booktalesy Chapter 446 - 256: Mu Yunxiu: So it was you...
Chapter 446 - 256: Mu Yunxiu: So it was you...
Beside him, Zhao Wanqing, dressed in tight-fitting cyan Soft Armor that accentuated her stunning figure, spoke in a low voice.
"A few hundred years?"
Zhao Wanyi shot her sister a look and scoffed, "A thousand might not be enough for them to recover! And that’s assuming the Mu and Cui Families even get a chance to recover at all."
"I agree."
Ling Changqing nodded.
The Mu Family and the Cui Family had suffered an unprecedented catastrophe. It was truly hard to say how many of their clan members would survive.
If things went poorly, the two families could very well be erased completely, their foundations plundered and carved up by the other Noble Families.
In the future, the traditional Nine Great Families of the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm would become the Seven Great Families.
But the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty’s fate was harder to predict. If they were lucky, their reign might continue, but their decline was inevitable. Their traditional territories and interests would shrink significantly.
This was the cruel, dark side of the Cultivation Realm. No matter how powerful a faction was, the moment it showed signs of weakening, it would inevitably attract malicious, covetous gazes. No one was an exception.
Even the closest allies, those with the strongest bonds, could rarely be relied on in a crisis. Simply remaining neutral and not kicking them while they were down was already a sign of great integrity.
High in the Celestial Vault, the Cultivators in green Daoist robes were from the Mu Family, the ones in white were from the Cui Family, and the ones in red all belonged to the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty.
The Mu and Cui Families had the advantage in numbers, while the Cultivators from the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty generally possessed a higher average Cultivation Level.
As a result, the two sides were evenly matched, and for the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.
Ling Changqing looked out and saw mortally wounded Cultivators screaming as they plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, their fates unknown.
Even more unlucky souls were incinerated mid-air by powerful Divine Techniques, leaving not even a trace behind.
"My love, what should we do now?"
Zhao Wanyi asked softly.
Both sides of the fierce battle had Cultivators at the Nascent Soul True Monarch Realm, and quite a few of them. This place wasn’t safe.
"No rush. Let’s watch for a while first."
Ling Changqing said. He wasn’t worried about being targeted. With Gong Ling’s covert assistance, escaping would be no problem at all.
The brutal fighting continued, with small groups of Cultivators occasionally arriving from a distance to join in. The groups ranged from a dozen to over a hundred, with reinforcements for every side.
After a full day and night, more than seventy percent of the Cultivators had perished. Still, the survivors showed no sign of stopping. Even though most were injured, they chose to fight to the death.
At this point, those still alive were mostly Late Middle Stage Golden Core Cultivators or powerful Body Cultivators. The Nascent Soul True Monarchs on both sides hadn’t suffered many casualties.
"Are they... going to fight to the last man?"
Ling Changqing asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Normally, once casualties passed a certain threshold, the morale of the losing side should have collapsed, leading to a rout.
Of course, Cultivators were not like the armies of mortal kingdoms. Their willpower was exceptionally strong, and they would not retreat easily unless faced with an insurmountable foe.
Zhao Wanyi frowned. "That’s more or less it. Besides, those Nascent Soul True Monarchs have especially long Lifespans. They don’t die so easily."
"Then let’s... get out of here."
Ling Changqing sighed. ’I was hoping to pick up some scraps and profit from the dead, but it seems unlikely now.’
Both warring parties had anticipated this possibility and had assigned a group of Cultivators to clean up. While treating the wounded, they also promptly retrieved the bodies of their fallen comrades, along with their personal Magical Treasures and belongings.
So, like it or not, Ling Changqing had no opportunity unless he was dead set on a direct confrontation with those Cultivators.
"...If Master insists on trying, I can help."
Gong Ling’s soft, beautiful voice sounded in his sea of consciousness.
"Alright, it’s settled then."
Ling Changqing nodded. He had the Zhao sisters take shelter in the Era Star Palace Grotto Heaven Blessed Land while he, with Gong Ling’s help, concealed his presence.
The price was merely ten years of his Lifespan. Back during his training in Dragon Soul Valley, Ling Changqing had used this ability to gain considerable benefits and had still managed to leave unscathed.
Having chosen his direction, the invisible Ling Changqing took to the air, silently approaching the battlefield.
A moment later, with a piercing scream, two blood-soaked Golden Core Cultivators fell from the sky. They fainted before they even hit the ground. Judging by the color of their attire, they were from the Saint Yu Immortal Dynasty.
Ling Changqing quietly approached, reached out, and snatched the several Storage Pouches from their waists, as well as a Ring shimmering with Spiritual Light from one of their hands, then quickly departed.
A few breaths later, several Cultivators from the Immortal Dynasty followed the trail and found them. They fed Elixirs to both of the wounded, then carried them away.
They didn’t notice anything missing from the wounded. Even if they had, they would have only suspected the enemy Cultivators were responsible, never thinking a third party was involved.
In this way, Ling Changqing fished in troubled waters, profiting handsomely from the dead. In no time, he had snagged over a hundred Storage Magical Artifacts and even picked up some ownerless Magical Treasures and Spiritual Artifacts.
The slain Cultivators were mostly at the Foundation Establishment or Core Formation Level, ranging from Pseudo Core to Golden Core. Fallen Nascent Soul True Monarchs were relatively rare.
Ling Changqing couldn’t care less about the outcome of the battle. He simply roamed the battlefield, striking whenever he found a suitable target, regardless of which side they belonged to.