Daoist Master Dark Cloud was quick to react and managed to escape before being surrounded by the enemy. Other Gold Core Daoist Masters in the rear quickly received Daoist Master Dark Cloud's message via the communication flying sword, notifying them of the impending enemy attack. They immediately began to gather their forces.
Both the Taiyi Sect and Flying Swan Sect were preparing to defend against the attacks from the Fire Cloud Sect and East River Branch. Fire Cloud Sect, on the other hand, was also concerned about the enemy's counterattack. Their Gold Core Daoist Masters were not dispersed too far from each other.
As for clearing the vast Endless Sea of Sand and plundering various resources, the task was assigned to the large armies of cultivators mobilized by the two sects. Only in the face of formidable opponents did they consider calling upon their Gold Core Daoist Masters for assistance.
Despite the large number of cultivators in the Endless Sea of Sand, there was rarely a need to deploy Gold Core Daoist Masters. The joint forces of the two sects were sufficient to easily crush any resistance.
From Daoist Master Dark Cloud's message via the communication flying sword, it was known that the enemy had sent six Gold Core Daoist Masters. Both Fire Cloud Sect and East River Branch did not dare to be careless, and all their Gold Core Daoist Masters gathered at Feihong Mountain to avoid being isolated and targeted by the enemy.
Meng Zhang and his group rushed all the way, conserving their True Essence to avoid excessive consumption. They didn't try to conceal their whereabouts, nor did they expect to surprise the unprepared enemy. When they reached Feihong Mountain, they encountered the six enemy Gold Core Daoist Masters who were already waiting in a defensive formation.
After capturing Feihong Mountain, the higher-ups of the Yellow Lotus Sect's East River Branch established a Third Rank mountain-guarding formation to strengthen defense and use it as a base in the Endless Sea of Sand.
Due to the Fire Cloud Sect's weaker strength compared to the Yellow Lotus Sect's East River Branch, especially after suffering a disastrous defeat, they lacked enough cultivators to form a formidable army. Therefore, the joint forces of the two sects were mainly composed of East River Branch's cultivators, and their higher-ranking cultivators were also stronger than those of Fire Cloud Sect. Daoist Master Smiling Lotus of the East River Branch served as the overall commander of this joint force.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus was known for being arrogant and domineering. Even Fire Cloud Sect, their ally, had to step back when fighting for interests. Feihong Mountain and its surrounding areas were the most prosperous regions in the Endless Sea of Sand, and the East River Branch took the initiative to occupy them.
Now, facing the counterattacks from the Taiyi Sect and Flying Swan Sect, the East River Branch naturally had to shoulder the responsibility of defense. If Daoist Master Smiling Lotus led the group to defend Feihong Mountain with the mountain-guarding formation, they would be invincible. Even if the enemy was stronger, they wouldn't be able to break through the mountain's defenses.However, by doing so, they would be giving up all their peripheral positions and would have to relinquish most of their previous gains. Unless it was absolutely necessary and they couldn't withstand the enemy's attack, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus and his group wouldn't choose this option.
All six Gold Core Daoist Masters, including Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, had some understanding of the enemy's strength. The Taiyi Sect and Flying Swan Sect were on high alert against invaders and actively gathered intelligence on the enemy. East River Branch and Fire Cloud Sect were doing the same.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus believed that their strength was greater than that of the enemy. While they might not be as aggressive in initiating attacks, they were more than capable of defending against any incoming assault.
In Daoist Master Smiling Lotus's eyes, if they didn't actively attack, the Taiyi Sect and Flying Swan Sect should be grateful. Yet, they dared to take the initiative to attack, showing ignorance of their own limitations.
"When did the East River Branch become the servant of the Mountain Branch, devoting themselves entirely to serving their master, Yue Feng?" Fei Shi Daoist Master shouted from a distance.
"Fei Shi, you don't understand that these useless people can only find their way by being dogs to the Primordial Spirit True Monarch," Meng Zhang teased with a laugh.
"You're just relying on empty talk, utterly clueless," Daoist Master Scarlet Flame coldly snorted.
True to his name, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus always had a smile on his face and rarely showed any other expression. He smiled as he looked at the approaching opponents, saying nothing.
The Gold Core Daoist Masters present were all experienced cultivators, so how could they be easily moved by words? Seeing that they were about to make contact, Meng Zhang's group stopped wasting time on useless exchanges. Insults and negotiations were unnecessary; everyone was not interested in that. As they entered the attack range, they immediately launched their attacks.
Fei Shi Daoist Master sought out his old enemy and opponent, Daoist Master Scarlet Flame. Both were mid-level Gold Core cultivators and had clashed several times in the past. Now that they met again, their animosity flared, and they didn't exchange any words before engaging in battle.
As the only two mid-level Gold Core cultivators on their side, Meng Zhang was forced to confront the strongest enemy, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, due to Fei Shi Daoist Master's deliberate or inadvertent actions.Meng Zhang did not lose his fighting spirit just because his Cultivation Base was inferior to his opponent's, but instead he actively charged forward with high spirits.
The Sun Moon Divine Pearl hung high above his head, emitting bursts of divine light.
The Fierce Yang Sword transformed into a scorching sun in the air, carrying waves of intense heat as it attacked the opponent.
The Shadow Killing Sword hid in the shadows, appearing and disappearing, constantly leaping and striking.
After years of arduous cultivation and numerous displays, the Strange and Upright Sword Art, a superior sword technique passed down by the Purple Gold Sect, shone brilliantly in Meng Zhang's hands, displaying its full potential.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus had a smile on his face without any change, a yellow lotus flower floating above his head, standing on a cloud, hands clasped together, immediately causing a flurry of heavenly flowers to fall from the sky, rushing towards Meng Zhang who was charging towards him.
Facing Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, whose Cultivation Base was a step higher than his own, Meng Zhang did not dare to hold back and used all his means, displaying his Divine Ability to the fullest.
Sharp black and white sword qi crisscrossed in the air, already containing a hint of yin and yang transformation.
After Meng Zhang and Fei ShiDaoist Master found their opponents, the remaining Gold Core Daoist Masters each sought their own opponents and engaged in fierce battles.
Except for Meng Zhang and Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, the Cultivation Base of the other five pairs of opponents was similar, and the difference in their combat power was not significant. After fighting for a long time, there was no clear winner. Even if someone gained a slight advantage, it would still take time to determine the outcome, even life and death.
Inheritance, talent, effort, and many other factors allowed Meng Zhang to enter the mid-stage of Gold Core at a young age, and he was not weak among cultivators at the mid-stage of Gold Core.
However, he still found it difficult to challenge opponents of a higher realm. The gap of crossing a realm made it difficult for him to match Daoist Master Smiling Lotus.
Among the many sects in the Jiuqu League, the Yellow Lotus Sect was a top-tier existence. If it weren't for the disappearance of the Yellow Lotus Sect's Cult Master for many years, the Yellow Lotus Sect would have had even more influence and would not have experienced internal division.
Even if the Yellow Lotus Sect had many internal problems, it could still hold a prominent position among the high-ranking members of the Jiuqu League, and no force would dare to provoke it easily.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, who received the inheritance of the Yellow Lotus Sect, was equally skilled. In terms of combat experience and effort, he was no less than Meng Zhang.
After the two started fighting, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus also did not hold back and showed his true abilities. After witnessing Meng Zhang's extraordinary skills, he secretly exerted more strength, wanting to keep Meng Zhang here.
Among the six pairs of opponents, Meng Zhang was in the worst situation. Facing Daoist Master Smiling Lotus's seemingly casual but actually powerful attacks, he quickly fell into a disadvantage and gradually lost the initiative.
Even though he was suppressed by Daoist Master Smiling Lotus and could only defend without counterattacking, Meng Zhang remained calm. He still had a trump card that he hadn't revealed, so there was no need to worry.
Moreover, he was interested in fighting against strong opponents. Even if the battle didn't go well, he could still learn a lot from it.
However, no matter how talented Meng Zhang was, he couldn't overcome the huge gap in strength. As the battle continued, his situation became worse and worse.
If there were no other changes in the situation and they continued like this, Meng Zhang would be in danger.
At this moment, Meng Zhang's trump card, Jin Li Daoist Master, descended from the sky and landed not far from the battlefield.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, who was fighting Meng Zhang, was the first to notice Jin Li Daoist Master's arrival.
Jin Li Daoist Master had never been able to take the initiative in the Endless Sea of Sand due to the agreement with True Monarch Tian Zhu and the Fifth Rank Earth Spirit.
This had caused many people to subconsciously overlook her existence and not include her in their calculations of combat power.
With True Monarch Tian Zhu and the Fifth Rank Earth Spirit gone and no more restraints, Jin Li Daoist Master could freely take action in the Endless Sea of Sand. She had a sense of liberation and could soar freely. Daoist Master Smiling Lotus's smile remained unchanged on his face, but his anger surged in his heart.
It was Daoist Master Smiling Lotus's disciples who caused trouble in Great Wind City in the first place, trying to forcibly take Jin Qiao'er away.
Later, Jin Li Daoist Master used this as an excuse to cause a commotion in the Yellow Lotus Sect's East River Branch, causing many problems.
At that time, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus had not yet advanced to the late stage of Gold Core and was still at the mid-stage of Gold Core in terms of Cultivation Base. There was no cultivator in the entire East River Branch who could stop Jin Li Daoist Master.
Jin Li Daoist Master caused great damage to the East River Branch, causing them to lose face. If it weren't for other considerations, Jin Li Daoist Master would not have easily stopped.
It was also because of Jin Li Daoist Master's actions that the true and false aspects of the East River Branch were exposed, making them unable to resist the infiltration of the Mountain Branch and forcing them to submit to True Monarch Mountain Peak.
Speaking of which, Jin Li Daoist Master was the main culprit behind the East River Branch becoming a pawn of True Monarch Mountain Peak.
At the thought of Jin Li Daoist Master beheading his beloved disciple right in front of him, Daoist Master Smiling Lotus had the impulse to give up the fight with Meng Zhang and rush over to fight Jin Li Daoist Master.
Of course, cultivators at Daoist Master Smiling Lotus's level would not let their emotions control them.
Jin Li Daoist Master appearing at this time was not a good thing.
Daoist Master Smiling Lotus was making progress, and Jin Li Daoist Master was also making progress. As a Gold Core completion stage cultivator, Jin Li Daoist Master didn't dare to claim invincibility against all Gold Core stage opponents, but at least against opponents like Daoist Master Smiling Lotus, she could easily handle them.
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