Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The vast Blood Cloud that stretched for several kilometers eventually came to a halt.

The vibrantly red Blood Flags fluttered in the wind, with three people managing a small Blood Flag, six people a medium Blood Flag, and thirty-six a large one. Array Patterns densely covered an area spanning dozens of kilometers.

Every moment, the amount of Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi they mobilized was massive, and all the Golden Pill Monks were buoyant with confidence, certain they could overcome opponents of a higher level.

However, at this moment, their faces were filled with gloom, and they were downtrodden.

Days later,

an Eight Trigrams cloud drifted over from afar.

The majestic oppressive force washed over dozens of kilometers. Visions of Earth Fire, wind, water, and the Heavenly Earth Ze changed continuously, easily suppressing the domain of the Blood Cloud's formation and forcing it to shrink relentlessly, barely managing to spread over a few kilometers.

It was the same number of people, and they were also a well-trained army, having refined their Formation instruments for over a hundred years.

Why were they so much worse than a rabble?

This wasn't right.

The many Blood Cloud officers looked complicatedly at the youth rising amidst the Eight Trigrams cloud - an ordinary face with an indifferent gaze.

Yin Dao, the Six Dao Saint, stood with several cultivators of the Northern Plains, who were formidable Golden Pill bandits and heroes, and yet they did not overshadow him in the slightest.

They all stood respectfully, hands tied, ears perked, ready to listen for commands at any moment, as though they were but children.

"Greetings, Lord Tushan!"

Beneath the Blood Cloud, numerous Golden Pill Cultivators put away their Blood Flag Formation instruments and their Treasures, bowing their heads in deep respect, devoid of any defiance.

"It is an honor to meet my fellow Daoists."

Jiang Ding quietly observed this army of Cultivators.

Over a hundred Golden Pill Monks, this was not their final state.

The end goal was to incorporate tens or hundreds of thousands of Foundation Building Qi Practitioners, with each unit relying on the Formation Method, practicing with strict discipline, to gather the strength of thousands.

In an instant, thousands of Array Patterns would appear and disappear, naturally creating blood light from the chaos, engulfing enemies in a sky of blood rivers, dissolving both flesh and Treasure.

Such inheritance was typically a major sect's treasure; Loose Cultivators had no chance of coming into contact with it.

Even if by chance they obtained it, the colossal resources needed to craft Formation instruments, and the daunting quantity and quality required of Cultivators to form an Army Formation, would dissuade anyone from attempting it.

But in the current Northern Plains, the circumstances were perfect.

After two hundred years of bloody conflict with the Great Sun Sect, the families of the Northern Plains saw a steep decline in Golden Pill and Nascent Soul Monks, having to depend on the power of Nascent Soul Monks to suppress only the core areas. They were already incapable of controlling and governing the more remote regions.

This led to the rise of numerous elites and heroes, and conflicts erupted everywhere.

In the Northern Plains at this moment, there was no shortage of Golden Pill and Foundation Building Cultivators seeking the Dao. Fearing not death for the prospect of immortality, the mere spark of hope could set a prairie ablaze.

As long as Blood Cloud could raise its flag high, and it remained undaunted for a time, a continuous influx of Loose Cultivators and Golden Pill Monks would converge from all directions.

"You, disarm the formation."

"Follow my commands, abide by the two decrees of Tushan that I have set forth," Jiang Ding ordered without any pleasantries or ceremony.

The Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights remained still, turning their gaze towards Blood Cloud.

It was evident that their cohesion was strong, and even at this moment, they still maintained a highly disciplined order. This was not merely a union of interests; there was emotion and trust between them.

Jiang Ding rested his hand on his sword hilt.

"Lord Tushan."

With his hair gray and his face lined with wrinkles, Blood Cloud bowed respectfully and said, "We have admired you for a long time. May I request a demonstration of a move or two, so that we might have something to reminisce about in the future?"

Jiang Ding silently watched him, saying nothing.

Blood Cloud felt all the hairs on his body stand on end.

Vaguely, it was as if he was transported back to hundreds of years ago when he was still a mortal.

At that time, he was a horse slave of the Yin family, and he had encountered a peculiar blue wolf in the wilderness. The situation was the same as now, his whole body rigid.

But from start to finish, even though he was nothing but a common man without any power to resist, he did not move back an inch or expose his back.

At that time, the blue wolf had already eaten its fill and wasn't interested in him. After a mere glance, the wolf left on its own.

At this moment, Blood Cloud still refused to back down, staring intently at the person before him.

If they really had to surrender before the battle, it'd be better to die!

"My Lord, allow me to ask for guidance."

Under the immense pressure, Blood Cloud spoke again.

"Alright."

Jiang Ding nodded.

Boom!

Immortal Baimei, the Six Dao Saint, and other Golden Pill Monks suddenly felt an enormous pulling force from the formation, compelling them to perform the Beidou Tiangang Step and extract the mana from within themselves.

The complex Eight Trigrams Array Patterns circulated, combining Earth Fire, Wind, Water, and Qiankun Zedui, the Eight Trigrams transforming into eight patterns; the Zhen Radiance burst forth, turning into the majestic might of thunder, coalescing into a sword imbued with the Sword Intent of Destruction and the power of thunder.

The Six Dao Saint was taken aback.

This indicated an extremely deep control over the formation method, using the formation to defend against people, rather than using people to form the formation. Ordinary cultivators wishing to sabotage it in secret are deluding themselves; just as they're about to make a move, they would likely be ground into a bloody foam by the hum of the rotating array patterns, not a drop left behind.

But how is it possible that, in addition to reaching the pinnacle of the Sword Dao, his mastery of formations is also of such caliber? This is illogical!

Could it be that some old monster has broken the restrictions of the Luoxu Order and entered using an external incarnation?

The Six Dao Saint fell into deep suspicion.

No sooner had the Zhen Thunder Sword appeared than it sliced through deep space rifts and disappeared from view.

Immortal Baimei and the other Golden Pill Monks' eyelids twitched.

Space!

This was a genuine Nascent Soul-level attack, not just in name!

At that moment, many thoughts fluttered. Those Golden Pill Monks who'd promised something instantly forgot all about their previous intentions, focusing wholeheartedly on coordinating with the Eight Trigrams Formation, without any other stray thoughts.

In contrast with their complex thoughts, Blood Cloud trembled with fear, a chill running down his spine.

Under this thunder, he felt a strong sense of impending death.

Clearly, the instruction he had sought was truly descending upon him as expected, at the appointed time, but perhaps it demanded his life as the price.

"Kill!"

Blood Cloud roared, biting the tip of his tongue, spewing out a mouthful of essence blood, clutching tightly his Life Treasure, the Blood Cloud Banner in both hands, vigorously waving it to summon a sky full of Blood Cloud, confronting the descending Thunder Sword.

Hei Loucheng and the others, although extremely dissatisfied with his rash move, and despite the many curses transmitted via Divine Sense, did not abandon their support for him between life and death, leaving him to die.

"Kill!"

"Blood Kill!"

All of the Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights activated their Mana Techniques, stepping on the array patterns, responding to the waving of his Blood Flag, the Bloody Taoist Patterns generating on their own, coordinating with Blood Cloud's attack, swallowing the Spiritual Energy of dozens of miles around.

An endless stream of blood light converged, and under the waving of the Blood Cloud Flag in Blood Cloud's hands, streaks of blood-colored knife light, filling the sky like swimming fish, were produced.

Under the convergence of the Bloody Taoist Patterns, the leading blood knives radiated an endless aura of bloodiness and sharpness, leaving deep black cracks in space wherever they passed.

This too reached the level of a Nascent Soul-level attack!

In the clash of the army formations, there was no room for turning back. In an instant, the Thunder Convulsion Tranmutation Sword had arrived, striking upon the blood knives.

Boom!

There was a thunderous, earth-shattering explosion.

Under the Thunder Sword, several blood knives were shattered in one strike, their Spiritual Light collapsed, and the countless fish-scale knife lights dissipated completely.

"Pff!"

Blood Cloud's face showed terror as he spat out blood and was thrown backward, smashing heavily into the ground.

Around him,

the Blood Cloud Army Formation broke apart, collapsing. The Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights and more than a hundred Golden Pill Monks exploded apart, scattering in all directions, the formation shattered in one strike, rendering all willpower and morale useless.