Chapter 389: I Am Yu Fan

After the initial chaos, the Heavenly Soldiers outside finally began an effective offensive.

Ad hoc battle formations sprang up one after another, the massive spell rumbling continuously, the howls of Corpse Demons and the wails of Heavenly Soldiers constantly echoed into the right‑flank camp.

Monk Cheng Xin collected the dead Heart Demons on the ground into a storage ring, then said to Daoist Shui Yong, "Daoist friend Shui, I'll leave this to you for now; I'll go out and take a look!"

"I'll do my best!" Shui Yong nodded solemnly.

Monk Cheng Xin sheathed the Buddha Light Radiance Technique and walked outward.

Within the various buildings and across the plaza, battles raged everywhere. Yet it was clear that the Heavenly Soldiers had the upper hand. The number of Corpse Demons was not large—fewer than two hundred—and each was surrounded by three to five Heavenly Soldiers.

At the same time, small formations of ten or twenty people ran back and forth across the plaza, delivering the Corpse Demons a fatal final blow.

Corpse Demons differ from other demonic cultivators; their combat power is linked to that of their original bodies. In the camp, Heavenly Soldiers infected by demonic aura are at least equivalent to the Golden Core stage, so these Corpse Demons possess unusually strong combat power.

However, the Heavenly Soldiers' combat power is equally formidable; with formations they are comparable to Immortals. Simple, mindless Corpse Demons are no match for them—once distance is kept, their powerful spells can kill the enemy.

The real fear is the Corpse Demons that still retain consciousness; they are the greatest threat. They not only evade and hide, but also choose the most suitable attack methods.

Beyond that are the invisible Heart Demons. Heart Demons are not invulnerable; although they can easily infiltrate most cultivators' spiritual consciousness, the success rate of demonic transformation is low and takes time. Yet any sentient being converted by a Heart Demon becomes a 100% puppet, its life or death hinging on a single thought of the Heart Demon.

The most terrifying aspect of a Heart Demon is not its combat power, but its concealment.

It can almost be concluded that among the returning Heavenly Soldiers, initially only Heart Demons were present; however, sharing the same Celestial Shuttle, the other soldiers were unknowingly demonicized. The number controlled by Heart Demons should be few, while most were directly demonicized.

Monk Cheng Xin did not approach the combat zones, instead he roamed the periphery, observing.

Whenever he struck, it was a lethal move. The Demon‑Extinguishing Finger of a Buddhist cultivator grows stronger with cultivation, and with Cheng Xin's strength, dealing with Corpse Demons of this caliber is arduous but still within his capacity.

If it were a Heart Demon with a powerful spiritual consciousness, he certainly would not handle it so easily.

After he killed more than a dozen Corpse Demons in succession, the situation became more favorable; the freed Heavenly Soldiers, invigorated, began to attack other besieged Corpse Demons.

In about half a incense stick's time, only around thirty of the stronger Corpse Demons remained. Their former selves were powerful cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage and a giant‑strength Heavenly Soldier.

Among these Corpse Demons, a little less than half retain consciousness, while the majority survive solely on their formidable strength.

The most powerful Heavenly Soldier formation is the Thunder and Lightning Formation; lightning spells belong to the Five Elements above, possessing great attack power and also suppressing yin‑evil.

Monk Cheng Xin's magical energy was nearly depleted at this point, and he ceased fighting early.

The air was filled with a burnt odor, and faint wisps of demonic aura drifted from the dead Corpse Demons, dissipating into the sky.

If these were ordinary mortals instead of Heavenly Soldiers, that amount of demonic aura would be enough to demonicize many people again.

Just when everyone thought it was about to end, a sudden "Boom" rang out, and the giant‑strength Corpse Demon shattered into hundreds of fragments, spreading outward.

The giant‑strength's body no longer contained flesh; beneath the husk swirled rolling black demonic aura.

More than a dozen Long Spear Heavenly Soldiers led the charge, dense clusters of demonic aura enveloping them. None of these soldiers were flesh‑bound cultivators; under such intense demonic contamination, their faces twisted within a heartbeat.

At that moment, a sudden milky‑white pillar of light erupted, enveloping all the Long Spear Soldiers; "Chichich", the black demonic aura dispersed, melting into the pillar.

The surrounding Heavenly Soldiers only then reacted, scrambling to avoid the scattering black aura.

Another thirty or so Heavenly Soldiers were polluted by the demonic aura, turning into unconscious Corpse Demons, while the remaining aura, having not contacted any soldiers, gradually faded into the air.

Another round of fresh combat began.

Monk Cheng Xin revived most of the more than a dozen Long Spear Soldiers, but all about thirty of the demonic‑aura‑contaminated Heavenly Soldiers were slain.

The battle finally ended.

There were no cheers, only wordless silence.

Monk Cheng Xin, dragging his weary body, slowly walked back to the right‑flank camp. Wei Yuning remained in a crouch, eyes tightly shut.

Around him, translucent vines continued to slither like spirit snakes, roaming everywhere.

"Don't worry about him; let's all go back. I'll keep watch here!" Cheng Xin sat cross‑legged beside Wei Yuning, regaining his energy.

Shui Yong showed no hesitation and sat down as well; he said to Qin Wu, "Daoist friend Qin, please go to the kitchen and summon all my senior brothers!"

Qin Wu nodded, "Alright, wait for me."

In a short while, the remaining fifteen cultivators emerged. Upon seeing Shui Yong, they instantly understood his intention. Nine of them, like Shui Yong, also sat down.

The remaining six cultivators positioned themselves in several directions, securing the area.

……

"Who are you?" Wei Yuning's Nascent Soul asked the female demon before him.

"And who are you? I don't know why, but you seem familiar!" The female demon laughed before speaking; ever since entering Wei Yuning's spiritual consciousness, she has maintained this oddly relaxed demeanor.

"I am Yu Ning, a cultivator of the Cloud Hidden Sect!" For some reason, Wei Yuning suddenly revealed his inner secret to a demon.

"Yu Ning?" the female demon's eyes lit up, but she quickly shook her head, "No, you're not Yu Ning, but… you must be connected to Yu Ning!"

"What? You really know Yu Ning of the Cloud Hidden Sect?" Wei Yuning exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course I know him; he is my father," the female demon said calmly.

Wei Yuning's heart pounded wildly; a sudden memory struck him, as uncomfortable as swallowing a fly. He endured for a while, but couldn't help asking, "Is your mother a Stabbing Demon?"

"Stabbing Demon? Who is the Stabbing Demon? I don't know." The female demon stretched her slender finger, "Who is my mother, and why should I tell you?"

"Because… because I am Yu Ning's younger brother. I just lied to you; I am the younger brother of Cloud Hidden Sect disciple Yu Ning, Yu Fan!" Wei Yuning said.