Chapter 24: A Generation of Talents

Outside Fengyang City, the sky had turned pitch black. Heavy storm clouds shrouded the heavens, obscuring any trace of stars or moonlight, and a chilling, murderous aura permeated the surroundings. As more and more righteous cultivators broke free from the illusions, the fighting on both battlefields grew increasingly fierce.

Four formidable cultivators, including Magistrate Liu, unleashed torrents of spiritual energy, relentlessly suppressing the members of the Longevity Tower. Not to be outdone, the younger generation of cultivators also brought their full arsenal to bear against the demonic sect's minions.

The Demon-Slaying Wardens, clad in black official robes and dark, form-fitting attire, led the charge with the cold, piercing gazes of hawks. Their blades glinted with a bone-chilling light, and their strikes were ruthless, leaving no room for mercy. One warden leaped high into the air, his long blade descending like a ribbon of light. The demonic cultivator panicked, raising his dark artifact in defense, but the blade effortlessly shattered it, slicing him diagonally from the shoulder. Blood erupted like a fountain, entrails spilled onto the ground, and the air was instantly thick with the stench of gore.

The scholars of the Qingyang Academy were equally formidable. Among the younger generation, a handsome, composed scholar stood out even in the heat of battle. He dipped his wolf-hair brush into spiritual ink and danced it through the air, quickly manifesting a massive, golden character for "Suppress." Suddenly, the character blazed with light, transforming into a golden stone stele the size of a small hill, which he slammed down into the crowd of demonic cultivators. Wherever the stele struck, cultivators were crushed beneath it, the sickening sound of breaking bones echoing clearly. Other scholars unleashed a variety of Confucian secret techniques, their overwhelming aura of righteousness surging across the battlefield. As the Confucian school is a natural bane to all demonic paths, the scholars of Qingyang Academy fought with ease, coordinating their efforts to drive the demonic cultivators into a steady retreat.

The Taoists of the Sanyang Temple were also relentless. On the other side of the battlefield, they deployed the "Big Dipper Demon-Purging Array." Dressed in Taoist robes and star-patterned crowns, they moved with light, orderly steps, arranging themselves into groups of seven. Their peachwood swords were wreathed in blue lightning arcs. As the formation activated, the seven Taoists plunged their swords into the ground and chanted in unison: "Progenitors of Heaven and Earth, the root of all vital energy! Descend, Big Dipper, and purge the evil souls!"

In an instant, the light of the seven stars of the Big Dipper descended from the sky, converging into a massive vortex of light. Within the vortex, countless arcs of lightning flickered; any demonic cultivator caught inside was torn to shreds by the electrical strikes, their screams echoing endlessly. Those who attempted to force their way through were ground into dust by the powerful forces of the vortex, vanishing into nothingness.

Atop the city gate tower, Xu Mu stood draped in a white robe embroidered with golden patterns. With his handsome features, he appeared like a refined young nobleman of the mortal world. Before him floated two mirrors forged from massive bones, their backs carved with intricate designs. The surfaces, smooth as water, shifted to display scenes from the two battlefields outside the city.

Seeing the heavy casualties among his demonic cultivators and the clear signs of retreat, his brows furrowed deeply. His breathing turned ragged as he muttered in a low voice, "Where in the world did these damned scholars and Taoists come from?"

A goat-bearded old man beside him spoke cautiously, "According to the latest intelligence, they only appeared at the Demon-Slaying Bureau's camp today. We failed to identify them in time, which is why the situation has become so dire. If it were only those people from the Demon-Slaying Bureau, we would have already won a total victory."

Xu Mu’s expression darkened, but he said nothing further. Suddenly, his pupils constricted, and he pointed to a section of the battlefield. "Where did that brat come from? In just a quarter of an hour, he has taken the lives of seven or eight of our men."

The goat-bearded man squinted to focus. He saw a young cultivator in a green robe, carrying a book box on his back, whose aura was remarkably profound. He wielded a wooden sword, and every strike was a simple, rudimentary move, yet each one produced a straight, thin silver thread. With every swing, a demonic cultivator was either severely wounded or killed. Beside him, a cold and beautiful woman in a warden's uniform remained trapped in an illusion, yet the green-robed man stood firm, guarding her without taking a single step away. Even alone, he prevented any demonic cultivator from reaching the woman.

The goat-bearded man withdrew his gaze, thought for a moment, and arrived at the answer. "That is the same fellow who ruined our plans in Nanyang County. His name is Gu Xian, and he comes from Wuwang Mountain."

"So, it is him." Xu Mu murmured, then commanded, "Send men to kill him."

The goat-bearded man bowed respectfully to the handsome man and departed to carry out the order.

On the battlefield, Gu Xian remained calm and steady. If not for the need to keep a portion of his focus on the state of Xia Qinghe, he would have killed even more demonic minions. He was also puzzled; what could Xia Qinghe have encountered in the illusion to remain unconscious for so long?

Just then, three demonic cultivators appeared before him. All three radiated a uniform, sinister aura. One had a malevolent, sinister gaze, while the other two, one tall and one short, emanated a palpable sense of danger. Gu Xian’s expression did not change, but he felt a sinking sensation in his heart—these three had set their sights on him.

The next moment, the sinister man flickered, appearing before the green-robed man in an instant. His palms wreathed in demonic energy, he thrust downward toward Gu Xian’s head. The green-robed man parried with his sword, blocking the strike, and then slashed back, the sharp sword energy forcing the man to retreat.

At that moment, the other two demonic cultivators made their move. The tall one channeled energy into a black magical seal; as he poured more demonic power into it, the seal expanded rapidly, descending to suppress Gu Xian from above. The green-robed man quickly summoned his golden, miniature bell. As spiritual energy surged, the bell grew larger and floated upward to confront the seal. The short cultivator seized the opportunity to attack, wielding a pitch-black longsword to strike at Gu Xian.

Facing three opponents, the green-robed man showed no fear. Controlling his sword with his mind, he wove dragon-like sword light, making it impossible for the three to get close to him.

Not far away, Daoist Changqing and Xu Qingzhi both noticed this scene. Initially, seeing three peak-stage Qi Sea realm cultivators surrounding Gu Xian, they had intended to intervene, but looking at the situation now, it was the three demonic cultivators who seemed to be in need of help.

Daoist Changqing could not help but sigh to himself, realizing that the younger generation was truly becoming more and more extraordinary. In today’s battle, many young people had performed admirably, but Gu Xian was undoubtedly the most eye-catching of them all.