Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 654 - 638: Demon King Appears Together, Zhouyang’s Helplessness! [9,000-word long - ]
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In the desert sea, a thousand miles away from the Baisha River Oasis.
Shortly after the Chen Family Ancestor maneuvered a giant tower ship across the sky of the Baisha River Oasis, a streak of red firelight traversed a thousand miles, falling into the hands of a waiting black-robed cultivator.
"Chen Yaohui has already left with his people, hurry over!"
Hearing the voice coming from the dispersing firelight in his hand, the black-robed cultivator's face lit up with joy, unable to resist bursting into laughter: "Hahaha, Chen Yaohui, that old thief, has finally left. Since that's the case, it's time for us to act."
Before the laughter subsided, a flash of yellow light emerged from the black-robed cultivator, who directly used the "Earth Escape Technique" to vanish underground.
Half a day later, the black-robed cultivator who had vanished underground reemerged above ground, but this time, he was not alone. Over a hundred black-robed cultivators dressed similarly appeared with him.
These over a hundred black-robed cultivators, all dressed in black robes with their faces covered, only revealed a pair of eyes, each pair exuding a light as greedy as that of a hungry wolf.
Sand bandits!
These black-robed cultivators were undoubtedly all sand bandits!
Sand bandits robbing oases is a common occurrence; not every oasis in the boundless desert sea has Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed. Many small oases without Tier Three spiritual veins are occupied by small Qi Cultivation stage families or powerful Qi Cultivation stage loose cultivators.
These small clans or loose cultivators, after occupying an oasis, will cultivate spirit veins, raise mortals, and select those with spiritual roots to pass on cultivation techniques and accept as disciples. Most loose cultivators originate from these small oases.
Since these small oases don't have Foundation Establishment cultivators to protect them, naturally, they easily become targets for sand bandits. Once their location is exposed, they typically cannot escape a sand bandit raid.
However, while sand bandits dare to raid small oases without Foundation Establishment cultivators, and oases like Yuquan Lake Oasis with Foundation Establishment cultivators, they should not dare, nor have the capability, to raid large oases like Baisha River Oasis.
Yet now, after the appearance of these over a hundred black-robed sand bandits, they headed straight for the Baisha River Oasis a thousand miles away.
This suggests these bandits are either recklessly crazy or they have some reliance, believing that the current Baisha River Oasis, lacking the Chen Family Ancestor, a Purple Mansion stage cultivator, cannot withstand their raid.
Judging from over ten sword lights flying in the sky as these bandits advanced, it was clearly the latter.
...
...
On the other side, Zhouyang and Zhou Xuan Yu, after bidding farewell to the old clan leader and others, returned to the "Jade Spring Tower."
Zhouyang continued to peruse and ponder the Foundation Establishment experiences recorded by predecessors. Zhou Xuan Yu, as usual, secluded herself in the quiet room in the backyard to draw spirit talismans.
In fact, the Zhou family assigned her, the long-time reclusive Household Affairs Elder, to manage the "Jade Spring Tower" because the magical artifact business at the marketplace had temporarily lost profit due to Zhouyang's efforts.
Previously, "Jade Spring Tower" primarily dealt in magical artifacts due to the presence of Zhou Minghan, a Tier Three High-grade Refiner in the Zhou family. Later, with the arrival of Zhou Xuanhao, a Tier Two High-grade Alchemist, elixirs and artifacts became the main business.
By the time Zhouyang took over, "Jade Spring Tower" reverted to focusing on magical artifacts, resulting in the overall downturn of the magical artifact business in the marketplace.
In view of this, the old clan leader Zhou Minghan, after much hesitation, sent his granddaughter Zhou Xuan Yu to the marketplace, hoping her superb talisman-making skills could shift the main business of "Jade Spring Tower."
The current income for the Zhou family is relatively single-faceted, relying on two sources: one is the sale of resources like Golden Pearl Rice grown in the spirit fields on Jade Spring Peak and the refined iron ore vein of Cyan Ping Mountain. The other is the income from shops like "Jade Spring Tower" and "Drunken Immortal Tower."
The first source wins in stability and longevity, but its downside is obvious; the yearly income is relatively fixed without huge fluctuations.
In contrast, opportunities like Zhouyang's great refining this time can bring an annual income matching the clan's total revenue of past years.
Especially now that "Jade Spring Tower" has gained a reputation, many cultivators visiting the marketplace to purchase spiritual objects come by to browse. These are all quality customers.
Whether the Zhou family's cultivators' artifacts, elixirs, spirit talismans, or arrays, as long as the quality is decent and the price reasonable, they sell quickly at "Jade Spring Tower."
Once sold, not only do the Zhou family cultivators who consigned the items make spirit stones, but the clan also receives a handsome commission, significantly easing the clan's financial difficulties.
Reputation, if not managed well, rises and falls quickly.
Once those cultivators visiting "Jade Spring Tower" find little appealing besides magical artifacts, they likely won't return next time.
Therefore, even though the old clan leader Zhou Minghan was reluctant to send his granddaughter Zhou Xuan Yu afar, for the sake of the clan's development, he had no choice but to let her manage the marketplace affairs.
Just as Zhou Xuan Yu completed most of a Tier Two Middle-grade Spirit Talisman and was about to finish, a resounding bell suddenly rang through the marketplace, echoing nine times. The soundproof array outside the quiet room seemed ineffective, having no effect at all.
Boom!
Zhou Xuan Yu's jade hand holding the talisman brush trembled slightly, and the nearly completed spirit talisman burst into flames and turned to ashes due to the talisman maker's wavering mind.
However, Zhou Xuan Yu didn't have time to mourn this loss. Upon hearing the bell, she stared blankly in the direction of the bell sound, in the direction of the mountain top of Golden Dawn Mountain.
"The Alarm God Bell ringing nine times; this warns of an attack by a Purple Mansion stage enemy or a Tier Four demon beast on the marketplace!"
"Why? Why so coincidentally? Why did such a powerful enemy attack just after Elder Chen and grandfather left?"
"No, it's a conspiracy! This must be a long-planned conspiracy! Danger, the marketplace is in danger!"
Zhou Xuan Yu's beautiful face drastically changed color, she quickly put away her talisman brush and rushed out of the quiet room toward "Jade Spring Tower."
Upon reaching downstairs, she saw Zhouyang and others had already exited the building, looking up towards the mountain top.
At this moment, above the mountaintop of Golden Dawn Mountain, all three Foundation Establishment cultivators, who had been stationed in the marketplace by the Chen family, had emerged from their caves. They hovered in the sky on sword light, gazing down at countless cultivators in the marketplace below.
"Fellow Daoists, we just received a warning from family cultivators ahead, a large group of sand bandits is approaching the marketplace. Among them, not only do they have over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators, but there might also be a hidden Purple Mansion stage cultivator!"
"Due to the great strength of the attackers, we cannot assure the protection of all cultivators in the marketplace. So now, if any of you wish to leave and seek a way to survive on your own, we will give you a quarter of an hour."
"In a quarter of an hour, any cultivator who chooses not to leave the marketplace must obey our orders. Let me declare first, if anyone refuses to leave and is indifferent to my commands, they better watch out for my flying sword taking their head!"
"Alright, time is of the essence, so now, everyone can make their choice!"
A cold voice resounded from the mouths of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators, spreading instantly across the entire marketplace with the power of magic, like a giant stone crashing into water, causing an uproar.
Although when the "Alarm God Bell" sounded nine times consecutively, most cultivators who understood its significance were somewhat prepared. However, hearing the actual situation from the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Chen Family still left them astonished and filled with disbelief.
"Did I hear wrong? Did that senior say the sand bandits are attacking? Since when do sand bandits have the guts to attack a cultivation marketplace guarded by several Foundation Establishment cultivators and a Tier Four Array?"
"Sand bandits! It's actually sand bandits! This is terrible! Sand bandits are evil ghosts that devour humans without leaving bones, devoid of any humanity. If the marketplace is breached by them, even handing over our storage bags won't save us from being silenced!"
"A conspiracy, this is a long-planned conspiracy! To unite over ten Foundation Establishment sand bandits is something even typical Purple Mansion cultivators can't do. The marketplace is in danger; we should escape! The targets of these sand bandits are the clan cultivators in the marketplace; as long as we loose cultivators don't provoke them, they might not want to create more trouble!"
Swoosh!
A flying sword sliced through the air, instantly beheading the cultivator who shouted "conspiracy".
"Jumping clown, so eager to seek death, let me fulfill your wish!"
A disdainful cold laugh echoed from the sky. The Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivator who had released the flying sword looked down with a cold gaze at the low-tier loose cultivators who were trembling in fear at the scene. He exclaimed, "I know there are definitely spies of the sand bandits mixed among you, so if you want to receive the bounty alive, you'd better obediently roll out of the marketplace now. Otherwise, if I later find a single clue betraying you, let's see if my flying sword recognizes you!"
"Anyone else daring to spread falsehoods will be dealt with as a spy!"
As this voice fell, the remaining cultivators in the marketplace looked at each other, no one dared to say another word, each contemplating their next move with flickering eyes.
The cultivator who was killed earlier, whether truly a spy sent by the sand bandits or innocent, was irrelevant to the other cultivators who were not related to him.
What mattered was that even though he died, what he said was not without reason. The sand bandit attack on the marketplace is, of course, for wealth, and many loose cultivators felt their possessions were too paltry to attract the attention of the sand bandits compared to the wealthy clan cultivators in the marketplace.
Thus, after the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivator finished speaking, bold cultivators quickly cupped their hands towards the three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky, saying, "Please forgive me, seniors. It's hard for this junior to cultivate. I do not wish to leave my life here. Please excuse my impudence!"
This time, the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivator who killed with the flying sword made no move. Instead, another old cultivator with a bitter smile nodded in response to the speaking cultivator, "Little Daoist, you may leave if you wish. To be honest, it's my Chen Family who owes everyone an apology. If the marketplace is preserved this time, I will petition the clan to halve the marketplace retention fee for the next ten years in gratitude for everyone's support!"
Hearing this, the speaking cultivator's face lit up with joy and he quickly shouted, "Senior is magnanimous; this junior is impressed. If I survive, I will surely spread the renown of the senior and the Chen Family to my fellow loose cultivators!"
With that, he slapped a "Divine Movement Talisman" on himself and ran out of the marketplace while the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky indeed made no moves.
Seeing this, other cultivators intending to leave also followed suit. They paid respects to the three Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky, said a few good words, and all left the marketplace safely.
In less than a quarter of an hour, the marketplace, which originally had seven to eight hundred people gathered, now had less than half remaining.
Outside the "Jade Spring Tower", Zhouyang and Zhou Xuan Yu along with other Zhou Family cultivators witnessed this scene, their complex expressions unwittingly changing.
"Don't think too much. Our Zhou Family and the Chen Family are allied clans; it's our duty to help the Chen Family defend the marketplace. If we flee with those loose cultivators, never mind if those seniors in the sky would allow us to leave, even if they do, who can answer to the Chen Family Ancestor when he returns and holds us accountable?"
"Besides, do you really think those people can survive simply by leaving now? You know the viciousness of sand bandits; without the protection of the array, Foundation Establishment sand bandits will mow them down like grass, and no one will escape!"
A cold voice suddenly sounded from Zhou Xuan Yu, whose hesitation had disappeared at some point. She glared coldly at other Zhou Family cultivators standing before the building, clearly stating her resolution.
"I order you as a Clan Elder, all Zhou Family cultivators must participate in the defense of the marketplace and obey the commands of the Chen Family seniors. Those with divided loyalty will be dealt with according to clan rules!"
The words "clan rules" were like a cold wind blowing into the hearts of the Zhou Family cultivators present. Everyone, including Zhouyang, was shocked into instinctively responding, "Yes, we will comply with the Elder's orders!"
"Good, now that's the spirit of our Zhou Family men!"
Zhou Xuan Yu's expression softened, then she waved her hand to issue orders, "Now everyone follow me into the building to pack up. All valuables should be placed in the storage bags to be carried by everyone. No matter who survives in the end, all items must be handed over to the clan."
Inside the "Jade Spring Tower", a newly replenished stock of goods commanded a high price. Once Zhouyang and others had packed up, each carried several storage bags. Both he and Zhou Xuan Yu were each carrying as many as five storage bags, all with capacities exceeding a zhang.
While they were packing, the agreed-upon quarter-hour by the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators had elapsed. In concerted control by the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sky, the Tier Four Lower Grade Array "Chaotic Heaven Earth Dragon Array" covering the whole marketplace was fully activated.
When Zhouyang and others came out of the building, they saw the array's white mist, which had previously veiled the marketplace, had unknowingly disappeared. In its place was a massive earth-yellow light shield, covering the entire Golden Dawn Mountain like an upside-down giant bowl.
Zhouyang extended his divine sense down dozens of meters and discovered a spiritual energy web spread throughout the mountain, completely preventing any underground assaults on the marketplace.
At this moment, the voice of the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators once again rang out above Golden Dawn Mountain.
"The 'Chaotic Heaven Earth Dragon Array' has been activated. All cultivators remaining in the marketplace, please assemble at this moment. I will assign protection tasks based on your cultivation."
The primary source of spiritual power for the "Chaotic Heaven Earth Dragon Array" is the spiritual qi of Golden Dawn Mountain's spirit vein. However, the spirit vein of Golden Dawn Mountain is only Tier Three Top Grade. If the enemy attacks with full force, the spiritual qi from the spirit vein might not sustain the Tier Four Lower Grade Array's consumption.
For this reason, the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered Zhouyang and other Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators remaining in the marketplace with the aim of forming them into several teams assigned to various array nodes, allowing them to feed their magical power into the array at crucial times to maintain its consumption.
Before that, they could release magical artifacts and spells to attack enemies outside the array while the enemy attacked the array.
And just as Zhouyang and others followed the arrangement of the Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators, accompanying a team of Chen Family Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators to one array node, ten sword lights suddenly flew over the skies outside Golden Dawn Mountain.
"It's the Foundation Establishment cultivators among the sand bandits!"
"The sand bandits are here!"
The sword lights stopped mid-air outside Golden Dawn Mountain, revealing the figures of ten Foundation Establishment cultivators in black robes and masked faces.
These Foundation Establishment cultivators stood on sword light high in the sky, looking down with icy gazes at the low-tier cultivators on the mountain calling out in alarm, their eyes full of contempt.
Mere Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators, no matter how many there are, pose no threat to them and are not worth paying any attention to.
Their gazes merely swept over the Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators briefly before looking towards the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment cultivators seated atop Golden Dawn Mountain.
"Hear me, Chen Family members: open the marketplace array immediately and hand over all valuables. For the sake of Chen Yaohui, we might spare your lives!"
"If you remain obstinate and insist on resisting stubbornly, once we break through the array, no one inside, regardless of their background or origin, will be left alive!"
Is this an ultimatum?
Zhouyang thought to himself, and couldn't help but crane his neck to look at the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the mountain top. Even though he knew the Chen Family would never compromise with the sand bandits, without hearing a clear answer, no one, including himself, could feel completely at ease.
"Hiding one's head while showing one's tail, yet daring to spout such arrogant words!"
"Since Elder Chen Taizhong founded the family, our Chen Family has never compromised with sand bandits. Never in the past, and never will in the future!"
"Enough pointless talk. Whatever tricks you have, bring them on! We'll take them all!"
The three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators coldly stared at the ten Foundation Establishment sand bandits outside the mountain, each replying with disdain in their eyes.
As Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Chen Family, they were proud. With the Chen Family as their support, even figures like Zhou Minghan, the Clan Leader of a cultivation clan, had to slightly curry favor with them, not to mention loose cultivators.
Now, just ten Foundation Establishment sand bandits want to force them, protected by a Tier Four Array, into submission. It's simply a colossal joke.
If they actually did this, how would the Chen Family have the face to command other cultivation clans in the future? Where would the Chen Family's prestige be?
"Good, what a fine Chen Family, excellent indeed!"
"Since you three old fools refuse the face offered, then don't blame us for being ruthless under our swords!"
Loose cultivators also have dignity. The ten Foundation Establishment sand bandits, ridiculed by the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators, all showed angry expressions in their eyes.
"Everyone, strike together, let's first give these three old fools a show of power!"
A sand bandit shouted loudly, directly releasing his Tier Three Flying Sword, aiming to cut down the earthy yellow light shield outside Golden Dawn Mountain.
At this moment, a shocking scene unfolded.
The fiery red flying sword, emitting a sword light several meters long, struck the earthy yellow light shield, yet didn't even cause a wobble. Instead, the sword light dissipated greatly due to the array's counterforce, revealing the flying sword's main body, less than three feet long.
The Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Cultivators who chose to stay in the marketplace saw this and their spirits lifted, every face revealing a trace of delight.
Although everyone knew the Tier Four Array was very strong and could only be broken by Purple Mansion Stage cultivators, they still felt uneasy until witnessing the array's prowess firsthand.
But now, even a full-force strike by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn't make the array's shield shake, which was more convincing and reassuring than any words.
In contrast, the sand bandits' eyes lost their anger, their momentum waned, and deep shock appeared in their eyes.
"It's no use, this Tier Four Array's defensive power is too strong. With just us, even exhausting our magical power won't break through its defenses. We should wait for those Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation juniors to arrive and attack together."
The apparent leader among the sand bandits shook his head slightly, speaking out to stop others from trying again.
Originally sneering at this scene from the top of Golden Dawn Mountain, the Chen Family's three Foundation Establishment Cultivators' eyes suddenly focused upon hearing this voice, their expressions turning rarely solemn.
As Foundation Establishment Cultivators themselves, they naturally could tell that this speaking sand bandit leader's cultivation had astonishingly reached the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment.
This level of cultivation, even across the entire Chen Family, could only be matched by Chen Ping'an, known as the Chen Family's foremost Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"Someone with such cultivation as you must not be an unknown figure. Could you enlighten me with your esteemed name?"
On Golden Dawn Mountain, the elderly Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator gazed steadily at the sand bandit leader, his tone no longer filled with disdain as before.
Even if just a loose cultivator or a sand bandit, a Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivation was worth taking seriously.
The sand bandit leader chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Heh heh heh, even if I tell you my name, you definitely wouldn't know it, so there's no need to say it."
Upon seeing this, the Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator who killed someone earlier coldly snorted, "Hmph! You think we can't guess if you don't say? Within the tens of thousands of miles of Baisha River Oasis, there are only a few Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Among those from loose cultivator backgrounds, there's even just one. If you're not that person, then you must be a cultivator from another Cultivation Realm!"
"So what? I'll be honest, this time, daring to provoke the Chen Family certainly means we are well prepared. If you're hoping for Chen Ping'an to rescue you, you're making a huge mistake. The moment he steps out of White Camel Ridge, it will be a path to his own death!"
The sand bandit leader sneered coldly, suddenly saying something that made the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators' faces change drastically.
"So you were indeed prepared!"
The elderly Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivator's gaze turned icy as he looked at the sand bandit leader, his voice suddenly harsh as he shouted loudly, "Our Chen Family is a subordinate of the Yellow Sand Sect, and our Ancestor is an Honored Guest Elder of the Yellow Sand Sect. If you dare kill our Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators, not even with a Purple Mansion Stage protector, can you escape pursuit from the Yellow Sand Sect and our Chen Family!"
"Hahaha, are you scared? Are the Chen Family cultivators afraid of death too? Hahaha..." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
"Hahaha..."
The sand bandit leader burst into laughter, leading the other sand bandits to laugh along with him, filled with satisfaction and joy.
Seeing this, the three Chen Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators were truly furious and seething with anger, glaring wordlessly at the laughing sand bandits.
As for Zhouyang and the other Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation Cultivators, upon hearing that there indeed existed a Purple Mansion Stage backer behind the sand bandits, their hearts sank completely, turning cold!
How could they possibly defend against this?
With a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator on the opposing side, along with a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and numerous Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation cultivators, the overwhelming power seemed poised to crush the marketplace's side.
Such a lineup could even stand a chance against attacking the White Camel Ridge Chen Family's ancestral grounds without a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator holding the fort.
"Yang'er, the marketplace can't be held any longer. If the array breaks later, we must immediately disperse and break through, whoever can escape should. If you survive, find a place to hide in the oasis and look for Grandpa when he returns, but never head to White Camel Ridge alone!"
On Golden Dawn Mountain, just as Zhouyang was as stunned and lost as the others by the news revealed by the sand bandit leader, a telepathic message from his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu suddenly entered his ears.
He was jolted upon hearing it, instantly snapping out of his daze.
After coming to his senses, he glanced slightly at his foster mother, Zhou Xuan Yu, and quietly transmitted a message: "Foster mother, since we've decided to break through and escape, I suggest we bury the extra storage bags somewhere. This way, we won't get targeted as fat sheep during our escape!"
"Alright, let's do as you suggested."
Zhou Xuan Yu's beautiful eyes lit up, and without any hesitation, she immediately agreed to Zhouyang's suggestion.
Compared to their lives, money was truly an external object. Moreover, if they really died at the hands of the sand bandits, the items in the storage bags wouldn't be brought back to the clan either.
However, to avoid attracting the attention of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen Family, these matters could only be done secretly and in the dark, without revealing their true intentions.
After confronting each other for more than half a day, a group of Qi Cultivation Stage sand bandits, all in black robes and masked, finally surrounded them from all directions at Golden Dawn Mountain, along with four Foundation Establishment sand bandits capable of sword flight.
At this point, the number of Foundation Establishment sand bandits attacking Golden Dawn Mountain had reached as many as fourteen, and the number of Qi Cultivation Stage sand bandits was ten times that.
Zhouyang noticed that almost every one of these newly appearing sand bandits had several storage bags hanging at their waists, some of which were stained with still-wet blood, clearly having been looted from the dead not long ago.
This sunk his heart, knowing that his foster mother Zhou Xuan Yu's prophecy had come true. Those loose cultivators who descended the mountain thinking they could escape calamity likely mostly perished at the hands of these well-prepared sand bandits.
"As expected, sand bandits are just that. With their greedy nature of squeezing oil from stones, how could they easily let go of those loose cultivators scattering in all directions like loose sand?"
Zhouyang felt a chill in his heart, deeply recognizing once again the evil of the sand bandit group.
These people, aside from practicing different cultivation techniques, acted no differently from the legendary demonic cultivators. Calling them demon cultivators wouldn't be incorrect.
"Go, use your strongest magic, your strongest magical artifacts, and all aim at that turtle shell for me. I want to see how long that turtle shell can hold!"
Boom!
With the order of the ninth-layer Foundation Establishment sand bandit leader, all the sand bandits, including the Foundation Establishment ones, released their magical artifacts and magic, blasting towards the protective shield of the array guarding Golden Dawn Mountain.
The colorful spiritual light of the magic instantly painted the sky above Golden Dawn Mountain into a beautiful rainbow.
However, to the cultivators defending within Golden Dawn Mountain, this beautiful scene was extremely deadly and perilous.
Because under the concentrated attack from the numerous sand bandits, the protective shield of the array guarding Golden Dawn Mountain began to tremble slightly, although the tremble was not substantial.
But everyone knew that when the protective shield of an array trembles, it indicates that the attack from outside is indeed effective. As long as this attack continues until the spiritual qi from the spirit vein maintaining the protective shield cannot keep up, the array will definitely break.
"Kill, while the array can still hold, fellow Daoists, use whatever means you have. You kill one, it's worth it; kill two, it's a profit!"
On Golden Dawn Mountain, the faces of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen Family darkened as they uttered low shouts, releasing flying swords to kill the attacking sand bandits outside the array.
In high-tier arrays like the "Chaotic Heaven Earth Dragon Array," the defense shield is generally only outward, not inward. Cultivators outside need to break the protective shield to injure those inside, while those inside can easily attack enemies outside through the shield.
So unless there's an absolute advantage in strength, cultivators would never attack enemies' mountain gates or marketplaces guarded by high-tier arrays.
Currently, the sand bandits held the absolute advantage in strength. Although they had fewer people than those inside the marketplace, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators was four to five times more than those on the marketplace's side.
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen Family had only released their flying swords and had killed only a few Qi Cultivation Stage sand bandits before being blocked by the flying swords of three Foundation Establishment sand bandits. After that, even when they launched other magical artifacts to attack, they were blocked by other Foundation Establishment sand bandits, making it difficult to achieve further merit.
On the contrary, Zhouyang and other ninth-layer Qi Cultivation cultivators, due to their great numbers and dispersed attacks, could not all be intercepted by the Foundation Establishment sand bandits when they tried to stop them. This allowed them to take the opportunity to kill several Qi Cultivation Stage sand bandits.
The ninth-layer Foundation Establishment sand bandit leader, seeing this, immediately ordered the Qi Cultivation Stage sand bandits to retreat dozens of meters, out of the range of the qi cultivators' magical artifact attacks within the array, and then conduct long-range bombardment with magic from a distance.
This discomforted the cultivators within the marketplace, as the range of Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators' magical artifact attacks was the same as their divine sense's range. Once the magical artifact flew beyond this distance, it could no longer be controlled with divine sense. Releasing the magical artifact then would be giving it away to the enemy for free.
Magic, however, didn't have this problem. Although magic also required the cultivator's divine sense to lock onto targets for precise enemy attacks, the large target of the array's protective shield outside Golden Dawn Mountain meant that even if they released magic blindfolded hundreds of meters away, it was unlikely to miss.
Of course, Zhouyang and others could also release spells for a long-range attack on the sand bandits. However, without the divine sense to lock onto targets, their spells couldn't possibly affect the nimble cultivators unless they used spells with large coverage, like tier-three or even tier-four spells.
Let alone that they couldn't possibly release such high-tier spells. Even if someone was willing to consume precious tier-three spirit talismans to release spells, the Foundation Establishment sand bandits outside wouldn't just stand by and watch.
It was at this moment that Zhouyang realized why the Chen Family's Foundation Establishment cultivators were willing to allow the loose cultivators to leave, even knowing a large number of sand bandits was attacking.
They anticipated that those people wouldn't be able to help much even if they stayed, and expelling them would offend the entire marketplace's loose cultivators, bringing infamy to the Chen Family.
But now, those who knew the inside story would not blame the Chen Family. They would only say that those loose cultivators were short-sighted; had they stayed within the marketplace, they might have preserved their lives.
Time flowed slowly, and the sand bandits outside Golden Dawn Mountain never stopped their attacks. Many sand bandits held spirit stones in their hands, absorbing spiritual qi to replenish their magical power while continuing to cast spells to attack the protective shield.
And after these people attacked continuously for several hours, the earthen-yellow protective shield guarding Golden Dawn Mountain had already thinned considerably, shaking more violently than before, clearly showing a substantial drop in defense.
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen Family on Golden Dawn Mountain, seeing this, had to order Zhouyang and other Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators to input their magical power to maintain the array's operation and consumption.
Seeing the guardian array was on the verge of breaking, cultivators like Zhouyang, who didn't belong to the Chen Family, secretly contemplated escape plans, unwilling to whole-heartedly contribute their magical power.
On the surface, they all clutched spirit stones in one hand, absorbing spiritual power to replenish their magical power, while placing their other hand on the array base of the "Chaotic Heaven Earth Dragon Array" to input power, appearing to follow orders.
But in reality, each person was only inputting small portions of magical power into the array, intending to save their power for a breakthrough.
Under such circumstances, the protective shield didn't strengthen much due to the input of power from the cultivators. At best, it only delayed the inevitable for a bit.
The sand bandits outside Golden Dawn Mountain clearly noticed this and intensified the attack.
"These bastards!"
The three Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Chen Family on Golden Dawn Mountain were both surprised and angry upon witnessing this, infuriated beyond belief.
However, their anger was futile. Wisely or helplessly, they chose not to expose this matter or punish anyone.
