Chapter 1085
Annihilation
"Fourth-tier demon slave".
The cultivators behind Hou Yu all gasped, knowing exactly what this meant.
Every cultivator in the Jade Dragon Cultivation World firmly believed that their side would be the ultimate victor in this great battle, because their leader was named Hou Yu, the youngest and most promising Golden Core cultivator in the Jade Dragon Cultivation World in thousands of years.
Even if a fourth-tier demon slave, comparable to a Golden Core cultivator, appears in the demon slave army, they can still defeat him.
But this is not the final battle; as time goes on, the enemy's strength will only grow.
This is a long time.
We won this time, but what about next time, and the time after that?
Under the cover of this eerie and heavy demonic energy, they could not see where the future path lay.
The atmosphere gradually became heavy, and no one spoke anymore; everyone was silently making preparations for battle.
The battlefield is a place where the strong are sifted from the weak. Those who can stand here now are all battle-hardened elites. Before the battle, they may have all sorts of thoughts, but as soon as the order is given, they will abandon everything and become killing machines that are even more frenzied than demon slaves.
The warships began to adjust their angles in the air, staggered in height, and their formation was extremely dispersed.
They will launch the first wave of attacks, focusing on high-threat targets.
Below the warship, ten thousand disciples of the Nine Profound Sect, led by their elders, formed small battle formations of one hundred people each. These small battle formations then merged into larger, more varied battle formations, with thousands or even tens of thousands of people moving as one.
For this battle, the Jade Dragon Cultivation World recruited nearly 40,000 cultivators at or above the sixth level of Qi Refining.
The disciples of the Nine Profound Sect formed the main force and held off the largest of the dozen or so demon slave armies, while the other cultivators flanked and blocked the smaller demon slave armies.
The entire battlefield spanned three thousand miles from north to south, with no coordination whatsoever; one could only adapt to the situation.
Chi Li looked at the battle formation below and sensed a familiar feeling in it.
The Nine Mysteries Sect's battle formations originated from the Southwest Alliance, or one could say from the Song family.
When the Southwest Alliance was first established, Song Changsheng, as the leader of the alliance, set an example by giving up a large amount of cultivation resources and scriptures in exchange for alliance contribution points.
With this first batch of public property, other forces followed suit, exchanging their idle resources for alliance contribution points and then exchanging them for the resources they needed from the alliance.
Resources from various cultivation worlds circulate through this method, which has now become the most important connecting link in the Nine Realms of Southwest China.
Although the Song family has not been established for long, its foundation is exceptionally deep. The resources that Song Changsheng relinquished are still the most important component of the Southwest Alliance's shared assets, and can be freely exchanged by spending contribution points.
Logically speaking, the more precious the method, the more contribution points it should require. However, Song Changsheng insisted on making some of them available for exchange at extremely low contribution points.
For example, the crafting method of the [Paper Kite] that previously shone brightly in the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom, and the battle formation method currently mastered by the Nine Mysteries Sect, are practically given away for free, with almost every force having a copy.
At the time, many people within the Song family did not understand why these methods, which were unique to the Song family, were handed over so cheaply.
It wasn't until the great battle truly began that they understood Song Changsheng's foresight.
If it weren't for the battle formation technique they exchanged back then, the Nine Profound Sect's fighting force would probably have been wiped out in battles long ago, and they wouldn't have been able to retain such an elite force.
"Boom!"
As the demonic tide approached, the earth began to tremble violently, and the overwhelming demonic energy seemed to obscure the sky.
A hazy glow emanated from all the cultivators present, and an invisible barrier appeared around them.
Each of them wore magical artifacts that could ward off demonic energy, and carried one or two talismans with the same function in their pockets.
After the full-scale outbreak of the demonic calamity, the array masters and talisman masters of the Jade Dragon cultivation world worked tirelessly through the night to barely gather 40,000 items, all of which were then devoted to this battle.
"I'll go ahead first; I'll leave this place to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hou Yu transformed into a streak of light and rushed straight towards the demonic tide, crashing into the demon slave army like a meteorite. With a deafening roar, thousands of demon slaves instantly turned to ashes.
The two fourth-tier demon slaves in the demonic tide were enraged and attacked the uninvited guest from the left and right.
They were all cultivators of the Purple Mansion realm in their previous lives, and were not easily corrupted by demonic energy. They were transformed into demon slaves after their fall. At first, they were just like ordinary demon slaves, with only a bloodthirsty instinct.
After continuously devouring flesh and blood and breaking through to the fourth rank, he not only gained sentience but also obtained some of the original body's memories.
This means that they not only possess wisdom, but also know how to use magic and supernatural powers, making flight a natural ability.
Even if it's just some minor supernatural abilities mastered by a cultivator in the Purple Mansion stage, combined with a powerful physique comparable to a body refiner, the difference in strength between a fourth-tier demon slave and a human cultivator of the same realm is already very small.
Although Hou Yu was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, he was unable to defeat two fourth-tier low-grade demon slaves in a short period of time.
Because their vitality is so strong, even if an arm is cut off, a new limb can grow back in less than fifteen minutes.
"boom"
"Boom boom boom"
After the front of the demonic tide entered the range of the warship's crystal cannons, the dark muzzles emitted angry roars, and beams of pure white light pierced through the barriers of space, blasting straight into the demonic tide, leaving scorched paths in the tide like mowing grass.
Unfortunately, the number of warships was far too small compared to the massive demonic tide, and the gap was quickly filled again.
The demonic tide advanced rapidly, and the demonic slaves had ferocious faces, acting like mad dogs that had lost their minds, completely devoid of any superfluous emotions such as fear.
Most people would have been terrified.
However, the ten thousand Nine Profound Sect cultivators lined up below remained silent, gripping their magical artifacts tightly, their sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on the demonic tide, silently estimating the distance between the two sides.
"Draw your bow!"
At a command, thousands of men simultaneously drew their bows and nocked arrows, like hedgehogs going into defensive stance, the arrowheads gleaming with a chilling light in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Their armor simultaneously shone brightly, revealing golden runes. From above, it was clear that ten thousand cultivators from the Nine Profound Sect had jointly constructed a magnificent and profound array.
Everyone is part of this great formation.
A vast power converged, passing through the armor of the archers in the front row and empowering them, while the runes engraved on the fine iron arrows simultaneously shone brightly.
"put!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a rain of glowing arrows shot into the air, tracing a uniform arc before falling towards the rapidly advancing demonic tide.
"Puff puff"
Blood splattered everywhere as thousands of demon slaves were pierced through the body by arrows.
Some were nailed to the ground and unable to move, trampled into mincemeat in the torrent of demons.
Some were shot in the head with an arrow and died instantly. Others continued charging with arrows still in their heads, seemingly unaffected.
Even with the support of the grand formation, the range of the arrows was very limited. After three rounds of fire, the battle formation began to change, and a chilling aura filled the air, like a lurking beast.
Just as the front of the demonic tide was about to make contact with the battle formation, the battle formation suddenly split in two, forming a large pocket.
The warships in the air fired a salvo, cutting the demonic tide in half. The two flanks of the formation closed in again, and thousands of demonic slaves were instantly surrounded.
Surrounded by enemies on all sides, the encircled demon slaves were quickly wiped out. The Nine Profound Sect cultivators used the same trick again. After withstanding the impact of the demon tide head-on, they unknowingly let in several thousand more demon slaves.
Although the two sides were vastly different in number, the cultivators of the Nine Profound Sect, empowered by the battle formation, were like islands standing firm in the sea, unmoved by the waves.
"The pressure is immense."
As the battle formation gradually fell into encirclement, Chi Li frowned slightly and leaped from the warship.
With a flash of light, the crimson battle armor personally crafted by Song Changsheng appeared on his body, surrounded by flowing flames. The spear in his hand condensed its spear light and shot out, instantly piercing the head of a third-tier demon slave in the demonic tide.
"boom"
He forcefully charged into the demonic tide, and as he landed, the flowing fire surrounding him instantly spread, turning every demon slave he touched into ashes without exception.
With a thought, the spear burst into flames, transforming into a streak of light that swept through the demonic tide, piercing through a series of demonic slaves and burning them to ashes.
Because of his intervention, the demonic tide's offensive immediately slowed down.
Chi Li knew that slaughtering these low-level demon slaves would not change the situation on the battlefield. After easing the pressure on the army, he began to search for third-level demon slaves in the demon tide and carry out targeted hunting.
During his decades of training at the Zhulu Academy, facing life and death had become commonplace. His cultivation level hadn't improved much, but his foundation was incredibly solid, and he had completely taken control of the Golden Crow Bloodline within his body.
Even in a place like the academy, where geniuses abound, the number of cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm who fell to him was more than a handful.
He actually lost more often, but this did not dampen his spirits; instead, it became a whetstone for his continued progress.
From losing more than winning at the beginning to winning more than losing now, he has gradually shed his impetuousness and stopped blindly pursuing strength. Instead, he has begun to face his own shortcomings and make up for them through the foundation of Zhulu Academy.
His previously restrained sharpness was now fully unleashed on the battlefield. He moved through the demonic tide with his spear as if it were nothing, leaving everyone on the warship stunned.
On the other side, Hou Yu had completely suppressed the two fourth-tier demon slaves.
After gaining the advantage, he slowed down his offensive and began to deliberately feed his opponent moves, trying to squeeze them to their limit.
This was the first time he had encountered a fourth-tier demon slave in the entire border region. Compared to other demon slaves, they had undergone earth-shattering changes, and he had to take this opportunity to understand them in battle.
Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle.
Fourth-tier demon slaves already possess a certain level of intelligence. They may not be able to discern Hou Yu's intentions, but they can clearly sense the difference in strength between the two sides.
"Roar--"
They pounded their chests in anger, tilting their heads back and letting out low growls.
The roar seemed to come from the depths of hell, possessing extremely strong penetrating power, sending chills down one's spine.
At first, everyone thought that the demon slaves had no language ability. But after getting to know them better, they discovered that their communication was similar to that of wild beasts, using roars for brief exchanges.
This kind of simple communication allows one to understand the general meaning after observing for a period of time.
Right now, this shouting means "call for help".
This means that there are more than two fourth-tier demon slaves in this army of demon slaves, which confirms their pre-battle speculation.
Soon, two streaks of light arrived at high speed, one after the other, carrying billowing demonic energy.
The biggest improvement of fourth-tier demon slaves compared to other demon slaves is that they have the ability to fly. Demon slaves below the fourth tier have amazing jumping ability, but they do not have the ability to stay in the air, and are severely restricted by human warships.
But now, this weakness has been addressed.
Fortunately, these demon slaves were slightly weaker than early-stage Golden Core cultivators. Hou Yu fought against four opponents and did not fall into a disadvantageous position, but it was still difficult for him to achieve any results.
Just as the battle was about to reach a stalemate, a chilling wind suddenly swept across the battlefield, causing the temperature to plummet. The demonic blood flowing on the ground froze into ice, and even the demonic energy in the air was frozen into ice particles, which scattered and covered the entire battlefield.
A slender figure dressed in a long black dress slowly descended from the clouds, her face veiled, obscuring her features.
Now that Huayan has filled the gap in her destiny, she can openly appear in the sunlight. After undergoing her second Heavenly Tribulation, she successfully broke through to the Golden Core stage, and her strength has undergone a tremendous change.
A cold wind swept up from the ground, forming walls of wind that enveloped Hou Yu and the four fourth-tier demon slaves.
She had been hiding in the clouds before the battle even began, all for this moment!
"Such heavy yin energy!"
Hou Yu was shocked. Even with his cultivation level, he found it difficult to resist the extremely cold Yin energy, and he felt the flow of blood in his body slow down.
Hidden amidst the heavy, eerie winds, Hua Yan silently approached the back of a fourth-tier demon slave.
Her hands were shrouded in a sinister, eerie light, and a hideous ghostly figure emerged behind her, extending its sharp claws forward.
"The Great Divine Power [Nine Yin Ghost Hand]"
The ghostly hand moved with lightning speed, piercing the back of the fourth-tier demon slave before anyone could react. The ten-foot-tall body was torn in two, and the demonic blood inside the body condensed into ice crystals under the extremely cold wind. Not only could it not heal, but new flesh could not grow back.
This attack was ruthless and decisive, instantly creating a breakthrough.
Hou Yu seized the opportunity and shattered the fourth-tier demon slave's body completely with a single sword strike.
The remaining three fourth-tier demon slaves felt threatened and instinctively began to band together, which played right into Hua Yan's hands.
With hands forming hand seals, an invisible spatial force burst forth.
"Great Divine Power: Sealing Heaven and Earth"
……
After receiving the news from Cangmang Peak, the brothers Song Qingxing and Song Qingyun rushed to the nearest Tianxiao Sect headquarters as quickly as possible, and then took a space teleportation array to Jiuxuan Sect without any delay.
They were already moving very fast, but Hua Yan and Hou Yu caught them completely off guard. With their combined efforts, they ended the battle in less than half an hour.
These seemingly unrelated individuals have long since become inextricably linked by fate...
...(End of this chapter)