Cultivation Starting from Full Talent

Chapter 116: Chapter 114 Demon Path Heads South

“Hisss~~~”

Two refining corpses were hit by numerous Fiery Fire Talismans and Cold Wind Talismans. Although the damage inflicted was minor, it was extremely insulting.

Zhao Zhi, sinister and arrogant, had given the refining corpses the spell command of “Kill without mercy anyone who dares to be disrespectful.” Immediately, the two refining corpses roared and brandished their weapons, charging into the Paperfolk.

“Come back!”

Zhao Zhi shouted, but it was already too late.

In the sky, Ning Daoran, holding the Azure Dragon Spear, was already free from the interference of the two refining corpses, and he and Zhao Zhi were now in a one-on-one situation.

A quick decision was needed to avoid prolonged complications!

With this thought, Ning Daoran no longer held back, instantly stirring up the mighty power of the Returning to the True Level of True Yang Furnace Technique!

In an instant, flames illuminated heaven and earth!

Ning Daoran’s body was like a miraculous furnace situated between heaven and earth, capable of evaporating everything!

And at the moment he raised the Azure Dragon Spear, strands of scorching True Yang Intense Flame surged into the spear, turning the shaft of the Azure Dragon Spear glowing red!

“How… how is this possible?”

Zhao Zhi’s eyes widened. He had killed many disciples from the True Yang Peak of Chaotic Sect, and he had even faced Gongyang Yan several times.

Although he couldn’t defeat Gongyang Yan’s True Yang Furnace Technique, Zhao Zhi wondered since when had True Yang Furnace Technique become so formidable that he felt unable to resist.

“Buzz!”

Ning Daoran descended from the sky, the tip of his Azure Dragon Spear enveloping a small sun.

Zhao Zhi roared as his clothes were completely torn, revealing his inner armor.

Moreover, he conjured a Yin Soul Armor outside his inner armor.

“Boom—”

In the midst of a loud explosion and flying sparks, anguished screams of the Yin Souls erupted.

With just one spear thrust, Ning Daoran forcefully shattered the Yin Soul Armor, cultivated by the opponent over many years!

True Yang Furnace Technique, inherently suppressive of Yin Objects and evil spirits, turned out to be Zhao Zhi’s misfortune as he had approached Ning Daoran himself.

Meanwhile, Ning Daoran had two reasons: first, to test his capability to kill a Golden Core Early Stage ghost cultivator, and second, to help his sect eliminate an adversary and reduce the pressure Chaotic Sect faced on the front lines.

“Who exactly are you?”

Zhao Zhi looked terrified, sensing a significant horror approaching.

Ning Daoran didn’t speak but swung the Azure Dragon Spear for the second strike!

“Boom—”

With a heavy sound, Zhao Zhi’s body plummeted, smashing into the forest and creating a bowl-shaped crater!

The force of Ning Daoran’s strike was too profound; nearby trees and grass vaporized, even the earth itself cracked and spread like a spiderweb!

Zhao Zhi’s inner armor shattered into pieces!

Even the part directly hit by the Azure Dragon Spear was completely melted!

With the high tempering heat of Returning to Nature’s True Yang Furnace Technique, it was clear how unbearable the inner armor was, let alone Zhao Zhi who naturally feared pure yang being a ghost cultivator.

Ning Daoran slowly raised the Azure Dragon Spear for the third strike!

“Fellow Daoist…”

From the overturned bowl-shaped pit’s center, Zhao Zhi, bloodied and broken, pleaded tremorously, “I implore you, fellow daoist, to spare me. I am willing… I am willing…”

Too late!

The spearhead struck down directly, instantly smashing Zhao Zhi’s head into pieces!

“Ow, ow~~”

From behind, Big Stupid Deer burrowed out from underground, finally arriving at the battlefield.

However, the battle was already over.

Ning Daoran quickly collected Zhao Zhi’s spiritual artifact and storage bag, then immediately set fire to his body, turning it to ashes.

After losing their master, the two refining corpses stood motionless.

Ning Daoran thought for a moment, retrieved a new Storage Bag, and placed the two refining corpses inside.

Although he had little interest in corpse refining, these two corpses had profound foundations and might be useful in trades involving evil cultivators.

“Little Qing, return!”

With a clap of his storage bag, a trembling Green-clothed Lady transformed into a wisp of green smoke and entered the Green Ghost Flag.

Immediately, Ning Daoran quickly performed a Soul Search on Zhao Zhi.

Pressured for time, he sifted through only what interested him, bypassing Zhao Zhi’s achievements in the Ghost Path.

“Old Lu, let’s go!”

Activating the Soul Searching Technique, he completely dispersed and annihilated Zhao Zhi’s soul, and left with Big Stupid Deer through Earth Tunneling.

…

Several days later.

News of Ghost Ghost Sect’s Sect Master Zhao Zhi’s mysterious death on the battlefield spread.

In a clearing in the woods.

During Chaotic Sect’s Foundation Establishment meeting, Ning Daoran, Han Bing, Lin Sheng, and Lin Zhuojun sat together, while Jiang Yu and Gongyang Yan stood in the middle.

“The current situation is favorable for us,” said Jiang Yu.

“Zhou Zhi of the Ghost Ghost Sect, vile and brutally ruthless, had several encounters with me, but I was unable to kill him.

It’s unknown which of our righteous cultivators managed to eliminate him in a forest to the southwest, but regardless, this will greatly boost the morale of the True Path of Qingzhou!”

“Exactly,” added Gongyang Yan.

“All Elders should continue to hold their positions, prevent the Demon Path from moving south, and keep them firmly pinned here.”

Soon after, the meeting ended.

“Senior Brother.”

Han Bing asked with concern, “These past few days, the attacks by the Demon Path have been fierce. How is it on your end, Senior Brother?”

“Safe and sound.”

Ning Daoran said, “I have crafted a Moon Reflected Water Curtain Array which just came in handy. Junior Sister, rest assured, it will be quite difficult for the people of the Demon Path to breach my area of defense.”

“Right.”

Han Bing nodded gently, though her heart was naturally filled with worry.

The battlefield was chaotic, and no one could predict when or where the Golden Core Demon Elders of the Demon Path would strike. If they attacked Ning Daoran’s defense area, his life and death would still be uncertain.

“Senior Brother Lin Sheng.”

Ning Daoran turned to look at Lin Sheng, noticing the multiple injuries on his body, and frowned, “Senior Brother, it’s not advisable to be too aggressive on the battlefield. The premise of achieving merits is to ensure your own safety.”

“I know.”

Lin Sheng smiled, “Junior Brother should worry more about himself. In terms of combat, I should be no less capable than you.”

“That’s correct.”

Lin Zhuojun laughed, “Junior Brother Ning might not know this, but during this period, Senior Brother Lin Sheng has continuously slain two early-stage Foundation Establishment from the opposing side. This has earned him a reward from our Master.”

Ning Daoran was somewhat speechless and couldn’t say much, as everyone had their own thoughts.

“Junior Sister.”

He transmitted his voice, “Don’t follow Senior Brother Lin’s example. On the battlefield, preserving yourself should come first. Only when it’s absolutely safe should you consider wiping out those from the Demon Path. After all, our goal is merely to stop the Demon Path from advancing southwards, not to eradicate them here completely.”

“I understand, Senior Brother.”

Han Bing’s dimples showed as she smiled, feeling a burst of joy inside.

Time flew swiftly.

Before long, a month had passed.

During this time, Ning Daoran had hardly left his defensive position, maintaining control with a Class A Paperfolk leading dozens of disciples, while he and White Deer stood by in the dark, ready to assist at any moment.

The situation at the Demon Path’s side was also quite strange.

After the death of Zhao Zhi, the Sect Master of Ghost Ghost Sect, the offensive from the Demon Path weakened significantly, with the Golden Cores seldom taking action again.

This situation lasted until one clear morning several days later.

News came from Shanyang County—surprisingly, the Demon Path forces had maneuvered a detour from Kuizhou on the eastern side of Qingzhou, bypassing the defenses of all major sects of the Qingzhou True Path from the northeast, fiercely attacking the southern sects!

Jiang Yu immediately ordered a return to the Chaotic Sect!

A day later, Ning Daoran and the others returned to their sect.

The Sect’s great array had been activated: the Third-tier Lower Grade Sky Gang Hundred Intense Array filled with Spirit Mastery, controlled by thirty-six Array Flags enveloping the Inner Mountain ranges, providing massive protection for the Inner Sect.

However, Qiongbi Peak was in the Outer Mountain!

The Heavenly Gang Hundred Fierce Formation didn’t encompass Qiongbi Peak at all, and the Outer Mountain’s defense was merely an ineffective underground restriction—absolutely incapable of blocking the invasion from the Demon Path forces.

Jiang Yu suggested that Ning Daoran relocate everyone from Qiongbi Peak to the Inner Mountain to avoid the impact of the Demon Path’s invasion.

With no choice, Ning Daoran moved.

He placed the Big Black Fish into a small pond in the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven and, taking Chen Weimo and even Qin Xiang, Huang Shan, Ma Quanyou, and other Spirit Farmers along.

“Uncle, is the situation truly this severe?” asked Chen Weimo.

“Not necessarily.”

Ning Daoran said, “But just to be completely safe, we still need to move to the Inner Mountain. Don’t worry, I have set up a Killing Array in the courtyard. If any Demon Cultivators enter the yard, most likely, they won’t leave alive.”

Chen Weimo gently nodded.

“Peak Master…”

Huang Shan expressed his gratitude, “It’s thanks to the Peak Master’s protection, otherwise we… might have been completely ignored.”

“Exactly!”

Ma Quanyou agreed deeply, “The life-saving grace of the Peak Master, we will all keep it firmly in our hearts.”

Qin Xiang followed with a bow.

These people, now not just cultivating Spirit Rice but also having families, had inadvertently become heads of their households.

As Spirit Rice was expensive, and each of them owned seven to eight mu of Spirit Land with Ning Daoran charging minimal rent, these lands were enough to make them wealthy landlords in the mortal world, with a very high status.

“You all don’t need to be so formal.”

Ning Daoran said, “Having known each other for many years, how could I just watch you die at the hands of Demon Cultivators.”

Everyone repeatedly agreed.

…

Shortly thereafter, everyone from Qiongbi Peak was settled in a stretch of tile-roofed houses in the Inner Mountain, keeping them out of the harsh elements.

Yet with the invasion by the Demon Path imminent, everyone was worried whether their Spirit Fields would be affected.

Considering this, Huang Shan, Qin Xiang, and the others were almost too worried to eat.

Ning Daoran, however, was indifferent; his real foundation lay within the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.

Several days later, the second phase of the Righteous versus Demon battle commenced.

Lead by the Soul Devouring Sect, Heavenly Slaughter Sect, Ghost Ghost Sect, and Yellow Spring Sect, the Demon Path forces rolled down from the north to the south!

But what they hadn’t expected was that array after array, prohibition upon prohibition rose from the ground, surprisingly connecting the arrays of Chaotic Sect, Star Moon Pavilion, Steel Gate Sect, Purple Cloud Sect, and other major sects into one piece, forming a barrier akin to a copper wall and iron bastion that kept the Demon Path forces at bay in the north.

After unsuccessful fierce attacks, the Demon Path forces suffered heavy losses, with Foundation Establishment Cultivators dying almost every day.

…

The bad news was that a contingent of Demon Path forces had moved south through a gap in the arrays, besieging Yellow Dragon Square for over a month.

Eventually, Yellow Dragon Square was overcome and plundered.

The Foundation Establishment Elder, Huang Chengyan, who guarded Yellow Dragon Square, died in this battle.