Chapter 1040: Retreat!

The forces of the Black Fiend Marsh besieged Dongbo Xueying, seemingly holding the upper hand, yet inwardly they were filled with bitterness.

“Lord of Fiends, he keeps targeting me with his attacks. That spear technique is too bizarre—my body is already over fifty percent damaged,” a cold-faced youth urgently transmitted via voice.

*Whoosh.*

Dongbo Xueying’s spear twirled like a coiling dragon, the surrounding void twisting as the weapon seemed to appear and vanish unpredictably. At times, the spearhead would materialize right before one of the Chaos Realm fiends.

A single thrust.

Though the fiend’s body was protected by a battle formation, a swirling vortex of steps inexplicably formed at the cold-faced youth’s chest, converging into a single point. This rotating “void vortex” was, in truth, countless fragments of space spinning wildly, piercing into the youth’s body and savagely tearing through it. Even as his body rapidly regenerated, his vitality was steadily drained.

“What an eerie spear technique,” the White Cloud Fiend Lord fumed. “Earlier, when Xuefu and the other three formed their battle formation, this same technique pierced through their defenses and effortlessly killed three of the weaker Chaos Realm fiends. Now, even with four ninth-level Chaos Realm fiends amplifying the formation’s power, his spear technique still manages to penetrate and wound ‘Yinfu.'”

“Go.”

Dongbo Xueying moved like a phantom, his spear dancing as he struck again and again.

With his mastery over void manipulation, escaping would have been effortless. So why did he persist in counterattacking despite being surrounded? To truly drive these fiends back. If he fled, they would be free to slaughter and perform blood sacrifices at will.

“Yinfu the Ancient Fiend is the physically weakest among these four ninth-level Chaos Realm fiends. The ‘Void-Piercer’ technique I derived from the Crimson Cloud Spear, despite the battle formation’s interference, only had its power reduced by thirty percent. The remaining seventy percent is steadily wearing him down,” Dongbo Xueying mused silently. “He won’t last much longer.”

A pity.

Of the five techniques he had derived from the Crimson Cloud Spear, only the “Crimson Cloud Domain” could unleash tenth-level Chaos Realm power. The others were merely at the peak of the ninth level.

If the “Void-Piercer” technique could reach tenth-level power, a single strike would likely grievously wound Yinfu, and three strikes would be enough to end his life. These ancient fiends would probably flee in no time.

…

Dongbo Xueying didn’t mind the tenacity of his foes. Instead, he saw this as a rare opportunity—life-and-death battles were hard to come by, and they were invaluable for honing his spearplay.

Only in the heat of battle could one truly grasp the profound mysteries of the spear.

“My body is over seventy percent damaged,” Yinfu the Ancient Fiend transmitted urgently.

“We can’t kill him.”

“His domain is too troublesome, and his spear technique is too formidable.”

The other fiends grew anxious.

They had exhausted every means at their disposal, combining their efforts with the White Cloud Fiend Lord, hoping to eliminate Ying Shan Xueying before Yinfu collapsed.

“Are we going to fail?” The White Cloud Fiend Lord watched the white-clad youth whose movements were ever-changing and vaguely understood—even with the battle formation’s assistance, they couldn’t win. Alone, he stood no chance.

At the tenth-level Chaos Realm, battles often reached a stalemate—neither side could overcome the other.

At that point, it came down to ultimate techniques.

The more formidable the technique, the more extraordinary the means.

“I thought that since Ying Shan Xueying had cultivated for such a short time, his strength would be incomplete. Yet we still failed,” the White Cloud Fiend Lord sighed inwardly. A single tenth-level Chaos Realm technique, the “Crimson Cloud Domain,” rendered Dongbo Xueying invincible. The Crimson Cloud Sovereign was renowned for “fearing no group battles and mastering the void domain”—and for good reason.

Of course, there were secret arts capable of breaking the “Crimson Cloud Domain,” but they were beyond the White Cloud Fiend Lord’s reach.

“I can’t hold on any longer. I won’t resist,” Yinfu the Ancient Fiend transmitted desperately.

“Fine.”

The other three fiends didn’t object.

The White Cloud Fiend Lord stepped forward and waved his hand, summoning a massive cloud-like palm that enveloped all four of them. Without resistance, they were swiftly drawn into a pocket realm treasure.

“Lord, what should we do?”

The White Cloud Fiend Lord directly contacted the Blood Fiend Lord, the third-ranked leader of the Black Fiend Marsh.

The Black Fiend Marsh was divided into three factions, each led by a lord—all terrifying fiends whose names shook the Heart Realm Continent. Even the Six Great Ancient Nations struggled to eradicate them. The White Cloud Fiend Lord belonged to the Blood Fiend Lord’s faction.

“Ying Shan Xueying’s void manipulation is extraordinary. He could easily tie down my true form. I could descend an avatar to slaughter indiscriminately… but he would also send avatars to swiftly gather countless citizens into pocket realm treasures. Moreover, the Huolie Marquis and others would undoubtedly be released to do the same. And the Unity Realm squads I led would likely be decimated.”

“If we retreat, Ying Shan Xueying should know better than to push us.”

The White Cloud Fiend Lord sought the Blood Fiend Lord’s counsel.

Since they could no longer control the Blood Sacrifice Fiend Bottle, any slaughter now would merely be for “venting anger.” But given Ying Shan Xueying’s superior void manipulation, they would likely only manage to slaughter a fraction of the city’s populace.

“Retreat,” the Blood Fiend Lord decreed.

“As you command.”

The White Cloud Fiend Lord immediately relayed the order.

“Withdraw!”

At his command, the message spread to all his subordinates.

“Acknowledged.”

The scattered Unity Realm fiend squads throughout Huolie City began teleporting away. Their teleportation range was limited, so their retreat was naturally slower.

The White Cloud Fiend Lord ceased his attacks.

Dongbo Xueying also halted, standing amidst the ruins, spear in hand.

“Ying Shan Xueying, I never expected my blood sacrifice to be thwarted by you,” the White Cloud Fiend Lord chuckled. “With a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert interfering, failure isn’t unexpected.”

Throughout history, the Black Fiend Marsh had slaughtered and performed blood sacrifices in countless cities.

Given the frequency, they occasionally encountered obstacles—perhaps a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert happened to be residing in the city, or a Universe God from one of the Six Great Ancient Nations passed by and intervened to preserve their dignity.

Thus, blood sacrifices sometimes failed.

“You’re from the Black Fiend Four Nations, and I’m from the Black Fiend Marsh. We’ll have plenty of chances to cross paths in the future,” the White Cloud Fiend Lord said with a smile.

*Whoosh.*

His body abruptly dissipated.

In the distance, atop Huolie City’s walls, countless clouds coalesced, reforming the White Cloud Fiend Lord’s figure. The Unity Realm fiend squads swiftly gathered around him.

Dongbo Xueying watched from afar as the remnants of the Southcloud Sacred Hall’s main chamber opened, revealing Chunyu Weiyi and the others, who gazed warily into the distance.

“Good. They didn’t go mad,” Dongbo Xueying thought to himself.

Had the fiends chosen to vent their fury through slaughter, nearly half of Huolie City’s populace would have perished. Though he could have slain many Unity Realm fiend squads in retaliation, Dongbo Xueying preferred to avoid such an outcome.

…

In the Black Fiend Marsh, within a grand palace.

The three lords sat upon their thrones.

“Haha, Third Brother, your blood sacrifice has failed,” a black-robed middle-aged man said lightly. Given their status, such a minor setback meant little—especially since it took a tenth-level Chaos Realm expert to cause it.

“Third Brother, you’re quite composed. You didn’t even order your subordinates to slaughter?” The elder on the left, a smiling old man, chuckled.

“Eldest Brother, Second Brother.”

A sickly pale man in green robes smiled faintly. “Since we lost, there’s no need for pointless slaughter.”

“Third Brother is merciful,” the black-robed middle-aged man remarked. He understood that his brother’s mercy wasn’t directed at the countless cultivators but at the Unity Realm fiend squads.

Though all three lords were protective of their subordinates—after all, such loyalty ensured their followers’ devotion—their degrees of protectiveness varied. The Blood Fiend Lord, the third lord, was the most indulgent.

“That Ying Shan Xueying’s domain is formidable indeed.”

“His spear technique is incredible—it can even break battle formations?”

In the hall, the other Universe Gods and fiend lords murmured among themselves.

…

In the Southcloud Nation’s imperial palace.

The Southcloud Monarch watched the battle unfold, observing as the White Cloud Fiend Lord’s forces withdrew one by one. A smile spread across his face. “Hahaha! The countless citizens of Huolie City owe their lives to Ying Shan Xueying. He saved an entire city and brought honor to our Southcloud Nation.”