Yellow Court Daoist

In the desolate void,

Specks of starlight interspersed the darkness, bringing a hint of vitality.

Far in the distance,

A light burst forth. The light twinkled, each flicker spanning a tremendous distance. Only upon closer inspection did it reveal itself to be an imposing city.

The walls stood eighteen zhang high.

At each side, powerful warriors clad in armor stood firm with weapons in hand, keeping watch in all directions. From within the city, only rows of buildings could be glimpsed; the exact nature of their existence obscured by the shimmering light, eluding clear sight.

Yet atop one of the city gates, a female cultivator in an amber Daoist robe stood resolutely, sword drawn, gazing far into the distance.

Beneath her, on the city gate tower, the words "Han Ling City" danced like dragons and phoenixes, exuding mystery.

Even a passing glance from a Jiedan True Man or a Primordial Spirit True One could ensnare them; those with evil intentions would lose their way, their mana running wild, whereas those with good intentions would see their spirit light burst forth, advancing their Dao ability significantly.

Indeed, the line between good and evil marked the difference between life and death.

In the void, one may travel without knowing how long or how far.

On this day,

Amidst layers of darkness and boundless solitude, a stretch of land suddenly appeared.

Gazing intently,

One could barely make out the intertwining mountains and rivers, undulating hills and valleys, constantly changing. Stars encircled from the outside, clouds coiled within. The land and waters hidden, only the surging Gang Wind could be seen within the Nine Heavens Gang Wind Layer.

"Mountain and Water Realm!"

Han Ling'er fixed her eyes on it. Inside the Mountain and Water Realm, strands of black Qi intertwined, and blood Qi permeated the air. Her eyes narrowed, "I'm too late!"

Her heart sank.

In a few flashes, she was much closer. On closer inspection, her eyebrows furrowed once more, "No, this Blood Evil Tribulation Qi shrouds the Mountain and Water Realm, but it's slowly dissipating in the Void, clearly the tribulation has passed."

She harbored doubts.

She swiftly maneuvered "Han Ling City" to just above the Mountain and Water Realm.

"First, let's go in and see the situation."

As the War City returned to its place, Han Ling'er's figure flickered, and her Dharma Body flew out with the strength of an Initial Ascension Primordial Spirit. She dove down, vanishing amongst the Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

Yet she did not stop.

"No matter the situation within the Mountain and Water Realm, first seal it inside and out, then search for the whereabouts of the Star Absorbing Demon Spirit."

Han Ling'er contemplated.

Hum!

Beneath her, Han Ling City vibrated as though a nameless Great Array had been activated. An indescribable Qi spread out at a speed even faster than lightning, radiating from Han Ling City towards the entire Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

At this rate,

In less than three days, it could envelop the entire Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

By then,

Unless Han Ling'er opened the formation, no one from inside could come out, and no one from outside could enter. This would resolve the threat of the Star Absorbing Demon Spirit to the Three Mountains and Nine Waters from the root.

...

"Eh?"

In the Three Mountains and Nine Waters,

Within Yuan Gui City, Lu Qingfeng sensed the movements outside the Three Mountains and Nine Waters and felt the sealed void, raising an eyebrow. His first thought was of that Fifth-Order Star Absorption Lord, but then he realized it wasn't a demon.

"Has an Upper Realm powerhouse arrived?!"

Lu Qingfeng thought of the Upper Realm powerhouses that had yet to arrive.

Heavenly Listening and Earthly Viewing Great Method!

With the thought,

The Great Method unfolded, his eyes piercing through the spatial barriers, to see—

Above the myriad stars, outside the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, an imposing city stood erect. Centered around the city, streaks of flowing light enveloped the entirety of the Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

"War City!"

Lu Qingfeng recognized that this city was a War City just like the Yuan Gui City he currently occupied.

But while Yuan Gui City was severely damaged, this War City with "Han Ling City" flying high above its gates was in pristine condition. Tall walls towered with complete buildings within.

Even as he watched,

Thirty-six giants radiating earthy yellow light burst out of Han Ling City. As the giants emerged, they stepped on the void, their arms extending infinitely, snatching the stars floating aimlessly apart.

Roar after roar!

Roar after roar!

Grabbing stars as if scooping water, they even rubbed the stars together at will, colliding them into clouds of dust. Amidst the thunderous blasts, with Han Ling City as the center, an artificially created landmass appeared above the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, spanning the void.

In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth were transformed, and a new continent was created.

This realm was divine, unfathomable to mere mortals. Witnessing this, Lu Qingfeng's gaze fell upon the thirty-six earthy yellow giants, with a glimmer appearing in his eyes.

"If I properly cultivate the 'Moving Mountain Warriors' to reach the Fourth Rank, could they achieve the level of these giants, their every gesture capable of plucking stars and shifting mountains?"

Lu Qingfeng saw that the earthy yellow giants were also a kind of Daoist Soldier, and he compared them to the 'Moving Mountain Warriors' he obtained in the Barbarian God Realm. However, the Moving Mountain Warriors had limited use and were difficult to refine; he had not yet attempted to cultivate them to the Fourth Rank level.

For the time being,

It was difficult to make a comparison.

In the void, such a commotion had already alarmed all around.

Roar after roar!

A star suddenly crashed down, heading straight for Han Ling City.

"Whoa~!"

A howl resounded, revealing boundless demonic might.

"It's the Star Absorption Commander!"

Lu Qingfeng waved his hand nonchalantly, just seeing the formidable figure of the Star Absorption Commander flapping its wings, following the star towards Han Ling City.

"Trying to challenge the War City with its power alone?"

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

He had Yuan Gui City, although in utter disrepair, he knew the might of a War City. In terms of agility, perhaps the War City was not as flexible as a common Mahayana True Immortal. Yet when rooted in one place, in a set battle, the power the War City could unleash was beyond what an ordinary Mahayana True Immortal could contend with.

Despite the Star Absorption Commander's strength, this action was rash.

Continuing to watch,

The star smashed down.

The thirty-six earthy yellow giants threw a punch in unison, blowing the star to pieces. Then the Star Absorption Commander swooped in, its wings jerked, claws waved, and it was about to shred the earthy yellow giants to bits.

Boom!

Whoosh!

A single sound echoed, followed by the whir of something slicing through the air. Like a streak of starlight flickering into existence, a slender bolt gleamed as it hurtled through the void, aimed directly at the Star Absorption Commander.

Lu Qingfeng fixed his gaze intently ahead.

What he saw was a crossbow bolt radiating pinpricks of starlight—three zhang in length and as thick as an arm. Forged from an unknown metal, it was immediately clear upon sight that this was no ordinary projectile.

"The Star Destroying Crossbow!"

The Star Absorption Commander let out a shrill cry but dared not face the starlight bolt head-on. With a beat of its wings, it astonishingly dodged the bolt and continued its flight, hurtling toward Han Ling City.

"The Star Destroying Crossbow?"

Lu Qingfeng watched as the starlight bolt disappeared into the depths of the void, his gaze shifting toward the half-destroyed wall of Yuan Gui City.

Atop the half-wall stood two bed crossbows, like ferocious beasts atop the battlements, dubbed the 'Demon Extermination Crossbows.' Alas, essential components of both crossbows were damaged beyond repair, rendering them obsolete. However, a bundle of their bolts remained, each one forged from Shining Black Stone and meticulously crafted by an Artifact Refining Master, engraved with layer upon layer of arrays.

These bolts were exceptionally durable, with lethal effectiveness.

When employed in concert with the Demon Extermination Crossbow at full power, even common True Immortals would struggle to withstand the impact.

Of course.

Mahayana True Immortals and Fifth-Order demons possess incredibly fast reflexes and speed, making it difficult for even the powerful Demon Extermination Crossbow to land a hit.

But the weapon was a boon on the battlefield.

Discharged into the throngs of demons, it would deal death if it struck or grave injury if it merely grazed any demonic being below the Fifth-Order—a peerless weapon of slaughter on the battlefield. Even during Yuan Gui City's heyday, there were only eighteen Demon Extermination Crossbows in total.

"Someday, if I could ponder and manage to repair the Demon Extermination Crossbow, it would add another potent tactic to my arsenal."

"The Star Absorbing Demon Spirit's physical form is powerful, with its wings, claws, and mouthparts as its essence. The mouthparts from the Fourth-Rank Star Absorption Commander could replace Obsidian in crafting bolts for the Demon Extermination Crossbow."

These were the thoughts swirling in Lu Qingfeng's mind.

He looked up once more toward Han Ling City.

The 'Star Destroying Crossbow' within Han Ling City must be an equivalent weapon of destruction to the Demon Extermination Crossbow.

"What a pity."

"It's of little use against the Star Absorption Commander."

However, as this thought crossed his mind, Lu Qingfeng's expression suddenly froze, startled by the scene unfolding before him—

He saw the Star Absorption Commander, having dodged the Star Destroying Crossbow, continue its escape when suddenly a hundred streams of starlight burst forth from Han Ling City, in all directions, left and right, front and back.

In a fleeting moment.

It was as if a titanic warbeast roared into combat, charging straight for the Star Absorption Commander.

"Is this—"

"Using the Star Destroying Crossbow within a formation?!"

Lu Qingfeng's eyes brightened.

The Star Destroying Crossbow, though swift, was easy for the Star Absorption Commander to evade when it came to a single shot. Even a hundred bolts fired simultaneously posed little threat to it. But if infused within an array, with each part working in unison, avoidance becomes much more difficult.

Sure enough.

The Star Absorption Commander fluttered its wings and swung its claws, dodging and deflecting the Star Destroying Crossbow bolts. Yet, it still couldn't entirely escape, and in the end, two bolts struck it—one in the abdomen, one in the lower jaw.

Bang!

The enormous body was flung thousands of li away in an instantaneous blow.

Tumbling incessantly.

But then, with a brisk flap of its wings, it charged towards Han Ling City once more. Judging by its speed, it clearly hadn't sustained any injuries, not slowing down in the slightest.

"Hmm?"

"Such a formidable body, it can actually withstand the blow of the Star Destroying Crossbow?!"

Lu Qingfeng looked at the fleeing Star Absorption Commander, his face showing surprise. The Star Destroying Crossbow was powerful; even he probably could only withstand it by reaching the Primordial Spirit Unification Realm, or perhaps after advancing to Mahayana.

But after all, he cultivates a Supreme Level Cultivation Technique.

And this Star Absorption Commander—

"A Fifth-Order Star Absorption Commander, having devoured who knows how much Essence Qi in its lifetime, has long since forged an invincible body. I'm not sure what level this Gai Zhi is among Fifth-Order Star Absorption Commanders, but with this body alone, even Mahayana True Marvels or those in the Mahayana Enlightenment Realm would find it hard to harm him in the slightest."

"Such an invincible body by nature places one in an unbeatable position."

Lu Qingfeng shook his head.

The Star Absorbing Demon Spirit race, slightly lacking in speed and strength, but their bodily defense is unparalleled.

Today, he has indeed broadened his horizons.

Within the Void of Han Ling City.

Han Ling'er also showed a look of astonishment for the first time, "Truly deserving of the 'Ancient Demon' lineage, this Star Absorption Commander's body is formidable, I'm afraid only those Vajra from the Rashamon Vajra Zen Temple of the same rank could surpass it."

Using up a hundred Star Destroying Crossbows only tested the Star Absorption Commander's tough body, without yielding any results. Even Han Ling'er couldn't help but feel the sting.

"Battling an enemy with the War City is too damaging to the finances."

Han Ling'er dared not use the Star Destroying Crossbow again. As she saw the Star Absorption Commander charging over, with a wave of her hand, three hundred and sixty-five Big Flags emitting brilliant Star Light rose up, fluttering in the wind, crafting a mysterious Star Light Great Array.

Enveloping the Star Absorption Commander completely within it.

Separated by a great distance.

Blocked by the Great Array.

Lu Qingfeng could no longer see what was happening inside.

But the booming sounds were relentless.

About two or three hours later, a crack appeared in the Star Light Great Array, and the Star Absorption Commander shot out, its back sporting a terrifying wound, oozing fresh blood, along with streaks of flickering starlight.

Flapping its wings, it escaped in a sorry state.

Vanishing deep into the starry sky.

Ultimately, Han Ling City had gained the upper hand!

"Huff, huff, huff!"

Inside Han Ling City, Han Ling'er emerged, panting, with beads of sweat on her forehead. Seeing the Star Absorption Commander flying off, she dared not rashly pursue, "In the nearby lands, there is only the realm of living beings called Three Mountains and Nine Waters. This Star Absorption Commander won't easily give up in the face of the temptation of this realm. I'll just familiarize myself with the offensive and defensive strategies of the War City outside the Mountain and Water Realm, and quietly await the battle to come!"

She looked into the depths of the Void.

At this moment.

The spreading mysterious aura of Han Ling City also enveloped much of Three Mountains and Nine Waters, conveniently sweeping over the North Sea. In that instant, Han Ling'er sensed something, her limpid eyes staring into the depths of the Three Mountains and Nine Waters' North Sea. In a flash, it seemed as though her gaze collided with another's, following which she saw an obscure yet familiar aura.

"War City?!"

Han Ling'er was startled at first, but soon her delicate features brightened with a radiant smile, "I wondered how this Star Absorption Commander found the Mountain and Water Realm, it turns out it was attracted by the War City."

Her eyes danced.

She then immediately returned to the midst of Han Ling City.