Chapter 182: Second Brother Gao, Long Time No See

"A turtle in a jar, a trapped beast fighting in vain!" Shan Xiu raised his arm to the sky. From the heavens descended a massive spear of ice, three zhang long, its surface glittering with frost and radiating a murderous chill.

With a sharp command, he shouted, "Go!"

Inside the formation, Zhou Yuanli’s eyes were glued to the sky, watching the enormous ice spear descend like a judgment. He paced the perimeter of the defensive formation with mounting urgency, his face pale with tension.

"Hold on... No matter what, we must hold on!" he muttered under his breath, as if sheer will could strengthen the crumbling defense.

The next moment, the ice spear crashed against the earthen-yellow barrier, producing a piercing screech, like metal grating against bone.

Crack... Crack... Crack...

For several breaths, the two forces clashed before the ice spear dissolved into nothing, leaving behind only a lingering chill in the air. The weakened barrier flickered for a moment before stabilizing, as firm as a mountain once more.

It seemed fragile, but in reality, it was unshakable!

Seeing this, Zhou Yuanli let out a long sigh of relief.

Then he looked down to find the pile of spirit stones beneath his feet had turned into nothing but fine, gray dust.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

“Someone! Replenish the spirit stones!” he shouted. Behind him, several cultivators rushed forward, tossing fresh spirit stones onto the array’s supply nodes.

Outside the formation, Shan Xiu let out a low growl, his breath misting with fury. He glared at the shimmering dome of the Earth Guardian Array, which had now taken on the unbreakable demeanor of a turtle’s shell.

He turned sharply and stormed toward Gao Tingyuan.

"You bastards!" he barked. "Am I the only one actually attacking? Are the rest of you just here to watch?"

Lan Tianyun stepped between them, his expression dark. “Watch your tone. Didn’t Second Brother already send over sixty mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators to support your assault?”

“If a handful of Qi-Refining cultivators could take down a first-tier array, would the Earth Guardian Array even be worthy of its name?”

Shan Xiu was still dissatisfied. His eyes settled on Gao Tingyuan, standing silently beside Lan Tianyun, the man who had issued all the commands so far. And yet, Shan Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that the man had simply been putting on a show.

Gao Tingyuan pushed past Lan Tianyun and slowly stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the massive barrier that enveloped Crescent Moon Valley.

“This has gone on long enough,” he murmured.

Then he turned slightly and spoke to someone behind him. "Fellow Daoist Min, after all this time and all these attempts, have you found a way?"

Shan Xiu was taken aback and instinctively turned to the silent man who had stood at the back all this time.

No, that wasn’t right. He had spoken before. But that had been inside the soundproof array, discussing something with Gao Tingyuan alone.

Now, it all made sense. Shan Xiu and the other mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators had merely been pawns, testing the formation's strength, exposing its weaknesses.

Was he a formation master?

As Shan Xiu’s realization took root, Min Longyu chuckled softly and stepped forward, producing an octagonal formation disk from within his robe.

“Using the earth’s qi as its veins... and the valley’s terrain as its bones...”

"Embrace unity and uphold the center, You reside at the Dui Palace. [1]

"As the earth’s qi dissipates and the valley erodes, the signs now show metal flourishing and earth weakening. Thus, when metal thrives, it strikes; when earth wanes, it crumbles.

"This formation is already broken!"

Laughter grew louder. He tossed the formation disc into the sky, where it hovered above the earthen-yellow barrier of the Earth Guardian Array. Beams of multicolored light continuously radiated from it. Each beam struck the barrier like a mud ox sinking into the sea, causing no visible reaction.

Shan Xiu, Fuzhang, and the other attackers watched in confusion.

Compared to the earlier assault led by mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators, this looked pitiful. But the longer it continued, the more wrong it felt. One by one, the beams sank into the barrier, and the ground began to tremble softly. At first, like the murmur of something buried deep.

Then, the quake spread.

The entire Crescent Moon Valley began to shudder violently. Boulders tumbled from cliff sides. Dust filled the air. Within the valley, cultivators shouted in alarm, either soaring upward on enchanted artifacts or relying on Wind-Control to hover just above the unstable terrain.

Large chunks of rock tumbled down, forcing the valley’s cultivators to either activate their enchanted artifacts and soar into the air or activate Wind-Control to barely lift themselves off the ground.

"Not good, the formation is about to collapse!" Murong Qinglian blurted out.

Gu Caiyi’s expression was tense as she instinctively clutched Luo Chen’s sleeve. "The reinforcements haven't arrived, and the enemy is overwhelming. When the formation breaks, you must protect yourself."

Luo Chen answered only with a faint hum, calm in the face of encroaching ruin. He turned his hand and gently clasped hers in return. Gu Caiyi froze.

In the next moment, she felt something smooth and warm drop into her palm—a blood-red medicinal pill. Her eyes widened, but Luo Chen had already nodded and turned away.

“Sister-in-law,” he called to Murong Qinglian, “help me retrieve the other two alchemy furnaces from the alchemy rooms.”

At a time like this, he was still thinking about that?

Murong Qinglian thought and sighed helplessly and followed him into the alchemy room.

Inside the Alchemy Hall, anxiety roiled like smoke.

Granny Yuan stood near the front, speaking in hushed tones to her eldest son, Yuan Dongsheng. Sikong Shoujia paced restlessly, muttering and cursing under his breath. Zhou Yuanli had gathered Liu Qiang, Dongfang Liang, and several other late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators, whispering rapid orders, his face tight with urgency.

Boom!

A sudden, thunderous explosion echoed through the valley. The Earth Guardian Array was on the brink of collapse!

Within Crescent Moon Valley, every cultivator raised their heads toward the sky.

Above them, hundreds of enemy cultivators filled the sky, densely packed, their silhouettes blotting out the stars. Streaks of spirit light flickered, illuminating the night with dazzling brilliance.

At the front of the formation, a commanding voice rose above the chaos, “On this day, the Dajiang Gang together with the Lianyun Trade Alliance and Xuanyi Society declares war on the Poshan Gang!

“The destruction of the Poshan Gang is inevitable.

“Surrender your weapons. Repent your actions. Your lives will be spared. Those who join the Dajiang Gang shall be treated no differently than before the Great Dao shall remain open to you!”

Hearing these words, the early stage and mid stage cultivators, who had been trembling with fear, now hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

Would they truly be forgiven? Would their treatment truly remain unchanged?

For the first time, uncertainty flickered in their eyes.

After all, the Poshan Gang wasn’t a sect. It had no profound legacy, no guiding elders, no deep-rooted honor. It was merely a gathering of rogue cultivators—without unity, without conviction.

Just as some were on the verge of surrendering, an aged voice rang out in fury. "Do not be fooled by him!

"Dajiang Gang and Poshan Gang have an unbreakable enmity! Have you all forgotten the life-and-death battle on the Debate Platform?

"That short bastard is spewing nothing but nonsense!"

Short bastard...

Pfft!

A few cultivators struggled to suppress their laughter.

Gao Tingyuan was indeed rather short, and among cultivators, his stature was rather distinctive.

But wait—who dared to say that aloud?

It was none other than Elder Sikong!

Sikong Shoujia continued cursing, "And do you really think that surrendering here and now means they will spare you?

"Even if they don’t kill you, do you think they’ll let you keep your spirit stones? Your enchanted robes? The artifacts you’ve spent years earning?

"Everyone, do not believe such baseless lies!"

With this final, thunderous shout, the previously scattered will to fight within Crescent Moon Valley gradually reassembled. Even if not for the Poshan Gang, they had to fight for their own survival!

Most of the enemies outside were mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators. Many among them were also at mid stage Qi-Refining.

Did the enemy truly intend to let them go along with all the resources they carried? These possessions were the hard-earned results of a lifetime’s struggles.

No one would hand them over willingly.

Elder Sikong was right—these were just honeyed words meant to deceive them!

Luo Chen stood between Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi, with Zhou Yuanli and the others behind him, fully prepared and ready to act. He cast a glance at Sikong Shoujia, who was red in the face, bellowing passionately to the scattered defenders. For all his bluster, the old man was sharp—he had seen the truth.

The Dajiang Gang’s offer of clemency was a sham, meant only for the early stage cultivators. For those like them, the late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators, there would be no mercy. Afterall, they needed their spoils of war.

Thus, once the great formation collapsed, Sikong Shoujia and the others would be in grave danger. But if they could rally all the cultivators in Crescent Moon Valley to fight together...

In the ensuing chaos, it would be every man for himself—each with a chance to flee!

Outside the barrier, Gao Tingyuan turned and gave a helpless shrug to the commanders behind him, as if to say, I did what I could.

Fuzhang and Lan Tianyun frowned at his performance, both suspecting Gao Tingyuan had held back deliberately. He could have said more, they knew it. He could have crushed the momentum of Sikong Shoujia’s speech. If he had, the battle ahead might’ve been far easier.

But Shan Xiu was too impatient to notice. He stepped forward and snapped, “Fellow Daoist Min, how much longer?”

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Min Longyu didn’t even flinch. His fingers formed a precise sword seal as he manipulated the floating formation disc. A faint, smug smile played on his lips.

“Soon,” he said, his voice calm. “Very soon.”

He raised his voice, echoing across the plains.

Break! Break! Break!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Beams of light continuously shot out from the spinning formation disc. Each beam struck the Earth Guardian Array, causing deafening explosions.

After eight consecutive strikes, Min Longyu let out a long howl.

"Such a meager formation, how could it stop me? Watch as I shatter it!" He leaped into the sky, grasped the formation disc with one hand, and unleashed a dazzling burst of spirit light before slamming it downward.

Crack!

Like the sky itself collapsing, the Earth Guardian Array shattered. The once-mighty barrier of earthen-yellow crumbled in an instant.

At the same moment, within Crescent Moon Valley, over a hundred cultivators turned into streaks of light, fleeing in every direction.

Seeing this, Shan Xiu took the lead. "Kill!"

Gao Tingyuan's gaze locked onto the Alchemy Hall within Crescent Moon Valley, focusing on the group of cultivators huddled together at its center.

He stepped forward, but his body suddenly froze.

“Tianyun?” he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Second Brother." Lan Tianyun gazed at him with a conflicted expression and shook his head slightly. "Luo Chen must not be killed. The Gang Leader specifically requested him."

"Since when did you side with Wang Haichao?" Gao Tingyuan's expression turned venomous.

"I just don't want you to provoke a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The wrath of an Initiate is not something you can afford to bear."

“Let go,” Gao Tingyuan snapped.

"I..."

"Ridiculous! If you keep hesitating, they'll all escape. I'd love to see how you explain that to Wang Haichao!"

Lan Tianyun was momentarily stunned, and his grip loosened and Gao Tingyuan shot through the air, a blue water dragon streaking across the night sky, ready to kill gods if they stand in my way, kill Buddhas if they block my path [2].

Shouts echoed through the valley. Wails of agony. The wet crunch of flesh torn from bone. Explosions boomed, and thunder roared overhead. Within moments, Crescent Moon Valley was drenched in blood beneath the pale glow of the moon.

There was no mercy for those who resisted.

Slaughter had become the night’s only theme.

Sikong Shoujia wasted no time. With a burst of speed, he unleashed his full power and raced toward the valley’s edge. No one could stand in his way. Mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators crumpled like paper. Even seventh and eighth stage opponents couldn’t delay him for a heartbeat.

But such an aggressive escape made him the most glaring target on the field.

A golden war hammer whistled through the air, descending like a thunderbolt. Fuzhang’s voice followed, arrogant and loud.

“Sikong Shoujia, head of the four elders of the Poshan Gang. Killing you will make the Fu family famous!”

“Must you really drive this old man to his grave?” Sikong Shoujia replied calmly, raising a dark tortoise-shell shield behind his back. The hammer slammed into it with a deafening clang.

Fuzhang paused for a moment, then his expression lit up with joy. "No wonder you've survived until now. So you had such a fine enchanted artifact!"

After his initial delight, he intensified his attacks.

Thus began the first battle between two ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivators in the most straightforward manner.

Seeing that Sikong Shoujia had drawn away the strongest fighter from the Fu family, Granny Yuan nodded toward Luo Chen and the others. "You all should leave first!"

Murong Qinglian hesitated for a moment, her gaze landing on the man standing behind Granny Yuan. She frowned and said, "The remaining formations in the valley won't be able to stop Min Longyu."

"Doesn’t matter, this old woman still has a few tricks up her sleeve." Granny Yuan gave a kind smile, then took her son and flew toward where the Medicine Hall had once stood.

Meanwhile, deep in the valley, someone wandered casually through the spirit fields, seemingly untouched by the surrounding chaos. He occasionally stooped, inspecting small formations hidden among the crops, eyes gleaming with delight.

As for the battles and killings happening nearby, they seemed completely unrelated to him.

When he spotted Granny Yuan flying toward him, he frowned faintly and lazily flung a few array flags into the air.

A brilliant burst of golden light exploded where the flags landed.

In the sky above, Luo Chen moved swiftly with the crowd, heading toward the valley’s exit.

If he were alone, he could have easily escaped without looking back.

But he wasn’t alone. His friends were here.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, he could not bring himself to abandon them and flee alone.

"Hall Leader, we will create an opportunity for you to escape later. I know you're incredibly fast so make sure to seize the chance!"

Luo Chen gazed at the backs of Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang ahead, sighed softly, and moved his lips. “At this point, there’s no need to keep protecting me. Just focus on keeping yourselves alive.”

However, Zhou Yuanli remained silent. Not only him, but Liu Qiang and Dongfang Liang were the same.

Luo Chen suddenly realized something.

Those sent to protect me must have been the ones Mi Shuhua trusted the most. Yet, this group of guards clearly hadn't earned Mi Shuhua's complete trust.

Then why had they been assigned to this task? Was he not afraid that in a moment of danger, they would abandon me and flee?

There was only one possible explanation!

Mi Shuhua must have done something to them. Only this reason could explain why they were still determined to protect me even now.

As this thought crossed his mind, a figure had already blocked their path.

"Dan Chenzi, return the debt of that palm strike!"

It was Shan Xiu, the raiding cultivator from Snow Lotus Market! His battle intent surged as a massive, pitch-black pair of scissors hovered above his head, the very top-grade enchanted artifact that had glowed with dark light when he ambushed Luo Chen previously.

That time, Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang had blocked it together.

And this time, it was the same.

"Get lost!" Shan Xiu roared.

But Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang refused to give an inch. A saber and a sword spun through the air, tightly entangling him.

"Go!"

Murong Qinglian grabbed Luo Chen, shielding him with Gu Caiyi as they flew to the side.

Behind them, the remaining late-stage cultivators of the Poshan Gang were quickly overwhelmed by waves of enemy assaults.

“Stay where you are.”

A weary sigh floated through the air, soft but powerful.

A blue-robed cultivator blocked their path, his robe billowing without wind.

Murong Qinglian’s eyes flashed with frost. Without hesitation, she released her grip on Luo Chen and lashed out first.

“Caiyi! Take Luo Chen and go!” she barked.

“Mm! Sister Qinglian, take care!” Gu Caiyi responded with urgency, her voice tight with emotion. She grabbed Luo Chen’s arm and turned to flee.

But he did not move.

“What’s wrong?!” she demanded, panic creeping into her voice.

“We can’t leave,” Luo Chen replied calmly.

He chuckled softly, his eyes locked on the blood-mist-streaked flood dragon hurtling toward them, its roar splitting the air.

Gu Caiyi's expression changed drastically. It was too fast and she couldn't react in time. Her defensive enchanted artifacts couldn't be activated in time to shield Luo Chen.

Did I just promise to take him away, only to watch him die before my eyes moments later?

Countless thoughts raced through her mind. For a split second, she was dazed—then she saw the four-colored tassels descending from the sky.

Boom!

Luo Chen pulled Gu Caiyi backward with one hand, retreating rapidly.

Above his head, the Four Symbols Cauldron radiated multicolored brilliance. Threads of glowing tassels wrapped around the blue flood dragon.

Suddenly, Luo Chen pushed Gu Caiyi away. "Go help Sister-in-law!"

Gu Caiyi was flung into the air. As she turned back, she saw—

Luo Chen stood in his azure robe, the Four Symbols Cauldron hovering above him, a crimson spear gripped tightly in his hands.

Opposite him, a short and stocky figure reached out. Two glimmering blue short halberds revealed their true form.

"Second Brother Gao, it's been a while." Luo Chen smiled faintly, his spear angled forward. The tip burned ever brighter, its intense heat seemingly capable of melting the void itself.

1. The phrase "抱一守中，酉在兑宫" is rooted in traditional Chinese metaphysics, particularly in the context of the Five Elements (Wu Xing) and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches system. In this framework, "抱一守中" (bào yī shǒu zhōng) refers to maintaining unity and centrality, symbolizing stability and balance. The term "酉在兑宫" (you zai dui gong) indicates that the Earthly Branch '酉' (You) is associated with the '兑' (Dui) position in the Later Heaven Bagua, which corresponds to the west and is linked to the metal element. This association suggests a state where metal is strong and earth is weakened, leading to the concept of "金盛土虚" (jin sheng tu xu), meaning "metal flourishing while earth diminishes." This interplay reflects the dynamic relationships within the Five Elements theory, where the prosperity of one element can lead to the decline of another. ☜

2. The phrase "神挡杀神，佛挡杀佛" (shen dang sha shen, fo dang sha fo)is frequently used in classic wuxia and xianxia novels, particularly in battle scenes to describe an overwhelming fighter or an unstoppable killing spree. It is a well-known idiom used to describe an unstoppable force, showing extreme determination or ruthlessness in overcoming obstacles ☜