The Yin-Yang Twin Demons’ eyes flickered slightly as a foul stench of corpses erupted around them. Suddenly, the two demons stood shoulder to shoulder and transformed into a gust of green wind that howled away, heading straight for the location of the Mulan Sacred Bird.
The cultivators collectively sighed in relief. Facing such monsters that fed on the essence and blood of living beings, anyone would feel a chill of fear.
The green wind transformed from the Twin Demons appeared to move slowly but was actually incredibly fast. However, halfway through, it gradually faded into nothingness, disappearing completely. The others exchanged surprised glances and couldn’t help but look at the disheveled old man controlling the Twin Corpses. The old man remained expressionless, showing no signs of abnormality. Seeing this, the other cultivators exchanged glances and calmed down.
On the battlefield near the spellcasters, the giant azure bird leisurely released demonic flames, suppressing the seven elders completely. By harnessing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the bird effortlessly gathered fire-attribute spiritual energy from a ten-mile radius around it, converting it into its own azure demonic flames. It barely consumed any of its own spiritual energy, and the longer the battle dragged on, the more fire-attribute energy it could utilize. This was the absolute difference between the Deity Transformation stage and those below it. Otherwise, the Deity Transformation-stage cultivator from Tiannan wouldn’t have been able to sweep through the entire region in a short time, unafraid of being besieged by multiple opponents.
Initially, the Tai Zhen Seven Elders could still contend with the demonic bird using the power of their ancient treasures. But as time passed, not only was their demon-sealing formation broken, but they were also trapped within the raging flames. Now, they could only barely defend themselves, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Suddenly, the demonic bird stopped spewing flames, its eyes flickering with suspicion as it glanced around, seemingly sensing something. With a clear cry, it spread its wings, and a ring of azure light erupted from its body, radiating outward in all directions, instantly covering everything within a hundred-zhang radius.
With a sizzling sound, a wisp of green smoke rose within the light. Then, the Yin-Yang Twin Demons materialized within a faint, ethereal mist, seemingly attempting to fly past the bird’s head.
Their concealment technique exposed, the Twin Demons let out piercing shrieks. After a quick roll, their bodies swelled, transforming into two-zhang-tall, red-haired, green-faced ghouls. Their fingers twitched, releasing dozens of gray threads of light that shot straight at the giant bird.
The azure bird was momentarily stunned before its eyes blazed with fury. Seeing the Twin Demons attacking, it opened its mouth and spewed an exceptionally thick azure fire pillar. Simultaneously, it flapped its wings, stirring the sea of flames beneath it into a hurricane, raising waves of azure fire dozens of zhang high, directly engulfing the Twin Demons.
The Yin-Yang Twin Demons, for reasons unknown, were able to withstand most of the attacks despite being at a disadvantage. The strands of corpse qi emanating from their bodies seemed impervious to the azure demonic flames.
With the pressure on them reduced, the Tai Zhen Seven Elders regained their vigor, linking their seven treasures together once more to unleash their power.
Just as most assumed the Twin Demons would join forces with the Seven Elders to deal with the Mulan Sacred Bird, the Twin Demons, after exchanging two fierce blows, suddenly flashed with gray light. Feinting an attack, they dodged left and right, slipping past the giant bird and breaking free from the sea of flames, charging straight toward an ancient lamp nearby.
A woman surnamed Le stood guard beside the lamp. Seeing this, her expression remained unperturbed as she cast a spell onto one of the lamps. Instantly, all nine lamps brightened, and another flame flew out. As the Twin Demons closed in, the nine flames spun rapidly before suddenly expanding, transforming into nine small azure birds. With a flap of their wings, the birds, wreathed in azure flames, flew toward the Twin Demons.
The Twin Demons, ferocious as ever, spewed gray corpse qi from their mouths while their fingers turned into a blur of claw shadows, instantly enveloping the firebirds. Amidst flashes of gray light and claw strikes, the nine firebirds were torn apart.
However, in that brief moment, the giant bird in the sky turned its head and spewed a vast expanse of azure radiance from its beak. With lightning speed, it swept up the Twin Demons’ bodies, dragging them back into the sea of flames.
Seeing this, the Tai Zhen Seven Elders’ hearts sank.
Meanwhile, the gaunt old man in the distance smiled faintly before turning to whisper something to the black-robed woman. The woman’s eyes swept across the battlefield, noting the exhaustion on both the spellcasters’ and cultivators’ faces, before nodding calmly.
She murmured a command, and a group of black-robed figures emerged from the spellcasters’ ranks, lining up in a row. Each had bulging pouches at their waists, carrying seven or eight bags. The black-robed woman opened her mouth and spat out an exquisitely crafted small banner. The banner, only two inches long, emitted a faint black light. But when she tossed it into the air, it expanded with the wind, growing to a zhang in size.
With a cold gesture, she pointed at the treasure. The black banner trembled, its surface shimmering with dark light before transforming into a streak of black light that shot into the sky, vanishing in an instant. Moments later, a chilling wind rose over the battlefield, and dark clouds blotted out most of the sunlight, casting the area below into shadow.
All the battling cultivators paused in astonishment.
The group of black-robed figures, however, wasted no time. They raised their pouches and began chanting. Thick black mist, mingled with gusts of yin wind, poured out from the pouches, quickly spreading across the battlefield and forming a vast, dark sea of fog. Within the fog, shadowy figures moved, their armor glinting faintly, as if an entire army lurked within.
This shocking sight naturally caught the attention of the observing cultivators, their expressions darkening. Long Han, in particular, furrowed his brows, sighing inwardly.
Soon, the mist from all the pouches had been expelled, and the army within the fog slowly emerged, revealing their true forms—rows of desiccated, copper-armored corpse puppets.
Though these corpse puppets swayed unsteadily as they walked, their armor clanking noisily, each had glowing green eyes and exposed fangs, their cultivation at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. At the forefront were three towering corpse kings, their cultivation surpassing the Core Formation stage, their eyes flickering with unsettling intelligence.
“Copper-armored corpse puppets! How can there be so many? There must be thousands!” a cultivator behind Long Han exclaimed in shock and anger.
“It’s nothing surprising. The Mulan have the support of the Jin Nation’s demonic sects. Having so many corpse puppets isn’t unusual. At the start of the battle, we wouldn’t have feared them. But now, with both sides exhausted, if these corpse puppets charge, Tiannan is doomed! We must hold them off first,” Long Han said coldly.
The others exchanged bitter smiles. Even if they, the reserve forces, intervened, the spellcasters had an equal number of reinforcements waiting. The outcome was already decided. As for the three great cultivators and the Mulan Divine Masters, though their battle raged fiercely above, neither side seemed close to victory. There was no hope for reinforcements from them.
Just as Long Han and the others prepared to act helplessly, a thunderous beastly roar erupted from the distance. A brilliant silver light flashed on the battlefield, and within the radiance, a colossal beast suddenly appeared. The giant ape stood over twenty zhang tall, its body pitch-black, its fur like arrows, its eyes blazing red like lanterns, and its nose grotesquely large—an utterly bizarre creature never seen before.
Upon appearing, the giant ape twisted its massive head to gaze at the copper-armored corpse puppets in the black mist. It pounded its chest twice with its long arms, letting out an excited roar before leaping forward, closing the distance to the corpse puppets in a few bounds.
The copper-armored corpse puppets, sensing the ape’s approach, needed no orders. A group of them took to the air, spewing black mist from their mouths and hands, forming a massive black cloud that descended upon the ape.
Though individually weak, the sheer volume of corpse qi from so many puppets would force even a Nascent Soul cultivator to retreat rather than face it head-on. Yet the giant ape showed no intention of dodging. Instead, it raised its head and snorted through its large nose, releasing two thick yellow beams that transformed into a sheet of yellow radiance. Like a whale sucking in the sea, the yellow radiance swept up the black cloud effortlessly, drawing it into the ape’s gaping maw.
The corpse puppets, with their dim intelligence, froze in shock.
Seizing the opportunity, the ape snorted repeatedly, releasing waves of yellow radiance that enveloped the airborne corpse puppets. The strands of black mist emanating from the puppets were all absorbed by the radiance. Deprived of their corpse qi, the puppets plummeted lifelessly from the sky, dissolving into wisps of gray smoke midair. In moments, hundreds of corpse puppets were wiped out. The ape licked its lips with a massive tongue, its greedy gaze shifting to the remaining puppets on the ground.
The ordinary corpse puppets, devoid of fear, remained unmoved. But the three corpse kings, at the Core Formation stage, grew restless, their eyes flickering with hesitation and fear. The other cultivators and spellcasters were stunned by the ape’s display of power.
The black-robed woman, horrified, didn’t even bother to consult the gaunt old man beside her. She transformed into a streak of yellow light, darting toward the giant ape. Seeing the ape open its mouth, yellow light flickering in its nostrils, she raised her hand in frustration. With a sizzle, a purple light shot forth, transforming into a massive blade several zhang long, slashing viciously at the ape.
But before the blade could reach the ape, a faint thunderclap sounded. Silver lightning flashed, and a green-robed youth materialized bizarrely on the ape’s shoulder. With a wave of his hand, a blue light shield shot forth.
A deafening clang rang out as blue and purple lights clashed. The blue shield was knocked back, but the purple blade was also blocked. The green-robed youth staggered slightly on the ape’s shoulder, a hint of surprise flashing across his face.
“Demonic cultivator?” the youth asked the black-robed woman coolly. Then, rubbing his hands together, thunderous cracks erupted as arcs of golden lightning of varying thicknesses appeared around his body, crackling and dazzling.
This youth was none other than Han Li!
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