Chapter 89: The Early-Death White Moonlight in a Cultivation Novel (Part 20)

This time, the sect issued a mandatory order: unless under special circumstances, every disciple on the list had to report—no excuses allowed.

These "special circumstances" referred to situations like cultivation deviation or other irreversible issues, and even then, one could only be excused after a review and decision from the sect elders.

As for Zhou Yanxi's family, they were clearly marked as key targets in this mobilization. There was no way they could avoid participating in this mission to resist the demonic invasion.

On the day of departure, the sect leader personally led the remaining disciples to see them off. The scale was grand, but the atmosphere was solemn—like warriors heading to war, never to return.

Everyone knew: this defensive mission was bound to be full of dangers. Among the thousands of disciples being sent out, some would never come back.

To support this operation, the sect not only prepared a massive spirit vessel capable of transporting ten thousand, but also assigned several pill refiners, talisman masters, and array experts to assist them.

Even Zhou Yanxi's normally laid-back father had transformed—he now exuded the aura of a sharpened sword, full of commanding presence, fit to lead an army.

In truth, this mission was one that True Lord Chongyuan had personally volunteered for. He hoped to use this chance to uncover the true culprit behind Master Chonghua's death.

Previously, bound by the peace treaty and concerned for his daughter's safety, Chongyuan hadn't dared to act rashly. But now that the war had broken out, this was his chance for revenge—a truth he kept hidden from Zhou Yanxi.

After four days and nights of travel, their group finally arrived at the frontlines—Yunlan City.

By now, most of the minor sects originally stationed here had been decimated. If not for a few powerful cultivators barely holding the line, the Northern Wastes defense would have already collapsed under the demonic army's assault.

Haomiao Sect's arrival with thousands of disciples greatly relieved the pressure. But the other three major sects had yet to arrive.

So the moment Zhou Yanxi and the others reached Yunlan City, they were immediately thrown into battle, split into teams of ten.

Each team consisted of three Golden Core disciples and seven Foundation Establishment disciples, forming a total of 200 squads, each led by the highest-ranked member.

All teams were randomly assigned. Zhou Yanxi didn't recognize any of the nine people in her team, but she quickly remembered the team leader's name—An Ranyu, a cold, ruthless sword cultivator who didn't talk much.

As for the rest, she only memorized their names and faces—nothing more.

Fortunately, the sect provided each team with a Grade-4 defensive formation, a stack of talisman scrolls, and one bottle of Grade-3 restoration pills per person.

Although not as good as Zhou Yanxi's personal stash, free resources were always welcome.

Once battle began, Zhou Yanxi unsheathed her Crescent Spirit Blade, gifted by her master. Immediately, all eyes turned to her—or rather, to the blade in her hands.

Though the attention lasted only a second, Zhou Yanxi still felt uncomfortable under the intense stares.

You couldn't really blame them—Zhou Yanxi was only 1.63 meters tall, yet wielded a massive blade that was half her size. The image was… unintentionally amusing.

But people didn't have time to dwell on it. Soon, they were caught up in fierce combat.

Zhou Yanxi wasn't one to slack off either. She fought seriously with her weapon, because the sect had handed out battle merit tokens—a magical item that tracked kills, and could be used to redeem rewards.

Plus, all spoils of war belonged to the individual.

Still, Zhou Yanxi kept her fighting to within a few dozen meters of the defensive formation. She wasn't arrogant enough to think she could take on waves of Foundation Establishment demons alone.

Whenever a Golden Core demon appeared, she'd retreat and alert her team's stronger members. If she couldn't warn them in time, she'd immediately fall back to the formation.

At first, everyone in the squad was full of energy. But after half a day, staring at the endless tide of enemies, exhaustion began to set in.

Suddenly, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator was careless and got her leg injured by a late-stage demonic cultivator. Had An Ranyu not intervened in time, she would've died on the spot.

Her injury seemed to signal a shift in momentum. The demonic cultivators began gaining the upper hand.

An Ranyu quickly ordered a retreat, and Zhou Yanxi, being the fastest, had already sprinted toward the formation as soon as someone was injured.

She silently thanked her master for all that harsh escape training—it was paying off now.

When the rest of the team finally made it back, breathless and panting, they found Zhou Yanxi had already been safely inside for a while.

A tall, skinny male cultivator immediately snapped at her, furious:"Didn't expect that from you. Useless in battle, but first in line when it comes to running away!"

Zhou Yanxi replied coldly, "My contribution is recorded on the battle merit token. I don't need you worrying about it. What—jealous your legs aren't fast enough?"

The man choked on his words and, under An Ranyu's icy glare, had no choice but to shut up.

The others were also a little unhappy, but they didn't dare say anything, considering Zhou Yanxi's special identity.

An Ranyu was just as annoyed. If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to be team leader—especially not with such disunited teammates and a few loose cannons.

Zhou Yanxi, however, didn't care what they thought. In her mind, they were just temporary teammates. Their opinions didn't matter—if they had a problem, she'd just clap back.

After that brief spat, everyone returned to doing their jobs.The injured stayed inside the formation and threw talismans at the enemy.The rest picked up their weapons and fought on the front lines.

The battle lasted until dawn the next day, when reinforcements from other sects came to rotate shifts.

Several wounded disciples who had been infected with demonic energy were now unconscious. After the alchemists examined them, they concluded:A large amount of expelling demon pills would be required to preserve their cultivation.

Zhou Yanxi had four pills on her, but they weren't exactly cabbages you could hand out freely. Who knew when she or her family might need them?

So when she heard the diagnosis, she didn't do anything. And besides, there were too many infected.If you didn't have the ability to save them all, it was better not to act at all.

That said, there was something strange about this.

Previously, cultivators infected by demonic energy could be cured with ordinary cleansing pills.But now, the demonic energy seemed stronger, and only expelling demon pills could remove it.

When Zhou Yanxi learned this, she grew even more uneasy.After all, what she held now were no longer just Grade-7 pills, but literal lifesaving treasures.