Chapter 133: Boruo Battles Xiaoya

"Ten Thousand Ox Banquet? What on earth is that?"

Seeing the elites of the Boro Sect move into their respective defensive positions, Daoist Wubo finally let out a soft sigh of relief. He knew that while the Boro Sect's protective formation was no match for a legendary immortal array, its defensive capabilities were monstrously high. Even with Nascent Soul cultivators attacking, it would take the Smiling Fang organization at least half a month to breach it. This half-month period would give him the breathing room he needed; if all else failed, he could always release "that" prisoner.

Calming his nerves, Daoist Wubo explained the Ten Thousand Ox Banquet to Lei Xiang. It was an ancient sacrificial and summoning ritual passed down through generations of Boro Sect leaders, capable of calling forth a powerful entity whose strength far exceeded the practitioner's own. As the name implied, it required the offering of ten thousand oxen, though "ten thousand" was merely a figurative number representing a vast quantity.

Driven to desperation by the relentless assaults of the Smiling Fang, Daoist Wubo had been forced to invoke this ritual to summon the entity residing in the canyon. This time, the Boro Sect had offered only twenty installments, totaling about seven thousand head of cattle of various types—a desperate measure taken only when all other options were exhausted.

As for the nature of the entity, Daoist Wubo remained silent. Lei Xiang understood this was a private matter and, as an outsider, refrained from prying. He instead pressed for updates on the investigation into the Smiling Fang's floating island. The results were as Daoist Wubo had suggested: almost zero progress. Over a month of effort had effectively been wasted.

Suddenly, a crisp shattering sound echoed from the direction of the protective formation, causing Daoist Wubo to leap to his feet. "Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!" he muttered to himself. "How could the Smiling Fang break the formation so quickly? Only an hour has passed!"

The sounds of destruction outside did not cease; they were now accompanied by screams and roars. Daoist Wubo’s expression shifted, his composure as an enlightened master vanishing. Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Within an instant, he fired off dozens of sound-transmission talismans, then bowed to Lei Xiang. "It seems my estimates were wrong; the enemy must have deployed far more powerful forces. My sect has been breached sooner than expected. A direct confrontation is imminent. I ask you, Brother Lei, to stand with us and help defend the Boro Sect against our common enemy."

Hearing the cries of agony, Lei Xiang was startled, but he quickly calmed down. Deep down, he felt a flicker of excitement. If he could not locate the floating island, he would find clues through the members of the Smiling Fang—provided they held sufficient status. Since Daoist Wubo had requested his aid, Lei Xiang readily agreed.

The Boro Sect disciples began to gather. Those with lower cultivation had already hidden in the forbidden grounds, while others were still flying toward the center, pursued by streaks of red light. Lei Xiang’s eyes glowed with blue light, revealing that the red streaks were cultivators dressed in crimson robes. Their cultivation was nothing to fear; his only concern was whether the Smiling Fang would discover the place where Dugu Yixiao was in seclusion.

Addressing his concern, Daoist Wubo reassured him, "The mountain where your friend Dugu Yixiao is staying has already been pulled into the forbidden zone by my formation. Among the orders I just issued, three were to relocate the sect’s vital assets into the forbidden zone. You can rest easy; Dugu Yixiao is perfectly safe."

Lei Xiang’s heart settled. He reached into his storage pouch and withdrew the crystal puppet. After replacing its spirit stones, he handed it his earliest acquisition—the palm-sized Immortal-Shooting Gun—and applied a high-grade concealment talisman to it. The puppet slowly vanished from sight.

Lei Xiang then took up his Nine-Nine Immortal-Shooting Gun in his left hand and drew the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod with his right, while his Hunyuan Qi Bag enveloped his entire body. These actions left Daoist Wubo astonished. He could sense that the puppet was at the Golden Core level, effectively granting him an extra ally. Furthermore, the fact that Lei Xiang possessed two Immortal-Shooting Guns was far beyond his expectations; he even wondered if Lei Xiang had more, and whether he could purchase one for self-defense...

Before Daoist Wubo could finish his thought, the attackers arrived, engaging the remaining Boro Sect elites in combat. The Boro Sect had only three Golden Core cultivators, while the Smiling Fang had deployed at least twenty at or above the Golden Core stage. The disparity was stark, and two more screams rang out as two Foundation Establishment Boro Sect Taoists fell.

Daoist Wubo himself was surrounded by three Golden Core Smiling Fang members and could not spare a hand to help. As he scanned the battlefield, he was pleasantly surprised to see Lei Xiang in action. With a flick of his right hand, the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod extended to fifteen feet, sweeping aside two flying swords. Simultaneously, Lei Xiang’s left hand aimed the Nine-Nine Immortal-Shooting Gun at a distant Smiling Fang member who was kneeling behind a protective barrier, controlling a Nine-Prism Flame Hammer to ambush the Boro disciples from afar.

*Bang!* At the sound of the shot, the man collapsed. The hammer, losing its master's control, fell to the ground as a red soul-form fled in terror.

Everyone present was stunned. They had only seen a flash of white light from Lei Xiang’s hand before the Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator was struck down, his physical body destroyed despite his protective barrier. Had he not reacted quickly, even his soul would have been extinguished.

Before they could recover from their shock, *bang, bang*—two more shots rang out, and two more long-range attackers fell, with only one soul escaping.

What a swift method of attack! What terrifying power!

"Kill that little tiger-tooth first!"

The command came from a white-haired crone. Immediately, five figures lunged at Lei Xiang, each possessing mid-stage Golden Core power. As they moved to surround him, Lei Xiang activated his Myriad-Change Phantom Eyes, chanted a spell, and executed the second movement of the Smiling Pride Heaven-Covering Technique. He vanished from the spot, leaving the five attackers standing in confusion, having lost all traces of his presence.

"The Heaven is Covered, the Fang shall not Rot!"

The crone chanted, and a pearly white tooth appeared in mid-air, emitting a milky halo that illuminated Lei Xiang’s position. This had occurred in less than three seconds, but three seconds were all Lei Xiang needed. While invisible, he had already loaded a Heaven-Crystal Bullet. The moment he was revealed, the five attackers began to chant their own spells, but before they could finish, Lei Xiang’s Nine-Nine Immortal-Shooting Gun fired.

*Bang, bang, bang!* Three shots reduced one attacker to nothingness, while only the souls of the other two managed to escape. Lei Xiang vanished once more, even beyond the reach of their spiritual perception.

"Bastard!" the white-haired crone hissed in frustration. She channeled her magic, and the white tooth rotated slowly, expanding the halo to cover a two-mile radius. Lei Xiang was forced out of hiding again. He repeated his previous tactic, a flash of white light erupting from the gun as a Heaven-Crystal Bullet shot toward the crone.

Strike the leader to defeat the band!

Lei Xiang realized she was the commander. If she fell, the others would lose their resolve, and he could pick them off one by one. With the Nine-Nine Immortal-Shooting Gun, he was virtually invincible against anyone below the late Golden Core stage.

To his shock, the Heaven-Crystal Bullet stopped half a meter in front of the crone and detonated. The shockwave sent those nearby sprawling, but the crone remained standing, a mocking sneer on her lips. *Oh no, it’s a trap.* Without hesitation, Lei Xiang summoned the Blue Lotus Disk, forming a second layer of defense outside his Hunyuan Qi Bag. Just as he did, his left side tightened without warning. A biting chill struck him, causing the muscles in his left arm and chest to seize and goosebumps to erupt across his skin.

*Clang!* The Blue Lotus Disk blocked an attack. Lei Xiang fired his gun toward the left. A soft "Hmm" came from the shadows, and a figure retreated ten yards before stabilizing—it was the white-haired crone. She held a Pink Rose Sword, which now had three notches in its blade and appeared to be losing its spiritual aura. "How is this possible? How could this broken disk block my Pink Rose Sword's sneak attack and even damage my high-grade artifact?"

As the crone stood in bewilderment, Lei Xiang had already reloaded. He pointed his gun coldly at her. He could no longer gauge her cultivation level; it was certainly higher than his own, as evidenced by the fact that his Heaven-Crystal Bullet had failed to pierce her defenses. Yet, with the Blue Lotus Disk and the Hunyuan Qi Bag, he was confident he could survive. It was a stalemate where neither side could claim victory.