Chapter 594: The Arduous Ancient Path

At the same time, the turtle snapped its jaws at Chen Che.

Chen Che glanced over and clenched his left fist. His True Essence morphed into a massive chain that, with a great CLANG, wrapped around the beast’s neck. He gave a sharp tug, pulling it outward.

Xiao Chan, Chen Xi, and the others quickly channeled their own True Essence to pin down the Profound Turtle.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had been watching the spectacle eagerly volunteered. They condensed their True Essence into chains, binding the Profound Turtle’s limbs one by one. The rowdy, boisterous scene looked just like a group of mortals butchering a pig for the New Year festival.

“Hah!”

With a flash of his sword and a shower of dazzling sparks, Chen Che cut the Profound Turtle in half at the waist, its cry of agony echoing in the air.

“ROAR!”

Seeing this, the captured Flood Dragon Python finally understood what a “Black Tortoise Banquet” entailed. It let out a terrified roar, struggling to escape from the Little Chick’s claws.

But after just a few pecks from the Little Chick, its head was smashed to pieces.

“Clean these up, toss everything into the turtle shell, and add some Celestial and Earthly Treasures for a stew. The Cultivators from Jinyun Valley and the Pill Hall can have a share of the meat. As for the other Halls, forget it,” Chen Che said with a wave of his hand.

Naturally, Chen Che didn’t need to get his hands dirty with preparing the ingredients.

Zhao Shifeng and Chen Xi volunteered to skin and gut the Flood Dragon Python. Meanwhile, the old man pried open the Profound Turtle’s plastron and discovered a jade-white turtle egg as large as a bamboo hat inside. He turned and handed it to Chen Che.

“Can it still hatch?”

Chen Che’s eyes lit up at the sight of the egg.

‘Although a Profound Turtle is a bit weaker than a Dragon Turtle, if I can raise it, it will be a significant asset in the future.’

“I’m afraid not. It isn’t fully developed. At best, you could make a fried egg with it…”

The old man shook it, and the sloshing sound of egg white and yolk could be heard from within. “These Beast Eggs are pure essence, practically a natural Spirit Treasure. It would be a shame to just stew it. You should keep it for Alchemy.”

Of course, valuable materials like the snake bones, fangs, and eyes, as well as the turtle bones, were all set aside for either Artifact Refining or Alchemy. As for the shell, since there wasn’t a pot large enough to cook the Black Tortoise Banquet, they were using the shell itself as a cauldron. They would have to wait until after the feast to properly process it.

When they heard the Profound Turtle and the Flood Dragon Python were being made into a “Black Tortoise Banquet” for Jinyun Valley and the Pill Hall, the Cultivators from the two Halls stopped their sparring. They all rolled up their sleeves and eagerly started building a fire under the massive turtle shell.

Many of the Qi Refining Cultivators hadn’t expected to get a share. Their eyes were glued to the enormous turtle shell roasting over the fire, and they looked ready to stand guard with their bowls in hand.

“These are peak Tier Three Demon Beasts! And he’s just stewing them all in one pot?”

“I heard everyone from Jinyun Valley and the Pill Hall gets to eat. And that’s not all—they’re throwing in a bunch of Celestial and Earthly Treasures too.”

“Why wasn’t I born in Jinyun Valley? I’d be happy with just a sip of the broth.”

When members of the other Halls heard the news, they were so envious they were practically drooling.

It was a classic case of the grass being greener on the other side. Many began to discuss Chen Che’s incredible generosity.

“What are you all gawking at? It’s just a cheap trick to win favor! Is one Profound Turtle and one Giant Flood Dragon even enough for a thousand people?”

Duobao, having just returned from Dragon Gazing Mountain, saw the bustling camp and heard the murmurs of the crowd. He scoffed, flicked his long sleeve in anger, and turned back toward his own camp. As he left, he shot a glance at the Spirit Treasures floating in the turtle shell stew and muttered resentfully.

“Tossing in so many Spirit Treasures… I hope it turns into a pot of Poison Pills and kills all you gluttons.”

A few nearby Tributors exchanged awkward glances but said nothing.

Only after Duobao had left did they shake their heads helplessly.

‘Even if it is a ploy to win support, it’s still a rare display of magnanimity. Some people wouldn’t even part with this much.’

After all, these two Demon Beasts were incredibly powerful.

If they had acquired them, they would have imprisoned the beasts, even if they refused to submit. They would have spent decades, even a century, trying to tame them. Only as a last resort would they be slaughtered for meat. And even then, only their most trusted inner circle would get a few sips of broth; they’d keep the lion’s share for themselves.

「That night.」

All the Cultivators who had survived the ambush in Chu State had a brief rest, then enjoyed a rich “Xuanwu” feast. The atmosphere in the camp grew lively once more.

Victory brought many tasks, but so did defeat.

In his camp, Chen Che reviewed the battle report for Jinyun Valley and the Pill Hall. Total casualties amounted to twenty-five percent.

There were no losses among the Golden Core Cultivators, but the Foundation Establishment stage had taken the brunt of it, with over three hundred killed in action.

Their remains had been cremated, placed in urns, and labeled with their names. Soon, they would be sent back to Jinyun Valley.

Of course, their situation was still considered relatively good.

The ones who suffered the most were the Star-Picking Sect’s Array Hall. They had been attacked by a dozen of Mist Rain Tower’s smaller Halls. These small Halls were affiliates of Mist Rain Tower, their power structure similar to Jinyun Valley’s own Sacrificial Hall—

an elite force used as the tip of the spear!

It wasn’t a Hall that just anyone could join.

Caught by a surprise attack, the Cultivators of the Star-Picking Sect’s Array Hall were utterly unable to defend themselves. They didn’t even have time to react before they were wiped out—from their Chief and Deputy Chief down to the last disciple, no one was spared.

The other divisions had fared similarly, with losses ranging from ten to forty percent.

As for Jinyun Valley, if Chen Che hadn’t single-handedly held off Wen Yangxi, their forces would have been annihilated. In that scenario, the two-Sect alliance would likely have been shattered right there in Chu State.

This was no exaggeration.

Wen Yangxi and his two descendants controlled nearly sixty to seventy percent of the Demon Beasts in Chu State. Because Chen Che had tied them down in a difficult battle, the majority of those beasts couldn’t be gathered for an organized assault, which indirectly relieved the pressure on the other Halls.

And of course, there was Wen Yangxi himself. Few could match the Old Hall Master in a one-on-one fight.

If Jinyun Valley had been broken, Wen Yangxi likely would have led the Azure Dragon Hall on a direct rampage. In the battle for Chu State, they could have easily inflated the allied Sects’ casualties to fifty or even sixty percent.

Then, they could have used the Thirteen Water Light Array to cover their retreat and escape the battlefield with ease.

With only forty or fifty percent of their forces remaining, the allies would no longer be able to launch a decisive assault on Mist Rain Tower, and the war would devolve into one of attrition. If the conflict dragged on for decades or even a century, friction would inevitably arise within the temporary alliance. The moment one side acted on its own self-interest, Mist Rain Tower’s defense would have succeeded.

Barring the personal intervention of the two Sects’ Ancestors, there would be no other path to victory.

Fiddling with the Jade Scroll that recorded the casualties, Chen Che couldn’t help but sigh.

‘As I thought.’

‘War is cruel. Whether mortal or Cultivator, in the end, they all become cold statistics.’

“Che’er, even though Mist Rain Tower has retreated, we cannot lower our guard for the next few days. I had someone investigate the Thirteen Water Light Array. It uses thirteen mountain peaks as its Array Foundation, but it doesn’t seal off all of Chu State. Instead, it forms a wall that partitions the sky, stretching for a full 390,000 li.”

Meng Changtu tossed a log onto the bonfire in front of them.

“This is a rare chance for us to recuperate. If Mist Rain Tower were to circle around the Array and launch another attack, they could easily wipe out two or three more of our Halls. And since Jinyun Valley is on the flank, we would be the first to be hit.”

Many of the Cultivators in the camp were already fast asleep, their snores rising in a chorus.

The landscape of Chu State had been transformed into a plain of rolling hills, dotted only by the encampments of the various Sect Halls. A frost-like mist grew thicker, tinged with a bloody hue—a grim phenomenon caused by the evaporating gore of the battlefield.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already sent Jingfeng to keep watch.”

Chen Che nodded.

“I realized as much after the joint-Sect meeting. That’s why I sent the Little Chick to stand guard after we finished the Black Tortoise Banquet. The Star-Picking Sect is on the other flank; they can worry about their own side.”

“So what’s our next move?”

The old man had set aside a good portion of the turtle meat, and several of the Golden Core Cultivators were sitting together, slowly savoring it.

“We’ll follow the main army, but lag behind by half a day. Wen Yangxi suffered a tremendous defeat at my hands; he won’t let this go. Besides, both his son and grandson died by my hand. The fact that he was able to retreat at such a critical moment truly surprised me.”

Chen Che shook his head.

“You’ve already defeated him once. If you fight him again, you’ll surely win,” his father-in-law reassured him.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Wen Yangxi was a Beast Master, but one of his three Demon Beasts was dead and the other two were severely injured. On top of that, the man himself was half-crippled, his combat strength reduced by seventy percent. If they were to face each other again, he would be no match for Chen Che.

Chen Che let out a long sigh.

“Let’s hope so.”