Chapter 265: Epiphany, Fluctuations Of The Land (2)

Qiong Sea King, Mountain Devil King, and Black Snake King continued to patrol the region around North Huang City, even venturing into the devil zone.

Yet, their efforts were in vain, as they couldn't find even a single hint of a devil soldier. Even the juvenile devil soldiers seemed to have vanished into thin air.

It seemed as though the worm devil had truly admitted defeat and completely retreated after the fierce battle at North Huang City, losing all hope of confronting the Middle Land’s immortal cultivators.

Without Wu Yuan’s leadership, Qiong Sea King and the others only patrolled the perimeter of the devil zone, having learned their lesson from their previous encounters with the Spiritual Body devil soldiers.

...

A vast underground realm extended almost a hundred li below the surface of the devil's lair.

At the center of this realm stood a massive black sphere, over 600 meters in diameter, emitting radiant strands of purple light in the darkness.

Surrounding the sphere were a seemingly infinite number of black-scaled creatures, lying prostrate on the ground.

The sight was frightening enough to make a Heavenly Ranker wet their pants.

The only consolation was that most of them were juvenile devil soldiers below ten meters in length. Those exceeding twenty meters were the minority.

Of the unending black tide, only 300 were Communion devil soldiers more than 100 meters in length and possessed a single pair of wings.

As for the gargantuan monstrosities over 300 meters in length, there were only three.

This was in line with what Fang Xia, Wu Yuan, Daoist Wan Xing, and the others had expected.

During this brief span of time, numerous devil soldiers had spawned, but only six of them were at the Spiritual Body phase!

At the core of the black sphere was a crystalline orb adorned with cryptic patterns, emitting vibrations that rippled throughout the underground realm.

Every single devil soldier prostrated on the ground. Even the Spiritual Body devil soldiers were no exception.

All of them felt the immense fury, disbelief, and fear emanating from their mighty leader.

This world was supposed to be a wasteland. In theory, even Golden Core cultivators shouldn’t be appearing here.

The lightning sea was powerful enough to take the lives of my mightiest warriors. Could this be a talisman treasure from my inherited memories? This shouldn’t be happening.

Numerous thoughts clashed within the orb.

It was a descendant of the noble worm devil bloodline, but due to the seal placed on it from early on and other obstructions from the Huang Temple, its development and growth proceeded at a snail’s pace.

When it finally broke the seal, it joyously believed that it could eat and grow to its heart’s content, conquering the entire world.

However, reality dealt it a crushing blow.

The three Spiritual Body devil soldiers, whom it had raised at great cost, were completely slaughtered. In addition, the Communion devil soldiers that perished in North Huang City were elites it had meticulously raised.

Factoring the initial losses, it is safe to say that the worm devil was facing an unprecedented crisis. Instinctively, it felt a looming danger that threatened its life.

The human race is the foremost race of the myriad spacetimes, they are no fools. After slaying these many of my brave warriors, they will quickly advance to my lair.

The worm devil concluded.

Hence without hesitation, it ordered all devil soldiers to regroup at its position. Even the juvenile devil soldiers scattered throughout the devil zone were promptly summoned back.

"I need a stronger guard!"

"Slaughter! Consume each other and give rise to the strongest warriors!" The worm devil's final command resonated deep within the minds of all devil soldiers.

The Communion and Spiritual Body devil soldiers remained still.

However, the juvenile devil soldiers previously prostrate on the ground suddenly erupted into a frenzy. Bloodthirsty maws opened, mercilessly tearing into their fellow brethren.

Blood sprayed and limbs flew as the bodies of countless juvenile devil soldiers were torn into shreds. Their ravenous brethren quickly began feasting on the remains.

In the midst of this cannibal feast, the scales on the devil soldiers' bodies hissed as they grew at a visible rate, reaching 20, 30, and even 40 meters!

"Roar!" Soon, the juvenile devil soldiers neared the limits of their rapid growth. Their roars crescendoed as they convulsed in pain on the ground.

Wings sprouted, physiques burgeoned, and their growth surged!

The number of juvenile devil soldiers quickly dwindled, but new Communion devil soldiers emerged at a rapid pace.

Curse those blasted humans!

The orb radiated with intense anger and deep resentment.

It had spent countless years painstakingly amassing this multitude of juvenile devil soldiers.

Nurturing these juvenile devil soldiers had not been an easy task, as creating a powerful army of devil soldiers required not just abundant resources, but also a significant amount of time.

These juvenile devil soldiers served two purposes – to gather sustenance, and potentially advance to the Communion phase and join its guard!

The worm devil had intended for these juvenile devil soldiers to mature gradually to the Communion phase by consuming the flesh and blood of organisms outside the lair.

Instead, he was forced to resort to an internal feeding frenzy. This was a terribly inefficient method as significant losses were incurred during the transfer of energy from the eaten to the eater.

As numerous juvenile devil soldiers annihilated one another, scattered hordes of true devil soldiers emerged. Though their overall strength appeared to have increased, they were simply depleting their combined resources.

But the worm devil had no choice. The impending crisis loomed overhead, and relying on just three Spiritual Body devil soldiers and 300 Communion devil soldiers offered no solace.

Finally, the tidal wave of juvenile devil soldiers was gone, their massacre turning the underground realm red. Only a few thousand Communion devil soldiers were left.

"Eat!" The worm devil's command resonated in the minds of all Communion devil soldiers, "Devour each other!"

Without any hesitation, they immediately started tearing into each other.

Communion devil soldiers could continue to develop via two methods. The first method involved absorbing spiritual qi and maturing over the course of many years.

The second path, which was much quicker, involved consuming the bodies of fellow devil soldiers or other equally powerful spirit creatures.

Over time, the number of Communion devil soldiers decreased. Those that remained experienced a surge in size and power.

At last, one particularly massive Communion devil soldier reached a threshold, triggering a transformation. Boundless spiritual qi flooded into its body, boosting its growth at an inconceivable rate.

A new pair of wings, formed of flesh and blood, burst out from its back.

...

No one knew of the profound changes happening deep inside the devil's lair.

Wu Yuan sat cross-legged on a desolate mountaintop near North Huang City. Quietly, he observed the hustle and bustle of the people in the city that lay beneath his feet.

The Teng Snake's injuries had fully healed after a little more than a day, and only then did Wu Yuan emerge from the cave.

Life is truly wondrous, and among the infinite species, humans are unique.

Overlooking the land, a faint smile blossomed on Wu Yuan’s face.

North Huang City had just witnessed a massive battle, and it was difficult to estimate the extent of damage dealt to the city.

But despite being mired in ruins, the city showed signs of renewed life in just a day or two.

The land nurtures life.

Life, nurturing! Embracing all.

Wu Yuan contemplated the Dao quietly, attuned to the waves of fluctuations from the boundless land.

Yes! The earth is the genesis of all life.

Something deep within Wu Yuan's heart seemed to stir.

His spirit gradually transcended the corporeal, melding with the expansive terrain.