“Hmm, that late-stage Demon Venerable was indeed quite troublesome, but he has indeed been slain by me.” Han Li saw no need to conceal the matter and nodded with a faint smile.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you have truly accomplished an unparalleled feat. With this battle, our victory is assured.” Upon hearing this, the silver-haired elder finally let go of his last trace of worry and exclaimed with elation.
Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and suddenly roared at the top of his lungs: “The Demon Saint Ancestor has been slain by us! What more can you demons do now? Your only fate is to be annihilated!”
The elder’s voice thundered across the battlefield like rolling thunder, audible to both humans and demons alike.
Upon hearing this, the human side erupted in cheers, their morale soaring instantly. In contrast, the demon forces grew restless.
When the high-ranking Demon Venerables glanced toward the elder’s direction and failed to spot the blood-robed youth or the burly demon, they were struck with horror and confusion.
Seizing the opportunity, the silver-haired elder and Golden Yue Chan Master swiftly formed hand seals and rushed toward the nearest battle, accompanied by several treasures.
There, two elders from Tianyuan City were locked in fierce combat with two Demon Venerables. Seeing the two approaching with overwhelming force, the demons exchanged alarmed glances.
“Retreat!” one of them, clad in green demon armor, barked lowly.
The other, shrouded in black mist, snorted coldly and rubbed his hands together before hurling them forward.
A deafening explosion erupted as countless black thunderbolts rained down, forcing the two human elders back momentarily. With a flick of his wrist, a pitch-black wooden boat appeared mid-air.
In a flash, he boarded it, and the boat transformed into a black streak, vanishing into the distance.
Meanwhile, the green-armored elder had already unfurled a green banner and shook it violently, releasing a surge of azure light that engulfed him.
With a flash, he disappeared without a trace. Moments later, a faint figure reappeared hundreds of feet away, only to vanish again in another burst of light.
The two Demon Venerables had fled without hesitation.
Their opponents, the two Tianyuan City elders, were naturally unwilling to let them escape. After dispersing the black thunderbolts, they prepared to give chase.
However, the silver-haired elder and Golden Yue Chan Master arrived nearby and stopped them.
“Fellow Daoists, there’s no need to pursue these fleeing demons. Assist the others first!” the silver-haired elder transmitted his words swiftly before redirecting his flight toward another battle.
In the blink of an eye, the entire demon army descended into chaos!
Seeing the tide turning against them, many Demon Venerables began retreating. Those who stubbornly pressed on were swiftly surrounded and either slain or forced to flee with severe injuries.
Without their leaders, the low-ranking demons grew terrified and began retreating in disarray, their morale shattered.
Despite heavy losses, the human and demon-slaying forces, now invigorated, charged out of the city in pursuit.
For miles around, the air was filled with the sounds of battle as countless demons fled in panic. Behind them, streaks of light pursued relentlessly, striking down low and mid-tier demons like falling dumplings, their fates unknown.
Han Li did not join Golden Yue Chan Master and the others in hunting the Demon Venerables. Instead, he remained still, observing the demon army’s collapse.
When he saw the last of the demons vanish from the vicinity of Tianyuan City, chased away like frightened ducks, he finally exhaled deeply.
Under these circumstances, the demon army’s defeat was irreversible. Even if another Demon Saint Ancestor avatar were to descend, it would be too late to turn the tide.
After lingering a while longer, Han Li noticed most defenders had chased far beyond the city. With a flash of green light, he and the leopard-qilin beast sped back toward the city.
By then, the news of the demon army’s defeat had spread among the city’s inhabitants. Cheers erupted everywhere as low-ranking cultivators poured into the streets, reveling in their victory.
The streets and lower skies teemed with people, bustling with excitement.
Though Han Li was usually unflappable, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. Yet he didn’t linger, heading straight for his residence.
Soon, he spotted his stone tower and flew directly into it without hesitation.
Instead of returning to the top floor, he descended to a secret chamber over a hundred feet underground.
After activating the restrictions and instructing the leopard-qilin beast, he immediately began meditating to recover.
His vitality was severely depleted, and the conflicting medicinal energies within his body posed a serious risk. The sooner he addressed them, the better.
Thus, he didn’t even wait for the silver-haired elder and the others to return before retreating into seclusion.
While Han Li was in seclusion, the human and demon-slaying forces, led by numerous Body Integration cultivators, pursued the fleeing demon army for three days and nights.
Though few high-ranking demons were slain, over half of the low and mid-tier demons were wiped out.
Tianyuan City’s forces achieved a decisive victory, and the triumphant army returned in high spirits.
To prevent the demons from regrouping, the silver-haired elder and others stationed scouts to monitor the remnants.
Upon their return, the warriors were greeted with fervent celebrations. A grand feast was held, attended by nearly the entire city.
Unbeknownst to most, however, Tianyuan City’s elders did not partake in the festivities. Instead, they gathered in a secret hall with other Body Integration cultivators, including envoys from the Sacred Island and a few reclusive Tianyuan City ascetics.
The assembly had just heard the silver-haired elder recount how the blood avatar was devoured by countless insects, leaving them all aghast.
“Golden Devouring Beetles—mature ones at that! To cultivate over ten thousand of these vicious insects is truly unbelievable. So, both the Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s avatar and that even more formidable late-stage Demon Venerable fell to Fellow Daoist Han?” muttered a yellow-faced man with a coarse black beard.
“To my shame, I played little role in that battle. Golden Yue Chan Master and I merely stalled the avatar for a while before Fellow Daoist Han’s beetles finished it off. And before that, he had already slain the other late-stage Demon Venerable alone,” the silver-haired elder admitted with a wry smile.
“Brother Gu, you’re too modest. Without you and the master wielding the sacred treasure, Fellow Daoist Han might not have caught the avatar, even with his beetles,” remarked a green-haired elder with narrow eyes.
“The Taiji Sacred Treasure was bestowed by Lord Mo Jianli before his departure. I dare not claim any credit for it,” the silver-haired elder demurred.
“Activating an Xuantian Sacred Treasure is no small feat. You and the master sacrificed your vital essence to do so. How can that not count as merit? If not, then the rest of us have even less to boast of,” the green-haired elder chuckled.
The silver-haired elder and Golden Yue Chan Master exchanged further modestries.
A woman in a light blue dress then spoke up gracefully: “Brother Gu and the master’s contributions are undeniable. Even before the battle, their meticulous planning laid the groundwork for victory. But from what you’ve said, Fellow Daoist Han’s abilities are extraordinary—likely among the top five in our two races. I would very much like to meet him. Where is he now?”
“Indeed, Lady Shui speaks wisely. I, too, wish to meet him,” others chimed in.
“I’m afraid Fellow Daoist Han is currently unavailable. He suffered significant vitality loss during the battle and entered seclusion immediately upon returning. That’s why I didn’t summon him today,” the silver-haired elder explained.
“I see. My apologies for the presumption. I shall visit him after he emerges,” Lady Shui said regretfully.
Others also expressed disappointment but said nothing more.
“Though Fellow Daoist Han’s contributions were immense, our victory was a collective effort. Tianyuan City owes you all a great debt. Should any of you ever need our aid, we will spare no effort to repay it,” the silver-haired elder declared solemnly, clasping his fists.
Other Tianyuan City elders echoed his pledge, much to the delight of the assembled cultivators. Such promises from figures of their stature were invaluable.
“Though we’ve won this battle, we must remain vigilant. The Demon Venerables and half their army remain intact. If the Blood Light Saint Ancestor sends another avatar, we may face another grueling fight. To prevent this, we must not remain passive. We must capitalize on our victory and hunt down the remnants, denying them any chance to regroup,” the silver-haired elder said grimly.
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