Chapter 269: Dire Straits

The force of the devil soldier’s claws reverberated through the length of the battle saber and slammed into the eldritch battle armor. Wu Yuan, towering at a height of five zhangs, was forcefully thrown backward against his volition.

However, his weapons, battle armor, as well as the Beast Fusion state helped to dissipate some of the force, leaving Wu Yuan mostly unharmed. Only his internal qi roiled.

I only have a slight advantage? This devil soldier must be at the third-stage Spiritual Body phase!

Through the direct collision with the devil soldier, Wu Yuan was able to ascertain its strength.

That was indeed the case. Wu Yuan's power was equivalent to a ninth-stage Communion cultivator with a sixth-degree immortal root. Thus, he would be no match for a first-stage Spiritual Body devil soldier. But since reaching the Domain stage, Wu Yuan’s overall combat power made him more than capable of confronting it.

By employing the ether art and Beast Fusion, my burst power mirrors that of a devil soldier at the third-stage Spiritual Body phase. Moreover, the Delirium Landbreaker Saber amplifies my attack, giving me a slight edge over it.

Nevertheless, it was only a small advantage. A Spiritual Body devil soldier could unleash immense combat power even without the use of artifacts or ether arts, solely relying on their physiques.

At the end of the day, I am still at the fifth-stage Communion phase, with limited ether available to me. Although my strength greatly increases when I activate Eldritch Form, the consumption is equally enormous.

Wu Yuan clearly recognized this fact.

Once I run out of ether, my combat power will only be comparable to a devil soldier at the first-stage Spiritual Body phase.

I have to end this battle quickly!

In the fleeting moment of their collision and subsequent recoil, Wu Yuan made up his mind.

His wings quivered, his body flickering as he quickly dodged to the side to avoid the devil soldier. Then, he headed straight for that huge black sphere.

Why bother getting entangled with these devil soldiers? Wu Yuan’s main target was the worm devil!

As long as he could slay the worm devil, these seemingly daunting and formidable devil soldiers would crumble without a fight, no longer posing a threat to them.

The colossal third-stage Spiritual Body devil soldier soared through the air with an earth-shaking roar. Its enormous tail sliced through the sky toward Wu Yuan.

Clang!

The clash of metal reverberated through the air as Wu Yuan intercepted the strike with his saber.

Two additional devil soldiers with crimson wings flew toward Wu Yuan, roaring as they clawed at him.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, sending soil flying in every direction. Blade rays flashed and an earthy yellow qi current surged forth, enveloping the three devil soldiers in its power.

One third-stage Spiritual Body soldier, and two second-stage Spiritual Body soldiers

. Wu Yuan unleashed all his strength, speed, skill, and power, not holding anything back.

However, these three Spiritual Body devil soldiers demonstrated exceptional coordination, surpassing even their counterparts in the battle at North Huang City. With their massive bodies, sharp claws, and strong tail strikes, they effectively sealed off all angles of Wu Yuan's attacks, completely entrapping him.

The devil soldiers' gaze held both chilling murderous intent and a touch of arrogance, suggesting an intelligence beyond that of mindless beasts. It was clear that they were not acting independently, but rather being manipulated by the worm devil.

It was as though the worm devil was controlling eight puppets to eliminate Wu Yuan, Daoist Wan Xing, and the other cultivators.

This was the advantage of fighting on its home turf. When the distance between the worm devil and its soldiers was too far, controlling them was a challenge, thus it allowed them to fight with greater freedom. However, when in close proximity, manipulating its soldiers became much easier.

While the worm devil’s skill and cultivation level were inferior to Wu Yuan’s, its intelligence surpassed that of its soldiers.

“Roar!” “Roar!” Two devil soldiers, one at the third-stage Spiritual Body phase and the other at the second-stage Spiritual Body phase, charged forward with lightning speed. Together, they launched a fierce assault on the six-legged golden mantis.

The clash of weapons and claws echoed through the air. Streams of golden energy howled, glinting sharply as they converged as one.

The six-legged golden mantis radiated an aura of slaughter, fully embracing its nature as a deadly predator.

Under Fang Xia’s command, the array erupted with tremendous power, causing the battlefield to tremble.

In a fraction of a second, both sides engaged in an intense clash, exchanging hundreds of blows.

Each saber strike dealt damage to the devil soldiers, and every collision left a lasting impact on their bodies. However, the wounds on the Spiritual Body devil soldiers, ranging from just a few meters to tens of meters, were just a slight nuisance. They simply regenerated all torn flesh, an ability further amplified by being in the vicinity of the devil soil.

"These Spiritual Body devil soldiers are troublesome foes," Fang Xia muttered through gritted teeth. He was exerting his full effort to control the array. But despite appearing to have the upper hand, he was unable to break through the defenses of the devil soldiers.

The six-legged golden mantis fought with incredible agility, but its burst speed could not compare to that of Wu Yuan, who had the help of a Teng Snake.

On the other hand, the Spiritual Body devil soldiers were unafraid to endure each strike with their near indestructible bodies, boldly engaging in head-on clashes.

The six-legged golden mantis excelled in offense, but its defense was only average. With repeated collisions, the array could crumble. After all, arrays were not true bodies.

We cannot get past them.

Daoist Wan Xing’s expression darkened like a stormy sea.

He infused all his power into the Septet Ignis Array, causing the purple roc's aura to surge. Flames danced through the air, turning the underworld into a sea of fire.

Two enormous devil soldiers completely disregarded the flames raging around them, blocking the path with their huge frames. They clashed head-on with the purple roc repeatedly, not allowing it to advance a single inch.

Damn it!

Daoist Wan Xing overflowed with frustration.

If only I controlled a Domain, allowing me to unleash more of the array’s power.

The purple roc wielded by the coordination of seven late-stage Qi Sea cultivators was fundamentally more powerful than the six-legged golden mantis or even Wu Yuan.

However, due to Daoist Wan Xing's lower skill level compared to Wu Yuan and Fang Xia, the power unleashed by the purple roc was slightly weaker than that of the six-legged golden mantis.

The main advantage of the purple roc was its defense, allowing it to confront the devil soldiers fearlessly.

In contrast, both Qiong Sea King and the Mountain Devil King were completely suppressed by the last third-stage Spiritual Body devil soldier and unable to advance. This third-stage Spiritual Body devil soldier even had enough strength left to provide support to the other devil soldiers on the battlefield.

Black Snake King, Lei Lie, and the other cultivators at the sixth-stage Qi Sea phase refrained from charging into the fray. Instead, they supported the melee fighters with long-range arcane arts and artifacts.

However, their attacks lacked the same impact as those executed through the coordination array. Along with their weaker cultivation levels, the Spiritual Body devil soldiers barely paid attention to them, and they had little influence on the overall battle.

The top 22 immortal cultivators of the Middle Land united to launch their strongest attacks, but were effortlessly countered and subdued by the eight Spiritual Body devil soldiers.

Furthermore, there were over ten Communion devil soldiers, each exceeding 200 meters, positioned around the colossal black sphere.

They stood at a distance, observing the battle and refusing to engage. These soldiers acted as the worm devil’s last line of defense.

...

In the Middle Land Immortal Hall, a heavy silence filled the air. Bu Yu, Huan Jian, Meng Cai, and the other Heavenly Rankers stared at the light screen, their tension palpable.

They were completely taken aback by the magnitude of the battle, as well as the level of power unleashed by the combatants.

"Wu Yuan’s strength is truly terrifying!

“How did he manage to single-handedly restrain three Spiritual Body devil soldiers?"

"His speed is incredible, he’s not allowing the worm devil to catch its breath at all.”

"The spirit beasts conjured by the two arrays are equally formidable."

These Heavenly Rankers couldn't deny that Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, and Daoist Wan Xing were completely unmatched in the Middle Land.

However, the worm devil’s forces were even more powerful. It had a total of eight Spiritual Body devil soldiers, three of them at the third-stage Spiritual Body phase, and five at the second-stage Spiritual Body phase.

Their impenetrable blockade completely halted Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, and Daoist Wan Xing's attempts to approach the massive black sphere.

"Can we win?"

“We must win.” Countless Heavenly Rankers silently prayed, feeling a sense of powerlessness wash over them. They might possess the strength to fight Communion devil soldiers. But confronted with Spiritual Body devil soldiers, they could only resign themselves to fate.

“Not good.” Sang Gu's face twisted in distress. “The Septet Ignis Array is on the verge of collapsing!"

The Heavenly Rankers felt their hearts plummet.

...

Deep in the heart of the devil's lair.

A battered Spiritual Body devil soldier, its hide scorched and flesh torn, swung its enormous steel-like tail, aiming for the majestic purple roc.

Bang!

The purple roc was sent reeling back again, its body of flames crashing to the ground.

The impact of the force penetrated the array, causing the cultivators within to cough up blood. Though the force was diminished by more than 99%, it still caused the vital qi of the array controllers to churn.

Blood trickled from the corners of Jin Ji’s mouth.

The battle had barely just begun!

“This Daoist Wan Xing is a lunatic. By clashing with the Spiritual Body devil soldier over and over again, the array is bound to crumble eventually.” Jin Ji's eyes flickered with fury as he caught sight of the figure in black robes on the large array disk.

“Wu Yuan is strong, but the worm devil’s forces are even stronger.”

“If my father joined the fight against the worm devil right after breaking through, there might have been a chance for us to emerge victorious.”

“But now, it’s too late. This battle is already lost. The third-stage Spiritual Body devil has yet to use its full strength, and there are still nearly twenty devil soldiers at the eighth or ninth stages of the Communion phase.”

“I’ve done my best. I refuse to perish in this place.” Jin Ji made an instantaneous decision.

Zhao Xing and Hai Feizhang heard his voice in their minds.

"Very well," Zhao Xing replied.

"If you want to leave, go ahead. After much thought, I realized that I cannot abandon my homeland." Hai Feizhang changed his mind.

Jin Ji and Zhao Xing glanced at each other. What a fool!

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

At that very moment, the purple roc collided forcefully with the devil soldier once more.

"Now!" Jin Ji's form was instantly encased in a layer of green light. He quickly left his position within the array and sped into the raging inferno at the tail.

At the same time, Zhao Xing darted forward. Swiftly, the two of them left the array and transformed into streaks of light, rushing towards the rear.

With two controllers suddenly leaving the array, the purple roc’s aura instantly weakened and its fiery wings fractured, causing it to tumble and plummet downward.

“Not good!”

“Jin Ji! Zhao Xing!”

“Traitors!”

The cultivators observing the battle in the immortal hall immediately erupted with uncontrollable rage.

Daoist Wan Xing and Emperor Dong Pan turned ashen. They never imagined that Jin Ji and Zhao Xing would abandon the battle at such a crucial moment.

It was an unforgivable betrayal!!

A menacing silhouette raced through the sky, its claw rays leaving a foreboding trail. The devil soldier which had been reserving its strength eagerly seized the opportunity before it.

Rumble!

The massive purple roc, pushed to its limits, split in half with a thunderous explosion. Flames scattered in every direction, revealing the cultivators inside.

The other second-stage Spiritual Body devil soldier swiftly closed in for the kill.

The sharp claw ray tore through the air, instantly cleaving through one of the figures.

"Watch out!"

Boom!

A body was reduced to flesh and blood.

Rong Yue, the leader of the Ninedeaths Circle, was dead!