Han Li, who was flying back to his residence, suddenly halted his flight aura and stopped mid-air, his face filled with astonishment as he gazed upward.
Above Tianyuan City, the originally clear blue sky had, without warning, revealed seven enormous crimson stars, turning the entire sky into a fiery red hue.
Even though Tianyuan City was shielded by multiple layers of restrictions, a faint scorching heat could still be felt.
Whether it was the busy guards or the ordinary cultivators meditating in their residences, all of them emerged in shock to observe the celestial anomaly.
As a Core Formation cultivator, Han Li’s spiritual sense allowed him to perceive far more than others. His gaze at the sky carried an unusual trace of gravity.
He could vaguely sense the immense law power emanating from the seven crimson stars, a force seemingly capable of severely injuring or even annihilating him.
This realization sent a wave of terror through his heart.
At that moment, the seven crimson stars suddenly pulsed with swirling red light. Then, centered around them, an incredibly intricate and massive formation diagram materialized in the sky.
The formation, blazing like fire, appeared to cover nearly half of Tianyuan City. Following a violent fluctuation of the laws of heaven and earth, the seven stars within the formation blurred and transformed into the illusion of a colossal firebird. With a clear cry, it swooped down from the sky.
A deafening explosion shook the heavens!
The entire Tianyuan City trembled as a mushroom-shaped crimson fire cloud erupted from the direction of the city walls, soaring tens of thousands of feet into the air.
Even from such a distance, Han Li could clearly see the ferocious roiling of the fire cloud, sending a chill down his spine.
Almost simultaneously, the area where the demonic forces were attacking, demarcated by a golden barrier, became two distinct worlds—one unchanged and the other completely engulfed in a sea of flames.
Under the mushroom cloud, crimson fire waves spread across nearly a thousand miles.
The demonic beasts caught in the flames were instantly reduced to ashes, utterly incapable of resisting such an attack.
As for the demonic cultivators, even with their magical treasures offering some protection, none could escape the vast area of devastation. They perished in agonizing screams, their bodies turning into fireballs before plummeting to their doom.
Only the five super demonic beasts managed to summon thick protective auras, remaining unscathed for the moment. However, even they couldn’t endure the extreme heat for long.
The massive black avian demon took to the skies, transforming into a streak of black light that traversed a hundred miles in an instant. With a few more flashes, it escaped the inferno at an astonishing speed.
The crimson giant ape, without hesitation, stomped the ground and launched itself like a meteor, its massive body turning into a whirlwind that parted the flames in its wake. Though slightly slower than the avian demon, it too managed to escape the danger zone.
The two white snails and the three-headed purple serpent, however, were far less agile. Despite their desperate attempts to flee, they only made it a few hundred miles before their protective auras shattered. With agonized shrieks, they too were consumed by the flames.
Shortly after the demise of the three super demonic beasts, two figures—one purple and one green—shot out from the fire cloud. Without pause, they transformed into streaks of light, fleeing tens of thousands of miles before finally stopping.
They were the high-ranking demonic cultivators—the purple-armored man and the green-robed elder.
Despite the terrifying attack, these two had miraculously survived. However, their tattered clothes and the scent of scorched flesh made it clear they had barely escaped with their lives.
Their faces were grim as they looked back at the sea of flames.
“I never expected the humans to deploy such an attack against us. They must hold us in high regard!” the purple-armored man spat through gritted teeth, his expression filled with resentment.
“Indeed, it’s unexpected. Logically, they shouldn’t have used such a trump card against mere demonic beasts. The energy consumption for this attack must be staggering. Either this city has an immense reserve of spirit stones, or the human in charge of its defenses is utterly irrational,” the green-robed elder muttered, his face pale.
“Who cares if the city’s defender is insane? The problem is, we’ve lost almost all our forces and demonic beasts, with only two super beasts surviving. We’ll surely face punishment upon our return,” the purple-armored man said bitterly.
“Not necessarily. Our mission was to test the city’s defenses and draw out their attacks. Exposing such a devastating countermeasure is no small achievement. It might offset any penalties,” the elder replied calmly.
“I hope so. At least we didn’t bring our elite forces this time, or the losses would’ve been catastrophic,” the purple-armored man sighed.
“Venerable Shi, there’s no need for despair. We were caught off guard this time, but next time, we won’t fall for the same trick,” the elder reassured him.
“True. When the opportunity arises, I will avenge this humiliation. I, Shi, have never suffered such a defeat since achieving my cultivation! Let’s return and report, Elder Green,” the purple-armored man said coldly, not waiting for a reply before taking off again.
The green-robed elder cast a sinister glance at Tianyuan City, now obscured by flames, and with a cold laugh, transformed into a green streak and departed.
The two surviving super demonic beasts, thoroughly frightened, had already fled the scene.
In moments, the area fell into silence.
Unnoticed by anyone, atop a peak several hundred miles away, a translucent crystal orb floated quietly in the air, its surface flickering with faint spiritual light.
Simultaneously, in a triangular tower within a demonic city far from Tianyuan, over twenty high-ranking demonic cultivators stood in two rows within a grand hall.
At the end of the hall, seated on a black throne, was a middle-aged man in a blood-red robe.
His refined, jade-like features made him appear almost human.
In the center of the hall, another crystal orb, identical in size to the one near Tianyuan, hovered in the air. Its surface displayed the fiery devastation outside Tianyuan City.
The assembly watched the scene intently. While the blood-robed man remained expressionless, the other demonic cultivators displayed varied reactions.
“Great Saint, Venerable Shi and Elder Green have proven utterly incompetent, losing all their forces to a mere defensive attack. They must be severely punished upon their return!” declared a dignified-looking man with a spiral horn.
“Brother Ban, your words are too harsh. Shi and Green acted appropriately. Even you or I would have fared no better. The humans’ counterattack was unexpectedly fierce. Moreover, uncovering such a trump card is a significant achievement. The loss of some low-tier beasts is negligible. If anything, they deserve commendation,” retorted a demonic man with a translucent face.
“Venerable Xuan, your leniency is misplaced. Even if those beasts were expendable, losing so many is a substantial setback. Not to mention the three rare super beasts that perished without contributing. If such failures go unpunished, future leaders will expect rewards for incompetence,” the horned man sneered.
“Ban, are you implying you could have done better? Given your feud with Shi, one wonders if your criticism stems from personal vendetta,” the translucent-faced man shot back.
The exchange quickly grew heated.
Other high-ranking demons watched silently—some indifferent, some frowning, others smirking.
A few more joined the debate, stirring chaos in the hall.
“Enough! Silence!” The blood-robed man’s cold voice cut through the noise.
The hall fell quiet instantly, the disputants bowing and ceasing their arguments.
“I will decide their fate upon their return. Today, you are here to assess Tianyuan’s defenses and devise a strategy to breach it swiftly. Other forces are already advancing. I will not tolerate lagging behind,” the blood-robed man declared icily.
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