Chapter 573: Chapter 573

Jinyang Country, Haoyang Mountain.

The shouts across the mountain had long ceased, and each surviving cultivator of the Haoyang Sect was now filled with a look of panic.

It had been less than an hour since the enemies attacked the Mountain Gate Array, yet the number of sect cultivators, who fell defending the gate, had already exceeded a hundred, most of whom perished at the hands of Lu Xuanji’s attacks.

Even though all the fallen cultivators were merely middle-to-low tier, it was enough to incite terror.

Any cultivator with some understanding of the Anti-Light Alliance knew that, given the distance between Haoyang Mountain and the other top major sects, the first wave of reinforcements would take at least half a day to arrive.

But the current situation was such that, in less than an hour, the Mountain Protection Array of the Haoyang Sect had already shown signs of collapsing.

And the Nascent Soul Stage cultivators attacking the Mountain Protection Array did not appear strained in the least, indicating that the enemies had not even exerted their full strength.

Guo Jinhong saw more clearly than those disciples.

The so-called reinforcements arriving in half a day were merely a boost to maintain the disciples’ morale; in reality, the reinforcements that could arrive within half a day would only be early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, no more than three in number.

Even if they arrived, upon discovering that the attackers on Haoyang Sect’s Mountain Gate were two Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortals," they might not dare to step in to assist.

After all, in the magical combat outside the Mountain Protection Array, early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul cultivators were worlds apart.

Especially when the two Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul cultivators, Master Chihua and Lu Xuanji, were each wielding a powerful Tier Seven Immortal Artifact.

An ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, daring to engage with these two without the Mountain Protection Array’s safeguard, would likely find their physical body destroyed within three moves, and their survival would depend on luck in escaping in their nascent souls.

Therefore, the only reinforcements that could genuinely relieve Haoyang Sect from this crisis would be late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators like Master Tianjian and Master Celestial Thunder, who possessed strong combat power within the Anti-Light Alliance. Only when these individuals arrived could they drive back the enemies.

Even the nearest Supreme Elder from the Celestial Spirit Sect, Master Celestial Thunder, would take at least a day to reach Haoyang Sect from there, even with some aid from the teleportation arrays installed within the Anti-Light Alliance.

"Senior Brother Guo, things are really not looking good!"

"At this rate, the Mountain Protection Array will certainly be breached in no more than half a day. Once it’s down, neither of us, not even combined, will be a match for Chi Hua Old Monster. Let alone with another equally formidable Lu Xuanji around!"

Being a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator himself, Peng Yuanjing was just as aware of the problem as Guo Jinhong. Therefore, as Guo Jinhong was contemplating how to endure this hardship for another day, Peng Yuanjing worriedly transmitted his thoughts to Guo Jinhong, hoping Guo Jinhong would offer a way out.

Unlike Guo Jinhong, Peng Yuanjing’s physical body was his original one, so he could still abandon his flesh and escape through Nascent Soul Emergence in a critical moment.

However, as a Supreme Elder of the Haoyang Sect, having grown up within the sect, he harbored deep, inseverable feelings for it. He was evidently not going to abandon the sect unless it was his only option.

Doing so would see him despised by all who knew, and he would carry the shame for a lifetime, even if he survived.

"Junior Brother Peng is right, we must change this situation."

Guo Jinhong glanced at Peng Yuanjing, who wore a worried expression, and seriously nodded in agreement with his words.

"So, does Senior Brother Guo have any means to resolve this?"

Peng Yuanjing looked at Guo Jinhong with anticipation, though his eyes slightly flickered. Get full chapters from novel~fire~net

He had always known that this Senior Brother Guo had done many things secretly without his knowledge.

But being his junior in both seniority and strength, and not having seen Guo Jinhong do anything too outrageous, he had never looked into it.

"Have you never been to the hot springs in the rear mountain, Junior Brother Peng?"

Guo Jinhong stared intently at his junior brother, slowly questioning.

Peng Yuanjing’s expression changed immediately.

He indeed had never been there.

But he knew there must be something extraordinary hidden there.

As sometimes, during his cultivation, he could faintly sense a powerful aura leaking from that direction, a force both strong and wild, seemingly non-human.

He once intended to investigate, but every time he remembered it was a sect-restricted area directly designated by Guo Jinhong, he would curb his curiosity and refrain from rash actions.

Upon hearing Guo Jinhong’s words, his expression fluctuated before he nodded, saying, "That is a forbidden area designated by Senior Brother Guo himself. Without Senior Brother’s permission, how would I dare to step in unbidden?"

"Junior Brother Peng’s cautious nature has never changed!"

Guo Jinhong sighed softly and then slightly bowed his hand, saying, "I must apologize to Junior Brother for this matter; concealing it from you for so long was due to unavoidable reasons."

Peng Yuanjing hurriedly sidestepped, not daring to accept his courtesy, speaking instead, "Senior Brother Guo is too polite. As long as it’s harmless to the sect, whatever Senior Brother Guo does, I have no objections."

"Originally, this matter indeed posed no harm to the sect, but... forget it, let Junior Brother Peng see for himself!"

Guo Jinhong opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but seeing the increasingly fierce assault from Lu Xuanji and the others outside, he couldn’t afford to explain further. He just sighed deeply, informing Peng Yuanjing with his actions.

His expression darkened as he suddenly bowed his hand towards the direction of the hot spring lake in the rear mountain, saying, "Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao, I agree to your terms. Please come forth and assist me in aiding the Haoyang Sect!"

"Gah gah gah, this seat already said Guo Jinhong would surely agree with me. Miss Qin, don’t you think so?"

A wild and arrogant laughter suddenly echoed from the steaming hot spring lake, drawing the attention of many disciples of the Haoyang Sect on Haoyang Mountain.

As Guo Jinhong’s beloved concubine, Qin Zhiyun, seated at a certain array base, heard this sound, her delicate body trembled violently, and an intense look of terror and despair immediately emerged on her charming face.

"Senior Sister Qin, what’s wrong?"

The change in Qin Zhiyun attracted the notice of another concubine beside her. This concubine had always been under her care and shared a good relationship with her. Seeing this, she hurriedly inquired with concern.

It wouldn’t have been an issue if she hadn’t asked; once asked, Qin Zhiyun suddenly broke down emotionally, unable to resist bursting into tears: "I’m done for, boohoo, I’m going to die, let me die!"

As she cried, she abruptly raised her palm to strike her heavenly spirit cover, seemingly intent on committing suicide.

However, as soon as she raised her hand, she found herself unable to bring it down, as a powerful force prevented her from doing so.

It was Guo Jinhong. He intervened to stop her from committing suicide after noticing her change.

"I’ve nurtured you for many years, spent countless spiritual resources on you. Your Qin Family has thrived thanks to you, growing significantly, yet this is how you repay my kindness?"

The sinister voice drifted into Qin Zhiyun’s ears, leaving her feeling completely chilled.

With a terrified face, she looked toward Guo Jinhong’s direction, her eyes filled with pleading as her lips attempted to move to say something, only to find her ability to speak sealed.

"Stay here obediently; if I survive this catastrophe, you’ll be a great contributor. As long as you serve Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao well, I will ensure your Qin Family remains prosperous for a millennium. However, if you dare ruin my affairs, your brother and countless clan members of the Qin Family will accompany you in death!"

Without any emotion, Guo Jinhong instructed this beloved concubine a few times, then activated the restriction on her, causing her to fall into a coma.

At that time, under the watchful eyes of numerous Haoyang Sect cultivators on Haoyang Mountain, the steam mist over the hot spring lake suddenly contracted inward as if swallowed by something, dispersing entirely.

Soon everyone saw the master of that cloud swallowing.

Above the boiling hot spring lake, a red flood dragon, over a hundred yards long, suddenly soared out from the lake, quickly flying to the top of Haoyang Mountain.

"Tier Six Flood Dragon!"

On the peak of Haoyang Mountain, "Master Yuanjing" Peng Yuanjing witnessed this scene and couldn’t help but gasp, opening his mouth to reveal the cultivation strength of this red flood dragon.

Since Peng Yuanjing’s voice wasn’t concealed, half of the Haoyang Mountain’s cultivators heard his words, and suddenly, gasps echoed unendingly.

Except for a few insiders, no one in Haoyang Sect, including Peng Yuanjing, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, had imagined there would be such a terrifyingly powerful Tier Six Flood Dragon hidden within their own mountain gate!

Just thinking that they have practiced for decades or centuries right under the nose of a Tier Six Flood Dragon, the Haoyang Sect cultivators felt weak in their legs and showed faces filled with shock.

"Senior Brother Guo, you’re really... you’ve kept us in the dark!"

On the peak of Haoyang Mountain, Peng Yuanjing looked at the red flood dragon with his mouth wide open, then turned his gaze toward Guo Jinhong, his face extremely complex.

He, a dignified Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, had never discovered that he had been cultivating alongside a Tier Six Flood Dragon for a thousand years!

It could be imagined that if not for the great changes facing Haoyang Sect today, he would likely have continued to be deceived by Guo Jinhong, which made him extremely angry.

He could overlook Guo Jinhong’s private matters but could not condone raising an unknown origin Tier Six Flood Dragon within the sect.

If this flood dragon were to go berserk, Peng Yuanjing couldn’t even dare to imagine what the consequences would be!

"Junior Brother Peng, please forgive me for concealing the existence of Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao. Guo indeed had unavoidable reasons. I will explain it to you later. For now, let’s focus on dealing with the external enemies!"

Facing Peng Yuanjing’s complex gaze, Guo Jinhong slightly bowed, yet did not elaborate further, simply hinting that he should prioritize the bigger picture and resist the external foes first.

Upon hearing this, Peng Yuanjing fell silent for a moment before slightly nodding and saying, "Since Senior Brother Guo has said so, I will listen carefully to Senior Brother’s arrangements."

"Junior Brother Peng is straightforward, so you and I shall do it this way, this way..."

Guo Jinhong’s face lit up with joy and immediately revealed his plan to Peng Yuanjing.

Meanwhile, outside Haoyang Mountain, when the hundred-zhang-long red flood dragon soared into the sky, several cultivators outside were astonished, not expecting Haoyang Sect to have such depth.

"What’s going on? How does Haoyang Sect have a Tier Six Lower Grade flood dragon, and it’s from the powerful Red Fire Jiao Dragon Race!"

Yin Hanguang gazed in surprise at the red flood dragon on Haoyang Mountain, looking puzzled at "Master Chi Hua."

When it comes to understanding the secrets of top sects within the Anti-Light Alliance, no one in the Great Brightness Immortal Palace knows more than Palace Master "Master Chi Hua."

"I, too, do not know. Haoyang Sect itself certainly doesn’t have such depth. This Tier Six flood dragon must have been recruited by Guo Jinhong with his fortune after forming his Nascent Soul!"

"Master Chi Hua" shook his head slightly, also unaware of the origins of the red flood dragon.

"Why care so much? Though the Jiao Dragon Race is formidable, a Tier Six Lower Grade flood dragon cannot sway the overall situation!"

With a calm face, Lu Xuanji spoke, not taking the Tier Six flood dragon seriously at all.

Seeing this, Yin Hanguang quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Elder Lu is right. An additional Tier Six flood dragon indeed cannot affect the situation. Besides, we might be able to capture this Tier Six flood dragon, which would be a great gain!"

As for Zhouyang, he has no place here to speak; he merely needs to watch.

However, upon hearing Yin Hanguang’s words, his eyes gleamed with insight, revealing a touch of eagerness.

The body refining divine technique he practiced, the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique," requires high-tier flood dragon spirit blood as material to assist in cultivation for achieving higher depths. Since he attained Golden Core Stage, this technique has made no progress.

Back in Kunxu Realm, he and Jiang Fengxian teamed up to hunt a Tier Five Poisonous Flood Dragon. Unfortunately, although a dragon, its spirit blood contained poison and could not assist in cultivating the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique," so Zhouyang had to sell it.

Now the red fire flood dragon within Haoyang Sect has a power reaching Tier Six Lower Grade. If Zhouyang could acquire its spirit blood as cultivation material, he is confident to cultivate the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique" to the Fourth Layer!

The Fourth Layer of the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique" not only allows cultivators to reach a physical strength comparable to Tier Five Upper Grade demon beasts but also awakens an incredibly formidable combat divine technique, the "Cyan Dragon Transformation," temporarily transforming cultivators into half-dragon, half-human, vastly enhancing physical defense and combat power.

When Zhouyang first acquired the "Azure Dragon Body Refining Technique," he coveted this transformation divine technique eagerly. Now, he seems to see the opportunity for success.

Time whisked away swiftly, and four hours passed again.

During these four hours, even with the protection of that Tier Six demon dragon occasionally intercepting some attacks from Yin Hanguang and "Master Chi Hua," the cultivators of Haoyang Sect resisted with great difficulty.

In just four hours, over three hundred cultivators of Haoyang Sect lost their lives for various reasons, including two Purple Mansion Stage Cultivators and over thirty Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

And after enduring five hours, Haoyang Sect’s Mountain Protection Array seemed to reach its limit.

Originally only Lu Xuanji’s "Red Sky Divine Spear" could produce cracks in the Mountain Protection Array, but now "Master Chi Hua’s" broad-range bombardment could also break the array, causing harm to the cultivators on Haoyang Mountain.

Both sides realized this situation, knowing the Mountain Protection Array would undoubtedly break soon.

Once the Mountain Protection Array is breached, the extinction of Haoyang Sect will be imminent.

"We absolutely cannot let them break the Mountain Protection Array!"

On Haoyang Mountain, with a gloomy face, Peng Yuanjing sternly looked at Guo Jinhong, stating his bottom line.

He remains here not for Guo Jinhong but for the thousands of Haoyang Sect disciples on the mountain and the foundation of Haoyang Sect’s stronghold.

If the Mountain Protection Array is breached, Lu Xuanji and others needn’t deliberately slaughter; just one "unintentional" release of the power of the Tier Seven Immortal Artifact "Scepter of Light" by "Master Chi Hua" can easily kill most Haoyang Sect disciples and destroy the sect’s stronghold.

If all he guards is gone, Peng Yuanjing won’t confront two Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortals" wielding Tier Seven Immortal Artifacts for the sake of one Guo Jinhong.

Facing Peng Yuanjing’s piercing gaze, Guo Jinhong initially became furious, opening his mouth to berate.

Yet upon seeing the decisive look in Peng Yuanjing’s eyes, his heart trembled, and his harsh words swallowed back down. Ultimately, he could only nod and say, "So be it. Calculating the time, those guys should be arriving soon. When we go out, we will lead Chi Hua Old Monster and others toward them, hopefully meeting up faster!"

The people he referred to were, of course, the Nascent Soul cultivators who came over to provide support after receiving the rescue request.

Guo Jinhong wasn’t worried that those cultivators who received his call for help would deliberately delay the timing of the battle. It is known that although the "Anti-Light Alliance" is an organization formed by the alliance of many sects, in such matters of great importance, it has established a strict accountability mechanism for all cultivators.

Guo Jinhong’s call for help was sent out to various parties simultaneously. Based on distance, the Nascent Soul cultivators closest to the Haoyang Sect, unless blocked by fellow cultivators of the same tier, must arrive within a time that matches their speed. Any delay would mean missing the battle opportunity.

If this ultimately led to the destruction of the Haoyang Sect and Guo Jinhong’s demise, under the strict accountability mechanism within the "Anti-Light Alliance," those Nascent Soul cultivators, if they don’t want to implicate their entire sect, could only go to the territory of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace and desperately fight cultivators of the same tier. Only by successfully killing an enemy of the same tier could they atone for their sins and return to their sect.

With such a strict accountability mechanism in place, Guo Jinhong believed that those cultivators who received his call for help, even if they had grudges and enmity with him before, would absolutely not stand by and watch him die at such a moment.

"You should have done this long ago! You human cultivators are just hypocritical. You clearly want to save your own lives, yet you always say you cannot let go of others!"

"If these low-tier cultivators are gone, they’re gone. Anyway, what your human race doesn’t lack is people. Just spend a few hundred to a thousand years, and you can cultivate another batch of such people, right?"

In the sky, the flood dragon "Chi Xiao," hearing the conversation between Peng Yuanjing and Guo Jinhong, couldn’t help but let out a long roar, shouting excitedly.

Hearing this, both Peng Yuanjing and Guo Jinhong’s faces changed, looking quite unpleasant.

Though the logic is as it is, such matters should never be spoken of. Once spoken, the meaning changes completely!

Sure enough, those surviving cultivators on Haoyang Mountain, upon hearing the flood dragon "Chi Xiao’s" shouting, couldn’t help but look at the two Nascent Soul ancestors on the mountain top with eyes full of suspicion and caution.

"Chi Xiao, shut your mouth for me!"

Guo Jinhong angrily sent a secret voice transmission cursing the flood dragon "Chi Xiao," then hurriedly said to all the Haoyang Sect disciples on the mountain: "You all need not panic, Fellow Daoist Chi Xiao is of the demon race and naturally does not understand the feelings we human race cultivators have for our sect and fellow disciples. Guo and Junior Brother Peng have been greatly favored by the sect and have watched you grow up since childhood, viewing you as relatives and friends. How could we abandon you to escape alone?"

Peng Yuanjing also quickly chimed in: "Senior Brother Guo is absolutely right. If we truly wanted to escape, Peng and he would have done so long ago. Why else would we stay to this moment with you?"

"As Junior Brother Peng said, we’re not intending to abandon you and flee, but rather, we’re going out alone to lead away the Chi Hua Old Monster, so that we can protect the Mountain Protection Array and ensure your safety!"

"Chi Hua Old Monster’s target is us. As long as we leave, he definitely won’t attack you anymore. Otherwise, the low-tier cultivators of the Great Brightness Immortal Palace will never be able to leave their mountain gates again!"

With Guo Jinhong’s speech, mixing emotions and reasoning, along with Peng Yuanjing’s strong support, they finally dispelled the doubts of many disciples of the Haoyang Sect and alleviated the impact of the flood dragon "Chi Xiao’s" words.

Then the two looked at each other, nodded, and together leaped onto the dragon’s back of the flood dragon "Chi Xiao," riding this Tier Six flood dragon as they flew out of the mountain gate, fleeing directly towards the west of the Haoyang Sect.

"Trying to escape? We’ve been anticipating this move from you for a while!"

Outside the Haoyang Sect’s mountain gate, Lu Xuanji and "Master Chihua" watched this scene with cold smiles on their faces.

They had noticed the situation of the Haoyang Sect’s Mountain Gate Array early on and had long guessed that Guo Jinhong would abandon the mountain gate to run. Naturally, they were prepared to intercept and pursue.

The flying escape speed of a Tier Six flood dragon is fast, but it’s not faster than the "Shrinking Inches" divine technique that only Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators can master and perform.

The two Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul cultivators moved their feet, covering a hundred li in a step, in an instant trapping the two people and one flood dragon in the middle.

Blocking in front, "Master Chihua" pushed out a fiery white orb towards the Tier Six flood dragon.

The white orb shot across the sky, like a comet with a long blazing tail, arriving above the flood dragon in the blink of an eye and exploding with a thunderous boom.

In an instant, the entire sky was white, and radiant light filled the heavens, making the sun pale in comparison.

But this sky-encompassing white scene lasted less than two breaths before being overshadowed by a huge purple lightning column.

The purple lightning column descended from the heavens, striking down upon the Tier Six flood dragon in the sky like the thunder of divine punishment, timed perfectly as the power of the burst began to wane.

A breath too early, and the lightning column’s strength would be mostly offset by the blast’s power; a breath too late, and the weakening burst would give the enemies inside time to implement other defensive measures.

Such a brilliant seamless attack, in the hands of two Ninth-Layer Nascent Soul "Half-Step True Immortals," appeared natural, as if they had cooperated numerous times.

But in reality, the two "Half-Step True Immortals" didn’t even know what divine techniques the other excelled in before, let alone talk about collaborating in battle!

"Half-Step True Immortal," although only half a step, is indeed worthy of its name.

ps: There are so many powerful individuals on the combat power list that I can only churn out three Chapters to get into the top ten, seeking full subscription support! Another three Chapters at midnight!