They all took off with the wind as Fei Luoya said, "Zhu Xian, my subordinate at the early stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, is keeping watch on Fu Daimu.
"With three in the early stage, two in the middle stage, and Yuan Chengdun's particular strength along with this formation, we won't fail!" Li Yuanjiao assured.
However, in his mind, he thought to himself, Even if this person were to change sides and ally with Fu Daimu against me, with Yuan Chengdun and the formation at my disposal, I would be well-positioned enough to advance or retreat without any issues.
————
Mount Wu was where Duanmu Kui used to cultivate. He was a peak Purple Mansion Realm cultivator who had an immortal book in his possession, and his strength put him among the greatest Purple Mansion Realm cultivators in Jiangnan. Any Mount Yue cultivators who received pointers from him could become a formidable force.
Duanmu Kui never took these matters too seriously. He merely cultivated on Mount Wu where his disciples and descendants multiplied. He had been in seclusion there for over two hundred years, and there were twenty-nine Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators from Mount Yue under his command.
When Duanmu Kui died suddenly, he left nothing for his disciples and descendants. The Mount Yue cultivators scattered like birds and beasts. Fu Daimu, Fei Luoya, and other powerful figures divided the territory of Mount Yue. The strongest among them, Jiao Zhongzi, took over Mount Wu, while Fu Daimu established himself in Great Jueting.
Fei Luoya, who was still riding the wind, explained, "Fu Daimu and I have had many conflicts over Mount Wu... He dislikes me and is far stronger. I've been secluding myself in my territory these years, ready to escape at any moment. But in today's world... who knows what's happening outside? I figured I should eliminate him as soon as possible."
The group chose a landing spot. Fei Luoya's subordinate, Zhu Xian, also arrived on the wind. He looked like a pure Easterner with nice facial features, and he was holding a rattan whip in hand.
"Zhu Xian greets fellow Daoists," he greeted while cupping his fist respectfully.
Li Yuanjiao returned the greeting along with others and then proceeded to set up the formation plate.
Fei Luoya then said, "We still need to lure him here. Please come with me, Daoist Yuan. That guy is cautious, and if we're not equally strong, he'll be suspicious and won't dare to chase after me."
Yuan Chengdun nodded in agreement.
"You and I will engage him in combat for a while, and Zhe Ledai, in the early stage of Foundation Establishment Realm, will definitely act. We'll pretend not to know and lure the enemy into the trap..."
As he left, his conversation with Fei Luoya gradually faded.
Li Yuanjiao watched them depart, narrowing his eyes slightly. He discreetly activated the Profound Patterned Bottle and followed from a distance. When he saw bursts of shamanic spells and mana light flashing in Great Jueting as well as Fei Luoya's yell of feigned surprise and anger, he retreated.
Soon after, two mana lights pursued him. Fu Daimu, in the late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, appeared as a wrinkled old man with a strong build and a long halberd. Zhe Ledai looked strong too, cursing as he wielded his dual swords with pride.
As the four men entered the formation, a green light quickly enveloped them and their expressions changed suddenly. Fei Luoya laughed wildly, and Fu Daimu, looking around, sneered at Zhu Xian.
"Junior brother...? I fear you've made a grave mistake!"
Zhu Xian, holding his long whip, replied calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I came here today seeking additional resources for my cultivation."
Fu Daimu did not argue but instead glanced at Li Wushao and remarked, "You've even found a Hooked Serpent! Two at the early stage, two at the mid stage, and a major formation... It seems you're well prepared!"
Confident in his trump card, Fu Daimu entered the formation with no fear, laughing as he said, "Too bad, you've underestimated us!"
Zhe Ledai, wielding two swords, showed no change in his expression. He engaged Zhu Xian and Li Wushao directly, using his swords to block their oncoming attacks with steady precision.
Meanwhile, Fu Daimu fought against Yuan Chengdun and Fei Luoya. The clash was intense, filled with golden light and the scent of blood, and it was creating a huge commotion.
Li Yuanjiao, concealed by spirit mist, silently approached. Compared to the other three, Li Wushao's group seemed more mediocre. Despite being Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, they were more like three rogue cultivators that were still wielding Qi Cultivation Realm dharma artifacts.
Zhe Ledai and Zhu Xian seemed unfamiliar with powerful spells, relying instead on their immortal foundations to test each other's strength. Although Li Wushao used to be formidable, he had grown weaker after losing the hooks on his tail.
Gradually, Li Yuanjiao closed in on the three men. He unsheathed the Qingche Sword, its green-white light flashing brightly. Zhe Ledai's expression changed as he raised his sword to block instantly.
"Not good!"
The Qi Cultivation Realm dharma artifact in Zhe Ledai's hand proved inadequate against the Qingche Sword. Li Yuanjiao had been gathering power for a long time, and the sword arc of the Celestial Moon Slash technique blazed brightly, striking Zhe Ledai's swords with such a powerful impact that it shattered them with a loud crack, sending sword fragments flying everywhere in all directions.
As Zhe Ledai struggled to defend himself, Li Wushao's snake tail sliced through the air powerfully, and Zhu Xian attacked relentlessly. The combined assault forced Zhe Ledai to spit blood, and he struggled to fend off yet another deadly strike from the Qingche Sword.
At that moment, Zhe Ledai felt a chill at his neck, a sense of dread filling his body completely. With a horrified cry, he realized as he exclaimed out loud, "Oh no... It's Jing Dragon King !"
His blood qi surged as he activated his shamanic spells. His true essence glowed a bright red as he glanced back, just in time to see a massive bluish-gray serpent dragon hurtling straight toward him. He raised his sword in defense and shouted, "Senior Brother! Hurry up!"
As a newly promoted Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, Zhe Ledai's strength was formidable. He blocked Zhu Xian and Li Wushao with his two swords impressively. If Li Yuanjiao had to face him alone, it would definitely have been a challenging battle.
However, the ambush was sudden. Li Yuanjiao's attack was immediate and extremely powerful, catching Zhe Ledai off guard. However, he was not seriously injured.
Fu Daimu, noticing Zhe Ledai's struggle, knew that despite his best efforts, he could not force Yuan Chengdun's immortal foundation out of its position. With a frustrated sigh, Fu Daimu raised his sleeve, releasing a black and red artifact.
" Mountain of Human Heads !"
The dharma artifact expanded rapidly, its black and red surface covered with thousands of human heads. They stared, drooled, and howled. Their long black hair fluttered in the air, creating chilling gusts of wind.
Fei Luoya waved his hands and unleashed two streams of mana light, sneering as he said, "You went to the Jiang Family to seek cultivation methods, observed the Jade Smoke Mountain three times, and ended up making such a grotesque imitation of it?"
Despite his mockery, Fei Luoya remained vigilant, activating his Immortal Foundation Untraceable Presence, and vanished from plain sight.
The Mountain of Human Heads loomed menacingly, its filthy, eerie sounds filling the air.
Yuan Chengdun remained calm as the shadow of the enormous dharma artifact enveloped him. Holding his short rods tightly, golden patterns began to crawl up his face.
"Beast! Absurd! You dare use a demonic mountain to suppress me?"
With a burst of golden light, Yuan Chengdun activated his Sprawling Azure Mountain . He struck the massive mountain forcefully with his two rods, so fast that they turned into a golden blur.
RUMBLE!
The impact caused black smoke to billow from the Mountain of Human Heads. The human heads on it all screamed in unison, creating a loud cacophony. Yuan Chengdun continued with his relentless assault, his short rods smashing the dharma artifact with increasing speed, causing it to continue rumbling loudly.
Meanwhile, Fu Daimu, having just rescued Zhe Ledai, swept Li Yuanjiao and the others aside with a wave of his sleeve.
His face turned pale as he looked back, stunned.
" Sprawling Azure Mountain ?! You're Yuan Chengdun!" he exclaimed in shock.