Chapter 692 - 516: Sword Pointing at Junle

This is a long-planned, lightning-fast ambush.

It's definitely not targeted at Lu Qian's Foundation Establishment Perfection. Firstly, only about one in ten successfully crosses the tribulation, and secondly, since everyone's strength has recovered by now, which county wouldn't have several at Foundation Establishment Perfection? It would be better to wait a few more years, when the number of Golden Cores might increase in each county.

So, when Shen Jialuo urgently sought help and brought Lu Qian out of seclusion, Lu Qian was shocked.

Qingyuan and Huaiyou Counties, four Golden Cores, ambush Huanggen Sect!

At that moment, it was like a thunderbolt exploded in Lu Qian's mind. His Consciousness Collection fully opened, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

Qingyuan County was surprisingly persuaded by the Huaiyou Alliance (formed by Huaiyou, Dongping, and Junle Counties) to join in the encirclement of Mingyu Sword Sect, Yunshan Sect, and Huanggen Sect!

In the past, Tieyuan was barren and insignificant, even if Ye Xiao achieved Golden Core and unified Tieyuan, the surrounding county mansions scorned her. But since Huanggen Sect joined the Three Sects Alliance, its strength grew rapidly. Coupled with Ye Xiao's apparent expansion ambitions, Qingyuan County naturally felt that the threat from Tieyuan was increasing daily. Now suddenly entering the fray, they are determined to solve the hidden danger of Tieyuan, lest changes occur when they move south in the future.

The four Golden Cores from Qingyuan and Huaiyou lead two to three dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators in a surprise attack, like a shocking thunderbolt, directly striking the vital points of the Three Sects Alliance!

The Mingyu Sword Sect had long moved its mountain gate to Mingjian Mountain, and Master Cangfeng naturally relocated. Although the Mingyu Sword Sect left considerable defensive forces in Liangxiang County and has long stationed Master Xian Canghai since he achieved Golden Core, it certainly cannot compare to when all its power was in Liangxiang in the past.

Thus, the power from Liangxiang County that can directly support Tieyuan County is much weaker. Master Cangfeng needs to set out from Mingjian Mountain and head south, crossing the border between Xinghu and Liangxiang, to reach Tieyuan, a journey more than twice as long as before!

And the Yunshan Sect's Mingshan Mountain is far in Sanshan County, even further from Tieyuan.

Currently, Master Cangfeng is in Mingjian Mountain, and the Yunshan Sect's Master Jingxia is in seclusion, with the Jade Flood Dragon safeguarding the mountain gate. The Huaiyou Alliance keenly spotted this opportunity, directly mobilizing Huaiyou and Qingyuan's elite forces, and in the blink of an eye entered Tieyuan, directly attacking Huanggen Sect!

The overall strength of Huanggen Sect cannot be said to be the weakest in the Three Sects Alliance, but it is indeed the most afraid of being ambushed.

Currently, Huanggen Sect controls an area of a thousand miles in Tieyuan County, with a population of over ten million, and a small part of Liangxiang County with a population of over five million, totaling sixteen million people.

But among these sixteen million people, there are only a mere six Spirit Veins!

Tieyuan County originally had three, one was excavated from the Miao Fa Celestial Monarch Immortal Temple, plus two Spirit Veins in a small part of Liangxiang County.

Then, one of the Spirit Veins was used to build Nocturnal City. So, the ones completely controlled by Huanggen Sect were only five Spirit Veins left.

Warfare between cultivators relies on Spirit Veins for attack and defense. Only five Spirit Veins over such a vast territory are far apart from each other, making it difficult to provide effective mutual support when encountering a surprise attack.

Additionally, the current Huanggen Sect has only Ye Xiao at Mid-Stage Golden Core, seventeen at Foundation Establishment, and eighteen hundred Qi Cultivation elites, scattered among the five Spirit Veins and stationed troops in Nocturnal City.

In such a situation, to encounter an ambush by four Golden Cores and two to three dozen at Foundation Establishment—

Lu Qian's mood suddenly turned extremely heavy. Huaiyou Alliance, you've really found a soft target!

"Sect Leader Lu!" Shen Jialuo bowed down, her always quiet and elegant demeanor now filled with urgency, "Please, lend a quick hand, save our sect!"

"Fairy Shen, please rise," Lu Qian said in a deep voice, "Since the Three Sects Alliance, there's an interdependence between us, how could we not assist?"

Shen Jialuo showed delight but then heard Lu Qian say, "The enemy's elite ambush is swift without bringing Qi Cultivators; my Yun Mountain is so far away that normal assistance would definitely not make it in time."

Perhaps, as they speak, a Spirit Vein of Huanggen Sect has already been breached.

Shen Jialuo was anxious and wanted to speak, but suddenly, a communication arrived from Mingyu Sword Sect.

With Huanggen Sect under attack, Mingyu Sword Sect had already set out to assist. Master Cangfeng led the elite southward into Tieyuan County, while Master Haoran directly attacks Huaiyou County.

The tactic was to surround Wei and save Zhao. With the two Golden Cores from Huaiyou wreaking havoc in Tieyuan County, chasing them down or intercepting them is unlikely to be as fast as directly threatening them by attacking their home base, forcing them to retreat and defend.

The strategy sounded good.

But no matter what, such reinforcement would still be late.

The enemy's goals were clear: the ambush operation had only a small number of elites and was never intended to annihilate Huanggen Sect but to severely damage its vitality, cutting the Three Sects Alliance by one arm and delivering a heavy blow to the alliance.

By the time Mingyu Sword Sect's reinforcements arrive, the four Golden Cores would have likely achieved their objective and would retreat accordingly.

In such circumstances, how can the Three Sects Alliance successfully counterattack, and how can Huanggen Sect's losses be compensated elsewhere?

Lu Qian's mind raced, and Lin Le had arrived hurriedly, reporting an urgent transmission from the intelligence team: Tieyuan County was being infiltrated by four Golden Cores, amidst a scene of awful bloodshed.

Ye Xiao had used the Earth Embryo Mother Sound Transmission Technique to communicate with Shen Jialuo in real-time, and the intelligence team's information was only delayed by the time it takes for a cup of tea compared to Shen Jialuo's, which was already exceptional. It seems the improvements and strengthening of the entire intelligence team over the years, and the construction of relay stations between Sanshan, Zhongming, Liangxiang, and Tieyuan, have shown significant results.