bookpower Chapter 305: The Battle of Great Cultivators
Chapter 305: The Battle of Great Cultivators
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A sudden warm voice behind him sent chills down Dongfang Xi's spine. His instincts screamed danger as he hurriedly activated his poisonous cultivation technique to protect himself.
Slap!
A hand moved in sync with the voice, pressing down heavily on the back of his neck.
The palm was as heavy as a mountain, rendering Dongfang Xi immobile. His protective poisonous energy trembled and nearly dissipated under the immense force.
"Urgh!"
Blood surged within him as his internal organs and bones struggled against the crushing pressure. Unable to withstand it, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Boom!
An overwhelming force of tyrannical Core energy invaded his body. Combined with the terrifying physical strength, it sealed his mana and bound his body in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, Dongfang Xi was captured alive.
"Dual cultivator of body and qi!"
A thought flashed through his mind, and his heart was filled with terror.
The person who struck him possessed not only extraordinary mana but also unmatched physical cultivation, completely overwhelming him.
"Mister Xu, spare me! Let’s talk this over—"
Bound and unable to speak, Dongfang Xi could only scream desperately with his spiritual sense, grasping for a thread of hope in the face of death.
Moments earlier, he had deliberately coated his body with lethal poison. If Lan underestimated him and made the mistake of physically touching the body of a third-rank poison master, there might still be a chance for a counterattack.
"Ah..."
Lan Chang'an, however, was unfazed. With a surge of power, he crippled Dongfang Xi's limbs.
He then shattered several of his bones and damaged multiple internal organs.
Dongfang Xi let out a heart-wrenching scream before losing consciousness.
Placing his hand on Dongfang Xi’s head's spiritual crown, Lan Chang'an executed the soul-searching technique.
"Territory of Two Sects... living poisonous creatures... massacring his master and senior martial sister, turning them into specimens... becoming a venomous poison master..."
The soul-searching process revealed Dongfang Xi's twisted memories. While a living target provided better results during the technique, the pain inflicted on the soul was excruciating.
Lan Chang'an extracted memories of Dongfang Xi’s conspiracy with Fang Zhen.
Due to his mediocre talent and a body damaged by years of poisonous cultivation, Dongfang Xi had reached a bottleneck in his progress. Harboring malicious intentions, he set his sights on Xuan Yin Pavilion, planning to live a life of indulgence there. If luck favored him, he hoped to find a chance to break through his limits.
However, the pawns he had sent to test the waters were swiftly eliminated by Xuan Yin Pavilion's higher-ups.
Later, Fang Zhen approached him with a tempting offer: breakthrough pills, techniques, and wondrous artifacts to evade the Zither Heart Illumination's detection.
Having acquired useful details from the soul-searching, Lan Chang'an extinguished Dongfang Xi’s soul and collected his storage pouch.
...
The scene of Lan Chang'an subduing and killing Dongfang Xi unfolded before Fairy Ni Yue and Fairy Jiang.
“Mister Xu!”
The two Core Formation Fairies were overjoyed, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
With the internal threat of Dongfang Xi eliminated, the pressure on them decreased significantly.
Ni Yue's zither sound divine ability suppressed Eshalu, while Jiang Ruotong seized the opportunity to expel the poison within her and recover more of her mana.
“Useless trash!”
Eshalu, enraged beyond reason, roared thunderously, showing no sympathy for Dongfang Xi’s demise.
Boom! Crack!
At that moment, the mid-grade third-rank formation was shattered, leaving a gaping hole in its defenses.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Leading the charge, Fang Zhen stormed into the Fragrant Grass Oasis with two True Dan cultivators and six Fake Dan experts.
The two remaining Core Formation fairies of Xuan Yin Pavilion, pale and weary, were now surrounded by the invaders.
"Just as expected, he’s here."
Lan Chang'an concealed his killing intent and suppressed his aura, revealing only the power of an ordinary mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.
Outsiders assumed that his stay at Xuan Yin Pavilion was due to his infatuation with Fairy Ni Yue’s unparalleled beauty and musical talents.
But that was merely a ruse.
Lan Chang'an’s true objective was to lie in wait, ambush Fang Zhen, and eliminate this scoundrel.
He already knew both Fang Zhen’s and Ni Yue’s backgrounds. Fang Zhen’s earlier exploits outside the immortal city had left behind a trail of clues.
During his deep divinations, Lan Chang'an discovered that Ni Yue’s destined calamity was connected to Fang Zhen.
However, Fang Zhen’s specific schemes remained elusive to divination.
Not long ago, Dongfang Xi had unleashed his poison within the oasis. Lan Chang'an hadn’t acted immediately for two reasons.
First, moving prematurely would have heightened Fang Zhen’s vigilance, potentially causing him to abandon his plans. According to his understanding, Fang Zhen was cautious and did not like to do things he was not sure of.
Second, Lan Chang'an was carefully preparing for this battle, ensuring there would be no escape for his targets.
Thus, Lan Chang'an waited for the perfect moment—neither too early nor too late—to strike. When the formation was about to break and Dongfang Xi began to sense something was amiss, he made his move.
“Fellow Daoist Xu, a wise bird chooses a fine tree to perch on! Once I take control of Xuan Yin Pavilion, everything they can offer, I can offer more—much more.”
Fang Zhen, a medium-sized man clad in iron armor, glanced at Lan Chang'an with surprise before attempting to recruit him. He didn’t even mention Dongfang Xi’s death, as if it were a trivial matter.
In his original plan, after taking over Xuan Yin Pavilion’s headquarters, he intended to seal off all information, capture Lan Chang'an, and use him to further his ambitions regarding the lineage of Flame Departing Palace.
Under the harsh environment of the sandstorm and his overwhelming advantage in strength, as well as the coordinated attack from within and without, secrecy seemed assured.
In his calculations, he had already raised his estimation of Lan Chang'an’s strength, assuming him to be a True Dan cultivator with alchemy skills and some proficiency in divination.
To that end, he had brought several rare third-rank divination artifacts to obscure his actions.
But unexpectedly, Lan Chang'an was far stronger than anticipated, striking down Dongfang Xi in a single move and revealing his formidable hidden strength.
“Mister Xu, don’t fall for his divisive tactics!”
Fang Zhen’s attempt to recruit Lan Chang'an unsettled Fairy Ni Yue, who quickly transmitted her voice to him.
With her Zither Heart Illumination, she could perceive human nature deeply and understood that this was no time to test someone’s integrity.
Fang Zhen, a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator with numerous subordinates, posed an enormous threat.
If Lan Chang'an joined Fang Zhen, the situation would devolve into an easy one-sided slaughter for the enemy, with Xuan Yin Pavilion crushed in one go.
Once they took control of the Xuan Yin Pavilion, resources such as spirit vein, materials, and female cultivators would be at their fingertips. Any newly established faction would not neglect a Core Formation expert who is skilled in both alchemy and divination.
In desperation, Fairy Ni Yue increased her stakes and sent another message:
“I can offer things Fang Zhen cannot!”
“As long as Mister Xu helps Xuan Yin Pavilion survive this calamity, I am willing to accept any conditions.”
At this moment, Fairy Ni Yue was convinced that Mister Xu was the noble benefactor foretold by the divination master—a pivotal figure in turning the tide of her sect’s great calamity.
She had already resolved herself for the worst, prepared to go down with her sect if necessary. Compared to the ruthless and unscrupulous Fang Zhen, Mister Xu seemed to at least have principles and a bottom line.
...
“Fairy Ni Yue, there’s no need to say more. Activate the formation and assist me in trapping and killing Fang Zhen and his men. Not a single one shall escape.”
Lan Chang'an’s tone was calm and collected as he gave his command via voice transmission.
“Trap and kill them all?”
Fairy Ni Yue’s clear, bright eyes quivered in disbelief, her expression filled with doubt as though she had misheard.
Under the current dire circumstances, simply surviving and avoiding annihilation would already be a miracle.
“...Ni Yue will obey Mister Xu’s instructions.”
Taking a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly, Ni Yue decided to place her trust in Lan Chang'an despite her uncertainty.
Swish!
Lan Chang'an waved his hand and retrieved the formation flag near the corpse of Fairy Bai.
With it, he coordinated with Ni Yue and Fairy Jiang to form the three talents formation. Together, they ensured the smooth operation of the mid-grade third-rank formation and accelerated the repair of the breached gap.
At the same time, Fang Zhen and his men completed their own tactical arrangements.
“Eshalu, your physical brute strength is restrained by her zither sound technique. I’ll handle capturing Fairy Ni Yue. You take three Fake Dan cultivators and deal with Mister Xu. Don’t get greedy for credit or underestimate him.”
Fang Zhen’s steady voice commanded Eshalu to step back, a move designed to prevent further losses.
“Fine, Sect Master Fang, make sure to capture Fairy Ni Yue alive for me.”
Eshalu did not argue.
Against Fairy Ni Yue, his brute strength and unique abilities were countered by her soft and flexible methods, rendering his skills ineffective.
“Body cultivator? Let me, let this King see what tricks you have.”
Leading three Fake Dan cultivators, Eshalu charged toward Lan Chang'an with murderous intent.
From his perspective, Lan Chang'an’s earlier success in capturing Dongfang Xi was merely a result of a sneak attack.
Now that he was prepared, as a mid-stage third-rank body cultivator, he believed he could crush Lan Chang'an with raw power.
With three Fake Dan cultivators combining their strength—equivalent to a single True Dan cultivator—it was a two-on-one situation. The odds seemed heavily in their favor, and facing Lan Chang'an seemed much easier than contending with Fairy Ni Yue.
As Eshalu and his group approached, Fang Zhen made his move.
With the oppressive aura of a peak mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, he sped toward Fairy Ni Yue and Jiang Ruotong.
At this moment, the two fairies were pushed to their limits, unable to dodge the encroaching attacks from Fang Zhen and his forces.
Ni Yue’s green ancient zither, which she had used to hold off the flaming mountain, had already snapped two strings. Its body was cracked, scorched, and blackened in multiple places.
“Who exactly are you? We have no grievances with each other—why do you oppose me?”
Fang Zhen’s face darkened as he angrily rebuked Lan Chang'an.
Just as he was about to capture the two fairies, Lan Chang'an’s giant ruler treasure swept across the battlefield, forcing Fang Xiao and the three Fake Dan cultivators to join forces in defense.
This person, Xu Xuan, with such strength and means, was bound to have a great origin, and it made Fang Zhen cautious.
“Heh, Immortal Fang, weren’t those innocent Liang Kingdom cultivators also unrelated to you? Why, then, did you massacre them so ruthlessly?”
Lan Chang'an chuckled lightly, his tone laced with mockery.
Fang Zhen fell silent, unable to retort.
Indeed, his rise to power in Fengyuan Kingdom was built on betrayal and slaughter. He had never had grudges against his victims; he simply preyed on those weaker than himself to amass wealth and resources.
Lan Chang'an, however, had plenty of reason to kill Fang Zhen. Not only had Fang Zhen disrupted his plans for peaceful cultivation, but he had also framed Lan Chang'an’s puppet clone outside the immortal city.
“I’ve been a guest at Xuan Yin Pavilion all this time, waiting for you to throw yourself into the net. Today, I shall take your head!”
Lan Chang'an spoke nonchalantly as he controlled the giant ruler treasure to suppress Fang Xiao and his companions.
The pressure on the two fairies lessened, allowing them a moment to catch their breath.
They looked toward the calm and composed Lan Chang'an, who exuded an air of elegance and detachment.
Jiang Ruotong’s eyes glimmered with light, though blood still trickled from the corner of her lips as her body trembled slightly.
“You want to kill me?” Fang Zhen’s expression froze, and then he burst into loud, mocking laughter.
“A mere mid-stage Core Formation cultivator dares to dream of slaying a late-stage Great Cultivator like me? Ridiculous! Even if there were two more of you, you wouldn’t succeed!”
To Fang Zhen, such claims were laughable. Killing a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator was no easy feat, especially when the battlefield still favored his side. Ni Yue and Jiang Ruotong were gravely injured, and their vitality was nearly drained.
The advantage was clearly in his favor.
“Such arrogance is nothing short of—”
Before Fang Zhen could finish, his laughter abruptly stopped.
The green-robed middle-aged man hovering in midair, with his hands clasped behind his back and eyes as bright as the stars, suddenly exuded a violent surge of Core energy.
The radiant glow surrounding Lan Chang'an intensified, like molten iron reaching its boiling point. Then, in a thunderous explosion, his power broke through a threshold.
Boom!
A dazzling storm of mana erupted from Lan Chang'an, spreading out in waves and forming an overwhelming spiritual pressure. His aura ascended to a new level, faintly suppressing even Fang Zhen’s own.
“Late-stage Core Formation!”
Both allies and enemies froze, their hearts trembling in disbelief.
The battlefield fell silent, their clash momentarily paused.
Fang Zhen’s mocking laughter turned into a rigid expression of dread. He had never expected Lan Chang'an to have hidden his strength so deeply.
A calculated ambush by a fellow late-stage cultivator—Fang Zhen immediately sensed danger.
“Mister Xu is truly a hidden master!”
Fairy Ni Yue and Jiang Ruotong’s eyes sparkled with admiration, their faces lighting up with renewed hope and gratitude.
“A rabble of fools.”
Empowered by the might of a late-stage cultivator, Lan Chang'an controlled his giant ruler treasure, which grew to twice its previous size.
The ruler’s shadow flashed, moving as swiftly as lightning.
Crash! Bang!
Several Fake Dan cultivators’ magical treasures were smashed to pieces in quick succession.
Boom!
Simultaneously, an invisible hand of mana swept through the air.
“Sect Leader, save me—”
The three Fake Dan cultivators exploded into blood mist without even the chance to resist.
Fang Xiao, the early-stage Core Formation grandson of Fang Zhen, activated his magical treasures, talismans, and defensive robes in quick succession. Their protective light flickered a few times before fading entirely.
With his chest caved in and blood gushing from his mouth, Fang Xiao was sent flying a hundred zhang away.
“Grandfather, save me!”
He narrowly clung to life at the cost of severe injuries.
The sheer power of a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator was overwhelming, far beyond the ability of ordinary cultivators to withstand.
“Who... Who are you? A dignified late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator, yet you went to such lengths to scheme against me?”
Fang Zhen’s face turned ashen, his voice cold and venomous, his eyes brimming with malice.
Realizing the situation had turned against him, he gave up on capturing Ni Yue and Jiang Ruotong.
Boom!
Fang Zhen’s own late-stage mana exploded, forming a brilliant halo of light as he turned into a blur and charged directly at Lan Chang'an.
“Heh, if I’d revealed my late-stage cultivation from the start, would you have walked step by step into my trap?”
The scholarly man in green robes stroked his beard with a smile, his calm demeanor unshaken.
Killing a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator was no small feat, especially one with several subordinates.
If Fang Zhen’s forces had scattered and fled, even a Nascent Soul True Monarch might struggle to eliminate every single one of them.
Thus, Lan Chang'an had used Xuan Yin Pavilion as bait, luring Fang Zhen step by step into his carefully orchestrated trap, ensuring none of his targets could escape.
As for Lan Chang'an’s sudden increase in power to the late-stage...
For someone with the memories of a Nascent Soul cultivator, it wasn’t difficult to achieve.
Lan Chang'an’s mid-stage mana already had the quality of someone far beyond his realm. By using a secret enhancement pill and sacrificing some of his essence and blood, he was able to temporarily elevate himself half a minor realm higher with little cost.
Thanks to his meticulous preparation, he had taken the enhancement pill in advance and allowed the soul shadow of his peak Core Formation second life to possess him.
After all, the identity of “Xu Xuan” was merely an alias—a mask he could afford to use freely and recklessly.
...
"Xiao’er! Your grandfather will hold him off—prepare to retreat with the Eshalu!"
Fang Zhen transmitted his voice hurriedly while mobilizing the immense mana of a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.
Drawing upon the blazing magma and flames of the flaming mountain magical treasure, he formed a massive dark-red hand that covered the sky.
The spiritual pressure radiating from the fiery hand caused every remaining cultivator, both Core Formation and body cultivators alike, to tremble in fear.
“Let me enlighten you, Fang Zhen. Even among late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivators, there is a gap.”
Lan Chang'an, walking calmly through the air as though on solid ground, raised his free hand. His spiritual sense and mana, surpassing the scope of ordinary Core Formation cultivators, materlialized into a massive hand of energy, glowing with crystal patterns, its form tracing the faint aura of dao patterns.
Boom!
The two enormous hands clashed in midair. The collision erupted into a shockwave of blinding light and clouds, obscuring half the sky.
The oasis within a hundred-li radius trembled violently. The ground cracked open, and the once-proud palace buildings crumbled into ruins.
Despite having absorbed the power of the flaming mountain magical treasure, Fang Zhen’s dark-red hand shattered first under the pressure.
“This man... cannot be fought head-on!”
Fang Zhen’s eyes widened in horror as he groaned and staggered backward dozens of zhang, battered by the violent shockwave.
In the midst of the storm, Lan Chang'an stood unshaken. His green robes remained spotless, his posture upright, and his left hand still clasped behind his back.
The sight left both Eshalu and Fang Xiao stunned, their mouths agape in disbelief.
With just a single hand, this seemingly unassuming "Mister Xu" had completely suppressed Fang Zhen, a late-stage Core Formation Great Cultivator.
Gazing at the man who now dominated the battlefield, Fairy Ni Yue and Jiang Ruotong couldn’t help but feel captivated. Their eyes shimmered with admiration, and their hearts surged with awe.
In this vast and desolate land, a hidden master of such terrifying strength had remained concealed all along.
However, the joy on Fairy Ni Yue’s face soon faded.
Recalling Lan Chang'an’s intricate schemes and how he had used Xuan Yin Pavilion as bait, a chill crept into her heart.
In this world, there was no such thing as unmotivated kindness.
Whoosh!
The massive flaming mountain magical treasure dimmed as it lost its supply of mana, shrinking back and returning to hover before Fang Zhen.
Once again, Fang Zhen infused it with mana, repositioning it in the sky to shield himself while simultaneously covering the retreat of Eshalu and Fang Xiao.
However, the mid-grade third-rank sect-protecting formation surrounding the oasis thwarted any chance of a quick escape.
Their retreat path was completely cut off.
“Mister Xu, we are both late-stage Core Formation cultivators—top-tier experts in this region. Why must we push this to the point of fighting till death?”
Fang Zhen took a deep breath, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect. His tone became courteous and placative.
“Please show mercy today, and I, Fang, will be sure to reward you generously.”