"Palace Lord, someone has infiltrated the Phoenix Mountains! It's most likely the Shengling Sect."
Qian Duoduo ran back to report to Tang Honggong.
"Close the door and beat the dog," Zhangzuo Dajiu said softly, patting the back of the Seven-Colored Golden Bull.
Elder Hu was left with two teams to repair the Formation and cut off the enemy's retreat. Qian Duoduo and the other nine teams spread out, searching Fengtou Mountain in a fan shape.
Worried about Brother Tiger's safety, Qian Duoduo rushed to the forefront, activating the Eternal Wealth and Nobility cultivation method, releasing all his Spiritual Awareness to search for traces of human activity in the mountain forest.
The snow in the mountain forest was about half a foot thick, making it easy to identify tracks of humans, beasts, and birds. In a mountain hollow, Qian Duoduo discovered a Medicinal Plant field. The ground Qi in this Medicinal Plant field was warm, with no snow accumulation, and it was surprisingly planted with nearly a hundred rare Longevity Spiritual Plants. This Spiritual Plant produces red flowers that bloom at the roots, and the Medicinal Pills refined from its roots and stems have the special effect of extending life, with one pill capable of adding a hundred years to a person's lifespan.
Around the Medicinal Plant field, dozens of Formations were set up to gather Spiritual Qi and prevent birds and beasts from trampling and stealing.
These Formations were not in the style of the Refining Spirit Sect.
Qian Duoduo was both annoyed and amused. The infiltrator had treated the Phoenix Mountains as their own backyard. The soil in this Medicinal Plant field was special and couldn't be moved, so the infiltrator simply cultivated Longevity Spiritual Plants here. With so many Spiritual Plants, they must have been cultivated for at least a hundred years.
After crossing two more mountain peaks, Qian Duoduo suddenly heard the low growls of a tiger—it was Brother Tiger!
Qian Duoduo ran quickly, leaving the other Disciples behind. He rushed over a slope and saw a tragic scene.
In front of a cave, an old farmer-like man, wearing a coir raincoat and carrying a bamboo basket on his back, had an aura even stronger than Zhangzuo Dajiu. His left hand was pressed on a Golden Tiger's head, and his right hand was flicking seeds one by one into the Golden Tiger's body. Each time a seed was flicked in, the Golden Tiger trembled all over and let out a low growl.
This Golden Tiger was none other than his Brother Tiger. Its claws were deeply embedded in the surrounding earth and rock.
"These Tiger Ear Orchids will sprout in three months and bear fruit in three months. Little Tiger, you must not harm them."
"These Tiger Tail Grasses can only be used for Alchemy if they are over a foot long. Little Tiger, even if you lose your tail, you can't break them."
The old farmer muttered softly as he planted seeds on Brother Tiger.
Tiger Ear Orchids and Tiger Tail Grasses were both valuable spiritual plants, naturally growing in the wild, and excellent medicinal ingredients for Alchemy. Unexpectedly, this old farmer intended to use the Golden Tiger's body as a field to grow these medicinal ingredients.
Qian Duoduo could no longer bear to listen. He raised his hand and shot a Yin Yang Spring Breeze Scissors at the old farmer, shouting, "Brother Tiger, run!"
The old farmer didn't even lift his head. He flicked his right hand with a bent finger, sending the hidden weapon flying.
Brother Tiger curled its body, its four claws digging up clumps of dirt. However, the old farmer's left hand was on its head, and no matter how Brother Tiger struggled, its head remained motionless.
Qian Duoduo raised his Golden Rooster Sword, channeled his Spiritual Qi, and let out a fierce long cry. Behind Qian Duoduo, three powerful auras rapidly approached. These were Zhangzuo Dajiu, the Seven-Colored Golden Bull, and Zhu Pingdao.
"Little brat, calling for reinforcements. I'll deal with you first." The old farmer waved his hand, and a gleaming shovel flew out of his bamboo basket, shoveling towards Qian Duoduo. A silver light emanated from the shovel, like a silver thread binding Qian Duoduo's hands and feet, causing his movements to involuntarily slow down.
Qian Duoduo roared, gripping the Golden Rooster Sword tightly with both hands, and desperately slashed towards the shovel.
"Foolish boy, you dare to block a Nascent Soul cultivator?" Liu Boli cursed softly from inside the Golden Toad, just about to make a move.
"Clang!" A golden sword arrived first, intercepting the silver shovel. The shockwave generated by the clash of sword and shovel pushed Qian Duoduo back three steps. The surroundings were like a storm, with snow flying everywhere.
In his Spiritual Awareness, the old farmer soared into the air, his left hand still holding onto the Golden Tiger, and his right hand virtually gripping the silver shovel.
Opposite him, Zhangzuo Dajiu, riding the Seven-Colored Golden Bull and holding a golden sword, loudly questioned, "Liang Family Old Ancestor of the Shengling Sect, actually acting like a thief!"
Liang Family Old Ancestor laughed heartily, "Heaven And Earth Treasure are obtained by those with affinity. How can there be any stealing? If you don't pick it, someone else will naturally dig it. Welcome, Palace Lord Tang, to my Shengling Sect, feel free to steal."
Zhangzuo Dajiu snorted coldly, "Our sect still has many Heaven And Earth Treasures. Please, Old Ancestor, stay and admire them carefully." He waved his hand, and the nine teams surrounded Liang Family Old Ancestor.
"I heard that you, Tang Honggong, are a talent, but you're still a bit lacking now and not my opponent. As for the others, they are mere ants. To think of keeping me, you're dreaming," Liang Family Old Ancestor said proudly.
"I just want to test the might of a Nascent Soul cultivator," Zhangzuo Dajiu said. Immediately, the Golden Ox beneath him galloped forward, its two horns aiming at Liang Family Old Ancestor. At the same time, Zhangzuo Dajiu's golden sword flew out, striking directly at Liang Family Old Ancestor.
Beside him, Zhu Pingdao took out a bow and shot an arrow at Liang Family Old Ancestor. Qian Duoduo and the other Disciples launched their Magic Treasures at Liang Family Old Ancestor.
"Your Dajiu is quite fierce, not even at the Golden Core Realm, yet he dares to challenge a Nascent Soul cultivator beyond his Realm," Liu Boli praised from inside the Golden Toad.
Actually, he also knew that if Tang Honggong didn't have the strength to stand shoulder to shoulder with a Nascent Soul, he wouldn't be able to hold the position of Palace Lord.
"Then you're saying we can't win?" Qian Duoduo was anxious. With Magic Treasures flying everywhere, if any of them hit Brother Tiger, Brother Tiger would be in trouble.
Fortunately, Liang Family Old Ancestor held Brother Tiger with his left hand and placed it behind him, also fearing his "tiger field" would be injured.
"Not necessarily," Liu Boli said, "The Refining Spirit Sect is not short of Nascent Soul cultivators. Your Dajiu dares to fight this Liang Family Old Ancestor, so he must have something to rely on. Besides, excavating a gold mine is a huge matter; it wouldn't make sense without a heavy treasure guarding it."
As they spoke, Liang Family Old Ancestor's silver shovel and the golden sword had clashed several times, with the golden sword clearly at a disadvantage. Before Zhu Pingdao's hidden arrow could get close, Liang Family Old Ancestor kicked it away with a gust of wind from his foot. The Magic Treasures of Qian Duoduo and the other Disciples, like snowflakes, were blocked and sent back with a gentle wave of his hand.
A Nascent Soul cultivator was like a high mountain, insurmountable.
Seeing that he posed no threat to Liang Family Old Ancestor, Qian Duoduo simply stopped attacking, holding his Golden Rooster Sword and continuously making it hum.
Even if he couldn't hit him, he wanted to annoy him with the noise.
Although Zhangzuo Dajiu was being suppressed, there was no fear on his face. Instead, the golden sword in his hand became increasingly fierce, and the Seven-Colored Golden Bull's distance from Liang Family Old Ancestor grew closer and closer.
As long as the distance was within ten feet, the Seven-Colored Golden Bull would surely launch a close-quarters attack.
Liang Family Old Ancestor, fighting with one hand, gradually grew impatient. After all, he was on the Refining Spirit Sect's territory, and if the fight dragged on, it was hard to guarantee that more reinforcements from the Refining Spirit Sect wouldn't arrive.
"I'm not playing with you anymore." Liang Family Old Ancestor threw Brother Tiger onto the bamboo basket behind him. The bamboo basket was a Magic Treasure, and it actually grew larger, taking in the head-down Golden Tiger. Liang Family Old Ancestor freed his left hand, and a silver hoe appeared.
"Buzz!" The silver hoe appeared above Zhangzuo Dajiu's head and hoed down fiercely.
Zhangzuo Dajiu laughed heartily, ducking down on the Golden Ox's back. At the same time, he formed a hand seal and pointed, and the golden sword, like a dazzling rainbow, pierced towards Liang Family Old Ancestor.
"Bang!" Two lights glowed from the Golden Ox's horns, intertwining and colliding with the silver hoe.
The Seven-Colored Golden Bull sank downwards in the air.
Qian Duoduo's heart also sank—did it not block it?
