Chapter 680 - 458: Secret Replacement

The Thick Earth Alliance, on the other hand, relied on having the largest territory in White Mountain, as well as the complete defensive system designed for them by Fire Arts when the Spirit Wood Alliance came south to reinforce them last time. This allowed them to lock the two sword sects in a drawn-out war of attrition. Their results were far better than the Pill Alliance’s, and their territory had never been completely overrun. Of course, their intrinsic strength was already greater than the Pill Alliance’s, and the two sword sects simply weren’t as strong as the combined Spirit Wood Li Fire forces.

Now, these four powers had amassed nearly twenty thousand troops in military formations here, giving the appearance of a fight to the death.

Of course, this was likely just a ploy by the Thick Earth Alliance. In previous years, every time they put on such a display, they would retreat without the slightest hesitation when the time came.

"The Hehuan Sect’s stance is very ambiguous. They’re tying up the Spirit Wood and Li Huo Alliances’ reinforcements, preventing them from heading south to help the Thick Earth and Sharp Gold Alliances. At the same time, they refuse to truly help the Illusion Sword Alliance and the White Mountain Sword Sect break their enemies’ lines. They’re trying to be the fisherman who reaps the rewards from the struggle."

High in the sky, looking down at the massive battle lines below, Fang Qingyuan spoke to Bear Wind via voice transmission. He was bored, so there was no harm in a little chat.

Bear Wind was lazing about on a cloud. To him, the thin, wispy cloud seemed as solid as a thick comforter. He looked utterly content, showing no sign that a battle was imminent.

"I heard the Hehuan Sect has two Nascent Soul Cultivators who were originally cousins. The Female Cultivator wields a long whip, and the Male Cultivator uses a club. When they fight together, no White Mountain Nascent Soul Cultivator can match them. Do you think they’ll show up in the big battle ahead?"

Hearing Bear Wind’s speculation, Fang Qingyuan gave his answer:

"I doubt it. If they wanted to make a move—no matter which side they favored—this war would have ended long ago. The Hehuan Sect’s stance represents their old ancestor’s wishes: don’t let anyone win, but don’t let them lose, either. The idea is to just let it drag on."

"How strange. Such a twisted mentality. There must be a reason for it that we don’t know. But the White Mountain Five Elements Sects have always been united, so why isn’t the Lianshui Alliance participating in this war?"

Bear Wind pulled a purple ginseng out of nowhere and started munching on it like a radish. Fang Qingyuan saw this but paid it no mind, explaining:

"In White Mountain, the Lianshui Alliance is something of an outlier. Their sect’s culture leans toward the Qi Yun Daoist School, perhaps because their territory is closer to the Qi Yun Territory. Lianshui Alliance cultivators generally don’t travel within White Mountain; if they need something, they go directly to Qi Yun. This has been the case for several hundred years. By now, many cultivators in the Lianshui Alliance probably don’t even consider themselves part of the Five Elements Alliance anymore. Do you really expect them to join a war against the Pill Alliance?"

"Hmph, hmph. They have the ambition, but not the destiny. Their feet are still in White Mountain, but their necks are stretching all the way to Qi Yun. Aren’t they afraid someone over there will just slap them back where they belong?"

After expressing his low opinion of the Lianshui Alliance’s strategy, Bear Wind finished his purple ginseng. Next, he took out a long stalk of sugarcane and began chewing on it loudly.

"Who do you think we’re going to fight next? These Golden Cores down below? If so, then Cui Dong City made a losing bargain."

As Fang Qingyuan watched juice fly everywhere from Bear Wind’s chewing, he was reminded of Jinbao. He loved sugarcane, too.

It had been five years, and Jinbao still hadn’t woken up. Although Fang Qingyuan wasn’t too worried, he still wanted to see Jinbao soon. If Jinbao were awake right now, he would have snatched half of that sugarcane from Bear Wind’s hands, no matter what.

"We’re likely supposed to fight the Nascent Souls of the Thick Earth and Sharp Gold Alliances. Otherwise, if it were just to deal with Golden Core Cultivators, hiring you would be a serious waste of talent."

In the blink of an eye, a whole stalk of sugarcane had vanished into Bear Wind’s stomach. He pulled out another and continued, "I’m very curious about human military formations. I’ve heard that a grand formation composed of ten thousand soldiers can even repel a Nascent Soul Cultivator. Is that true?"

"Didn’t you experience it back in the day? The biggest difference between humans and Wilderness Demonic Beasts is that humans know how to work together. To a Nascent Soul Cultivator, ten thousand demonic beasts are just a nuisance. But with a foundation of ten thousand Qi Cultivation Cultivators, a backbone of one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, and a Golden Core Cultivator as the nexus, they can stand firm against a Nascent Soul. That is the wisdom and discipline of humanity."

Bear Wind gave an awkward laugh and recalled the past. "I didn’t have a deep appreciation for it back then. When I saw my big brother go down, I bolted immediately. If I’d been a step slower, I wouldn’t have been able to escape. So no, I never got to experience a ten-thousand-man formation."

"Oh. Well, it looks like you can finally fulfill that old wish of yours."

Bear Wind pulled out a stalk of sugarcane and tossed it at Fang Qingyuan. Fang Qingyuan raised a hand to catch it, took a bite, and replied:

"A gift from Qiqi, to show her respect? She really doesn’t waste money. She’s saved up almost all the allowance I’ve given her over the years. Not like Confusion Insect and Crescent. Their Spirit Stones vanish the moment they get them. I have no idea what they even spend it all on."

Hearing Fang Qingyuan gripe about his two "offspring," Bear Wind lazily rolled over, turning his back to him. "Wake me when there’s some action. I’m going to rest up. You’ve got to be well-rested before a fight."

Fang Qingyuan was speechless. He thought for a moment, then his mind connected with the Bee Queen in his Immortal Mansion. The next moment, he waved his hand, and a long banner unfurled. A tide of bees poured out, scattering down into the army formations below.

........

"It’s spring! The bees are out and about. Now that spring is here, the chill of winter feels like a distant memory."

Bao Sanping’s face lit up with pleasant surprise as he watched the bees fly toward him. He had only recently been assigned to the army formation and was a complete rookie. Having never experienced the cruelty of battle, he was still in the mood to feel sentimental upon seeing them.

But unlike Bao Sanping, the eyes of the other cultivators were filled with only numbness. Most of them watched the approaching bees with vacant stares.

None of these cultivators were from the Illusion Sword Alliance’s core ranks. While technically part of the alliance, they were a motley force conscripted from smaller sect clans. The primary role for cultivators like them was to serve as walking sources of Spiritual Qi. Their most frequent task was to pour as much of their Magical Power as possible into the grand formation whenever it was activated.

The typical duels common to White Mountain, where cultivators traded blows with Talismans and flying swords while maneuvering over dozens of miles, were nowhere to be seen here.

When spells that blotted out the sky came surging toward you, your only hope was that your own grand formation could withstand the assault. You had no time to think about anything else.

"Bees? Why would they be here? Wait, that’s not right. Everyone, attack!"

At the squad leader’s command, streaks of Sword Qi flew out. The unlucky bees were sliced into countless pieces, which scattered evenly across the ground.

"The bees... they’re gone..."

Bao Sanping looked at the remains of the bees in agony. He crouched down, his heart aching, and began to gather them. He had a natural affinity for animals. Ever since his Spirit Root was detected as a child, he had wanted to follow the path of a Spirit Beast tamer. But in the Illusion Sword Alliance, the sword was the orthodox path; there was no place for something like beast taming.

"Idiot!"

Seeing Bao Sanping’s behavior, the Squad Commander at the head of the group coldly pronounced his verdict and turned to walk back to his barracks.

Bao Sanping gathered all the remains of the bees, left the barracks, and found a small patch of green. He dug a small hole and buried them.

"Oh, little bees, I hope you’re reborn into a better life next time. It’d be best not to be a bee again... and definitely not a human. Being a person is pretty exhausting."

"What you say makes sense, fellow Daoist. When it comes to being human, the most important thing is having the right timing."

Bao Sanping turned around to see a handsome young cultivator with an extraordinary bearing striking up a conversation with him. A look of confusion crossed his face. "Fellow Daoist, which squad are you from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before."

Although Bao Sanping wasn’t a wily veteran, he wasn’t a complete fool either. Seeing such a distinguished cultivator whom he didn’t recognize, his hand had already secretly closed around a Warning Talisman, ready to activate it at a moment’s notice.

"It’s rare to see a fellow Daoist so fond of Spirit Beasts. How about this: you do me a favor, and I’ll guarantee you a bright future?"

"What are you talking about? What favor?"

"Oh, I sense that your heart has already agreed. In that case, please take a little nap for a few days, fellow Daoist."

"What are you doing?"

In the next breath, Bao Sanping collapsed limply. A hand caught him, and then his body vanished from the spot.

The Warning Talisman in his hand was on the verge of activating, but without its master’s Spiritual Power to fuel it, the talisman flickered for a few breaths and then went still again.

A few breaths later, a person who looked identical to Bao Sanping appeared. He summoned a Water Mirror, examined his face in it, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then he turned and walked back toward the barracks.