Chapter Forty-Eight: The Besieged City

Upon hearing what was said, the Little Sword Demon instantly retreated more than ten steps in terror, then exclaimed, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“If I’d told you, would you have believed me? Hmph! Arrange for their rest,” Liya waved his hand, returning to report to Master Lingxu.

The house where Xu Cheng had previously stayed was still available, so all remaining tasks were handed over to the Little Sword Demon. Seizing the opportunity, Xu Cheng devoted himself to cultivation.

The next day, he was summoned to receive his reward—not only for the great victory in the assault on Xuzhou City but also for driving away Xia Hao. King Han, Zhou Hongcai, led the cultivators in celebration. Liya took the chance to acquire a Stonefire Technique. If he could add Woodfire and Airfire Techniques, the three combined would form the legendary Samadhi True Fire Immortal Technique.

For a while, this made many cultivators quite envious.

The Little Sword Demon, for his merits in attacking Xuzhou City, received ten Dao-Forge Pills, and Xu Cheng received five.

These Dao-Forge Pills accelerated the fusion of one’s soul and internal Golden Core. Even those who had already formed a Dao Embryo found them useful, as they hastened entry into the Nascent Soul Realm.

Once Nascent Soul was achieved, one's lifespan extended to three thousand years—virtually an earthly immortal, and capable of founding a sect. Thus, such beings were called Nascent Soul Ancestors.

The celebration was nothing more than a grand banquet, stretching from noon until nightfall.

As the Emissary of the Underworld, Xu Cheng found all food tasteless, unable to savor the delicacies. The sole advantage was never getting drunk, unlike other cultivators or even demon cultivators, who would succumb to intoxication, leaving him with a sense of emptiness.

When nearly everyone was drunk, Xu Cheng rose and walked outside the grand hall.

The Golden Palace felt alien to him. Amidst its opulence, his soul remained adrift, his body restless—where was home?

He hadn’t gone far when he encountered the young bald-headed Yun Sheng.

“So, it’s the Right Emissary of the Underworld!” Yun Sheng remarked indifferently.

“Demon Lord, Chrysanthemum has become one of my Underworld folk. You won’t blame me, will you?” Xu Cheng assumed he had snatched away Yun Sheng’s subordinate and expected anger, so he spoke frankly.

“No, someday you’ll know whose underling Chrysanthemum truly is! Also, a word of warning: Old Demon Qiong’s schemes are rattling away—no different than bargaining with a tiger. When the Underworld comes for him, don’t plead on his behalf.”

Yun Sheng’s words were enigmatic, but Xu Cheng caught only the warning: do not intercede for Old Demon Qiong in the future.

He wondered what mischief the old demon had stirred up; this was the second warning he’d received.

Although Old Demon Qiong had given him much and guided his cultivation, and Xu Cheng owed him a favor, fate was ever unpredictable. If Old Demon Qiong’s schemes drew him in, Xu Cheng doubted he could help.

Xu Cheng nodded, and Yun Sheng, seeing his agreement, walked away.

Days passed without conflict or trivial matters. Xu Cheng enjoyed the peace, using the five Dao-Forge Pills to cultivate. His Golden Core began to show the early form of a Dao Embryo.

Within his dantian, the Golden Core now possessed four appendages, resembling arms, and a round little head, though its features remained blurred.

Only when a clear infant form emerged would the Dao Embryo be fully forged.

“We’re surrounded by the Great Xia Dynasty!”

“The Great Xia Dynasty is attacking!”

Outside, urgent voices rang out.

“Hurry, Xu Cheng, Marquis Wu Wen is approaching with three hundred thousand elite soldiers!” At that moment, Yan Mengdie burst into Xu Cheng’s room.

“Three hundred thousand!”

Their days of tranquility had been but the calm before the storm; now the tempest had arrived. Whether the formation beast and the cultivators could withstand the army was uncertain.

Marquis Wu Wen was furious. He had traveled thousands of miles to Xuzhou City, only to find it deserted—the attackers long gone.

He urgently questioned Xia Hao, then received orders to attack Gunzhou City directly.

Still, bringing three hundred thousand elite troops all that way only to return empty-handed irked Marquis Wu Wen. So, he surrounded Gunzhou City with his massive force.

As soon as the city was encircled, a terrifying beast appeared above the city walls—jet black with blood-red eyes—locking onto every besieger.

Marquis Wu Wen was experienced and recognized it as the legendary formation beast. To enter its domain was to risk more than mere attack; if the formation was formidable, even he might perish.

Not daring to approach, Marquis Wu Wen produced a massive bow weighing five thousand jin. Its string was fashioned from the sinew of a flood dragon he had slain—a dragon that had survived a lightning tribulation, rendering the sinew exceptionally tough.

He drew the bow like a full moon; an arrow composed entirely of True Martial talismans appeared.

With a fierce release, the arrow shot across the sky like a meteor, aiming straight for the formation beast.

The black beast opened its maw wide, swallowed the arrow whole, and it vanished without a trace. Gunzhou City truly resembled a hedgehog, making Marquis Wu Wen feel greatly troubled.

Standing atop the city wall with Yan Mengdie, Xu Cheng saw the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty in the distance—a black tide. Without the formation beast overhead, it was uncertain if Gunzhou City could withstand the onslaught.

“Everyone, loose your arrows!” Marquis Wu Wen commanded.

An endless rain of arrows soared toward Gunzhou City.

Xu Cheng prepared to use his techniques to defend against the barrage, but the formation beast swallowed them all. No wonder, since it was crafted by more than a dozen Nascent Soul old monsters—their combined ingenuity proved boundless.

With the enemy on the offensive, their side could not remain passive.

Master Xuan Chun produced dozens of bows, distributing them among the cultivators.

Xu Cheng was puzzled at first, but soon realized these bows were magical instruments forged by Master Xuan Chun.

Ordinary mirrors or gourds could be called magical instruments, but only at the Nascent Soul stage could one refine the myriad things of heaven and earth, merging them with celestial radiance to imbue them with magical powers.

These bows, fused with celestial light, though not as potent as the one crafted from rare treasures in Marquis Wu Wen’s hands, were nonetheless formidable.

As Xu Cheng drew the bow, his internal mana gathered upon the bow, condensing into a spinning black arrow.

When he released the string, the black arrow pierced through the bodies of dozens of Great Xia soldiers with astonishing speed.

He hadn’t expected that magical instruments could dispense with physical arrows, relying solely on mana infusion.

The other cultivators, witnessing the power of Xu Cheng’s arrow, followed suit, condensing mana into arrows and shooting at the distant soldiers.

For a moment, arrows of every color streaked across the sky, wreaking havoc upon the Great Xia army.

Marquis Wu Wen was furious, but he dared not charge forward. He ordered his five Nascent Soul level experts to raise a mana shield, barely warding off Xu Cheng and his companions’ attacks.

Still, his side suffered greatly, forced to endure a one-sided assault. What kind of battle was this? He’d never fought such a war!

Even the Grand Zen Monastery, when besieged by thirty thousand archers, had its golden shields broken—why was it so difficult here?