Chapter 435: 435
Li Qingshan smiled . “Very good . I’ll give you two hours to gather your subordinates . Of course, I just need those who have undergone a heavenly tribulation… Quickly . The sun’s about to set . ”
The sky gradually darkened, but Clear River city was still bright lit . Above the Hawkwolf Guard, Wang Pushi stood with his arms behind his back, overlooking the shining city . As the prefectural city under the tight protection of cultivators, Clear River city was the only city that had not been attacked by daemons .
A streak of green light shot over, making a turn and descending from above . Fu Qingjin landed on the roof gently with a person in his hand .
“Who’s this?”
“The person who caused our dispute three years ago . I’m handing him to commander Wang now for punishment . This is a demonstration of my sincerity . ” Fu Qingjin tossed the person before Fu Qingjin . The disciple of the Vermillion Clothes sect who had undertaken a massacre in the past cried out in fear . “Senior Fu, sir Fu, I’m a disciple of the Daemon Suppression alliance! I’m a disciple of the Daemon Suppression alliance! You can’t do this!”
Wang Pushi stepped on his throat and asked, “What do you want?”
“Cooperation,” Fu Qingjin said . “In the past three years, daemons have been running amok, throwing countless people in danger . The death count is unfathomable . Yet, due to our dispute, we are unable to stand united, impeding each other instead . I think now’s the time for us to settle this dispute, band together, and end this matter with the daemons for good . ”
“End this matter? How are you going to end it?” Wang Pushi frowned . What a boast .
“We’ll gather all the cultivators and launch a counterattack underground to slay daemons . ” Fu Qingjin waved his hand in high spirits . He was filled with convincing confidence . Regardless of how dispirited and laid back he usually seemed, as long as he wanted to, he seemed to be born with the charm of a ruler .
Wang Pushi sank into his thoughts . “This isn’t something I can decide alone . I need to discuss with the other school leaders . ”
“I’m just letting you know for now . Please pass on my message, commander Wang . In five days’ time, I will be inviting all Foundation Establishment cultivators to join the Daemon Suppression alliance in the parlour . I will explain my thoughts to them . ”
Fu Qingjin clasped his hands and leapt off the roof, taking his leave .
A net that Fu Qingjin had personally weaved, planned, and prepared wrapped around Li Qingshan, but Li Qingshan was still unaware . Even if he knew, it would be useless . This was not some scheme, but a legitimate strategy .
Not only was Fu Qingjin doing this for the Soaring Dragon Elder, but he also wanted to gather strength and defeat the daemons in one fell swoop . This was the third reason .
The moon rose up from between the branches, illuminating the tranquil, secluded valley . There was a winding string of structures in the valley, standing like a forest . The eaves and arches were primarily vermillion . They were so grand and extravagant that they could not be the handiwork of regular people .
An invisible formation enveloped everything, blocking the entry of all intruders . Among the many buildings, the special structures were still the erect turrets . This was a crystallisation of the school of Mohism’s engineering . Li Qingshan had experienced their power first hand in the past . If someone tried to attack the formation, they would have to endure their blasts first .
It was easy to defend and difficult to attack . It had a very tight security . This was the Vermillion Clothes sect .
Only when Li Qingshan saw it in person did he understand what Ye Mingzhu meant by a tough bone to chew . Although the formation before him was not on par with the Duality Formation of Disintegration, it still would not be that easy to breach if he did not possess a Soaring Dragon ship .
Flickering figures stood silently within the forest on the slopes of the valley .
Their leader was obviously Li Qingshan, who stroked his chin in thought .
Behind him, there were many other powerful night roamers apart from his ten personal guards and the six matriarchs . In order to prevent any problems from arising when they were gone, the matriarchs had truly made abundant arrangements . The group they brought was so powerful that even Li Qingshan was stunned . Afterwards, he laughed to himself in thought, Conscripting them by force really was a good idea .
“Do you have any plans on breaching the Vermillion Clothes sect?” Li Qingshan asked through daemon qi . He could not come up with any other idea apart from launching a direct attack, as the formation was present . Unfortunately, the last thing night roamers were adept at were direct attacks . Encircling them and defeating the reinforcements they called would be a good idea, but it would depend on whether the others bit the bait or not .
Ye Liusu instead said, “I have a plan that can allow us to breach the Vermillion Clothes sect without sustaining any losses . ”“Oh? Let’s hear it . ”
“In my opinion, the formation isn’t exactly flawless . As long as we can unleash an ability as night roamers and use Phantom Roaming, we can pass through the formation and assassinate the master of the Vermillion Clothes sect . By then, these mechanical turrets and even the formation will be ours . ”
Li Qingshan’s eyes lit up . If that really were possible, it would save a great deal of trouble . All he had to do was kill his way through the sects one by one . His losses would be minimised, while his gains would be maximised .
A matriarch expressed her doubts, “But only those who have undergone two heavenly tribulations can use Phantom Roaming . ”
Once night roamers underwent two heavenly tribulations, they could basically become phantoms . Not only could their bodies pass through all visible and invisible barriers, but their weapons could pierce the protective techniques or arcane artifacts of opponents . They could reach anywhere and breach anything . They would become the most terrifying assassins .
Ye Mingzhu smiled . “That is indeed impossible if we’re alone, but with so many people here, we just need to work together and open up a phantom path . We’ll still be able to send in a person or two . ”
Work together? The matriarchs all looked at one another . This was not a concept that existed in their heads . Apart from the Spider Queen, no one could order them to work together, but now, there was Li Qingshan . He smiled . “That’s a good idea . Let’s begin!”
But who was going in?
Alone and without any support, they would be lambs for the slaughter if the assassination attempt failed . They would be thrown into the most dire of circumstances . Just looking at the erect turrets gave them chills .
Ye Liusu stood forward silently, while Ye Liubo followed behind her with a smile . “Me too . ”
Ye Liusu and Ye Liubo used Night Roaming at the same time, leaping into the path of darkness .
The master of the Vermillion Clothes sect paced around in his room alone, carefully considering everything that had happened recently .
He recalled the resentful gaze of his disciple who had been taken away and used as a bargaining chip by Fu Qingjin . He could not help but sigh slightly . However, he did not feel like he did anything wrong . Preying on the weak had always been the law of this world . It would be your fortune that your sect was willing to protect you . Now that the sect refused to protect you, that would be your fate . There was nothing to resent .
Compared to that, he found more pity in being unable to engage in the trade underground anymore . He began to ponder . From Fu Qingjin’s recent movements, he could clearly tell he was making a move . Compared to engaging in trade with those strange otherfolk, cutting them down with his blade and plundering their belongings befitted the philosophy of the Vermillion Clothes sect more .
The moonlight cast a shadow against the wall . The master of the Vermillion Clothes sect suddenly looked back, only to see Ye Liusu gripping a curved dagger and standing silently in the moonlight . “W- why have you come here?”
What answered him was a streak of resplendent, silver light .
The master of the Vermillion Clothes sect bellowed out . The blood-red blade on his waist moved like a dragon, dyeing the entire room blood-red in an unstoppable manner . Suddenly, a yellow satin wrapped around his head, and his vision darkened . He heard a strange screech, and his back began to ache . A dark dagger had stabbed into his back . The blood-red blade lashed out backwards, but Ye Liubo retreated gracefully .
The dagger in Ye Liusu’s hand followed a mysterious trajectory, sweeping towards his throat in an untraceable manner .
The master of the Vermillion Clothes sect was overcome by both surprise and anger . He shone with red light as he deflected the two daggers . He stood like a deity in vermillion clothes, grasping a long blade as he stared at Ye Liusu murderously .
“How did you enter here?”The formation was still operating, and there were no signs that it had been tampered with . Otherwise, he definitely would have sensed it . Everything that occurred tonight was strange . He had to seek help from the Daemon Suppression alliance immediately . Suddenly, he felt a wave of numbness spread out from his back—the dagger was poisoned, laced with terrifyingly potent poison .
Over the past few millennia, the night roamers had directed all of their efforts into alchemy and apothecary, which still bore some results . Even Foundation Establishment cultivators could not ignore their poison . In the blink of an eye, the master of the Vermillion Clothes sect turned green .
Ye Liusu and Ye Liubo revolved around the master of the Vermillion Clothes sect; it was as if they were performing a graceful dance . They turned into two black fairies, merging into the night silently . All that remained was a bright yellow satin drifting about, running through the moonlight .
The master of the Vermillion Clothes sect’s eyes narrowed . All he felt was death approaching him . The disciples of the Vermillion Clothes sect who heard the disturbance gathered over from all directions, but it brought him no comfort at all . It only made him feel even colder .
Attack with the turrets? Send a distress signal to the Daemon Suppression alliance? His mind moved rapidly . The bright yellow satin suddenly expanded to ten times its size and loomed over him .
“Shatter!” The blood-red blade in the master of the Vermillion Clothes sect’s hand expanded . With a single move, he unleashed bloody attacks in all directions, such that his blade aura swept about like a storm . The moment the disciples arrived outside, they saw the streaks of blood-red light tear the room and courtyard to pieces . A faster disciple had even been sucked into the blade aura, cut to pieces immediately . He was reduced to a pile of flesh, which alarmed the other disciples into backing away hurriedly .
The bright red satin pulsed, pliable, tough, and undamaged . However, it was unable to fall down, hovering in the air like a yellow cloud and shrouding the moon .
The daggers flashed, like the crescent moon, like a falling star . The light they gave off criss-crossed before vanishing in the blink of an eye .
Time dripped away . All there was was a rumble of collapsing structures, and an uproar erupted in the valley .
“Prepare to go on the offence to assist them,” Li Qingshan ordered sternly . Although his chances of victory were extremely large, he still had to consider the worst outcome . They were his most important and most trusted subordinates among the night roamers . He could not allow anything to happen to them .
Ye Mingzhu said, “It’s just the master of the Vermillion Clothes sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator . They definitely won’t disappoint you, sir Northmoon . ”