Immortal Path Space

Chapter 345: Qi Shaoqing

After returning to Mountain Valley, Wang Hong took out the newly acquired Flying Boat to examine it. He gathered Luo Zhongjie and others to infuse Spiritual Power into the Flying Boat. After about a quarter of an hour, the Flying Boat finally revealed its true form.

This Flying Boat was twenty zhang long and ten zhang wide, which was a bit wider than the usual Flying Boats. What stood out the most were the eight Spirit Energy Cannons on board—four at the front and back and three on each side.

These Spirit Energy Cannons required Spirit Stones as their power source, consuming ten thousand pieces of low-grade Spirit Stones each time they fired. Their power was comparable to a mid-stage Foundation Building cultivator's full-powered attack. The greatest advantage of these cannons was that Qi Cultivation stage cultivators could operate them as long as there were enough Spirit Stones, effectively adding several mid-stage Foundation Building combatants to their forces.

Since this Flying Boat was slightly larger, it could carry over a hundred people at once. With two Flying Boats at his disposal, Wang Hong could likely fit all his two hundred-plus subordinates on board if they squeezed together.

As for Liu Changsheng's subordinates, they weren't needed for the time being. They primarily operated in stealth and preferred not to engage in direct confrontations. However, they had also been conscripted to participate in the battle against the Demon Clan.

Most of Liu Changsheng's subordinates typically operated in a hidden state, so only about a dozen of them had been conscripted this time, and they were stationed in the second defensive line.

In Mountain Valley, Wang Hong selected fifty Foundation Building stage members and eighty Qi Cultivation stage members, forming a team of a hundred and thirty individuals. Among the fifty Foundation Building stage members, ten were tasked with defense using shields, another ten with restraining and binding using Binding Spirit Ropes, and the remaining thirty used medium-grade Flying Swords as their weapons.

Among the eighty Qi Cultivation stage members, ten were responsible for piloting the Flying Boat, ten operated the Spirit Energy Cannons, and the remaining sixty each had a set of low-grade Spiritual Weapon bows and arrows.

Just this entire set of equipment was something only a few forces could afford to assemble.

Furthermore, Wang Hong assigned Wen Lan to organize a merchant convoy to prepare supplies for the journey. Wen Lan's convoy consisted of thirty Foundation Building stage members and an additional twenty Qi Cultivation stage members.

Considering the ongoing battles ahead, resources were likely to be scarce. Bringing the merchant convoy would allow them to trade with frontline cultivators, exchanging spoils of war for various strategic resources. This way, they could profit while also providing support to the frontline.

Having experienced major battles in the Boundary Mountain Range in the past, Wang Hong knew that, in the end, resources often played a decisive role.

However, with the simultaneous deployment of two Flying Boats, the strength within Mountain Valley had become somewhat depleted. Excluding the Outer Valley outer perimeter cultivators, there were now only a few dozen individuals left in the Inner Valley.

Nevertheless, after Wang Hong's careful arrangements, Mountain Valley was not an easy target to conquer.

After several days of travel, Wang Hong arrived at the location where he was responsible for overseeing five strongholds. These strongholds had previously been managed by supervisory teams on both sides, but now that Wang Hong was here, they would be under his command.

As Wang Hong arrived, two medium-sized Flying Boats approached from both sides, bearing the insignia of the Qingxu Sect.

These two Flying Boats must belong to the other two supervisory teams on his flanks.

"Is it Junior Brother Wang?" called out a tall, slender youth standing on the deck of the Flying Boat to his left, shouting loudly toward Wang Hong. Wang Hong looked over and was somewhat surprised to encounter a familiar face in this place.

The cultivator on the left Flying Boat was none other than Qi Shaoqing, with whom Wang Hong had once studied Alchemy at the Pill Hall. They had spent a month learning Alchemy together, but then Qi Shaoqing disappeared from their sight.

Wang Hong had personally inquired about Qi Shaoqing's background because he had previously offended the Qi family from the Zengling Sect. Sharing the same surname, with a mysterious background, Wang Hong had to be cautious.

In the end, he received an answer from Elder Brother: Qi Shaoqing had a significant background as a direct descendant of a Nascent Soul elder of the sect, and he had gained that elder's favor. That was why he could learn Alchemy directly from Master Mei without going through a test.

Encountering Qi Shaoqing here again, Wang Hong assumed that he had come for further experience.

"Senior Brother Qi! It's me," Wang Hong greeted him from the Flying Boat.

"Come! Let's talk down below," Qi Shaoqing gestured downward while standing at the bow of the boat. Then, he turned the boat and descended.

Wang Hong's group followed suit in their right Flying Boat.

Several Flying Boats landed on a flat area below, and everyone disembarked, setting up a temporary camp.

It was only when everyone had disembarked that the differences became apparent. The two other Flying Boats had cultivators wearing Qingxu Sect Daoist Robes, while Wang Hong's group, except for Wang Hong himself, wore blue robes.

Surprisingly, all one hundred cultivators from Qi Shaoqing's Flying Boat were Foundation Building stage disciples. On the other hand, the cultivators from the other Flying Boat were similar to Wang Hong's group, consisting of fifty Foundation Building stage and fifty Qi Cultivation stage members.

"I heard that Junior Brother Wang personally recruited a group of experts, but I didn't expect them to be this elite!" Qi Shaoqing observed Wang Hong's subordinates, noting their seriousness, strong presence, and unwavering determination. It was clear that they were not a random assortment of individuals.

Although Qi Shaoqing had brought one hundred Foundation Building stage disciples, it seemed like Wang Hong's group was stronger. However, Qi Shaoqing's disciples came from various peaks, many of whom did not know each other, making it difficult to build trust and cohesion among them. They were currently scattered and did not appear to work together effectively.

In contrast, Wang Hong's group of over one hundred people, while now on the ground, demonstrated remarkable coordination, even in tasks as simple as setting up tents.

Qi Shaoqing had one hundred elite sect members at his command, but he couldn't help but admire Wang Hong's ability to assemble such a team by himself.

"Senior Brother Qi, you overestimate me. My accomplishments are still not enough to catch your eye. I am Wang Hong. I've met Senior Brother before. May I inquire about Senior Brother's esteemed name?" Wang Hong replied without engaging in much small talk, as another cultivator from the right Flying Boat had also approached.

"Tianji Peak, Shi Fei!" the middle-aged man with a horse-like face replied briefly. He had heard Qi Shaoqing praising Wang Hong earlier and was feeling somewhat displeased. He had always tried to curry favor with Qi Shaoqing, rarely hearing such praise from him. Most of the time, Qi Shaoqing's compliments were mere formalities.

Wang Hong sensed that Shi Fei might not have a favorable impression of him and didn't want to cozy up to someone who appeared indifferent.

Both Qi Shaoqing and Wang Hong had led their forces into battle, and Wang Hong had brought a merchant convoy with him. Qi Shaoqing didn't comment on it, but Shi Fei clearly displayed a disdainful attitude, thinking that Wang Hong was neglecting his duty by seeking personal gain at such a critical time.

The three groups stayed on the flat land for an hour or two before parting ways. They were still in a war zone, and clashes with the Demon Clan could happen at any moment, so there was no time to waste.

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