A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

ROAR! ROAR!

Amidst a series of low roars, countless crimson figures swarmed from the rubble of a ruined mortal city. They wielded massive, double-edged greatswords, with the severed heads of mortals—their eyes wide with terror—tied around their waists. They were launching a mass charge toward the cultivator defense line ahead.

A roar like a tsunami!

In the eyes of the Qian Nan Alliance cultivators, this was undoubtedly a terrifying sight.

The leader, Qian Nan Alliance Steward Fang Yueyun, felt his heart sink as he watched the tide of Blood-sucking Ghosts swarm toward them, even with his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation.

Just a short while ago, he had received orders to lead three hundred cultivators from the alliance to reinforce Cyan Square City and assist the local families in repelling the attacking Celestial Demons.

He had thought it would be an easy mission.

He never imagined that by the time he arrived at Cyan Square City with his men, this would be the only scene to greet them. As for the Cyan Square City cultivators who should have been holding the line, they were nowhere to be found.

Fang Yueyun didn’t need to think to know what had happened. The Family Cultivators in the city must have seen that the Celestial Demons were too powerful to resist after sending their distress call, so they had long since evacuated on their own.

With the Family Cultivators gone, the tens of thousands of mortals in the city were immediately doomed.

’Those damn family dogs deserve to be cut a thousand times!’ Fang Yueyun cursed inwardly.

He came from a mortal background and had always practiced as a Loose Cultivator because he couldn’t stand the Sects and the families. Later, after the Qian Nan Alliance was formed, he joined and became a Steward.

As for why he joined?

Besides the principles upheld by the Qian Nan Alliance, which made Fang Yueyun feel as if he had found kindred spirits...

...the real reason was probably that they just paid too well.

Just then, Fang Yueyun turned to look behind him and saw the three newly-promoted Centurions under his command. After ordering their cultivators into a defensive formation, they just stood there dumbfounded, apparently waiting for the horde of Blood-sucking Ghosts to charge right into them.

Seeing this, he was instantly infuriated.

”What are you standing around for?! Activate the Four-direction Array, now!”

They were currently in an open field with no cover.

Their opponents were no ordinary foe. They were Blood-sucking Ghosts—a horde of frenzied, bloodthirsty monsters that even Foundation Establishment Clans found troublesome. Each one possessed strength equivalent to the Early-stage Qi Refining. Among them were even High Tier Blood-sucking Ghosts, nearly ten feet tall and wielding scorched, serrated blades, whose power reached the Mid-stage Qi Refining.

Without an Array to hold them back, these ”newbies” would likely be devoured by the Celestial Demons in the first clash.

At Fang Yueyun’s urging, the cultivators activated the Four-direction Array they carried. Four Golden Terracotta Warriors served as the Array Foundation. They emitted ripples of golden light, and four pillars of light shot toward the sky, merging to form a golden barrier that shielded all the cultivators within.

Not long after the Array was activated, the Blood-sucking Ghosts charged.

They ignored the Magic Skills and Magical Artifacts unleashed by the cultivators. Their crimson eyes showed no fear of death; instead, they were filled with pride and fanaticism. Uttering guttural, unintelligible cries, they swung their door-sized greatswords and launched a ferocious assault.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sharp blades clashed violently with the barrier. Although they couldn’t penetrate it in the slightest, the attacks from the Blood-sucking Ghosts caused the Four-direction Array’s shield to fluctuate wildly. Spiritual Qi continuously collapsed and leaked out, and the condensed Spiritual Light dimmed at a visible rate.

If this situation continued…

Fang Yueyun knew it was only a matter of time before the group collapsed.

But the problem was, he couldn’t retreat!

The Qian Nan Alliance was great in every way, except for one thing: its punishments for cowardice and evasion of battle were extremely severe. Even someone with Foundation Establishment Cultivation would be sentenced to ten years of hard labor in the Bitter Mine. Of course, one could choose not to accept the punishment, but the consequence was becoming a Thief Cultivator. After that, you could forget about ever entering any territory governed by the Qian Nan Alliance again.

’Where are the reinforcements?!’

Fang Yueyun glanced at the sky and couldn’t help but pull out a Jade Scroll.

This was the order slip issued by the alliance when he set out. It clearly stated that a fleet of Sect Flying Ships would be passing by at noon.

At that time, all they had to do was fire a signal flare to get help from the Flying Ship fleet.

But it was almost noon, and where were the Flying Ships?

There wasn’t even a plank of wood in the sky!

’Those damn Sect dogs deserve to be cut a thousand times!’ Fang Yueyun couldn’t help but curse.

Seeing that the reinforcements were still not showing up, he could only focus on controlling his Magical Artifact, cutting down swathes of Blood-sucking Ghosts.

However, with tens of thousands of Blood-sucking Ghosts, even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator whose cultivation was a Great Realm higher couldn’t turn the tide of battle and get everyone out alive.

Just then, the Four-direction Array finally gave way.

The golden barrier shattered into fragments, dissipating back into the world as Spiritual Qi.

”AHHH!” Someone shrieked in agony.

They had been struck by a blade wielded by a Blood-sucking Ghost.

Even a Qi Refining cultivator could not escape death if struck by their weapons. Not only would their Divine Soul be sucked dry, but their body would also be shriveled into a desiccated corpse.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the thought of fleeing entered Fang Yueyun’s mind.

Just then, he suddenly felt the sky go dark.

He subconsciously looked up and saw a massive black ship.

”Th-this is a Bihai Ship—”

Before Fang Yueyun could recover from his shock, a massive shockwave crashed to the ground like rolling thunder, instantly kicking up a towering pillar of dust. This was the sonic boom created by the giant ship as it broke the sound barrier, the sound finally catching up after a slight delay.

In the next instant, countless astonishing beams of light rained down on the ground.

The Celestial Demon Group, which the cultivators had been struggling against in a bloody battle for so long, proved fragile and helpless before the Primordial Cannon.

In less than ten breaths, not a single one was left alive.

’So... so powerful!’ Fang Yueyun stared blankly for a long time, watching the Mountain Shaking Ship disappear in a rainbow streak of light. It took all his effort to even form the thought.