Cultivation, Inc.I Use Capitalism to Fix a Dying Sect

Chapter 132: The Great Battle Begins

“This Formation-Breaking Talisman is truly formidable. The Qingyun Sect’s vaunted mountain-protecting array barely lasted a single stick of incense before shattering.” Daoist Centipede’s face split into a wide, ingratiating grin.

“Still, the cost of that talisman was not small,” Old Monster Skeleton rasped, his sunken eyes flickering with a shrewd, calculating light. “I hope we do not return empty-handed this time.”

“Heh, rest your hearts. According to the intel from the Seven Star Tower, this Qingyun Sect is far wealthier than we dared imagine. They will not disappoint us.”

“Old Ghost Jin Jue, today you meet your end!”

The instant the grand Formation blanketing the Qingyun Sect collapsed, Wen Sha led the Black Wind Stockade cultivators off the flying boat. Yet, the moment his eyes landed on the massive, organized formations of cultivators hovering in the air to meet them, his expression shifted.

“They mobilized their entire defense in the span of a single incense stick? It seems this Qingyun Sect is not as pathetic as the rumors claimed.”

“Tread carefully, everyone. Do not underestimate them,” Wen Sha warned.

“Hahaha! A mere Qingyun Sect is nothing to worry about!” Daoist Ghost Wood roared, charging out first. “Listen closely! The Golden Core cultivators are ours. The rest are yours to slaughter. Leave none alive!”

His gaze locked onto Elder Jin Jue like a predator. An overwhelming, tidal wave of hatred erupted from the Daoist’s aura.

“Old Ghost Jin Jue, your time is up!” Ghost Wood bellowed. A ghastly saber, trailing a dense contrail of corrupt black Qi, screamed through the air toward Jin Jue’s throat.

“All combat squads, initiate tactical retreat! Maintain spacing! Do not enter the high-level aggression zone! Execute the contingency protocols!”

Sun Yi’s command cut through the chaos. Like a well-oiled machine, the disciples immediately pulled back, retreating far beyond the blast radius of the Golden Core engagement zone.

Sun Yi also backed off, recalculating the threat. He had been preparing for too many high-level opponents. But seeing the enemy’s force capping at only seven Golden Core cultivators? The crushing dread in his chest eased. This was manageable.

Sure, his side only had five Golden Core cultivators. But Elders Ye Luo and Jin Jue had just installed their latest upgrades—unlocking the Fire Gate and the Gold Gate. Their combat power was through the roof.

Plus, he had equipped them with the premium third-grade Talismans he had bulk-purchased from the Seven Star Tower.

The instant Ghost Wood’s saber entered his personal space, Elder Jin Jue triggered his sword Art. A beam of razor-sharp golden light instantly erupted, slamming head-on into the dark blade.

BOOM!

The ghost-head saber was swatted back like a fly, the ominous black Qi surrounding it flickering and dimming upon impact.

Elder Jin Jue stared coldly at his old nemesis. “Old ghost, instead of cowering in the Black Wind Stockade to nurse your wounds, you deliver yourself to my doorstep? Courting death.”

“Hmph, what arrogance. With This Seat here, let us see exactly who you can kill!”

The space beside Ghost Wood distorted, and Wen Sha materialized like a phantom. The Sect Leader’s icy gaze locked onto Elder Jin Jue.

“Sect Leader Wen Sha,” Elder Jin Jue greeted, his tone flat. “To think you would dirty your own hands. How surprising.”

“Your Qingyun Sect should never have set foot in the Chaos Demon Commandery. That was your first mistake.”

“Enough talk. If you want to swallow my Qingyun Sect, let’s see if your teeth are sharp enough.” Elder Jin Jue’s eyes sharpened, and a tyrannical aura erupted from his core.

“Hmph. A mere late Golden Core who just achieved his breakthrough dares to act insolently before This Seat? Since you are so eager to court death, I shall grant you your wish.”

Wen Sha’s eyes froze over. A tidal wave of pitch-black mist poured from his body. From within the dark cloud, a ghastly black Spirit Weapon shot out, expanding into a massive, spectral ghost claw that sought to crush Elder Jin Jue into paste.

Elder Jin Jue felt the suffocating pressure of a Golden Core Grand Perfection realm cultivator crashing down on him. His expression turned deadly serious.

As the colossal claw descended, Jin Jue redlined his cultivation base, drawing directly from his newly opened Gold Gate. Torrential True Qi flooded his meridians. His golden Spirit Weapon shrieked, erupting with a blinding radiance before transforming into a titanic golden sword beam that cleaved upward to meet the claw.

KRA-KOOM!

Gold and black energies pulverized each other in the sky. The heavens flashed as the mist was incinerated by the golden light. Ring after ring of apocalyptic shockwaves blasted outward, tearing the air apart.

It was a mercy that Sun Yi had optimized their spacing; any low-level disciple caught in that shockwave would have been instantly vaporized.

The titanic black claw was violently repelled. Up in the sky, the faces of Daoist Ghost Wood and Wen Sha twisted in shock.

“Impossible!” Both villains stared in disbelief. Jin Jue’s cultivation clearly registered as late Golden Core, yet his power was scaling all the way to the Grand Perfection realm!

Wen Sha swallowed his shock, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the situation.

“Hmph, so what if you are using a Secret Art to stimulate your Potential? Let’s see how long your True Qi lasts before you cripple yourself!” Wen Sha scoffed, convinced the Elder was using a temporary buff.

Jin Jue paused for a split second, then bared his teeth in a savage grin. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get your fill.”

Without hesitation, he deployed the ancient lamp Spirit Weapon floating at his side. He manipulated his sword Art, relentlessly pressing the attack against Wen Sha. His mission was clear: hold Wen Sha in place at all costs.

Across the battlefield, total war erupted. The Black Wind Stockade cultivators had fierce, greedy glints in their eyes. The rumors of the Qingyun Sect’s vast resources had driven them into a frenzy; this was a mission for maximum loot.

Daoist Centipede summoned his monstrous Purple-backed Centipede. “Slaughter them all! Show no mercy!”

At his command, the 500 Foundation Establishment elites surged forward like a plague of locusts, descending upon the Qingyun Sect’s defensive line.

Despite the sect’s superior numbers, the bandits viewed the disciples as mere sheep waiting to be sheared.

They were veterans born in the blood-soaked Chaos Demon Commandery, forged in endless turf wars. Their confidence in their own lethality was absolute.

The 500 Foundation Establishment elites skirted the apocalyptic Golden Core kill-zone, locking their sights on the mass of Qingyun disciples.

Elder Ye Luo intercepted them like a falling meteor, charging straight at Daoist Centipede. A blinding flash of crimson light erupted above his head as a fiery-red ancient tripod materialized.

The three-legged, two-eared bronze cauldron radiated a scorching, tyrannical aura. The Spiritual Energy radiating from it unmistakably marked it as a peak third-grade, ninth-rank Spirit Weapon.

“Heh, a mere late Golden Core thinks a fancy Spirit Weapon will save him?” Daoist Centipede sneered. “You lot go harvest the rest. I’ll dismantle this fool myself!”

With a twisted grin, Daoist Centipede unleashed his giant Purple-backed Centipede. The beast lunged forward, while the Daoist rapidly flashed hand seals. A wicked, black hooked Spirit Weapon tore through the air, pincering Elder Ye Luo from the flank.

“Old Ghost Centipede, he is all yours!” Old Monster Skeleton cackled. He unclipped a macabre skull from his neck and tossed it into the air, transforming it into a shrieking specter as he dove toward Elder Qin Chu.

The remaining Golden Core invaders split off, locking onto Elder Li Tai and Han Yun.

The idea was simple in their minds: two late Golden Core cultivators. Daoist Centipede should easily be able to neutralize Ye Luo.

Seeing the incoming pincer attack, Elder Ye Luo merely scoffed. He overclocked his newly established Fire Gate. Roaring, liquid-fire True Qi flooded his meridians. The ancient tripod above him blazed like a second sun, transforming into a ballistic streak of molten light that slammed directly into the giant centipede.

CRASH!

The titanic collision shook the heavens. The Purple-backed Centipede shrieked as its armored carapace completely caved in. Massive fissures spiderwebbed across its exoskeleton, and the beast was hurled backward, its life force plummeting instantly.

Without missing a beat, Elder Ye Luo shifted his mental targeting. A jet of pure plasma erupted from the tripod, coalescing into a roaring fire dragon that engulfed Daoist Centipede.

BOOM!

Daoist Centipede was blasted across the sky like a ragdoll. His protective aura glitched and flickered erratically. He tumbled to a halt, his robes singed and wreathed in persistent flames, his previous arrogance entirely burned away.