"Activate the formation!" Mu Canglong immediately ordered. The stewards beside him responded instantly, summoning several array disks. After retreating three steps, they activated them. As soon as the formations were triggered, a shimmering barrier enveloped the Night Patrol Division disciples. The swarm of Blackheart Gu surged forward like a tidal wave, crashing against the barrier. Fortunately, unlike the poisonous smoke from before, no matter how ferocious the incoming Gu were, the formation held them back.

Only then did the disciples of the Night Patrol Division breathe a sigh of relief. After all, while Blackheart Gu could be repelled with talismans or spells, getting bitten was a different story—where would they find Shrinking Yang Gu to counteract the venom? There wasn't a single Gu master on all of Feixian Peak!

But blocking the threat didn't mean they were safe. Even though the Night Patrol Division had prepared in advance, the formation had its limits. Mu Canglong clearly understood this. After holding out for a while, he summoned a curved blade artifact and sent it flying. In an instant, the blade split into a dozen smaller curved daggers, swirling around him in a lethal storm, shredding every Blackheart Gu within a three-meter radius. Not a single one survived.

But he didn't stop there. With a leap, Mu Canglong sent the daggers soaring once more. They doubled, then quadrupled, transforming into razor-sharp spikes that pierced through the Gu swarm, cutting a path toward the dense forest beyond. Wherever they passed, the Blackheart Gu perished in droves.

Watching this, Wen Jiu was somewhat surprised. A single Blackheart Gu wasn't particularly strong, but when thousands gathered and attacked together, their destructive power far exceeded that of an ordinary fifth-layer Qi Refining spell. The way Sikong Bai's face darkened, how he remained fearful even within a mid-grade first-tier defensive formation, made that abundantly clear.

Yet Mu Canglong not only charged out but also struck back with overwhelming force, aiming to attack the Gu master hidden in the forest. Though he didn't manage to break through, his sheer power gave Wen Jiu a much clearer understanding of the man's strength. No wonder he was the chief deacon of the Night Patrol Division.

On the other side, the Demon Slaying Division had also activated their formation. Unlike the Night Patrol Division, however, they used an offensive array—blades of energy shot out in waves, each strike cutting down swaths of Blackheart Gu. Deacon Li Qing, following Mu Canglong's example, charged into the swarm, slaying them in droves. Though he too failed to breach the forest and capture the enemy leader, he still inflicted heavy losses, causing the Blackheart Gu to scatter and die in large numbers.

Meanwhile, the disciples of both divisions, protected by the formations and unscathed by the poisonous smoke, focused their efforts on casting spells. The once-feared Blackheart Gu, unable to even approach the disciples, let alone threaten Feixian Peak, was now being crushed under their combined might. Wen Jiu finally understood why, after he had swallowed the poison, the disciples of both divisions had looked at him so differently.

Seeing the battle stabilize, Wen Jiu merely maintained his protective Yin techniques, silently absorbing the lingering poison in the air from behind the group. From this point on, he only wanted to be an observer. He knew the Tianzuo Alliance's current assault was likely just a probing attack, meant to stir things up and see who would react. Of course, there was a chance it was a feint, but that was unlikely. The body of Xuemò Sanqian was on the mountain. If they wanted to feint, they would attack a different peak rather than make a ruckus at the base.

Before long, Wen Jiu heard the sounds of battle erupting from other directions around Feixian Peak. Flames blazed in the night sky, signaling that combat had broken out all across the mountain's base. Yet, no peak lord-level powerhouses had made a move—so far, it was all low-level skirmishes.

But then, the enemy's probing attacks intensified. Following the Gu masters, ghost cultivators now joined the battle. From within the dense forest, sinister presences emerged—corpse puppets of the Three Fiends Sect, and more alarmingly, several powerful auras.

Fifth-layer Qi Refining ghost cultivators.

They weren't just summoning vicious wraiths and malevolent spirits; the leader among them had a crimson-haired fiend standing at his side. Its aura was even stronger than his own, nearly reaching the sixth layer of Qi Refining.

——

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Deep in the forest, the old crone scowled at the arrival of the ghost cultivators.

"Daoist Ding, what are you doing here?" she snapped. "You wouldn't volunteer earlier, but now you want to steal my credit?"

The middle-aged man beside the crimson-haired fiend sneered, his expression cold. "Daoist Yu, don't compare me to yourself. You failed twice already—Elder Mu is losing patience. Do you really think I came here willingly to help a venomous old hag like you?"

The old woman's eyes flashed with malice. "If I find out later that this wasn't Elder Mu's order, you'd best start picking burial sites for your whole family!"

She was furious. Her hard-earned opportunity for merit was now being shared. She wanted to kill someone just to vent her frustration.

Her gaze shifted toward Wen Jiu, who stood behind the Demon Slaying Division's forces. She took note of him.

To her, if it weren't for Wen Jiu swallowing the poison, neither the Night Patrol Division nor the Demon Slaying Division would have lasted this long. The poison should have crippled them, allowing the Blackheart Gu to break through. If not for him, Elder Mu wouldn't have been forced to send in ghost cultivators like Yu Yan.

"Boy, you'd better pray we never cross paths," she muttered to herself. "If I catch you… I'll turn you into a living blood Gu. Then you'll know the agony of your flesh rotting away, of parasites burrowing into your bones, eating you from the inside out."

As she spoke, the half-decayed side of her face, crawling with wriggling Gu insects, twitched hideously.

——

Wen Jiu's expression hardened.

He immediately turned his gaze toward the forest, his instincts screaming at him.

A piercing killing intent had locked onto him.

But it wasn't from the ghosts or wraiths.

It was something else.

"The Gu master?" Wen Jiu muttered, glancing up at Feixian Peak. He might need to retreat toward the mountain's defensive formations.

At that moment, a massive horde of spectral entities burst from the forest—vicious wraiths, ghostly apparitions, and at least a few powerful malevolent spirits on par with fifth-layer Qi Refining cultivators. Among them was the crimson-haired fiend.

Mu Canglong's face darkened. He quickly retreated, and Li Qing followed suit.

Because they had recognized them.

These ghosts belonged to a notorious family of ghost cultivators.

Wusheng Mountain!

Its reputation was well-known among ghost cultivators, and its unique ghost-rearing techniques had made a name for themselves throughout the entire Dead Peak cultivation world. However, what stood out the most was their identity—they were actually a branch of Dead Peak itself.

Back when Dead Peak was embroiled in the Left Dao Rebellion, they had been one of the factions involved.

"No wonder we couldn't find them no matter how hard we searched. So they've sided with the Tianzuo Alliance!" Mu Canglong's expression turned cold. Not daring to be careless, he quickly retreated into a mid-grade first-tier defensive formation.

At the same time, Wen Jiu also witnessed the scene up close and felt the extraordinary presence of those fierce ghostly spirits.

Compared to the ghostly entities cultivated by the Ghost Face Pagoda, their ghostly aura was slightly weaker, yet still quite peculiar. Wen Jiu could sense that something existed within them—something that was the source of their greater power compared to ordinary spirits.

However, with his own perception, he could barely detect anything. Fortunately, by using the senses of his Three-Fiend Corpse, he was able to grasp their strange nature.

What he found stunned him.

It was a heart.

A beating heart.

What was going on?

Yet upon closer inspection through the Three-Fiend Corpse's senses, Wen Jiu realized that this heart was unlike a human heart. Though it pulsed, its beats were slow, and from within, an unceasing flow of ghostly energy poured outward.

"This heart… it's like a dantian for a Qi Refinement cultivator," Wen Jiu murmured in surprise.

Now he understood why these spirits were stronger than ordinary ones—it was because they could accumulate ghostly energy far better than usual spirits.

Although he wasn't particularly interested in their ghost-rearing techniques, now that he had encountered them, his curiosity was piqued.

Perhaps he could even learn a thing or two.

After all, he needed spirits to nourish his Three-Fiend Corpse in the future, and the stronger the spirits, the better.

"I wonder… can I obtain their ghost-rearing method simply by devouring their spirits?" A unique thought surfaced in Wen Jiu's mind. Using the Three-Fiend Corpse to directly seize souls was too conspicuous.

Revealing his trump card, the Blood Ink Three Thousand, was meant to resolve major troubles and perhaps reap some benefits on the side, but he absolutely couldn't draw too much attention to himself or invite unnecessary trouble.

Just then, Mu Canglong suddenly shouted, "Daoist Li, help me send Wen Jiu up to Feixian Peak! He's still refining the poison smoke—if he stays here, not only will he be of no help, but he'll also become a burden."

Li Qing glanced back at Wen Jiu, who was still seated on the ground. Without hesitation, he grabbed him and swiftly flew toward Feixian Peak.

Wen Jiu did not resist.

He had wanted to go up the mountain anyway.

Gong Chi was imprisoned in the Night Patrol Division's dungeon halfway up the mountain. The matter of ghost-rearing could wait, but Gong Chi had to die first.

"Kid, thanks."

Li Qing dropped Wen Jiu at the edge of the formation, where a disciple of the Discipline Hall stepped forward with a command token to receive him.

After expressing his gratitude, Li Qing immediately rushed back into battle.

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