Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 71 - 67: The Stalemated War (Part 2)

But to his disappointment, after the deafening roar subsided, the Grand Array’s protective barrier remained intact. It buckled and warped more deeply than before, but it was still far from collapsing.

"...What’s wrong, you old coot? Didn’t you eat your fill today? Or did you spend all your energy in some woman’s bed?"

Ling Tianque’s sarcastic voice drifted over.

This Foundation Establishment Elder was famous for his venomous tongue. His taunts made the Wu Family Patriarch’s face turn livid with rage.

His face dark, Elder Tianyang gritted his teeth and summoned his Magical Treasure. Like a pile driver, he unleashed a torrential onslaught.

"What are you all standing around for? Attack together!"

Wu Canglang shouted, flinging several powerful Thunder Techniques downward with a wave of his hand.

As if waking from a dream, the surrounding Foundation Establishment Elders unleashed their trump cards, attacking in a swarm.

After dozens of strikes, Elder Tianyang had already consumed more than half of his Magical Power. Even with the other Elders joining in, they had only managed to dim the barrier’s glow slightly; it still refused to break.

He was, after all, only a Pseudo Core master. Furthermore, he was old and well past his prime, his Magical Power long gone from its Peak. It was no surprise his performance was so lackluster.

Besides, the notoriously greedy, lecherous, and selfish Elder Tianyang was never going to truly risk his life for the Wu Family.

"That’s enough. We’ll stop here for today. Let’s fall back to camp!"

Taking out an Elixir and swallowing it, the frustrated and fuming Elder Tianyang spoke, then turned and flew off on the wind with a flick of his sleeve.

Wu Canglang and the other Elders exchanged dismayed glances. After muttering a few resentful words, they had no choice but to withdraw.

「In the core hub of the Grand Array.」

"...Senior Sister, can the Array still hold?"

Ling Changqing asked worriedly.

"We can manage. At their current pace, holding out for another ten days or so shouldn’t be a problem."

Tang Qiu Yao said, her expression grave. She ordered the family’s Cultivators to inspect all the Array’s nodes and immediately replace any damaged Array Base components.

Ling Changqing fell silent, pondering. The previous assault had indeed caused some damage to the Grand Array, though it was very limited.

Besides, it was unlikely that Elder Tianyang would be willing to exert himself like that every day. The Wu Family would mainly have to rely on their Foundation Establishment Cultivators to wear them down.

All things considered, the Ling Family would have no problem holding out for another month.

After a moment’s thought, Ling Changqing said to Tang Qiu Yao, "We can’t just sit here and wait. It’s too passive. We need to stir up some trouble for them."

Tang Qiu Yao smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"It’s simple. We’ll secretly send word to our allies and have their Foundation Establishment Cultivators pay a visit to the Wu Family’s territory."

Ling Changqing explained, "The Wu Family’s main force is tied down here, so the defenses on Longhuan Island must be spread thin. It’s the perfect opportunity to exploit the opening."

Tang Qiu Yao’s eyes lit up. "That could work. Let’s do it!"

If trouble started brewing in their home base, the Wu Family’s leadership couldn’t just sit by and watch. Even if they didn’t retreat completely, they would at least have to send some of their forces back to reinforce Longhuan Island’s defenses.

This would relieve the pressure on the Ling Family, allowing them to hold out for much longer.

Early the next day, Elder Tianyang, along with all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, resumed their assault on the Grand Array.

Unsurprisingly, the result was no different than the day before. The Grand Array’s barrier remained as solid as a rock.

Elder Tianyang didn’t press the attack for long, stopping to return to camp and rest once he had used up half his Magical Power.

Given his lofty status, Wu Canglang didn’t dare to say a word and even had to force a smile.

After several days of this tepid stalemate, an urgent message arrived from Longhuan Island. Several unidentified Foundation Establishment Cultivators had broken into the Marketplace and were on a destructive rampage.

They were only targeting the Wu Family’s assets, leaving the shops and businesses run by outside factions completely untouched. Their intentions were obvious.

Upon hearing the news, Wu Canglang could no longer sit still. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to send half of his Foundation Establishment Cultivators back to save the day, lest their home base be utterly ravaged.

As a result, the pressure on the Ling Family’s Protective Array was significantly relieved. The move also inevitably damaged the morale of the entire Wu Family.

The relief force had a smooth journey, quickly driving out the disruptive Cultivators and restoring peace to Longhuan Island.

A few days later, after confirming there were no more enemy Cultivators lurking on Longhuan Island, Wu Canglang ordered the group of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to return and resume the attack on Zenxin Island’s Protective Array.

However, less than two days after they had left, another alert came from Longhuan Island. A few more Foundation Establishment Cultivators from a hostile power had appeared and were causing havoc.

Frustrated, Wu Canglang had no choice but to once again dispatch a force to provide emergency aid.

A month quietly slipped by under this endless harassment from guerrilla tactics, and Zenxin Island’s Protective Array remained as unshakable as ever.

The Wu Family’s Cultivators had suffered few casualties, but their consumption of war materials was considerable, primarily in the form of Spirit Stones and Elixir Talismans.

"...We can’t go on like this!"

In the camp, Elder Wu Cangyuan’s brows were tightly furrowed as he spoke anxiously to the Patriarch.

Wu Canglang sighed and said helplessly,

"What choice do we have? The Ling Family’s Protective Array is just too tough to break. If we keep this up, another three months will be completely pointless!"

The surrounding Elders were speechless. If this war really dragged on for three months, or even longer, the Wu Family’s finances would collapse.

Even before the war started, the Wu Family had borrowed heavily from all sides and was already saddled with enormous debt.

The entire family was counting on destroying the Ling Family and annexing Zenxin Island’s assets just to be able to catch their breath.

If this war didn’t end soon, the Wu Family would be unable to sustain the cost. After all, the Ling Family’s coffers were currently much deeper than their own.

After a moment of contemplation, Elder Wu Jinghong said slowly,

"Should we try negotiating with the Ling Family? If they’re willing to pay sufficiently generous war reparations, we could consider withdrawing our forces."

Wu Cangyuan sneered. "Do you think that’s possible? They haven’t lost. Why would they bow their heads so easily?"

Wu Jinghong frowned but couldn’t refute the point. The Ling Family’s Female Patriarch was never the type to swallow insults. Why would she back down now?

Silence fell over the hall.

What they had thought would be a sure victory had now devolved into a stalemate, with no hope of breaking it in sight. The situation was deeply humiliating.

Wu Canglang glanced at Wu Qi, who was beside Elder Tianyang, hoping she would ask the Elder for his opinion.

But this woman of the clan remained expressionless, ignoring Wu Canglang’s look as if she were a clay statue in a temple.

Left with no other choice, Wu Canglang had to humble himself and ask:

"Fellow Daoist Tianyang, given the current situation, what do you think our next move should be?"

Elder Tianyang’s eyes were half-closed, his voice indifferent. "I can call another friend or two to help. But can you offer sufficient compensation?"

Wu Canglang: "..."