114: Yangquan Yuanying

"Senior Brother Wen's words are reasonable."

Du Rong, the only Peak Core Formation female Cultivator in the team, nodded in agreement, her tone heavy. "The reason we lost five people in the last battle was that someone on the other side mastered a secret technique to see through the 'Nether Mist Veil'."

The battle from three days ago still brought lingering fear when recalled.

At that time, everyone was using the Nether Mist Veil for cover, preparing to activate a Formation for a sneak attack, when a Soul-Vibrating Sonic Wave suddenly rang out from the enemy crowd.

That sonic wave was like a physical force, shaking everyone out of the Nether Mist Veil; the intended sneak attack instantly turned into a direct confrontation.

If Su Ling hadn't timely controlled the ten thousand souls banner and sent hundreds of remnant souls to disrupt the enemy's Formation, the losses would likely have been even more severe.

Even so, under the Soul-Vibrating Spell of that Yangquan Sect Peak Core Formation Disciple, more than half of the hundreds of remnant souls in the ten thousand souls banner were instantly obliterated.

In the end, only a few remnant souls at the Late Stage of the third tier or Late-stage Core Formation and above remained.

Because of this, Wen Qingzhu placed extra importance on Su Ling’s ten thousand souls banner.

With this banner, it was equivalent to having an extra reserve force that could be deployed at any time!

"Then it's settled; we'll rest and reorganize nearby for a few days."

Fu Yongnian said indifferently, "The spiritual energy here is most suitable for setting up a Stealth Formation. I will also set up some warning Restrictions."

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Old Fu."

Wen Qingzhu nodded and quickly assigned the sentry and Formation-setting duties.

Having received their tasks, the crowd departed one after another.

However, Su Ling and Luo Xuanxiao were kept behind by him. "Brother Han, your ten thousand souls banner still needs to be replenished as soon as possible. I will arrange for some teammates in good condition to accompany you to hunt Demon Species nearby."

Wen Qingzhu then looked at Luo Xuanxiao with a look of shame, "Brother Luo, I'll have to trouble you to look after this matter."

Luo Xuanxiao’s expression was indifferent. "It's fine; I'm idle anyway."

"After a short rest, I, Han, can set off."

Su Ling nodded and accepted the task.

On their way here, they had detected several groups of second-tier Demon Species.

Although the grade of the remnant souls was lower, their numbers were large; it would only take a few members to wipe them out.

This would be perfect for replenishing the ten thousand souls banner.

After all, the greatest use of the ten thousand souls banner now was still to distract the enemy.

With Su Ling's current mastery of the Soul Fusion Technique, he couldn't yet fuse a Nascent Soul Stage Divine Soul, and this technique consumed too many remnant souls within the banner.

With so many Peak Core Formation Cultivators present, the cost-effectiveness of using the Soul Fusion Technique was truly not high.

Wen Qingzhu pondered for a moment. "At that time, let Junior Sister Du Rong go with you... safety first!"

"Alright."

Su Ling and Luo Xuanxiao looked at each other and nodded together.

The effectiveness of the Nether Mist Veil had already been proven in previous battles.

This was, after all, still an area belonging to the Yangquan Sect war zone.

One could accidentally encounter an enemy Cultivator team; with Du Rong along, their stealth would be much higher... In the heart of the Yangquan Sect war zone, a Spirit Gathering Formation covering half the city was glowing with a faint blue light.

At the center of the Formation, a gold-patterned Black-Robed Cultivator sat cross-legged, his robes moving without any wind.

Hundreds of Core Formation Cultivators had been taking shifts for half a month, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi they drew in was already as thick as a sea of clouds, surging into his body like a whale swallowing water.

As it surged through his Meridians, a muffled thunder-like roar faintly echoed.

"Crack."

A crisp sound, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, rippled from deep within his Dantian, like a thousand-year-old tortoise shell developing fine cracks.

Shen Qingxuan suddenly opened his eyes, a golden light erupting from them. The surrounding Formation patterns were instantly activated, weaving countless spiritual lights into a translucent protective shield, barely withstanding the majestic waves of air leaking from his Dantian.

The pigeon-egg-sized gold-and-white Golden Core in his Dantian had cracked open, and brilliant light fragments overflowed from the gaps, turning into points of golden light in the Dantian Qi Sea, circling the Golden Core like eight brilliant star charts.

He suppressed the tremors in his Sea of Consciousness and focused on guiding the golden light to converge at the center.

First, a one-inch-tall phantom formed, its outline gradually becoming clear. Its features were exactly the same as when he was a youth, even down to the gold thread patterns on the black robe; it was surrounded by a layer of milky-white spiritual light, and even the arc of its floating hair was lifelike.

"It's done!"

As the thought fell, the Nascent Soul in his Dantian suddenly opened its eyes, its spiritual power fluctuations resonating with his own.

The Nascent Soul raised its hand and formed a hand seal, instantly stirring up a spiritual power storm in the Dantian. The Spiritual Qi in the Spirit Gathering Formation surged in, turning into several visible Spiritual Qi dragons that poured in through Shen Qingxuan's acupoints, all of which were absorbed by the Nascent Soul.

Once the Spiritual Qi tide subsided, the Nascent Soul was steadily suspended in the center of the Dantian, completely connected to his mind.

A ten-zhang-tall Divine Soul Dharma Image suddenly rose from the ground, standing above the city, its black robe and gold patterns shining brilliantly in the dawn light.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Qingxuan, on your Nascent Soul Major Achievement!"

Outside the Formation, more than a dozen silver-patterned Black-Robed Cultivators bowed together, their voices echoing through the clouds.

With a flash of movement, Shen Qingxuan stood in mid-air with his hands behind his back, the hem of his black robe sweeping across the clouds. His tone carried a pride that looked down upon the world: "In two months, once my cultivation has stabilized, I will lead you all to crush the Six Nations!"

"Crush the Six Nations!"

Inside and outside the city, tens of thousands of Core Formation Cultivators echoed in unison, the sound waves shaking the clouds apart, their Aura as majestic as a rainbow.

Shen Qingxuan nodded slightly, his figure passing through the sky like an afterimage, and in an instant, he landed in the council hall of the central palace.

A terrain projection floated in the hall, the veins of the mountains and rivers clearly visible.

A gold-patterned Black-Robed Cultivator stepped forward quickly, his brow furrowed. "Senior Brother Shen, the scouting teams sent out in the past half month have suffered heavy losses. According to rough statistics, the number of fallen has exceeded three thousand."

Three thousand people was originally a drop in the bucket in an army of two hundred thousand Core Formation Cultivators.

But the National War had only started half a month ago, and the fallen teams had all lost contact entirely, without even a single message sent back via jade talismans.

This was by no means ordinary attrition.

"Do the Nightmare Sect and Wuji Sect still think we're soft targets to be squeezed?"

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Shen Qingxuan's mouth as his fingertip brushed across the projection. "Zhuyun, just have the outgoing Disciples increase their vigilance. It's just some losses among the Loose Cultivators, nothing significant."

"Senior Brother, this time it wasn't Loose Cultivators."

Xiao Zhuyun looked troubled, his voice lowering a bit. "Wu Keji has also fallen."

"Wu Keji?"

Shen Qingxuan's brow tightened suddenly, a flash of surprise in his eyes. "His Pure Yang Dharma Seal had already reached Major Achievement, and he had the Zheng Yang Ruler to protect him. Even he fell?"

"Not only that, but the hundred-man squad he led had no survivors."

Xiao Zhuyun sighed. "I had previously warned him not to go deep into the Buffer Zone, but he was, after all, a bit too arrogant."

"Hmph, does he still think this is the Zhenhai Dynasty where he can run rampant?"

Shen Qingxuan snorted coldly, his fingers tapping on the table. "As fellow Disciples, I will avenge him. Do we know which side's Cultivators did it?"

"The incident occurred in the Buffer Zone between our sect and the Bitao Sect. Initially, it was speculated to be the Bitao Sect."

Xiao Zhuyun's finger pointed to a valley on the projection. "But based on the remaining spiritual power traces, the Cultivators who acted primarily used Fire, Wind, and Thunder elements, which is completely different from the core Cultivation Techniques of the Bitao Sect."

"It's either Aristocratic families or the Alliance."

A hint of interest flashed in Shen Qingxuan's eyes as he stroked his chin. "I'd like to see exactly who has such ability to make Wu Keji end up completely wiped out."

Xiao Zhuyun nodded in agreement, but his gaze still fell on the Buffer Zone on the projection.

That dark red valley now seemed like the bloody maw of a giant beast, causing an inexplicable palpitation in one's heart.