Chapter 1339: Siege of the White Deer Institute

Chapter 1339: Chapter 1339: Siege of the White Deer Institute

The distant rising smoke and a series of explosions indicated to Pei Yan that it was likely the reputed main campus of the White Deer Institute. As he stepped out of the Teleportation Array, the waiting Embroidered Robe Envoy, Xiang Zixiong, hurriedly approached and said anxiously, "Elders, Mr. Pei, you finally arrived! Quickly proceed to the main campus of the White Deer Institute; the Sect Leaders of various sects have already moved ahead to join the battle."

"Why did the Teleportation Array stop so far from the destination?" Pei Yan casually inquired as he looked at the considerable distance ahead.

"To prevent the White Deer Institute from initiating their Teleportation Array, the Supreme General has ordered the surrounding setup of intensive Space Lock Arrays, so we can only establish the Temporary Teleportation Array at the very edge," Xiang Zixiong explained while walking alongside them.

At this moment, Pei Yan noticed several Teleportation Arrays nearby flicker with light; those who emerged were elders of various sects from the Asura Dao and the Heavenly Dao. Upon sighting their own people, they hurried to bow respectfully to the inner sect elders of their respective separate institutes.

"Is it effective?" Nearby, several high-ranking elders from various institutes went off to explain the situation briefly to the elders urgently summoned by their sects who were still in the dark. Meanwhile, Pei Yan walked alone, asking as he went.

"It does have some effect. The Mountain Protection Array of the White Deer Institute hasn’t been breached, and internally they have specific defensive arrays to counter this space lock. So, the techniques for opening large-scale space passages to other planes are still underway, although the progress has been severely slowed down. Mr. Pei, time is of the essence; you and the other sect elders hurry to support them!" Xiang Zixiong, responsible for reception here, wiped the sweat off his forehead and urged.

"Alright! You stay here! I’ll go ahead to take a look!"

Reassuring Xiang Zixiong, Pei Yan leaped forward, transforming into a stream of light, disappearing from sight. Within the battlefield’s range, spatial magic was severely suppressed, so Pei Yan could only use ultra-high-speed movement to advance quickly. Fortunately, the distance, though significant, was not too far. Pei Yan arrived at the battlefield within a dozen bounds.

"Who goes there! Report your name!"

Upon reaching the battlefield’s periphery, Pei Yan saw two teams of elite soldiers led by Tier Eight Asura Cultivators patrolling the outskirts. These men heard the sound of Pei Yan moving at high speed from afar, so before he even completely approached, they loudly demanded his identity.

"Pei Yan!" Pei Yan halted and announced his name.

The man scrutinized Pei Yan closely, confirming that his appearance matched exactly what he had seen in the Sword Discussion Conference broadcast images. Only then did he step aside and respectfully handed over a pre-prepared Token, saying, "Sir, please proceed! The Supreme General has been waiting for you for a long time!"

"Do you just believe it’s really me?" Pei Yan accepted the Token, teasing with a smile.

"Anyone else, even a Sect Leader, must present their sect token for verification before being granted passage, but you, sir, are different. You’re not from our Daoist Plane, and given the current urgency, the Supreme General surmised that no one would impersonate you to break through the formation now. Therefore, the order was given to provide a Token directly upon encountering you; with it in hand, no one will stop you further inside," the Asura Dao Captain explained.

"Oh! Very well!" Considering this, Pei Yan acknowledged and rushed inward.

As he advanced further, hovering high above, he could overlook the entire battlefield. The site where the White Deer Institute was situated now unfolded before him. To his surprise, the scene starkly contrasted with the serene images previously circulated by the White Deer Institute—formerly lush with vegetation and resonating with scholarly ambiance. Now, it had transformed into a formidable fortress. The once secluded paths leading to the institute had vanished, replaced by a strategic bottleneck between two mountains, formidable and well-defended. Even the institute’s location itself had been uplifted significantly. Within the valley, he could see both forces locked in fierce combat.

"Pei Xiaoyou, you have arrived!" In the high sky, watching, the Clan Leader of the Golden-winged Roc Race from the Dragon Realm, Jin He Xuan, approached with a smile to greet Pei Yan.

"Elder Jin, how did it end up like this?" Pei Yan asked curiously.

"The Mountain Protection Array has been activated. Do you see those two peaks and the surrounding mountain ridges? They are part of the Mountain Protection Array, relocated here using the Mountain-moving Skill. Within these mountains are established Mountain and River Permanence Talismans and arrays. Combined with defensive arrays, they can mitigate most magical attacks. Furthermore, the White Deer Institute has set up an Anti-Air Array, restricting the movements of any cultivators below the Asura Dao, forcing the army to attack this perilous pass directly to enter the sect," Jin He Xuan, having arrived earlier, explained to Pei Yan.

The ancients always spoke of the importance of time, geography, and harmony in war. These cultivators seem to defy destiny, fabricating advantageous terrain to turn the tide. Pei Yan reflected as he scanned the battlefield, noticing how the armies encircled the White Deer Institute, whose grounds were thronged with banners. Even as he looked into the distance, reinforcements from the military continued to arrive steadily.

Evaluating their strength and attire, it seemed those currently besieging were Shi Taichu’s Right Weiwei overhead. The soldiers’ strength generally ranged from Tier Three to Tier Five, and their equipment and weaponry were notably more simplistic compared to the Jinwu Guard stationed on the battlefield’s outskirts, yet this did not hinder their ferocity in battle. On the narrow mountain path, layers upon layers of corpses and the wounded piled up as, despite the disciples of the White Deer Institute repeatedly repelling the Right Weiwei’s advances with augmented arrays and their own formidable abilities, the soldiers never exhibited signs of decline; their assaults even turned more frenzied and fierce. Within moments, Pei Yan witnessed no less than seven or eight White Deer Institute disciples dragged down by the attacking Right Weiwei soldiers from the makeshift walls on the mountain paths, only to be hacked to death amidst the mass of troops.

"This army demonstrates remarkable valor!" Pei Yan genuinely admired the soldiers’ tenacity.

"It’s to avenge their fallen comrades; these men are blood-mad!" Long Jin interjected from the side.

"Revenge for their comrades? Oh! That platoon of Right Weiwei’s surveillance soldiers?" Pei Yan, recalling Shi Taichu’s report, said. If he remembered correctly, under this military system, each platoon of Zhechong Prefecture comprised about three hundred men.

Long Jin nodded, recalling the earlier scene with a sigh, "The platoon responsible for keeping watch over the White Deer Institute, along with the Embroidered Robe Envoy’s spies, was stealthily ambushed by the White Deer Institute shortly after we had defeated the Beast Taming Institute. Before the army’s advance, they attempted to persuade the White Deer Institute’s disciples to surrender, yet in response, rolling down the mountain path were the heads of Right Weiwei soldiers, wielded as makeshift shields on mountain walls—even used as arrow targets. Upon witnessing this, how could the Right Weiwei soldiers yield? Now, several assaults later, this enmity has deepened further."