Jiang Zheng did not answer immediately, still gazing at the mountain peak.
"Hmm?" Dan Changfeng seemed dissatisfied.
"Snow, it's snow!"
Before the other party could question him, Jiang Zheng gently raised his hand, catching a snowflake, its touch icy cold.
"Snow?"
Dan Changfeng frowned and extended his hand.
Sure enough, fine snow began to fall, almost imperceptible in the darkness.
Before Jiang Zheng could answer, he asked another question, "Xiao Ya didn't suffer when he passed, did he?"
"Pain," Jiang Zheng said without hesitation, uttering a single word.
The snow fell harder and harder, transforming from fine snow into goose-feather flakes, like pure white petals, falling one by one.
In the darkness, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Jiang Zheng's lips, but the words he spoke were like the frost and snow in the sky, chilling to the bone.
"Very painful… very painful."
Having received his answer, Dan Changfeng fell silent.
He no longer wanted to investigate the truth of Wu Yazi's death. For someone whose life was nearing its end, it no longer mattered.
"I only ask you this: will you forever stand on the side of the Spirit Creek Sect? Sect Leader Jiang?" Dan Changfeng asked the question that concerned him the most.
"I will. This seat will forever stand on the side of Anzhou," Jiang Zheng replied, understanding the meaning behind the question.
He probably already suspected that there was something fishy about Wu Yazi's death, but he didn't want to investigate, or rather, he didn't think that he had deliberately caused Wu Yazi's death.
He only considered it a failure to provide assistance when he could have. The true meaning of this question was: I don't care about Wu Yazi's death; I only care whether you will forever stand behind the Spirit Creek Sect.
"I asked about the Spirit Creek Sect!" Dan Changfeng emphasized in a deep voice.
Jiang Zheng stopped paying attention to the snow and turned to look at Dan Changfeng, saying calmly,
"The Spirit Creek Sect, forever."
"Hahahaha—! Good, good, good!" Dan Changfeng laughed and stood up.
He knew that this was not just an answer but a promise!
"Take a good look, have you ever seen snow? Perhaps this is the last snow in Anzhou. When dawn pierces the darkness, it will be the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight!"
As his voice faded, Dan Changfeng transformed into a golden stream of light, piercing the darkness.
"The last snow?" Jiang Zheng murmured, stroking the falling snow, "Is it…?"
"It seems I have to invite a senior to come and see this snow and the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight…"
Excluding this time, Jiang Zheng had only seen snow once, in a book, and he had only seen the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight once, also in a book.
Now, a girl suddenly appeared in his mind, a girl in a flowing immortal dress, gently dancing in the snow.
"Muxi… are you well? Snow… did you see it?"
Red light pierced the darkness, illuminating half the sky!
For some reason, the evil cultivators suddenly seemed to have gone mad, frantically driving the blood corpses to attack the Spirit Creek Sect's base.
Not only that, but all battlefields were also receiving fierce attacks. They seemed determined to break through the defenses as quickly as possible.
Jiang Zheng stood up and looked at the horizon. The sounds of battle cries echoed through the clouds as the elders of the Spirit Creek Sect led their disciples, forming great arrays.
They built an iron defense line, but faced with the blood mist and blood-colored phantoms in the sky, the Spirit Creek Sect was retreating step by step.
"Quick… look!"
"Damn it! How can there be so many?!"
Countless blood corpses, like a crimson tide, emerged from the horizon, seeming to cross mountains and advance in formation.
Giant blood-colored phantoms loomed in the sky, wielding swords, spears, sabers, and halberds, like a well-trained army.
"Don't retreat!!"
More than a dozen figures flew out from the crowd, wearing purple robes and shouting loudly.
"Don't retreat!! Where else can we retreat to?!"
"Every inch beneath our feet belongs to us!"
"The Sect Leader and the Old Ancestor will arrive soon! Kill them!!"
The elders took the lead, their faces resolute, their spiritual energy surging, leading seven or eight thousand disciples across the mountains, forming a battle formation.
The two colossal forces collided with a deafening roar, and in an instant, a terrifying storm swept through the mountains.
Countless ancient trees were broken, and the river's waves crashed against the shore.
Battle cries, roars, and screams echoed in the heavens and earth.
The snow fell harder and harder.
Goose-feather flakes, no longer pure white, were stained blood red.
Like crimson petals, they fell from the sky.
The battle was extremely fierce, and the remains of Spirit Creek Sect disciples constantly fell to the ground.
Some fell off the mountain peaks, dying with shattered bones, while others plunged into the abyss, never to be seen again.
Some even exploded into blood mist in mid-air, staining the snow-covered sky red.
But the blood corpse army seemed endless, impossible to kill completely.
Even Foundation Establishment stage elders fell one after another. In such a great battle, even Golden Core cultivators risked death if they were trapped in the formation, let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Spirit Creek Sect disciples, listen to my command!!" Suddenly, an angry roar came from afar, and a golden light rapidly approached.
"All disciples below the third level of Qi Refining, retreat immediately!!!!!"
The golden light dispersed, revealing Dan Changfeng's figure. In the howling wind, he looked at the blood shadows in the sky, his body as upright as a sword.
Standing alone before tens of thousands of people, he was fearless.
His command clearly entered everyone's ears. Everyone looked back and saw a white-haired figure standing in front of everyone, the golden light on his body rapidly gathering.
"Old Ancestor! It's the Old Ancestor!" Someone shouted excitedly.
"It's the Old Ancestor!"
"…"
"Where's the Sect Leader? Why isn't the Sect Leader here?" someone asked in confusion. After so long, how could the Sect Leader not know about the battle here? Why hadn't he appeared?
"Yes, where's the Sect Leader?"
"The Sect Leader… couldn't he have escaped?"
"Shut up! How is that possible?!"
"How is it impossible? I think our new Sect Leader is a coward who fears death!"
Seeing that Jiang Zheng had not yet appeared, everyone speculated. Some thought that their new Sect Leader had escaped, scolding him for being a coward who feared death! He was a disgrace to the position of Sect Leader!
But some refused to believe it. Most of these people had followed Jiang Zheng and worked with him, and they didn't think that Jiang Zheng was a coward who feared death.
But the cruel war before them did not allow them to think too much. The crimson tide surged up again, and the demonic shadows in the sky pressed down.
Like the end of the world, Dan Changfeng's eyes were solemn. Even now, the evil cultivators behind the blood corpses had not yet made a move.
"What are you still doing?! Those with low cultivation, retreat immediately!!!" Dan Changfeng turned his head and roared.
"Do you want to see me die before you're satisfied?!"
Seeing the blood corpse army once again advancing in formation, its momentum terrifying, the earth shaking, his eyes were about to burst.
The Spirit Creek Sect must not be destroyed here, otherwise, he, Dan Changfeng, would be the greatest sinner in thousands of years, and he would not be able to face his ancestors even in the afterlife.
He would trade his life for the Spirit Creek Sect to retreat safely!
If the Spirit Creek Sect was buried here today and could stop the blood corpse army, then so be it, but he would never allow the entire Spirit Creek Sect to be buried here meaninglessly, never!
As his voice fell, the elders and disciples were stunned.
"No, I won't leave…" A disciple slowly shook his head, then his emotions suddenly became agitated, "I never thought of returning alive when I came here—!!"
He gripped the long sword in his hand and roared.
This roar seemed to ignite the blood of the others.
"I won't leave either!"
"Not leaving! Beyond Weiling Mountain is our hometown. Retreat? Where can we retreat to?! Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!!!"
"Not leaving! If that coward wants to leave, go to Sanfeng Town and tell my mother that I am not a coward!!!"
"…"
At this moment, roars rose and fell, resounding through the clouds, the sound waves like a hurricane, blowing away the blood clouds overhead.
The blood corpse army surged up again, like a blood-colored sky, pressing down on everyone.
"Ancestors above, your descendant Huang Wenjie—is unfilial!!" One person cupped his hands and shouted to the sky.
Then, he activated his flying sword and, at an extremely fast speed, flew past Dan Changfeng, plunging into the dense blood mist.
He detonated himself!
Under his seventh level Qi Refining cultivation, dozens of blood corpses were instantly blown into blood mist.
A small gap appeared in the blood curtain.
With his lead, more figures, including a group of elders, swept past Dan Changfeng in the next moment.
"Come back!! All of you come back!!" This scene made Dan Changfeng's eyes turn red, and he roared to the sky.
"Don't self-detonate!! Don't!!! Don't——!!! Ah——!!!" Dan Changfeng roared to the sky. At this moment, this Golden Core cultivator who had lived for thousands of years was so powerless.
"Jiang Zheng——!! Where are you?!" Dan Changfeng roared, his voice filled with endless hatred.
"Is this how you watched Xiao Ya die?! What exactly are you trying to do?!" But his voice was drowned out in the endless hurricane.
Buzz——!!! Suddenly, a terrifying aura came from afar, accompanied by a cold voice.
"All Spirit Creek Sect disciples, listen to my command, retreat immediately, this place… is covered by me."
Accompanied by the indifferent voice, a grand sound of painting rang out, like muffled thunder.
A painting of mountains and rivers, carrying terrifying power, pressed down from afar, enveloping all the people of the Spirit Creek Sect. Some of those who were about to self-detonate discovered that they could not activate even half a point of spiritual energy no matter what they did.
It seemed that some kind of strange power had suppressed the spiritual energy in their bodies.
"Jie Jie Jie… what? Are you having a change of heart?" Kong Qing mocked.
"Yes, living in this world, it is better to have some attachments, otherwise… who am I?"
The Spirit Creek Diagram shrank rapidly, and everyone seemed to sense something and looked towards the horizon.
"Hmm?" Dan Changfeng seemed dissatisfied.
"Snow, it's snow!"
Before the other party could question him, Jiang Zheng gently raised his hand, catching a snowflake, its touch icy cold.
"Snow?"
Dan Changfeng frowned and extended his hand.
Sure enough, fine snow began to fall, almost imperceptible in the darkness.
Before Jiang Zheng could answer, he asked another question, "Xiao Ya didn't suffer when he passed, did he?"
"Pain," Jiang Zheng said without hesitation, uttering a single word.
The snow fell harder and harder, transforming from fine snow into goose-feather flakes, like pure white petals, falling one by one.
In the darkness, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Jiang Zheng's lips, but the words he spoke were like the frost and snow in the sky, chilling to the bone.
"Very painful… very painful."
Having received his answer, Dan Changfeng fell silent.
He no longer wanted to investigate the truth of Wu Yazi's death. For someone whose life was nearing its end, it no longer mattered.
"I only ask you this: will you forever stand on the side of the Spirit Creek Sect? Sect Leader Jiang?" Dan Changfeng asked the question that concerned him the most.
"I will. This seat will forever stand on the side of Anzhou," Jiang Zheng replied, understanding the meaning behind the question.
He probably already suspected that there was something fishy about Wu Yazi's death, but he didn't want to investigate, or rather, he didn't think that he had deliberately caused Wu Yazi's death.
He only considered it a failure to provide assistance when he could have. The true meaning of this question was: I don't care about Wu Yazi's death; I only care whether you will forever stand behind the Spirit Creek Sect.
"I asked about the Spirit Creek Sect!" Dan Changfeng emphasized in a deep voice.
Jiang Zheng stopped paying attention to the snow and turned to look at Dan Changfeng, saying calmly,
"The Spirit Creek Sect, forever."
"Hahahaha—! Good, good, good!" Dan Changfeng laughed and stood up.
He knew that this was not just an answer but a promise!
"Take a good look, have you ever seen snow? Perhaps this is the last snow in Anzhou. When dawn pierces the darkness, it will be the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight!"
As his voice faded, Dan Changfeng transformed into a golden stream of light, piercing the darkness.
"The last snow?" Jiang Zheng murmured, stroking the falling snow, "Is it…?"
"It seems I have to invite a senior to come and see this snow and the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight…"
Excluding this time, Jiang Zheng had only seen snow once, in a book, and he had only seen the Golden Mountain bathed in sunlight once, also in a book.
Now, a girl suddenly appeared in his mind, a girl in a flowing immortal dress, gently dancing in the snow.
"Muxi… are you well? Snow… did you see it?"
Red light pierced the darkness, illuminating half the sky!
For some reason, the evil cultivators suddenly seemed to have gone mad, frantically driving the blood corpses to attack the Spirit Creek Sect's base.
Not only that, but all battlefields were also receiving fierce attacks. They seemed determined to break through the defenses as quickly as possible.
Jiang Zheng stood up and looked at the horizon. The sounds of battle cries echoed through the clouds as the elders of the Spirit Creek Sect led their disciples, forming great arrays.
They built an iron defense line, but faced with the blood mist and blood-colored phantoms in the sky, the Spirit Creek Sect was retreating step by step.
"Quick… look!"
"Damn it! How can there be so many?!"
Countless blood corpses, like a crimson tide, emerged from the horizon, seeming to cross mountains and advance in formation.
Giant blood-colored phantoms loomed in the sky, wielding swords, spears, sabers, and halberds, like a well-trained army.
"Don't retreat!!"
More than a dozen figures flew out from the crowd, wearing purple robes and shouting loudly.
"Don't retreat!! Where else can we retreat to?!"
"Every inch beneath our feet belongs to us!"
"The Sect Leader and the Old Ancestor will arrive soon! Kill them!!"
The elders took the lead, their faces resolute, their spiritual energy surging, leading seven or eight thousand disciples across the mountains, forming a battle formation.
The two colossal forces collided with a deafening roar, and in an instant, a terrifying storm swept through the mountains.
Countless ancient trees were broken, and the river's waves crashed against the shore.
Battle cries, roars, and screams echoed in the heavens and earth.
The snow fell harder and harder.
Goose-feather flakes, no longer pure white, were stained blood red.
Like crimson petals, they fell from the sky.
The battle was extremely fierce, and the remains of Spirit Creek Sect disciples constantly fell to the ground.
Some fell off the mountain peaks, dying with shattered bones, while others plunged into the abyss, never to be seen again.
Some even exploded into blood mist in mid-air, staining the snow-covered sky red.
But the blood corpse army seemed endless, impossible to kill completely.
Even Foundation Establishment stage elders fell one after another. In such a great battle, even Golden Core cultivators risked death if they were trapped in the formation, let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"Spirit Creek Sect disciples, listen to my command!!" Suddenly, an angry roar came from afar, and a golden light rapidly approached.
"All disciples below the third level of Qi Refining, retreat immediately!!!!!"
The golden light dispersed, revealing Dan Changfeng's figure. In the howling wind, he looked at the blood shadows in the sky, his body as upright as a sword.
Standing alone before tens of thousands of people, he was fearless.
His command clearly entered everyone's ears. Everyone looked back and saw a white-haired figure standing in front of everyone, the golden light on his body rapidly gathering.
"Old Ancestor! It's the Old Ancestor!" Someone shouted excitedly.
"It's the Old Ancestor!"
"…"
"Where's the Sect Leader? Why isn't the Sect Leader here?" someone asked in confusion. After so long, how could the Sect Leader not know about the battle here? Why hadn't he appeared?
"Yes, where's the Sect Leader?"
"The Sect Leader… couldn't he have escaped?"
"Shut up! How is that possible?!"
"How is it impossible? I think our new Sect Leader is a coward who fears death!"
Seeing that Jiang Zheng had not yet appeared, everyone speculated. Some thought that their new Sect Leader had escaped, scolding him for being a coward who feared death! He was a disgrace to the position of Sect Leader!
But some refused to believe it. Most of these people had followed Jiang Zheng and worked with him, and they didn't think that Jiang Zheng was a coward who feared death.
But the cruel war before them did not allow them to think too much. The crimson tide surged up again, and the demonic shadows in the sky pressed down.
Like the end of the world, Dan Changfeng's eyes were solemn. Even now, the evil cultivators behind the blood corpses had not yet made a move.
"What are you still doing?! Those with low cultivation, retreat immediately!!!" Dan Changfeng turned his head and roared.
"Do you want to see me die before you're satisfied?!"
Seeing the blood corpse army once again advancing in formation, its momentum terrifying, the earth shaking, his eyes were about to burst.
The Spirit Creek Sect must not be destroyed here, otherwise, he, Dan Changfeng, would be the greatest sinner in thousands of years, and he would not be able to face his ancestors even in the afterlife.
He would trade his life for the Spirit Creek Sect to retreat safely!
If the Spirit Creek Sect was buried here today and could stop the blood corpse army, then so be it, but he would never allow the entire Spirit Creek Sect to be buried here meaninglessly, never!
As his voice fell, the elders and disciples were stunned.
"No, I won't leave…" A disciple slowly shook his head, then his emotions suddenly became agitated, "I never thought of returning alive when I came here—!!"
He gripped the long sword in his hand and roared.
This roar seemed to ignite the blood of the others.
"I won't leave either!"
"Not leaving! Beyond Weiling Mountain is our hometown. Retreat? Where can we retreat to?! Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death!!!"
"Not leaving! If that coward wants to leave, go to Sanfeng Town and tell my mother that I am not a coward!!!"
"…"
At this moment, roars rose and fell, resounding through the clouds, the sound waves like a hurricane, blowing away the blood clouds overhead.
The blood corpse army surged up again, like a blood-colored sky, pressing down on everyone.
"Ancestors above, your descendant Huang Wenjie—is unfilial!!" One person cupped his hands and shouted to the sky.
Then, he activated his flying sword and, at an extremely fast speed, flew past Dan Changfeng, plunging into the dense blood mist.
He detonated himself!
Under his seventh level Qi Refining cultivation, dozens of blood corpses were instantly blown into blood mist.
A small gap appeared in the blood curtain.
With his lead, more figures, including a group of elders, swept past Dan Changfeng in the next moment.
"Come back!! All of you come back!!" This scene made Dan Changfeng's eyes turn red, and he roared to the sky.
"Don't self-detonate!! Don't!!! Don't——!!! Ah——!!!" Dan Changfeng roared to the sky. At this moment, this Golden Core cultivator who had lived for thousands of years was so powerless.
"Jiang Zheng——!! Where are you?!" Dan Changfeng roared, his voice filled with endless hatred.
"Is this how you watched Xiao Ya die?! What exactly are you trying to do?!" But his voice was drowned out in the endless hurricane.
Buzz——!!! Suddenly, a terrifying aura came from afar, accompanied by a cold voice.
"All Spirit Creek Sect disciples, listen to my command, retreat immediately, this place… is covered by me."
Accompanied by the indifferent voice, a grand sound of painting rang out, like muffled thunder.
A painting of mountains and rivers, carrying terrifying power, pressed down from afar, enveloping all the people of the Spirit Creek Sect. Some of those who were about to self-detonate discovered that they could not activate even half a point of spiritual energy no matter what they did.
It seemed that some kind of strange power had suppressed the spiritual energy in their bodies.
"Jie Jie Jie… what? Are you having a change of heart?" Kong Qing mocked.
"Yes, living in this world, it is better to have some attachments, otherwise… who am I?"
The Spirit Creek Diagram shrank rapidly, and everyone seemed to sense something and looked towards the horizon.
