I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

A calm voice came from the shadows of the tent: "Are you so sure that the Crimson Ape will send reinforcements as you want, instead of giving you time as you told them?"

Upon hearing this, the Blue-Faced Fox King turned his head, looked at the figure emerging from the shadows, and smiled confidently:

"Of course, based on my understanding of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape Demon Emperor, he will absolutely not tolerate defeat. This siege failure will definitely enrage him. However, the battle at Listening Wind Pass is already too much for him to handle. He cannot come in person, so he will definitely send his trusted confidants to recapture Chuyang City."

This was based on his understanding of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape Demon Emperor's personality, or rather, under normal circumstances, the other party would not have paid any attention to him in the first place.

The reason why the other party entrusted him with this task was simple: he used the methods left to him by the Demon Emperor to influence the judgment of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape.

"I really didn't expect this," Lin Che's figure emerged from the shadows, dressed in a blue robe, appearing exceptionally composed in the dim light. "You're actually one of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox Demon Emperor's people. Your schemes are quite elaborate."

"This is a good thing for the Lin family and for us, isn't it?" The Green-Faced Fox King smiled as he sat down at the low table and poured Lin Che a glass of wine.

The liquor was clear and cool, gleaming with an amber light under the lamp, reflecting the faces of the two people.

"Are you so confident that you can let the Burning Sky Crimson Ape perish here?" Lin Che sat down opposite him, not touching the glass of wine, but calmly looking into the eyes of the Green-Faced Fox King.

Taking a sip of sake, the Blue-Faced Fox King laughed and said, "Isn't Lord Lin Che here? I believe in your strength, and you must believe in our strength too."

That's right, everyone is scheming.

The same is true of the fox in front of us.

Not long after the battle began, Lin Che received a message from the Blue-Faced Fox King that he wanted to discuss important matters with him.

The other party bluntly stated that he was actually a member of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, who had been plotting here for many years in order to annex the Crimson Ape Territory.

The territory of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Demon King is located next to Crimson Ape Ridge, corresponding to Demon-Slaying Pass. The two forces are the closest to each other, separated only by a mountain ridge, and their friction and covert struggles have never ceased for hundreds of years.

All the previous arrangements, from volunteering to take command of these demons, and then dragging out the time until the war at Tingfeng Pass, had only one purpose: to gradually deplete the elite forces of the Burning Sky Crimson Ape, and ultimately destroy them here.

As for why the Lin family chose to cooperate?

The reason is simple: the other party proposed an alliance with the Lin family, and it wasn't just talk; the Demon Emperor himself made a vow to do so.

The strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones has been thoroughly outmaneuvered by these foxes.

Lin Che pondered this for a long time before finally agreeing to form an alliance with them.

This move is also crucial for the Lin family.

Lin Che had reason to deduce that the Southern Region would inevitably descend into chaos after the beast tide.

And since they are in the heart of the monster territory, they will definitely face attacks.

But once an alliance is formed, things will be different; the Lin family will no longer be besieged on all sides.

Lin Che had not forgotten the unspoken rules of the Southern Region. Since the Lin family would inevitably become a thorn in the side of the major powers in the Southern Region sooner or later, he might as well take this opportunity to truly establish himself and declare the existence of the Beast Taming Lin family to the Southern Region.

Therefore, the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

At the same time, after the alliance was formed, the other party also provided the Lin family with crucial intelligence.

This beast tide was not a battle fought separately by the Iron Ridge Mountains, the Fallen Soul Mountains, and the Crouching Dragon Mountains.

The Burning Bone Pass atop the Fulong Mountains was not the true target of the beast tide.

At this moment, the true core force of the beast tide army is actually gathered at Jianmen Pass, the western front where the Qingyun Sword Sect is located.

…………

On the western front of the southern region, at Jianmen Pass.

Jianmen Pass stands between two steep cliffs, its walls built of spiritual rock, sixty zhang high and eight zhang thick, like a giant sword stretching across the sky, tightly sealing off the western exit of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

The wall is covered with sword intent runes blessed by the array masters of the Qingyun Sword Sect throughout the ages. Each rune contains the sword intent of a sword cultivator's entire life. After thousands of years of accumulation, the entire wall is a sleeping giant sword.

Above the pass, a cyan sword intent light screen enveloped the entire pass. As the sword light flowed, any demonic beast that dared to approach would be annihilated by the sword intent. Even from a distance of a hundred feet, one could feel that chilling sharpness.

This pass has been managed by the Qingyun Sword Sect for thousands of years. It is the first line of defense against the beast tide on the western front and the natural barrier and gateway of the Qingyun Sword Sect.

The area within the pass is home to 20,000 elite disciples of the Qingyun Sword Sect, who are personally overseen by the sect's Grand Elder, Duan Qingyun. It has always been regarded as "impregnable."

For countless years, no matter how fierce the beast tides were, Jianmen Pass had never fallen, and the disciples of Qingyun Sword Sect never imagined that this pass would one day fall.

But at this moment, the walls of Jianmen Pass were trembling.

Duan Qingyun stood at the highest point of the fortress, his face stiff.

His gaze pierced through the violently vibrating blue light curtain and landed on the chilling scene beyond the pass.

Millions of monsters, densely packed, covered the entire wilderness from the gate walls to the horizon.

The lava giant lizards of the Iron Ridge Mountains, the ghostly wolf packs of the Fallen Soul Mountains, and the crimson-eyed giant pythons of the Crouching Dragon Mountains—these three types of demonic beasts have gathered here, like a boiling black ocean, devouring the land inch by inch.

Unlike the usual beast tides that probed ahead or attacked in batches, they surged forward all at once, like a black tsunami crashing straight into the walls of Jianmen Pass.

"How...how could there be so many?" Elder Liu Qinglin's voice was almost inaudible in the wind. His sword was already drawn, but his hand holding it was trembling.

Duan Qingyun did not answer.

Only one thought occupied his mind—the Jianmen Pass was closed.

His lips moved slightly, then his voice suddenly rose: "Notify the sect! Quickly! Jianmen Pass cannot be defended; have the sect prepare in advance!"

Immediately afterwards, the defensive formation on the wall was subjected to an overwhelming and fierce attack.

With ten fourth-tier demonic beasts as the main force, thousands of third-tier demonic beasts simultaneously crashed into the light barrier from behind, creating a huge rift like a wound. The cyan sword intent light barrier flickered violently at the rift, like the last breath of a dying person.

The army of monsters poured in through the cracks, like molten iron poured onto ice, instantly tearing apart the defenses of the gate.

The moment the first wave of beasts surged into the pass, hundreds of Qingyun Sword Sect disciples were submerged in the black torrent, not even having time to scream.

The disciples of the Qingyun Sword Sect, relying on their superb swordsmanship, drew their swords to meet the enemy, their sword light flashing among the beasts.

But the number of monsters was simply too great—ten, a hundred, a thousand, like a black tide, one wave after another rising.

Someone was swallowed whole by the giant red-eyed python, which then coiled its body and dragged the person deep into the herd of beasts.

Some people were burned to ashes by the lava giant lizard's flames, leaving not even bones behind;

Some were torn apart by the pack of ghost wolves, their flesh and blood splattering among the wolves, leaving only a pile of bones in moments.

The sword light flickered among the beasts, like embers about to be extinguished, growing fewer and weaker.

"Hold on! Retreat to the inner city!" Duan Qingyun roared hoarsely, but before he could finish speaking, several huge dark shadows enveloped the city wall.

Three fourth-tier demonic beasts simultaneously leaped onto the city wall.

Jianmen Pass has fallen.

…………

Five thousand miles west of the Fang family, in the heart of the southern region, lies a continuous, verdant mountain range, the very foundation of Hundred Herbs Valley.

The spiritual fields, brimming with spiritual energy, were filled with rare medicinal herbs. Alchemy furnaces in the valley emitted wisps of smoke, and disciples gathered spiritual herbs by the stream. Everything was as peaceful as ever.

But this tranquility was shattered today by a group of uninvited guests.

The Nascent Soul forces under the Fang family, namely Chiyang Mountain, Yunshui Immortal Pavilion, Xuanfu Sect, and their affiliated forces, silently crossed the mountain range between the Fang family and Baicao Valley, and appeared here together on this day.

Three armies simultaneously pressed towards the various sects and towns under the jurisdiction of Baicaogu from three directions.

The three forces, along with their subordinate Golden Core cultivators, formed a vast, dark mass, their banners fluttering in the morning breeze, and their footsteps shaking the ground.

The first line of defense, Qingyu City, which was closest to the Fang family's territory and located on the outskirts of Baicaogu, fell in just three hours.

Before the disciples of Baicaogu could even activate the city's protective array, the fire-armored cultivators from Chiyang Mountain blasted open the city wall from the front. Flames surged into the city gate like a crimson tide, burning the defenders on the city wall to charcoal.

Immediately afterwards, bad news kept coming from all three fronts. One town after another fell in flames and spiritual light, and the defenses of Baicao Valley were torn apart as if they were made of paper.

Upon receiving this urgent intelligence, Elder Heming Zhenren, who remained in the valley, felt a chill run through his body.

His hand gripped the jade slip, his knuckles turning white. In his eyes, weathered by time, a chilling glint finally surfaced: "The Fang family... quite the methods."

In order to destroy the Fang family, the weakest of the three factions, Baicaogu, mobilized its entire force and gathered a large number of people from various other factions.

In hindsight, the Fang family's South Camp was just a trap!

The Fang family had long anticipated their plan; they wanted to annex the Fang family, and the Fang family also wanted to annex their Hundred Herbs Valley!

…………

"Vice Commander, why hasn't the Commander-in-Chief sent any reinforcements to us yet?" Fang Zheng asked with a grave expression.

Several days have passed since the White Tiger Camp and the Vermilion Bird Camp were besieged, but reinforcements from the Southern Camp have yet to arrive.

However, the current battle situation is not as dire as the enemy has imagined.

The reason lies with the deputy commander, Fang Wushuang.

To be precise, it was her unique and unparalleled battle domain.

Her domain is different from that of ordinary cultivators; it is a power that unites the will of an entire legion.

It's something similar to the spirit of the military.

The Hundred Herbs Valley and the Azure Cloud Sword Sect were no longer facing a group of people, but an entire legion.

If they cannot be destroyed as a whole, then none of them can ever be eliminated.

Faced with Fang Zheng's question, Fang Wushuang's expression did not change at all, and his gaze remained fixed on the golden trapping formation in the distance: "Trust the commander, he must have his reasons."

Fang Wushuang wasn't in a hurry, but the besieged Baicao Valley and Qingyun Sword Sect were getting anxious.

The two factions had been plotting for a long time, arranging for a large number of cultivators to infiltrate the Fang family's territory and dispatching most of their forces, but they were actually bogged down here by the other side.

The trapping formation they set up consumed a lot of spirit stones and spiritual items. They originally thought they could trap and kill Fang Wushuang in a day, and then annihilate the Southern Camp according to the plan, cross the Black Wind Ridge and attack the heart of the Fang family. However, more than ten days have passed and they are still tied up here.

The banners of the White Tiger Camp still fluttered in the air, their silvery-white battle flags rustling in the wind as if mocking their incompetence.

Just as the two factions' commanders were discussing tactics to defeat the enemy, a shocking piece of news completely disrupted their plans.

"Report! Jianmen Pass has been attacked by a large number of demonic beasts and has now fallen!" The messenger rushed into the tent, his voice trembling and his face as white as paper.

"What?!" The commander's previously calm face contorted with rage. He grabbed the messenger by the collar and lifted him up. "Say it again! What happened?!"

"Demon beasts...demons have launched a surprise attack on Jianmen Pass!" The messenger's voice was urgent and trembling, like a drowning person making their last struggle. "Their numbers are more than ten times that of previous beast tides...Jianmen Pass...has fallen!"

Before everyone could process this news, another message arrived.

A Baicao Valley cultivator responsible for relaying messages stumbled into the main tent: "Baicao Valley has been ambushed by the Fang family! They bypassed the Red Leaf Mountains from the south and attacked our heartland directly. Many small sects and cities have already fallen!"

"How is this possible!" The high-ranking officials of Baicao Valley were horrified, their pupils shrinking as if they had seen a ghost.

Half of the Fang family's main force is trapped here, and the other half has to guard Burning Bone Pass to defend against the monsters. Where did they get the manpower?

"It's all the major forces under the Fang family!" The cultivator's voice carried a deep-seated panic. "Currently, apart from the Xuan Kui Sect of the Rebellious Demon Palace, the rest are all attacking our Hundred Herbs Valley territory!"

The leaders of Baicaogu and the commander of Qingyun Sword Sect exchanged a glance, a chill running through their bodies.

They were considering withdrawing.

Things weren't going as they'd hoped, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time here.

With Jianmen Pass lost and Baicao Valley attacked, if Fang Wushuang continues to hold out here, he may face a full-scale encirclement from the rear by the main force of the Fang family.

At that time, it won't be Fang Wushuang who will be trapped here, but them.

They will be trapped like turtles in a jar, attacked from both sides by the Fang family, and will be left forever on this land in the Southern Region.

But while they wanted to leave, some people didn't want them to.

"Gentlemen, where would you like to go?"

The voice of Fang Zhenshan, the commander of the South Camp, rang out from afar, calm and composed, yet carrying an undeniable pressure, like the last low murmur before a mountain collapses.

The sound pierced through the valley, through the golden trapping array, and through the wavering defenses of the Qingyun Sword Sect and Baicao Valley cultivators, clearly reaching everyone's ears, like a boulder crashing into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

In the distance, several powerful auras were rapidly approaching.

That was the main force of the Fang family, the elite troops of the Southern Camp personally led by Fang Zhenshan.

The quantity and intensity of those auras clearly exceeded the remaining power trapped in the valley.

The allied forces of Qingyun Sword Sect and Baicao Valley began to stir. Some looked back, some gripped their weapons, and some began to look for a way out.

The faces of the high-ranking members of Baicao Valley were ashen. The commander of Qingyun Sword Sect trembled slightly as he held his sword, cold sweat trickling down his face and dripping onto the sword with a soft "patter" sound.

Within the formation, a smile finally appeared on Fang Wushuang's lips: "It seems your trapping formation has trapped the wrong person."