Chapter 612 - 554: Turtle Shell, Meeting

Chapter 612: Chapter 554: Turtle Shell, Meeting

From the Old Tower Master of the Mist Rain Tower down to the dogs kept by their lowest servants, not a single one was spared; all were cursed out by name.

The insults were particularly vicious whenever the raiding party emerged from the pass.

This volley of insults had a miraculous effect.

Nearly a hundred Cultivators broke away from the raiding party and charged straight for the Jinyun Valley camp. Awaiting them was a concentrated barrage of Sword Wheels. By the time they realized their mistake, it was too late; they were instantly sliced in half.

The only thing that disappointed Chen Che was that the rest of the party didn’t even spare a glance for their fallen comrades, immediately retreating back into the pass. His plan to annihilate the entire force had been aborted just as it began, which was a real shame.

However.

After seeing how effective this method was, the camps of the various Halls all began to erect enormous loudspeakers—

These contraptions were not Magical Artifacts in the slightest, so replicating them was incredibly easy.

Almost as soon as the loudspeakers were up, a cacophony of curses erupted, at times even drowning out the sound of the enemy’s Horns.

As Cultivators, armed and powerful, being cooped up in a passive defense was already frustrating. Now, being subjected to such insults, they were like powder kegs waiting for a spark.

The Mist Rain Tower Cultivators had never suffered such humiliation. Figures began surging out from the pass. Without the protection of an Array, the moment they emerged, they were riddled with holes by a sky-blotting volley of Fury Arrows.

But this did not deter the Mist Rain Tower Cultivators; on the contrary, even more were eager to charge out. Almost instantly, a sharp command echoed from the Celestial River Mountain Range, halting the Cultivators preparing for revenge.

"Such a quick reaction!"

Lu Yuntian narrowed his eyes.

"They come from a military background, after all. Seizing control of a rapidly changing battlefield is second nature to them."

Chen Che wasn’t surprised.

After this little episode, the Mist Rain Tower’s raiding party didn’t appear for a full hour. The two sides fell into a stalemate again, hiding in their respective camps and frantically firing their Crossbow Beds at each other.

The only difference was that now, both the allied sects and the forces in the Celestial River Mountain Range had set up giant loudspeakers and begun a frantic, mutual cursing match.

The enemy’s unmoving stance gave Chen Che a bit of a headache. ’Mist Rain Tower is dead set on wearing us down in a war of attrition!’

’But it makes sense when you think about it,’ he mused. ’There isn’t a huge power gap between us. By holing up in the Heroic Pass, all they have to do is outlast us. Our side is a temporary alliance, after all. If this siege drags on without results, rifts are bound to form.’

"What should we do next?"

Chen Xi asked.

"No one else is in a hurry, so there’s no need for us to be anxious either. We’ll just play it by ear. There’s no reason to stick our necks out."

Chen Che said after a moment’s consideration.

’I’m already a target for the Azure Dragon Hall; there’s no need to go out of my way to be the Primordial Sect’s attack dog. Besides,’ he thought philosophically, ’it’d be great if we take down the Mist Rain Tower, but if we can’t, I’ll just consider this a sightseeing tour to broaden my horizons.’

’With Jinyun Valley backing me, and all the resources I skimmed from the Three States while fishing in troubled waters during the war between the Star-Picking Sect and the Primordial Sect, I’m certainly not as desperate as the other Halls. I can afford this war of attrition.’

"Everyone, get back to your Cultivation or get some rest. Just leave two Golden Core experts on duty to guard against any surprise attacks on the camp."

Chen Che waved his hand casually.

「For the next seven or eight days, nothing changed.」

A Cultivator’s stamina far exceeds a mortal’s. They rotated shifts through day and night. Their daily "battle" consisted of little more than operating the Crossbow Beds or standing before a loudspeaker to shout some curses. During their downtime, they could even leave the camp to hunt the few remaining Demon Beasts in the area.

The situation in the Celestial River Mountain Range was much the same. The only noteworthy event was a few towers collapsing under concentrated fire. But for the Heroic Pass, which spanned hundreds of thousands of li and contained thousands of such structures, it was utterly insignificant.

Moreover.

Over the past few days, both sides had become extremely strict in managing their subordinate Cultivators. There were no more incidents of enraged Cultivators charging out to their deaths during the insult-flinging contests.

As for Chen Che, he had turned the front lines into his personal office, remotely managing affairs in Jinyun Valley. The situation In the Valley was stable, and daily war reports were sent back immediately to maintain morale.

A few vicious incidents did occur in the territories governed by the Primordial Sect, where Evil Cultivators massacred entire towns.

It was unclear whether these were local Evil Cultivators or fires started by the Mist Rain Tower, but they were quickly stamped out by the regional lords.

One such incident was handled by Li Cang and Zhou Lian, who had returned home to visit family. The pair, one old and one young, were both only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, yet by joining forces, they managed to slay a Qi Refining Eighth Layer Evil Cultivator.

On a battlefield where Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators were the norm, this achievement was hardly worth mentioning. Still, it showed that the Second Generation Disciples were growing at a tremendous pace.

Other than that.

Chen Che’s main concern was the Jinghai Island Reef, since a large number of Mist Rain Tower Cultivators were still imprisoned there.

Sure enough.

A letter from Zhao Changping made Chen Che’s eyebrows shoot up. About a week ago, a rebellion had broken out on the Jinghai Island Reef. The imprisoned Cultivators staged a premeditated riot, attacking the garrisoned Cultivators with the intent to massacre everyone on the reef.

The rebellion was eventually suppressed with the help of the other Cultivators and the Yuchi Race. After some investigation, they learned that news of the ambush in Chu State had reached the Jinghai Island Reef.

Chen Che immediately wrote a letter back, informing them of the current war situation. He also praised the Yuchi Race for their loyalty and promised they would be handsomely rewarded for their merits once the current conflict was over.

Just as he sent the letter, a Cultivator arrived at his door to inform him that the Star-picking Tower was convening a meeting and requested his presence.

"Again?"

Meng Qianxun frowned.

They had been camped here for half a month, and a meeting was held almost every three days. Since they consisted of nothing but an hour of pointless squabbling between the various parties, Chen Che attended once and never went back.

"Then I’ll..."

Seeing Chen Che give no response, still focused on handling matters for the Valley, Meng Qianxun straightened his robes, preparing to head to the Star-picking Tower camp.

The Star-Picking Sect Cultivator saw this and added,

"Elder Meng, this time the Right Protector has specifically requested Chief Chen’s presence."

"Oh?"

Chen Che looked up, giving the messenger an intrigued glance.

Meng Qianxun’s eyes narrowed. He sent a voice transmission:

"This meeting is likely to be anything but ordinary. I don’t know what the Star-Picking Sect has up its sleeve. Che’er, it’s best if you don’t go..."

"I can dodge it for a while, but not forever."

Chen Che waved his hand dismissively and rose to his feet.