"Thank you for your help, Elder Bai. We truly wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise."
The Paper Crane Daoist trailed behind him, thanking him again and again.
Witnessing Bai Zichen effortlessly slay two Iron Turtles of the sa rank in an instant had been a profound shock to the Paper Crane Daoist.
If he had previously been respectful and deferential out of reverence for the title of Qingfeng Sect Elder, now he was genuinely and wholeheartedly convinced.
He truly saw himself as a junior, his deference no longer a re formality.
They were both in the Early-Stage Foundation Establishnt, but the gap in their power was imnse.
The impression Bai Zichen gave the Paper Crane Daoist was that he was even stronger than many of the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishnt elders he had t in other counties.
"Fellow Daoist Paper Crane, since you’ve dedicated yourself to the great cause of reclamation and opened up new lands for us human Cultivators, you have rendered a great service to Black Mountain... As long as you follow the Qingfeng Sect’s rules in the future, you will naturally receive the Sect’s protection."
After becoming an Elder, Bai Zichen had reviewed the Qingfeng Sect’s decennial census of the mortal population and the number of Cultivators.
Given the current rate of population growth and the influx of foreign Loose Cultivators, the reclamation wars, currently held once a century, might need to be shortened to every 60-year cycle to accommodate the soaring number of Cultivators.
If the Qingfeng Sect were to relax its recruitnt standards and guide the many with Discarded Spiritual Roots onto the Immortal Path, the need for Spirit Land and Cultivation Resources would multiply.
Therefore, the Cultivation Families and Loose Cultivators who participated in this reclamation war were fortunate. The rit required to exchange for Spirit Land would only increase with each subsequent war.
"Of course, of course. From now on, I will follow the Upper Sect’s instructions to the letter."
The Paper Crane Daoist had the decency to look ashad. The thought of how he had nearly deserted in the heat of battle made the tips of his ears turn bright red.
Fortunately, he was a step behind, so no one could see his blush.
"The Evil Dragon has been beheaded! All fellow Daoists, hold your positions and await reinforcents!"
A grand, ancient voice echoed across the entirety of Feiyue Lake.
’The situation is decided!’
Bai Zichen flew into the air. The Array where the two Core Formation True n had previously vanished was, indeed, gone.
Although fighting had not ceased everywhere, everyone knew the reclamation war was over.
All that remained was to clean up the battlefield.
Master Yangg threw out a golden bowl. It fell from the sky and directly suppressed the thousand-year-old turtle within it.
CLANG! CLANG! The sounds of impact occasionally ca from within the bowl, but the mountain-sized golden bowl didn’t move an inch.
Master Ge Cang’s figure flickered and appeared above Liang Yu and the other two. He reached out and grabbed at the Hundred Poison Golden Toad.
A giant, five-colored hand appeared, mirroring Master Ge Cang’s movent. It seized the Hundred Poison Golden Toad in its palm with imnse power.
The five fingers closed, and the Hundred Poison Golden Toad instantly went still.
"End the fighting quickly. Senior Brother Yangg and I will go check on the Lake Heart Island first."
Ancestor Ge Cang tossed the Hundred Poison Golden Toad into Liang Yu’s hands. Leaving those words behind, he transford into a streak of rainbow light and flew straight toward the Lake Heart Island.
"As the Ancestor commands."
Liang Yu glanced at the Hundred Poison Golden Toad. Its belly was still faintly pulsating. It seed Ancestor Ge Cang had only knocked it unconscious, not killed it outright.
He hurriedly cast several Forbidden seals, slapped two Talismans onto its body, and temporarily stored it in his Spirit Beast Bag.
Capturing a Demon Beast alive was several tis more difficult than simply killing it.
Since they had managed the rare feat of capturing the Hundred Poison Golden Toad alive, they would definitely study it thoroughly upon returning to see if they could squeeze more value out of it.
"Junior Brothers, let’s split up and eliminate all the Tier Two Demon Beasts as quickly as possible."
The three of them, including Liang Yu, exchanged a look, each chose a direction, and threw themselves back into the fray.
With three Late-Stage Foundation Establishnt Cultivators and the Dragon Tiger Warriors suddenly freed up, the tide of battle swiftly turned further in favor of the reclamation army.
Like a snowball effect, each Tier Two Demon Beast found itself facing more and more Foundation Establishnt Cultivators and was quickly slain.
By the ti the sun set and the evening glow scattered across Feiyue Lake, the various flashes of Spirit Light had finally died down.
Only occasional cries of alarm broke the silence. A crowd would surge forward—they had found a straggler. Magical Artifacts would be unleashed in unison, smashing the Demon Beast into a pile of pulp.
There were designated Cultivators responsible for moving the bodies of the fallen onto the Wind Shuttles.
Later, the bodies would be identified, and their belongings and due rit would be distributed to their imdiate families.
Scattered Array Banners, filthy pools of blood, and smoldering fires could be seen everywhere.
Because of the extensive use of Fire Elent Talismans, Fire Elent Techniques, and Fire Elent Magical Artifacts, nearly half the land around Feiyue Lake had been scorched black.
Many Cultivators looked at the mangled corpses and fallen comrades around them and couldn’t help but break down in tears.
This was, by far, the reclamation war with the highest number of Cultivator casualties to date.
"Sigh, Spirit Land is nice and all, but you have to be alive to enjoy it."
The Paper Crane Daoist saw a group of Cultivators, likely from the sa clan, all wearing matching attire.
Nearly all of them were injured. The one in the lead was missing an arm, and he was leading his clansn in mourning their fallen kin.
More than twenty bodies were laid out together.
"Too many people, not enough land. It can’t be helped... In the vast Cultivation Realm, the territory truly occupied by human Cultivators is still very small."
Bai Zichen sighed. The Cultivation Realm of Liang Country was full of fickle and rciless Cultivators who would turn on and kill each other at the drop of a hat for a share of Cultivation Resources.
Ultimately, it was a disaster caused by insufficient resources.
Furthermore, the various Sects were just as unsightly in their conduct, seizing resources by force, wishing they could hoard everything for themselves.
With those at the top setting the example, the principles of ’the strong are respected’ and ’interests co first’ prevailed. Acts of murder for treasure and betrayal were endless.
The Qingfeng Sect was slightly better. It had its principles, making it a breath of fresh air in the Liang Country’s Cultivation Realm.
Bai Zichen watched as body after body was carried onto the Wind Shuttles. One of the Bai Clan mbers had also died.
An old man clutched the hands of a young, deceased Cultivator who resembled him, refusing to let go for a long ti. His body twitched and trembled, and his face was streaked with tears.
A heroic feeling surged in his heart. He turned around and declared in a clear voice, "I vow to open ten more Tier Three Spirit Veins for the Sect and shelter the thousands of Black Mountain Cultivators... so that everyone will have Spirit Land for their Cultivation."
"Elder Bai is truly righteous! This humble Daoist is willing to be your loyal servant. A hundred years from now, perhaps I can bask in your glory and have my own small entry in the Black Mountain County Chronicles."
The Paper Crane Daoist prostrated himself, filled with boundless admiration.
Bai Xianzhong’s face filled with admiration and pride. He said, "If Brother Chenn can truly accomplish this, it would be a gift of new life for the Black Mountain Loose Cultivators and ordinary Cultivation Families."
If anyone else had said such a thing, they would have been dismissed as a madman spouting nonsense.
But given Bai Zichen’s current status and the imnse combat power he had displayed, coupled with the labels of ’Cultivation prodigy’ and ’future Sword Immortal’ attached to him, everyone would only think him incredibly ambitious, with a grand vision in his heart.
If Bai Zichen could later take the position of Sect Leader of the Qingfeng Sect and was willing to push this idea with all his might, and if the Qingfeng Sect’s power continued to grow, then ten Tier Three Spirit Lands might be an exaggeration, but four or five would not be impossible.
Bai Ling followed behind Clan Leader Bai Xianzhong. The gap between her and her clansman of the sa age had beco an unbridgeable chasm. This was not her place to speak.
’To think that back in the Clan, I once had the notion of competing with Bai Zichen... it’s almost laughable now.’
She had just broken through to Late-Stage Qi Refining, while Bai Zichen was already a Foundation Establishnt Elder—and one with a limitless future, destined for the Great Dao.
During the reclamation war, if Bai Zichen hadn’t arrived in ti, the Bai Clan mbers would surely have suffered heavy casualties.
The Ink Bamboo Bai Family would have been among the Cultivation Families weeping and mourning now.
’Open ten Tier Three Spirit Lands, so all Black Mountain Cultivators have a ho...’
Bai Ling stared blankly at Bai Zichen’s back, illuminated by the evening glow, feeling how towering it was.
She had never heard such heroic words from any other Cultivator.
Everyone else’s grand ambition was to reach Foundation Establishnt, or at best, dream of becoming a Core Formation True Man.
...
The rough casualty statistics from the battle of Feiyue Lake were in.
Over nine hundred Qi Refining Cultivators were dead or injured: more than one hundred and thirty Sect Disciples, nearly three hundred Clan Cultivators, and over five hundred Loose Cultivators.
Six Foundation Establishnt Cultivators had fallen: one Sect Elder, three from Foundation Establishnt Clans, and two Foundation Establishnt Loose Cultivators.
"What? Senior Brother Zhang is dead?"
Bai Zichen was utterly stunned. He never expected that the only Sect Elder to fall would be Senior Brother Zhang, with whom he was acquainted.
He had just arrived at the temporary gathering point for the Sect Elders when he received the shocking news.
"After Junior Martial Uncle Zhang coordinated with the Battle Array to kill a water snake, he was ambushed by a poisonous scorpion hiding in the shadows. We couldn’t rescue him in ti... We gave him a Detoxification Elixir imdiately, but we still couldn’t save him."
The Steward stood below the platform, trembling. Senior Brother Zhang had been attacked after the Flood Dragon was beheaded, during the final monts of the war.
To die at such a mont could only be described as fate.
Liang Yu strode over, lifted the white cloth, and revealed Senior Brother Zhang’s body.
There was a round hole in his forehead, with black patterns spreading outwards from it.
"He didn’t die from the scorpion’s venom. A stinger pierced his skull and annihilated his Divine Soul..."
Liang Yu gently turned Senior Brother Zhang’s head, revealing a similar round hole at the back, hidden within his topknot.
The scorpion’s single strike had pierced straight through his skull. Senior Brother Zhang was already dead by the ti the venom entered his body.
"And the scorpion?"
"It flickered a few tis and vanished. Judging by the direction it fled, it has likely left Feiyue Lake."
"So, there wasn’t just the thousand-year-old turtle and the Hundred Poison Golden Toad. There was a third Tier Two Peak Demon Beast in Feiyue Lake, hiding in the shadows..."
Liang Yu’s expression was bleak. A fellow sect mber he had worked with for nearly a century, one who had served diligently in the Law Enforcent Hall, was gone just like that. Even his composure was shaken.
"Send word to heighten the alert everywhere. We must guard against surprise attacks from hidden Demon Beasts."
"Also, prepare Junior Brother Zhang’s body properly. I will personally preside over his funeral rites after we return to the Sect... None of his belongings or Sect Contribution points are to be touched. Find his clan’s descendants, and we will distribute everything then."
Since the Tier Two Peak scorpion had fled, the probability of it returning to attack was low.
But there were certainly still other hidden Tier Two Demon Beasts in the waters of Feiyue Lake that the Demon-Locking Divine Fire Drum hadn’t forced to the surface.
"Correct. Those who die for the Sect deserve corresponding honors... If any of the Zhang Family’s descendants show great potential, we can grant them a spot as an Inner Sect Disciple."
Sect Leader Wei Dao was also there, his face pale. Activating the Demon-Locking Divine Fire Drum, a Mid-Grade Magical Treasure, had been an imnse strain on him, even with a continuous supply of Top-Grade Spirit Stones to power it.
After a quick search of Feiyue Lake, Ancestor Ge Cang had already returned to the Mountain Gate.
Therefore, whether he, the Sect Leader, needed to hurry back was not so important.
Bai Zichen watched as the white cloth was draped back over Senior Brother Zhang, who was then carried away. A thousand emotions welled up inside him.
Just one day ago, the two of them had been talking side-by-side on the road to Feiyue Lake. Now, they were separated by life and death.
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