Chapter 345: Chapter 330: Facing the Golden Core!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Zhouyang and the other three never expected that after they painstakingly broke the Tier Five Array guarding the valley basin, they would be ambushed by fellow human cultivators.
The timing of the ambushers was impeccable, striking just as they broke the array, when their guards were at their lowest.
This indicates that the attackers had long discovered their movements, lying in wait to strike and seize the spoils once the array was broken.
During the months of breaking the array, it wasn’t that other barbaric beasts or demon beasts hadn’t been attracted by the disturbances they caused.
However, whether barbaric beast or demon beast, they were eventually killed or driven off by them.
Afterwards, the surrounding barbaric beasts and demon beasts, having tasted their power, basically acknowledged their dominance over the area and no longer came to seek death.
The four never thought that deep in this wilderness jungle, besides themselves, there were other Purple Mansion Stage cultivators present.
Thus, without any prior warning, facing an attack meticulously prepared by two Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivators, their squad immediately suffered a casualty.
The one who died was Li Zhengwei!
The reason it was him, firstly, Zhouyang and the other two had stronger divine senses, detecting the ambushers a moment before him, reacting a breath or two faster.
Though it was only a breath or two, it was enough to decide life or death in such a critical moment.
Secondly, Li Zhengwei had not fully recovered from his injuries left by the "Celestial Eye Race," and the principle of picking the weakest target never goes out of style.
Thirdly, Li Zhengwei and Jiang Fengxian had always been attacking the array from outside, giving their enemies ample understanding of their methods while watching from the shadows, making them prime targets for a successful strike.
So in that sudden ambush, Jiang Fengxian and Li Zhengwei became the main targets.
Facing the sudden attack from two Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivators, Jiang Fengxian was somewhat prepared; having sensed danger earlier, and with superior cultivation and treasures.
Thus, though she was injured in the ambush, she was not too badly harmed.
But Li Zhengwei was not so fortunate.
His cultivation was only at the Fifth-Layer of the Purple Mansion, his treasures unimpressive, and to make matters worse, he was injured.
Thus, he stood no chance against the meticulously prepared strike from a Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion cultivator, his hastily erected defenses torn apart instantly, decapitated on the spot.
"Fellow Daoist Li!"
Witnessing Li Zhengwei, just moments ago conversing with them, now dead and divided, Zhouyang and the other two were both shocked and enraged, glaring furiously at the murderers.
The murderers were two middle-aged male cultivators, one donned in a purple magic robe, his face as red as dates, exuding an air of authority, clearly accustomed to commanding others from high positions.
The other wore a black magic robe, his appearance robust, his presence as steady and imposing as mountains.
Seeing the man in the black robe, Zhouyang was momentarily stunned, his face turning unsightly, he shouted angrily: "Duanmu Yong, to think you are such a person!"
Duanmu Yong of the Profound Cauldron Sect, whom Zhouyang met during a trade meeting in Immortal Sun City, was known not only for his high cultivation at the Ninth-Layer of the Purple Mansion, but also as a Tier Four High-Grade Alchemist, well-connected and reputable.
But you can never tell what’s in someone’s heart from their face; if not for today’s first-hand experience, Zhouyang would never have believed that this Profound Cauldron Sect cultivator, with whom he had previously traded, was secretly the kind to ambush for treasure, a hypocrite!
"Hmph, Zhouyang, you really know how to run, hiding in this wilderness jungle to evade the Beast Taming Sect’s pursuit!"
Duanmu Yong’s gaze was cold as he met Zhouyang’s eyes, snorting as he bluntly revealed Zhouyang’s true identity.
Hearing their enigmatic conversation, Xiao Feng and Jiang Fengxian were both taken aback, and then Xiao Feng furrowed his brows, looking at Zhouyang, he said sternly: "Fellow Daoist Huang, do you know these two despicable guys?"
"Apologies, Brother Xiao, Huang Yi is just an alias I used to evade a pursuer, my actual name is Zhouyang."
Glimpses of apology flashed in Zhouyang’s eyes as he first apologized to his friend, explaining his reason for concealing his identity, then responded to his query:
"As for these despicable fellows, I only know this Duanmu Yong; he is a cultivator from the great Profound Cauldron Sect of Qingyang Country. I once attended a trade meeting he hosted, thus knowing him, but we share no bond!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng, his hair as white as snow, tossed his head and looked coldly at Duanmu Yong and his companion: "Since there is no bond, then what’s there to say? We can only fight!"
Although they lost Li Zhengwei, they still had three people, and Jiang Fengxian even had a Tier Four High-grade Demon Beast, the "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python". If they fought, who would win would only be determined after the battle.
Anyway, expecting them to just give up the treasures they have in hand and leave dejectedly is simply impossible!
"Brother Xiao is right, then let Duanmu Yong be dealt with by Brother Zhou and Fellow Daoist Jiang, while Brother Xiao handles the other person."
Zhouyang nodded, not wasting words, and directly designated the opponents.
The one who had just ambushed Jiang Fengxian was Duanmu Yong, so upon hearing Zhouyang’s words, Jiang Fengxian, with blood trickling from her lips and a pale, delicate face, didn’t hesitate. She immediately waved her hand to summon her "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python" spirit pet to action.
"How bold!"
Seeing Zhouyang and Xiao Feng act as if no one else were around, deciding their fate with just a few words, both Duanmu Yong and the middle-aged man in the purple robe were enraged.
Duanmu Yong immediately shouted, and with a thought, a black giant cauldron, over ten feet high, came crashing down towards the "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python."
At the same time, with a wave of his sleeve, he released a tier four middle-grade puppet beast from his storage ring.
It was a Giant Ape Puppet Beast, standing five feet high. As soon as it appeared, it roared and swung the magic artifact long stick in its hand, charging at Zhouyang.
Perhaps thinking that this Giant Ape Puppet Beast would be enough to handle Zhouyang, after releasing the puppet beast, Duanmu Yong no longer paid attention to Zhouyang. Instead, he waved his hand again, summoning a tier four high-grade flying sword and a flaming spear to fight fiercely with Jiang Fengxian.
As they started to fight, Xiao Feng and the purple-robed middle-aged cultivator didn’t just stand by. They too engaged in a fierce battle, showcasing their skills.
Although everyone fought intensely, they tacitly moved the battlefield outside the valley basin to prevent the aftermath of the battle from destroying the spiritual medicine and spiritual fruits within the valley.
As Zhouyang engaged with the Giant Ape Puppet Beast, he fully realized how troublesome these puppet beasts, powered by top-grade spirit stones, could be.
The Giant Ape had few long-range attack methods. Its main attack was the magic artifact long stick in its hand, which carried the power to split mountains and crack the earth with every swing.
His flying sword, when struck by this long stick, would immediately have its magical power dispelled and its divine sense disturbed, making him feel as if someone were hitting his head with a stick, which was quite uncomfortable.
Were it not for the material of his flying sword being hard enough, if he used an ordinary tier four lower-grade flying sword, Zhouyang would doubt if it could withstand even one hit from that long stick without being shattered.
Apart from its strong offensive power, the defense of the Giant Ape Puppet was also quite formidable, with important parts made from extremely hard materials. Additionally, it had a body protection defense divine technique that could gather a bright yellow rock armor over its body to enhance defense.
Adding the feature of these puppet beasts being tireless and unfeeling, Zhouyang found it impossible to defeat this opponent quickly unless he deployed several of his bottom line trump cards.
If it were just a one-on-one magical combat, Zhouyang would use his trump cards, as defeating the opponent was all that mattered.
But with strong enemies still around, if he used his trump cards to solve the Giant Ape Puppet, he might not even have the strength to protect himself when facing danger later.
So he could only suppress the urgency in his heart, fully mobilizing the sword array to fiercely attack the Giant Ape Puppet, hoping to resolve this opponent quickly to assist Jiang Fengxian.
Jiang Fengxian’s situation was not very promising. Although she had the help of the "Seven-Colored Cloud-Swallowing Python," a tier four high-grade demon beast, she was injured. Facing Duanmu Yong’s fierce offensive, her resistance was quite challenging.
The Profound Cauldron Sect, with Nascent Soul stage cultivators holding the fort, was a major sect. As a Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivator, Duanmu Yong was among the top in the Profound Cauldron Sect’s numerous Purple Mansion stage cultivators, with a high possibility of forming a Golden Core in the future.
As a tier four high-grade alchemist, his wealth nearly rivaled that of an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator, owning magical artifacts that were best among the best, and holding many tier four spirit talismans.
If not for Jiang Fengxian being "Many Treasures and Gold" and possessing formidable divine techniques, she might have shown signs of defeat at the very start of the duel.
However, the most challenging was not Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, but Xiao Feng, who was in a one-on-one duel with the purple-robed middle-aged cultivator.
Although he too had Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivation and was a tier four high-grade refiner, having all kinds of magical artifacts, Xiao Feng fell into a disadvantage from the very first exchange.
The reason for this situation was simple: His opponent wielded an "Outer Dao Golden Core"!
The "Outer Dao Golden Core" was like a special magical artifact. Before using its power, the purple-robed middle-aged cultivator had Ninth-Layer Purple Mansion Cultivation.
But once he unleashed the power of the "Outer Dao Golden Core," he became what they called a "Fake Golden Core" cultivator.
And since the purple-robed middle-aged cultivator had practiced an "Outer Dao Golden Core," he naturally also possessed tier five spiritual artifacts.
Facing a "Fake Golden Core" cultivator with eighty percent of a normal Golden Core Stage cultivator’s battle power, it was no wonder Xiao Feng fell into a disadvantage!
"No, Fellow Daoist Xiao can’t be defeated. If he loses, we will have no hope at all!"
Zhouyang’s expression changed, a resolute look flashed in his eyes, seemingly making a firm decision.