Chapter 1260
Intentional Matchmaking, Earth-Shattering Changes
After the two sat down, Li Mufeng took a sip of spiritual tea, turned his gaze to Song Qingming, and quickly became somewhat serious.
Seeing this, Song Qingming also looked at the other party with a hint of doubt.
When Li Mufeng took the initiative to visit him earlier, he already suspected that Li Mufeng's special trip to Qingyun Mountain was not simply to offer congratulations.
They had only guesses, but did not know what Li Mufeng had brought.
"Junior Brother Song, what is your impression of Junior Sister Bai?"
"Senior Sister Bai?"
"In the past, Senior Sister Bai risked her life to go to the outer sea to protect me during my Nascent Soul formation. I will always remember this kindness. How could Qingming ever forget it?"
"I wonder why you ask this, Senior Brother. Is there something you need help with regarding Senior Sister Bai?"
Upon suddenly hearing Li Mufeng mention Bai Yuxian, Song Qingming was somewhat surprised, but he quickly replied.
Seeing that Song Qingming did not seem to fully understand his meaning, Li Mufeng immediately shook his head at him.
"Ah, Junior Brother Song, don't worry. Junior Sister Bai is doing well and nothing's wrong."
“Junior Brother Song, although Junior Sister Bai and I are not in a master-disciple relationship, I have been carefully nurturing her since she entered the sect, and I have long regarded her as half a disciple of mine.”
To be honest, the reason I came here is to ask my junior brother in person.
If you wish, you can become Daoist partners with Junior Sister Bai and support each other.
In this way, with you all working together to protect the sect, I can rest assured.
".
Although he was somewhat prepared, Song Qingming was still surprised when he suddenly heard Li Mufeng's words.
Unexpectedly, the elder in front of him, who was already in his seventies, had traveled a long way to find him, just to match him up with his senior sister, Bai Yuxian.
For a moment, Song Qingming was also stunned and didn't know how to speak.
Seeing Song Qingming fall silent, Li Mufeng's eyes flickered slightly, and he continued, "Junior Brother has now advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm, making him the first person in the Floating Cloud Mountain Range in thousands of years."
Junior Sister Bai's cultivation has now reached the late Nascent Soul stage, making her a rare genius in the world.
To be honest, I've always thought you two are a perfect match. Surely you wouldn't look down on Junior Sister Bai, would you?
Upon hearing this, Song Qingming quickly waved his hand and said, "Senior brother, you flatter me!"
With such unparalleled beauty as Senior Sister Bai, and such a wonderful match, how could Junior Brother dare to look down upon her?
"But now that I already have Siyuan and the others, I'm a little afraid of disappointing the beauty."
Moreover, Senior Sister Bai's talent for cultivation is no less than mine. Even without relying on others for support, she still has the potential to reach the Nascent Soul realm in the future.
Please rest assured, Senior Brother. Now that I am part of the sect, I will do my utmost to protect it, no matter what happens in the future.
"Alas, junior brother, you are mistaken!"
For us cultivators, reaching such a level and finding a suitable fellow cultivator of the same level to support each other is already a rare and precious thing.
Junior brother, you should take the initiative and seize this opportunity!
Faced with Song Qingming's sincere reply, Li Mufeng immediately shook his head.
“Junior Brother Song, your senior brother is now just a skeleton in a tomb with little time left to live. I shouldn’t be causing you any more trouble.”
But there were some things that my senior brother had already seen and knew all along.
I'm putting on a show of respect by visiting you today, not only for the sake of the sect, but also because I don't want you and Junior Sister Bai to have any regrets in this life.
If this matter can truly be brought to fruition, it will be the last thing I, as the Grand Elder, can do for the sect, and it will also put an end to a regret in my heart.”
Having said that, Li Mufeng looked at Song Qingming with anticipation.
His eyes were filled with the determination of this old man, who was nearing the end of his life, to contribute his last bit of strength to the sect.
".
Fifteen minutes later.
Two figures emerged from the side hall one after the other.
Looking at Song Qingming following behind him, Li Mufeng smiled and raised his hand to stop him.
"Junior Brother Song, please wait!"
"Now I am powerless to share the burden of the sect. As for Qingyun Mountain, I can only rely on my junior brothers and sisters."
"Don't worry, senior brother. Qingming will do his best to prevent the demon race from easily setting foot in the Floating Cloud Mountains."
I hope Senior Brother Li takes good care of himself. I will return to Guyang Mountain to visit you when I have time.
"Yes! With my junior brother's words, I'm relieved."
Seeing Song Qingming looking at him seriously, Li Mufeng smiled and nodded, then turned and left "Huixian Pavilion".
Only after seeing Li Mufeng off did Song Qingming turn around and return to the main hall.
Song Qingyu, Huang Siyuan, and Li Xuanyi were sitting to the side enjoying tea. The three of them looked over with a hint of curiosity.
Before Song Qingyu could speak, Song Qingming glanced around and asked her directly:
"Qingyu, where is Junior Brother Zhou?"
"Oh, Junior Nephew Liu just came looking for Junior Brother Zhou. It seems there's been another disturbance on Mingyang Peak, and Junior Brother went back ahead of time."
Speaking of which, Junior Brother Zhou is really something.
How can a dignified Nascent Soul cultivator cultivate peacefully when his home is always in such a state of chaos?
"Seventh Brother, I think Junior Brother Zhou has some time; he should really take the initiative to ask you for some guidance."
"Alright, Qingyu, it's ultimately a family matter, why are you worrying about it?"
"What brings you to see Junior Brother Zhou, my lord? Perhaps you wish to inquire about the situation in the north?"
Hearing that Song Qingyu's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, Huang Siyuan quickly interrupted her and looked at Song Qingming beside her.
"Hmm! With the demon beasts about to cause trouble, although the Heavenly Fox Clan has not yet made any moves, we should make some preparations in advance to prepare for any eventuality."
Qingyu, go down the mountain and find Junior Brother Zhou, as well as Jingyun and Fellow Daoist Yang.
"Please have everyone wait for me at the market council hall later so we can discuss how to proceed with the situation in the northern frontier."
"Seventh Brother, why can't Shang Yun and the others handle this messenger? Why do I have to make the trip myself?"
"I told you to go, why are you making so many fuss?"
".
As soon as Song Qingming finished speaking, seeing that the person in front of him had become somewhat serious, Song Qingyu quickly got up and left "Huixian Pavilion".
After Song Qingyu left, Huang Siyuan, who was standing to the side, seemed to realize that Song Qingming had intentionally sent her away.
After getting up and pouring herself a cup of spiritual tea, she asked softly, "Husband, what did Senior Brother Li just say to you?"
But what happened at the sect?
"Nothing happened. My senior brother just told me about Senior Sister Bai!"
".
Looking at the two people in front of him who were looking at him with curiosity, Song Qingming did not hide anything and told them directly about what Li Mufeng had just come to discuss with him.
"I didn't expect that Senior Brother Li was looking for you about this matter. I just thought something had happened at Guyang Mountain!"
"My husband, we've known about your relationship with Senior Sister Bai for a long time."
Upon hearing Song Qingming's frank words, Huang Siyuan, sitting opposite him, slowly uttered a sentence, not appearing too surprised.
On the other side, Li Xuanyi remained silent, seemingly agreeing with Huang Siyuan's words, but her gaze kept shifting, as if she were pondering something.
Seeing the two so quiet, Song Qingming, who was originally thinking about how to comfort them, was somewhat surprised.
"So, you two don't object to this!"
"Senior Sister Bai has known us for many years. She is not only a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, but also so beautiful. What do we have to object to?"
"But my husband, I hope you won't start to dislike me and Sister Siyuan after you have Senior Sister Bai!"
"What are you thinking? How could I possibly dislike you?"
Upon hearing Li Xuanyi utter a soft remark, Song Qingming couldn't help but chuckle.
"Actually, I can tell that Senior Brother Li is only worried about the sect's inheritance, which is why he wants to match me up with Senior Sister Bai."
Senior Sister Bai is focused on cultivation and has no interest in romantic relationships.
This matter is probably just Senior Brother's personal opinion; Senior Sister Bai hasn't agreed yet, so don't overthink it.
I'll make time to visit Guyang Mountain later.
"Let's discuss it with Senior Sister Bai and figure out how to deal with Senior Brother Li. It should be over soon."
"Husband, how do you know that Senior Sister Bai is focused on cultivation and doesn't care about matters of love?"
What if she agrees to it?
".
"If that's the case, then I'll just admit I was talking nonsense. In the end, my husband will honor his bet and give each of you the spiritual item you want, how about that?"
"Alright! It's settled then."
Seeing the confident look in Li Xuanyi's beautiful eyes, Song Qingming couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.
Could it be that I'm going to lose to her?
".
Half a day later, a market town appeared at the foot of Qingyun Mountain.
In the "Council Hall" located on the west side of the market, Song Qingming sat at the head of the table, with Song Qingyu, Huang Siyuan, Li Xuanyi, and Zhou Ziyang sitting on either side of him.
Standing below the Nascent Soul cultivators were numerous Golden Core cultivators, including Bai Jingyun, Song Linyu, Song Linrui, Song Siqing, Wei Yunlong, Song Yuping, Song Yu'an, Song Shiyu, and Chu Ling.
After the human cultivators launched a counterattack on the Floating Cloud Mountains, Song Qingming led the "Free and Unfettered Sect" to occupy the mountains.
Nearly a century has passed since then.
Under the management of Song Qingming and others, Qingyun Mountain has been completely transformed and has become a major base for many human cultivators. There are no fewer than twenty Golden Core cultivators who reside on the mountain regularly.
About half of them were close relatives of Song Qingming, as well as his direct disciples.
The remaining group consisted of a few rogue Golden Core cultivators living in the market town, as well as affiliated Golden Core forces occupying the nearby spiritual mountains, totaling more than a dozen people.
In addition, there are nearly 40,000 low-level cultivators on Qingyun Mountain, all of whom were incorporated into the Ling Mountain Guard by Song Qingming.
In addition, Zhou Ziyang had just transferred 20,000 cultivators from the rear of the sect not long ago.
There are already more than 60,000 low-level cultivators on the mountain, which accounts for more than half of the cultivators controlled by the "Xiaoyao Sect".
Although a hundred years have passed since then, most of the cultivators present had experienced the great war against the demon race.
The once-in-a-century "monster turmoil" is approaching once again.
Everyone's faces were somewhat solemn, as they already knew what might happen in the north of "Qingyun Mountain" next.
"Gentlemen, the reason I have gathered you here today is to discuss how to deal with the southward invasion of the demon race. I hope that you will work together to protect Qingyun Mountain."
. "
Since no specific information had yet been received regarding the southward migration of the demon race from the "Northern Frontier," the main purpose of this meeting was to make advance arrangements for the northern defense forces.
Although Song Qingming was seated at the head of the table, he did not say much.
Zhou Ziyang and Song Qingyu were put in full charge of the defense plan against the southward invasion of the demon race.
Both Zhou Ziyang and Song Qingyu are Nascent Soul Ancestors who have dealt with the demon race of the "Northern Frontier" for many years.
Moreover, having guarded Qingyun Mountain for many years, he is very familiar with the surrounding area.
Zhou Ziyang and Song Qingyu were well-prepared for the rare opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of Song Qingming.
After hearing their detailed arrangements, Song Qingming nodded slightly and did not offer many opinions.
Just as Song Qingming and his group were making careful preparations, deep within the "Northern Frontier," a large army of demons had already begun to assemble.
Just six months later, Song Qingming, who was in Qingyun Mountain, received news from all over that the demon race was heading south.
What Song Qingming didn't expect was that the demon army that came south from the "Northern Frontier" this time was far smaller than before.
Although the several level-three spiritual veins north of Qingyun Mountain were attacked by the southward-moving demon race, the leaders were only some weak Golden Core demon kings.
Not only did they fail to see the main force of the "Heavenly Fox Clan" led by the Heavenly Tail Demon Emperor march south.
Even the Nascent Soul Demon Emperors who were behind the scenes driving the demon beast army only hid in the shadows and did not appear on the battlefield.
This situation left Song Qingyu and the others, who had made careful preparations for a long time, somewhat disappointed.
Unexpectedly, the demon race's southward expedition, though seemingly aggressive, consisted mostly of low-level demon beasts, posing no significant threat to Qingyun Mountain.
For several months, the southward-bound "demon army" only managed to capture some weakly defended low-level spiritual veins in the north, and was unable to get close to Qingyun Mountain.
Seeing that the main force of the "Heavenly Fox Clan" had not yet appeared, Zhou Ziyang, Song Qingyu, and the others could only stay in the rear formation to direct the cultivators to defend the city, and did not have many opportunities to use their supernatural powers.
However, it was Bai Jingyun, Wei Yunlong, and other Golden Core cultivators.
This time, they became the main force on the battlefield, which gave them a rare opportunity to train, and each of them made great contributions on the battlefield.
While the main force of the demon army on Qingyun Mountain has yet to appear, the human cultivator alliance led by the Wanling Sect of the Qin Kingdom in the west has encountered quite a few troubles this time.
The "Monster Uprising" had barely begun when the western demon army, led by the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor," reached the northern border of the Qin Kingdom.
A century has passed, and the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor" has made further progress in his cultivation, breaking through to the eighth level of the Nascent Soul realm.
Meanwhile, the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect" has seen its strength decline considerably in recent years due to the loss of Wang Yan, a peak Nascent Soul level six expert.
Even with the timely arrival of the Thundercloud Sect and the Hunyuan Sect to provide support, the Qin Kingdom's army of cultivators was still somewhat outmatched and could only rely on the mountain-protecting formation for passive defense.
Fortunately, although the "Wanling Sect" has declined considerably, it still has a strong foundation.
With the help of two high-level magic arrays within the sect, they managed to hold off the demon army in the north of Qin, preventing them from penetrating into the southern heartland.
And so the great war continued for more than a year. To the north of Qingyun Mountain, there were still only minor skirmishes, and the main force of the demon race did not move south.
Seeing that the demon army of the "Northern Frontier" heading south had been almost completely wiped out.
At Song Qingyu and Zhou Ziyang's command, the cultivators along the "Qingyun Mountain" line immediately switched from defense to offense and launched a full-scale counterattack against the demon beasts.
With the addition of Nascent Soul cultivators such as Song Qingyu, Zhou Ziyang, and Li Xuanyi to the battlefield, the demon army on the battlefield collapsed at the first contact and turned to flee north.
In just a few months, the entire area around "Qingyun Mountain" became completely quiet, with almost no significant resistance encountered.
The human cultivator army did not expend much effort to wipe out all the "Northern Frontier" demonic beasts that had marched south and drive them back to the north.
Just as Qingyun Mountain launched a full-scale counterattack, the allied forces of the three sects led by Bai Yuxian, Ye Linyuan, and Wei Dongcheng also arrived in the Qin Kingdom to the west.
Faced with the sudden appearance of three reinforcements on the battlefield, the demon race's advantage on the battlefield was quickly reversed.
Bai Yuxian broke through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and her cultivation level had also risen to the peak of the seventh level of the Nascent Soul realm, not much different from the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor".
After several battles, the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor" did not gain any advantage.
In the end, he was accidentally injured by Bai Yuxian's "Purple Flame Divine Fire Silk" and fled the battlefield in a sorry state.
After the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor" retreated, the remaining demon emperors on the battlefield also withdrew one after another, and the demon army instantly collapsed and retreated northward.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bai Yuxian, Ye Linyuan, and others immediately led the human cultivators in a full-scale counterattack, driving the demon army out of the Qin border.
Although the "Ten Thousand Spirits Sect" suffered considerable losses in this battle, it also routed the main force of the demon army and killed many of their demon beasts.
As a result, the situation around the Qin state gradually stabilized.
The two sides remained deadlocked at the border for another six months.
Seeing that there was no hope of defeating the human alliance, the "Azure-Eyed Demon Emperor" led his demon army back to his own territory.
In less than two years, both the eastern and western sections of the "Floating Cloud Mountains" have been pacified.
This once-in-a-century "monster turmoil" ended prematurely, much to everyone's surprise.
Compared to a hundred years ago, this turmoil is less severe because the "Heavenly Fox Clan" did not intervene, and the overall strength of the major human sects in the Floating Cloud Mountains has increased by leaps and bounds.
Apart from the several major battles that broke out in the Qin state, the monsters that migrated south from other places did not cause much of a commotion.
The overall losses suffered by the human race are the lowest they have been in nearly a thousand years.
Faced with this situation, while the various sects felt somewhat fortunate, they also realized that the strength of the Northern Demon Clan was no longer what it used to be.
Back then, during the once-in-a-century "monster turmoil," human cultivators retreated step by step, each time facing a life-or-death test.
Now, facing the same situation again, the major sects do not feel much pressure.
The situation has changed dramatically.
Just as the battle in the "Floating Cloud Mountains" ended, news of turmoil also came from other cultivation worlds in the surrounding area.
The East Sea, adjacent to the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains," is a place where most cultivators live on islands near the sea, and has never been a place that the "Northern Frontier" demon race pays much attention to.
Therefore, the cultivation world in the East Sea did not encounter much pressure and ended the turmoil early on.
The situation is exactly the opposite in the "Heavenly Sea Immortal Cultivation World" to the south.
This time, they encountered an attack from the "Falling Star Sea" demon race. The two sides have been fighting for nearly two years, and the battle is still very intense. They have not yet been able to defeat the demon army.
In the cultivation world of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" to the west, the situation is similar to the last time.
The main forces of the ten major demon clans of the "Northern Frontier" all marched south to fight against the human army led by the "Tianyu Sect". The battle between the two sides was extremely fierce.
However, compared to a hundred years ago, only four demon saints came to the "Northern Frontier" this time, which greatly reduced the pressure on the human cultivators.
Several major battles broke out between the two sides in the northern regions of Qingzhou and Dongzhou.
Chen Qingxuan and "Old Ancestor Jin Yuan" dealt with several demon saints, but did not allow them to gain any advantage.
Overall, although the human cultivator alliance was temporarily at a disadvantage, it did not lose too much territory.
The demon race of the "Falling Star Sea" in the south also dispatched its main force to contain the major coastal sects led by the "Demon Slayer Sect".
The two sides have been fighting each other in the southern part of Yuezhou for almost two years.
The situation is still quite tense, and it's hard to tell who has the upper hand or who has the lower hand. It seems unlikely that the situation will end anytime soon.
Located west of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom," the Qiyun Immortal Cultivation Realm was the subject of several inquiries by Song Qingming, but no battle reports were received, and he had no idea what the situation was.
Just as Song Qingming was inquiring about the surrounding battle situation, a letter requesting reinforcements from the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" suddenly arrived at "Qingyun Mountain".
This caused tension to rise again in the cultivation world of the "Floating Cloud Mountains," which had only recently calmed down.
The letter requesting assistance was sent by Song Qingming's old friend, the "Dangmo Palace," which was in charge of dealing with the war in Yuezhou in the south.
Previously, the Demon-Slaying Palace and the Falling Star Sea Demon Clan had fought several battles, and the two sides were locked in a stalemate, with neither able to gain the upper hand in the short term.
Upon hearing that the great battle at the "Floating Cloud Mountains" had ended, the "Demon Suppression Palace" wanted to send some reinforcements from Song Qingming's side to help.
They wanted to use them to end the turmoil sooner.
Back when the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" was besieged by the Heavenly Fox Clan and was on the verge of collapse, the "Demon Suppression Palace" sent Lü Yue and others from afar to help Song Qingming and the others to hold the line.
Now that the other party needs help, Song Qingming naturally won't stand idly by.
He immediately, in his capacity as the leader of the alliance, sent a message to all the major sects in the "Floating Cloud Mountains" to gather reinforcements and prepare to go to the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" to support the Demon-Slaying Palace.
Because they needed to travel hundreds of thousands of miles to the cultivation world of "Donghuang Kingdom", Song Qingming and the others could not bring a large number of low-level cultivators with them, and could only organize a small number of elites to provide support.
Therefore, all those recruited had a cultivation level of at least Golden Core.
Within half a month of the conscription order being issued, Song Qingming had gathered two hundred Golden Core cultivators who had been recruited from various sects in the "Floating Cloud Mountain Range".
In addition, eight Nascent Soul cultivators accompanied them: Song Qingming, Li Xuanyi, Song Qingyu, Ye Linyuan, Chen Yunxiao, Fu Yungui, Liu Qingyin, and Luo Qianshan.
After the group gathered on the west side of Taiyue Lake, they immediately boarded a flying boat and sped westward.
Traveling light, the group crossed the "Illusory Sea Desert" and arrived in the territory of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom in less than two months.
They then sped south, passing through Liangzhou and Nanzhou, and arrived at the "Yuezhou Battlefield" in the southwest corner.
Due to the "monster turmoil," the once bustling cultivation world of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" now presents a rare scene of desolation. (End of Chapter)