Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1139 The Impermanent Ghost Sect, ugh, how annoying!
Although Zhongli Yue has left, the formation of Taoyuan Mountain is still there. Although Yueyao cannot open the formation of Taoyuan Mountain, she can rely on the formation to build a camp. In this way, she does not need to worry about enemies coming to attack from the direction of Taoyuan Mountain, and only needs to guard against other directions.

Yueyao brought three hundred demon beasts to this place, including two hundred spirit deer and the remaining one hundred demon beasts from various demon clans in the Spirit Origin Land.

However, over the course of this month, Yueyao has gathered more than a thousand demonic beasts and Foundation Establishment cultivators, as well as tens of thousands of exotic beasts.

Upon learning of Yueyao's presence, many demon beasts and cultivators would voluntarily come to pledge their allegiance. This was for two reasons: firstly, Yueyao had once been one of the eight elders of the Myriad Flower Demon Court, a top-tier demon king; and secondly, Yueyao had a good reputation, unlike other demon kings who were cruel and had not committed any evil deeds.

Therefore, many demon and human cultivators chose to believe in her and were willing to follow her to fight against the Yin army of the Impermanent Ghost Sect.

Of course, such a remnant of defeated troops is just a rabble, and its actual combat effectiveness remains to be verified.

But in any case, Yueyao has built a team of her own.

Before Xing Nan and his ghostly army could even reach Yue Yao's camp, they encountered a patrol of demons.

The two sides clashed as soon as they met. At first, the ghost soldiers had the upper hand, but soon reinforcements from the demon beasts poured in from all directions.

This army of ghost soldiers was not strong to begin with, and was quickly wiped out by hundreds of demonic beasts.

Xing Nan saw everything clearly from within the void, but he didn't make a move. A few dozen Yin soldiers weren't worth his personal attention. Besides, his purpose here wasn't for these demonic beasts, but for the demon king or Golden Core cultivator behind them.

"A demonic beast, it seems to be a demon king, but I wonder which demon king it is, that it has such audacity to oppose my Wuchang Ghost Sect!"

Xing Nan looked at the scene in the mountains and forests, lost in thought.

There are many demon kings in the Wanhua Mountains. There were at least thirty or forty demon kings in the past, and there are probably many more hidden in the shadows.

The demon kings who were on the surface had basically been wiped out by them; they were either surrounded and killed or driven out of the Wanhua Mountains. However, the remaining demon kings were even more difficult to deal with.

Xing Nan thought for a moment and decided to first find out who this demon king who was hiding his true identity was.

But before he could do anything, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

He was startled and abruptly dispersed his spiritual consciousness.

"Are you looking for me?" Yueyao had already arrived in front of him, her body enveloped in a soft white aura, making her look incredibly pure.

"Who are you?" Xing Nan asked in surprise.

Yueyao dispersed her aura, revealing her true form, showing her delicate face and pure eyes.

"you do not know me?"

Xing Nan looked at her, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. How could he not recognize Yue Yao?

One of the eight elders of the Wanhua Demon Court, Yueyao may not be considered a top expert in the entire Wanhua Domain, but in the Wanhua Mountain Range, Yueyao is definitely among the top-ranked figures.

Of the three Venerables and eight Elders, besides the three Venerables, among the eight Elders, despite Yueyao's seemingly harmless appearance, she ranks among the top three.

Having fought with the Wanhua Demon Court for so long, the Wuchang Ghost Sect naturally had a thorough understanding of the specific situation of the Wanhua Demon Court's high-ranking members.

"How did you end up here?" Xing Nan asked with some difficulty.

In the vast, smoky void, starlight began to drift up, and a bright moon quietly appeared, its cool light casting a serene and beautiful glow over the surrounding void.

However, Xing Nan knew that this tranquility concealed boundless killing intent, and that he could perish here at any moment if he dared to make any move.

The vast emptiness was like splashed ink, and the clearly defined jade plate was like quenched cold silver, radiating a hazy, clear light, which dyed the smoky emptiness into a light silver-gray, as if even the depths of the emptiness were sprinkled with a very light silver mist.

As soon as Xing Nan finished speaking, a condensed moonbeam appeared in the tranquil night sky, coiling towards him like a rope.

Without time to say more, Xing Nan immediately withdrew and took out a large black flag.

Flags waved, a chilling wind blew, and countless ghostly figures surged forth.

"Since you know me, why do you still dare to resist?" Yueyao's cold voice echoed in Xing Nan's heart like a curse.

The next moment, he felt himself being shackled, his body stiffening.

His natal magical artifact, like any other mortal object, was imprisoned by the cold moonlight.

Yueyao reached out and beckoned, and the silver moon above fell down into her hand.

That wasn't the moon, but her magical artifact, the 'Moon Soul Jade Plate'.

As a demon king, she shouldn't be good at using magical artifacts, but the Moon Soul Jade Plate is the treasure of the Spirit Deer Clan, and Yue Yao uses it without any difficulty.

"Alas, I don't want to make enemies, but you've forced me into a state of constant unrest!"

"The Impermanent Ghost Sect, ugh, how detestable!"

A ray of light shone out, like a streak of silver light, and in an instant, Xing Nan's body was split in two.

Xing Nan was filled with fear. He wanted to say a few more words, but his soul seemed to be frozen in half, and he was unable to transmit his voice with his spiritual sense.

And so, he watched helplessly as his physical body crumbled, his magical power dissipated, his vital energy vanished, and he embarked on the path to death.

Yueyao floated lightly to his side, took away his natal spiritual weapon, put his corpse into a storage bag, and then took out a gray bead to store his soul.

Everything seemed so relaxed and casual, yet so elegant.

It was as if she wasn't killing someone, but rather burning incense and praying.

The void remained shrouded in mist, as if the silver moon from before had never appeared. Only wisps of its aura had not yet dissipated, proving that someone had just fought here.

……

Xing Nan's death had a tremendous impact on the situation in the central region of the Wanhua Mountains.

Because the Impermanent Ghost Sect only has Xing Nan, a Golden Core cultivator, stationed in the central region.

His demise signifies that no one in the central region will be able to stop Yueyao and Xuanzhen's actions in the short term.

So the two of them went all out and got to work. Xuanzhen no longer took Changming and the other two with him, but let them act alone. As a result, their speed in clearing out the Yin soldiers and blood puppets increased several times.

Unlike the army of ghost soldiers clearing out monsters, they found it much easier to clear out the ghost soldiers and blood puppets scattered in the mountains and forests.

Because demonic beasts hide in the mountains and forests, while the Yin soldiers and blood puppets move about openly.

Those undisguised ghost soldiers were like bonfires at night, making them easy for Xuanzhen and his companions to spot.

If there are many ghost soldiers, Changming and the other two will call their master for help. If there are only a few dozen or a hundred ghost soldiers, Changming and the others can handle it themselves.

And so, they relentlessly hunted down squads of Yin soldiers and blood puppets in the mountains, just like hunters.

Meanwhile, Yueyao was constantly gathering demonic beasts and cultivators at the foot of Peach Abyss Mountain, and the two of them were working hard.

The Impermanent Ghost Sect's reaction is slow, or rather, it's not that their reaction is slow, but rather that their reaction is not faster.

The members of the Impermanent Ghost Sect are scattered throughout the Wanhua Mountains, making it difficult for them to send messages.

If Xing Nan were still alive, he could quickly send a message to the Soul Refining Hall. But Xing Nan is dead, and only some Foundation Establishment disciples remain here. It will be much more difficult for them to send a message to their superiors.

The communication range of the communication talisman was too short, and ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples did not have special communication methods, so they could only fly back to the Wuchang Ghost Sect's base in the northern part of the Wanhua Mountains to report.

This round trip would have taken at least half a month to complete, and by the time the Impermanent Ghost Sect had figured out the situation, a month would have passed.

Meanwhile, Xuanzhen and Yueyao had already led their people away from the Wanhua Mountains.

Yang Zhengshan once said, "When the enemy advances, we retreat."

With Xing Nan's demise, the Wuchang Ghost Sect would surely seek revenge. To avoid being blocked by the Wuchang Ghost Sect, Xuanzhen and Yueyao ran wild in the Wanhua Mountains for half a month before retreating. Yueyao abandoned the newly established base and led tens of thousands of demonic beasts, strange beasts, and cultivators to the Wanshui Wilderness.

However, they did not enter the Wilderness of Ten Thousand Waters. Instead, they traveled south along the edge of the Wilderness of Ten Thousand Waters, entered the Hengshan Mountains, and then traveled for several more days before returning to Chunyang Valley.

Although Yang Zhengshan established an outpost in the Wanhua Mountains, he did not abandon Chunyang Valley. Chunyang Valley was the base for maintaining trade with Hengshan Sect and Wanbao Immortal City, so he naturally would not give it up.

Their retreat to Spring Sun Valley does not mean their mission is over; it is merely a strategic relocation.

Yueyao arranged for the demonic beasts and cultivators to go to the Spirit Source Land. After Xuanzhen confirmed that no one was following them, the two of them left the Spirit Source Land with their people again.

However, this time they did not leave from Spring Sun Valley, but from the cave entrance of the outpost.

Previously, their area of ​​activity was the southeastern part of the central region of the Wanhua Mountains, but this time they changed to the southwestern part of the central region of the Wanhua Mountains.

Why must we stay in the central part of the Wanhua Mountains?
The reason is simple: the Impermanent Ghost Sect has just occupied the central region of the Wanhua Mountains, and it is a time when its foothold is not yet secure, and its forces are most dispersed.

The northern region of the Wanhua Mountains has become a place filled with yin energy. Apart from the yin soldiers and blood puppets, there are almost no other living beings to be found, and there are no disciples of the Wuchang Ghost Sect to protect it.

Xuanzhen and Yueyao not only need to eliminate the Yin soldiers and blood puppets, but they also need to gather the remaining demon beasts and cultivators, and obtain Yin Soul Ghost Generals from the disciples of the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

Simply put, they can gain a lot of benefits in the central part of the Wanhua Mountains, while in the northern part of the Wanhua Mountains, they can only eliminate Yin soldiers and blood puppets and gain almost no benefits.

While Xuanzhen and Yueyao were fighting a guerrilla war in the mountains, the Yin army of the Wuchang Ghost Sect, marching south, was also approaching the outpost of the Lingyuan Land in the southern part of the Wanhua Mountains.

Yang Zhengshan personally oversaw operations at the forward base, while Lin Qihe personally kept an eye on the Yin army of the Wuchang Ghost Sect marching south.

"Your Majesty, the Yin Army is currently 800 li away from the outpost. At their speed, they should be able to reach the outpost in about ten days!" Lin Qihe said.

"How many troops do they have?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Lin Qihe considered for a moment and said, "The first wave will probably have around 200,000!"

The ghost army did not gather together when it marched south, but rather dispersed from east to west into more than ten large armies, each ranging in size from 100,000 to 300,000, totaling approximately two million troops.

The Impermanent Ghost Sect's goal in sweeping through the Wanhua Mountains is not to kill all the demonic beasts. Their main objective is to drive the demonic beasts out of the Wanhua Mountains so that they can build giant white bone pillars and change the spiritual environment of the Wanhua Mountains.

The first wave of ghostly soldiers the outpost faced was this very army. Once they annihilated this army of about 200,000 ghostly soldiers, several other ghostly soldiers from the surrounding area would gather around them.

Therefore, the first wave of ghost soldiers is actually the easiest to deal with; the subsequent battles are the most difficult.

As the battle continues, the surrounding armies of ghost soldiers will constantly converge on the outpost, and the Impermanent Ghost Sect may even dispatch troops from the central or northern part of the Wanhua Mountains to encircle and annihilate them.

This is also the main reason why those demon races could not resist the army of ghost soldiers; there were simply too many ghost soldiers and blood puppets.

Based on past experience, the ratio of Yin soldiers to blood puppets in the Yin army is about one to twenty. That is to say, out of the 200,000 Yin soldiers, there will be about 10,000 Yin soldiers, which is equivalent to 10,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the other 190,000 are blood puppets, which is equivalent to Golden Body Realm martial artists and late Qi Refining stage cultivators.

In terms of numbers, Lingyuan Land is far inferior to Wuchang Ghost Sect, but if it's just about defense, Lingyuan Land is not without the power to fight.

The outpost was not large; including the mountains on both sides, it covered an area of ​​only a dozen miles.

This limits the scale of the battlefield. No matter how many Yin soldiers and blood puppets the Impermanent Ghost Sect possesses, it is impossible to send them all to the battlefield. At most, it can only use a few hundred thousand troops to besiege them. Any more than that and it cannot be deployed.

The biggest problem in this war is not stopping the siege of the ghost army, but stopping the siege of the ghost army continuously, which may last for several months or even more than a year.

The protective formation is of paramount importance in order to sustain this for so long.

Thinking of the formation, Yang Zhengshan beckoned Ma Qiuyan and Ning Yun over and asked, "How is the formation being set up?"

Ma Qiuyan and Ning Yun exchanged a glance and said, "The array's core and nodes have been set up and it is now operational. Next, we just need to connect it to the earth veins and spiritual veins!"

"How long will it take to connect to the earth veins and spiritual veins?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

Large-scale formations are generally connected to the earth's veins and spiritual veins because the operation of large-scale formations requires a large amount of spiritual energy. If they were supported only by spirit stones, the amount of spirit stones consumed would be astronomical.

Of course, the earth veins and spiritual veins also have their limits. However, most of the time, the formation collapses not because the formation's consumption reaches the limits of the earth veins and spiritual veins, but because the formation's defensive capacity reaches its limit and is breached by a powerful attack.

The formation that Ma Qiuyan and Ning Yun set up for the outpost base was the Loess Thick Spirit Formation. This formation was a third-tier formation, and it was a third-tier formation focused on defense. It had no offensive power, and its only advantage was its extremely strong defensive capabilities.

However, the drawback of this formation is that it has high requirements for earth veins and spiritual veins. The spiritual veins of the outpost base are only second-tier high-grade, but the earth veins are very thick. The earth veins in the Wanhua Mountains are very thick, which can make up for the deficiency of insufficient spiritual vein grade.

(End of this chapter)