Outside the Lu Men mountain range, in the area guarded by the Scarlet Sun Hall, this was one of the few essential routes into the Lu Men mountains.
Ji Wudi, now at the late Golden Core cultivation stage, was already a figure who could hold his own within the Scarlet Sun Hall. The defense of this area was commanded by Ji Wudi.
Ji Wudi had always harbored lofty ambitions, vowing to become the man standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. Having lived for several hundred years, he had never stopped striving.
Especially whenever he compared himself to Xiao Fei and Zhu Yu of the same generation, it would keep him awake at night, making him feel he wasn't working hard enough.
In his opinion, Xiao Fei and Zhu Yu must have worked diligently behind the scenes to achieve their current accomplishments.
Fortunately, Ji Wudi had made great strides in recent years, and now he had finally cultivated to the late Golden Core stage. He should be able to compete with Xiao Fei.
At this moment, a group of demons and rogue cultivators, mixed together, charged towards them, brandishing their weapons and letting out war cries.
Seeing the demons charging, he immediately let out a great roar and charged forward, leading the way.
Ji Wudi's fighting style was extremely fierce, the kind that would even harm himself in a desperate struggle.
He wielded a pair of golden greatswords, charging into the demon horde. Where the blade light flashed, severed limbs and broken bodies would be flung into the air.
As for the demons' attacks, they could only leave shallow marks on his golden skin.
Ji Wudi was like a human-shaped meat grinder, moving in and out of the demon ranks, and not a single one could withstand his might.
Many Scarlet Sun Sect disciples followed closely behind Ji Wudi, forming formations and fighting the enemy together. For a time, the battle was fierce and spirited.
The first wave of demons at the forefront was routed by Ji Wudi's charge, splitting in two from the middle. Then, with another series of charges back and forth, this demon unit completely collapsed.
"Oh... oh..."
"We won!"
Ji Wudi played a crucial role in this battle. Numerous Scarlet Sun Sect disciples surrounded him in the center, cheering in unison.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist Ji, for achieving the first merit in this battle!"
At this moment, the Golden Core guards sent by Huang Feifei arrived just in time. Witnessing this scene, they immediately stepped forward and cupped their fists in congratulation.
"Likewise, likewise!"
Ji Wudi returned the salute. He had been engrossed in cultivation in the past and did not recognize the person before him. However, seeing the person wearing the robes of the Lu Men Dan Xin Hall, he assumed they were one of their own.
"I am here under the orders of Old Ancestor Huang to deliver elixirs and spiritual wine to reward all fellow Daoists and wish you even greater victories!"
As the Golden Core guard spoke, he produced many elixirs and spiritual wines and distributed them to everyone present.
"Thank you, Old Ancestor Huang, for the bounty!"
Upon receiving the spiritual items, everyone thanked him profusely!
It was then that Ji Wudi realized that these were people sent by Xiao Fei's maid.
Not long ago, he had been full of confidence, believing he had caught up to Xiao Fei's pace.
At this moment, he realized that he wasn't even as good as Xiao Fei's maid. His maid was at the Nascent Soul stage, and she could casually dispatch a subordinate who was a Golden Core cultivator, far beyond his reach.
As for Huang Feifei, she was a cultivator of the same period whom he had overlooked. What man of stature would compare himself to a woman? A true man does not contend with women.
After the Golden Core guard distributed the spiritual items on behalf of Huang Feifei, he turned and left.
Ji Wudi and his group had not rested for long when another group of demons charged up from the foot of the mountain.
At this time, the members of the Scarlet Sun Hall could only drag their exhausted bodies and continue fighting.
The demons had gathered the strength of the entire Eagle Mountain Kingdom. In terms of both numbers and strength, they held the advantage. They could also wear down Ji Wudi and his group to death through attrition warfare.
While Ji Wudi led the Scarlet Sun Hall cultivators in a bitter fight, battles had also begun at several other strongholds.
Thus, the demon attack on Lu Men had fully commenced.
Lu Men's other two Nascent Soul Old Ancestors had already personally arrived at the front lines. Huang Feifei, however, remained guarding the entrance to Xiao Fei's cave dwelling, providing protection.
Her actions were somewhat selfish and disregarded the bigger picture.
But she was just a young girl, just a small maid to Xiao Fei. The overall situation of the world was not as important as Xiao Fei.
The Golden Core guard team repeatedly reported the battle situation ahead to Huang Feifei. The battle situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable.
Facing the vast army formed by the demons and rogue cultivators of the Eagle Mountain Kingdom, the Lu Men cultivators could only be considered defeated soldiers.
Lu Men had suffered several blows and was also extremely impoverished, the gap between them and the cultivators of the Eagle Mountain Kingdom was growing wider and wider.
"Reporting to the Old Ancestors, the Lu Men's stationed cultivators on all fronts have been completely routed."
...
"Reporting to the Old Ancestors, the Dan Xin Hall's cultivator team has been annihilated, with only Elder Zhu Yu escaping!"
"The Zi Wei Sect's cultivator team has been destroyed..."
...
"Reporting to the Old Ancestors! The demon Nascent Soul powerhouses have made their move. Old Ancestor He of the Scarlet Sun Sect is being besieged by two demons, his physical body has been severed, and only his Nascent Soul has escaped."
As one piece of bad news after another arrived, Huang Feifei remained motionless, guarding the front of Xiao Fei's cave dwelling.
...
"Reporting to the Old Ancestors! Great tidings! Old Ancestor Jiang of the Zi Wei Sect has successfully broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and emerged from seclusion!"
...
"Old Ancestor Shangguan has also successfully broken through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage and emerged from seclusion..."
...
After a series of bad news, good news finally arrived.
The two Nascent Soul Old Ancestors successfully broke through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, making them the strongest existences in several surrounding countries.
The intervention of these two mid-Nascent Soul Old Ancestors temporarily halted the demon Nascent Soul powerhouses.
However, these demon powerhouses were truly troublesome. The black-scaled demon who had previously fought Old Ancestor Shangguan was once again fighting Old Ancestor Shangguan.
His pair of great hammers from last time had fallen into Xiao Fei's hands, and he had somehow acquired a large, crude mace from somewhere else.
This mace was also extremely heavy, and combined with his speed, he was able to fight Old Ancestor Shangguan to a draw, despite only being at the early Nascent Soul stage.
However, he was also extremely cautious this time, preventing Old Ancestor Shangguan from using poison again.
On the other side, Old Ancestor Jiang, who had just broken through, was also being tied down by four early Nascent Soul demons working together, and he was not gaining any advantage for the time being.
Just as the Nascent Soul powerhouses on both sides were in a stalemate, three other Nascent Soul powerhouses from the Wu Kingdom bypassed the battlefield and headed directly for the mountain peak where Xiao Fei was in seclusion.
One of these three was Tian Si from the Black Saber Sect. Ever since he had been tricked by Xiao Fei and Huang Feifei working together, he had harbored a deep grudge.
"Fellow Daoists, the Holy Clan has issued a bounty. Anyone who kills Xiao Fei will become an honored guest elder of the Holy Clan, thus possessing the same status as other Holy Clan members."
Tian Si walked at the forefront, speaking to the other two from time to time.
"At that time, I will cede the merit of killing Xiao Fei to you two. I only want the female cultivator named Huang Feifei."
"No problem. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Tian to be such a devoted person."
The other two were also powerhouses from the Wu Kingdom. They had been invited by the demons to jointly hunt Lu Men cultivators.
Unlike Tian Si, they were purely motivated by rewards, with no personal feelings involved.
"It might be a bit difficult to capture a Nascent Soul cultivator alive. If we accidentally injure Fellow Daoist Tian's beloved, please do not blame us!" one of the Nascent Soul cultivators joked.
"That is natural. Whether alive or dead, as long as her intact corpse can be left for me."
"Hahaha... Fellow Daoist Tian is indeed a hero among men!"