Chapter 391: Removing the Captive Damu (Part 2)

Yuan Chengdun's reputation was forged through battle, one strike at a time. When demonic cultivators ran rampant in Mushroom Forest Plain, hundreds died by his hand. Once, three Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators ambushed him alone, but he forcefully broke through their formation and calmly departed.

In comparison, Feather Mountain Elder Xiao Yongling also fought one against three, but he at least suffered severe injuries, and his fame still couldn't compare to Yuan Chengdun's.

"You!" Fu Daimu recognized him and, terrified, shouted, "Fellow Daoist Yuan! I have powerful backing within the sect; do not jeopardize yourself!"

Li Tongya's feat of slaying Maha with a single sword stroke and killing Yu made him famous throughout Jiangnan, truly astonishing and considered among the best. Meanwhile, Yuan Chengdun, also known as "Conquering Green Mountain," ranked among the top ten newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators of the past century. No wonder Fu Daimu was momentarily flustered.

Yuan Chengdun didn't answer him, shaking his head with a half-smile. The Yuan family had far more connections within the sect than the Li family; it was obvious what was going on. He simply found it amusing.

'Conquering Green Mountain is skilled in offense and restraining evil, and his staff techniques are of high quality...' Fu Daimu's expression darkened, and his spiritual power surged; he was already thinking of retreating. However, with the grand formation active, escaping was one thing, but his Dao companion was still in seclusion at Great Jue Court, attempting a breakthrough. He knew he couldn't abandon his base without losing everything; he was likely doomed.

Li Yuanjiao and the others on their side wouldn't give him a moment to breathe. Various spells and sword qi rained down. Zhele Dai activated his incomplete twin swords to defend, quietly saying, "Senior Brother! Where did Vairaja get so many people? Today might not end well..."

Fu Daimu's spiritual sense repeatedly swept through the air, trying to locate the vanished Vairaja. Black qi surged in his hand, and with a palm strike, he shattered the incoming sword qi. His expression grew even darker as he gnashed his teeth, "I underestimated this Vairaja! On one hand, he constantly flattered and begged for mercy, on the other, he was planning to ambush and kill me... If I had known, I would not have trusted him so easily!"

Zhele Dai was fully focused, emitting waves of spiritual light. He held his sword horizontally, blocking an attacking water dragon with it, and secretly communicated with spiritual power, "Senior Brother! Things have come to this; it's difficult for both of us to survive. You have the Profound Clarity Escape Technique, please leave quickly; I will cover your retreat."

Zhele Dai was originally Fu Daimu's attendant, calm and highly talented. He only joined Mount Wu thanks to Fu Daimu's promotion and recommendation. He was fiercely loyal and was now resolved to die.

Fu Daimu gritted his teeth and shook his head. On the other side, Yuan Chengdun had already struck the Human Head Mountain until it creaked under the strain. Just as Fu Daimu was about to speak, a red light suddenly burst forth in front of him, startling him so much that he clasped his hands together, his soul almost leaving his body.

At that moment, his Immortal Foundation's 'Soul Descent' technique activated. A black light emanated from his entire body, like gauze or mist, drifting outwards, accompanied by a piercing shriek. This caused the few early Foundation Establishment cultivators to momentarily pause in surprise.

"Clang!" Black light surged from Fu Daimu's hands as he seized Vairaja's magic sword. Red light pulsed on the blade, burning his hands until black smoke rose. He then spat out a stream of black light, forcing Vairaja back, finally letting out a breath of relief.

Although Vairaja had high talent, he was ultimately from a less formal background. Aside from Mount Wu's sorcery, the several second-grade spells he had learned on his own weren't very powerful. He relied solely on the profound mysteries of his Immortal Foundation to make Fu Daimu wary. He wasn't disappointed; he simply pulled back and vanished.

Zhele Dai let out a sigh of relief as he fended off Li Wushao's attack. He urgently whispered, "Senior Brother, don't wait any longer!"

Fu Daimu also understood he couldn't delay any longer, so he quickly formed hand seals to cast spells. The Human Head Mountain emitted a brilliant black light, momentarily overshadowing Yuan Chengdun's golden radiance. He then threw out three talismans that glowed with a dazzling golden light, activating his sorcery.

As Fu Daimu unleashed a series of techniques, Zhele Dai's body also surged with a bloody light. His lifespan and vital blood burned, and dazzling spiritual light emanated from his twin swords. Changing from his previous defensive posture, he attacked ferociously, like a wolf or a tiger.

Vairaja suddenly reappeared, his magic sword dancing in his hand, spraying red light, and shouted, "He's about to use an escape spell! Don't let him get away!"

When the Li family suffered disaster years ago, a demonic cultivator had also used an escape spell, transforming into a red light and departing. The Li family had no means to stop him and could only let him go.

Escape spells are different from evasion techniques. Most evasion techniques only provide a speed boost, while escape spells primarily involve transforming one's form and moving through obstacles. They can even traverse dangerous lands and grand formations, making them very difficult to cultivate.

Seeing Fu Daimu unleash talismans for protection, Li Yuanjiao almost immediately guessed his intent. He pressed forward, saying gravely, "First, we must stop Fu Daimu!"

If a late Foundation Establishment mountain Yue from Mount Wu were to escape, the Li family would face hard times thereafter. The mountain Yue had nothing to lose, while Li Yuanjiao and Yuan Chengdun had much to protect, making them the most anxious. They moved to engage the enemy.

Yuan Chengdun roared in fury, forcefully flipping the Human Head Mountain that was pressing down on him. His face slightly flushed, he didn't dare to stop for a moment, immediately riding the wind to pursue.

Li Yuanjiao, meanwhile, pressed forward with his sword. He unhesitatingly threw a Foundation Establishment talisman, activating the Jing Dragon King, which manifested as a greenish-gray flood dragon that wildly slammed into the target, creating a series of spiritual power splashes.

Fu Daimu himself had some cultivation in the Dao of Talismans. The three Foundation Establishment talismans he unleashed were very resilient. A continuous barrage of attacks from Li Yuanjiao and Vairaja only barely managed to remove two layers of their defense, while Fu Daimu remained unmoving, seizing the time to cast his spell.

Vairaja's face turned pale; he clenched his jaw and bit off a piece of his tongue. His cheeks bulged, and with a 'puchii' sound, he spat out an arrow of blood that struck the golden light shield, making it hiss and putting it in perilous danger.

Li Yuanjiao acted on instinct. His Azure Ruler Sword leaped up in his hand, thrusting forward fiercely.

"Boom!" A ball of bloody light exploded out of nowhere. It was Zhele Dai, the loyal early Foundation Establishment cultivator, who single-handedly repelled Li Wushao and Zhu Xian. Still having strength to turn around, he brought his two swords together and thrust them with full force towards Li Yuanjiao's back.

Li Yuanjiao had seized a rare opportunity; how could he give up? Behind him, the Six-Stone Cloud Disk suddenly appeared. As a yellowish-brown light circulated, the Profound Mark Bottle ascended with it. The Profound Mark Spiritual Mist activated, blocking the twin swords.

"Clang!" The Azure Ruler Sword easily pierced through the magic shield. The azure-white sword light fiercely sped towards Fu Daimu's face.

"Puff!" The Azure Ruler Sword was forcefully seized by Fu Daimu's bare hand. The sharp sword qi pierced straight through the back of his hand, impaling it. The old mountain Yue's eyes turned crimson with rage, and the spell he was casting was abruptly cut off.

Li Yuanjiao, on his end, also didn't fare well. All his spiritual power and true essence were concentrated on the Azure Ruler Sword, and the Six-Stone Cloud Disk and Profound Mark Bottle were merely activated on the fly. Zhele Dai's twin swords' spiritual power pierced through, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.

Fu Daimu was seething with rage. But with this delay, Yuan Chengdun, who had overturned the Human Head Mountain, was already upon him. Exuding murderous intent, he brought down two golden staves upon him relentlessly.

'The situation is settled.' Li Yuanjiao rode the wind to retreat, took a healing pill, and watched silently.

Zhele Dai was already struggling under the combined assault of Li Wushao and Zhu Xian. Fu Daimu was continuously forced to retreat by Yuan Chengdun's increasingly powerful staff strikes, and he also had to guard against Vairaja. His defeat was now evident.

'Just need to guard against a desperate counterattack.' Li Yuanjiao advanced with his sword, the Profound Mark Spiritual Mist shrouding him, moving along the periphery. He threatened Zhele Dai with his sword, quietly waiting for both of them to exhaust their strength.

Zhele Dai had already used a secret technique, and his aura was rapidly plummeting. Under the assault of three people, he was soon covered in wounds and bloodied holes, his vigor failing. Li Wushao transformed into his true form and shattered Zhele Dai's lower body with a single tail strike. Zhu Xian, with a pull of his vine whip, ripped off Zhele Dai's gnashing head.

"Junior Brother!!" Fu Daimu, who had a century-long relationship with him, shed tears, appearing to be in a frenzy. His spells and Immortal Foundation furiously revolved in his hands, yet he couldn't break free.

Yuan Chengdun, on his side, grew increasingly powerful. Each strike amplified the evil-breaking power of his Immortal Foundation, Conquering Green Mountain. Fu Daimu couldn't form his hand seals, and his face showed despair and madness.

Li Yuanjiao saw Fu Daimu's expression change several times, as if he was about to fight to the death. Standing far away in the air, he only hoped that the old mountain Yue, if he went berserk, wouldn't break the formation, as his family couldn't afford the damage.

Kong Tingyun's formation plate was very durable, belonging to the Jade True lineage. It could maintain a Foundation Establishment mid-stage standard whether in water, fire, sky, or on land. After a battle, it only lost five or six spirit stones and a dozen jade stones. Li Yuanjiao liked it very much and coveted it immensely.

'I wonder how many spirit stones it would take to buy this formation plate. If this thing were to be broken, it would truly bankrupt us.'

While he pondered this for a moment, Fu Daimu was already fighting desperately, enveloped in a bloody mist. Li Yuanjiao distanced himself, hiding within the Profound Mark Spiritual Mist. He waited vaguely for a moment until a bloody wind swept past, and the old mountain Yue's head had been smashed into pieces.

"Brother Jiao, are you alright?" After a battle that heavily depleted his true essence, Yuan Chengdun still flew over with considerable concern. Li Yuanjiao shook his head slightly, thanked him, and put away the formation plate.

The grand formation separating the inside from the outside had just been put away. Outside, the mountains and plains were covered in white insects, so densely packed that there was no place to step. Vairaja nodded, "He's indeed dead. Such a phenomenon is the sign of a Soul Descent Immortal Foundation's destruction."

Li Yuanjiao drew his sword and said gravely, "We must eliminate evil thoroughly. We've been fighting here for a while; there are still remnants in Great Jue Court. We should quickly go and eradicate them before anyone learns of this and seeks revenge."

Vairaja nodded and tossed out Fu Daimu's storage bag. Li Yuanjiao took it as well and said gravely, "We'll divide the spoils after this matter is resolved."

Great Jue Court was an ancient city, majestic and magnificent. At its peak, it had a population of 100,000. After being used by Fu Daimu for decades, its population was now less than 10,000, mostly women dedicated to reproduction, and the city was desolate.

The fertile land of Jiangnan nurtured its people. Seeds sown one day would sprout the next, and one *mu* of land could support a family. The population grew in successive generations, like crops from the land. Fu Daimu had reaped many benefits from this during his decades of cultivation.

The massive stones were polished smooth and flat. A few scattered mountain Yue soldiers stood upon them, making the scene desolate. As the Foundation Establishment cultivators flew past, not even a single Qi Condensation cultivator rose up; only a mass of mortals knelt and kowtowed.

Upon reaching the royal court of Great Jue Court, they finally saw hundreds of large copper pillars standing, with scattered individuals tied to them. Most were already dried corpses, while a small portion still had a breath left, all of them Fetal Breath cultivators.

Li Yuanjiao and the others directly entered the palace, breaking through the formation. They searched for several secret chambers, opening them one by one. Finally, in the deepest part, they found Fu Daimu's Dao companion, who turned out to be an old woman. Vairaja stepped inside and twisted off the head of the woman, who was seated cross-legged.

Fu Daimu had been very meticulous; the shielding formation within the chamber was exceptionally intricate. So much so that the group was unaware of her presence until they were right in front of her. She had a smile on her face, likely because she was at a critical point in her cultivation.

Before this woman were various evil and bloody items. Li Yuanjiao briefly glanced at them, and Zhu Xian collected them all.

The group searched separately for a while. Fu Daimu had no intention of establishing a sect; all his sorcery and secret techniques were memorized. This made Vairaja curse endlessly. They only found a few spells in Zhele Dai's secret chamber, which was better than nothing.

They opened the two mountain Yue's storage bags, spilling spiritual items all over the ground. Fu Daimu and Zhele Dai were mountain Yue after all, so there wasn't much else of note. However, there were five precious medicines in total, their five jade boxes gleaming, making everyone covet them.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered back together. First, they exchanged and recorded a few minor secret techniques. They laid out their gains and collectively looked at the Human Head Mountain, which had reverted to its original form and was greatly depleted in vitality. It was now the size of a human head, densely packed and eerily black.

Although Fu Daimu's talent in artifact refinement wasn't particularly good, his entire cultivation was focused on refining this object. It cost no less than eighty thousand, if not a hundred thousand, lives to create, making it worthy of the Foundation Establishment cultivators' attention.

'Even encountering Conquering Green Mountain, who happens to be his perfect counter, it still held out for a full stick of incense... It truly is a formidable weapon.'

Yuan Chengdun unceremoniously picked up the object and said, "This item should not be used again. I will take it back to the clan for re-refinement."

Yuan Chengdun had contributed the most attacks in this encirclement and kill, so there was naturally no objection to him choosing first. Vairaja, from the side, simply cupped his hands and said, "Brother Jiao, please!"

Li Yuanjiao also didn't stand on ceremony. He swept his gaze over the items and spoke first, "I need to take out a few precious medicines first, to cultivate connections with those in the Fuchen Peak of the sect. If that Peak Lord has a need for precious medicines in the future, I'll have to trouble you two fellow Daoists."

"Naturally." Zhu Xian and Vairaja nodded in agreement. Yuan Chengdun, meanwhile, seemed thoughtful. Li Yuanjiao put away three precious medicines, indicating they were for networking purposes. He then took a Clear Cloud Elk Fruit, an item capable of solidifying true essence and regenerating severed limbs.

Watching Li Yuanjiao take the fruit, Li Wushao, who had been eagerly watching, finally secretly let out a sigh of relief. He knew he would definitely be choosing last, so how could he still get a precious medicine? He thought to himself, "As long as this medicine is in master's hands, there's at least hope of getting it... Perhaps I won't have to spend decades just to repair my tail hook..."

Vairaja naturally took the last precious medicine, the Wall Mountain Primeval Flower, which could aid cultivation and increase spiritual power. The remaining miscellaneous items were divided equally between Li Wushao and Zhu Xian. Their value wasn't high, but it meant they hadn't come in vain.

Apart from these two, Yuan Chengdun received a Foundation Establishment artifact, and Vairaja's territory had doubled. Both were in excellent spirits.

The group flew out on the wind. Yuan Chengdun smiled, cupped his hands, and bid farewell. Vairaja gazed at the furnishings of Great Jue Court with considerable satisfaction. Li Yuanjiao, fearing he might follow Fu Daimu's example, reminded him, "Fellow Daoist... if you intend to cooperate, do not emulate Fu Daimu. My family's... that person... absolutely detests such methods. Please be extremely careful."

Vairaja was slightly startled, then hurriedly said, "Naturally! Naturally!"