Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

219: The oriole is behindShopkeeper Shui Sheng was relatively calmer. She analyzed carefully, her voice clear and rational:

”Fellow Daoist Gu Yue is absolutely right.

The Demonic Sect is powerful and has a distinct geographical advantage. That Soul Burying Mountain has been eroded by Devilish Qi for years, it must be a Dragon’s Pond and a Tiger’s Den, with danger at every step.

The most urgent tasks, I believe, are two.

First, to weaken their strength as much as possible on the periphery, clip their wings, deplete their living forces, and accumulate small victories into a great victory.

Second, and most importantly, we must find a way to discover the secret to counter their evil technique or interfere with the altar’s operation.

Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we fight a hundred battles without danger. If we blindly charge, the losses will inevitably be heavy, and it might even be futile, a pointless sacrifice.”

Her words resonated with everyone, who nodded in agreement.

Just as everyone was discussing countermeasures and the atmosphere was solemn, a disciple of the Ouyang Family, responsible for alert (guarding) at the high point of the valley, rushed over, his face filled with surprise, uncertainty, and nervousness.

He reported urgently:

”Reporting to all Elders! To the southeast, about two li away, there are extremely violent spiritual energy fluctuations, Evil Qi soaring to the sky, and the earth shaking.

It seems several Demonic Cultivators are fiercely fighting a... an extremely massive Bone Beast!”

Feng Xixi’s Divine Sense was the most powerful. Upon hearing this, it immediately spread out like mercury flowing across the ground towards that direction.

Moments later, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and she said in a deep voice, with a hint of predatory sharpness:

”Indeed! More than ten black-robed Demonic Cultivators have formed a rather sinister Formation, black Qi swirling, with faint ghost wails.

They are struggling to trap a... a White Bone Violent Ape whose entire skeleton glows with dark gold, with eerie blue soul flames burning in its eye sockets, and standing nearly five zhang tall!

That Violent Ape’s aura is incredibly fierce, its Evil Qi almost solidified, and it has actually surpassed the Peak of Ninth Level Qi Refining.

It possesses some Foundation Establishment power!

Every move it makes can stir the Yin Evil Qi of the earth veins, and each punch and kick has the power to split mountains and shatter rocks. Although those few Demonic Cultivators are also skilled practitioners at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

They are barely holding on with the Formation, but they are still being overwhelmed, constantly in danger, and one of them seems to have suffered a serious injury!”

”Good opportunity!”

A cold light flashed in Feng Xixi’s eyes. She made a decisive decision, her voice firm and resolute.

”This is truly a heaven-sent opportunity! Strike while they are weak! Capture these Demonic Cultivators, and we might be able to interrogate them about the altar’s specific details, the distribution of its guard forces, and the weaknesses of their Demonic Technique.

Everyone prepare. Follow my command. We must finish this quickly!”

The Alliance team immediately acted efficiently.

Under Feng Xixi’s command, everyone moved like experienced cheetahs, using the valley terrain and scattered rocks for cover. They split into several groups, silently encircling the battle site from the flanks and rear.

Those few Demonic Cultivators were fully engaged in dealing with the White Bone Violent Ape’s furious attacks, their minds and spirits exhausted, their spiritual energy greatly depleted, and the Formation’s operation had reached its limit.

How could they have imagined the oriole behind the mantis stalking the cicada?

Caught off guard, they were instantly surrounded by the Alliance experts, led by Feng Xixi, Captain Zhao Mang, Vice President Gu Yue, and Shopkeeper Shui Sheng, cutting off all their escape routes.

”Attack!”

Feng Xixi let out a clear shout, taking the lead! The ice soul cold light sword suddenly unsheathed, emitting a crisp sword cry, transforming into a bone-chilling blue flash, heading straight for the Demonic Cultivator Leader, who had the highest cultivation.

Wherever the sword light passed, the air seemed to freeze, leaving behind patches of ice crystals.

Captain Zhao Mang roared even louder, like a fierce tiger descending a mountain. He didn’t even use a weapon; his giant, fan-like palms glowed with a bronze metallic luster.

Carrying violent vital energy, he directly slapped another Demonic Cultivator! The palm wind howled, actually emitting a thunderous explosion.

Vice President Gu Yue flicked his fingers repeatedly, and several Spirit Fire Talismans, emitting a purifying aura, shot towards the nodes of the demonic Formation like meteors.

Shopkeeper Shui Sheng, with a flick of her sleeve, sent a clear, flowing water band, secretly containing endless binding power, to entangle the third Demonic Cultivator.

The Alliance experts attacked simultaneously, unleashing a thunderous force.

Sword Qi, palm winds, Talismans, and Spell spiritual lights intertwined into a net of death. In an instant, two weaker Demonic Cultivators were killed on the spot, their bodies torn apart by the fierce attacks.

The Demonic Cultivator Leader, at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, was also seized by Vice President Gu Yue, who spotted an opportunity and temporarily restrained him with a golden shimmering Imprisonment Talisman, capturing him alive.

And that dark gold White Bone Violent Ape, now freed from the Demonic Cultivators’ Formation, completely went berserk.

It seemed even more enraged by the ’newcomers’ who interrupted its battle. It roared silently towards the sky, a roar that shook one’s Divine Soul, and the eerie blue soul flames in its eye sockets flared up, like two burning ghost fires.

It shifted its target, abandoning the remaining Demonic Cultivators, and, carrying monstrous Evil Qi and a nauseating stench, it charged towards the more numerous Alliance team like a moving small mountain.

With every step it took, the ground cracked, its momentum terrifying.

”Good! Let your Grandpa Zhao have a go at you, you beast!”

Captain Zhao Mang, seeing this, was not startled but delighted. He was naturally fond of battle, growing stronger against stronger opponents! With a furious roar, his vital energy erupted like a roaring furnace.

His bronze skin instantly shone with a metallic luster, and his muscles bulged, making him appear to swell in size.

He neither dodged nor evaded, bending his legs slightly and firmly planting his stance. His iron palms glowed with dark golden light, directly meeting the Violent Ape’s heavy claw strike, which was powerful enough to flatten fine iron into fragments.

”Boom!”

A dull, thunderous roar, like a Nine Heavens lightning strike, suddenly exploded in the valley. Visible airwaves spread frantically in a ring, stirring up dust and shattered rocks everywhere.

Zhao Mang’s burly body shook violently, a flush rising to his face. He stumbled back three steps, each step leaving a deep imprint on the incredibly hard ground.

Cracks spread, but he ultimately gritted his teeth and forcefully withstood this incomparably ferocious blow.

Only his arms trembled slightly, clearly having endured unimaginable pressure.

”Good fellow! Your strength is truly immense!” Zhao Mang spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his eyes even more excited.

”Form a Formation! Target its joints and vital points with ranged attacks!” Feng Xixi calmly ordered. She knew there was no need to confront such a brute force monster head-on.

”Attack!”

She let out a clear shout, and the ice soul cold light sword once again bloomed with brilliant blue light. This time, the sword’s momentum was even more agile, like a dancing butterfly.

It specifically attacked the Violent Ape’s knees, elbows, and other joints. Wherever the Sword Qi passed, frost spread, attempting to slow its movements.

Vice President Gu Yue summoned a crimson Medicine Cauldron, from which scorching Danhuo (Pill Fire) spewed forth, burning the Violent Ape’s bones with

Shopkeeper Shui Sheng, meanwhile, directed the water band, which coiled around the Violent Ape’s feet like a nimble snake, attempting to trip it.

The other Cultivators also displayed their Divine Abilities. Flying Swords, Magic Treasures, Thunder Spells, Wind Blades... multicolored spiritual lights poured down like a torrential rain onto the dark gold skeleton, emitting dense crackling and clanging explosions, with sparks flying everywhere.