Chapter 671 - 68: Reaping Good Karma

Facing Ning Sujin’s eager expression, Li Ji’an laughed freely, then slowly shook his head.

"Wife, you’re overestimating your husband. The three Ascendants outside the array are not comparable to something like Pure Essence. Unless I expose all my trump cards, I can’t constrain them.

Revealing all your cards in public is akin to suicide for both of us!

If it’s only about ensuring Xiaojiu’s Core Formation goes unhindered, it’s enough to protect the Core Formation Dao Field."

Ning Sujin calmed down upon hearing this. She wasn’t really trying to get Li Ji’an to save Funiu Mountain; she just wanted her man to trample on those Funiu Mountain elders’ pride.

Now that she thought about it, she realized she cared too much about Li Ji’an’s reputation.

Indeed, someone pursuing eternal immortality wouldn’t care about worldly fame.

Before long, True Man Fengyin visited.

Li Ji’an did not refuse to see him, but despite his earnest pleading, Li Ji’an still directly refused.

This left True Man Fengyin completely disappointed.

Outside the Grand Array, the three Ascendants attacked more aggressively, as if determined to annihilate Funiu Mountain in one fell swoop.

Half a day later, Jiuyou was defeated by Zou Qi’s sword and ambushed by others afterward, almost failing to return. Fortunately, Funiu Ascendant acted decisively and saved him.

However, in that moment, Cold Jade Ascendant seized the opportunity to strike the Grand Array. Cyan Ox was already holding two people at bay. At this moment, it forcibly withdrew to block Cold Jade Ascendant, causing the third Ascendant to escape its constraint and maneuver to another Grand Array node, hitting it with a single strike.

Boom~

In an instant, the already precarious and yet-to-be-fully-repaired Grand Array suffered another severe blow, resulting in several almost penetrating cracks.

This strike was just the beginning.

Another half day later, the entire Grand Array already had four large cracks; breaking the array was only a matter of time.

True Man Fengyin led all available combat power to defend the cracks, doing everything possible to fend off external attacks and buy time for Array Masters to repair.

However, due to the overwhelming power disparity, it was ultimately futile.

The next day, the Grand Array finally shattered in three places, and many cultivators outside swarmed in.

With the Grand Array no longer a barrier, the confrontation finally turned into close combat, and magical power rained down like a torrent.

The casualties on both sides were innumerable.

Meanwhile, the three Ascendants outside the array finally slowed their attacks.

Their goal had been achieved; now they only needed to keep Funiu Ascendant and Cyan Ox occupied, preventing them from attacking their own personnel entering the array, which meant success.

To truly engage them in a life-and-death magical combat was nearly impossible.

Every cultivator who becomes an Ascendant is a genius of their era, valuing their lives greatly.

Funiu Ascendant looked at the external cultivators aggressively assaulting through the breaches in the Grand Array and the Funiu Mountain members desperately resisting them and could only sigh.

Unless he was willing to perish together with the enemy, he could not break away to help.

Facing the joint attack of multiple forces, Funiu Mountain’s members could only hold out for a day before suffering heavy casualties and becoming unable to continue fighting.

Watching as someone escaped into the array and hurried toward the Core Dao Field, True Man Fengyin immediately selected some strong individuals to abandon the Inner City defense line and return to defend the Core Dao Field area.

There was also a Grand Array protective shield at the perimeter of the Core Dao Field, but the array there wasn’t as robust as the Inner City’s Tier Three advanced array; it mainly served a warning function and couldn’t stop a stealthily approaching mid-stage Core Formation True Man.

Before long, three people had triggered the warning array and infiltrated the Core Dao Field area.

Si’s sword light flashed, intercepting one of them, immediately launching a fierce battle.

At this moment, True Man Fengyin displayed his full strength, desperately intercepting the oncoming enemies trying to break into the Dao Field and disrupt Xiaojiu’s Core Formation.

Xiaojiu’s Dao Field was within an arm’s reach; once this last line of defense collapsed, Xiaojiu would die and disappear.

"All is lost!" Ning Sujin’s Primordial Spirit perceived the situation and sighed softly.

Li Ji’an nodded in agreement.

The allied forces aimed to capture the Funiu Mountain Spirit Vein Dao Field with minimal cost; this was the optimal strategy.

Rather than fighting desperately with Funiu Ascendant and Cyan Ox, severing the line of inheritance on Funiu Mountain was far more cost-effective.

Thus, all measures were carefully planned.

Deploying three Core Formation Ascendants clearly meant they had accounted for the Pure Essence elder tributor stationed there.

"Ah!" Suddenly, a tragic cry came from a Funiu Mountain elder resisting the attack.

He was engulfed by the gilded flames spewed from a Fire Gourd magical treasure, and almost instantly, turned to ash.

He didn’t even have the chance to self-destruct his Dantian.

The person who put away the Fire Gourd magical treasure did not pause at all, blinking towards Xiaojiu’s Core Formation Dao Field.

"No!" True Man Fengyin watched in agony as the elder, whom he treated like a son, died. He gritted his teeth, turned, and pursued the enemy.

At the same time, Ning Sujin frowned slightly and looked at Li Ji’an.

Li Ji’an nodded: "Rest assured! It’s difficult to directly confront a Core Formation Ascendant, but dealing with a mid-stage Core Formation Daoist friend is not a problem."

After finishing, he left a shadow at the original spot and used the Wind Escape Technique to arrive outside Xiaojiu’s Core Formation Dao Field.

At this moment, Funiu Ascendant’s third disciple was standing guard to one side, looking anxious.

"Get lost!" In the next moment, a figure flashed outside the Core Formation Dao Field—it was a mid-stage Core Formation expert from the Gu Family of Canglang Lake.

His target was clear, heading straight for Xiaojiu’s Core Formation Dao Field.

Funiu Ascendant’s third disciple was only at the early-stage True Pill level. Facing such overwhelming might, his protective shield shattered instantly, and he anxiously dodged to the side.

The Gu Family True Man activated a Spirit Talisman in his hand, launching it straight at the protective array outside the Core Formation Dao Field.

The protective shield outside the Core Formation Dao Field primarily served to isolate internal and external sensing, ensuring those inside the array wouldn’t be affected by outside disturbances.

It wasn’t meant for defense, and the enemy’s Spirit Talisman was a Piercing Talisman, albeit only early-stage Tier Three, it was very targeted; one strike would break it.

This was the critical moment for Xiaojiu’s Core Formation; such a massive interference would almost guarantee failure halfway.

"Third Brother, block it!" True Man Fengyin chased desperately but was still a step behind, watching as the Spirit Talisman was about to hit the Dharma Shield.

"It’s over!" Seeing that the third brother had dodged to the side, his heart sank.

With Xiaojiu, a promising upper-level seedling, gone, Funiu Mountain essentially had no hope for the future.

At most, in a hundred years, when Funiu Ascendant died of old age, Funiu Mountain would change hands.

Buzz~

Just as he was in despair, a ripple appeared in the air.

Soon after, a wave came, firmly blocking the Piercing Talisman.

"Changqing Talisman Master!"

In the next moment, Li Ji’an’s figure had already appeared outside the Dharma Shield.

In front of him, a vortex formed by turquoise magical power was slowly swallowing the Piercing Talisman, eventually dissolving it into nothingness.

This allowed True Man Fengyin to breathe a sigh of relief, but his heart was filled with suspicion.

Previously, he personally came to ask for help but was directly refused.

He had also regarded Li Ji’an as a cold-hearted person, yet at this moment, he intervened without warning.

"Changqing Talisman Master wants to protect Xiaojiu!" In an instant, he understood the reason and was overjoyed.

"Daoist Changqing, you’re merely a tributor here with no need to get involved. Leave quickly, and I won’t make things difficult for you," said the mid-stage Core Formation cultivator from the Gu Family, stunned by the vortex in front of Li Ji’an, opting to advise kindly first.

Li Ji’an smiled: "Daoist, you misunderstand. This young Core Formation fellow shares a benevolent connection with this old one, and this time it is destined to yield a benevolent fruit!"