Chapter 1261
Arrival at the Battlefield, Two Demon Saints
The Eastern Phoenix Kingdom is located southeast of Yuezhou.
After the group entered Yuezhou, the gates of most of the towns and cities along the way were tightly closed.
Occasionally, they would encounter some low-level cultivators, who would all rush north, and the further south they went, the less human habitation they could see.
Just as a towering mountain piercing the clouds appeared ahead, and the group was about to go around it, two streaks of light suddenly appeared in front of them.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator!"
Seeing that the newcomer's figure and aura had reached the Nascent Soul realm, everyone voluntarily reduced their speed. Soon, a somewhat familiar voice entered Song Qingming's ears.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Song. Welcome to all those from the Floating Cloud Mountains!"
"So it's Fellow Daoist Zhu. It's been many years. It's been a long time."
The leader was a Nascent Soul Stage 6 cultivator, dressed in a green robe with a short beard, and had a slight smile on his face.
It was Zhu Qizheng, the Nascent Soul Elder of the Demon-Slaying Palace, with whom he had a past friendship after quelling the demonic calamity.
Standing next to Zhu Qizheng was a burly man in green robes, whose cultivation had also reached the fourth level of the Nascent Soul realm.
"It has been more than a hundred years since we last met. I heard that Fellow Daoist Song has tempered his vital energy and advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm. This is truly a cause for celebration."
Compared to Fellow Daoist Song's extraordinary talent, we have cultivated for many years but have made no progress whatsoever; we are truly ashamed.
When Zhu Qizheng and Song Qingming went to the "Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World" to quell the demonic disaster, their cultivation levels were not far apart, both being at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
Now, several hundred years later, when the two meet again, Zhu Qizheng's cultivation level is still at the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage.
The Song Qingming before them had already stepped into the half-step Nascent Soul realm, becoming one of the few Nascent Soul cultivators in the cultivation world who had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul realm.
The difference in their social standing was already immense.
Zhu Qi's gaze towards Song Qingming inevitably held a hint of envy and awe.
Seeing this, Song Qingming waved his hand slightly and replied, "For us cultivators, as long as the opportunity arises, our cultivation level will naturally rise."
Song was merely fortunate to have been favored by heaven and was able to get ahead of everyone else.
Fellow Daoist Zhu is now only one step away from the late Nascent Soul stage; he may very well have the opportunity to reach that level in the future.
"Haha, Fellow Daoist Song is now showing signs of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator. I am truly flattered by your words."
"By the way, this is Fellow Daoist Wang from Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. He was sent by our sect leader to come with me to welcome you all."
"Wang Fushan greets Fellow Daoist Song!"
".
After exchanging greetings, led by Zhu Qizheng and his companion, the group quickly passed through the "mountain-protecting formation" ahead and arrived at a high mountain where cultivators gathered.
Unlike the desolation of other places around, this sacred mountain, which was shrouded by an array, was bustling with people and light flying everywhere.
With just a quick glance, Song Qingming estimated that the number of cultivators on the mountain was more than twice that of Qingyun Mountain, and that there were probably at least tens of thousands of cultivators gathered here.
After crossing several mountain peaks, the group arrived at a grand hall located at the summit.
Here, Song Qingming and his group met another dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators stationed there. Standing at the front, leading the group was none other than He Yuliang, the head of the Demon-Slaying Palace.
Seeing that Zhu Qizheng had suddenly led a group of Nascent Soul cultivators, as well as Song Qingming, a top expert at the half-step Divine Transformation realm, they were shocked.
Led by He Yuliang, everyone in the main hall greeted them with joy.
"Greetings, Sect Leader He!"
"Hehe! It was worth the long wait; I've finally met Fellow Daoist Song today."
Fellow Daoists, you have come from afar. No need for formalities, please take your seats!
Looking at Song Qingming and the others who had come to support him, He Yuliang's face was full of joy. He quickly invited everyone to take their seats and served them exquisite spiritual fruits and tea.
To show respect for Song Qingming, a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, He Yuliang specially arranged an extra seat at the head of the table.
Seeing this, Song Qingming initially wanted to decline.
However, seeing that He Yuliang was very insistent, the crowd below also stood up and urged him to come forward, so they had no choice but to accept the invitation and sit down with him as equals.
“I am deeply grateful to Fellow Daoist Song for coming from so far away to help us today. On behalf of our sect, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you.”
"Sect Leader He, you are too kind. We are all human cultivators and should help each other."
In the past, your esteemed sect also sent Fellow Daoist Lü to the Floating Cloud Mountains to provide assistance. I, Song, have come here today, naturally for the greater good of the human race.
"Fellow Daoist, please feel free to speak frankly about your plans; do not stand on ceremony."
"Hehe! It's rare to find Fellow Daoist Song who understands the greater good. I won't stand on ceremony with you."
".
After bowing in agreement, He Yuliang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly explained the situation facing the front lines in Yuezhou to Song Qingming.
Two years ago, after the "Monster Uprising" began, the demon army of the "Falling Star Sea" cooperated with the demons of the northern frontier to land in the southern "Yuezhou" and marched straight into the human territory.
Just like a hundred years ago, the two demon saints, Ao Lie and Bai Lang, who were leading the "demon army" to attack, were still their old rivals.
Seeing that the demon army had already landed on the coast, the human cultivator army led by the "Dangmo Palace" quickly assembled in the eastern part of "Yuezhou" to resist the demon army's attack.
During the last "monster turmoil", the demons of Falling Star Sea were ambushed by human cultivators due to their underestimation of the enemy and overconfidence, resulting in a major defeat.
During this upheaval, the demon army was noticeably more cautious, adopting a steady and gradual approach, thus preventing the human forces from seizing any opportunity.
The two sides fought several major battles outside Yueyang City in the eastern part of Yuezhou.
They've had their share of wins and losses, and the stalemate has lasted for two years now.
It was precisely because they could not find an opportunity to end this turmoil that the "Demon-Slaying Palace" had no choice but to mobilize reinforcements from all sides and invite Song Qingming and others from the Floating Cloud Mountains.
"Fellow Daoist Song, since the war against the demon race began, although we have done our best, we have been unable to defeat the demon army due to our insufficient strength."
Fortunately, with the help of all my fellow Daoists, we can finally see a glimmer of hope for victory and a chance to end this turmoil.
"We are but a few hundred people. What ability do we have to turn the tide of the battle? Sect Leader He, are you overestimating me?"
Compared to the attacks faced by the cultivation world in the "Floating Cloud Mountains," the pressure from the demon army on the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" side is on a completely different level.
In the southern battlefield of Yuezhou alone, the number of demon beasts is no less than several hundred thousand, including more than two hundred demon emperors above the Nascent Soul stage.
Above them are two Nascent Soul ancestors of the demon race, whose strength is even more unfathomable.
Such a massive force cannot be easily shaken by Song Qingming and his few hundred men joining the battlefield.
Seeing that He Yuliang seemed quite confident about his arrival, Song Qingming couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.
He thought the person in front of him was deliberately flattering him and being polite.
"Fellow Daoist Song, please don't be impatient. There are some things that are not convenient to say here. You will know when we arrive in Yueyang City in a few days."
When Song Qingming asked him, He Yuliang smiled faintly and did not answer on the spot.
".
Half a month later, on the front line, in Yueyang City.
The city had been in a standoff with the demon army for two years. Many shops in the city had closed, leaving only a large number of cultivators guarding the city, and the city was very peaceful.
"Yueyang City" is the best spiritual vein in Yuezhou, and its spiritual vein grade has reached the fourth-level high-grade realm, which is in no way inferior to "Qingyun Mountain" where Song Qingming is located.
As an important stronghold for dealing with the demon army of the "Falling Star Sea" in the south, "Yueyang City" is always guarded by several Nascent Soul cultivators, and a powerful level 5 low-grade protective formation has been set up.
Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator attacks, it can withstand one or two attacks.
In order to resist the northward advance of the demon army, the human cultivator alliance has gathered more than 200,000 cultivators in Yueyang City.
In addition, countless giant magical artifacts, cannons, puppets, and restrictions were placed on the city walls.
Under the cover of the "Mountain Protection Formation", it is sufficient to withstand the siege of hundreds of thousands of demon troops.
It was precisely because of the fortified city of Yueyang that the human army had never allowed the enemy to penetrate deep into the heart of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom for tens of thousands of years.
The "Falling Star Sea" demon race was firmly blocked in the eastern part of Yuezhou.
Above the sky, two figures, one old and one young, stared intently at Yueyang City below, seemingly trying to see through the protective mountain formation to understand everything hidden beneath.
“Fellow Daoist Bai, I’ve heard in the last few days that the Demon-Slaying Palace has transferred a lot of cultivators from the rear. If we don’t make a decision soon, I’m afraid we’ll have to stop here again.”
"Hehe! The main purpose of our visit was to cooperate with the Northern Frontier's operations, and now we have achieved our goal."
My brother knows perfectly well what's going on, so why be so persistent?
Faced with the words of the young man in front of him, the white-haired old man smiled slightly and shook his head.
"That may be true, but it is truly regrettable that our demon race has never set foot in Yueyang City for so many years."
Back when Lingxuzi was alive, none of us dared to show our faces.
We finally waited for this person to ascend to immortality, just as the human race was declining. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity now, and wait for them to recover, another genius like Chen Qingxuan might emerge.
I'm afraid our days are numbered."
"Whether it's Ling Xuzi or Chen Qingxuan, they are both geniuses that are rare to see in the cultivation world for thousands of years. They are not so easy to appear. Brother, you are overthinking this."
Jin Yuanzi's lifespan is now limited; it is estimated that he can only live for another two or three hundred years at most.
"If only Chen Qingxuan is left, he can't hold the fort alone. The Eastern Phoenix Kingdom will likely continue its decline. Why should we rush things?"
The white-haired old man spoke slowly and calmly, his face showing no sign of urgency.
The young man standing opposite him waved his hand upon hearing this.
"What Fellow Daoist Bai said makes some sense, but since we are here today, we should do our best and not let them off easily."
Even if we can't take Yueyang City, we must make the human cultivators pay a price.
"Of course. Now that I'm here, I won't stand idly by and do nothing."
".
Just as the two were talking high above, the demon army below began to assemble and surged towards Yueyang City like a tide.
"The demon army is attacking! Prepare to meet them!" "Quickly, send a message to the Ancestor!"
".
As soon as the numerous city-guarding cultivators stepped onto the city wall, the demon army swept in from the front, quickly surrounding the massive city that spanned dozens of miles.
"boom!"
As a beam of light appeared in front of the city wall, countless beams of light burst out of the protective mountain array and crashed into the attacking army of demonic beasts.
The next moment, roars and shouts of battle echoed across the sky.
"Gentlemen, it's our turn!"
In mid-air, nearly two hundred Nascent Soul Demon Emperors lined up and launched a joint attack on the "Mountain Protection Array"!
Just as the many Nascent Soul Demon Emperors approached the great formation, more than a hundred human Nascent Soul cultivators also stood behind the "Mountain Protection Formation".
Before long, everyone rushed out of the formation and engaged in a fierce battle with the demon emperor who had come to attack.
Although they were significantly outnumbered, the group managed to hold their own against the enemy, keeping them firmly pinned down in front of the formation, thanks to the cover provided by the "mountain-protecting array" behind them.
Just as the cultivators from both sides were engaged in battle, a dozen or so cultivators dressed in identical uniforms sat cross-legged in a magic array on the city wall of the battlefield below.
The middle-aged man leading the group, whose cultivation had reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, was looking up at the many Nascent Soul experts fighting each other outside.
"Elder, almost all the Nascent Soul cultivators from the demon race have appeared. Shouldn't we make our move now?"
"Alright! Fellow disciples, activate the formation."
Hearing a reminder from a companion not far away, the middle-aged man turned around, nodded slightly, and immediately raised his hand to produce a silver token engraved with animal patterns.
The next moment, the dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators sitting around immediately activated the large array that had been prepared in advance.
A burst of spiritual light emanated from the silver token, and then a majestic silver dragon rushed out from within the light.
Although this "silver dragon" is a spiritual entity, the aura emanating from it far surpasses that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, indicating that it has already reached the Divine Transformation realm.
In a flash, the "silver dragon" burst out of the mountain-protecting formation and rushed straight towards the many Nascent Soul Demon Emperors of the demon race not far away.
Faced with the sudden attack of the "silver dragon," the Nascent Soul Demon Emperors seemed to have never seen such a strange thing before.
Thinking it was just a puppet spirit beast crafted by an ordinary human cultivator, it cast a spell to approach and launch an attack.
What they didn't expect was that the supernatural powers of several Nascent Soul Demon Emperors fell on their opponent.
It was like a drop of water falling into a pool, only creating ripples, without causing any harm to the other party.
The "silver dragon" raised its head and spat out a beam of silver light, instantly engulfing several demon emperors who had no time to dodge.
"what."
Faced with the attack of the "Silver Dragon," the magical treasures in the hands of those Nascent Soul Demon Emperors were powerless to resist, and their proud physical bodies were easily destroyed like thin paper.
In the blink of an eye, apart from one Nascent Soul cultivator with a high level of cultivation who managed to escape in time.
The remaining two demon emperors perished on the spot, instantly stunning everyone nearby.
"A transformed spirit dragon? How is that possible?"
"Everyone be careful, this is the Beast Spirit Formation of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain!"
".
Faced with such a ferocious "silver dragon," the demons quickly recognized its origins, and more than a dozen powerful demons with high cultivation levels immediately surrounded it.
However, even with their combined strength, these Nascent Soul experts from the demon race were still no match for the "Silver Flood Dragon," whose supernatural powers were not much weaker than those of Nascent Soul cultivators.
Before long, three more Nascent Soul Demon Emperors perished on the spot.
"Hmph! How arrogant this junior is."
Just as the "silver dragon" was wreaking havoc in the middle of the battlefield, two powerful pressures suddenly appeared in the sky, followed by two figures, one old and one young, walking through the air.
"Ancestor!"
"Ao Lie Demon Saint" and "Bai Lang Demon Saint".
Upon seeing the two powerful figures appear in the sky, the demon race was immediately filled with excitement.
But just as everyone was expecting the two patriarchs to take action against the "silver dragon" in the middle of the battlefield, another figure flew out from the "mountain-protecting formation" in front.
The leader was a middle-aged Taoist priest, dressed in flowing white robes, with a touch of majesty between his brows.
He held a crimson flying sword in his hand, and although his aura was only at the half-step Nascent Soul realm, it made the two demon ancestors who were coming towards him stop in their tracks.
"The Heaven-Slaying and Primordial Suppressing Sword!"
Looking at the "Demon Slayer Sect" Grand Elder Mingyue Zhenren who came to block their way, the two demon ancestors did not focus on his face, but stared intently at the "Heaven-Slaying and Primordial Suppressing Sword" in his hand.
"Young man, you have quite the nerve, trying to stop us all by yourself."
"I alone am not able to stop the two seniors, but I am not the only one who came today."
Master Mingyue glanced at the two demon saints in front of him, but his expression showed no sign of backing down.
As soon as Master Mingyue finished speaking, four more figures flew out from behind the formation and landed directly beside him.
The four people who came were Gu Yu Zhenren, the Grand Elder of Dan Yuan Valley; He Yuliang, the Sect Leader of Dang Mo Palace; Song Qingming, who had come to provide support not long ago; and a gray-robed man whose face was relatively unfamiliar.
Although the four of them had all reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, their auras were clearly suppressed by the two renowned demon ancestors.
"Ao Lie, the Demon Saint," looked at Song Qingming and the other three in front of him, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his face.
"Hmph! You think you can stop me with just a few of you!"
With a wave of his hand, "Ao Lie, the Demon Saint," a beam of white light gathered in front of him.
The next moment, two enormous dragon claws, each tens of feet tall, suddenly materialized in the void in front of Song Qingming and the other three, blocking them from the left and right.
Even before the white dragon claw reached them, it had already created a powerful pressure around the four of them, causing the protective shields in front of them to begin to deform.
Two white dragon claws were about to crush the four of them.
The gray-robed man standing next to Song Qingming suddenly raised his hand and tossed out an ancient scroll.
After the ancient scroll appeared, four beams of spiritual light—red, yellow, blue, and white—flew out from it and landed in the hands of Gu Yu Zhenren, He Yuliang, Song Qingming, and the gray-robed man, respectively.
The next moment, a powerful spiritual light emanated from the four of them, and they transformed into four spirit beasts that charged straight ahead.
In the blink of an eye, the giant dragon claw that was attacking was pushed back and disappeared into the air.
Upon witnessing this sudden scene, both of the demon clan elders in the distance were startled.
"This is a magical treasure!"
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, "Ao Lie the Demon Saint" could not withstand an attack from an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
The scroll in the gray-robed man's hand could easily block the divine power he was activating, showing that its power had long exceeded the scope of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, only a rare level-five spiritual treasure in the cultivation world could possibly achieve this.
Before "Ao Lie Demon Saint" could even see what the magical treasure in front of him was, the phantom images of the spirit beasts conjured by Song Qingming and the other three had already arrived beside him and surrounded him.
The next moment, the four of them used their supernatural powers together, and the surrounding area instantly turned into a sea of fire, trapping "Ao Lie the Demon Saint" inside.
Facing the flames unleashed by the four people's spells, "Ao Lie Demon Saint" did not take them seriously. With a slight movement of his magic power, he transformed into a beam of light and rushed straight towards the gray-robed man to the side.
The goal is to capture the opponent first, preventing them from unleashing the power of their magical treasures to fight.
Although the four opponents in front of him had all reached the half-step Nascent Soul realm, in the eyes of "Ao Lie Demon Saint", their supernatural powers would not pose any threat to him.
The only thing to be careful about is the magical artifact in the gray-robed man's hand.
Once this person is killed, or the magical treasure in his possession is destroyed, the rest will be easy to capture.
Facing the "Ao Lie Demon Saint" charging towards him, the gray-robed man showed no sign of panic. A red Qilin that he had transformed into opened its mouth and unleashed another powerful burst of flame.
The crimson flames rushed towards the opponent, instantly entangling "Ao Lie Demon Saint" and stopping him in mid-air.
Seeing this, "Ao Lie Demon Saint" vigorously activated his giant claws, tearing apart the flames in front of him, when several more flames appeared around him and pushed him back to his original position.
"What's going on? Why is the flow of spiritual energy in this place so slow?!"
After being entangled in the flames, "Ao Lie Demon Saint" struggled to break free, only to find that the supernatural powers he used inside had suddenly become much weaker.
It was as if some strange force had suppressed most of his cultivation, making his ability to mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth extremely slow.
Faced with the relentless pursuit of Song Qingming and his three companions, he, who could have easily broken free, found himself trapped in flames.
Seeing that "Ao Lie Demon Saint" was suddenly trapped in the flames and had not been able to escape for a long time.
The "White Wave Demon Saint" standing to the side also seemed to notice something was wrong, and his expression changed slightly.
But just as he was about to cast a spell to help, he was swiftly stopped by a crimson sword light.
"Senior, your opponent now is me!"
Facing the Bright Moon True Man wielding the "Heaven-Slaying Demon-Suppressing Sword," the "White Wave Demon Saint" had already experienced the opponent's supernatural powers.
His brows furrowed slightly, yet he dared not underestimate this junior human before him.
Mingyue Zhenren, knowing what the other was thinking, unleashed a powerful aura once again from the "Heaven-Slaying Demon-Suppressing Sword" in his hand.
The "Heaven-Slaying Demon-Suppressing Sword" grew dozens of times larger, transforming into a gigantic avatar hundreds of feet tall.
"It is a rare opportunity to learn from a master like you. I hope this battle will be enjoyable for me."
"Since you are so eager to witness my supernatural powers, I will grant your wish today!"
Seeing that something was wrong, the "White Wave Demon Saint" who had just been relaxed suddenly became serious.
With a wave of his hand, a devastatingly powerful pressure emanated from him.
Seeing the change in the other party's aura, "Master Mingyue" also had a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"..." (End of Chapter)