txolops Chapter 323 City Destruction Crisis
Chapter 323 City Destruction Crisis
Sure enough, a moment later, the sound of sand scorpions came from the valley entrance:
"Fairy Chen, I am Sand Scorpion, and I have important news to tell you!"
Chen Jinshu walked quickly to the valley entrance, removed the restriction, and saw Sha Xie standing at the valley entrance with the yellow boxwood cane. His face was still ashen, but he looked more energetic than a few days ago.
"Alliance Leader Sha, what brings you here?" Chen Jinshu asked.
Sand Scorpion's gaze swept over the star pattern hanging in the sky, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions.
"Fellow Daoist Chen!" He rushed to her in three quick steps, his voice so hoarse he could barely speak, his hands trembling slightly.
"Liusha City...Liusha City is about to collapse!"
Chen Jinshu's expression hardened, and he gestured for him to sit down:
"Tell me slowly."
Sand Scorpion plopped down on the bluestone, rested his cane against his knees, and took a few deep breaths to steady himself.
"The Five Poisons Sect and the Blood Fiend Sect have joined forces. They launched a sudden attack three days ago, taking advantage of the fact that the beast tide had just passed and Flowing Sand City was still recovering."
Master Bai Chong personally led two hundred disciples of the Five Poisons Sect to seal off the east and south gates; that murderous Blood Hand Old Demon, along with members of the Blood Fiend Sect, blocked the west and north gates. They set up a Gu worm array and a Blood Fiend maze around the perimeter, preventing communication talismans from flying out of the city and hindering reinforcements from entering.
As Sha Xie spoke, he coughed a few times, bending over with the cough. He covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and when he removed it, there was a dark red stain on the snow-white handkerchief.
Chen Jinshu handed over a blue pill: "Stabilize the injury first."
Sand Scorpion took the pill and swallowed it. As the medicine took effect, his complexion improved slightly. He took a breath and continued:
"Tieyan and his brothers defended the city for three days and three nights. The city walls had been gnawed open by the Gu worms. Three Golden Core cultivators in the alliance died in battle, more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators were lost, and countless low-level disciples were also killed. If it weren't for Tieyan risking his life to block Bai Chong Zhenren's 'Golden Winged Scorpion King', Liusha City would have fallen long ago."
"Is Tieyan still alive?" Chen Jinshu asked.
"Alive, but only half alive." Sand Scorpion gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"His left arm was struck by the Scorpion King's tail hook, and half of his body turned black. He's only holding on by sheer willpower. Fellow Daoist Chen, I really... really have no other choice but to shamelessly come to beg you."
He stood up, bowed deeply to Chen Jinshu, his voice choked with emotion:
“I know you have just left the secret realm and your injuries have not yet healed, so I should not have come to disturb you. But the people and rogue cultivators in Liusha City, as well as those Sand Scorpion Alliance brothers who follow me for a living... I cannot just watch them die at the hands of the Gu worms and the Blood Fiend Sect.”
Chen Jinshu reached out and supported his arm, helping him up: "Alliance Leader Sha, there's no need for this. Liusha City once took me in, so I will do my best."
As soon as she finished speaking, a pale blue figure rushed out of the bamboo house by the stream.
"Grandpa!" Sha Ling'er rushed to Sha Xie and hugged his arm tightly, her eyes already red.
“Ling’er…” Sha Xie raised his hand, wanting to touch her head, but his hand paused in mid-air and then he lowered it.
He forced a smile, his voice softening considerably: "It's alright, Grandpa."
"You're lying!" Sha Ling'er's tears fell in a steady stream. She reached out to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears streamed down her face.
"Your hands are shaking, your face looks terrible, and you're coughing up blood! Grandpa, you..."
“Grandpa is really alright.” Sha Xie patted the back of her hand, his voice trembling slightly.
"We were just rushing, we'll be fine after a rest."
Sha Ling'er bit her lip, turned to look at Chen Jinshu, her eyes filled with tears and pleading:
"Senior, please save my grandfather, save Liusha City. I..." she said, about to kneel down.
Chen Jinshu raised his hand and gently supported her knees, preventing her from kneeling down: "Get up."
Sha Ling'er was supported by that force and stood up straight. She still couldn't stop her tears, but she gritted her teeth and didn't cry out.
"You don't need to beg me, I will go."
“Your grandfather is the city lord of Liusha City. It is only right and proper for me to take action. You stay here to guard the valley, cultivate diligently, and don’t distract me.”
“But senior…” Sha Ling’er opened her mouth, wanting to say that she wanted to go too, but she swallowed the words back.
Her cultivation level is only at the ninth level of Qi Refining; if she went, she would only be a hindrance, that's an indisputable fact.
"Listen to your senior's advice." Sand Scorpion reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs at her temples, his voice soft.
"You should cultivate diligently in the valley. Once you have mastered your skills, come back and help your grandfather guard the city."
Sha Ling'er bit her lip, nodded forcefully, and tears fell again. She raised her hand to wipe them away haphazardly, stepped aside, and stopped talking, only lowering her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Chen Jinshu withdrew his gaze and looked at the Sand Scorpion:
"Alliance Leader Sha, your injuries are too severe; it is not advisable for you to travel back and forth. You should rest in the valley for half a day. I will first go and check on the situation in Flowing Sand City before deciding how to proceed."
"I will go with you!" Sha Xie tried to stand up with his cane, but Chen Jinshu pressed down on his shoulder.
"If you go and fall at the city gate, it will only shake the morale of the army."
"You stay in the valley to recover from your injuries and watch over those spirit fields for me, so that Ling'er can cultivate in peace. Once I break the siege by the Five Poisons Sect and the Blood Fiend Sect, I will bring you back."
The sand scorpion opened its mouth, then finally sighed and slumped back onto the bluestone.
"These old bones of mine are truly no longer of use..."
“Fellow Daoist Chen, the city’s food supplies are enough for five days, but you must be careful. Master Bai Chong is skilled in using Gu poison, which is impossible to defend against. Although Old Demon Blood Hand is seriously injured, if he uses his Blood Demon Banner again, it will probably be destroyed, so he has been holding back. But if you push him too far, he will risk destroying the Blood Demon Banner to take you down with him.”
"I understand." Chen Jinshu nodded and turned to look at Jiang Yi.
"Come with me."
Jiang Yi clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes!"
"Qingheng, you stay here and keep an eye on the defensive formations in the valley. If there is any unusual activity, immediately activate the 'Seven Stars Mountain Suppressing Formation' and do not engage in a direct confrontation."
Qingheng stood up, her small face filled with worry:
"Master, you're going alone..."
"It's not just one person, there's also Jiang Yi."
"I can only rest easy if you stay in the valley."
Qingheng opened her mouth, but finally nodded: "Master, please be careful."
Chen Jinshu said no more. With a flick of his sleeve, the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle flashed with azure light and hovered three feet off the ground.
She stepped onto the flying shuttle, with Jiang Yi following closely behind.
“Sha Ling’er.” Chen Jinshu turned around and glanced at the girl.
Sha Ling'er raised her head, looking at her with teary eyes.
“Practice diligently. I’ve placed the incantation for the second level of the Evergreen Technique on the table in your bamboo hut. I’ll test your progress when I return.” Chen Jinshu’s tone was calm yet gentle. “Don’t disappoint your grandfather.”
Sha Ling'er nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with tears but exceptionally firm: "Ling'er will definitely cultivate diligently and will never let Senior and Grandpa down!"
Chen Jinshu hummed in agreement, then channeled his spiritual power, and the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle transformed into a streak of emerald light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon in an instant.
……
Jiang Yi stood behind Chen Jinshu, holding the Flame Emperor Sword in his hand. The sword's blade shimmered with crimson light, making him appear like a burning flame. "Senior, shall we just charge into Flowing Sand City?" he asked, his tone filled with eager excitement.
Chen Jinshu shook his head: "The Five Poisons Sect and the Blood Fiend Sect have joined forces and sealed all four city gates. Forcing our way through will only deplete our spiritual energy and could easily lead to us being surrounded."
She took out a jade map slip from her storage bag, glanced at it against her forehead, and then pointed to a mark on the map:
“Look here.”
Jiang Yi leaned closer and saw that on the jade slip map, three miles southwest of Liusha City, there was a pile of rubble.
"Where is this place?"
“Ancient riverbed.” Chen Jinshu put away the jade slip.
"The city of quicksand was built at the junction of an ancient riverbed and the sea of death. Three miles south of the city, there is an old riverbed that has been buried by sand and wind, which leads directly to the bottom of the city wall. Sand Scorpion once told me that there is a secret passage dug in the city, which is the exit to that ancient riverbed, in order to transport supplies when the city is besieged."
"Does Senior mean to enter the city through the secret passage?"
"Mm." Chen Jinshu nodded.
"If we walk through the city gate openly, we'll only be noticed by Master Baichong and Old Demon Xueshou. We should sneak into the city, learn about its defenses, and then act accordingly."
Jiang Yi grinned: "Senior has thought of everything."
After flying through the last patch of miasma forest, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
The outline of the city of quicksand appeared on the horizon, its walls, weathered by wind and sand, now shrouded in a hazy, yellowish mist.
In the mist, countless tiny black shadows could be vaguely seen wriggling; those were the Gu worms of the Five Poisons Sect.
Above the city wall, several tattered flags fluttered in the wind, the insignia of the Sand Scorpion Alliance still faintly visible. The city wall was riddled with cracks, and several gaps were temporarily plugged with sandbags and rubble, with cultivators patrolling the gaps in the distance.
"A Gu worm array." Chen Jinshu narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the layer of dim yellow mist.
"It was set up by Master Baichong, using the demonic energy of Gu worms to form a maze, isolating the city from the outside world, while also corroding the foundation of the city walls."
Jiang Yi gripped the Flame Emperor Sword tightly: "Senior, shall we break the formation?"
"No rush." Chen Jinshu controlled the shuttle to descend and skimmed along the ancient riverbed.
"Let's go into the city first and then talk about it."
The shuttle flew close to the ground, with dry riverbeds on both sides, covered with fine gravel and withered vines.
After flying for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a pile of rocks appeared ahead.
Chen Jinshu retracted the shuttle, landed, and walked to the pile of rocks to examine it carefully.
She reached out and tapped several stones rhythmically, producing hollow echoes between them.
“This is it.” She said, forming a hand seal, and a wisp of blue light gathered at her fingertips, which she then placed on the largest stone.
The stone's surface gleamed with an earthy yellow light, then slowly slid apart to reveal a narrow passage. The passage was deep and dark, and a flickering fire could be faintly seen at its end.
Jiang Yi peeked inside and said, "Senior, go ahead. I'll be there to support you."
Chen Jinshu nodded and stepped into the passage first. The passage was not long; after walking only a dozen or so feet, they arrived at a heavy iron gate. The iron gate was covered in rust, and a faint smell of blood seeped from the cracks.
Chen Jinshu reached out and gently knocked on the iron gate three times, paused for a moment, and then knocked twice more.
A rustling sound came from the other side of the iron gate, followed by a hoarse voice: "Who's there?"
"The Fairy of Qin Music," Chen Jinshu whispered.
There was a moment of silence behind the iron gate, followed by the sound of the bolt being pulled. The heavy iron gate creaked open a crack, and a blood-stained face peeked out.
He was a middle-aged man in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, wearing a tattered leather armor, with a blood-stained bandage wrapped around his left arm, and his eyes were bloodshot.
When he saw Chen Jinshu, he was first stunned, then his eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion:
"Fairy! You've finally arrived!"
He quickly pulled the iron gate open completely and stepped aside to make way.
Chen Jinshu strode into the room, immediately greeted by a strong smell of blood mixed with the aroma of herbs.
This is a basement. In the corner, there are piles of medicines and bandages. Several wounded people are lying on the ground, wrapped in blood-stained strips of cloth. Some are groaning softly, while others are already unconscious.
The middle-aged man followed behind Chen Jinshu, talking incessantly:
"My lady, you don't know, the city is on the verge of collapse these past few days. Commander Tieyan's left arm was venomed by a scorpion, and his entire arm has turned black. Several doses of antidote haven't helped. If it weren't for the alliance's healers risking their lives to keep him alive, he probably would have..."
"Where is Tieyan?" Chen Jinshu interrupted him.
“On the city wall,” the middle-aged man replied.
"He refused to come down, saying he wanted to stay there and keep watch. We couldn't persuade him otherwise."
Chen Jinshu nodded and strode towards the stairs leading to the city wall. Jiang Yi followed closely behind.
Many cultivators lay sprawled on the city wall, some dozing against the battlements, others conversing in hushed tones. Several men who appeared to be healers were bandaging the wounded, their movements practiced yet silent.
Chen Jinshu's gaze swept across the city wall and landed on a tall figure at the crenellation.
Tie Yan stood there with his back to her, gazing at the dim, yellowish mist beyond the city walls. His left arm hung limply at his side, wrapped in thick bandages, from which dark bloodstains seeped faintly.
“Commander Tieyan,” Chen Jinshu said.
Tie Yan's body trembled, and he turned his head sharply. He saw Chen Jinshu, was stunned for a moment, and then a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
He strode over, his left arm immobile, but his right hand grabbed Chen Jinshu's arm, his voice hoarse:
"Fairy! You've finally arrived!"
"How is the situation in the city?" Chen Jinshu asked.
Tie Yan released his grip, gave a wry smile, and pointed to the mist outside the city wall: "See for yourself."
Chen Jinshu walked to the front of the battlements and looked out.
A hundred feet outside the city wall, the dim, yellowish mist was slowly shifting. Countless dark figures could be seen crawling within the mist, as densely packed as ants.
Several larger Gu worms poked their heads out. They had jet-black carapaces with dark red patterns on their backs, and dripped dark green mucus from their mouths. When they landed on the sand, they made a sizzling, corrosive sound.
"The 'Thousand Gu Eroding City Formation' set up by Master Baichong," Tieyan said from the side, his voice hoarse.
“For the past three days, he has been summoning Gu worms to attack the city every night. The number of Gu worms is increasing, and we are running out of arrows and magical artifacts.”
"The most troublesome thing is the venom of those Gu worms. The yellow sandstone on the city wall is being corroded by the venom, and cracks have already begun to appear. If this continues, the city wall will collapse in less than three days."
Chen Jinshu did not answer, his gaze fixed on the layer of dim yellow mist.
A slight heat rose to her brow as she probed the mist with her divine sense, sensing the intense demonic and poisonous energy contained within. (End of Chapter)