At the center of this procession, there stood a colossal black demonic vessel, several times larger than the other flying chariots. Most of it was shrouded in faint demonic energy, within which figures of masked demons, similarly attired, could vaguely be seen.
However, the auras emanating from these demons were noticeably stronger than those on the other flying chariots.
“How much longer until we reach Kapok City? This time, we’ve gone to great lengths to lure away the three Grand Ascension cultivators of the enemy, and I’ve paid a heavy price to evade the Wood Clan’s spies and return to the Spirit Realm in secret. Therefore, this operation must succeed—failure is not an option!” A hoarse voice suddenly echoed from within the demonic energy enveloping the massive vessel.
“Reporting to Lord Devourer! At our current speed, we are still about half a month away from Kapok City!” Another voice, belonging to a man, replied with utmost reverence.
“Hmph, unacceptable. That’s far too slow. Yuan Sha and the others may not be able to stall those three old ghosts for much longer. Increase our speed—we must reach Kapok City within ten days. Once we destroy the Wood Clan’s Sacred Tree within the city, they will lose all ability to defend their remaining territories. The importance of that Sacred Tree to the Wood Clan far exceeds your imagination,” the hoarse voice commanded emotionlessly.
“But Lord Devourer, the current speed is already the maximum stealth speed of the ‘Crescent Chariots.’ If we push it any further, we risk alerting the Wood Clan’s spies,” the man hesitated before replying.
“No matter! The allied forces of the other races have already begun to collapse and are retreating in disarray. If we proceed carefully, there should be no issues. Besides, with me personally overseeing this operation, even if we do encounter Wood Clan scouts, do you really think I’d let them live long enough to report back?” The hoarse voice let out a cold laugh.
“If Lord Devourer is willing to take action personally, then naturally, there’s no problem. This subordinate will immediately relay the orders!” The demonic man replied with evident delight.
A short while later, the black demonic vessel and all the flying chariots trembled slightly before their speed abruptly surged. However, a faint humming sound accompanied the acceleration, breaking the previous silence.
Seven days later, Han Li, who had been meditating beneath the towering sacred tree, suddenly stirred and opened his tightly shut eyes.
Almost simultaneously, the man and woman seated on either side of him also awoke from their trance.
Without a word, all three turned their gazes toward the distant sky.
Within moments, the sound of something cutting through the air echoed from the horizon!
A flash of green light—a sword beam several feet long shot forth, darting toward the giant tree in the valley after a few flickers.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and, without hesitation, raised a hand to summon it.
The sword beam circled once above the valley before descending toward the base of the tree.
Han Li’s fingers closed around it, and as the green light dissipated, a small, illusory green sword appeared in his palm, encasing a white jade slip.
With a twist of his hands, the green light scattered, leaving only the miniature jade slip behind.
Han Li pinched the slip between two fingers and pressed it against his forehead, instantly probing it with his spiritual sense.
Beside him, Cao Ji and Fei Xiaoxi watched solemnly.
After a short while, Han Li removed the jade slip and casually tossed it to the Wood Clan warrior before speaking calmly:
“In one hour, the demonic army will officially enter the grand formation. The entire formation will activate the power of the Wood Realm in half a day, trapping and annihilating two-thirds of the demons within.”
“The demons have truly taken the bait. If we can exterminate this portion of their forces within the formation, even if the allied forces cannot reclaim the occupied territories, the demons will be severely weakened and unable to launch another offensive for some time,” Cao Ji said with a triumphant expression after reading the jade slip, then passed it to Fei Xiaoxi.
“In that case, we’ll follow the orders and activate the formation’s power at the designated time. Once all thirty-six formation clusters are activated simultaneously, the demons trapped within will have no chance of survival,” Fei Xiaoxi remarked with a faint smile after scanning the slip with her spiritual sense.
“Naturally. However, once the formation’s restrictions are fully activated, this place will become a one-way entrance—no one will be able to leave. Ensure everyone remains on high alert,” Han Li said with a flicker in his eyes, his tone indifferent.
“Understood. Cao will immediately relay the orders and personally oversee the deployment of our forces,” Cao Ji replied without hesitation.
Since the guards here were primarily Wood Clan members, it was more appropriate for this Wood Clan Integration-stage cultivator to issue the commands.
“Then I’ll inspect the restrictions to ensure there are no oversights or flaws,” Fei Xiaoxi volunteered.
“Very well. I’ll leave these tasks to you both. I’ll remain here to oversee things. If you notice anything unusual, notify me at once,” Han Li nodded, showing no objection.
With that, the Wood Clan warrior and the Rakshasa woman rose to their feet and flew off in different directions.
Han Li closed his eyes once more beneath the tree, his expression as calm as ever, as if the impending arrival of the demonic army held no concern for him.
…
Half a day later, rumbling sounds reverberated across a vast expanse of land spanning hundreds of thousands of miles. Centered around the thirty-six formations, towering trees erupted from the earth, each as thick as a water vat.
These trees grew with astonishing speed, reaching heights of over a hundred zhang in the blink of an eye, transforming the regions into endless seas of forest.
The demonic troops that had already been lured into the formations—whether riding flying artifacts or relying on their own flight techniques—suddenly found their abilities nullified by invisible restrictions in the air, plummeting from the sky.
Only those demons at the Void Refinement stage or above managed to remain aloft, though their energy consumption surged severalfold, and they could no longer ascend to great heights.
While most demons, with their tough hides, survived the fall unscathed, the sudden chaos threw their ranks into disarray.
In contrast, the allied forces of the other races had anticipated this change. The moment the flight restrictions took effect, they swiftly descended to the ground.
Amid the sea of trees, countless flashes of green light erupted, and the densely packed allied forces vanished in an instant.
Even the demonic Integration-stage overlords, scanning the forest with their vast spiritual senses, found nothing, leaving them both furious and alarmed.
Millions of demons were now trapped within the forest, yet not a single enemy could be found.
But the true terror of the Wood Realm Grand Formation had only just begun.
First, an indescribable, eerie ripple emanated simultaneously from the centers of the thirty-six formation clusters, sweeping across every corner of the forest. Pure wood-attribute spiritual energy materialized between the trees before being greedily absorbed by the largest among them.
A deafening roar erupted as these massive trees abruptly uprooted themselves. Bathed in emerald light, they transformed into towering treants, each standing a hundred zhang tall. With mighty swings of their fists, they charged toward the demonic forces.
Not only that, but the surrounding trees, having absorbed varying amounts of spiritual energy, also underwent drastic changes—some lashed out with their branches, while others morphed into massive logs that crashed down upon the demons.
Caught off guard, the demons screamed in agony as countless fell in an instant.
However, many high-ranking demons were also trapped within the formation. Reacting swiftly, they barked orders, and the disciplined demonic ranks quickly regrouped. Some jointly summoned demonic artifacts, while others formed demonic arrays, temporarily stabilizing their defenses.
Yet the Wood Realm’s Thirty-Six Heavenly Annihilation Formation, as a race’s ultimate defensive array, was far from spent. Just as the demons, at great cost, managed to clear the treants and hostile trees, waves of green energy rolled across the sky.
Suddenly, fierce winds howled into existence, coalescing into colossal white tornadoes that intertwined and morphed into enormous wind dragons. With claws bared, they descended upon the demons below.
After the wind dragons came countless emerald-green leaves materializing in the sky. With a chorus of sharp chimes, they transformed into razor-sharp blades, raining down like a tempest…
After over a dozen such relentless assaults, more than half of the millions of demons lay dead or wounded. The survivors were either exceptionally powerful or under the protection of high-ranking demons—otherwise, they would never have endured such ferocious attacks.
However, despite its might, the Wood Realm Grand Formation’s energy reserves were not infinite. Launching such large-scale attacks against so many demons drained its power at an alarming rate.
Even with vast quantities of spirit stones, numerous spiritual veins, and the thirty-six reserve Sacred Trees supplying pure spiritual energy, the formation could no longer sustain further attacks after this onslaught. It could only barely maintain its trapping effect, slowly replenishing its energy for the next strike.
Based on the formation’s absorption rate, the next wave of attacks would require at least another half-day to prepare.
…
Outside the Wood Realm Annihilation Formation, the demonic forces saw a flash of green light before an immense, impenetrable green barrier silently rose like a celestial dome, cutting them off from their trapped brethren.
Enraged and alarmed, the demons, led by their high-ranking commanders, immediately prepared to assault the barrier. With their combined might, they believed even the most formidable barrier would soon fall.
But at that moment, white light flashed before the colossal barrier as countless massive teleportation arrays materialized out of thin air.
“Attack now! Those are teleportation formations!” Some high-ranking demons reacted instantly, shouting in alarm.
But their orders came too late.
As the arrays shimmered with white light, countless figures of allied soldiers appeared within them, filling the sky like a tidal wave.
The next moment, battle cries erupted as the allied forces surged toward the remaining demonic troops without hesitation.
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