Chapter 1565: Deer Field

Shuojun.

Located in the northern part of Zhuozhou and bordering Zhaoyao Prefecture, Shuojun was characterized by one part mountains and nine parts water.

The Wen family, though its strongest members were merely Golden Core cultivators, held a transcendent status in Shuojun. All surrounding powers deferred to them. This was solely because the Wen family had once produced an elder of Buniangshan. Though that ancestor had long since passed on, and many years had diminished the Wen family's former prosperity, a familial bond still connected them to Buniangshan.

When the Wen family sought help, Buniangshan naturally took it seriously. An elder was immediately dispatched, and fearing the rescue might be too late, they sent an urgent message to Pushan, requesting Qin Sang's assistance.

The rogues' audacity in infiltrating Zhuozhou and targeting the Wen family was extreme, also signaling the escalating chaos in the cultivation world. Qin Sang ordered Xie An to seal Pushan, then flew out, riding his escape light directly towards Shuojun.

The Wen family held exclusive dominion over a vast marsh, a legacy from their ancestor. The Wen family's cultivation ground, known as Wen Family Island, boasted excellent geomancy. With its scenic lakes and mountains, it was a veritable immortal island on land. The island's protective array, personally constructed by their ancestor, far surpassed those of ordinary families or sects.

At this moment, Wen Family Island's main island was overrun with specters, filled with continuous screams. Wen Family Island's protective array had astonishingly been breached. The island no longer bore any semblance of an immortal realm. Most buildings lay in ruins, a pungent smell of blood filled the air, and bodies were strewn everywhere—not just cultivators, but even mortals had been slaughtered. Countless people had died horrific deaths; finding a complete body was difficult, a truly gruesome sight.

In the center of Wen Family Island, a faint, semi-circular azure light shield was visible. This was the only remaining area not breached by the enemy. The surviving Wen family members huddled here, their sole reliance a thin light shield. Every face was etched with terror and despair; the faint-hearted were already crying aloud.

"Boom!""Boom!""Boom!"

The light shield's tremors grew increasingly violent. Outside, bursts of maniacal laughter echoed, each one making the Wen family's hearts pound. They desperately prayed that Buniangshan's experts would arrive before the shield shattered.

A group of people surrounded the light shield, all clad in black robes and wearing ghost-face masks—artifacts deliberately refined to conceal their identities. Those attacking the shield wielded blood swords and human heads, clearly employing demonic techniques. There were quite a few demonic sects in the Central Plains, including some super sects no weaker than Buniangshan, but they differed from the demonic sects of the Northern Wilderness. These Northern Wilderness sects were extremely brutal, intolerable to Central Plains forces, and had all been driven to the Northern Wilderness in the past.

The Wen family resisted with all their might. These attackers had failed to breach the defense for a long time. A figure who seemed to be the leader glanced at the sky, then said in a low voice, "Retreat!" Having spoken, the figure showed no hesitation, put away their blood sword, and swiftly moved to leave. Several of their companions likewise retrieved their artifacts and followed them.

The remaining individuals, however, were displeased. "We're about to break the array! The Wen family had a Nascent Soul ancestor; they must have left behind many treasures. We agreed to split the loot evenly, but you, Wang, are deserting us mid-battle! How could you do this to us?" someone shouted.

The leader, without looking back, sneered, "Wang indeed wanted the Nascent Soul treasures before, but now I've changed my mind. If you acquire the treasures, Wang promises not to take a single item and will congratulate you all. But if you all die here, don't blame anyone on the Yellow Springs Road... Please yourselves!"

At his words, the remaining people couldn't help but curse loudly. They had designed a plan to trick their way through Wen Family Island's protective array, but unexpectedly, there was another spiritual array inside the island, which they had failed to breach despite attacking for so long. Without their helpers, even if they could eventually breach the spiritual array, Buniangshan's Nascent Soul cultivators would have arrived, and they wouldn't live long enough to use any treasures they acquired. Helpless, everyone had no choice but to cease their attack. These individuals flew directly north, scattering like birds and beasts after leaving Wen Family Island.

The Wen family members had narrowly escaped, still reeling from fright. Seeing the horrific scene outside, sadness welled up within them. Some burst into tears upon seeing the bodies of their loved ones, wanting to go out, but were stopped by the Wen family head.

A short while later, a streak of escape light appeared on the horizon, swift as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, it flew above Wen Family Island. Seeing that the arrival was unfamiliar, the Wen family head was startled and swallowed the words on his lips.

"Are you Wen Qi, the head of the Wen family? This humble Daoist, Qingfeng of Pushan, received Buniangshan's message sword and has come to assist."

The newcomer was Qin Sang. He had rushed without pause upon receiving the news, but was still a step too late. He hadn't expected Wen Family Island's protective array to be breached so quickly. The island was in ruins, and the enemies had fled swiftly, leaving no trace. Fortunately, the Wen family had not been wiped out; at least the family's foundation remained.

"Senior, are you Daoist Qingfeng of Pushan?" Only after learning Qin Sang's identity did Wen Qi dare to step out of the spiritual array, falling to his knees amidst the corpses, his robes stained red with blood. He cried out mournfully, "Senior, please mete out justice for the Wen family!"

Qin Sang neither affirmed nor denied, simply glancing around. "Do you know who attacked Wen Family Island? And in which direction did they flee?"

Wen Qi raised his hand, pointing north, a deep hatred in his eyes for the attackers. "The Wen family disciples are always careful in their words and actions, never making enemies. Those people were Northern Wilderness devils, vicious and cruel. They must have coveted the artifacts left by our ancestor. To seize those artifacts, they even sought to wipe out my family!"

Wen Qi's account matched Buniangshan's assessment. Descendants of Nascent Soul cultivators invariably possessed some family assets, enough to tempt unscrupulous individuals to take extreme risks. However, Qin Sang scanned the surroundings and noticed something abnormal, so he asked, "When those devils first attacked Wen Family Island, were they busy with arson, killing, and looting?"

Wen Qi paused, then nodded. He was not foolish; seeing Qin Sang's question, he immediately understood. Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly. Compared to other powers, the Wen family was quite wealthy, so the attackers would certainly have left with a full haul. But these were just ordinary treasures, which could be accumulated through several raids elsewhere. Why risk entering Zhuozhou and offending Buniangshan? Wen Qi repeatedly claimed the attackers coveted the ancestor's artifacts, but the signs on the island indicated otherwise. It seemed as if the attackers had deliberately left an escape route for the Wen family, giving the family head time to activate the spiritual array and call for external aid.

If the reinforcements were their true target, they were likely targeting Buniangshan! Qin Sang had used this kind of stratagem countless times. The stratagem was simple but highly effective!

Qin Sang's eyes flashed; the attackers surely wouldn't have anticipated Buniangshan requesting his assistance. He hadn't been attacked en route, but the elder from Buniangshan who came to reinforce might not have been so lucky!

"Daoist Cheng Weizi will arrive soon. You go back first, and no one is to leave the spiritual array for now!" Qin Sang left these words, ignored chasing the devils, turned, and flew towards the southeast.

Shuojun's scenery was no less impressive than Zezhou's. Qin Sang had no mind for appreciation, contemplating the pros and cons of the situation. He had a bond of shared adversity with Lu Zhang and a good relationship with Buniangshan. If a Buniangshan elder was in trouble, he should naturally offer help. However, he was unsure which force was targeting Buniangshan or what their objective was. If the opponent's strength was too great, and he was outmatched, he would have no choice but to bide his time and seize an opportunity. Qin Sang slowed his escape light, concealed his figure, and proceeded with caution.

After a quarter of an hour, a meteor-like streak of escape light streaked across the sky, heading directly towards Qin Sang's position. Qin Sang secretly gripped his spirit treasure, focusing his gaze, and saw that the approaching figure was indeed Cheng Weizi of Buniangshan. Cheng Weizi's aura was complete; he didn't appear to have been attacked.

"Was I overthinking it?" Qin Sang thought, then revealed himself in mid-air.

Simultaneously, Cheng Weizi's puzzled voice came from within the escape light. "Daoist Qingfeng?" The escape light flashed, and Cheng Weizi landed before Qin Sang. "Daoist, did you come from Wen Family Island? Were those devils who attacked the Wen family eliminated by you?"

Qin Sang assessed Cheng Weizi, then shook his head. "When this humble Daoist arrived at Wen Family Island, those devils had already fled..." He recounted his findings and suspicions, explaining, "I thought there was a conspiracy behind this, and worried that you might be attacked, so I rushed to meet you. It seems I overthought it. Unfortunately, with this delay, it might be difficult to catch those devils..."

As he spoke, Qin Sang saw Cheng Weizi's expression change. "Not good!" Cheng Weizi seemed to remember something, hastily altered his escape light's direction, and without time for a detailed explanation, shot through the air. Qin Sang paused for a moment, then controlled his escape light to follow, drawing abreast of Cheng Weizi. Cheng Weizi cupped his hands at Qin Sang, expressing gratitude.

However, the direction he flew was not back to Buniangshan, but towards a famous mountain range in Zhuozhou—Great Crimson Mountain. Great Crimson Mountain was renowned for its grandeur and vastness, stretching endlessly, second only to Zhaoyao Mountain among the four northern prefectures. The spiritual energy in the mountain was slightly sparse, and there were no secret realms, but it boasted a large number of cave dwellings. Many rogue cultivators and small sects practiced here, all affiliated with Buniangshan.

After flying into Great Crimson Mountain, they passed dozens of peaks. Cheng Weizi then veered his escape light, descending into a very secluded valley. Qin Sang followed, only to see a scene of broken walls and ruins. Several people lay prostrate on the ground, blood pooling beneath them, their auras completely extinguished. Clearly, this place had previously been hidden by a spiritual array that encompassed the entire valley. Now the spiritual array was broken, and the traces were fresh. Besides that, Qin Sang also saw signs of Nascent Soul cultivators having battled. Both sides of the conflict had vanished, and it was unknown who had won or lost, or what had been stolen.

Cheng Weizi's face was bitter. "To tell you the truth, Daoist, there was originally a Heaven-Earth Spirit Tree here, a rare Crimson Jujube. Consuming one Crimson Jujube every thirty years provided considerable benefits even to Nascent Soul cultivators. The Crimson Jujube Spirit Tree was the Changfeng Sect's protective treasure, and each time it ripened, we would exchange for a portion with them..." As he spoke, Cheng Weizi flashed into the depths of the valley, finding a clear spring. Beside the clear spring was a large pit, from which the spirit tree had been dug up whole.

Qin Sang glanced around and asked, "Is the Changfeng Sect Master also a Nascent Soul fellow Daoist?" Cheng Weizi nodded. "His cultivation is similar to mine. Our sect has several cultivation grounds in Great Crimson Mountain, and elders often cultivate here. Currently, only my senior brother Cheng Shenzi and I are present."

Qin Sang chuckled. The attackers had gone to such lengths; it seemed they were after the Changfeng Sect's spirit tree. Attacking Wen Family Island had been a ploy to lure Cheng Weizi away. The loss of the spirit tree was a foregone conclusion. It was unknown if the Changfeng Sect Master was dead or alive.

Neither dared to hesitate. Cheng Weizi sent a message back to his sect, then pursued the trail. "Is Daoist Cheng Shenzi not in his cave dwelling at this moment?" Qin Sang pressed. Cheng Shenzi's strength was said to surpass Lu Zhang's; he was Buniangshan's overt second-strongest expert, second only to the Sect Master. However, due to a severe injury he once sustained, which left him with a chronic ailment, his potential was greatly diminished, and his cultivation had stagnated for many years. With Cheng Shenzi stationed in Great Crimson Mountain, the attackers should not have been able to succeed so easily.

With things as they were, Cheng Weizi no longer concealed anything. "Daoist, you likely haven't received the news yet. A few days ago, word came from the East Sea that someone saw a strange phenomenon near the Chinan Island Chain, suspected to be the emergence of the Wuwang Palace ruins. That's secondary; there were also quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators from Eight Scenery Temple and Sweet Dew Zen Monastery appearing nearby. The Sect Master and my senior brother went to the East Sea together, and we didn't expect trouble to erupt as soon as they left."

Chinan Island Chain! Wuwang Palace! Qin Sang certainly hadn't forgotten the upheaval thirty years ago. He was a direct participant, but having actively withdrawn, he was unaware of the aftermath. He hadn't expected the turmoil to brew for so long before finally erupting now.

"Are you sure it's Wuwang Palace?" Qin Sang hastily pressed. Cheng Weizi shook his head, distracted. "They say the target has been located; news should come soon." A look of doubt flashed in his eyes. "The Sect Master and my senior brother only went to the East Sea less than three days ago, and they left secretly. How did these devils know?"

Qin Sang's expression subtly shifted, but he didn't voice his thoughts. There were only two possibilities. Either those devils had received intelligence long ago and were closely watching Cheng Shenzi's cave dwelling, acting immediately upon his departure from Great Crimson Mountain. Or... there was an internal problem within Buniangshan. Cheng Weizi had clearly thought of this too, and his expression grew even grimmer.

As they spoke, the two pursued the trail out of Great Crimson Mountain. The traces became scarcer and scarcer. After chasing for an unknown distance, they finally found the Changfeng Sect Master. The Changfeng Sect Master sat cross-legged on a mountaintop, his Daoist robe wrinkled, his figure somewhat desolate. Seeing Cheng Weizi's arrival, he could only offer a bitter smile.

After their exchange, they learned that only one person had actually stolen the spirit tree. "Did you recognize his identity, Daoist?" Cheng Weizi said gravely. Excluding Lu Zhang's injury last time, Buniangshan hadn't suffered such a significant loss in a long time. The Changfeng Sect Master hesitated slightly. "Though this devil deliberately concealed himself, he revealed some clues when resisting my 'Confused Wind Stab'. However, I've only seen it mentioned in ancient texts, so I don't know if I'm mistaken... It strongly resembles the legendary Dragonbane Demonic Art!"

"Old Demon Lu's Dragonbane Demonic Art?" Cheng Weizi exclaimed in shock.

Qin Sang's pupils constricted slightly. He wasn't familiar with the Dragonbane Demonic Art, but he knew that "Old Demon Lu," as Cheng Weizi called him, was a Deification cultivator in the current demonic path. This demon's Daoist sanctum, Luye, was located in the Northern Wilderness, and Old Demon Lu's title was derived from 'Luye'. This was because no one knew Old Demon Lu's true Daoist title. This individual was extremely mysterious, disappearing even earlier than True Monarch Danyun and Saint Huiguang. Hundreds of years ago, he vanished without a trace, sealing off the Luye Plain and retreating from the world. Over the years, there had been no shortage of individuals claiming to be Old Demon Lu's successors, but they were all later proven to be fakes. There were rumors that Old Demon Lu had ascended, and others speculated that he had been eliminated by a joint effort of the Buddhist and Daoist factions.

"Is Luye also emerging?" Qin Sang mused inwardly. With the emergence of the Wuwang Palace ruins, Eight Scenery Temple and Sweet Dew Zen Monastery no longer silent, the Gu God Sect lurking in the two Southern Barbarian Prefectures, and Luye possibly emerging in the Northern Wilderness, the world's grand trends were becoming increasingly unfathomable.

After discussing, Cheng Weizi and the Changfeng Sect Master decided to continue their search, hoping to find further clues. Just then, Qin Sang suddenly felt something, and a deep joy flashed in his eyes. He hastily bid farewell to the two and hurried back to Pushan.