Zhang Xiaofan Gets Married

The Corpse Demon Sect intended to construct a fortress upon this very mountain.

Their plan required flattening the entire summit to erect a stronghold spanning a hundred acres, with walls rising a hundred meters high. The ramparts were to be reinforced with molten iron and bronze, then inscribed with restrictive formation lines.

According to the mandates issued by the Corpse Demon Sect's higher-ups, this fortress had to be completed within ten days.

Song Wen and his three companions were assigned to the same squad, tasked with quarrying ten-foot stone blocks at the foot of the mountain to build the walls.

"It has been six years since we entered the sect, and I have never seen Senior Brother Zhang Xiaofan again. How has he been lately?" Song Wen asked casually, wielding a massive cleaver to slice through the solid rock.

Wang Dang snorted coldly, his tone dripping with resentment.

"He is a dignified personal disciple now, the son-in-law of a Golden Core ancestor. He hitched his cart to a dragon, so naturally, he is living exceptionally well."

Song Wen cast a peculiar glance at Wang Dang.

He found it somewhat strange. When the four of them had first joined the sect as novices, they shared a close bond. Why had relations soured so drastically?

Seeing Song Wen's confusion, Li Yuan explained the matter.

"Seven months ago, Zhang Xiaofan became Dao companions with the daughter of his master, Ancestor Lu Cang. Since then, he has distanced himself from us."

"Five months ago, he even reclaimed his spirit fields. We have had no contact with him since."

Unlike Wang Dang, Li Yuan spoke without bitter resentment, keeping his tone relatively calm.

Song Wen turned his gaze toward Chen Yi, who stood nearby with a downcast expression.

No wonder I haven't seen her selling spirit grass in the market district these past few months, he thought to himself.

In all likelihood, Zhang Xiaofan's marriage was the source of her recent melancholy.

Song Wen was well aware that the methods Zhang Xiaofan had used to claim Chen Yi back then were far from honorable.

Given his status as a personal disciple, Chen Yi had either been coerced, had sought a backer within the perilous Corpse Demon Sect, or perhaps both. Ultimately, she had submitted to him.

Yet, while Chen Yi had been looking for a backer, Zhang Xiaofan had been seeking a grander patron. In the end, he had successfully courted his master's daughter, elevating his master to a father-in-law and securing his position.

Naturally, Chen Yi was discarded after he had his fill.

Recognizing that this was a sensitive topic that made Chen Yi uncomfortable and touched upon the private affairs of a Golden Core ancestor, Song Wen swiftly steered the conversation elsewhere.

......

With over a thousand cultivators participating in the construction, progress moved at an incredible pace. Here, various weapons were relegated to building tools.

Trees as thick as a man's torso were severed with a single stroke of a sword.

Ten-foot stone blocks were hacked out with a few strokes of an axe.

Furthermore, the cultivators possessed immense physical strength; they carried massive logs and giant boulders with ease, utilizing storage bags to transport materials.

In a mere three days, the fortress began to take shape.

Next came the pouring of the molten iron and bronze. Square blocks of iron and bricks of copper were melted down by the scorching heat of Fireball Techniques, their liquid forms directed to coat the walls.

This process took only two days to complete.

What followed was the most intricate task: the inscription of the formation lines. This duty was handled by specialists, sparing the outer sect and menial disciples from the labor.

However, Dan Ying did not dismiss the disciples forced into service. Everyone was ordered to remain, clearly intended to serve as a garrison for the stronghold.

The construction of the fortress proceeded smoothly until the deep hours of the eighth night.

At this time, dozens of inner sect disciples were still working upon the outer walls, carefully engraving the formation lines. According to the schedule, the task would be finished by dawn.

Once complete, the sect's formation masters would activate the arrays, enveloping the entire fortress in a defensive formation that would render it as solid as iron.

Right at that moment, an abrupt crisis shattered the peace.

Thirty li away, a streak of white light erupted into the sky, exceptionally piercing against the shroud of the pitch-black night.

High up in the heavens, the white light gradually coalesced into a massive, hundred-meter-tall skeleton.

This was the unique emergency signal of the Corpse Demon Sect, denoting the invasion of a powerful foe.

Standing atop the high wall to supervise the inner sect disciples, Dan Ying saw the giant skeleton in the sky, and her expression shifted drastically. On the very first day, she had dispatched dozens of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators as scouts to patrol a hundred-li radius ahead.

A distance of thirty li could be crossed in mere moments by cultivators, especially those at the Foundation Establishment realm or higher.

For the enemy to stealthily approach so close before being detected by the scouts meant the invaders possessed terrifying strength.

"Enemy attack! Everyone, scale the walls and prepare to defend!" Dan Ying bellowed, circulating her spiritual power to make her voice resonate like a great bronze bell.

The formation lines were incomplete, meaning the fortress was currently nothing more than an empty shell. To cultivators, a wall without the protection of an array was merely superficial, no matter how tall or sturdy it was built.

Dan Ying knew this, and every disciple within the fortress knew it as well.

Consequently, Dan Ying's hope of rallying the crowd to resist the enemy fell through. Upon seeing the warning skeleton and hearing her command, many early-stage Qi Refining menial disciples chose not to ascend the walls. Instead, they began retreating, fleeing before the battle had even begun.

Watching the panicked, cowardly flight of the rabble, a murderous rage flared in Dan Ying's eyes.

These menial disciples possessed pathetic cultivation, yet they had fully mastered the demonic path's trait of fearing death and clinging to life. They were utterly useless.

Two fireballs the size of millstones manifested in her hands.

"Those who flee from battle shall die!"

The fireballs plummeted like meteors from the sky, carrying a blistering heat and emitting ear-piercing shrieks as they smashed directly into the fleeing crowd.

Boom! Boom!

Two violent explosions thundered, sending rolling shockwaves blasting in all directions.

Over twenty menial disciples were instantly blown to pieces, while dozens more were hurled through the air by the concussive force.

Dan Ying's ruthless decisiveness struck terror into the remaining escapees. They halted in their tracks, trembling with fear.

Just as Dan Ying was about to reiterate her order for everyone to mount the walls, a figure abruptly materialized before her.

"Junior Dan, why trouble yourself with anger? They are merely labor reared by the sect. Do you truly expect a horde of menial disciples to hold this fortress?"

Startled by the sudden apparition, Dan Ying focused her gaze. Upon recognizing the individual, she bowed deeply in salutation.

"Greetings, Ancestor Wu Ren."

Wu Ren nodded slightly, his eyes scanning back and forth across the dense, dark forest in the distance.

After a brief silence, Wu Ren commanded, "Take the outer sect disciples and withdraw. As for those menial disciples, leave them to their fate. The fortress is incomplete; this location no longer holds any value."

Dan Ying opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment before yielding with a single word.

"Yes!"

Turning back to the gathered crowd, she called out, "All outer sect disciples, follow this Elder!"

Without offering any further explanation, she stepped onto her flying sword and shot toward the direction of the sect.

Realizing that a retreat had been ordered, the numerous outer sect disciples quickly invoked their flight techniques and followed closely behind her.

This left the menial disciples in a desperate plight. The vast majority were only at the early stages of Qi Refining and had never learned flight techniques. Aside from a wealthy few who possessed flight talismans and managed to soar after Dan Ying, the bulk of the menial disciples could only flee on foot.

Watching the scattered rabble running in chaos like loose sand, a bloodthirsty smile curled upon Wu Ren's lips.

The sect had nurtured far too many useless mouthpieces; it was finally time to harvest a wave.

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