peak...”

This sentence was not quiet, and it was heard by all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators nearby.

Then, the slaughter on the battlefield came to an abrupt halt.

The eight people from Qinghe Prefecture and the thirteen from Pingling Prefecture stopped simultaneously, everyone's gaze fixed on the eight Golden Core Cultivators who had fled wretchedly from the valley.

Elder Jiang's pupils constricted.

Eight Golden Core Cultivators, two from each of the four Sects of Pingling Prefecture.

They had entered the Soul-Severing Ravine and were beaten into this state before escaping? Both had reached the Golden Core Peak?

It was those two Nether-molt Pythons at the bottom of the ravine, but how was that possible!

According to the Sect's records, the two Late Golden Core Stage Nether-molt Python Demon Kings in the Soul-Severing Ravine had not advanced for centuries, so how could they...

This information exploded in the minds of Elder Jiang and all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present.

The Demon Kings, who were originally at the Late Golden Core Stage, had now actually achieved a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Peak!

No wonder the Nether-molt Pythons were migrating outward, and no wonder the four Sects of Pingling Prefecture wanted to sneak in. There must be a great Opportunity at the bottom of the ravine that could allow a Demon King to break through, and the four Sects of Pingling Prefecture wanted to seize it.

But they had miscalculated; the Demon Kings were stronger than they had anticipated.

Elder Jiang did not hesitate, turning to the seven people behind him and barking: “Go!”

Su Yunling put away her Talismans and Magical Artifacts, summoned the crimson cloud sword, and the other six also took to the air on their respective artifacts.

The eight of them flew at full speed toward Heming City in the north.

Seeing the people from Qinghe Prefecture about to flee, several of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Pingling Prefecture instinctively prepared to give chase.

“Come back!”

The voice of the Black Rock Palace Grand Elder drifted down from above. Although weak, once his Golden Core Spiritual Pressure was released, the bodies of all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators stiffened for a moment.

“Let them go.”

The Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Black Rock Palace grew anxious: “Grand Elder, once they report back, the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture will surely send Golden Core True Persons...”

“So what?” The Black Rock Palace Grand Elder slowly descended from the air, using spiritual energy to force the venom out of his left arm, his face deathly pale. “Those two beasts at the bottom of the ravine have already reached the Golden Core Peak. Even the eight of us combined couldn't take them down. Even if Qinghe Prefecture comes, so what? They won't be able to take them down either.”

He gasped for a few breaths and looked up at everyone present.

“This matter... is no longer something a single prefecture can handle.”

The Horsetail Whisk Elder from Qingfeng Valley landed from the air, poured a Medicinal Pill from his Medicine Gourd and swallowed it. His expression softened slightly as he added: “Correct, this matter is no longer something our Pingling Prefecture can settle. Two Golden Core Peak Nether-molt Pythons, and they hold the geographical advantage of the ravine bottom. To take them down, I'm afraid we'll need...”

“All the Golden Core Cultivators of both prefectures to unite, or...”

“A Nascent Soul True Lord to take action.”

Everyone fell silent. The four Sects of Pingling Prefecture had no Nascent Soul Cultivators, and neither did the four Sects of Qinghe Prefecture.

But the two Wood Spirits at the bottom of the ravine that were about to mature were too valuable—so valuable that no side could possibly give them up.

Yes, the Wood Spirits were still there.

The two Nether-molt Pythons did not advance to the Golden Core Peak by consuming the Wood Spirits, but through natural progression. Yet it just happened to be at this time...

Causing the plans of the four Sects of Pingling Prefecture to fall through.

The Black Rock Palace Grand Elder propped himself up and said to the Elder beside him: “Send word back to the Sect and report the situation here truthfully.”

He paused and added: “Tell the Palace Master that the Wood Spirits will mature in five days. If we can't find a solution within five days, then we can only sit down and talk with the people from Qinghe Prefecture.”

The eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Qinghe Prefecture flew back to Heming City at full speed, covering the distance of several hundred li in just over half an hour.

The moment they landed, Elder Jiang went straight to the Council Hall and informed the Foundation Establishment Elders staying in Heming City of everything they had seen and heard.

Elder Kong's face turned ashen after listening, and he immediately sent a transmission to the Tiangang Sect mountain gate with the highest priority.

The Cultivators from the Qingxuan Sect, Hundred Beasts Gate, and Wanfa Pavilion also sent transmissions to their respective Sects.

The news spread through the upper echelons of the four major Sects of Qinghe Prefecture within an hour.

The reactions of the four Sects were surprisingly consistent: fury, followed by greed.

What level of treasure could allow two Late Golden Core Stage Demon Kings to break through to the Golden Core Peak? (The people of Qinghe Prefecture did not know there were Wood Spirits in the Soul-Severing Ravine.)

(Three chapters delivered. The stats are a bit poor; could it be because I've been updating less? I'll think about it and see if I can try three updates a day next month.)