The protective formation of Qingyang Mountain, a mid-fourth-rank mountain-protecting array, was formidable. Despite seventy to eighty thousand cultivators launching relentless attacks day and night for three months, it had yet to be breached.
Fortunately, the repeated assaults had drained the spiritual energy in Qingyang Mountain's spiritual pool. They now had to replenish the pool's energy using spirit stones, and at this rate, they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.
"We can't delay any further," Jiang Linglong said gravely from the void.
While continuing to use lower-level cultivators to wear down Qingyang Sect's resources was possible, if Patriarch Xu emerged from seclusion early and personally activated the offensive formation, it would spell trouble.
Currently, though the cultivators of Qingyang Sect occasionally counterattacked with the protection of the array, they had yet to activate the formation's offensive capabilities against the lower-level cultivators.
This was because Elder Mo could not fully unleash the formation's power and was unwilling to waste its energy. However, if a Golden Core cultivator activated it, the low-level cultivators would suffer devastating casualties.
Determined to end this, Jiang Linglong decided to strike with full force and break through Qingyang Sect's mountain-protecting formation.
"Activate the Ethereal Vessel."
Jiang Linglong personally took control of the treasure ship, leading tens of thousands of cultivators in an assault on the formation protecting Qingyang Mountain.
She unleashed the ship's most powerful offensive technique, the Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Sword Formation. A sword energy of nearly a thousand feet descended from the sky, cutting through the vast heavens.
With the combined efforts of over ten thousand cultivators, Jiang Linglong, seven Purple Mansion cultivators, and forty-nine Foundation Establishment cultivators activated the formation. The resulting strike had destructive power equivalent to a full-force attack from a peak Golden Core cultivator.
With just one strike, the defensive light screen of Qingyang Sect dimmed by thirty percent.
"This is bad!" Elder Liu hurriedly seized control of the array's disk from Elder Mo.
Using his pseudo-Golden Core cultivation to its fullest, Elder Liu managed to restore much of the light screen's strength. However, before he could catch his breath, another Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Sword Formation attack struck, dimming the protective formation even further.
"The enemy has a weapon of war. This won't do," Elder Liu muttered gravely. He realized that at this rate, the formation would be completely destroyed in just a few more strikes.
He decided to take the initiative, aiming to damage the enemy's treasure ship and disrupt their powerful attacks.
The formation of Qingyang Sect, known as the Qingyang Celestial Formation, had two core artifacts. One was the Celestial Disk, which projected a defensive light screen capable of withstanding powerful peak Golden Core attacks.
The other was the Qingyang Celestial Blade, a mid-fourth-rank magical treasure. Empowered by the formation, it could unleash six Qingyang Blade Lights at full power, each comparable to a peak Golden Core strike.
Using his pseudo-Golden Core cultivation, Elder Liu could not fully utilize its power, but his attacks were still equivalent to those of a late Golden Core cultivator.
Elder Liu activated the Qingyang Celestial Blade, unleashing a dazzling blade light a thousand feet long that slashed toward the Ethereal Vessel.
Jiang Linglong reacted swiftly, immediately activating the Netherworld Celestial Formation. A black protective shield enveloped the treasure ship, deflecting the blade light.
"The Netherworld Celestial Formation," Elder Liu muttered, realizing the defensive formation's strength. Undeterred, he activated the Qingyang Celestial Blade to unleash two more consecutive strikes.
The Netherworld Celestial Formation proved formidable, managing to withstand three strikes despite teetering on the brink of collapse.
Just as Elder Liu prepared to launch a fourth strike, he realized his spiritual energy was nearly depleted. He shouted urgently, "Not good! We're running out of energy!"
"What's happening at the spiritual pool? Quickly replenish the spirit stones!" Elder Mo turned pale as he glanced toward the spiritual pool.
At that moment, a Foundation Establishment cultivator rushed over, his face filled with panic.
"Master, something terrible has happened. Elder Zhang has stolen the spirit stones from the pool and fled!"
"Wasn't Zhang Yuanming stationed at Green Peak?" The expressions of the two patriarchs changed drastically, their hearts sinking.
The core members maintaining the Qingyang Mountain formation were all loyal cultivators of the sect. The spiritual pool was guarded by Daoist Ming, a fifth-level Purple Mansion cultivator.
They had deliberately avoided assigning critical positions to those they couldn't trust, even if they were Purple Mansion elders.
Zhang Yuanming, a sixth-level Purple Mansion cultivator and a junior fellow disciple of Patriarch Xu, had always harbored resentment toward Patriarch Xu for scheming against their senior brother.
As a result, he had been under house arrest in the underground fire vein until recently, when a shortage of manpower led to his assignment to guard the spiritual pool. Yet, it turned into a disaster.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator continued mournfully, "Elder Zhang said that Sect Master Xu was heartless. Letting Jiang Linglong kill him would be revenge for his senior brother."
"That bastard Zhang Yuanming!" Elder Liu spat blood in fury, his face instantly aging several decades.
Tears streaming down his face, Elder Mo choked out, "I told you not to support Senior Brother Xu back then, but you insisted he was ruthless enough to be the best candidate."
"I always knew he seemed ruthless, but deep down, he was petty and greedy, lacking the grandeur needed to achieve greatness."
"By exploiting and oppressing the families like this, he's lost the hearts of the people. It's no surprise the Qingyang Sect has reached this point."
Elder Liu let out a bitter laugh, his eyes brimming with regret and despair. "I made the wrong choice. I've failed our senior brother, our master, and the Qingyang Sect."
"Go. Everyone, leave. Preserve what little remains of the Qingyang Sect. Never return to seek revenge," he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"I will stay and fight the final battle alone."
Elder Mo laughed through his tears, sitting beside him.
"I don't have many years left. I'll stay with you."
"Born in Qingyang, buried in Qingyang."
"We'll perish together for the Qingyang Sect, preserving the last shred of its dignity. That way, we can face our ancestors in the afterlife."
Above them, the Ethereal Vessel's spiritual energy was nearly exhausted. Jiang Linglong, prepared for such a scenario, spent 300,000 spirit stones to recharge it, unleashing three more Seven-Star Demon-Slaying Sword Formation strikes.
Each strike, equivalent to a peak Golden Core attack, obliterated everything in its path. The Qingyang Celestial Formation was shattered completely. The once-impenetrable mountain-protecting array was finally breached.
Overjoyed, countless cultivators swarmed into Qingyang Mountain for the final confrontation.
Just then, a grand gate atop Qingyang Mountain opened.
A middle-aged man with long hair stepped out, his expression icy and calm as he walked through the air.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D