Chapter 687: Scheming (2)

Chapter 687: Chapter 461: Scheming (2)

In any case, the Illusion Sword Alliance was a sect founded on the Sword Scripture. In the eyes of the White Mountain Sword Sect, they weren’t exactly heretics. The Sharp Gold Alliance, on the other hand, had integrated spellcraft into the Sword Dao, using Talismans in place of swords. This was truly an unforgivable heresy that had to be purged.

This was a matter of ideological conflict between the two sects, and Fang Qingyuan had no interest in it. He wasn’t a practitioner of the Sword Dao, so he naturally didn’t understand what the White Mountain Sword Sect was so worked up about. Right now, he just wanted to know one thing: with the Nascent Soul Cultivators from both the White Mountain Sword Sect and the Sharp Gold Alliance having appeared and entered the fray, when would the Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Illusion Sword Alliance and the Thick Earth Alliance make their move?

The tide of battle could turn in an instant. Just as Fang Qingyuan was pondering this, the distant Nascent Soul Cultivator from the White Mountain Sword Sect, with just himself and his sword, had already battered the Sharp Gold Alliance’s army formation to the point of collapse.

‘That strong? No wonder the Sharp Gold Alliance has been suppressed for the past decade. In Southern White Mountain, the true top dog is still the White Mountain Sword Sect.’

This was the opposite of the situation in Northern White Mountain, where the Spirit Wood and Raging Fire Alliances were dominant. They didn’t even need to pull in the Lianshui Alliance. If it weren’t for the Hehuan Sect stirring up trouble, the Spirit Wood and Raging Fire Alliances would have long since torn the Pill Alliance to shreds.

As Fang Qingyuan finished his reflection, he felt a powerful aura manifest within his own camp. His spirits lifted; he knew the Illusion Sword Alliance’s Nascent Soul Cultivator had appeared.

Not far away, cheers erupted from within the Thick Earth Alliance, meaning their Nascent Soul Cultivator must have personally entered the field as well.

When Nascent Soul Cultivators were present, the entire battle hinged on their duel. An army formation that could originally go head-to-head with a Nascent Soul Cultivator would lose all heart if its own Nascent Soul expert was defeated. Their forces would collapse like a landslide, with no will to struggle left.

Otherwise, as long as their own Nascent Soul Cultivator hadn’t appeared, everyone could still cling to the hope that if they just held on, their expert’s arrival would turn the tables. However, when that Nascent Soul Cultivator was also defeated, all that fighting spirit vanished. The only thought left was to save their own skin and survive by any means necessary.

With the Nascent Soul Cultivators from all four powers now present, the next step was surely a clash of kings. According to Fang Qingyuan’s speculation, it should be the Illusion Sword Alliance against the Thick Earth Alliance, while the White Mountain Sword Sect continued to suppress the Sharp Gold Alliance. But seeing how overwhelmingly powerful the White Mountain Sword Sect’s Nascent Soul Cultivator was, was there even a need for the Illusion Sword Alliance to have hired him in the first place?

‘Did the Illusion Sword Alliance not trust the situation and hire me specifically as a safety net?’

For a moment, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t fathom why Bear Wind’s presence would be necessary under these circumstances. However, before he could figure it out, the Token in his robes vibrated again, transmitting a signal from Cui Dong City.

“Please have Elder Xiong attack. The target is the Illusion Sword Alliance’s Nascent Soul Cultivator!”

What?

For a moment, Fang Qingyuan couldn’t believe it. ‘Is Cui Dong City trying to rebel?’

‘They paid such a huge price just to have Bear Wind attack their own patriarch?’

What kind of development was this? Fang Qingyuan was completely bewildered. He couldn’t help but look toward the magnificent Nie Xinyuan, who was single-handedly suppressing the Sharp Gold Alliance’s Nascent Soul Cultivator. He had thought victory was already in the bag, but if Bear Wind tied up the Illusion Sword Alliance’s Nascent Soul Cultivator, wouldn’t the Thick Earth Alliance’s expert be free to launch a despicable pincer attack?

“Please have Elder Xiong attack now!”

Cui Dong City urged him again. Fang Qingyuan had no choice but to send the signal to Bear Wind. ‘In any case,’ he thought, ‘I took the payment, so I have to do the job, right?’

As for who the target was, Fang Qingyuan didn’t really care.

Cui Dong City must have his reasons for doing this, but Fang Qingyuan could ask about them later. For now, he would fulfill his promise.

High above in the clouds, a flicker of surprise passed through Bear Wind’s eyes. But after only a breath or two, he stopped hesitating. His body suddenly expanded, transforming into a giant bear hundreds of feet tall. He descended from the sky, bringing a massive foot stomping down on the Illusion Sword Alliance’s army formation.

Faced with this sudden assault, the many Core Disciples of the Illusion Sword Alliance were utterly baffled. Why would a Nascent Soul Ancient Beast pop out of nowhere at a time like this and inexplicably attack their own side?

“ROAR!”

The thousand-foot Mirage Dragon, formed from the combined Magical Power of the six-thousand-man army Array, charged forward to meet Bear Wind. However, in just two or three breaths, the Mirage Dragon was kicked to pieces by Bear Wind’s foot, its body shattering.

After all, this Mirage Dragon was merely a construct of the army Array’s Magical Power; it was a far cry from a real Mirage Dragon. Bear Wind, on the other hand, was already at Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Perfection. Even while suppressed by the Celestial Essence Array, he was not an existence that a six-thousand-man army formation could withstand.

“PFFT! PFFT!”

The sound of people spitting blood echoed ceaselessly from all around—a chain reaction caused by the destruction of the Mirage Dragon Dharma Aspect. Everyone stared at Bear Wind’s colossal form, their eyes filled with a mixture of shock and despair.

“Brother Fang, tell Elder Xiong to show some mercy! He’s too ferocious! We’re just putting on a show, there’s no need for him to try so hard!”

The Token vibrated continuously, revealing Cui Dong City’s agitation. Learning that this was Cui Dong City’s plan, Fang Qingyuan’s lips twitched. ‘You should have said so sooner. Why didn’t you say so sooner?’

Above the army formation, Bear Wind was roaring at the sky. He had just gotten to stretch his limbs and was now at the peak of his excitement. This wasn’t the Barbaric Wilderness, and he wouldn’t easily start a fight with other Nascent Soul Ancient Beasts, as battles between them were often to the death. But now, he could attack freely without worrying about it turning into a life-or-death struggle. This greatly satisfied his lust for battle.

“Where did this Spirit Beast come from? Why do you insist on making trouble for my sect?”

Cui Dong City shouted at Bear Wind with righteous indignation. The scene left Bear Wind feeling sullen. ‘You humans are full of devious schemes.’

“I don’t like the look of you! What’s with all this nonsense? Just take your beating!”

Bear Wind didn’t want to waste any more words and was about to attack again, but Fang Qingyuan’s voice sounded in his ear. He forcibly suppressed his temper and began to bicker with Cui Dong City.

Not far away, the members of the Thick Earth Alliance watched this scene, equally shocked and astonished. A Nascent Soul Spirit Beast jumping out at a time like this to viciously attack the Illusion Sword Alliance was truly beyond everyone’s expectations.

“Patriarch, what should we do now? Do we continue to defend against the Illusion Sword Alliance, or do we take this opportunity to attack the White Mountain Sword Sect?”

Within the Thick Earth Alliance’s army formation, several Golden Core Cultivators gathered around their Nascent Soul Cultivator to ask for a strategy. This expert was also present as a Dharma body. He pondered for only two breaths before immediately making a decision.

“The entire army will turn and reinforce the Sharp Gold Alliance! Nie Xinyuan is too powerful; the Sharp Gold Alliance can’t hold out against him.”

The decision was made. The Thick Earth Alliance began to change direction, moving toward the area where the Sharp Gold Alliance and the White Mountain Sword Sect were clashing.

When the many disciples of the Illusion Sword Alliance saw this, they were burning with anxiety. How could they be tied down at such a critical moment? The appearance of this Bear Beast was truly suspicious.

“Ah, I remember now! That’s the Qingyuan Sect’s Mountain Guardian Sacred Beast! Why does it have it in for us? Our alliance has never had any grudges with the Qingyuan Sect.”

“The Qingyuan Sect’s Mountain Guardian Sacred Beast? The one from the Barbaric Wilderness that just submitted to them a while ago? Could it be that its bestial nature erupted, it slaughtered the entire Qingyuan Sect, and fled here to devour us Cultivators for food?”

Well, that was one Cultivator with a rich imagination. After seeing Bear Wind, the various disciples of the Illusion Sword Alliance all began to voice their own opinions.

There were the anxious ones, who held grudges against the Thick Earth Alliance; the calm ones, who were happy to slack off and avoid the fight; and even the awestruck ones, who were filled with a sense of worship upon seeing such a powerful creature.

Above, Bear Wind “negotiated” with Cui Dong City. Below, Fang Qingyuan was also communicating with him.

“Now’s a good time to tell me the reason for all this, don’t you think? It’s hard for us to keep working together if you keep me in the dark like this.”

“It’s not that I intentionally kept it from you, Sect Leader Fang. It’s just that… he couldn’t bring himself to say it, so we had to resort to this crude plan. Please forgive me.”

“Betraying an ally in the middle of a battle… you actually went through with it. Cui Dong City, I never thought a man who looks as honest as you, with your thick brows and big eyes, could be so treacherous. Don’t tell me you’re going to ask Brother Xiong to deal with that White Mountain Sword Sect Nascent Soul Cultivator next?”

“…”

“So it’s true. The Illusion Sword Alliance truly lives up to its reputation as a sect that plays with Illusion Techniques. Your standards are rock bottom. After fighting alongside them for ten years, you choose to backstab them in the end. Truly insidious.”

Fang Qingyuan was shocked by the Illusion Sword Alliance’s scheme. ‘This is treachery on a whole other level.’ Cui Dong City, however, felt no psychological burden over it.

“As a disciple, I only do as my superiors command. Sect Leader Fang, you are also a Sect Leader. Don’t tell me you’ve never had to do things against your will. That’s right, we do intend to surround and attack Nie Xinyuan. It would be best to trap and kill him here. But we will not be the ones to do it personally, which is why we still need your help.”

“Cut the crap. This isn’t the price we originally agreed upon. You’ll have to pay more. The compensation you offered was enough to have me put on a show, and that’s it.”

“What else do you want? Just name it.”

“You’ve already given me your sect’s scriptures, so I doubt you have anything else of value. I’m not interested in your other possessions. That sword of Nie Xinyuan’s looks pretty good, though. Just leave it for me.”