152: Chapter 152 A Brief Peace!

...

Inside Yinfeng Valley, the pungent smell of blood had not yet dissipated, and thousands of giant rats shuttled and dug at the bottom of the rift valley.

The rat swarm continued to dig, dragging out chunks of Ore imbued with Yin Qi.

These were all ready-made resources.

Whether used for refining artifacts or buried in a single location to shape a spiritual land, these Yin Qi-imbued Ores were excellent items.

Watching the rat swarm busy themselves, Shi Jian lay on a flat boulder, yawning and appearing somewhat bored.

He chewed on a hundred-year-old Blood Lingzhi as its rich blood energy dissolved in his stomach, nourishing the Meridians damaged in the previous battle; living like this day by day was quite relaxed and content.

"Old Ancestor, Old Ancestor, this piece of Nether Cold Iron is of excellent quality and weighs a thousand catties. It can be used to refine many good items. Do you like it?"

"If you like it, I'll have the Zhao Family's Artifact Refiners craft a decorative piece for you; it would be perfect for decorating your Immortal Cave!"

Elder Rat held up a piece of black metal emitting white vapor, approaching with a treasure-offering manner that was truly sycophantic.

Using a piece of priceless cold iron just to win a smile from the Old Ancestor.

Unknowingly, Shi Jian had also become a revered existence above ten thousand people, where such precious cold iron could only serve as a decorative ornament.

"Alright, enough flattery."

"Categorize and pack everything properly. Don't just stuff any old junk into the storage pouches; pick the valuable items and take everything that can be moved."

Shi Jian spat out the remains of the Lingzhi; he was tired of hearing such sycophancy.

This was already their third month stationed in Heisha County.

Over the past three months, the situation on the Wei State's southwest defense line had undergone earth-shattering changes, shifting from passive defense to a full-scale invasion; the offensive and defensive positions had reversed.

One could only say that everything had happened too quickly.

The games played between the higher-ups were often like this, changing in the blink of an eye and truly impossible to fathom.

A streak of light flickered, and in the blink of an eye, Daoist Yun Du arrived in a single step.

His pure white Daoist robe rustled in the wind, giving him quite the air of an immortal.

He held a Jade Slip in his hand, his brow furrowed deeply; it was clearly the latest battle report...

"Fellow Daoist Shi, the latest battle report from the main camp."

Daoist Yun Du tossed the Jade Slip over.

Shi Jian extended his Divine Sense, and a massive flow of information surged into his mind.

The contents of the battle report were truly shocking.

The war machine of the Shangqing Sect was already running at full speed, revealing the despair-inducing foundation of a thousand-year-old Sect.

In just three months, the lands of the Jin State's three provinces and eighteen counties had completely changed hands.

The first to bear the brunt was the Yin Corpse Sect of Xuan Province.

As the vanguard that had provoked this war, the Yin Corpse Sect faced a reckoning; nine Nascent Soul experts of the Shangqing Sect gathered in the skies above Xuan Province, sealing off the spatial energy for ten thousand miles around.

Heavenly Corpse Old Demon and Old Monster Yinggu, these two Demonic Path giants who had dominated the Jin State for centuries, didn't even have a chance to escape.

The nine Nascent Souls joined forces to lay an inescapable net, physically sinking the Yin Corpse Sect's mountain gate, sending the Sect forever into the abyss...

The physical bodies of the two Nascent Soul ancestors were destroyed, and their Nascent Souls were imprisoned by the Shangqing Sect's secret techniques, locked within Sky Lanterns, never to be reborn.

They were even stripped of the right to Reincarnation.

The Yin Corpse Sect, with its thousands of years of Legacy, was thus erased from the map of the Xuanling Continent.

...

"Objectively speaking, the Yin Corpse Sect's demise was well-deserved."

Shi Jian withdrew his Divine Sense, his claws carelessly tapping against the rock surface.

"Of all people to provoke, they chose to poke a napping tiger. After enduring for so many years, the Shangqing Sect needed someone to make an example of."

"They're dead, and that's that; it's only natural."

"The deaths of Demonic Lords Heavenly Corpse and Yinggu were not undeserved either."

A green streak of light flew in, and with a flash, Immortal Master Mountain Clearing stood to the side, sighing:

"Both Fellow Daoists are here; it seems you've heard the latest news."

"With the Yin Corpse Sect destroyed, the Wandu Sect and Hehuan Valley have become like birds startled by a bowstring. To think a Sect with nearly ten thousand years of Legacy could collapse in a single day—it truly is the will of heaven."

Immortal Master Mountain Clearing stroked his beard, his tone carrying a hint of lamentation.

This wasn't sympathy, but rather seeing their own future in the other party; perhaps in the near future, they would also perish because of this.

No one knew whether an accident or tomorrow would come first.

After his lament, Immortal Master Mountain Clearing continued:

"Besides the destruction of the Yin Corpse Sect, I heard that Demonic Lord Jiutou and Demonic Lord Bichun of the Wandu Sect decisively abandoned their Sect's base, which they had managed for thousands of years, upon seeing the Yin Corpse Sect's downfall."

"Currently, the Wandu Sect has fled overnight with their Core Disciples and resources, merging into the Blood Bone Demon Sect..."

"As for Hehuan Valley, they've staged quite a drama of internal strife."

"Of the three Demonic Lords of Hehuan Valley, Demon Lord Hongfen was actually a spy planted in the Demonic Path by the Shangqing Sect."

"According to the latest intelligence and the information announced by the Shangqing Sect, Demon Lord Hongfen's true identity is likely a direct descendant of the early Shangqing Sect. Due to her special Physique, she joined Hehuan Valley and became a hidden nail."

"Now, on the battlefield, she has openly rebelled."

"After slaying Demonic Lord Luxia, she led half of the Hehuan Valley Disciples to defect."

"The last Demonic Lord of Hehuan Valley, Old Demon Hehuan, took the other half of the Disciples and, following the Wandu Sect's example, fled into the Blood Bone Demon Sect's territory."

"Now the Jin State is in complete chaos."

Hearing this, Daoist Yun Du couldn't stop sighing and shook his head.

"Three-fifths of the territory has fallen. Now only the Blood Bone Demon Sect and the Tiansha Sect are still holding on, but it's estimated they won't last much longer."

"Adding Blood Bone and Tiansha together, plus the remnants of the Wandu Sect and Hehuan Valley, they have eight Nascent Souls at most."

"On the Shangqing Sect's side, they have nine of their own plus Demon Lord Hongfen who defected. Ten against eight—the advantage is on our side."

"I really can't imagine how the Jin State could possibly turn the tables."

However, it is worth noting.

The Shangqing Sect does not intend to wipe out the Jin State in one fell swoop.

Ten Nascent Souls are surrounding without attacking, keeping the remnants of the Blood Bone Demon Sect and Tiansha Sect pinned in the heart of the Jin State, creating a strange stalemate.

"What are they waiting for?" Immortal Master Mountain Clearing was somewhat puzzled.

Shi Jian let out a couple of cold laughs.

The twists and turns of human Cultivators were something he, as a bear, saw quite clearly.

"Eating too much can easily burst one's stomach."

"With the vast land of three provinces and eighteen counties, countless spirit mines, herb gardens, and Mortal cities, those Golden Core forces and Foundation Establishment families under the Shangqing Sect have no heart for fighting right now."

"They are all busy seizing territory and carving up resources."

"Currently, the Nascent Souls are in a stalemate, but the middle and lower-level Cultivators have already dispersed and cannot form a large-scale encirclement."

"Moreover, if pushed too hard, the Demonic Path will inevitably act out of desperation."

"Although the Shangqing Sect has the advantage, it isn't a one-sided crushing blow. If a decisive battle were truly to break out, casualties would surely be heavy."

"Even a few Nascent Souls might fall because of it."

"By then, even if the Shangqing Sect annexes the entire Jin State, its own strength would definitely be damaged, making it impossible to hold all the territory."

"Therefore, surrounding without attacking is the best strategy!"

After Shi Jian finished speaking, both Daoist Yun Du and Mountain Clearing nodded slightly.

This point was indeed true.

Whether it was for middle and lower-level forces like them seeking opportunities for development, or the games played between the Nascent Soul Sects.

Neither supported the Shangqing Sect fighting a war of national annihilation.

Dragging it out and wearing them down slowly better suited the interests of most parties. For White Cloud Temple, it was the same; they indeed needed time to digest and absorb their gains.

...