Chapter 301 - 273: Thunder Accumulation Mountain Becomes an Asura Field

Chapter 301: Chapter 273: Thunder Accumulation Mountain Becomes an Asura Field

CLACK!

Chen Che, Chen Yin, and Meng Qianxun ascended the stone steps.

The two had invited him to join them.

To some extent, this meant they now considered Jinyun Valley a major power, on par with the Meng Family and the Great Chen Royal Family.

Meanwhile, as the three ascended the mountain, the sounds of battle behind them grew increasingly intense.

Clearly, seeing the leaders of the three factions ascending the mountain together was a great morale boost for the Cultivators below.

’A clan with a thousand-year history, trampled underfoot just like that?’

Chen Che mused to himself.

He thought back to when he was just a farm boy, denied the chance to cultivate—just an ordinary disciple of the Immortal Sect.

But now, he was one of the standard-bearers leading the charge to carve up a thousand-year-old clan.

Moreover, the two elders had intentionally yielded the central, most honored position to him.

’This is a meteoric rise.’

"Grandson-in-law, a man’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow—it precedes him."

"You can hide your true strength for a time, but not forever. Below Golden Core, you’ve already carved out a place for yourself. My Meng Family was once unremarkable as well. It was only after our ancestor made a name for himself in the battle of Fuyun Mountain that we enjoyed over a hundred years of stability..."

Meng Qianxun’s voice seemed to echo in his ears:

"The Meng Family and the Great Chen Royal Family no longer need to chase after this kind of fame. Jinyun Valley’s foundation, however, is still shallow. The choice is yours."

Previously, Chen Che would never have wanted to be in the spotlight like this.

But after hearing Meng Qianxun’s words, he decided not to refuse.

It was like a brand name; most people trust a century-old business but are skeptical of a new one. Right now, Jinyun Valley was the new shop. This meant he had to pay a higher price than others when collecting Materials or recruiting Tributors.

"There are Cultivators from the other clans in the distance."

With a glance from the corner of his eye, Chen Che detected several unfamiliar auras with his Divine Sense.

"Today’s battle is to make an example of them."

Chen Yin’s voice was devoid of emotion as he spoke:

"Thunder Accumulation Mountain is the chicken, and the other Four Races are the monkeys. By now, they’ve surely received news that Thunder Accumulation Mountain has fallen. Whether we have to crush them one by one or they surrender on their own all depends on how this final battle ends!"

...

"Ten Thousand Swords Technique! Go!"

"Kill!"

"AHH!"

Roars, clashes, and bloodcurdling screams filled the air.

As the three leaders ascended, the Jin Family’s defensive perimeter shrank. At first, they could still occasionally break out from Thunder Accumulation Mountain, but now they were completely trapped on it.

"No!"

The Jin Family’s Third Elder, despite being at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, was instantly overwhelmed by a sky-blotting barrage of attacks.

True Essence erupted!

A longsword slashed out!

Jin Yanghua was surrounded by over twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators. He charged left and right but couldn’t break the encirclement. His robes were shredded, and cracks spiderwebbed across his Spirit Armor.

"It’s over!"

As blood gushed from his mouth, Jin Yanghua glanced at his fallen Jin Clan Members, his heart filled with sorrow.

Not a single one of them had managed to break out.

Moreover, watching the three leaders ascend the mountain—their pace slow but steady, like three peerless Fierce Beasts—felt as if each step landed directly on his heart.

"That... that’s Chen Che..."

Raising his sword, he swung and forced back a Major Cultivator who was closing in, a trace of hatred flashing in his eyes. Trapped on the mountain, he had only vaguely heard that the Five Races’ joint attack had failed because of Chen Che. He didn’t know the specifics.

He was no match for Meng Qianxun or Chen Yin, who walked beside Chen Che.

However.

Chen Che, walking in the center, was at the same Realm as him.

"Even if I die, I’ll take one of them with me."

Knowing he couldn’t escape death, desperation took hold of Jin Yanghua. The resolve to fight to the death surged within him, and a mad glint quickly filled his eyes.

With a flick of his sleeve, he swallowed a strange-looking Pill.

BOOM!

Then, he shot his right hand out and struck several Spiritual Acupoints on his chest. With a BANG, his body abruptly swelled, and as his True Essence churned violently, he began to radiate a terrifying aura.

All this happened in the blink of an eye. The Major Cultivators surrounding him were powerless to stop it.

"Chen Che, die!"

Amid his hateful roar, a blood-soaked torrent of sword light erupted, blasting the surrounding Major Cultivators hundreds of feet away. At the same time, a vicious, roaring wave of blood-red sword light formed and hurtled toward Chen Che!

"Is that a Corpse Evil Pill?"

"Is he trying to take Chen Che down with him?"

In the distance, the Cultivators of the other four clans felt a flicker of anticipation, even a surge of glee.

’What right did Jinyun Valley have to stand on equal footing with the Great Chen and the Meng Family, let alone walk between their leaders? Some maliciously speculated that the Meng Family and Great Chen were just propping up Jinyun Valley to be cannon fodder, or perhaps to act as a buffer between them.’

"A Corpse Evil Pill?"

As all eyes fell on him, Chen Che’s eyebrow twitched. He recognized the Pill, of course. Back when he had ambushed Han Zaiyin, his opponent had been grievously injured, yet a single Corpse Evil Pill had instantly restored his Cultivation to its peak.

However, he had only been in the Qi Refining Realm back then. Now, he was at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer.

Facing Jin Yanghua’s do-or-die attack, Chen Che simply raised an arm and calmly flicked a finger.

WHOOSH!

A soft hum, and Sword Qi materialized.

An impossibly condensed beam of energy shot out like a rainbow piercing the sun, hurtling straight toward the attack.

Beyond the mountain, the expressions of the four clans’ Cultivators changed, their anticipation instantly morphing into dread.

"That’s..."

CLANG!

Sparks flew as a white, cloud-like ring erupted from the point of impact. A powerful shockwave howled past, instantly turning countless trees, plants, and rocks on the mountain to dust.

The metallic clang was so loud it drowned out every other sound on the battlefield. Everyone’s expression changed as they whipped their heads around to look.

Chen Che stood rooted to the spot, not having moved an inch. Jin Yanghua, however, trembled from the force of that single flick, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying backward.

"What kind of power is that?"

"Impossible!"

The Cultivators from the four clans were utterly dumbfounded, subconsciously taking a few steps back.

Jin Yanghua was a Great Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer! How could he be defeated by a single finger flick?

BOOM!

After crashing to the ground and rolling several times, Jin Yanghua looked up in stunned disbelief.

CLACK!

He saw that Chen Che, who had sent him flying with a single flick, showed no intention of finishing him off. Instead, he simply continued up the steps. His posture was so casual, so nonchalant, it was as if he’d just swatted away an annoying fly.

At his sides, Meng Qianxun and Chen Yin’s expressions remained unchanged.

’So that’s how it is!’

In his astonishment, Jin Yanghua suddenly understood. He had figured out why the Five Races’ attack had failed.

BAM!

However, just because Chen Che didn’t pursue him didn’t mean no one else would.

Hu Yao waved his right hand, throwing out the Tombstone. As he poured True Essence into it, the artifact crashed down like Tai Mountain itself.

THUD!

Thunder Accumulation Mountain trembled.

Jin Yanghua, still on the ground, was brutally crushed beneath the Tombstone. The CRACKLING sound of the earth shattering drowned out the snapping of his bones.

Bluestone shattered, sending shrapnel and blood flying.

"Jin Yanghua has been executed!"

Hu Yao shouted, holding the Tombstone aloft.

After the night of the Five Races’ siege, the Magical Artifacts of the three patriarchs who had died at Chen Che’s hands naturally became his property. As for that Tombstone, he had studied it for a while before giving it directly to Hu Yao.

...

Soon, the sounds of battle began to fade.

"Thunder Accumulation Mountain... is gone!"

The watching Cultivators from the four clans saw the trio reach the summit and realized that not a single Jin Clan Member had managed to break out. Despair washed over their faces.

"Report to the clan at once!"

They exchanged horrified glances, not daring to linger a moment longer before hastily turning to leave.

...

...

「The great battle lasted until noon.」

By the time Chen Che walked up the final steps, the entire summit of Thunder Accumulation Mountain had been ravaged. Rivers of blood flowed past collapsed buildings in a scene of utter devastation. Even the main clan hall was half-ruined. Surrounded by their people, Chen Che, Chen Yin, and Meng Qianxun entered what was left of the central hall.

Cultivators from Great Chen, the Meng Family, and Jinyun Valley were taking inventory of the confiscated chests.

Chest after chest of Spirit Stones took up sixty percent of the hall’s space.

In addition, countless Magical Artifacts, Materials, and Pills were neatly arranged in a dazzling display.

Meanwhile, each faction had a designated person to the side, keeping accounts.

"...Rounding down, the total comes to 1,360,000 Spirit Stones, thirty-one Tier Three Spiritual Artifacts, and 7,621 Tier Two Spiritual Artifacts. There are too many Tier One artifacts to have finished counting them yet."

"The Pills, Materials, Demon Beasts, and various Secret Manuals have all been recorded separately."

Just as he stepped into the hall, Rong Zhongxuan hurried over to report, handing over the completed ledger.

Chen Che glanced at it.

He saw that certain Fire-attribute Materials, special Magical Artifacts, and other Materials had been circled. These were items they could try to claim when the spoils were divided.

Still, Chen Che was slightly surprised that a thousand-year-old Noble Family possessed such a vast accumulation of resources.

Of course.

Besides these items, Chen Che didn’t overlook the mines, timber forests, and Spirit Fields... they were also part of the clan’s foundation. The only problem was that this location was too far from Yunzhou; those assets couldn’t be moved.

’Perhaps we could sell them to the Great Chen Royal Family at a discount.’

’Or find someone to lease them and collect rent.’

"How should we divide all this?"

Lifting his head, Chen Che glanced at Meng Qianxun and Chen Yin, who were also examining their own copies of the ledger. He guessed theirs were marked up as well.

The Jin Family’s foundation was so deep that even a three-way split would give Jinyun Valley enough resources to digest for a very long time.

As soon as he spoke, the rattling of chains echoed from outside. Looking over, they saw a group of one or two hundred Cultivators being led before the hall, chains pierced through their collarbones. They were utterly silent, trembling as they awaited judgment.

"Who are they?"

"They’re the Cultivators who surrendered. Some are from vassal families..." Hu Yao explained in a low voice.

On the other side, people whispered reports to Meng Qianxun and Chen Yin. The two leaders then looked up, exchanged a few words, and announced their decision regarding the prisoners.

"Leave none of the main Jin Clan alive. From the vassal families, spare anyone who has reached Tier Two in any of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation. Kill the rest. What do you think?"

It was incredibly difficult to train a Cultivator to be proficient in the Hundred Skills. Even for factions like the Meng Family and Great Chen, it required a continuous investment of resources. If a disciple’s talent was limited, all that investment would be for nothing. Now that they had ready-made artisans, it was only natural to keep them.

"Agreed."

Chen Che naturally had no objection. These Cultivators were, after all, part of the spoils of war.

And with that, the Jin Clan was completely wiped from the face of Shuzhou.