Chapter 381: Mist

"Do you really think someone would just stand around waiting to die?"

"Thick fog blanketed everything, cutting off the evil ghosts' reliance on divine sense perception for survival, leaving everyone in a state of being both deaf and blind."

"Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha!"

"Song Jiang made a quick decision, shouting loudly, as one hundred and eight stars above the firmament emitted light, their radiance impossible to obscure even by dark clouds."

"These Heavenly Court folks are also a bit unreliable!"

"Mu Yi gazed as starlight poured down from the sky, piercing the mist's shroud and shining upon these evil ghosts, unable to help but mutter a comment."

"Even he, usually emotionless, found it somewhat absurd; though Heaven's Mandate had already shattered, these evil ghosts could still draw down the stars from heaven to form the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Grand Formation."

"It's not that heavenly law forbids excessive interference in the mortal realm."

"This needlessly added considerable difficulty."

"But it doesn't matter; if it were another ability, it might still be tricky, yet this Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Grand Formation is something Mu Yi knows inside out."

"If the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Grand Formation were deployed by the heavenly star sovereigns, it would be a star divine ability, unsolvable by ordinary means."

"However, its manifestation on the ground takes the form of a military array."

"Military arrays—this is Mu Yi's current forte."

"At the end of the day, a military array is just a crutch; what truly matters is the person!"

"Mu Yi's figure lurked within the mist, seeking the formation's flaw."

"Not only did Qin Ming suffer losses, but the Great Fog Divine Ability also caused numerous leaks in the formation; the evil ghosts, unable to fully trust one another, were all nearly frightened birds in this environment."

"What is this?"

"Mu Yi suddenly noticed a large lion with purple mane appearing within the formation; upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't a lion at all, but a half‑human, half‑beast monster."

"After a quick finger calculation, Mu Yi found that this purple‑mane lion corresponded to the terrestrial beast star, Huangfu Duan."

"Originally he should have been the Liangshan mount veterinarian, yet for some reason he fused with a wild lion, becoming a monster with a human head and lion's body."

"Is this an evil path taken for power?"

"Huangfu Duan's original self was weak; even after awakening as an evil ghost, he could only boost his strength via these heterodox paths, seizing a lion whose inner qi had left its body and possessing it, turning from human into a demon."

"Anyway, being an evil ghost already, there's no difference between human and monster for him."

"But after this operation, it fortuitously matched his terrestrial beast star identity, doubling his strength and putting him on equal footing with the other evil ghosts."

"Heterodox paths are just heterodox paths; Mu Yi sensed the deadly hidden danger in him, and without hesitation launched a decisive strike."

"The Zhanlu Sword left its sheath, and the aura of benevolence and righteousness surged toward Huangfu Duan like a rushing river."

"Although Huangfu Duan, who had been guarding his surroundings, sensed the danger and wanted to retaliate, the righteousness aura on the Zhanlu Sword struck first, causing the lingering bestial nature in his body to erupt."

"Huangfu Duan, already lacking reason, was instantly overtaken by bestiality, went berserk, and actively abandoned cooperating with others to maintain the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Grand Formation."

"Heterodox paths!"

"Mu Yi stared at the raging, wildly attacking Huangfu Duan; though his power came swiftly, the hidden danger was all too real."

"As long as this hidden danger is perceived, it can instantly plunge him into madness."

"The bestiality that had been suppressed was activated by the righteousness aura, completely overwhelming reason and turning him into a raging beast."

"Although his strength seemed greater on the surface, he had utterly lost reason, unable to distinguish friend from foe."

"Mu Yi commanded the great army, guiding Huangfu Duan toward the evil ghosts on the other side."

"After shattering dozens of ice‑carved warriors, Huangfu Duan launched a fierce assault at the evil ghost before him."

"\"Huangfu Duan? You've gone mad! \" the attacked evil ghost exclaimed, uncertain."

"Instinctively mustering all strength to retaliate, he swung an axe, leaving a massive wound on Huangfu Duan; this only made the already frenzied Huangfu Duan even crazier, as he began chasing the evil ghost to attack."

"\"Wah‑yah‑yah‑yah‑yah, Huangfu Duan, go die, grandpa! \"

"The evil ghost failed to dodge, being clawed in the waist; the previously cautious evil ghost instantly went berserk, forgetting any notion of fighting side by side, grabbing a pair of axes and hurling at Huangfu Duan like a black whirlwind."

"\"Heavenly Killer Star Li Kui? \""

"Mu Yi recognized his identity; like Huangfu Duan, Li Kui had become neither human nor ghost, his attacks accompanied by gusts of yin wind, as if myriad ghosts wailed."

"Upon close inspection, Li Kui's flesh and blood had merged with the dark wind, faintly revealing white bone."

"Mu Yi was very patient; he was not in a hurry."

"Mu Yi could break the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Sha Grand Formation, but he did not."

"If the formation were broken, some evil ghosts would surely flee at the sight."

"If these evil ghosts were allowed to escape, who knows how much further killing karma they would create."

"Qingzhou has already seen enough bloodshed; we absolutely cannot let these evil ghosts run rampant."

"Moreover, since we seek revenge, we must slaughter them utterly, letting them descend together to atone."

"Not breaking the formation actually suits Mu Yi's needs better."

"The evil ghosts who set up the formation dare not run about randomly; they have locked themselves in place."

"Huangfu Duan's loss of control made the other evil ghosts, unaware of the situation, even more panicked, fearing Mu Yi might burst from the mist to deal them a fatal blow."

"During this time, the more Mu Yi refrained from acting, the jumpier they became—even at the sight of ice‑disaster soldiers they dared not recklessly charge as before."

"Within the mist everyone maintained an eerie peace, while outside the mist the ice‑disaster soldiers had already begun a frenzied slaughter."

"Without experts holding the line, the ice‑disaster soldiers split into several routes, mowing down the Liangshan bandits' lives like cutting grass."

"The ultimate principle of military strategy is to use the many against the few, the strong against the weak."

"Thus Mu Yi's goal is clear: first defeat the Liangshan army, then muster the ice‑disaster forces to encircle and annihilate these evil ghosts."

"To prevent the evil ghosts from noticing anything amiss, Mu Yi carefully balanced the cloud energy, striving not to draw their attention."

"The evil ghosts aren't fools; after a period of silence, they began to gather toward Li Kui and Huangfu Duan, guided by the starlight."

"What's going on?"

"Song Jiang frowned as he watched Huangfu Duan and Li Kui fight, having thought Huangfu Duan was dead, never expecting him to still be alive."

All together, move in, control them; we absolutely cannot lose any more troops!

Having said that, Song Jiang led the charge, silently cursing those idle fools.

At a time like this, still playing it safe; if they don't cooperate even a little, today this place will be their tomb.

So although Song Jiang is reluctant to be the front runner, at a moment like this only he can lead the charge, and the other demons will follow the crowd.

The frantic Huangfu Duan was seized by several demons; Song Jiang summoned Starlight and delivered a heavy punch to Huangfu Duan's head, bringing him back to his senses.

"What happened?" Song Jiang asked, looking at Huangfu Song.

"I don't know what ambushed me, and then I completely lost my mind!" Huangfu Duan, of course, dared not reveal his own hidden issue to the demons, so he spoke half‑truths.

Hearing Huangfu Duan's words, the other demons grew even more uneasy, fearing it was some soul‑attacking artifact.

Many of them again entertained thoughts of retreat.

Song Jiang stared at the demons around him, each harboring ulterior motives, and felt a terrible headache; if his reason hadn't warned him that scattering to flee was a dead end, he would have been the first to run, as if he were some benevolent leader trying to find a way out for everyone.

It was simply because, without this, he couldn't see any way to survive himself.

"Don't panic; since Huangfu Duan is still alive, it shows the opponent's ability has a flaw. We must not lose our formation!"

"Huangfu Duan losing his mind was originally the perfect moment to strike, which shows the opponent is certainly not as strong as that 'Bull Nose' figure."

"The enemy uses this fog to cut us off; it's obvious they have no way to deal with us. As long as we stick together, nothing will happen!"

Hearing Song Jiang say that, the surrounding demons nodded, finding it reasonable.

"We can't stay here and wait to die. Let's pick a direction and charge out. When we entered, the enemy soldiers surrounded us; we can't remain in their encirclement forever," Wu Yong stepped forward and said.

Since they've already lost the chance to decapitate, they should now retreat, reorganize the Great Army, and then look for another opportunity.

"The fog makes the direction unclear; which way do we go?" a demon asked.

"The stars above will guide us!"

"Liangshan is to the east, the enemy Great Army to the west; we break out toward the east!"

"Alright!"

The demons raised no objection, formed a formation, and slowly advanced eastward to break out.

Mu Yi looked up at the Tian Gang Di Sha stars with a hint of helplessness; without those stars, the fog would surely trap these demons to death.

As the saying goes, one thing subdues another.

The Great Fog Divine Art fears almost no other divine art, but it has no means against the celestial stars.

The south‑pointing chariot was created by the Yellow Emperor and the Wind Empress, relying on the celestial stars.

Although the Tian Gang Di Sha stars' guidance is inferior to the celestial stars, this Great Fog is still no match for Chi You.

"If we had just a moment more, we could wipe out these Liangshan rogues completely!" Mu Yi lamented.

The Ice Disaster army swept through Liangshan at lightning speed; while the demons were still dawdling, about seventy to eighty percent of the outside Liangshan rogues had already been slain.

If not for the demons controlling them, those rogues would have scattered long ago.

Even so, stubborn resistance would only see them die one after another in the ice and snow.

"Enough, shortcuts have their limits; it's time to fight for our lives!"

Mu Yi drew his sword and directly commanded the Great Army to change formation.

Without Liangshan's Cloud Energy to counter, the Ice Disaster army's Cloud Energy spread easily, ravenously devouring the surrounding heaven‑and‑earth essence.

The fog that had shrouded the battlefield began to dissipate; the fog actually still had some effect on the Great Army's Cloud Energy circulation.

Anyway, we're now at the stage of direct clash, so there's no need to keep hiding.

With Mu Yi's manipulation, the Cloud Energy above the army seemed infused with a soul; the pale yellow clouds turned into ice‑blue at a visible speed.

Layer upon layer of Cloud Energy instantly linked together, pushing the suppression and sealing ability to its limit; the Cloud Energy's suppressive force jumped a tier in an instant, emptying the heaven‑and‑earth essence beneath it, and its suppression on those beyond the Legend line became even stronger.

"Charge!"

Sensing something amiss, the demons surged toward Liangshan; looking ahead, they could no longer see their own rogue army, only a dense mass of Ice Disaster soldiers.

If not for the thin Cloud Energy lingering in the distance, they might have thought all their rogues were dead.

Even while suppressed, these demons rode the battlefield like a force of ten thousand, and the Ice Disaster soldiers could not stop them.

"Indeed powerful, but how many layers can you break through?"

Mu Yi coldly summoned more Ice Disaster soldiers to the front.

The Cloud Energy formation enhanced power transmission and repulsive field defense.

These are things Mu Yi learned from the war god; only by combining them can ordinary Transcendent soldiers gain the strength to face strong opponents.

Even this terrifying usage only lets the soldiers unleash this power for a brief moment, but for now it is sufficient.

Relying on the newly developed formation and mimicking other war gods' leverage technique, the outer soldiers' strength was transferred to those confronting the demons, then released by distorting reality.

The Ice Disaster soldiers could not bear this power; their strength is limited, and even if the force of several or dozens is concentrated on them, they lack the ability to control and unleash it effectively.

Thus they simply released it through the will of the entire army; though it weakens the potency a bit, it's better than the soldiers being crushed by the force.

After tens of thousands of soldiers' strength was transmitted to the Ice Disaster troops facing the demons, it was suddenly triggered in a certain formation; at the peak of the demons' charge, layers of ice fog erupted ahead.

Immediately, all the demons felt an endless chill transmitted directly to them.

"Huangfu Duan!" Mu Yi swooped down like a soaring eagle.

The now‑recovered Huangfu Duan was struck by the righteous aura of the Zhanlu Sword and instantly went berserk.

"Villain, you're courting death!"

Seeing the scattered demons charging at him, Mu Yi grinned silently; since he could channel the Great Army's Cloud Energy into ordinary soldiers, he could naturally channel it into himself.

In the next instant, he raised his Great Summer Dragon Sparrow Blade high, then slammed it down onto the formation's linked qi mechanism.

The Tian Gang Di Sha Formation shattered in response.

Without Qin Ming and Huangfu Duan, the formation's flaws were numerous; Mu Yi could dismantle it with a single casual strike.

This made the already struggling demons even worse.

Next, it's your turn!

In an instant, the Uninterrupted activated, and the surrounding time seemed to freeze.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword, wielded without holding back, emitted a bloodthirsty light.