Rise of the Wang Clan: Starting with a Portable Farm

Chapter 159: The Price of Hubris

“Watch your assigned opponents! Don’t let a single one escape!” Since the Gu family had set its sights on Green Bull Market, Wang Hao would have to strike first.

A second wave of attacks followed, and several more Gu clansmen fell.

The Gu family had suffered heavy losses, and its advantage in numbers had shrunk. Wang Hao relaxed, thinking the outcome was already decided.

The panicked Gu family Foundation Establishment cultivators descended from the sky, but Wang Hao and the others intercepted them.

Li Yaozu and Li Derong had already positioned themselves to cut off their retreat.

“You… you’re from Green Bull Market!” Although the families belonged to different Golden Core powers, they dealt with each other because they lived nearby. They recognized one another, especially since the Wang and Li clansmen had not changed their clothes.

“Since you recognize us, Fellow Daoist Gu, you can stay,” Wang Longyou said coldly. “You brought this upon yourselves by plotting against us.”

“Ah! Elder, save me!”

On the ground, the Wang and Li cultivators, led by Wang Yanzhi, pressed their attack. The Gu family had been caught unprepared. Despite its larger numbers, its frightened cultivators were driven back.

Those who survived hastily raised their defenses and poured spiritual power into them, struggling merely to hold on. They could not fight back.

The Wang and Li cultivators were excited to see their enemies fall, but killing people was different from killing demon beasts. Some turned pale, their hands shaking around their artifacts and talismans.

“Ahhh!”

An elderly Gu family Foundation Establishment cultivator watched his clansmen die and cried out in despair, almost like a beast. “You animals! I’ll fight you to the death!”

His eyes reddened. Ignoring Wang Hao and Li Derong’s attacks, he plunged toward the Wang and Li Qi Refining cultivators below.

“Stop him!” Li Derong cried.

Wang Hao summoned his Chaos Earth Seal. It expanded into a small hill, shielding his clansmen.

“Not good! He’s going to self-destruct!”

Foundation Establishment cultivators could self-destruct too. The explosion was far weaker than a Golden Core cultivator’s, but could still kill Qi Refining cultivators and even threaten Wang Hao at the mid Foundation Establishment stage.

“Die together!”

The elderly Gu cultivator howled and swelled to five times his normal size. His skin split, revealing violent red spiritual power beneath.

He suddenly contracted and exploded.

True Essence and flesh burst outward with power greater than a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator’s full-strength strike.

Wang Hao had meant to attack with his divine sense, but the cultivator had already exploded. Such an attack would do no good now.

“Uncle Yanzhi, raise your shield!”

Wang Yanzhi was fighting other Foundation Establishment cultivators for the first time and had frozen at the Gu elder’s suicidal attack. Wang Hao’s warning reminded him to activate his defensive artifact.

A yellow shield of light formed in front of the group.

An instant later, the shockwave hit.

BOOM!

The Scarlet Kite Shield shattered almost at once, and Wang Hao’s Chaos Earth Seal flew backward.

The ground was a wreck. Wang and Li cultivators lay motionless across it.

Wang Hao had been thrown dozens of zhang. His head spun, and he vomited blood. When he tried to stand, pain shot through him in several places. He swayed and collapsed again.

Several bones might have broken. Wang Hao cultivated both his body and his magic, and his bones were much stronger than an ordinary cultivator’s. The blast must have been enormous to injure him so badly.

He had been careless.

He regretted assuming that his side’s superior strength would make victory easy. He had not expected such power from a Foundation Establishment cultivator fighting to the death.

In the past, Wang Hao had defeated stronger opponents who thought they could toy with him. This time, he had made the same mistake.

Li Derong hurried down from the sky. Wang Hao’s robe had been torn to shreds, leaving only scraps on him, but she paid no attention to that and sent spiritual light into his body to stabilize his injuries.

With Li Derong’s help, Wang Hao swallowed a pill and began to feel better.

“I’m all right. Help the others,” he said through the pain.

He pulled on the robe Li Derong handed him and struggled up to help his clansmen with her.

Wang Yanzhi was deathly pale. Wang Hao examined him and found that his life was not in danger. The destruction of his artifact had caused a strong backlash, and the blast had knocked him unconscious.

After receiving a healing pill, Wang Yanzhi gradually woke.

At the sight of his injured clansmen, Wang Yanzhi wept. “It’s my fault. I froze. If I’d defended us properly, this wouldn’t have happened!”

Meanwhile, the surviving Gu family Qi Refining cultivators had gained a moment to recover. They did not flee. Their elder’s self-destruction had stirred them to fight.

They began to arrange themselves in a battle formation.

Under the Burning Heaven Sect’s direction, they had practiced the formation for years. Though they had never used it in battle, it was stronger than fighting individually.

A spiritual arrow shot out from their ranks.

It struck a Wang clansman in the chest. He had been toward the rear and had only passed out briefly in the blast; he was hit just after waking.

“Twenty-third Brother!” Wang Yanzhi cried.

“Uncle Yanzhi, pull yourself together!” Wang Hao rebuked him. “Take up your artifact and avenge our clansman instead of standing here lamenting. Once their formation is complete, even we’ll be in danger!”

Wang Yanzhi was startled, then steadied himself. His eyes were still red, but his spirits had improved.

Wang Hao no longer needed to protect him constantly. Wang Hao had taken a worse share of the blast and could not use his spiritual power for now, but his will kept him going. If Wang Yanzhi recovered his composure, he could at least fight a little.

The Gu family completed its battle formation and cast spells from its center. It also raised a thick defensive barrier.

Li Derong, who was unhurt, blocked the spells one after another. But as an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could not overcome a formation sustained by more than forty Qi Refining cultivators. Its barrier could withstand early- and mid-stage Foundation Establishment attacks.

The formation had a weakness: its cultivators had to supply all the spiritual power for both attack and defense. If a Foundation Establishment cultivator could wear them down, that cultivator would eventually win.

Li Yaozu and Wang Longyou were occupied by the other Gu family Foundation Establishment cultivator. Seeing what had happened below, he had drawn them away; they had to follow and could not return to help.

Li Derong was occupied blocking the formation’s attacks. Wang Hao tried to throw a talisman, but the movement aggravated his injuries and made him vomit blood again. He could not fight for the moment.