Chapter 542: Bombardment and Formation, Landslide Returns, Canyon Collapses (I)

The civil war within the Jade Cauldron Domain had dragged on for twenty years. Endless battles had erupted across the region, rising and falling like waves. Skirmishes had turned to sieges, ambushes to full-on assaults. After all that, the tide of war had finally converged upon the battlefield known as the Jilei Nine Mountains.

Luo Chen knew a great deal about this civil war. He had even dispatched the Luo Tian Society's intelligence division to collect every scrap of information they could. Whether it was a hard fact or a baseless rumor, he wanted to know it all. He had reviewed the full picture many times, traced the lines of conflict, and tried to deduce when this war might finally come to an end.

In terms of insight, Luo Chen believed that aside from the Golden Core elders of the major sects and the two elusive Nascent Soul Sages, no one understood this war better than he did. His grasp of the situation far exceeded that of those sect disciples, vassals, or even elite rogue cultivators.

Yet the deeper his understanding grew, the more something felt wrong. Because this was not how a war should be fought! In his understanding, if one side was strong and the other weak, the proper strategy was to attack, to deliver swift and crushing strikes. If a single thunderous blow could end the battle, like when the Luo Tian Society had moved against the Fu and Duan families, then that was the right way to do it. It was clean, efficient, and devastating.

Dragging out a campaign for two decades was sheer madness. If both sides were evenly matched, there were only two logical outcomes: Either sit down and negotiate, or settle into a long and grinding tug-of-war.

The first option was impossible, since the war involved control over fourth-tier cultivation spirit lands necessary for Sages to cultivate; any negotiation would inevitably fall through. Then only the second possibility remained—a war of attrition. On the surface, that seemed to be what was happening.

However, Luo Chen couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. A true war of attrition would at least focus on critical objectives, targets worth expending effort to seize. The Jilei Nine Mountains, home to a fourth-tier spirit mine, seemed to qualify. Yet such a resource-rich land could have been contested through much more "elegant" methods.

They could have settled it through duels between True Inheritors or high-stakes clashes between Adepts. At most, the two Sages could have exchanged a few blows to decide the matter directly. None of that required such a massive, resource-draining campaign.

To a Sage, the Jilei Nine Mountains weren't even worth mentioning! If the Falling Cloud Sect truly sought that fourth-tier spirit land, they should've directed the war toward the heart of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's territory. Even if they used allies to wear down the Sword Sect's strength, the focus should have been its heartlands, not some remote exclave tens of thousands of li away. This style of warfare was completely meaningless!

Its only effect was to grind down the first-rate vassals under Green Pill Valley, Ailao Mountain, the Ice Fortress, the Flame Alliance, and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. And then, there were the countless rogue cultivators being used as cannon fodder, many of them cream of the crop among the rogue cultivators. And the more Luo Chen thought about it, the more it seemed the true purpose of this long war of attrition was precisely to drain every force in the Jade Cauldron Domain except for the two great Nascent Soul sects!

Green Pill Valley boasted the largest numbers, but its disciples lacked combat power. Apart from prodigies like Tao Wan, few could stand against peers from other sects. The Ice Fortress had too few vassals. Their frontlines were already depleted to the point that even core disciples had been forced into the fields. Ailao Mountain's main force was tied down in the Blackwater Marshes, suffering heavy losses. Even one of their Adepts had perished. As for the Sword Sect, three of their top vassals had already been reduced to shadows of their former selves. The Heavenly Blade Sect’s Golden Core leader was still there, but most of their Initiates had been wiped out. The Flame Alliance fared no better; the same marshes had drained their strength, and they had lost an Adept as well.

Now, even their major sects had begun entering the battlefield themselves. Vassals were no longer enough. And what about the two Nascent Soul sects? The Falling Cloud Sect had sent disciples with puppets to fight. If the disciples lost, they simply abandoned the puppet and withdrew. Meanwhile, the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had barely deployed any True Inheritors at all. In two whole days of hunting, Luo Chen and Chu Kui had only managed to pick out a single late-stage Foundation Establishment True Inheritor from that sect. It was clear—both Nascent Soul sects were deliberately conserving their elite forces.

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes. "This situation resembles another war I've seen before... a war without smoke or fire."

As he murmured to himself, Luo Chen recalled the time he had led the Luo Tian Society to migrate entirely to Tianlan Immortal City. Back then, the Luo Tian Society and the Zheng family of Rolling Dragon Ridge had once clashed in a fierce alchemical trade war to establish the Luo Tian Society in the pill market in Tianlan Immortal City. That commercial clash had been dazzling, intense, drawn-out, and apparently draining; yet in the end, both factions had walked away with their coffers full. A double victory. So who had lost?

The Danyuan Sect had lost. The Li family of Qinhua River had lost. The Hu family of Sandalwood Hill... When giants clashed, it was always the smaller powers beneath them that paid the price. Now, wasn't it the same scenario unfolding again? The two great sects waged war, and everyone else in the Jade Cauldron Domain bore the brunt of it.

Luo Chen vaguely remembered, back when he first arrived at Green Pill Valley for the Dao Scion competition, Tao Yisheng had enthusiastically bragged about the strength and sheer number of cultivators under their sect. Tens of thousands of Qi Refinement cultivators, over a thousand Initiates, and fifteen Adepts!

And that was only Green Pill Valley. What about the Ice Fortress, the Flame Alliance, and Ailao Mountain? Other than the Hundred Flowers Palace, which had few disciples and only three Golden Core elders, the remaining four sects simply had too many cultivators. Moreover, the Jade Cauldron Domain bordered the Great Million Mountains, a region rich in spirit energy and abundant in resources. Because of this, Initiates appeared one after another even among rogue cultivators. Across the ten great immortal cities, countless second and third-rate forces had already taken root. In fact, over the years, even first-rate forces with Adepts had emerged in notable numbers.

So could a single domain truly sustain so many cultivators? The answer was, of course, yes. However, if it was supporting all these random forces and rogue cultivators, it could no longer support even two Nascent Soul sects! Even the once-dominant Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had found its ambitions restrained by resource scarcity. But if through this war, most of these forces were weakened, suppressed, or outright destroyed... wouldn't that just open up space for expansion?

Having arrived at this conclusion, Luo Chen felt a chill spread across his scalp.

A domain as vast as the Jade Cauldron couldn't possibly support so many sects, yet it could easily sustain two Nascent Soul sects. If the other five sects were to collapse and the rogue cultivator world reduced to a hollow shell, the domain's resources would more than suffice for both Nascent Soul sects. In the end, neither the Sword Sect nor the Falling Cloud Sect are ancient legacy passed down through millennia. Each only has a single Sage. Their demands aren't as high as the great sects of other domains.

As these thoughts aligned in his mind, Luo Chen felt as though he had peeled away a veil from the battlefield. He could now see the deeper current beneath it all, and yet, there were still questions that troubled him. Were the other four sects truly that stupid?

In all his time since transmigrating to this world, Luo Chen had scarcely met a single fool among the high-tier cultivators he'd encountered. Whatever foresight or modern knowledge a transmigrator possessed was nothing before the incalculably long history of the Shanhai Realm.

Surely, among those four sects, there had to be minds sharper than his. And their intelligence networks most certainly surpassed that of the Luo Tian Society. So... could they really have failed to see what he had seen? Or was it that they'd indeed grasped the truth, yet they had been forced down this path regardless? And if yes, then was it for profit? For revenge? Or perhaps, just as the Luo Tian Society had once been coerced by Fairy Ruthless, they too were bound beneath the crushing will of a Sage?

That was one possibility but another issue troubled Luo Chen even more. Even if all other forces were suppressed or destroyed, there still existed only one fourth-tier spirit land in the entire Jade Cauldron Domain—the Jade Emperor Mountain. He refused to believe that the Sword Sect's Nascent Soul Sage would willingly share it with Han Zhan, the Grand Elder of the Falling Cloud Sect. So then... what sort of bargain had the two Sages struck behind the scenes? What terms had been agreed upon to make such a lopsided, sacrificial war acceptable?

Luo Chen's thoughts halted.

No, that's not right...

A sudden jolt ran through his heart. In his mind, a memory slowly surfaced: A range of verdant mountains, lush and unbroken, where spirit energy surged like spring tides—an ideal haven for cultivation.

"The Jade Cauldron Domain doesn't only have one fourth-tier spirit land... There's another one that hasn't fully activated yet! Green Pill Valley!"

Within that vision, he could almost see the natural formation of Five Peaks Enclosing the Valley, mountain veins converging, spirit energy flowing in perfect harmony. He could almost hear Tao Yisheng's voice echoing with pride and hope:

"During the Frontier War four hundred years ago, the seniors of Green Pill Valley claimed this land. With secret methods, they linked the mountain veins, shifted land and stone, and forged the formation of Five Peaks Enclosing the Valley. Now, after centuries, the valley has matured into a top-grade second-tier spirit land. In another thousand years, it's certain to evolve into a true fourth-tier land! By then, even if a Nascent Soul cultivator emerges from our sect, they won't need to seek a spirit land elsewhere."

It would take a thousand years for Green Pill Valley's Adepts to accomplish that. But what if a Sage personally intervened? Would it take that long?

Luo Chen slowly exhaled, forcing himself to pull back from the boundless chain of speculation. All of it was too distant, too lofty, far beyond his current reach. What he could do was seize this chance, earn as many merit points as possible, and pave a solid path toward the Golden Core Realm.

"No matter what the two upper sects are plotting, once I reach the Golden Core Realm, with my alchemy skills, I can become a guest of honor to either one!" Luo Chen muttered as he pulled out another mid-grade spirit stone. He closed his eyes and began absorbing its refined spirit energy.

***

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

That round of rest lasted a full day and night. When Luo Chen stepped out of the crude cave residence, he looked up to see streaks of flight light racing toward the warfront. Among them, several glanced down toward their position. Some envious, some contemptuous, and some sneering....

"How's the battle progressing?" Luo Chen asked calmly.

Xu Haizhen and Duan Feng were already there, waiting for him.

Xu Haizhen answered first, "The Sword Sect Alliance is refusing to retreat. They've rallied their forces and entrenched themselves at the eighth mountain. Looks like they're digging in for a final stand."

Duan Feng's tone brimmed with confidence. "The Falling Cloud Sect's new battle puppets are terrifyingly powerful. A few volleys can raze entire defensive lines. All three allied sects are sending reinforcements under the Falling Cloud Sect's lead. I'd say we'll take the eighth mountain in less than three days!"

"Three days? I doubt it." Chu Kui strode over from behind, pouring liquor into his mouth from a gourd as he walked.

The dense spirit energy was palpable, even from several paces away. It was a spirit wine purchased from Taibai Market, something he'd prepared specifically for this war. It restored spirit power rapidly. As he approached, he spoke with excitement. "Once the Adepts strike, breaking the formation will be easy! Then it'll be our turn. Initiates like us finally get to shine!"

Xu Haizhen and Duan Feng nodded. They had all seen the might of Adepts firsthand. Within the unique terrain of Jilei Nine Mountains, even the most powerful third-tier formations could not withstand the full-force strikes of several Adepts.

But while the three chatted enthusiastically, they began to notice that Luo Chen had remained silent all along.

Chu Kui glanced at him in confusion. "What's on your mind?"

Luo Chen's expression remained calm, and he said, "Nothing, I was just thinking it's time to head out. Are you ready?"

Chu Kui patted his chest. "More than ready. What about you?"

"Then let's go."

As the two set off, Xu Haizhen and Duan Feng looked like they wanted to say something but held back. In the end, they could only silently watch the pair disappear into the distance. While flying toward the eighth mountain, Chu Kui sighed regretfully. "If only Min Longyu was here..."

Luo Chen gave a quiet hum of agreement. With just the two of them and proper planning, they could easily avoid high-tier opponents and efficiently hunt regular Initiates. But if they encountered someone at the eighth or ninth stage of Foundation Establishment, or a slightly larger squad, retreat was the wiser choice. It was not because they couldn't win but because it would take too long. Had they had a formation master like Min Longyu, the three of them together could've dared to take on anyone.

"How many merit points do we have now?" Chu Kui asked.

"Six thousand one hundred," Luo Chen replied.

Hearing that, Chu Kui lit up again. They weren't that far from ten thousand! If luck was on their side and they managed to catch a few lone late-stage Initiates, they could reach their goal soon. However, Luo Chen wasn't nearly as optimistic. They had come to rely on each other more and more, and their teamwork was becoming sharper with every battle, but it was also a fact that their conditions had steadily declined.

On the first day, they had boldly stormed camps and slaughtered nine Initiates. By the second, they were limited to roaming the vast sands and picking off weaker, solitary Initiates. Today, neither of them was in their peak condition. They'd have to be much more selective with their targets.

By the time they reached the frontlines, the battle had already erupted. Just like before, it began with Adepts personally breaking the formation. But this time, instead of seven Adepts, there were ten!

On the eighth mountain, six or seven Adepts had emerged to meet them. Among them stood one whose sword energy surged like a tidal wave against three enemies at once! Undoubtedly, these were Adept sword cultivators from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect!

Despite their offensive strength, however, sword cultivators were weak in defense. After several waves, the eighth mountain's formation was ultimately broken.