Chapter 8: The Battle of Hanxiu Peak (Part 1)

Winding through the artificial rock formations, the original intention was to create a scenic spot for rest, but the gardens of the immortal cultivation families also incorporated some array elements. Although they wouldn't kill enemies, it was normal to get lost and circle back.

Bai Zichen and his companion smoothly reached the vicinity of Hanxiu Peak without rushing out. They only revealed themselves after observing that everything was normal on the main peak and seeing clan members running around hurriedly.

If the raiders had the idea of capturing the leader first and directly rushed to Hanxiu Peak, they would have fallen into a trap.

Clearly, Hanxiu Peak had already received the news and was on high alert. The guards conducted strict inspections on everyone before allowing them to enter. The protective array had been activated, with four-colored spiritual light flashing, enveloping the entire peak.

At this point, Bai Zichen finally let out a sigh of relief, his body drenched in sweat as he collapsed from exhaustion.

The effect of the divine speed talisman had worn off, leaving him feeling drained and weak to the bone.

"Mother! My mother is still at Qingfeng Cliff, I have to go to Qingfeng Cliff!" Bai Fatzhu, after collapsing, seemed to regain his senses, his eyes red as he rushed out.

"If you want to die, go ahead, but I will only stop you once. Think carefully, do you want to let Aunt Song's sacrifice be in vain, or will you cultivate diligently to avenge her in the future?"

Bai Zichen tripped Bai Fatzhu with his foot, speaking coldly to him, then sat down to meditate and recover. Even a little qi cultivation was better than nothing, at least it would make him faster than an ordinary person when fleeing.

Bai Fatzhu, after being scolded, no longer acted recklessly. He fell to the ground, sobbing silently.

Gradually, more clan members gathered on Hanxiu Peak. Some had heard the news, while others, like Bai Zichen, had narrowly escaped the raiders and fled here. The number had already exceeded seventy, accompanied by three to four hundred ordinary people.

The main peak already had ordinary servants, and many more from other peaks had also come to Hanxiu Peak.

Another group of clan members fled in panic, only a hundred feet away from Hanxiu Peak. Just as they showed signs of relief, a black light swept behind them, mowing them down like grass, leaving them lying on the ground, moaning in pain.

"Bold! How dare you kill my Bai family members!"

A roar of anger, a green sword light shot out, entangling with the black light. But after just three to five strikes, it was at a disadvantage and retreated back into the array.

Bai Shun, retreating several steps, spat out a mouthful of blood, his beard turning red, his face pale. It took a while for his complexion to return to normal.

"Grand Elder, are you alright?"

"I won't die!"

The Grand Elder pushed away two clan members who wanted to support him, took out a jade bottle, and swallowed a snow-white pill. "Have the Second Elder activate the Four Symbols of the array, don't be stingy with spirit stones, bring out the box of medium-grade spirit stones from the treasury!"

"Fourth Elder, lead a group to guard the key intersections, and have people bring out all the stored talismans. Also, bring out the ironwood crossbows from the treasury and equip the ordinary descendants. If the array is broken, I will make the Ghost Spirit Sect's demons pay with blood!"

The Grand Elder issued orders one by one, already preparing for the worst.

Today's situation was the most dangerous the Bai family had faced in hundreds of years. The high-level combatants were not at home, and they were cornered on Hanxiu Peak.

Moreover, the opponents were not ordinary raiders but the Ghost Spirit Sect, a major demonic sect on par with the Qingfeng Sect.

For some reason, the Ghost Spirit Sect, risking a full-scale war between sects, had secretly infiltrated the Black Mountain Range and launched a sudden attack.

The Grand Elder certainly didn't think that a mere Bai family was worth the Ghost Spirit Sect's dedicated attack. It was clear that other cultivation families were also under attack. The elite of the entire Black Mountain Range had been lured away by the temptation of the Five Peaks True Man's cave, leaving it at its most vulnerable.

"But if you want to attack the Black Mountain Prefecture, you should attack the Qingfeng Sect first. What good does it do to wipe out our cultivation families?" The Grand Elder, while healing, couldn't understand it.

It could only be attributed to the capricious and unpredictable nature of the demonic sects. It was not impossible that they wanted to eliminate a few cultivation families to enhance their evil reputation.

The person who just fought him, with just three strikes, inflicted serious injuries on him, who was backed by the array's continuous supply of qi. The only possibility was that it was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It should be noted that although the Grand Elder had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, his cultivation at the peak of Qi Condensation was formidable, with abundant qi and the assistance of a flying sword. He could easily defeat an ordinary late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator in a single encounter.

At this point, the masked black-robed cultivators had all revealed themselves, totaling more than thirty.

In terms of numbers, they were far fewer than the Bai family, but their average cultivation was far superior. More importantly, the Grand Elder immediately noticed two particularly formidable enemies.

"Two Foundation Establishment cultivators... The Ghost Spirit Sect really looks up to our Bai family."

The Grand Elder felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but it quickly turned into determination. He dispatched the clan members around him one by one, his long sword resting on his knee.

"The legacy of the Bai family will not be broken in my generation!"

Bai Zichen was grouped with the ordinary clan members, a hand full of ironwood crossbows, each with a small acceleration array drawn on it. Around him were boxes of steel crossbow bolts, each with a penetration rune engraved on the tip, scattered on the ground as if they were free.

These specially processed ironwood crossbows and bolts, when used in combination by multiple people, firing in segments, posed a significant threat even to mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivators.

But late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators were not as afraid. With their advanced cultivation and abundant qi, they could easily deflect the bolts with a wave of their hand, and most were equipped with defensive magical tools. No matter how much the bolts were processed, they were still mundane weapons, and no matter how many there were, they could not break through the defensive magical tools.

Bai Zichen stood on a high platform, the distant area already shrouded in thick smoke. Beside him was a group of trembling ordinary clan members—no matter how much training they had, the innate fear of cultivators was hard to shake off.

The cultivator clan members were not much better. Many Bai family members without combat experience were terrified, their steps retreating further and further back.

This seemingly safe and prosperous clan territory, like a soap bubble, was easily punctured by the raiders.

The famous cultivation families recorded in the county annals often experienced cycles of prosperity and decline over hundreds of years, their legacies broken and descendants wiped out, perhaps facing the same scene as today.

The raiders gathered together, driving array flags into the ground, then quickly dispersed in a peculiar formation. In a moment, the sky over Hanxiu Peak darkened.

"How suddenly so cold!"

A flower farmer beside Bai Zichen shivered. As the sky darkened, the temperature in the air dropped significantly.

A chilling wailing sound echoed, and ghostly green flames appeared. At the positions where the raiders had placed the array flags, fierce ghost heads emerged, charging towards the mountain's protective array.

A hundred ghosts wailed, green flames layered, the scene turned ghastly and green, as if they were in the underworld.

"Bad, it's the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!" The Grand Elder's expression changed, clearly recognizing the enemy's technique. "Second Elder, switch the Four Symbols, activate the Vermilion Bird!"

(End of Chapter)