Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

More than two thousand kilometers from Dizifeng Peak.

This place is named Melting Soldier Mountain.

It was once where cultivators from the Luoxu Clan refined treasures, with waves of hot air smothering the heavens, circling around the mountain ridges, and thirty-six scorching lava rivers flowing down. Occasionally, rarely seen Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures would adorn the rivers, and even fourth-tier items could be found.

In such an obviously treasured land, it naturally would not lack an owner.

In fact, around here, at least dozens of conflicts had occurred, and more than a hundred Golden Pill Monks, who could be regarded as patriarchs in their own right, once fought here, with a large number of them dying like weeds.

In the end, it returned to peace.

Once in a while, a Golden Pill Monk would set foot here, seeing the mountain full of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures. At first, they would be ecstatic and in disbelief, then their faces would drastically change, and they would flee as if chased by the wind, not daring to stay a moment longer.

The reason for all this,

was simply the ancient flag standing a hundred meters tall on Melting Soldier Mountain, at the top of the peak, with an aura of slaughter and military might cleansing the surrounding dozens of miles, leaving all living creatures silent as cicadas in winter.

This flag had a blue base, with two large characters embroidered in golden thread.

Blood Cloud!

Blood Cloud Banner!

This was a top-tier treasure renowned throughout the Northern Plains, a legacy rumored to be from the Blood River Sect of Great Demonic Path in ancient times, the strongest treasure of its sect's heritage. It was excavated as a remnant from ruins, then reinforced with numerous Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures, coupled with heaven-defying luck, and forged into a Life Treasure.

As soon as this treasure was born, there were accompanying Golden Pill Heavenly Tribulations.

After its emergence, with a single sweep of the Blood Flag, no matter whether you were in the middle Golden Pill stage or later stages, from the direct lineage or collateral lineage, flesh would dissolve and Divine Souls would be eradicated in mere moments. Even Nascent Soul Monks did not dare to take it lightly.

There had been Nascent Soul Monks who personally pursued it several times yet still failed to seize it.

Indeed,

the owner of the Blood Cloud Banner, was well-known to all, the famously renowned Northern Plains tycoon, Blood Cloud, renowned as Righteousness Over Clouds!

Righteousness Over Clouds!

In the Northern Plains, a place where people readily draw their blades, earning the title of Righteousness Over Clouds is not just about being righteous.

What you hold must be powerful, your actions must be merciless, you must instill cold fear into others, making them hesitate to oppose you. Then, and only then, can you extend righteousness.

Only this way, can you earn the title of being righteous.

Otherwise, you're just a fool, an imbecile talked about by everyone, outwardly respected but schemed against in secret.

This order cannot be reversed.

The Blood Cloud Banner standing tall on the peak, fluttering in the wind, casts a dense aura of slaughter over dozens of miles around, marking its territory.

Anyone who wishes to forcefully enter, will quickly learn where the name Righteousness Over Clouds comes from.

The possibility of being deceived is non-existent, those who've attempted it have long turned into withered skeletons.

At the top of the mountain,

Below the hundred-meter-tall Blood Cloud Banner,

A young man over nine feet tall, with an outstanding stature and a majestic presence, was meditating with his eyes closed, an endless stream of Blood Cloud's murderous aura inhaled through his breaths, entering through his nose and mouth, and then exhaled, as the surrounding Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi undulated.

All around, dozens of Golden Pill Monks went back and forth, scouring the land, searching for secret treasures, fishing for Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures from the thirty-six lava rivers.

Despite their varying appearances, ages, Cultivation Bases, Cultivation Methods, and origins, they were ordered and coordinated with each other in silence.

From time to time they looked up towards the peak, their eyes filled with respect.

Crack!

Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound clearly emerged.

"Second brother?"

The martial young man under the Blood Cloud Banner abruptly opened his eyes, his expression shaken.

With a flip of his hand, a six-tiered blood-red lotus platform appeared in his hand.

He looked at it intently.

The bud slowly unfurled, revealing a radiantly blooming blood lotus seed, the size of a thumb, originally smooth and flawless, but now a crack had appeared in the center of the Blood Lotus Seed, slowly expanding.

"Second brother is dead?"

"Who is responsible, Scorching Sun Swordsman? Six Dao Saint?"

Blood Cloud muttered to himself, bits of killing intent emerging, frustrated he said, "Had I known, I would have gone there myself, there was no need to let second brother fall into danger."

"This is all my fault!"

"I truly deserve to die!"

He cursed angrily and slapped himself.

The Blood Lotus Seed was an ancient treasure painstakingly refined by the Blood River Sect, a treasure of the sect that he and his brother had stumbled upon in their days of poverty and adventure. Infused with the blood of the heart, refined over a century, as long as the distance did not exceed ten thousand miles, it could bring one back to life once, truly a heaven-defying treasure, and there were only two of them.

Back then, each brother took one.

They had gone through hundreds of years of trials and tribulations.

They had even faced assassination by Nascent Soul cultivators, narrowly surviving death countless times—yet, the Blood Lotus Seed had never been used.

Yet unexpectedly, in this insignificant place, a mere routine investigation had led to a death crisis, and here it was squandered.

"Chief, as long as the Second Brother is still alive, that's good."

Numerous generals were cultivating in silence around him; hearing Blood Cloud speak so, they gathered around, touched in their hearts.

This was not merely an act.

As a Loose Cultivator without a family or clan, surrounded daily by risk, the eighteen riders frequently lost members to death, with successors stepping forward without regret or complaint.

Why were Golden Pill cultivators, known for being cunning and seasoned, like this?

Was it not because Blood Cloud always led each battle, rushing towards danger, bearing the heaviest burdens, attracting the most danger, while the brothers dealt openly with each other, pursuing the Nascent Soul path together, dying without regret?

"Scorching Sun Swordsman? Six Dao Saint Heir?"

The Blood Lotus Seed in his hands was continuously cracking open; Blood Cloud fell into thought, his eyes filled with doubt.

If he were seventy percent genuine and thirty percent acting with others, using it to gather the strength of Loose Cultivators for greater achievements, both sides getting what they needed,

then this brother who had grown up with him was considered with complete sincerity.

On this mission to the Luoxu Clan, the only ones who could endanger his Second Brother were these two people.

But the Six Dao Saint Heir was clearly being pursued by the Scorching Sun Swordsman, the two engaged in fierce battle far from Dizifeng Peak.

Having confirmed this early on and because the matter at Melting Soldier Mountain was of great importance requiring his personal attention to the attack, he had sent his Second Brother.

Besides, his Second Brother had once escaped from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Although at that time the Patriarch Nascent Soul's main focus had been on himself, escaping from the hands of the Six Dao Saint Heir should have been completely safe, right?

Doubt in Blood Cloud's eyes deepened; he simply stopped thinking, holding the Blood Lotus Seed with both hands and slowly channeling mana into it to aid its hatching.

Crack...

Crack...

The sound of the lotus clothing breaking was incessant, and quickly, within a few breaths, it completely cracked open, revealing someone inside.

He was the size of a thumb, naked, with a nose, eyes, limbs, and torso all intact, his face handsome, his skin a translucent pale allowing the glimpse of muscle texture beneath.

"Second Brother!"

Blood Cloud's heart relaxed, gently calling out, "Who did you encounter? Was it a Patriarch Nascent Soul? Do we need to flee now?"

Between brothers, there was no need for concealment or embarrassment.

"Big Brother."

The voice of Blood Hand Demon Li Tu was incredibly weak, filled with resentment, "It was Tushan... Tushan..."

Suddenly, a chill at his third eye.

Li Tu's words halted, and he subconsciously touched his brow, feeling the cold. Drops of fresh blood fell from his fingertips.

"No, it can't be..."

His lips trembled, his face turned deathly pale, realizing something.

A deep blue sword scar.

It had appeared at some point on Li Tu's brow.

The aura of the spirit-breaking and Law-destroying method emerged, spreading like a spider's web at a steady pace toward his eyeballs, nostrils, brain, and other areas.

"Big Brother, save me!"

"Quick, save me!"

"He's here!"