In a scenario without a Golden Core beast king to oversee the situation, a prolonged stalemate would lead to the beast army collapsing on its own before the human forces were defeated.
The Purple-Striped Wolf King understood the difficulty of maintaining control over low-tier beasts for extended periods and sought to avoid a protracted battle. Instead, it opted to divide its forces and launch a swift assault on Feng County.
This strategy allowed it to bypass Yuyang Market, which had concentrated half of Bianzhou Region's combat strength. Attacking Fengyang Market, which was less fortified, became a more viable option.
Although Fengyang Market boasted a third-tier spirit vein, most of its spirit stone reserves had already been sent to Tianxu Mountain and Yuyang Market.
Without adequate reserves, its defensive capabilities, reliant solely on the third-tier spirit vein, paled compared to Yuyang Market, which had ten thousand spirit stones in reserve. Moreover, Fengyang Market only had Xu Qianyang as its lone Purple Mansion elder and a fraction of the number of cultivators stationed at Yuyang Market.
If not for the unexpected combat power displayed by the Chen family, the Purple-Striped Wolf King's plan might have succeeded, potentially causing chaos among human forces and leading to a full-scale collapse.
The key to this strategy was the beast army outside Yuyang Market successfully holding off Bianzhou Region's main forces, preventing reinforcements from arriving.
Unfortunately for the Purple-Striped Wolf King, while it had a thorough understanding of human Purple Mansion cultivators' strength, it failed to anticipate the emergence of two cultivators from the Chen family who could rival Purple Mansion power.
It also did not foresee Elian's extraordinary combat talent. His actions shattered the beast army outside Yuyang Market, leading to their total defeat. This miscalculation became the foundation of the Wolf King's downfall.
However, this significant victory for the humans did not signify the end of the beast crisis. Instead, the true core battlefield was still embroiled in a brutal struggle.
The beast crisis was not an isolated issue. Tianxu Mountain had been under siege by beasts for over six months, draining its spirit pool entirely.
Currently, Tianxu Mountain relied solely on its reserve of tens of thousands of spirit stones to sustain itself. The Sky Python Demon King maintained a strategy of surrounding the mountain without launching a direct assault, constantly deploying smaller forces to exhaust its spiritual energy.
Even if Tianxu Mountain held out, the sheer cost of spirit stones would leave the families of Bianzhou Region severely weakened.
Tianxu Mountain's importance, however, made its defense non-negotiable. Should it fall and the Sky Python Demon King's army march into Bianzhou Region, the entire region would be exposed to devastation, with countless human clans reduced to beast fodder.
"We should consider providing reinforcements, but we cannot act recklessly," Elian said with a grave expression.
"We must first ascertain the enemy's strength."
Everyone turned to Xu Qianyang, who had been stationed at Fengyang Market and remained in contact with Tianxu Mountain.
Xu Qianyang nodded and replied, "I consulted with Elder Jiang two days ago regarding the forces surrounding Tianxu Mountain. Her assessment aligns with our previous estimates."
"Which means twenty-five Purple Mansion beasts," Yang Patriarch said, his expression turning thoughtful.
The group shared a mutual understanding.
The Sky Python Demon King ruled over a vast territory spanning tens of thousands of miles, commanding Purple Mansion beasts from six clans, including the Six-Winged Golden Butterfly, the Blue-Flame Fox, the Golden-Horned Bull, the Thunder Roc, and the Demon Wolf Clan.
In addition to its own Sky Python Clan, the Demon King's forces at their peak included over thirty Purple Mansion beasts.
However, thirty years ago, Jiang Linglong had slain two Purple Mansion Thunder Rocs in a single battle, significantly weakening their forces.
Over the past century, seven or eight Purple Mansion beasts had been slain by Jiang Linglong, with others dying from natural causes as their lifespans ran out. The Sky Python Clan's strength had diminished considerably compared to a century ago.
Thus, when the beast crisis began, Bianzhou Region's intelligence suggested the Sky Python Demon King had twenty-five Purple Mansion beasts under its command.
At the outset of the crisis, the Demon King's attempt to break Tianxu Mountain's defenses led Jiang Linglong to eliminate four Purple Mansion beasts using a fourth-tier formation.
In the battle at Yuyang Market, three more were slain, and at Fengyang Market, five more fell.
This brought the total to twelve Purple Mansion beasts killed, leaving only thirteen under the Demon King's command.
"There likely aren't even thirteen left," Yang Patriarch said, shaking his head.
"The Sky Python Demon King wouldn't leave Sky Python Lake unguarded. If it did, a strong Purple Mansion cultivator could set up a fourth-tier killing formation in its lair, rendering it homeless."
"Thus, at least five or six Purple Mansion beasts must remain stationed at Sky Python Lake."
The group was elated at this revelation.
Xu Daoyuan couldn't hide his excitement but cautiously added, "That means the Sky Python Demon King has only seven or eight Purple Mansion beasts at its side. We may have a chance to work with Elder Jiang to drive them back."
"That's worth considering," Xu Qianyang agreed.
"With the Tianya Transmission Mirror, we can consult Elder Jiang and formulate a plan."
Having reached a consensus, the group gathered at Fengyang Market's spirit pool and activated the Horizon Sound Transmission Mirror.
The treasure drew power from the spirit vein, causing its formation lines to illuminate. Soon, a hazy image of another realm appeared.
On the other side of the mirror, a woman opened her eyes and gazed at them.
Xu Qianyang smiled and greeted her, "Young Lady Liu, is Elder Jiang available?"
The woman, Jiang Linglong's disciple Liu Rumeng, glanced at the group through the mirror and nodded. (Now that I noticed, isn't Liu Rumeng one of Yang Kai's lover? :D, you know that famous manhua and novel )
"Please wait."
Moments later, Jiang Linglong appeared.
Dressed in a white gown, her features radiated sharp resolve, underscored by an unyielding aura of killing intent, as if she had just returned from battle.
Her gaze first fell on Elian through the mirror before she asked, "How did it go?"
Having communicated with the group via the Horizon Sound Transmission Mirror, she knew this was a crucial day in their plans. Seeing everyone safe, she guessed they had likely succeeded and inquired about the outcome.
"Victory, a resounding one," Yang Patriarch declared, recounting the spoils of war and the group's contributions before sharing their plans with Jiang Linglong.
Jiang Linglong's lips curved into a faint smile as she replied, "This victory, with twelve Purple Mansion beasts slain, has dealt a devastating blow to the Sky Python Demon King's forces. If news of this reaches Tianxu Mountain, the Demon King may retreat outright."
"Still, we must seize the opportunity to press our advantage. With the Demon King's forces significantly weakened, we can further reduce their strength. This will lessen the pressure we face in any future conflicts with the beast clans."
...
57+ chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D