Deep within the cave.
"Three Spiritual Body devil soldiers?" Wu Yuan’s expression shifted. He quickly extended his Soul Force to perceive the area within a ten-li radius.
Through his Soul Force, he witnessed countless frightened civilians and martial artists in a state of panic, scrambling for safety.
At the same time, Wu Yuan sensed the invisible heaven and earth's power manifesting as a faint white fog, cloaking an expanse spanning a radius of dozens of li around North Huang City. It was unmistakably a mind confusion array.
Why are these devil soldiers in North Huang City? The devil zone is at least 2000 li from here. Thoughts flashed through Wu Yuan's mind. However, he knew that Qiong Sea King wouldn’t lie to him. They were here!
Three Spiritual Body devil soldiers? Wu Yuan's eyes gleamed with a hint of frost. Let’s see just how many Spiritual Body devil soldiers this worm devil can raise.
Raising Communion devil soldiers wasn’t a difficult task for the worm devil, but raising a single Spiritual Body soldier likely proved more challenging than raising dozens of ninth-stage Communion devil soldiers.
Based on Wu Yuan's estimations, there wouldn’t be more than ten Spiritual Body devil soldiers under the worm devil's command.
Having made up his mind, Wu Yuan rose from his seat, leaped out of the cave, and soared into the sky. His gaze swept across the four corners of the land. If unimpeded, his vision extended more than 1000 li away.
Even with a thin veil of white fog shrouding his surroundings, Wu Yuan could still clearly see what was happening 100 li away.
So many Communion devil soldiers. Wu Yuan spotted numerous enormous devil soldiers in the Communion phase surrounding the perimeter of North Huang City, forming the beginnings of a siege. However, these Communion devil soldiers only held their position and did not advance.
In the skies above North Huang City, a group of Heavenly Rankers hovered vigilantly, ready to engage in battle at a moment's notice.
Suddenly, Qiong Sea King's voice urgently resounded in Wu Yuan's mind, “Master, please come to the South! I won’t be able to hold on for long.”
“Mm!” Wu Yuan swiftly nodded and directed his gaze toward the fierce aerial clash raging in the South of the city, the impact of each clash shaking the ground.
My primary focus should be halting the advance of the Spiritual Body devil soldiers. Qiong Sea King won’t be able to hold them off for long. We can deal with the Communion phase devil soldiers later. Wu Yuan understood this point.
“Little Black, prepare for battle. Combined flight configuration!” Wu Yuan’s voice echoed in the Teng Snake’s mind.
Little Black emerged from the soul chamber, wrapping itself around Wu Yuan’s body. Its obsidian wings extended, appearing as though Wu Yuan had grown wings. Together, they seemed to meld into one entity.
Wu Yuan’s flight speed instantly accelerated, and they tore through the sky like a streak of black light. Their destination: the southern sector of the city.
"What remarkable speed." Black Jiao King, Blood Snake King, Meng Cai, Bu Yu, Huan Jian, and the other Heavenly Rankers watched as the figure streaked past them.
Within the Conference Hall of the Middle Land Immortal Hall.
Emperor Dong Pan, Daoist Wan Xing, and Fang Xia, still immersed in learning the array controls, spared a fraction of their attention to watch the ongoing battle.
Projected on a massive light screen at the center of the hall were figures in a frenzied melee. On one side were three immense Spiritual Body devil soldiers, exerting intimidating pressure. On the opposing side, Qiong Sea King and Mountain Devil King fought desperately to hold their ground.
Both Qiong Sea King and Mountain Devil King were shrouded in a faint red glow which granted them a heightened power burst and enhanced speed, an effect of the array.
"I am channeling all my energy into operating the array," Sang Gu, the elderly man in purple robes gritted his teeth, "but the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers keep expanding the battlefield, attempting to destroy the array bases. Black Snake King and I aren’t able to help much."
The enormous Black Snake King also wore a serious expression. Despite being a sixth-stage Qi Sea cultivator, he was not particularly adept at arrays. Among the 58 Heavenly Rankers that originally made up the vanguard, Dong Guangbo had the highest cultivation level. Unfortunately, he already perished in the devil zone. Hence, it fell to Sang Gu from the Huang Temple and Black Snake King to control the array established in North Huang City.
"I cannot hold on for much longer. Fellow Daoists, get ready to flee," Mountain Devil King stated grimly.
The countenance of all the Heavenly Rankers immediately changed. Flee?
"Try to persist as long as possible; retreat should only be a last resort," Emperor Dong Pan commanded solemnly. "Overwhelming numbers of devil soldiers are converging on North Huang City. Should we scatter and attempt to flee, we will be hunted down one at a time by the Spiritual Body devil soldiers. Moreover, if the city falls, millions of inhabitants will be mercilessly slaughtered!"
Naturally, the Heavenly Rankers all knew this.
North Huang City was a metropolis housing an extensive population. If the devil soldiers were allowed to massacre the people within, the quantity of flesh and blood transported back to the devil’s lair would give rise to an unimaginably large horde of devil soldiers.
However, the vast majority of Heavenly Rankers found themselves powerless in the face of the intense battle between Qiong Sea King and the Spiritual Body devil soldiers, utterly unqualified to participate.
Most of them were early-stage Qi Sea cultivators, and only a fraction were mid-stage Qi Sea cultivators. If they united their strengths through a powerful array, it might give the first and second-stage Spiritual Body devil soldiers pause.
Unfortunately, such powerful arrays were much more difficult to control compared to normal arrays, surpassing the capabilities of the immortal cultivators of the Middle Land.
This was the reason behind their decision to split up and patrol the devil zone. Not only did this widen the search area, but it also ensured that each Heavenly Ranker was assigned duties within their capabilities. The weaker Heavenly Rankers were given the duty of hunting down juvenile devil soldiers, applying pressure to the worm devil, and slowing its nefarious predation of mortals.
This goal was partially accomplished. Meanwhile, the slaughter of Spiritual Body devil soldiers was left to the more powerful cultivators.
"The North Huang City is completely surrounded," said the Arctic King, an unnatural pallor settling on his face. "Previously, the devil soldiers were divided due to us patrolling and hunting them down in the devil zone. Now we’ve regrouped, but three Spiritual Body devil soldiers have led swarms to coordinate an attack on us."
"The disparity in strength between the vanguard and the worm devil's forces is too large. We have grievously miscalculated," Emperor Dong Pan gravely intoned.
Why did the Heavenly Rankers withdraw from the devil zone following the third wave of counterattacks by the worm devil? It was because the devil soldiers exhibited overwhelming might, surpassing the predictions of Daoist Wan Xing and the others.
Now, numerous devil soldiers burst forth from the devil zone, converging on North Huang City to take it down.
"Daoist Wu Yuan has emerged!" a voice suddenly exclaimed.
A light screen materialized, swiftly displaying a figure enveloped in an earthy-yellow aura, with black wings extending from his back. With frightening velocity, the figure soared toward the heart of the battlefield.
"What are those dark wings sprouting from his back?"
"Daoist Wu Yuan seems to have grown even more powerful.”
“Over 100 li per breath! He's nearly there!" Emperor Dong Pan couldn't believe his eyes.
Even the Arctic King, Fang Xia, and Emperor Dong Pan would be left in the dust if they tried racing against Wu Yuan at his current speed.
Wu Yuan undoubtedly ranked first in terms of speed among the immortal cultivators of the Middle Land!
"The mind confusion array has been completely shattered," Sang Gu, the person in charge of controlling the array, announced in a slightly flustered voice.
The expressions of the Heavenly Rankers collectively changed.
Once the mind confusion array was broken, the enemies would have a clear view of the battlefield. The horde of Communion devil soldiers that had been lurking around the array might swarm in at once!
"Everyone!" Qiong Sea King’s booming voice echoed through the air. "Daoist Wu Yuan claims he is confident that he can slay the Spiritual Body devil soldier!"
Having been in secluded cultivation until now, Wu Yuan had yet to enter the Middle Land Immortal Hall.