Chapter 402
“Therefore, I propose we split into six groups! Each of the Huashen masters will lead a team of cultivators to encircle Chen County, with each group responsible for two counties, sweeping through with the intent to leave no Jindan-level demon sect cultivator unscathed!”
Cheng Kong pointed six times on the map, subtly forming a circle.
Zheng Fa frowned upon hearing this.
It felt a bit too overconfident.
If they were to be picked off one by one...
“I, along with Fairy Xie and Master Wuzhi, will provide support from all sides...”
Zheng Fa glanced up, sensing that Cheng Kong seemed to regard him and Xie Qingxue as the three strongest individuals present.
Cheng Kong was not to be underestimated; he was the hidden leader of this alliance, wielding the Qingjing Bamboo and having returned from Chen County with significant advantages.
As for the other two...
“Fairy Xie wields the immortal sword left by the Tianhe Zunren, while Master Wuzhi excels in a secret technique from the Thunder Sound Temple known as the Six Divine Powers.”
“Not only does he possess the Heavenly Eye and Heavenly Ear to observe the vast universe, but he also has the ability to traverse great distances in a single step, allowing him to bring both me and Fairy Xie to provide support wherever needed...”
Zheng Fa suddenly understood Cheng Kong's arrangement:
These three were indeed the strongest in the hall. He even suspected that Cheng Kong might be secretly hoping for the Da Zizai Demon Sect to attack them one by one, thinking it would surprise those Huashen cultivators.
Hearing this, the others felt a bit more reassured.
“What do you all think about these six routes?”
Cheng Kong pointed six times, and aside from the two Huashen masters from Haori Mountain and Yaochi, Zheng Fa noticed he pointed to the other three Huashen masters coming to assist, finally resting his finger on himself.
Everyone turned to look at Zheng Fa. After all, he was not a true Huashen master; if there were any issues, it would likely be with this group.
Zheng Fa hesitated... He knew Cheng Kong held him in high regard, but he was reluctant to let Jiushan Sect take the lead in this endeavor.
A lack of endurance was a significant flaw; if a few Huashen masters were to attack, Senior Sister Zhang would be heavily injured after just a couple of exchanges.
Though they could retreat into the Jiushan Realm, if they were forced to fall back, this group would collapse. If the Da Zizai Demon Ancestor found an opportunity to revive... that would be a major problem.
For Zheng Fa, the primary concern was whether they could complete the mission. If something went wrong, not only would he face blame from others, but the wrath of the Da Zizai Demon Ancestor would be far more terrifying.
Sensing his hesitation, or perhaps wanting to encourage everyone to put in more effort, Cheng Kong added, “If we succeed in this battle, the Hundred Immortals Alliance, my Taishang Dao, and even the other four sects will not hesitate to offer rewards!”
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to the members of the other four sects.
Indeed, they all nodded slightly, seemingly in agreement with Cheng Kong's words.
“May I ask... what kind of rewards are there?”
Someone couldn't help but ask.
Cheng Kong shook the Qingjing Bamboo in his hand, smiling lightly, “I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.”
Clearly, he was very confident in the resources of Taishang Dao.
Zheng Fa, however, looked at the Qingjing Bamboo, pondering—if he wanted that bamboo, he wondered if Cheng Kong would still be smiling.
Cheng Kong watched Zheng Fa, gently stroking the Qingjing Bamboo in his palm, seemingly waiting for Zheng Fa to make a decision—this was quite tempting.
At that moment, Xie Qingxue spoke up, “I can lead one group.”
She clearly noticed Zheng Fa's dilemma.
Cheng Kong frowned, “Fairy Xie, if Master Wuzhi and I are to face the most dangerous situations, I fear we may not have the confidence to handle it...”
Everyone understood he was referring to the scenario where the demon sect's Huashen masters gathered together. With all three of them, Cheng Kong seemed confident, but without Xie Qingxue, he lacked that assurance.
Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “How many Yuanying cultivators are there in each group?”
Cheng Kong was taken aback, and Zheng Fa continued, “After all, Jiushan Sect doesn’t have any true Huashen masters... If we are to take on a group alone, we need to send more Yuanying cultivators.”
“That’s not a problem...”
Cheng Kong nodded slowly, though his expression was puzzled, and the others felt the same—
After all, they were all worried about encountering a Huashen ambush; what good would having more Yuanying cultivators do?
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 339: Am I Fighting Huashen? A Grievance to Settle!**
On the third day of arriving at Tongming Mountain, Fang Yuan watched as Master Chen left the house early in the morning, his face beaming with joy.
“What’s gotten into Master Chen?”
She curiously asked her own master.
“I heard he made contact with that Zheng Fa from Jiushan Sect...”
Her master, feeling bold with Chen not around, whispered the gossip, “I heard Cheng Kong sent quite a few Yuanying cultivators to Jiushan Sect, and Master Chen was selected.”
Fang Yuan nodded to herself, realizing that Master Chen had finally achieved his wish, latching onto the powerful Jiushan Sect.
It was only natural for him to be happy.
But Master Chen returned with a long face.
As soon as he came back, he sat silently on a stone bench in the courtyard, staring blankly at the clouds in the sky, occasionally letting out a deep sigh, filled with sorrow.
Fang Yuan was curious but didn’t dare to ask. However, among the companions who came with them, there was one of Master Chen’s direct disciples, who asked with concern:
“Master? You seemed fine when you left this morning?”
“I had no idea that Zheng Fa wanted me to go fight Huashen!”
“Ah? How is that possible?” The disciple exclaimed, frowning. Suddenly, as if realizing something, he glanced at Fang Yuan and the others, whispering, “Could it be that he wants to use Master as cannon fodder?”
Fang Yuan and her master lowered their heads, exchanging a knowing glance, both feeling that it might be true...
It was deserved!
What goes around comes around!
...
“Those Yuanying cultivators...” the elder sighed, “still don’t trust my Jiushan Sect enough.”
Inside the Tiangong Island of Jiushan Realm, Elder, Uncle Pang, and Uncle Huang all wore frustrated expressions, while Zheng Fa comforted them:
“They see those disciples from the affiliated sects as cannon fodder, naturally projecting their own mindset onto us, thinking Jiushan Sect has ill intentions.”
The three nodded, but Uncle Pang lamented:
“If that’s the case, the power of the immortal formation will be too weak; it probably won’t withstand a single strike from a Huashen, and it would waste the good intentions of Fairy Xiao.”
Zheng Fa glanced over at Xiao Yuying.
Xiao Yuying waved her hand, saying, “Getting to witness an immortal formation is already a gain for me; I just fear I won’t be able to help.”
Zheng Fa requested twenty Yuanying cultivators from Cheng Kong, and with the four present, they could form a Yuanying-level Zhou Tian Divine Thunder Immortal Formation.
The twenty-four individuals in the Zhou Tian Divine Thunder Immortal Formation were divided into four groups, with one person in each group acting as the pivot, while the others simply needed to follow their commands.
On the other hand, only these four would be the brains of the formation, truly grasping its mysteries.
For this reason, Zheng Fa could not choose unfamiliar Yuanying cultivators—this was Jiushan's black technology, and he wasn’t generous enough to share it.
In Jiushan Realm, Zheng Fa had the Sun and Moon Bell, Senior Sister Zhang would wield the Jiushan Patriarch in battle, and for the remaining four Yuanying, aside from the three Taishang elders, only Xiao Yuying or Madam Xuanhua were left.
Unfortunately, Madam Xuanhua was not up to par—she excelled in weapon forging, was mediocre in formations, and her lightning techniques were subpar.
Thus, he had to choose Xiao Yuying, and it was precisely because of this that she understood the power of the immortal formation:
“To be honest, it’s normal for them not to trust. If I hadn’t truly learned this formation, I wouldn’t believe it either... A group of Yuanying working together can indeed possess the combat power of a Huashen.”
“Of course, it can’t compare.” The main developer of the formation, Elder, spoke up, “Formations have their limits. I’ve calculated with Senior Sister Zhang, and this Divine Thunder Immortal Formation probably only has the power of about eight-tenths of a Huashen, and that’s the weakest kind.”
Zheng Fa slowly shook his head, “I never expected to truly match a Huashen. Including myself and Senior Sister Zhang, I just hope we can hold off the Da Zizai Demon Sect’s onslaught until Cheng Kong and the others arrive.”
Zheng Fa didn’t even expect one plus one plus one to equal three.
If it could equal two, he would be satisfied.
Coming from a humble background, that’s just how it is... piecing things together can still work.
Uncle Pang sighed again, “If only they could follow orders and cooperate harmoniously... The problem is, right now, they all have their own agendas, paying lip service while acting against each other. I fear they won’t be a help but rather a hindrance.”
After saying this, he scolded:
“I thought the disciples of Jiushan Sect were hard to manage!”
“Now that I’ve encountered them, I realize my own disciples are much more obedient!”
Zheng Fa and the others exchanged glances, feeling that they didn’t have any good ideas either. These Yuanying cultivators had lived for who knows how long, their thoughts were complex, and it was not easy to let down their guard... Getting them to work together was indeed quite challenging.
They could only slowly train these Yuanying cultivators.
...
On the fifth day of arriving at Tongming Mountain, the Jiushan Sect team, following the Chen River, entered the territory of Chen County.
They had about twenty Yuanying cultivators, over eighty Jindan cultivators, and nearly seven hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Table of Contents
