It was Han Li and the Azure Dragon Venerable along with the other four combined-cultivation-stage cultivators, while the rest were the few late-stage Void Refinement cultivators in the city.
They all remained silent, their gazes tightly fixed on the distant black demonic sea.
Suddenly, a blue glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes!
From the demonic sea, eerie laughter abruptly erupted, followed by the parting of demonic mist as several streaks of light shot out.
One was a black-armored man wielding a hammer, his expression grim; another was a white-robed youth with an icy demeanor—these were the two demonic combined-cultivation-stage cultivators they had encountered before.
As for the other two streaks of light, one was clad in crimson armor, standing ten zhang tall, wreathed in rolling flames. The other was a petite woman, barefoot, standing atop two massive serpents—one red, one green—her face adorned with a playful smile.
Though the latter two were unfamiliar in appearance, Han Li, who had thoroughly studied the information on the four demonic Venerables, recognized them at a glance. His expression flickered slightly as he silently verified the details against the records.
These two were only at the early-stage combined-cultivation level. Unless they possessed extraordinary treasures or cultivated some heaven-defying techniques, they shouldn’t pose much of a threat.
Moreover, according to the earlier discussions in the hall, these two newly encountered demonic Venerables were to be handled by Silver Light and Lin Luan. The black-armored giant and the white-robed youth, whose abilities far surpassed the latter, were to be restrained by him and the Azure Dragon Venerable.
As the Azure Dragon Venerable had said, they didn’t need to defeat their opponents outright—they merely had to keep the four demonic Venerables occupied until the Five Suns turned to Moons, which would count as a major victory.
Though their group witnessed the four demonic Venerables emerging from the demonic sea, after a brief stir, they remained motionless atop the grand hall.
After flying a short distance from the demonic sea, the four demonic Venerables halted their light streaks and revealed their forms. After exchanging a few low words, they hovered silently in mid-air, showing no immediate intention to challenge.
“These demons are quite patient. It seems they won’t attack until all five suns lose their celestial yang energy,” the Azure Dragon Venerable said with a grimace, his tone resigned.
Han Li smiled faintly but said nothing, instead raising his head to scan the sky once more.
At this moment, four of the seven suns in the sky had already dimmed completely. Only the fifth sun remained, now mostly covered in gray spots, which were spreading visibly across its remaining surface.
“Naturally! As long as the Five Suns to Moons phenomenon isn’t complete, these demons will still fear the Nine Suns Yang Formation’s lingering power,” Lin Luan chimed in with a smile.
“I see. But these demons likely don’t realize we’ve already deactivated the formation before its natural expiration. That’s why they’re hesitating! This works in our favor—buying more time is always advantageous,” the Azure Dragon Venerable mused, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
“But we probably can’t delay much longer,” the Silver Light Fairy remarked, glancing at the sky with a bitter smile.
“Heh, every extra moment we gain increases our chances. Better than the demons launching their assault immediately!” the Azure Dragon Venerable chuckled.
Hearing this, the Silver Light Fairy also smiled gracefully and fell silent.
Time passed slowly, and the fifth sun gradually dimmed.
The moment five gray suns appeared simultaneously in the sky, a chilling aura erupted from both the demonic sea and Skyreach City!
The Azure Dragon Venerable took a deep breath, about to speak, when the black-armored giant in the distance suddenly boomed:
“Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon, the grand formation you relied upon has already failed. Why persist in futile resistance? If you lead the surrender to our Sacred Race, this lord can request the elders to bestow upon you the Baptismal Grand Method, allowing you to join our ranks. This is your final chance. Refuse, and heh—our army will raze your insignificant Skyreach City to the ground!”
The black-armored giant’s voice resounded thunderously over Skyreach City’s walls, reaching the ears of most human cultivators.
The Azure Dragon Venerable’s expression darkened. With a cold snort, he retorted sharply:
“Hmph! This lord has never considered becoming a demon. Spare your efforts. I’d rather die in battle than surrender to your kind!”
His words, filled with fervor, invigorated the countless humans who heard them.
“Good, very good. This lord initially admired your skills and intended to spare you. Since you’re so stubborn, await your doom,” the black-armored giant replied, inwardly furious but outwardly sneering.
With that, he suddenly flicked his sleeve upward.
Three green light orbs shot out, vanishing in a flash before exploding thunderously a thousand zhang above.
Three massive green flames, each spanning an acre, hovered in the sky, radiating blinding light.
From behind the black-armored giant, the demonic sea erupted with shrill cries as colossal warships, each over a thousand zhang long, emerged like mountains. Simultaneously, gates opened, unleashing swarms of low-tier demonic beasts.
At the same time, ranks of armored demonic knights, mounted on various demonic beasts, surged forth like a tide behind the warships.
Within moments, the sky was filled with low-tier demonic beasts and the Myriad Phantoms Demon Cavalry, their numbers far surpassing what Han Li had seen before—utterly uncountable!
Moreover, this time, the warships released over three hundred super demonic beasts. Alongside the previously seen rhinoceros-like beasts, there were now several new, even more ferocious varieties.
Among them were gargantuan mantis-like creatures, grotesque birds with multicolored feathers, and finally, the most terrifying—human-faced flood dragons.
These new super demonic beasts numbered over two hundred for the mantis types, seventy to eighty for the rhinoceros types, thirty for the garish birds, and a mere three for the human-faced flood dragons.
Under the command of these super demonic beasts, the low-tier hordes charged toward Skyreach City like locusts.
Meanwhile, the warships roared, firing black beams to cover the assault.
The demonic knights, meanwhile, formed battle formations, advancing step by step behind the demonic hordes, their faces alight with bloodlust.
The most bizarre of them, the War Demons, remained unseen, likely still hidden within the demonic sea.
However, alongside the Myriad Phantoms Demon Cavalry, another elite force emerged from the demonic sea—towering, green-robed demons with sharp claws, fanged visages, and a third emerald eye on their foreheads.
Though slightly more numerous than the War Demons, they still numbered only twenty to thirty thousand, their green eyes gleaming with sinister smiles.
Witnessing the demonic army’s full-scale assault, the Azure Dragon Venerable and the others paled.
But since the demonic Venerables hadn’t yet acted, they too refrained from engaging directly.
Without explicit orders, the high-ranking human cultivators on the walls swiftly relayed commands to their forces.
The black beams from the warships rained down on Skyreach City’s defenses. Compared to the previous siege, these beams were thicker and fired incessantly.
Each beam carried force comparable to a full-powered strike from a Deity Transformation cultivator.
Under such overwhelming firepower, the outermost barriers dissolved almost instantly.
The entire city’s defenses teetered on collapse!
Han Li’s expression flickered, but before he could speak, surges of energy erupted from beneath Skyreach City, channeling mysterious power to reinforce the walls.
The massive city walls hummed as silver runes—never before seen—materialized, forming intricate silver arrays.
A brilliant glow erupted as the five-colored barrier was replaced by a shimmering silver dome, its surface smooth as crystal.
Most of the black beams now slid off harmlessly, with only a fraction striking the dome—barely causing a ripple.
Relief washed over Han Li, while the Silver Light Fairy openly rejoiced.
Meanwhile, under the high-ranking cultivators’ direction, the human forces launched their own massive counterattack.
The ground before the walls collapsed as bronze puppet legions emerged once more.
This battle mirrored the previous siege, but with both sides committing far greater numbers and intensity.
The sky blazed with streaks of spiritual light, while the earth trembled violently.
Within ten li of the walls, the battlefield became a slaughterhouse. Explosions of light filled the air, the cacophony deafening, the stench of blood saturating the void.
“Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon, dare you face this lord in battle?!”
Amidst the chaos, the black-armored giant’s laughter boomed from above. Two black tornadoes descended, hammering a section of the silver barrier until it flickered precariously.
The black-armored giant, wielding twin hammers, was assaulting the city’s defenses!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage