Chapter 719: Removing the Stronghold

The Zhou family, with a legacy spanning a thousand years, boasts over two thousand cultivators and millions of mortals. They control seventy-two islands, signifying their immense power.

Although publicly known to have four Core Formation cultivators, the Zhou family actually possesses six. One Core Formation cultivator is currently traveling, and another is assisting the Whale Gate sect against the Zhang family. This leaves four Core Formation cultivators currently stationed at home.

Zhou Shengtao is the most powerful cultivator in the Zhou family, having reached the seventh level of Core Formation.

The Zhou family possesses four crucial islands: Yuquan Island, Yuxu Island, Ziyang Island, and Heiyan Island. Yuquan Island serves as their main stronghold. Over a thousand years, the Zhou family invested significant manpower, resources, and substantial cultivation materials to elevate the spiritual vein of Yuquan Island to a low-grade fourth tier. This achievement was only possible because the island's spiritual vein was originally a mid-grade third tier; otherwise, the Zhou family could not have upgraded it to the fourth tier.

While Yuquan Island boasts a fourth-tier spiritual vein, the other three important islands have third-tier spiritual veins. All four main islands are equipped with medium-sized teleportation arrays, allowing for mutual support. The sixty-eight outer islands are primarily used for cultivating spirit herbs and spirit wood, and for raising spirit fish.

Beixuan Island is one of these outer islands, notable for cultivating a large quantity of Purple Gold Wood. This wood is exceptionally hard, and specimens over a hundred years old are excellent materials for crafting shield artifacts and refining puppet beasts.

Zhou Ziyang is the resident cultivator of Beixuan Island, an eighth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator. The island houses over fifty cultivators in total: ten at the Foundation Establishment stage and more than forty at the Qi Refining stage. A small teleportation array on the island allows for travel to other islands. Should Beixuan Island come under attack, at least four other islands can provide support.

Zhou Ziyang was meditating and cultivating in his secret chamber, enveloped in a golden light, when the entire chamber suddenly began to shake violently.

Simultaneously, an urgent horn blast resonated from within his robes.

“No! An enemy attack!”

Zhou Ziyang’s expression changed. He quickly took out a blue conch shell and infused it with a spell.

“This is bad, Fifth Uncle! It’s an enemy attack, at least a hundred cultivators. They seem to be from the Thousand Puppet Sect, and most of them control puppet beasts. We can’t hold them off much longer!”

“What about the island's protective formation? Why isn't it working? And the patrolling cultivators?” Zhou Ziyang’s face darkened considerably.

Beixuan Island's protective formation was a simplified third-tier array, far stronger in defense than a second-tier one. It shouldn't have been broken so quickly!

The Zhou family had long since issued orders for all islands to strengthen their defenses against surprise attacks from other forces. Zhou Ziyang had deployed a team of Qi Refining cultivators for patrol. Logically, even if they were defeated, they should have been able to send warning talismans to the resident cultivators.

“I don’t know! All the patrolling cultivators were wiped out before they could send a warning. The island's protective formation was breached in an instant, Fifth Uncle. What do we do?”

“Call for reinforcements immediately! Use the formation to hold off the attacking cultivators for now.”

On Beixuan Island, Wang Qingjun led his clansmen, controlling puppet beasts to attack the Zhou family cultivators.

In groups of five, each cultivator controlled a second-tier puppet beast. These beasts could unleash flames, shoot beams of light, or engage in close-quarters combat, excelling in both offense and defense. The Zhou family cultivators were utterly unable to resist them.

Screams filled the air as Zhou family cultivators successively fell into pools of blood.

High above, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan sat on a colossal cloud, their expressions impassive.

Their plan was to first eliminate the outer islands, focusing on those rich in cultivation resources. Afterward, they would rendezvous to attack the Zhou family’s main island, using a feint to divert attention.

The cultivators attacking Beixuan Island hailed from various factions. Twenty were from the Wang family, while the remaining thirty operated with other teams, sharing profits equally.

The twenty Wang family cultivators split into four groups of five, simultaneously assailing the Zhou family cultivators.

A kaleidoscope of spell lights illuminated the sky, accompanied by continuous roars.

Zhou family cultivators continued to fall. They were simply no match. With over a hundred enemies, most of them controlling puppet beasts, the Zhou cultivators faced attacks from forces several times their number.

After eliminating the enemy, they began to plunder valuables.

“Boom!”

A deafening roar erupted as blinding flames suddenly burst forth from a certain courtyard, engulfing four cultivators who had rushed inside.

Soon after, a second deafening roar sounded. Countless crimson flames erupted from a green pavilion, consuming five Wang family cultivators who had charged in to search for treasures.

The Zhou family had long prepared for this day, equipping important locations with explosive formations. They preferred to destroy their own resources rather than leave them for the enemy.

When Zhou Ziyang saw the white cloud mass hovering over Beixuan Island, his heart seized. He immediately dashed towards a mountain peak densely covered with Purple Gold Wood.

The entire mountain was laced with fire oil. Even if not all the Purple Gold Wood was destroyed, the enemy would not obtain a large quantity, nor would its quality be high.

Just as he approached the mountain peak where the Purple Gold Wood grew, a piercing sound sliced through the air, and a golden spear shot towards him.

Before Zhou Ziyang could react, the golden spear pierced through his head and instantly transformed into thousands of golden ants, which then flew towards the mountain.

A mighty roar!

A tremendous explosion occurred, as a vast expanse of crimson flames suddenly appeared, engulfing all the golden ants.

This area was also rigged with an explosive formation; any unsuspecting cultivator who ascended the mountain would immediately trigger the trap.

Before long, the flames dissipated, revealing the Gold-Devouring Ants unharmed. They were completely immune to ordinary flames; a cultivator, however, would have been in serious trouble.

“Be careful! Areas with valuables are rigged with self-detonating traps.”

Wang Qingjun shouted the warning. Frankly, the fate of the others was irrelevant to him, but they still needed to attack other islands, a task impossible for the Wang family cultivators alone.

The others also noticed the anomaly and dared not trespass recklessly any longer.

Fortunately, not every area was equipped with explosive formations, but some were set with mechanical traps or poisonous mist. The attacking cultivators were caught off guard and suffered many casualties.

“The Zhou family certainly has a fierce temperament, to have set up so many mechanical traps,” Wang Ruyan said with a frown. “We need to adjust our strategy. Let’s not search residences; it’s a small island anyway, unlikely to hold much treasure. We can’t afford to lose more personnel, as we have no way to replenish them.” They had only been assigned just over a hundred people, and excessive losses would be detrimental to the upcoming battles.

“There's a reason the Zhou family has endured for a thousand years. This is the first time I've encountered such a situation,” Wang Changsheng remarked with some surprise. He had participated in many battles but had never before seen such a ruthless opponent. To rig residences with self-detonating formations showed that the Zhou family had clearly prepared for an attack long ago.

“Burn down all the buildings, and excavate the Purple Gold Wood as quickly as possible. Forget about anything else. Anyone who wants to die can go search the buildings.”

Wang Changsheng ordered coldly, and all the cultivators heard his words.

Having witnessed their comrades die in the self-detonating traps, no one dared to gamble with their own lives. They were there to plunder riches, not to commit suicide.

Wang Qingjun led his clansmen towards the mountain peak where the Purple Gold Wood was located, with puppet beasts clearing the way.

Thousands of Purple Gold Wood trees were cultivated on Beixuan Island. The oldest among them were over six hundred years old and could be used to refine magic treasures.

It took them over three hours to cut down all the Purple Gold Wood. Before leaving, they set the entire island ablaze.