Chapter 5: Rush Void Sword Formation
Qingfeng Cliff and Fufeng Ridge are both Low Grade Spiritual Veins, with a smaller overall area. There are about ten acres of flat ground near the cliff.
A three-section courtyard was built, five acres of Spiritual Fields were leveled, a deep Spiritual Pond was dug, and several ancient trees, each thick enough for a person to embrace, stood tall. Overall, it looked much more exquisite than Fufeng Ridge.
A Family of three and a bachelor like Bai Jiu'an indeed had vastly different daily lives. Bai Ying's three-section courtyard alone had four bedrooms, and there was also a row of reverse-facing rooms prepared for future Mortal servants.
Upon entering, there was a long covered walkway. A shallow pond was dug in the inner courtyard, covered with lotus leaves, and a few silver fish could vaguely be seen swimming in the pond.
"This is called Bitter Heart Lotus. Every summer, it produces bitter lotus seeds. I heard it's an auxiliary Material for refining a type of Medicinal Pill that clears the mind and dispels internal heat. My mother picks and dries them, and she can sell them for over ten Spirit Stones at a time."
"And the Silver Dragon Fish in the pond, like the fish in the Spiritual Pond outside, are fish fry my dad brought back from the market. When they grow to two feet long, each one is worth three Spirit Stones. I've eaten them once, and they taste really good, and after eating them, my whole body feels warm."
Among those who moved to Qingfeng Cliff, Bai Pangzi was the happiest. He ran in and out, introducing his home.
Clearly, Bai Ying's Family had far more ways to earn wealth than his Uncle Bai Jiu'an.
After dinner, Bai Zichen returned to his residence in the west wing. Lying on the bed, he quietly recalled the events of the past two days. He suddenly sat up, opened his waist pouch, and poured out everything inside.
Two Spirit Stones, a stack of blank Talisman paper, and the remaining fifteen Low Grade Talismans Bai Jiu'an had given him.
The Vajra Talisman was earthy yellow. Once activated, it could make the user invulnerable to blades and spears, and increase the strength of their arms by several hundred catties. Five of them were worth ten Spirit Stones.
The Fireball Talisman was bright red all over. Holding it for a long time would cause a scorching, stinging sensation. Once cast, it could summon a Fireball capable of melting metal and iron. Five of them were worth twelve Spirit Stones.
The Shen Xing (Divine Travel) Talisman was light green. After casting it, one would become as light as a swallow, their steps as swift as flight. Five of them were worth eight Spirit Stones.
These Talismans were Bai Zichen's complete reliance when he encountered danger. His small hand gently stroked each Talisman, arranging them in order, then putting them back into the brocade pouch and re-hanging it on his waist. After thinking for a moment, he pulled out several more and carefully tucked them into his chest.
When he moved to Qingfeng Cliff, he brought several scrolls with him. He picked up one of them, "A Guide to Talisman Pairing for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators," and began to study it intently, even forgetting about the Yi Wood Azure God Art.
"The Shen Xing (Divine Travel) Talisman paired with the Vajra Talisman, plus cultivating a few Mortal martial arts, will have unexpected miraculous effects in the Early Stage of Qi Refinement, similar to a Body Cultivator…"
"The Frost Talisman has limited lethality, but if three or more are stacked and hit, they can have a binding effect, immobilizing Cultivators below the Late Stage of Qi Refinement for ten breaths…"
"The Lightning Strike Talisman, combined with stormy weather, has a certain probability of attracting heavenly lightning, with power comparable to a second-tier Talisman, but the casting distance must be maintained, otherwise both enemy and self will perish…"
Bai Zichen unknowingly read for over an hour. The author of this "Guide to Talisman Pairing for Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators" might not have had a high Cultivation, but his understanding and use of low-tier Talismans were definitely at a Great Master level.
In the following days, after finishing his Cultivation each day, Bai Zichen would wander around Qingfeng Cliff with Bai Pangzi, mainly to prevent him from running around aimlessly. The two would either catch pheasants in the bamboo forest or fish for green fish in the water, finding some childhood joy in their play.
...
"Rush Void Sword Formation! Fortunately, after several hundred years, the Sword Qi has been worn down, and its power is less than 30% of what it once was!"
Several streaks of Sword Qi swept across, leveling two distant mountain peaks. Several unlucky Cultivators happened to be in the path of the Sword Qi and were, without suspense, cut into several pieces, their blood spilling everywhere.
The thin Daoist gasped, secretly congratulating himself. Even a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator would be in grave danger if they faced this Sword Qi head-on.
"It seems that the decision to only drive away Loose Cultivators and leave the Family Cultivators was correct. Otherwise, it would take who knows how much effort and how many Sect Disciples would be lost to wear down the Rush Void Sword Formation."
"Give the order: Ten Families are to be dispatched to guard the four sides and drive away idle people. The remaining Families are to be formed into five teams and take turns using Spells to attack the Formation Eyes of the Rush Void Sword Formation. I want to enter the third level of the Five Peaks Temple within a week!"
"Yes!"
A line of Qingfeng Sect Cultivators stood behind the thin Daoist, respectfully assenting. The three leaders wore dark purple Daoist robes with two crossed small swords embroidered on their chests, clearly the symbol of a Qingfeng Sect Elder.
At their feet was a plaque made of hundred-year-old golden-thread ebony, with three gilded characters "Five Peaks Temple" on it. It had originally hung in an Immortal Cave at the foot of the mountain for hundreds of years, but was now plucked down and lay in the mud.
The two Loose Cultivators who discovered the Five Peaks Temple were herb gatherers who had lived in the Black Mountain Mountain Range for many years. While digging for a wild ginseng, they unknowingly triggered a mechanism, causing a landslide that directly exposed the first level of the Immortal Cave.
The Restrictions and Formations on the first level had all lost their effectiveness over time, allowing the two Loose Cultivators to successfully infiltrate the Immortal Cave. Every now and then, they would sneak out a few treasures and sell them everywhere.
After a while, they were noticed by someone with ulterior motives. Not long after leaving the market, they were intercepted by a group of rogue Cultivators. Under soul-searching and torture, they had no secrets to keep and spilled everything. This group of rogue Cultivators had gathered for wealth, and upon receiving such a huge piece of news, they couldn't keep it a secret. It quickly spread to the Qingfeng Sect and various Cultivation Families.
Hundreds of Cultivators flocked to the site, like ants moving house, scavenging every valuable item.
The first level of the Five Peaks Temple contained a large amount of basic Artifact Refining Materials, such as iron essence, gold essence, and meteorite mother, all weighing over a thousand catties. It was truly unknown what the Five Peaks True Person had collected so many basic Materials for back then.
Such Materials, only capable of refining ordinary Magical Artifacts, should have been useless to him.
The second level of the Five Peaks Temple was blocked by a Five Elements Restriction. Several Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators jointly broke it open, revealing the true appearance of the second level of the Immortal Cave: more than ten Quiet Rooms used for secluded Cultivation.
It was on this level that many Cultivators engaged in fierce battles. The paths leading to each Quiet Room were covered with corpses, until the Qingfeng Sect arrived and, with a thunderous display of power, suppressed everyone, establishing basic order.
But after the Quiet Rooms were opened, the items displayed inside greatly disappointed everyone: a meditation cushion and a warm jade bed. There was nothing else.
The meditation cushion had the effect of clearing the mind and calming the body, barely qualifying as a Medium Grade Magical Artifact. As for the warm jade bed, its only noteworthy feature was its size; it could be cut into hundreds of warm jade pendants, which could ward off evil and dispel demons.
These few items were completely unworthy of the Five Peaks True Person Chen Taige's great reputation. It was clear that the truly good things were on the third level of the Immortal Cave.
"Clan Chief, this Qingfeng Sect is using us as cannon fodder. They're unwilling to let their own Disciples charge into battle, so they make us go first. The power of this Sword Formation is not something ordinary Magical Artifacts can withstand."
Hong Gu's face was pale, the joy she felt earlier upon hearing of the Qingfeng Sect's willingness to cooperate had long vanished. She watched with her own eyes as an Elder of the Huang family sacrificed a bronze bell Magical Artifact by his side, yet was still split in two, man and bell, by a single streak of Sword Qi.
"You all lead the Clan members and follow closely behind me. All of you, stay extremely vigilant. If the situation goes south, withdraw from the Five Peaks Temple."
Bai Xianzong's expression was solemn, with five golden rings rotating before him. "Even if we offend the Qingfeng Sect, we must preserve our lives. If we are all wiped out here, the Bai Family's foundation will be seized by others!"
A Foundation Establishment Stage Clan Chief, two Elders, and twelve elite Clan members—if such a lineup were to be completely annihilated in the Five Peaks Temple, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Bai Family.
They would lose both their present and their future.