Chapter 171: Eight Gates Yellow Sand Formation

Spirit spells are immensely powerful, though they require a long cultivation period and consume a significant amount of magical energy. However, when properly coordinated, they can achieve unexpected results.

The massive yellow mountain crashed heavily onto the gigantic cleaver. The purple light barrier caved in significantly, flickered wildly, and then shattered. The entire market town was sliced in half by the gigantic cleaver.

Witnessing this scene, neither Guang Dongren nor Tong Tianqi showed any sign of joy. Although the spirit spells were very powerful, the Four Great Sects of Great Song had managed Purple Moon Market for many years. With relations between the two nations currently strained, the Four Sects of Song should have strengthened their defenses. How could two spirit spells have shattered Purple Moon Market's defenses so quickly?

The market town blurred, dissolving into specks of spiritual light and vanishing.

"An illusion!" Tong Tianqi exclaimed, his expression changing. "This is bad, we've fallen into a trap! Retreat now!"

"Hmph, since you've come, don't even think of leaving," a cold male voice echoed from the sky.

No sooner had the voice faded than a fierce gale suddenly swept through, stirring up vast amounts of flying sand and loose stones. The surrounding environment blurred, and they abruptly found themselves above a boundless yellow desert. A blazing sun hung high in the sky, yellow sand filled the air, and the scorching sun beat down. There was no sign of a single person or building.

A gust of strong wind blew, sweeping up a vast amount of fine yellow sand and transforming it into thousands of foot-long yellow earthen arrows, which rained down overwhelmingly upon Guang Dongren and Tong Tianqi. Their momentum was terrifying.

Guang Dongren's expression remained unchanged. He opened his mouth, and a red light flew out, transforming into a gleaming red cleaver which landed in his right hand.

The cleaver was about a foot long, its blade entirely red. At the junction of the handle and the blade was a lifelike flood dragon's head, with the handle shaped like the dragon's body, as if a crimson flood dragon held the blade in its mouth. This Heaven-Swallowing Fiery Dragon Blade was Guang Dongren's magic treasure, already a first-tier high-grade artifact and not far from reaching the second tier.

Guang Dongren gripped the Heaven-Swallowing Fiery Dragon Blade tightly in his right hand. He swung it at the void and let out a soft cry, "Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain!" A sharp whooshing sound echoed, and a dazzling red blade energy flashed forth, transforming into a massive red tiger. The red giant tiger let out an angry roar, leaped up, and pounced towards the dense shower of yellow arrows.

Tong Tianqi opened his mouth, and a palm-sized yellow command flag shot out. He formed a hand seal, and the flag instantly brightened, its size surging to become a two-zhang long yellow banner. On its surface was embroidered a massive golden eagle. He gripped the yellow banner with both hands, gave it a fierce shake, and a vast swath of yellow hurricanes furiously flashed forth to meet the attack.

The red giant tiger shattered dozens of yellow earthen arrows, but as the dense yellow earthen arrows struck its body, its form became riddled with scars. The yellow earthen arrows struck the yellow hurricanes, turning into piles of fine yellow sand. For a moment, continuous explosions echoed, and yellow sand filled the sky.

The yellow desert below began to shake rapidly, as if something was about to emerge.

"Rumble!"

Two yellow giants, over thirty zhang tall, emerged from underground. They were formed from countless grains of fine yellow sand. After their bodies glowed with a dazzling yellow light, their forms rapidly solidified, the fine sand transforming into earthy yellow boulders. One yellow giant wielded a two-zhang long yellow spiked club, and the other held a two-zhang long yellow greatsword.

The eyes of the two yellow giants glowed with dazzling yellow light, and they swung their weapons, attacking Guang Dongren and Tong Tianqi. Guang Dongren swung the Heaven-Swallowing Fiery Dragon Blade in his hand at the yellow giant wielding the spiked club. A red light flashed, and a red blade energy, over thirty zhang long, flashed forth, striking the yellow giant's head with great force. With a loud bang, the yellow giant was sliced in half by the red blade energy, falling into the yellow desert.

Tong Tianqi fiercely shook the yellow banner in his hand, and countless yellow wind blades shot out, piercing through the body of the other yellow giant. However, very soon, a gust of wind blew past, sweeping up a large amount of fine yellow sand. A yellow light flashed, and the two yellow giants reappeared, once again swinging their weapons and attacking Guang Dongren and Tong Tianqi.

At Purple Moon Market, more than a dozen cultivators stood on the city wall. The auras of four among them were the most powerful: Li Shixian, Li Yang, Zhao Yunxiao, and Wang Huashan. Each of them held a yellow octagonal array disk, which shimmered with spiritual light. In front of Purple Moon Market, there was a massive light yellow barrier.

"It's a good thing we made two sets of preparations," Zhao Yunxiao sneered, his face filled with joy, "otherwise, we would have been caught off guard. Now that they are trapped in the Eight Gates Yellow Sand Array, they won't die, but they'll certainly suffer greatly." They didn't know when the Five Sects of Wei would attack Song, so to guard against them, they had taken out a set of fourth-tier array flags from their sect's treasury and deployed them near Purple Moon Market.

"The Eight Gates Yellow Sand Array is a mid-grade fourth-tier array formation," Li Shixian said with a smile, looking at Wang Huashan, "Although it's a simplified version, only capable of exerting fifty percent of its original power, it's still enough to give them a hard time. However, the Five Sects of Wei wouldn't send just two Core Formation cultivators to lead the charge. Brother Huashan, it's time for you to contribute."

"Fellow Daoists, rest assured," Wang Huashan replied, "I have received my benefits, so I will not stand by and watch. Since the Five Sects of Wei have initiated the conflict, our plans must also be brought forward. We must draw forces from the rear to launch an attack into Wei, and we also need to send someone to inform Tang."

"Daoist Wang, rest assured," Li Shixian said. "As soon as they attacked Purple Moon Market, I already sent disciples to teleport away. They will return to the sect as quickly as possible to deliver the message." They had set up a third-tier teleportation array, capable of teleporting ten thousand li. However, Purple Moon Market was hundreds of thousands of li away from the Four Sects' mountain gates, so it would still take some time before the leaders of the four sects received the news. They had prepared two plans: if the Five Sects of Wei invaded early, they would initiate the war ahead of schedule and conscript cultivating families to participate.

Upon seeing the yellow barrier, Feng Yue and Sun Junyan's expressions turned grim, and Sun Junyan even broke out in a cold sweat. "Madam Feng, do you know what kind of array formation this is?" Sun Junyan asked. "We need to quickly break the array and rescue Daoist Guang and Daoist Tong. If something happens to them, Tang may not honor the agreement, and then if Tang and Song attack us from both sides, we'll be in trouble."

"I am not trapped within the array," Feng Yue said with a solemn expression. "From the outside, it's hard to tell what kind of array it is. However, judging by its range and spiritual energy fluctuations, it should be a fourth-tier array."

"What? A fourth-tier array?" Sun Junyan exclaimed.

"Yes," Feng Yue confirmed, "it should be a simplified version of a fourth-tier array. They wouldn't be able to control the full version for long. Fortunately, this time I brought a fourth-tier spirit talisman, an Array-Breaking Talisman. It can break any array below the fourth tier, but I'm not certain if it can break this particular array. Still, we must try; we cannot sit here and wait for death."

"An Array-Breaking Talisman!" Sun Junyan exclaimed. "Good, let's act!"

Sun Junyan and Feng Yue transformed into two streaks of light and flew towards the yellow barrier. As soon as they approached the yellow barrier, Wang Huashan flew out from Purple Moon Market, blocking their path.

"Wang Huashan," Sun Junyan said with a gloomy face, "this is a matter between our Five Sects of Wei and the Four Sects of Song. Your Wang family should stay out of it. Don't forget, your Wang family conducts business in our Wei nation, and we have provided convenience to you. Don't be ungrateful."

"Daoist Sun," Wang Huashan said coldly, "our Wang family pays rent for our businesses. You didn't just give us shops for free, so there's no question of ingratitude. Furthermore, I am a cultivator of Song. Helping your Five Sects of Wei — *that* would be ungrateful."

The Four Great Sects of Great Song had promised to grant the Wang family five counties' territory after the conflict and had already given Wang Huashan ten Foundation Establishment Pills in advance. Having received so many benefits, Wang Huashan naturally had to show his commitment.