Immortal Path Space

Bai Yikui didn't hesitate for long before making a decision. He swiftly entered the cave mansion.

Inside the cave mansion, a female cultivator who hadn't yet tidied her robes saw Bai Yikui return and hurriedly approached him, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

"Brother Bai, I've missed you!" she exclaimed.

Bai Yikui was already overwhelmed by the situation and didn't have the patience for her feigned affection.

"Get off me, you wretch!" He pushed the female cultivator away and quickly began gathering valuable items, preparing to make his escape.

After Bai Yikui left, the female cultivator casually put on a robe and followed him outside.

This stronghold had originally housed eight to nine thousand people, with over a hundred Foundation Building cultivators, making it the most powerful among the five strongholds. But now, with Bai Yikui's retreat, thousands of people in the stronghold had lost their will to fight and were fleeing in all directions.

When the news reached Wang Hong, he had just led a group of cultivators to a great victory and hadn't had time to collect the spoils of war.

Upon learning that Bai Yikui had not resisted and had even led the escape, allowing the Demonic Beasts to easily take over the stronghold, Wang Hong was furious. He had tolerated Bai Yikui's disrespect earlier and had planned to address it later. But now, with Bai Yikui leading a mass retreat, Wang Hong had to take immediate action to maintain morale.

"Luo Zhongjie, send a message to Wen Lan right away. Tell him to bring Bai Yikui's head to me!"

Wen Lan led a caravan that was currently resting on level ground not far from the stronghold.

"Fu Li, Feng Chang, Yuan Jin, the three of you lead your subordinates and accompany me to reinforce the stronghold. We must drive back the wave of Demonic Beasts that crossed our defenses."

Upon hearing Wang Hong's command, the three men exchanged glances, clearly uncertain. They had just emerged from a grueling battle, exhausted and with their Spiritual Power depleted, rendering them unfit for another fight. Moreover, they were aware of the incoming wave of Demonic Beasts, numbering a staggering fifty thousand, while their own forces, even at their best, could barely muster five to six thousand. It seemed like a suicide mission.

"Are you afraid?" Wang Hong's voice turned cold as he questioned them.

The three men still wore uneasy expressions, and Yuan Jin finally mustered the courage to speak, "Fellow Daoist Wang, it's not a matter of bravery. The fact is, the power gap between the two sides is too vast at the moment."

After Yuan Jin explained, the other two nodded in agreement. In this recent battle, they had gathered nearly ten thousand people and had been able to repel the Demonic Beasts' attacks only with the support of the stronghold's walls. Now, without any advantageous position to defend, it would be a certain death sentence.

Wang Hong sighed. "Don't worry, I won't force you into a hopeless situation. I have a plan, and there will be ten thousand reinforcements coming soon. In addition, I believe you will soon see Bai Yikui's head."

With Wang Hong's promise of ten thousand reinforcements, the three men's eyes lit up, and they regained some confidence.

At the same time, Luo Zhongjie and the others standing nearby were somewhat fearful, for they had witnessed the fighting prowess of this group before. Even with the combined strength of the three groups of Foundation Building cultivators, they weren't necessarily a match for them.

Furthermore, their own cultivators would lose their fighting spirit if they suffered even a few casualties. But the imposing presence of the enemy was not something that could be easily intimidated by a few casualties.

"In addition, all those who participate in this battle will receive a half-jin bottle of Spirit Wine for recovery."

Seeing that the group was starting to show signs of relenting, Wang Hong dangled another incentive.

"I'll go gather the troops now!" Fu Li turned and walked toward the cultivators who were busy collecting the spoils of war.

With the first one agreeing, the others soon followed suit, one after another, rallying their subordinates.

Once all the cultivators were gathered, Wang Hong took out several large barrels of Spirit Wine and filled small bottles for each person. Foundation Building cultivators received second-tier medium-grade Spirit Wine, while Qi Cultivation cultivators received first-tier high-grade Spirit Wine.

Each person received half a jin (250 grams) of Spirit Wine, which amounted to thousands of kilograms in total. The generosity of Wang Hong left the cultivators in awe.

Especially the Foundation Building cultivators, who numbered over a hundred, received fifty to sixty jin of second-tier Spirit Wine each. This was something they could never afford with their Spirit Stones on ordinary days.

After distributing the Spirit Wine, Wang Hong ordered all the Foundation Building cultivators to join him in quickly heading to Bai Yikui's stronghold.

There were over a hundred Foundation Building cultivators flying with their magical devices, with a group of eighty Qi Cultivation cultivators piloting a Flying Boat in the center. The remaining Qi Cultivation cultivators, with slower speeds, followed behind as the second wave of reinforcements.

When they arrived, all the defending cultivators had fled, and many Demonic Beasts had already breached the stronghold.

"Let's first deal with these Demonic Beasts that crossed the stronghold, and then we'll tackle the ones inside," Wang Hong instructed.

Over a hundred Foundation Building cultivators, accompanied by a Flying Boat, charged toward the Demonic Beasts that had crossed the stronghold's defenses. The number of Demonic Beasts wasn't overwhelming, mainly consisting of first-tier creatures. As they charged in, they swiftly cut down the Demonic Beasts, like a wolf among sheep.

Seeing the Demonic Beasts rushing out of the stronghold upon spotting them, Yuan Jin and the other Foundation Building cultivators were filled with a sense of impending doom.

"Our lives are at stake!" Yuan Jin couldn't help but mutter as he witnessed the countless Demonic Beasts closing in on them.

"Wang Fellow Daoist! Where are the ten thousand reinforcements?" Feng Chang anxiously asked Wang Hong.

"They're here!" Wang Hong shouted, and then, his sleeves billowed as countless small black dots flew out, so numerous that their exact number was hard to discern.

"Are these the ten thousand reinforcements Wang Fellow Daoist mentioned?" Feng Chang couldn't help but wear a wry smile.

"These are just some slightly larger Poisonous Bees. They won't be enough to deal with so many Demonic Beasts," Wang Hong replied, paying them no further attention. Instead, he directed the Poisonous Bees to fly downward.

As the Poisonous Bees entered the midst of the Demonic Beasts, chaos erupted among the creatures. Though these Poisonous Bees were still only at the first-tier level in terms of their strength, their physical resilience far exceeded that of Demonic Beasts of the same tier. Under the nurturing of various Spiritual Herbs by Wang Hong, their small bodies contained formidable power.

Wang Hong released fifteen thousand Poisonous Bees in total, and on average, every one or two of them could restrain a first-tier Demonic Beast. It was at this moment that Yuan Jin and the others realized the exceptional nature of these Poisonous Bees.

Meanwhile, from a distance, another Flying Boat approached, led by Wen Lan and his caravan.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]