Chapter 218: Chapter 152: Slaughtering Foundation Establishment Cultivators Like Dogs

"Elder, he’s confessed everything. There should be three more Demon Cultivators near Qiuping County."

"Very good. Send this report to Wangyan Mountain. Tell them to redouble their search efforts and ensure every last one of these infiltrated Demon Cultivators is captured."

Lingyuan Sect Grand Elder Yao Dehai added, "Also, send word to the nearby strongholds. They must bolster their defenses."

Even though they had followed one lead to find another, Yao Dehai couldn’t feel the least bit happy.

The Divine Fire Sect had clearly mastered some unorthodox method for rapidly producing Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

A Golden Core True Man was already personally investigating the cause.

But they hadn’t even found the cause yet, let alone a way to stop it.

The front lines, protected by Arrays, were relatively secure.

The critical issue was that since the war began, a vast number of Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators had infiltrated behind the lines to wreak havoc.

The manpower Yao Dehai had at his disposal was becoming increasingly stretched thin.

As for the cultivators on the front lines, it was already a blessing that they managed to let only a few Demon Cultivators slip through.

It was almost impossible to rely on them to hunt down the Demon Cultivators who had already gotten past.

’I hope a few more Demon-slaying Guards like Ye Fei show up among the new cultivators from Li State.’

Yao Dehai scanned the map for the roster of cultivators stationed near Qiuping County and couldn’t help but shake his head.

Within a hundred li of Qiuping County, the only late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator was Xiao Chen—at the seventh level—stationed at the Qingyang Spirit Ore mine. There were no others.

The name rang a bell. He was an Alchemist the Chen Family of the Li Huo Sect had asked him to look after.

As everyone knew, Alchemists weren’t skilled in Magical Combat.

’So no matter how you look at it, I can’t count on anyone there.’

「Qingyang Spirit Ore Mine.」

"No, no, no, Xiao, you think far too highly of me. I don’t have what it takes to guard a Spirit Ore mine."

Chang Shunping waved his hands dismissively. "Besides, I still need to look after my family in Qingyang County. It wouldn’t be convenient for me to come here."

Xiao Chen felt a pang of disappointment.

He had been hoping to wander the area to see if he could stumble upon any Demon Cultivators.

But doing so would be tantamount to deserting his post.

And since Chang Shunping had made it clear he wasn’t willing to watch over the Spirit Ore mine, Xiao Chen couldn’t very well force him.

"Xiao, if you’re bored all by yourself, I can send a few Kun Cultivators over to keep you company... and help you have a little fun."

"We have a branch of the Yixiang Courtyard here in Qingyang," Chang Shunping suggested with a smile. "I just don’t know what your preferences are. Do you like them buxom, or..."

Xiao Chen held up a hand, cutting him off. "That won’t be necessary. I need to maintain my Pure Yang Body."

There had always been a rumor in the cultivation world that a Pure Yang Body was beneficial for one’s training.

He didn’t know if it was true or not, but when it came to things like this, he’d always chosen to err on the side of caution.

Chang Shunping immediately began to flatter him. "Ah, so that’s why! No wonder you’ve reached late-stage Foundation Establishment at such a young age, Xiao. I am truly humbled."

The two chatted idly for a bit longer before parting ways as usual.

On the way back, Chang Shunping felt a little regretful. He was a major patron of the Yixiang Courtyard, the kind who could even have girls transferred over from other branches.

Thinking of the Yixiang Courtyard, he realized it had been a while since his last visit.

Just as Chang Shunping was wondering whether he should stop by on his way back, disaster struck.

A sudden WHOOSH was followed by a sharp whistling sound.

Immediately, three streaks of blood-red light shot toward him from different directions.

’Not good! It’s the legendary Soul-Chasing Shuttle!’

Chang Shunping reacted instantly. He was being ambushed by Demon Cultivators! He immediately pulled a Cloud Crystal Talisman from his robes and activated it.

At the same time, he slapped his Storage Bag and summoned three Spirit Shields, which he quickly deployed to circle around him.

Only after doing all this, while simultaneously forming the hand seals for a Body Protection Technique, did he have a moment to scan his surroundings.

BANG! BANG!

First came two loud bangs as two of the Flying Shuttles were successfully blocked by the barrier from the Cloud Crystal Talisman.

DONG!

However, the third streak of blood-red light, a fraction of a second behind the others, shattered the barrier and slammed into Chang Shunping’s abdomen.

It turned out Peng Dawei had come prepared. He wasn’t using a Soul-Chasing Shuttle, but an inch-long Flying Saber.

PING!

The Flying Saber struck, sending sparks flying.

Peng Dawei looked closer and saw that his target was wearing a suit of Upper-Grade, Magical Artifact-level Golden Silk Armor underneath his robes.

When it came to self-preservation, Chang Shunping had done everything he possibly could.

FWOOSH... BANG!

A loud Command Arrow shot into the sky, transforming into a glowing beacon that hung in the air without dissipating.

"I’ve fired a Signal Arrow! My allies will be here any second."

Chang Shunping threatened, "I suggest you be smart and leave now. Delay even for a moment, and you’ll find yourselves completely surrounded with no hope of escape!"

"Hmph. Who do you think you’re scaring?"

Peng Dawei sneered, "Did you think I wouldn’t know? There are no other Foundation Establishment Cultivators anywhere near Qingyang."

He even returned the threat. "Surrender now, and we’ll just ’borrow’ some of your Essence Blood. But if you insist on resisting, we’ll slaughter every last member of your Chang Family, down to the chickens and dogs!"

As he spoke, the three deployed their Magical Artifacts, cutting off all of Chang Shunping’s escape routes.

At the same time, they unleashed a barrage of various Magic, bombarding him relentlessly.

Even though Chang Shunping had three Spirit Shields protecting him, the bombardment left him dizzy and disoriented, and his heart sank.

’I’ve been living in fear for over a year, and I still couldn’t escape this day.’

’If I’d known it would come to this, I would have made fewer trips to the Yixiang Courtyard and spent more time practicing my Magic.’

As he watched one of his opponents summon a Blood Saber, Chang Shunping was overcome with despair.