Ringing the Bell for a Hundred Years, I Became the Sect’s Ancestor – Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Scorched Earth

When Li Qian returned to Time Bell Pavilion, it was already late at night.

As soon as he returned, the two disciples, hearing the commotion, emerged from their respective wooden houses.

“Go back to rest,”

Li Qian waved his hand and entered his room.

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he recalled the scene in White Jade City today, still feeling a lingering fear.

If it weren’t for his Blood and Qi Sanctuary playing a major role, White Jade City would have been doomed this time.

“It seems that this Blood and Qi Sanctuary is the natural nemesis of demonic creatures,”

Li Qian muttered to himself.

He remembered that back in the Taiping Sacred Cave, when he eliminated a demonic creature disguised as a human, the creature had mentioned the Blood and Qi Sanctuary.

Its tone was filled with terror and shock.

Thinking of this, Li Qian took out a Demon Stone.

This Demon Stone had become very dim.

It probably wouldn’t last much longer.

But he still had a spare one.

So, Li Qian closed his eyes, holding the Demon Stone in both hands, and began absorbing the Demonic Essence within, incorporating it into his Immaculate Holy Body. After refining it, he enhanced his Blood and Qi Sanctuary.

The stronger the Blood and Qi Sanctuary, the more confident he would be in dealing with demonic creatures in the future.

Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence.

Circuit Lord Yu Song had just returned when he received news from the other six cities.

“Father, except for White Jade City, the people in the other five cities are almost all dead, and several martial arts factions have suffered heavy losses. What’s going on? Could there be a problem with the Heavenly Poison Cult’s Demonic Ritual?”

The black-bearded elder said.

Under normal circumstances, apart from Banling City being protected by his father, the other cities would definitely have been completely wiped out.

Unexpectedly, White Jade City in Divine Sword Sect’s territory was safe and had successfully weathered the Demonic Ritual.

“Yu Xun, you were in White Jade City. What happened there at that time?”

Circuit Lord Yu Song looked at his grandson and asked immediately.

“Grandfather, didn’t you break the Demonic Ritual?”

Celestial Being Yu Xun asked in confusion.

Then he recounted the specific details in detail.

“It’s highly likely that there was a problem with the Minor Demon Descent Technique set up in White Jade City, which is why White Jade City was spared,”

Circuit Lord Yu Song stroked his beard. “However, this is a good thing. The Heavenly Poison Cult’s Demonic Ritual definitely wasn’t completely successful. Even if a Demon Saint from Lion Camel Ridge descended, its Demonic Body wouldn’t be too strong. Also, after the Demonic Ritual, there will definitely be a huge commotion. We should find out soon.”

He didn’t consider the possibility that someone had broken the Minor Demon Descent Technique in White Jade City.

Even a Celestial Image Level Celestial Being like him was helpless against it, so naturally he wouldn’t think of that.

Not long after, scouts from the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence reported back, saying that there were anomalies in the Returning Dragon Mountain Range at the junction of Shu Province and Sword Province.

“Mobilize all the forces of the Daoist Prefecture and immediately head to the Returning Dragon Mountain Range. Also, use the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Order to summon Celestial Beings and Martial Arts Legions from all the martial arts factions in Taiwu Circuit.”

Circuit Lord Yu Song immediately issued the order.

The Demon Saint, having just descended, was still in its weakest state and was the easiest to eliminate.

“Father, you’ve consumed too much,”

The black-bearded elder hurriedly said.

“There’s no time to recover. Eliminating the demonic creature is more important. Moreover, the Demon Saint’s Demonic Body definitely won’t be too strong. We still have a chance.”

Circuit Lord Yu Song shook his head.

Although he hadn’t recovered to his peak state, the Demon Saint was in the same situation.

At this time, they had to eliminate the hidden danger in its bud.

Dong!

The sky was not yet bright.

The clear sound of the bell rang out, spreading throughout the entire Divine Sword Sect.

Beneath the Bell Tower, the two disciples, Bai Yun and Chai Shao, were practicing the Heartless Sword Manual with their swords.

In fact, all the disciples and members of the Divine Sword Sect would choose to cultivate during this time.

Li Qian, holding Sword Eighteen, practiced his sword techniques, comprehending the Heartless Sword Intent.

The formless Sword Intent permeated the air, yet it was restrained and did not trigger any celestial phenomena.

After a period of cultivation, Li Qian withdrew his Sword Intent and let out a long breath.

Standing on the Bell Tower, he watched the two disciples cultivating.

These two disciples had progressed very quickly after practicing the Heartless Sword Manual.

After all, one had Middle-Grade Bright Light Level Root Bone aptitude, and the other had High-Grade Bright Light Level Root Bone aptitude.

The two’s Root Bone talent was one in a thousand among the Divine Sword Sect’s disciples.

Moreover, they were cultivating at Time Bell Pavilion, having the opportunity to bathe in the first bell sound every day, experiencing the best cultivation environment.

In the afternoon, Li Qian went to the Divine Sword Hall to discuss the preparations needed for setting up the grand formation with the Sect Master.

Sect Master Feng Shaoyu immediately mobilized the manpower and resources of the Divine Sword Sect to assist Li Qian in setting up the formation.

Setting up the grand formation was quite troublesome.

For example, the Formation Stakes needed to be buried in very precise locations. In some places, important buildings and facilities had to be demolished.

With the coordination of Sect Master Feng Shaoyu, everything went smoothly.

While Li Qian was busy setting up the formation, another important meeting was being held in the Divine Sword Hall.

The Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence had issued an order, summoning all Celestial Beings and the Divine Sword Legion from the Divine Sword Sect to the Returning Dragon Mountain Range to deal with the impending Demonic Calamity.

“According to the information sent by the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence, the people in five cities have been almost completely wiped out. Prince Qi’s Residence, Prince Shu’s Residence, Qingcheng Sect, and Xuanyi Sect have also suffered heavy losses,”

Sect Master Feng Shaoyu said.

This time, if the Demonic Ritual hadn’t been suddenly lifted in White Jade City, even if the three Celestial Beings could survive, they would definitely have lost a batch of Inner Sect Disciples and Elder-level experts.

“Is the situation that serious?”

The many Elders with Real Authority and Peak Masters present were shocked.

In previous Demonic Traces incidents, the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence, cooperating with the local martial arts factions, had always been able to resolve them easily.

But this time, the population of five cities had been lost, and even several martial arts factions had suffered heavy losses.

Now, such a large martial arts force was being summoned to eliminate the Demonic Calamity.

“This Demonic Calamity is definitely no small matter. It happened right at the border between our Sword Province and Shu Province. If we can’t eliminate it, it will definitely threaten the safety of our Divine Sword Sect in the future,”

Supreme Elder Hou Shuwen said, “Pass on my order. All Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters originally belonging to the Divine Sword Legion, return to your units. I will personally command, with Elder Qingsong and Elder Cangyun assisting. The rest of you, be prepared to deal with the spread of the Demonic Calamity.”

This time, the Divine Sword Sect was going all out.

Li Qian also noticed the Divine Sword Sect’s major movements while setting up the formation.

A large number of Divine Sword Sect martial artists were leaving, including many elders.

He guessed it must be related to the Demonic Ritual.

“Sigh, these are truly troubled times,”

Li Qian lamented in his heart.

He could no longer understand this world.

Fortunately, his Time Bell had upgraded, possessing the Time Bell Domain. Protecting himself, or even protecting the Divine Sword Sect, should be no problem.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.

Li Qian finally finished setting up the Divine Roaming Armor Mother-Child Formation.

Next, he had to activate the formation for testing.

Before testing, Li Qian informed Sect Master Feng Shaoyu.

The Sect Master immediately sent a notice to all the peaks and halls of the Divine Sword Sect.

Li Qian first went to the locations of the six Formation Stakes and activated them one by one.

Next was the most crucial step, which was to connect the six Formation Stakes and the Formation Disk, making them a unified whole in terms of Yuan Qi circulation, completing the setup of the entire grand formation.

This was extremely difficult.

In an underground palace beneath a building not far from the Divine Sword Hall.

This place had become the control center of the entire grand formation.

The huge Formation Disk was placed here.

With a wave of Li Qian’s hand, six Foundation Formation Disks flew out, surrounding the huge Formation Disk.

He needed to use the six small Foundation Formation Disks to achieve resonance with the Grand Formation Disk, thereby activating the entire huge Formation Disk.

The activation of the Grand Formation Disk went quite smoothly, and it began absorbing Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi and circulating it.

However, the Grand Formation Disk was unable to establish a formation connection with the six Formation Stakes.

The main reason was that the distance between them was too great.

In addition, Li Qian’s formation skills were limited, and the grand formation he designed was not perfect. Therefore, there might be a disconnect between the formation fluctuations and Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, making it impossible to achieve resonance.

Over the next few days, Li Qian made several adjustments before finally achieving a Yuan Qi connection between the Grand Formation Disk and the six Formation Stakes.

An invisible formation field covered the entire formation area, enveloping most of the Divine Sword Sect in mist.

“Li Qian, with the formation activated, how will our people move within it?”

Sect Master Feng Shaoyu asked curiously.

“We need to create Armor and Weapon Talismans,”

Li Qian said. “I’ll have Formation Valley produce a batch.”

The principle behind creating Armor and Weapon Talismans wasn’t complicated. Although the Formation Masters in Formation Valley weren’t highly skilled, they could still create Armor and Weapon Talismans.

Anyway, they were idle, so they might as well be given a task.

Next, Li Qian conducted various tests on the Divine Roaming Armor Mother-Child Formation to determine what needed to be adjusted.

After the tests, Li Qian deactivated the formation.

Maintaining such a grand formation for a long time would consume a lot of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi, affecting the concentration of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi within the Divine Sword Sect.

Most importantly, it would affect the daily activities and movement of the disciples and members.

The formation would only be activated when the Divine Sword Sect faced a crisis.

Returning Dragon Mountain Range.

Although it was just a small mountain range, it stretched for dozens of kilometers.

At this moment, this small mountain range had completely changed.

It was enveloped in a thick fog.

Faintly visible on the various peaks within the mountain range were the shadows of continuous buildings, and sounds like the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves could be heard from within.

On the outskirts of the mountain range, various factions from Taiwu Circuit had gathered here.

In addition to numerous Celestial Beings, there were also more than a dozen powerful Martial Arts Legions.

In recent days, the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence had clashed several times with the demonic creatures in the Returning Dragon Mountain Range. Due to the grand formation, their attacks had been repeatedly thwarted, and they had suffered significant losses.

Within the main camp.

Circuit Lord Yu Song sat in the main seat, with numerous Celestial Beings below.

“I didn’t expect the Heavenly Poison Cult to be so prepared. The place they chose for the Demonic Ritual was clearly a large-scale demonic creature ruin with a complete grand formation. Father, this is simply not sustainable,”

The black-bearded elder standing to the side said.

Without being able to break through the grand formation, a prolonged siege was not a solution.

Circuit Lord Yu Song’s face was gloomy. The situation in Taiwu Circuit was similar to that in Yangwu Circuit.

According to the information he had received, another demonic faction had descended upon Yangwu Circuit and had established a foothold, occupying a vast area.

If they couldn’t eliminate the source from the beginning, the situation would become uncontrollable.

“Implement a scorched earth policy. Relocate all the towns within a five-hundred-li radius of the Returning Dragon Mountain Range and establish Martial Arts Legion outposts to maintain a long-term siege on the Returning Dragon Mountain Range,”

Circuit Lord Yu Song suddenly said.

Since they couldn’t break through the Returning Dragon Mountain Range, they could only settle for the next best thing.

He had previously tried to enter the grand formation in the Returning Dragon Mountain Range and engage the demonic creature.

Due to problems during the Demonic Ritual, the demonic creature’s Demonic Body strength was only roughly equivalent to that of a Low-Level Celestial Image Level Celestial Being. The biggest threat was actually the higher-level Myriad Images Intent.

However, he had a Secret Talisman to protect his spirit, which could withstand Myriad Images Intent attacks.

In this Mortal Realm, even if the demonic creature was a Demon Saint, the Myriad Images Demonic Consciousness it could descend was limited.

Of course, if it was a Mid-Level or higher Celestial Image Level demonic creature, he would be in danger and might even be trapped to death within the grand formation.

Before the Realm Ascension, Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings were not allowed to exist in the Mortal Realm.

The reason why the Martial Emperors of various countries could become Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings was because they controlled National Fortune Law Instruments connected to the Boundary Formation.

After the Realm Ascension, the Mortal Realm allowed the existence of Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings.

However, there would be a long adaptation process. At first, even the most powerful High-Level Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings would feel various restrictions upon entering the Mortal Realm, unable to fully utilize their strength.

◈◈◈

The Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings who had entered the Mortal Realm this time were at most Mid-Level Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings.

He was a Mid-Level Celestial Image Level Celestial Being.

Previously, in order to protect the two hundred thousand residents in Banling City, his Celestial Image Level Martial Intent had been over-consumed and had not yet recovered. He could only exert the combat power of a Low-Level Celestial Image Level Celestial Being.

Therefore, he was hesitant to take action now.

“Circuit Lord, relocating all the towns within a five-hundred-li radius, wouldn’t that be too difficult?”

A Celestial Being from Prince Qi’s Residence couldn’t help but say.

Within a five-hundred-li radius, there were countless cities, towns, and villages.

The sheer number was unimaginable.

“No matter how difficult it is, it must be done. Five hundred li is just the minimum,”

Circuit Lord Yu Song shook his head and said. “Only by implementing a scorched earth policy can we prevent the demonic creatures from obtaining a population.”

He actually wanted to say that in the outside world, the human race often only had one method to deal with human populations controlled by the demon race: complete extermination.

The existence of human towns and villages was a perfect breeding ground for the demon race.

Divine Sword Hall.

All the Elder-level and above figures who remained at the Divine Sword Sect were gathered here.

“What? Scorched earth? Relocate all the towns within five hundred li of the Returning Dragon Mountain Range?”

The elders and Peak Masters present exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, it must be done immediately,”

Sect Master Feng Shaoyu nodded. He walked to the map and drew a circle around an area. All the towns within this area needed to be relocated.

“This relocation plan is simply too large. It can’t be completed in a short time,”

Some Elders with Real Authority said.

“Of course I know that, but the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence has issued a strict order. It must be completed within three months,”

The Sect Master sighed.

He had already had people calculate how many towns, villages, and people were in this area. Once the relocation started, it would be a massive undertaking. And after relocating the people, how would they be resettled?

It was already late autumn.

Winter would arrive in a month.

If there were any problems with the relocation plan, countless people would die.

Next, Sect Master Feng Shaoyu made detailed arrangements for the grand relocation plan. In addition to how to relocate the people, ensuring food supplies, safety, and protection along the way, there was also the issue of resettlement.

Time Bell Pavilion.

Zhou Buping returned from the Returning Dragon Mountain Range and told Li Qian about the grand relocation plan.

“Is the situation that serious?”

Li Qian was surprised.

He thought the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence would be able to handle the Demonic Calamity.

“Yes, it’s very serious. This grand relocation is very urgent. I’ll be leaving as soon as I get some things,”

Zhou Buping said.

Such a large-scale relocation involved a large number of ordinary people. During the relocation process, there would be various accidents, and coupled with the possibility of encountering diseases, weather, and other factors, it was impossible for there to be no casualties.

“Master, you’re going too?”

Li Qian asked.

“Yes, most of the sect members will be going. Only a small number will remain,”

Zhou Buping nodded.

After speaking, Zhou Buping went to his wooden house in the back mountain to get some things and then hurried down the mountain.

For the next period of time, apart from his basic bell-ringing cultivation, Li Qian rode Little Black out every day to the relocation areas.

He also went to the Returning Dragon Mountain Range, where the Demonic Calamity had occurred, and observed from afar.

No wonder the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence couldn’t extinguish this Demonic Calamity. The grand formation enveloping the Returning Dragon Mountain Range was clearly extraordinary.

Since he couldn’t get close, he didn’t know what kind of grand formation it was for the time being.

Judging from the scale of the formation and the anomalies, it should be from the same source as the Lion Camel Ridge Formation Manual, and its level was not low. It was very likely a Seventh Foundation Formation, and a multi-layered, interconnected type.

With his current formation skills, he definitely couldn’t break it.

After all, even with ready-made Formation Disks and Formation Stakes, he had struggled to set up the Sixth Foundation Formation Divine Roaming Armor Mother-Child Formation.

On his way back and forth between the Divine Sword Sect and the Returning Dragon Mountain Range, Li Qian saw several relocation teams. Almost all of them were wailing and crying, and the scene was very tragic.

There was no other way. Many ordinary people were reluctant to leave their homes, land, and property.

The Divine Sword Sect and the local government, in order to expedite the relocation plan, had no choice but to resort to force.

They even used more drastic measures, directly destroying houses.

From a larger perspective, the scorched earth policy was to deal with the Demonic Calamity. However, for many ordinary people, leaving their homes was undoubtedly the beginning of a disaster.

Li Qian felt very complicated as he watched these heartbreaking scenes.

“If my Heartless Sword Intent reached the Myriad Images Level, and my cultivation broke through to Martial Saint, resolving this Demonic Calamity should be effortless,”

Li Qian thought to himself.

He looked at the information displayed on the system interface. At the current rate of Sword Intent improvement, it would take him at least eight years to reach the peak of the Celestial Image Level.

Half a month later.

Late at night.

Li Qian left Time Bell Pavilion.

He didn’t ride Little Black this time.

After all, at night, even though Little Black had mutated, flying wasn’t very convenient.

Moreover, it wasn’t as fast as him.

Li Qian, cloaked in a black cloak, flew rapidly through the air. Below were scattered points of firelight, bonfires from a migrating group of people resting.

There were many such large-scale migration teams, basically consisting of several villages or a town forming a single group. Along the way, there would be government officials and martial artists from the Divine Sword Sect or other martial arts factions escorting them.

Since the world’s transformation, mutations had become severe, and many ferocious mutated beasts had appeared in the wild. Without martial artist escorts, if they encountered mutated beasts, they would easily suffer heavy casualties.

Li Qian’s powerful Spiritual Perception scanned the surroundings. Finding nothing unusual, he flew further away.

After flying for another few dozen kilometers, Li Qian suddenly noticed a large group of migrating people camped at the edge of a forest in the distance.

The camp was in chaos, with screams, shouts, and roars rising and falling, creating a cacophony of noise.

Li Qian’s Spiritual Perception swept over the area, and his expression turned cold.

He saw a large number of monkeys charging out from the vast forest, frantically attacking the people in the camp.

This group of monkeys had clearly undergone mutation. Their size was at least taller than an average person, and they were incredibly ferocious, attacking anyone they encountered.

Although this migration team had many martial artists protecting them, these mutated monkeys were very strong and moved with lightning speed. Moreover, it was nighttime, making it extremely difficult for ordinary martial artists to deal with them.

In addition, there were several leader monkeys, two to three meters tall, that could easily knock people down wherever they went. Even high-level Postnatal martial artists were no match for them.

In the end, it was only when several Innate-level and above martial artists took action that they managed to withstand the monkeys’ fierce onslaught.

Roar!

Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and some trees were knocked down with a rumbling sound. Accompanied by a deafening roar, a terrifying aura surged out from the forest.

It was a gigantic monkey, six to seven meters tall.

No, it shouldn’t be called a monkey anymore.

With a blue face and fangs, it resembled a legendary evil spirit. The monkey’s back also had two huge fleshy tumors, and its eyes were bloodshot.

“It’s actually a Demon Monkey?”

Li Qian, in the air, looked at the gigantic monkey with surprise.

With the Returning Dragon Mountain Range sealed off, how could there still be demonic creatures here?

“Heavens, how could there be a demon here?”

Elder Jin Hao from the Divine Sword Sect, who had just slain a leader monkey, looked at the gigantic Demon Monkey emerging from the darkness with a grim expression.

He was only a Grandmaster-level martial artist. Facing a demon that required a Celestial Being to deal with, he had no chance of survival.

Many martial artists who were fighting the mutated monkeys felt suffocated by the ferocious and terrifying aura of the Demon Monkey.

Not to mention the ordinary people.

Many fainted from fear.

Just as everyone was in despair, countless sword lights suddenly descended from the sky, and the mutated monkeys that were wreaking havoc were all shot dead.

Immediately after, a large ball of dazzling golden flames rolled down from the sky, enveloping the gigantic Demon Monkey.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The gigantic Demon Monkey struggled frantically, letting out deafening roars.

But it was useless. The Demon Monkey’s body rapidly shrank, and amidst its frantic struggles, it was carried into the sky by the ball of dazzling golden flames, flying into the distance and quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Elder Jin Hao watched this scene with wide eyes, an expression of disbelief on his face.

What was that ball of dazzling golden flames just now?

He hadn’t sensed it at all.

Because his Spiritual Perception couldn’t get close, he only felt an intense heat. The light shining on his body made him feel as if his blood was about to boil.

But he was certain that it was definitely an extremely powerful being.

The terrifying Demon Monkey had been taken away.

All the mutated monkeys were dead.

The people who survived in the camp felt a sense of relief after the disaster.

Soon, many cries and wails filled the air, as they had lost loved ones to the mutated monkeys.

The scene was a mess.

Seeing this, Elder Jin Hao sighed with relief. He immediately gathered the martial artists, rearranged the camp’s defenses, and began counting the losses, treating the wounded as much as possible, comforting the panicked people, and maintaining order in the camp.

Thud!

Li Qian threw the Demon Monkey he was holding onto the ground.

This Demon Monkey was completely suppressed by his Blood and Qi Sanctuary. Its Demonic Body couldn’t be maintained and had reverted to the size of a normal monkey.

In its normal form, this monkey wasn’t much bigger than an ordinary monkey.

However, its eyes were filled with intelligence, clearly indicating a high level of intelligence.

Even though it had been captured, it still bared its teeth at Li Qian, looking incredibly fierce.

“You should be able to understand what I’m saying, right?”

Li Qian said.

The Demon Monkey’s eyes flashed with a cold light, looking rebellious.

Li Qian smiled slightly and immediately used his Blood and Qi Sanctuary to control the blood flow within the Demon Monkey’s body, manipulating it. The Demon Monkey immediately let out a painful howl and rolled on the ground.

After a while, Li Qian released his control over the Demon Monkey’s blood flow.

“You should be able to understand now. The pain just now was just an appetizer,”

Li Qian continued.

The Demon Monkey’s eyes no longer held any fierceness, instead becoming filled with fear. It nodded repeatedly.

For demonic creatures like this, fearing the strong was an instinct ingrained in their bones.

“Where did you come from?”

Li Qian pointed in the direction of the Returning Dragon Mountain Range and asked.

The Demon Monkey nodded.

“Can you speak?”

Li Qian asked again.

“Yes… yes… can speak… simple…”

The Demon Monkey actually spoke.

Its voice was broken and a bit slurred, but still understandable.

Li Qian was amazed and asked, “How did you learn to speak?”

“Eat… eat people… can learn…”

The Demon Monkey hurriedly said.

Li Qian was shocked. Demons could actually increase their intelligence and learn human language after eating people? This was too inconceivable.

High-level demonic creatures used the Celestial Demon Enlightenment Technique to transform beasts into demonic creatures. Even their offspring were initially still beasts, not demons, and required the Celestial Demon Enlightenment Technique to be transformed.

However, Li Qian wasn’t sure how demons’ intelligence increased.

Now, hearing the Demon Monkey’s words, he immediately understood. The demon race was the natural enemy of humans. There was no possibility of peaceful coexistence between the two.

To the demon race, humans were food.

It was like humans eating cattle and sheep. How could they treat cattle and sheep as equals?

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