Chapter 273: Crystal Surge

Repelling the warriors carrying dangerous energy bodies brought no respite at all.

The lingering nether energy radiation in the air was like an invisible poison sting, continuously eroding the vitality of the wounded soldiers; medics rushed back and forth, their faces grave and helpless.

Chen Wen had just reined in his warhorse, not yet having time to calm the startled mount, when a surge of nether energy, far larger and purer than any before, like a slumbering ancient beast awakening, erupted suddenly from the deepest part of the enemy camp!

【4】 Hum—

The low hum did not travel through the air; it resonated directly in the heart of every living being, bringing a teeth‑aching tremor.

The light over the entire battlefield seemed to dim for an instant.

Chen Wen jerked his head up, gazing toward the source of the nether‑energy surge.

All that could be seen was that, behind the enemy camp, the area long shrouded in a thick, ominous aura, the ground slowly split open into several huge fissures!

A piercing nether‑blue light burst from the ground, shooting straight up into the dim sky!

Next, three strange devices assembled from countless huge nether‑blue crystals, like monsters crawling out of hell, slowly rose from the earth!

These crystal devices bore a ferocious form, their surfaces etched with countless twisted, inhuman runes; they were now frantically drawing some unknown energy from the earth's veins, emitting a terrifying, mighty fluctuation!

They were not isolated; thick bands of pure nether energy linked them together, forming a stable triangular zone.

Within this triangular zone, the rules of space seemed twisted—light refracted into strange colors, and even sound grew muffled.

"What… what is that thing?" a Chen army soldier stared at the crystal array like a divine‑demonic construct, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Fear spread like a plague in the eyes of some soldiers.

Even the most battle‑hardened veteran felt a soul‑deep shudder when confronted with this incomprehensible, destruction‑laden construct.

"A grand nether‑energy crystal ore array!"

Zhao Lao Nian's voice was filled with unprecedented shock; he even needed to hold the watchtower's railing to stay upright.

"Your Majesty! They… they actually gathered and activated such a huge quantity of crystal ore in this way!"

"This is no mere weapon; it is… it is forcibly altering the heavenly‑earth energy environment of an entire region!"

It seemed to confirm his words.

When the three crystal arrays had fully risen and were operating stably——

【23】 Hum!

Another, even more violent tremor sounded!

A visible, pale‑blue energy ripple, centered on the triangular zone, spread outward in all directions like ripples on water!

The energy ripple swept across the battlefield!

First to bear the brunt were the lingering crystal‑ore monsters and the medicine people mixed in with the Northern Han soldiers.

They were as if injected with the most violent stimulant; the nether‑blue light in their eyes blazed several times brighter instantly!

Their bodies seemed to swell by a notch, their howls grew higher and more frantic, and their attack power, speed, and even defense received a significant, abnormal boost!

A multi‑legged bone beast that had originally lost several bone legs, after the energy ripple swept over it, the stump began to writhe visibly, sprouting new, sturdier bone spikes—its attacks became even more ferocious!

As for the Northern Han soldiers, though not directly transformed, under the influence of this energy their fear seemed suppressed, their eyes turning numb yet ferocious, and their assault grew even more reckless.

Conversely, when this pale‑blue energy ripple swept over the Chen army's defenses, it produced the exact opposite effect.

The Chen soldiers felt only a bone‑chilling, icy breath pierce their armor and seep into their marrow!

Breathing suddenly became difficult, as if the surrounding air had turned viscous and heavy.

Their limbs felt bound by invisible chains; every movement required far more effort than usual.

Their heads swam with faint dizziness and stinging pain, focus scattered, and even their vision seemed veiled in a thin blue‑gray haze.

A sense of weakness, fatigue, and a vague nausea rose like a tide in their chests.

"What's going on? I feel… so awful!"

"My body feels heavy! My head is spinning!"

"It's that blue light! Those devil stones are up to something!"

Panic began to take hold.

The previously high morale, under the pressure of this invisible field, visibly slipped.

Front‑line soldiers' movements became sluggish and stiff, their once‑seamless coordination beginning to falter.

The arrows fired by the crossbowmen turned soft and powerless, their aim wildly off.

Even some, overcome by sudden discomfort, staggered and were cut down by monsters or enemy troops that pounced on them!

The pressure on the entire Chen army line surged!

The barely maintained balance was instantly shattered by this sudden, wide‑ranging energy suppression!

Multiple points of the line went critical, casualties began to spike sharply!

"It's that array! It's suppressing us and strengthening the enemy!"

Li Wu roared, chopping down a Northern Han sword‑and‑shield man who lunged at him, but his own arm also felt a distinct ache and numbness.

Chen Wen stood firm before the fortifications, feeling the omnipresent suppressive field.

This force was not a direct attack, yet it was more troublesome than a direct strike.

It acted like a vast domain, continually weakening the Chen army while strengthening the enemy.

He tried to invoke Ability Granting again, but discovered that maintaining the same effect now required nearly thirty percent more mental and physical stamina!

Even his own body, with thirty‑two times the normal physique, felt a sluggishness in this field, as if mired in a swamp.

"Your Majesty! We must destroy that array!"

Zhao Lao Nian shouted anxiously, his face turning deathly pale in the glow of the nether‑blue light.

"This field will keep draining our forces; the enemy grows while we wane—we can't hold out much longer!"

Chen Wen, of course, knew this as well.

His gaze pierced the chaotic battlefield, locking firmly onto the three crystal arrays radiating overwhelming nether energy.

They were heavily protected at the enemy formation's core; around them were not only the Northern Han elite standing ready in strict formation, but also fifty Netherbone with blazing soul-fire who had not yet entered battle.

The cost of a strong attack will be unimaginable.

But he had no choice.

Just as Chen Wen took a deep breath, preparing to order the elite to launch an assault at any cost——

The pale gold fortune-momentum qi vortex within him, which had been slowly spinning, seemed to be strongly stimulated by the vast external nether-ability field, and suddenly accelerated!

It was not him actively driving it, but an instinctive reaction, like encountering a natural nemesis!

Hum—

A faint tremor, barely perceptible yet astonishingly clear, emanated from within Chen Wen's body.

The pale gold light, no longer confined to a fleeting flash around him, spread out like liquid mercury pouring onto the ground, emanating from him to fill the surroundings!

This golden light was not blinding, yet it carried a warm, heavy, dignified and righteous aura.

It was like a spring breeze sweeping over frozen earth; wherever it passed, the chill and dampness lingering in the air vanished as quickly as melting snow!

The Chen soldiers enveloped by the golden light felt their bodies lighten!

The nauseating dizziness and weakness vanished instantly; heavy limbs regained strength, and foggy minds became clear!

It's His Majesty!

Long live! I feel much better!

It's the golden light! His Majesty's golden-light disc machine dispersed those blue lights!

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell along the defensive line.

The morale that had been slipping surged back up thanks to this sudden change!

The pale gold light and the pale blue nether-ability field violently collided and canceled each other out on an intangible level.

Within a radius of several tens of zhang around Chen Wen, the suppressive effect of the nether-ability field was greatly weakened, even temporarily dispelled.

However, the range covered by this golden light was still too small compared to the nether-ability field that blankets the entire battlefield.

It could only protect the central army's core area and part of the nearby defensive line.

Chen army units farther out still endured the nether-ability field's suppression.

Moreover, Chen Wen could clearly feel that maintaining the spontaneous spread and resistance of this fortune-momentum golden light was likewise a continuous drain on him.

This was not a direct drain of stamina or mental power, but rather an intangible clash of 'rank' and 'foundation'.

His internal fortune-momentum qi vortex spun at an unprecedented speed, gathering and transforming the intangible forces from the Great Chen Dynasty's territory and the faith of his troops beneath him, to oppose the icy nether energy emanating from the crystal stone array.

This was a silent war.

It was a head-on collision between 'fortune-momentum,' representing the order and vitality of the newborn dynasty, and 'nether energy,' representing destruction, chaos, and cold rules!

Zhao Lao Nian!

Chen Wen's voice rang out within the golden light, carrying an indisputable authority.

How much longer for the 'Wide-area Crystal Disturbance Tower'?

Zhao Lao Nian startled, then hurriedly replied.

Your Majesty! At most half an hour! Only the final calibration of the resonance frequency remains!

As soon as possible!

Chen Wen's gaze once again fell upon the three crystal stone arrays; a golden flash flickered in his eyes.

Before the 'Crystal Disturbance Tower' is activated, we must hold out!

He raised the 'Settle Karma' blade in his hand; golden light clung to its edge, dispersing the surrounding azure.

His voice carried throughout the area shrouded in golden light, also inspiring the soldiers still fighting fiercely farther away.

Soldiers!

What trickery of evil spirits could ever suppress our righteous army!

Hold the line!

Follow me—kill the enemy!

Kill!

In response came an even more ferocious battle cry!

Under the protection of the fortune-momentum golden light, the Chen army erupted with greater fighting power, stubbornly withstanding the reinforced enemy counterattack.

The battlefield fell into an even more tense stalemate.

Pale gold and azure blue, two utterly opposing forces, engaged in a deadly struggle upon this blood-soaked land.

And everyone knew this was only the beginning.

Those fifty Netherbone still watched coldly from the sidelines, like venomous snakes waiting for the optimal moment.