Chapter 261: The Eve of the Decisive Battle (1)

The mangled remains of the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers crashed to the ground, raising huge clouds of dust. They no longer moved. Only Wu Yuan remained standing in the sky, his body battered but his aura blazing with the might of a deity.

The Mountain Devil King stared at him in disbelief, eyes bulging from his massive turtle head. "How did Wu Yuan do it? And what was that sea of lightning? Three Spiritual Body devil soldiers died just like that?"

“They died just like that.” Qiong Sea King reflexively swallowed, a flicker of fear dancing in his eyes.

After clashing with the Spiritual Body devil soldiers just now, he knew just how strong they were firsthand. With his strength, he couldn’t hope to slay a single one. But Wu Yuan killed all three. Just how strong was he?

Regardless of whether Wu Yuan had utilized a treasure, the outcome spoke for itself.

Qiong Sea King found himself feeling a wave of relief.

Master! I am truly fortunate to have such a master.

Before this moment, he had addressed Wu Yuan as ‘Master’ out of obligation from his oath and contract. But deep within, he had still harbored some resentment, feeling somewhat taken advantage of. If not for his desperation to make a breakthrough in his cultivation phase, he wouldn’t have agreed to a 50-year contract.

However, Wu Yuan's display of power today earned Qiong Sea King's genuine submission.

From the moment they were born, demonic beasts adhered to the unforgiving law of the jungle, revering strength above all else.

...

"Excellent!”

"Did Wu Yuan just slay three Spiritual Body devil soldiers simultaneously?"

"Remarkable."

“There’s hope!” The Heavenly Rankers who were engaged in a fierce struggle against the hordes of Communion Phase devil soldiers felt their fighting spirits rekindle. They had prepared themselves for a battle to the death, only to have the tides turn in the most unexpected manner.

With the Spiritual Body devil soldiers dead, even in the worst-case scenario where Wu Yuan was too heavily injured to continue fighting, Qiong Sea King and Mountain Devil King were enough to hold back the tide of Communion Phase devil soldiers. Along with the support of the defensive array, securing North Huang City was well within their grasp.

"Inconceivable!"

"How did Wu Yuan do it" The disbelief hung heavy in the air as those within the Middle Land Immortal Hall, including Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, Fang Xia, Zhao Xing, and numerous others, stood flabbergasted by the surreal turn of events.

A single Spiritual Body devil soldier was enough to completely suppress Qiong Sea King. And behind every devil soldier was the worm devil.

Even when Wu Yuan held his own against the crimson-winged devil soldier after revealing his ether art and Teng Snake spirit beast, the Heavenly Rankers still weren’t confident in their chances of victory.

Yet, in a single move, the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers ceased to exist.

"Excellent," Daoist Wan Xing whispered, the faintest glimmer of a smile touching his lips. "The worm devil launched a surprise assault on North Huang City, but this battle is our win."

"Yes," Hai Feizhang agreed fervently. "With three Spiritual Body devil soldiers dead, we’ve delivered a crushing blow to the worm devil."

Everyone was curious about what Wu Yuan unleashed on the devil soldiers. But at least for now, this battle was won.

...

"The three most powerful devilish creatures are dead.”

"Thank goodness."

"We’re saved." A wave of exhilaration washed over the inhabitants of North Huang City. Tears of joy flowed freely from the eyes of countless citizens.

At the same time, many martial artists and ordinary citizens cast their eyes skywards, drawn to the earthy-yellow figure splattered with blood.

Who was he?

...

High in the sky.

The fifth-grade Heavenly Thunder Talisman is indeed impressive.

Though Wu Yuan had anticipated its destructive power, it still gave him a shock.

The Fourth Eldritch Realm master had granted Wu Yuan two treasures: the Goldstone Penta Array that was now with Fang Xia, and the fifth-grade Heavenly Thunder Talisman. Never could he have imagined the terrifying capabilities of this talisman. Not only did it obliterate the crimson-winged devil soldier, but also inflicted severe damage on the two nearby Spiritual Body devil soldiers, nearly snuffing out their lives and allowing Wu Yuan to dispatch them with ease.

If not for the fact that I received a level of protection from the lightning as the owner of this talisman, as well as my eldritch armor, I might have perished right there and then.

Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.

His body’s physical defense was weaker than that of the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers. Moreover, there was a large gap in their cultivation stages.

Little Black has taken quite a beating.

Wu Yuan acutely sensed the Teng Snake's injuries. Its wings were nearly in shreds.

Thankfully, as long as Wu Yuan remained alive in the state of beast fusion, the Teng Snake’s injuries would not be fatal.

With a mental command, Wu Yuan's black wings disappeared. Little Black retreated into his soul chamber, greedily consuming vital ether to heal itself.

Recovering from severe injuries was considerably easier for a lifebound eldritch beast compared to an ordinary spirit beast.

Wu Yuan felt the electricity in the air dissipating rapidly around him.

The path of the talisman is truly vast and profound.

This was just a fifth-grade Heavenly Thunder Talisman. One could only imagine the immense power contained in a fourth-grade, third-grade, or even first-grade Heavenly Thunder Talisman.

The main advantage talismans had over arrays was that they did not require a high level of cultivation from their users.

The immortal slips didn’t lie. In theory, a Qi Sea phase cultivator with a first-grade talisman could defeat an Amethyst Cradle Reverend.

Wu Yuan paused briefly, considering how alchemy, arrays, talismans, and equipment forging each served distinct purposes.

Trying to escape?

From the corner of Wu Yuan's eyes, he watched the Communion devil soldiers beating an organized retreat. It was clear that the worm devil was controlling them remotely.

"Kill!" Wu Yuan immediately sprang into action, swiftly descending to the ground level and sprinting toward the nearest Communion devil soldier. Though he didn’t have the assistance of the Teng Snake, Wu Yuan was still a fifth-stage Communion cultivator who could dash hundreds of li in one breath.

Boom!

In just two seconds, Wu Yuan ran through the streets. In the eyes of countless civilians and martial artists, he moved like a flash of light, appearing instantly in front of a fleeing Communion devil soldier.

The 170-meter devil soldier howled in terror, lashing out its tail in defense.

A figure leaped into the sky, and a blade ray tore through the air. The black-scaled creature's body was instantly split in two, showering blood down onto the earth. It was over in one strike!

Without hesitation, Wu Yuan charged toward another Communion devil soldier.

...

"Retreat!"

"Retreat!" Invisible waves transmitted through a mysterious connection ordered the hundreds of frightened devil soldiers to flee. It had completely lost its will to fight.

"Kill! Kill them all!" With Qiong Sea King and Mountain Devil King leading the charge, dozens of Heavenly Rankers chased after the fleeing devil soldiers, their eyes burning with righteous fury.

All of them understood that each devil soldier killed today would increase their chances of victory in the upcoming decisive battle.

However, Wu Yuan was unquestionably the most eye-catching presence on the battlefield. He unleashed the Eldritch Form ether art once more, towering over the land as a giant.

Earthy-yellow blade rays flashed by, brilliant and dazzling. Not a single Communion devil soldier could withstand the onslaught. Even the ninth-stage Communion devil soldiers were cut down after a few extra swings of his saber.

Bodies of dead devil soldiers rained down from the sky.

After some time, no more devil soldiers remained in the area. Only Heavenly Rankers stood in the sky above North Huang City.

A hush settled over the battlefield.

A faint smile appeared on Wu Yuan’s face.

We’ve won.

Qiong Sea King shouted excitedly, "We won!"

"Victory!"

“The worm devil isn't invincible.”

"We’ll definitely defeat the worm devil! We will emerge victorious!" The Heavenly Rankers were ecstatic beyond measure.

...

In the Conference Hall of the Middle Land Immortal Hall, countless light specks converged to form a young man dressed in white robes. His gaze was gentle, yet held a sharp edge, causing those who beheld it to shiver.

The eyes of more than 50 Heavenly Rankers in the Conference Hall focused on him, filled with a mixture of reverence, admiration, and respect.

“Daoist Wu Yuan,” Daoist Wan Xing abruptly stood up with a smile. "Fellow Daoists, please give a warm welcome to Daoist Wu Yuan! Today, he single-handedly turned the tides of the battle, enabling us to clinch victory in North Huang City."

The Heavenly Rankers collectively nodded in agreement. None of them felt that Daoist Wan Xing's words were an exaggeration.

In the battle at North Huang City, 63 Communion devil soldiers were killed. The rest of the devil soldiers escaped without a trace, making it impossible to chase them down.

Wu Yuan alone was responsible for almost 50 of their deaths, in addition to bringing down the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers. It could be said that victory wouldn’t have been possible without him.

Wu Yuan smiled. "The credit goes to everyone. If Fellow Daoists hadn't worked together to hold them back, I wouldn't have been able to take down so many devil soldiers."

This was the truth. Furthermore, the contributions and sacrifices of each individual were clear for all to see. There was no need to claim them all for himself, it served no purpose.

"Haha, Wu Yuan, there’s no need to be modest," Emperor Dong Pan said, his tone filled with admiration. "Your unmatched strength is what allowed you to defeat three Spiritual Body devil soldiers single-handedly. Without a doubt, this battle will be remembered as the greatest battle in the history of the Middle Land. Your contributions will be paramount to the defeat of the worm devil in the decisive battle."

"Moreover, with your strength. You are fully deserving of the title of the world's number one expert," Emperor Dong Pan proclaimed.

"That’s right," Qiong Sea King agreed in a deep voice, "Daoist Wu Yuan, you are rightfully the top expert the Middle Land has seen for the last 3000 years, well deserving of the title of the world’s number one expert."