Chapter 132: The Grand Banquet of Ten Thousand Oxen

One month later, Lei Xiang emerged from his secluded retreat in a remote location and headed straight for the front hall of the Boro Sect.

During this month of seclusion, Lei Xiang had hardly made any progress. Aside from consolidating the Laughing Proudly Over the Heavens Technique, his mastery of the Divine Refining Treasure Mirror cultivation method had not advanced an inch. He clearly understood that the root cause was the severe lack of accumulated spiritual energy within his body.

Without a quantitative increase, no qualitative change can occur.

Since the Boro Sect refused to lend him seven hundred million premium spirit stones, he had no choice but to take the risk of seeking out the Suspended Island headquarters of the Laughing Fang Sect. This mysterious Suspended Island could only be located through inquiries within the Boro Sect; as an unfamiliar outsider, it would be impossible for him to find it on his own. Thus, he intended to consult Daoist Wu Bo about it.

The front hall of the Boro Sect was empty except for two elderly Taoists sweeping. Lei Xiang politely inquired and learned from them that Daoist Wu Bo had left early that morning with a large group of Taoists, heading to the forbidden area in the sect’s back mountain. Puzzled by this, Lei Xiang detoured to check on Dugu Yixiao, who was still in seclusion. Unsure if this time he could break through his realm, Lei Xiang did not disturb him and set off alone toward the forbidden area.

Upon arrival, he saw the five-zhang-high stone stele inscribed with eight ancient characters: “Boro Forbidden Ground—Trespassers Shall Die!” What puzzled Lei Xiang was that the sect’s most sacred forbidden area had no guardian Taoists, the gate wide open as if it were a trap laid by Zhuge Liang himself.

Without hesitation, Lei Xiang strode inside. After only a dozen steps, the ground trembled violently, as if heaven and earth were collapsing. His heart tightened with a sudden realization. He activated the Wind Riding Technique and flew forward just as a thunderous roar erupted behind him. A cloud of dust billowed, accompanied by a rumbling sound. Something swept through, carrying yellow sand and stones in a rushing torrent.

Flying midair, Lei Xiang was struck by the shockwave. Hastily, he summoned the One Element Bag to shield his entire body, minimizing the impact. Amidst the swirling dust, numerous dark shadows appeared. Lei Xiang quickly unleashed the Divine Thunder Slash. His eyes flickered with blue light, piercing through the yellow haze to reveal the scene inside.

Yak cattle!

Hundreds of yaks were stampeding. No wonder the commotion was so immense. The herd charged ahead like a thunderstorm. Lei Xiang pursued the direction of the rolling yellow earth.

About fifteen minutes later, the yak herd had run several thousand meters when the scenery abruptly changed: a gorge appeared ahead of them, and the towering cliffs on both sides began slowly closing in. The gorge narrowed steadily, forcing the herd to merge formations from eight rows into two rows, avoiding trampling each other as they passed.

The gorge continued tightening until it was barely three meters wide—only enough for a single yak to pass. Lei Xiang, his eyes glowing blue, clearly saw Daoist Wu Bo and several hundred Taoists atop the mountain peaks flanking the gorge. They solemnly performed intricate spirit formations with their hands, as if fulfilling a sacred mission. One by one, various spirit formations were cast down, causing new changes within the yak herd.

Each yak slowed, their eyes dimming and even freezing with a strange light. Their hoofbeats in the gorge became astonishingly synchronized. To Lei Xiang’s ears, the stampede of hundreds of yaks produced only a single unified sound.

At this moment, Daoist Wu Bo unsheathed his supreme Boro Sword. With a swift gesture, the sword glowed faintly with azure light. He then pointed again, and the sword vibrated with a “hum,” vanishing into thin air. The next instant, it struck the base of the mountain at the gorge’s end. The mountain rock was sliced as effortlessly as tofu, sending stones and dust billowing upwards.

As the dust settled, the herd charged through the newly opened cave without hesitation. The expressions of the onlookers relaxed slightly as they retracted their cultivation techniques, except Daoist Wu Bo, who grew even more tense. His hand signs were complex and swift, casting formation spells into the dark cave.

Lei Xiang hovered silently, observing everything without interrupting. Though he did not understand the Boro Sect’s purpose, he was certain it was momentous. He resolved to wait until Daoist Wu Bo finished his ritual before inquiring about the Suspended Island of the Laughing Fang Sect.

After about half an hour, when the last yak had entered the cave, Daoist Wu Bo cast a pre-prepared formation spell to seal the entrance. From the outside, it was completely invisible. Then, he pulled out a storage pouch, releasing a multicolored glow that enveloped the cave entrance. Under Daoist Wu Bo’s concentrated spiritual power, the glow faded to reveal a yellow talisman edged with gold.

Gazing at the talisman affixed to the mountain, Daoist Wu Bo exhaled deeply. With a single gesture, the entire mountain vanished. Lei Xiang’s keen eyes could not discern where it had gone. Daoist Wu Bo smiled and said to Lei Xiang, “Young Master Lei, you’ve arrived early. I have urgent matters and could not greet you sooner. Please forgive me.”

Lei Xiang flew over slowly, clasping his fists respectfully. Without beating around the bush, he got straight to the point: “Daoist, you are too modest. This time I came to inquire about the Suspended Island. You’ve been investigating for over two months now. Have you found anything?”

Daoist Wu Bo’s face showed a wry smile. “To be honest, we still know nothing of the Suspended Island. We’ve only heard several legends. The most credible says that in the northern part of the Suspended Crystal Kingdom, on certain moonless nights during the Yin month, the Suspended Island appears in the northwest. We are currently verifying this information.”

Lei Xiang lowered his head in thought, then shook it. “That seems unreliable. If it were so easy to enter, it would have been discovered long ago.”

Daoist Wu Bo continued, “Although the Suspended Island remains elusive, the Laughing Fang Sect has already come knocking. In the past month, they have attacked the Boro Sect no fewer than twenty times. Thus, our priority is survival. If the Boro Sect falls, seeking the Suspended Island would be meaningless.”

Lei Xiang’s expression turned grave. He understood the truth in Daoist Wu Bo’s words. It seemed the Laughing Fang Sect was investing heavily this time. Otherwise, how could Daoist Wu Bo, with his late Nascent Soul cultivation and several hundred elite disciples, be driven into such a desperate state? Were they truly after the spirit stones?

Just as Daoist Wu Bo was about to affirm this, a thunderous roar shook the mountain outside. Continuous explosions followed, causing the earth to tremble violently. Many low-level disciples with unstable spiritual power activated their shields and crouched, while some were knocked to the ground. Daoist Wu Bo furrowed his brow and shouted, “Trouble! The Laughing Fang’s assault has returned and seems several times stronger. The final assault has begun!”

A firebolt shot through the air. Daoist Wu Bo caught it with a hand, extinguishing the flames. He pressed a jade slip to his forehead, listening carefully before crushing it and turning to command, “Boro Sect disciples, heed my orders! The Laughing Fang Sect has sent a hundred masters, including Nascent Soul Elders. Execute the third battle plan. If that fails, all retreat into the forbidden area. Now, on my command—move out!”

Hundreds took to the skies on flying mounts. Lei Xiang frowned and approached, transmitting his voice to Daoist Wu Bo through divine sense. “Daoist, you should bring out your trump card. Is there a secret hidden in this gorge? Why hold back now? We share a common enemy. Unless we root out these Laughing Fang fiends, I will not leave the Boro Sect.”

Daoist Wu Bo regarded Lei Xiang deeply and, after a long pause, nodded slightly. “Good lad. Nothing escapes your notice. To be frank, although your strength is formidable and your Divine Immortal Spear never misses, the Nascent Soul Elders are beyond our ability to handle. They could crush us with a mere finger. That is why I arranged the Ten Thousand Oxen Feast—to summon assistance from an elder. Only then can the Boro Sect be safe.”