Chapter 267: Invading The Devil Soil

“Battle saber?” Wu Yuan was slightly startled.

He already owned an eighth-grade spirit battle saber.

“This weapon was unearthed by one of our Wu Sect's ancestors from the relic site of the Xin Continent. It is classified as a high-grade spirit weapon. However, it is very special, and not a single Heavenly Ranker has managed to wield it in a thousand years.” Emperor Dong Pan said, handing it over to Wu Yuan. "Wu Yuan, you can give it a try."

“Oh?” Wu Yuan's curiosity was piqued. If Emperor Dong Pan himself called it high-grade, it had to be a seventh-grade spirit weapon at least. Only Golden Core cultivators were able to forge spirit equipment of that level.

Wu Yuan accepted the weapon. As he did so, the Heavenly Rankers looked on with curious gazes, intrigued by the package Wu Yuan held.

Since the battle saber would be wielded sooner or later, there was no need to hide it. Moreover, Wu Yuan was confident in his own strength, knowing that no one in the Middle Land would dare to covet his treasure.

Hence, he unwrapped the package, revealing a deep black battle saber. The blade emitted a chilling aura, and faint waves of ferocious pressure rippled out.

From its appearance alone, many Heavenly Rankers recognized that it was a splendid saber. As for how powerful it was, they couldn’t tell exactly.

Wu Yuan clenched the hilt with one hand and closed his eyes. With his other hand, he carefully ran his fingertips along the length of the saber, sensing every inch of the blade.

Hum~

One breath later, the saber shone with a bright light, instantly bathing the night sky in earthy-yellow radiance.

With that, Wu Yuan's entire demeanor underwent a subtle transformation. His eyes grew colder and more ruthless, resembling a deity of slaughter.

"This aura?” The Heavenly Rankers' expressions shifted.

Even Qiong Sea King felt a little uneasy. He had never seen Wu Yuan like this before.

Suddenly, Wu Yuan swung the saber fiercely. Instantly, a saber ray was generated, extending dozens of meters and leaving a lasting trail in the air.

This spectacle left everyone astounded.

The battle saber dimmed and Wu Yuan's aura quickly returned to normal. However, nobody dared to underestimate this saber any longer.

"Daoist Dong Pan, are you really willing to give me such a treasure?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but look at Emperor Dong Pan with confusion.

He had imprinted his vital aura and extracted the knowledge within the battle saber.

This saber was called the Delirium Landbreaker Saber.

It was indeed a high-grade weapon, rated fifth-grade spirit equipment, capable of withstanding clashes between cultivators at the Golden Core phase or Spiritual Body phase under normal circumstances.

But most crucially, it was an earth-type treasure, making it a perfect match for Wu Yuan.

It was a tremendously valuable item!

Compared to the eighth-grade spirit saber Wu Yuan previously wielded, the Delirium Landbreaker Saber would take Wu Yuan's attack power to the next level.

"Treasures ought to be granted to heroes." Emperor Dong Pan smiled and said, "Wu Yuan, a young hero like you deserves a treasure like this. The decisive battle will soon begin. The stronger you are, the more you’ll be able to help us."

Emperor Dong Pan sighed and continued, "Besides, as its owner, you should understand that ordinary cultivators wouldn't be able to handle it."

Wu Yuan instinctively nodded.

Beyond the pressure it naturally exerted as a spirit weapon, the Delirium Landbreaker Saber also exerted extreme pressure on its owner’s soul, resulting in a strong urge to kill. Without a strong soul, one could not claim ownership, which was why the word ‘delirium’ was part of its name.

"Daoist Wu Yuan, with this precious treasure in your hands, our chances of winning this battle are greatly enhanced," Daoist Wan Xing added with hearty laughter.

The numerous Heavenly Rankers standing beside him also broke into smiles.

"Wu Yuan," a low voice suddenly echoed in his mind, "I hope you can spare the bloodline of the Martial King if I perish in the devil's lair." Emperor Dong Pan transmitted the message via Soul Force.

Understanding his intentions, Wu Yuan quickly responded to Dong Pan's question through Soul Force, "Daoist Dong Pan may rest assured. No matter who unifies the Middle Land, the Martial King, who founded our Middle Land’s civilization, will always be commemorated every year, for thousands of years to come."

Emperor Dong Pan smiled. Wu Yuan's promise was enough for him.

As time passed, conversation between the Heavenly Rankers faded out and the sky grew quiet, each person lost in their thoughts.

Wu Yuan stood in the air, familiarizing himself with the newly obtained Delirium Landbreaker Saber.

Given that he already reached the Domain stage, he could easily unleash the full potential of a sixth-grade spirit weapon. However, wielding a fifth-grade spirit weapon required more thought.

Less than two hours later, Daoist Wan Xing broke the silence, "They're here."

Wu Yuan, Niu Hao, and the other Heavenly Rankers watched as five streaks of light swiftly approached.

"Fellow Daoists, apologies for the tardiness," Fang Xia said, leading the team that included the Arctic King, Bei Li, Liu Junxing, and Wu Nonghan.

At this moment, all the Heavenly Rankers participating in the upcoming battle were fully assembled above North Huang City.

Daoist Wan Xing chuckled, "You’re not late, you’re just in time."

The Heavenly Rankers smiled. However, none of them relaxed. They knew this was the calm before the storm, and all of them adjusted their mental states in preparation for the ensuing battle.

Daoist Wan Xing addressed the group, "Fellow Daoists, Qiong Sea King, Mountain Devil King, Daoist Sang Gu, Black Snake King, and others have been tirelessly patrolling the outskirts of the devil zone in the Huang Continent for the past few days. Unfortunately, they have not found any signs of devil soldiers yet.”

“Daoist Qiong Sea King even patrolled the circumference just 1000 li from the devil's lair, yet no traces of devil soldiers were found.” Wan Xing's gaze swept across their faces. “Evidently, that the battle at North Huang City dealt an unprecedented blow to the worm devil’s forces.

"Therefore, as per the plan, let's not delay any longer and charge into the devil's lair," declared Daoist Wan Xing.

Emperor Dong Pan agreed firmly, "Indeed, we must not delay any longer."

"The devil soldiers are of secondary importance. It is the death of the worm devil that will put an end to this calamity," Fang Xia added.

Wu Yuan listened silently. Their original strategy involved systematically sweeping through the outskirts to eliminate the devil soldiers and weaken the worm devil's power.

However, it was clear that the worm devil had already fully consolidated its forces. In terms of growth rate, no one could match the worm devil, not even Wu Yuan himself.

One had to remember that Wu Yuan's rapid breakthrough did not happen in a short time. Instead, it was the result of several years' worth of accumulation.

Moving forward, progressing in the cultivation of vital ether and comprehension of the Daos would all require a significant length of time.

"Stick to the strategy," instructed Daoist Wan Xing in an authoritative tone. "We will directly invade the devil’s lair and eliminate the worm devil. Maintain contact with the Middle Land Immortal Hall."

“Let’s go!”

Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, Daoist Wan Xing, and a few others flew to the front, leading the charge like the tip of an arrowhead. The numerous other Heavenly Rankers followed suit, transforming into shining streaks of light as they soared toward the core of the devil zone.

Wu Yuan glanced in the direction of the Jiang Continent. No one knew whether he would survive this battle.

I have no choice but to fight for the sake of my family and the Middle Land.

There was no turning back; retreat was not an option.

As dawn broke on May 15th, in the year 3231 of the Eastern Martial calendar, the experts of the Middle Land made their final stand against the worm devil.

Yet, on this night, the citizens of various nations and billions of living beings in the Middle Land were still fast asleep.

...

The distance from North Huang City to the devil's lair was approximately 13,000 li. For Heavenly Rankers, this distance wasn’t far at all. Within two hours, they were already deep in the devil zone.

Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, and Daoist Wan Xing observed the surrounding terrain. Fierce gusts of wind blew, and mountain ranges stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Though it was the peak of summer, the time when life flourished, the landscapes were desolate and barren. Along their journey, they encountered countless mountain ranges, rivers, and forests, but signs of vitality and activity were scarce. The further they ventured into the devil zone, the fewer signs of life were visible.

Finally, a faint glimmer of light pierced through the darkness on the horizon, revealing a world shrouded in darkness.

The vast expanse was covered in a thin black film and devoid of any signs of life or greenery. Darkness consumed the landscape, as if all life had ceased to exist.

In that moment, all the Heavenly Rankers couldn't help but stop in horror. They had all heard the tales of worm devils obliterating everything in their path. But only now were they witnessing the extent of the devastation. It was a sight that left their hearts pounding in fear.

"We have reached the edge of the devil soil," declared Senior Wan Xing, his resonant voice echoing in the ears of all Heavenly Rankers. "About 100 li from here is the entrance of the devil's lair."

"According to Senior Wan Liu's intelligence, devil soil refers to the stronghold built by worm devils. It allows them to absorb abundant spiritual qi and strengthen their devil soldiers."

"The area encompassed by devil soil is the worm devil’s territory.” Daoist Wan Xing explained, "Wherever the devil soil expands, all signs of life are extinguished. There is no way to escape."

The Heavenly Rankers listened attentively, already fully aware of this information.

“Countless devil soldiers reside deep within the devil soil, including those at the Spiritual Body phase.” Daoist Wan Xing explained. “Therefore, any Heavenly Rankers that are too weak will serve little purpose by heading in, as you will just become cannon fodder or perish from the aftershocks alone.”

"Following the plan, we will split into two groups. The first group, supported by the two arrays, will aim to defeat the worm devil in a single, decisive strike. Failing to achieve this, we will eliminate as many of the relatively stronger devil soldiers as possible. After which, the second group will launch the second wave of attacks."

Daoist Wan Xing scanned the crowd. "If anyone has an objection. Raise them now."

He was met with silence.

"Daoist Wu Yuan," Daoist Wan Xing, along with the others, turned to Wu Yuan.

It was agreed upon previously that Wu Yuan would command the decisive battle.

The reasons were simple. First, Wu Yuan was the strongest among them and had the greatest chance of survival. Second, his Soul Force was unmatched, enabling him to perceive the entire battlefield even in the darkness underground.

"Let's go," Wu Yuan said succinctly, leading the way into the devil soil.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, Fang Xia, and the others split into their array teams and swiftly followed suit.

Qiong Sea King let out a fierce, low growl. Swinging its massive tail, it swiftly caught up, with Mountain Devil King trailing closely behind.

Black Jiao King, who was a sixth-stage Communion cultivator, and the other cultivators at the sixth-stage Qi Sea phase, including Fu Xinxia, Lei Lie, Bu Nianyan, He Lianqi, and Meng Geng, followed behind.

To participate in the battle, one had to reach the sixth-stage Qi Sea phase at minimum.

The 22 powerhouses representing the pinnacle of the Middle Land swiftly vanished from the sight of the remaining 30 or so Heavenly Rankers.

"Will we win?" asked Bu Yu, her anxiety evident.

"Definitely!" Huan Jian said softly, his eyes filled with longing and anticipation.

“Fellow Daoists, our strength is relatively weak, hence charging into the devil's lair is suicide for us," Sang Gu said solemnly. "But if Wu Yuan, Daoist Wan Xing, and the others fall, we will fight until our last breath."

"Everyone, please enter the Middle Land Immortal Hall to witness the battle."

"Prepare yourselves to head into battle."

Massive light screens materialized one after another in the Conference Hall of the Middle Land Immortal Hall.

It showed Wu Yuan, Daoist Wan Xing, Fang Xia, and the others soaring swiftly above the devil soil.

The most eye-catching figures were Wu Yuan, Daoist Wan Xing, and Fang Xia.

A young man dressed in pristine white robes, radiating an ethereal aura.

An elderly man clad in a somber black robe, showing no signs of joy or sorrow.

A middle-aged man dressed in splendid white robes, exuding a commanding presence.

Wu Yuan represented the peak of martial prowess within the Middle Land! Daoist Wan Xing and Fang Xia each commanded an array!

The outcome of the battle would be decided by these three. All Heavenly Rankers who were not part of the first wave watched the projections with a mixture of nervousness and hope.

"They’ve entered the devil's lair!" Sang Gu suddenly exclaimed.