Immortality Cultivation

Fang Hao had just achieved a Breakthrough to the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, and before he could even properly savor the pleasure of his increased power, the situation in the sky outside the city walls turned sour again.

Previously, Cloud Crane had managed to gain the upper hand by seizing the opportunity Fang Hao created, suppressing that blood-red light. However, this advantage didn’t last long. After all, they were both Nascent Soul Old Monsters; who didn’t have a few trump cards up their sleeves? It wouldn’t be that easy to determine a winner.

Sure enough, after being suppressed for a while, the blood-red light probably felt it was losing Face, or perhaps it was genuinely infuriated, as it suddenly erupted!

A howl rang out—it didn’t sound human, but rather like the roar of some Vicious Beast coming from within the blood light. Immediately after, the mass of blood light expanded rapidly as if inflated, transforming in the blink of an eye into a blood cloud that blotted out the sun! Within the blood cloud, flickering shadows appeared, seemingly countless vengeful souls and malevolent ghosts struggling and wailing. The sound made one’s scalp tingle and heart fill with dread.

"Blood Sea Overwhelming! It’s that Old Demon’s famous Divine Ability!" On the city tower, General Li’s expression changed, and he cried out in alarm.

The blood cloud billowed and swirled, lunging toward Cloud Crane. A foul stench wafted out, reachable even from the distant city walls. Wherever the blood cloud passed, even the air seemed to be corroded, making a "sizzling" sound.

Seeing this, Cloud Crane did not dare to be careless. He snorted coldly and flicked his Horsetail Whisk. The silver threads on the whisk stood on end, bursting with a piercing clear light. He chanted under his breath, and the clear light grew stronger and stronger, finally condensing above his head into a massive, budding azure lotus! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Azure Lotus Purifying the World!"

With a low shout from Cloud Crane, the azure lotus slowly bloomed! Every petal was crystal clear, emitting a soft yet incredibly pure radiance. As this light shone upon the blood cloud, it was like hot water being poured onto snow; the edges of the blood cloud immediately began to melt. Those clawing ghostly shadows shrieked in agony the moment they touched the clear light, dissipating into green smoke.

One was filthy and bloody, the other pure and noble; two completely different powers collided fiercely in mid-air!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, but the silent contest was even more heart-pounding. Where the blood cloud and the clear light met, space itself distorted, and light refracted chaotically, looking like a funhouse mirror. Waves of turbulent and violent energy shockwaves constantly spread outward, causing the flags on the city walls to flap loudly. Cultivators with lower cultivation had to crouch down, or they wouldn’t even be able to stand steadily.

Fang Hao watched from below, his heart racing. This fight between Nascent Soul Old Monsters was terrifying! If he were caught in it, not even a speck of him would likely remain. He felt that his newly achieved Great Perfection Foundation Establishment was no different from a toddler just learning to walk in front of them.

While the two big shots were locked in a fierce battle in the sky, the people below weren’t idling. Commander Lei saw the situation and knew the opportunity had come again! The more fiercely they fought in the sky, the more the attention of the defenders on the opposite wall would be diverted. It was the perfect chance for a sneak attack... no, for reclaiming lost territory!

"General Li! The time has come! I’ll take men out to reclaim Panshi Fortress and Tiebi Pass for us!" Commander Lei rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming.

General Li looked at the deadlocked battle in the sky, then at the somewhat flustered defenders on the opposite wall, and gritted his teeth. "Fine! Commander Lei, act with caution! I’ll lead men on the city wall to provide support!"

Soon, Commander Lei assembled his forces. Besides Guest Elders like Fang Hao and his group, he also added a group of the most capable elites from Luoxia City, totaling over a hundred people. Most were in the Middle or Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, with a few Early Golden Core Stage vice-generals to oversee the operation.

"Guest Official Ning, take a team and do what you do best—be responsible for scouting and breaking Formations! If you find a Formation node, break it if you can; if not, mark it!" Commander Lei gave Fang Hao his orders.

"Understood!" Fang Hao cupped his fists in acceptance. Now that his cultivation had increased, his Divine Sense was stronger, and his perception of Formations was sharper; this job suited him perfectly.

The city gate quietly opened a crack, and over a hundred people slipped out like ghosts. Using the cover of craters and the night, they split into several groups and crept toward the lost Panshi Fortress and Tiebi Pass.

Fang Hao led his small team, with Little Grandson and a few other agile members at the front. He fully activated his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes and Ethereal Art, his eyes scanning ahead like searchlights. Sure enough, on the path to the two passes, the enemy had set up many hidden early-warning Formations and traps.

"Three steps to the front-left, there’s an ’Earth Spike Formation’ underground."

"Behind that large rock on the right, a ’Soul-Shocking Bell’ is hidden."

As Fang Hao walked, he whispered the issues he found. The Cultivators in the team specialized in disarming traps immediately stepped forward, carefully neutralizing these devices. The entire process was silent and highly efficient.

In the sky, the battle between the two Nascent Souls reached a fever pitch. The blood cloud and the azure lotus constantly collided and wore each other down. At times, the blood cloud gained the upper hand, pushing back the clear light; at other times, the azure lotus shone brilliantly, purifying large swaths of blood filth. They were locked in a stalemate, neither able to overcome the other.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that Cloud Crane still held a slight advantage. His Azure Lotus Purifying the World Divine Ability seemed to have a certain restraining effect on the blood cloud, and the blood cloud was depleting significantly faster. Moreover, morale was high on the Luoxia City side, while the defenders on Tiebi Pass were clearly unsettled seeing their Old Ancestor tied up and slightly losing ground.

With one side’s strength growing as the other’s waned, the strike team led by Commander Lei made rapid progress! After Fang Hao and his team cleared the obstacles along the way, the main force soon reached the foot of Panshi Fortress. This fortress had been breached before, and its defenders wiped out; it was now garrisoned by a small squad of Great Qin soldiers, mainly serving as an outpost.

"Attack!" Seeing the time was ripe, Commander Lei gave the order!

The Cultivators lying in ambush swarmed forward, raining down various Spells and Magical Artifacts upon the fortress! The defenders inside didn’t even have time to react before being caught off guard, and they were completely wiped out after minimal resistance.

"Reclaim Panshi Fortress! Quick, repair the defensive Formations!" Commander Lei quickly ordered. The Cultivators immediately rushed into the fortress to occupy key positions, while the Formation Masters hurried to inspect and repair the damaged Formation nodes.

After taking Panshi Fortress, the team didn’t linger and immediately pounced toward the more important Tiebi Pass!

By this time, the defenders on Tiebi Pass had also noticed something was wrong, and the alarm bells rang out thunderously! But with the Nascent Souls fighting desperately in the sky, the Golden Core Defending General inside the pass didn’t dare leave his post easily. He could only command the soldiers to desperately fire arrows and cast Spells to block the advance.

"Guest Official Ning! It’s up to you! Find the weak point of the Pass-Protecting Grand Formation!" Commander Lei shouted to Fang Hao while directing his men to charge through the rain of arrows.

Fang Hao hid behind a giant rock, squinting his eyes to observe carefully. Tiebi Pass’s Pass-Protecting Grand Formation was much weaker than Luoxia City’s, and one of its nodes had been damaged by Fang Hao before and hadn’t been fully repaired. He soon found a spot where the energy flow was sluggish in a corner of the pass wall.

"There!" Fang Hao pointed in a direction and shouted to several Body Cultivators near him who specialized in heavy assaults, "Concentrate your attacks on that point!"

"Understood!" The Body Cultivators roared, their muscles bulging as they charged forward carrying massive Battering Rams, slamming them against that Formation Base!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Formation’s light shield shook violently! The defenders on the wall tried to stop them but were suppressed by the archers and Spells from the Luoxia City side.

Seeing the Formation was about to be broken, the Golden Core Defending General inside the pass could no longer sit still. He let out a furious roar and personally led men out to stabilize the situation.

"Your opponent is me!" Commander Lei leveled his spear and met him! The two Golden Core Cultivators immediately clashed!

In the sky, the Old Demon within the blood cloud saw the pass below in danger and howled in rage. He wanted to break away to go down and help, but he was held fast by Cloud Crane and couldn’t escape at all.

"Now’s the time! Break!" Fang Hao saw his chance and personally struck. The yitian sword turned into a streak of light, slashing fiercely at that Formation Base!

Crack!

With a crisp sound, the Formation Base shattered! The light of the Pass-Protecting Grand Formation instantly dimmed, revealing a massive gap!

"Charge!" The soldiers of Luoxia City let out a thunderous roar, surging into Tiebi Pass through the gap like a tide!

Chaos erupted inside the pass! But with low morale and no Formation to rely on, how could the defenders withstand the ferocious assault? In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they were completely wiped out.

"Reclaim Tiebi Pass!" Cheers of victory echoed through the canyon!

Just as the pass was reclaimed, the Old Demon in the blood cloud saw that the situation was lost. Continuing to fight would bring no benefit and might even lead to a loss. He suddenly erupted with power to force back Cloud Crane and left a parting threat: "Hmph! Cloud Crane, old man, I will surely avenge today’s humiliation in the future!" With that, he swirled up the remaining blood cloud and fled toward the west without looking back.

Cloud Crane did not pursue. After all, the opponent’s strength was not weak, and a desperate fight would not be pleasant. He flicked his whisk, the clear light retracted, and he slowly descended from the sky, returning to Luoxia City.

The intense offense and defense that had lasted for several days finally came to a temporary end with the Mingling Empire’s side successfully reclaiming the two passes and forcing back the enemy Nascent Soul.

Cheers from those who had survived the ordeal rang out above and below the city. But everyone knew this was only the beginning. The Great Qin Empire would never let it go at that. A greater storm might be brewing.

Fang Hao stood on the wall of the reclaimed Tiebi Pass, watching the receding blood cloud in the distance. He wiped the sweat and blood from his Face and let out a long breath. He had survived, and he had even performed a meritorious deed. But he knew clearly in his heart that on this damned battlefield, luck wouldn’t always be on his side. He had to become even stronger.