Chapter 72: Tragic

The whole city fell into chaos.

The Dragon City commander and city lord personally saw their subordinate cultivators pierced through the heart by countless swords, and some cultivators were turned to ash by heavenly punishment—far more terrifying than described on jade slips.

But the most critical point is that they don't know what method the enemy used to set up the formation in such a short time.

Though the ground seemed empty, it was actually buried with talisman paper, lightning fire talismans and detonation talismans; when these cultivators unleashed their magic artifacts to block the flying swords inside the formation, a moment's inattention would see them struck by the thunder summoned from the lightning fire talismans and turned to ash.

"City Lord!"

"They are talismans, spirit-grade talismans, lightning fire talismans..."

"With so much talisman paper buried underground, isn't the talisman master's heritage supposed to have been cut off in the Eastern Wasteland? Could it be that Su Chen has a talisman master helping him behind the scenes?"

The more they thought, the more they broke into a cold sweat; a talisman master is far more precious than a pill master, and the talismans they craft can sometimes be even more powerful than formations, which are tedious to set up and require favorable timing and location.

Talisman paper, as long as you pinch the hand seal, can instantly place one in a deadly situation.

"Everyone, do not move recklessly while flying on swords!"

After a bout of chaos.

Numerous city defense soldiers gradually calmed down and began ordering all cultivators not to act rashly.

The city lord and the city defense general were both terrified.

Only then did they understand why Young Master Ye Xuan had sent five thousand cultivators…

They even felt that if these five thousand cultivators could not break the enemy's killing formation, they would likely all perish here.

"Hahaha——"

"Who?"

"Whose voice?"

"Hahahaha!!"

The city lord suddenly looked up.

Not far away, dozens of figures stood lined up on the heavenly dome.

Su Chen's guards, seeing the thousands of panicked cultivators trapped in the killing formation, let out mocking laughter: "The disciples of Ye Xuan's Azure Abyss Sect are nothing special; in front of our young sect master, they are utterly useless."

"You wanted to capture us, but now we are right before you—do you have the guts?"

"Hahaha!"

From afar, Su Chen stood in the most conspicuous spot, a hint of disdain curling his lips; with just these people, if he weren't trying to give Ye Xuan a surprise, he wouldn't need to rely on any external aids—his cultivation in the Eastern Wasteland is unmatched.

The city lord and the city defense general were so provoked that their mouths twisted.

"Unreasonable!"

"Totally unreasonable!"

They watched as Su Chen and his group not only did not slow down but left right before their eyes.

The cultivators trapped inside the formation gritted their teeth, their eyes bloodshot.

The city defense general, a Martial Ancestor who usually stood above ten thousand and below one, had never suffered such humiliation; he fiercely pushed his natal magic artifact to the limit and shouted angrily: "Formation, you've been fed offerings day after day—why won't you break for our sect now?"

"Damn this humiliation, I don't believe it—how strong can breaking the formation be, how many lightning fire talismans do they have? All cultivators, join me in breaking the formation! Break it! Our sect will kill them to avenge past shame!"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Passion ignited in an instant.

The formation master began preparing to find the formation's eye, while dozens of cultivators intended to forcefully break the formation, gathering spiritual power to strike it.

"Boom—boom—boom—"

"Crack!" Heavenly thunder struck down, instantly turning the cultivators who tried to break the formation into flying ash, and the ground ignited with earth fire.

"Ahhh!"

Even several heart‑rending screams echoed in their ears, yet the people left not a trace.

Some fearless cultivators, refusing to believe it, continued to charge forward bravely.

"Boom—boom—boom!"

A gradual fear spread through everyone's hearts.

But the stifled anger could not be quelled, so yet more fearless cultivators tried to break the formation.

"Rumble—rumble—rumble—"

Several bolts of heavenly thunder struck in succession, instantly suppressing the killing intent.

The remaining fewer than three thousand cultivators stood dumbfounded in place, daring only to use their natal magic artifacts to defend against the flying swords in the formation, calmly waiting for the formation master to find the eye and break it.

They could face collisions of various magic artifacts without fear, but talismans—if thrown casually with enough power—could kill cultivators of low cultivation.

Trapped in the formation, merely defending against the flying swords of the killing formation coming from all directions left them stretched thin; adding the indefensible talismans, they had no chance at all.

"City Lord, these lightning fire talismans are terrifying; added to my being in the killing formation, our side has already lost over a thousand cultivators."

"Moreover, detonation talismans are buried in the ground; a moment's carelessness with insufficient cultivation means death without a burial place. If the formation master hasn't yet found the eye and we delay further, casualties will only grow worse."

"Su Chen and his group are about to slip right out from under our noses!"

"Even after deliberately provoking us, I'm not willing to accept this!"

Everyone was seething with anger, yet somehow couldn't muster the courage.

The higher a cultivator's cultivation, the more they cherish life, for they know only the living can possess everything.

The city defense general's face was filled with murderous aura, his mind near breaking from rage as he watched Su Chen's group fade from his sight bit by bit.

Before leaving, Su Chen even took out a hill‑sized spirit stone, then, like a magic trick, gathered back the exquisite small world.

He openly and brazenly walked away in front of the five thousand cultivators.

Such arrogance and recklessness—he had never been provoked or despised like this in his life; know that he is a Martial Ancestor, perhaps unremarkable in the Central Province, but in the Eastern Wasteland he is like a grand master, and no one dares to offend him.

He was so angry his seven orifices smoked, as if suffering cultivation deviation, and he shoved aside those cultivators who dared not advance, timid and shrinking.

He clearly felt that a heart demon had been born; though he was the family's heavenly pride, destined to reach Martial Venerable, now because of Su Chen the heart demon torments him—if he does not kill Su Chen and eradicate the heart demon, his life will end here.

Kill you, and I can break through to Martial Sovereign?!

Su Chen dares to provoke this sect like this—die!

Today this sect will let you see our human race's unyielding spirit; talismans are merely external objects, cultivation is the foundation of a cultivator, break this formation and slaughter...

The last sentence wasn't even finished.

Bang!

A booming sound.

A holy weapon shattered into fragments, the city-defending general's corpse left no trace, the ground retained only an inch of blood‑stained cloth hem.

The city lord was terrified till his liver and gallbladder split, he slumped to the ground: "!!!"

The cultivators' pupils shrank violently: "!!!"

Even the formation master seeking the formation's eye froze in his actions.

Not long after.

Until even their divine sense could no longer sense the aura of Su Chen and the others.

Everyone realized, Su Chen and the others had already left safely.

Over a dozen people versus five thousand cultivators.

Utter defeat!

City lord... we can't find this formation's eye; the formation's inscription carved into it is too profound and complex; we... might be trapped inside the formation; now we still let Su Chen slip away from under our noses; Young Master Ye Xuan, if he finds out... I fear he will expel us from the sect.