Chapter 354: The War Situation

Colorful rays of light rose and fell erratically, dancing and shifting in the air.

Scanning the scene.

One could only see all manner of offensives striking down like a sudden downpour of locusts.

Some of the troops in the Huzhao camp had already brazenly crossed the Shuo River and were currently hunting down the retreating Yuchen disciples.

A chilling demonic Qi swirled and surged into the sky, vaguely forming an invisible giant hand that stirred the river water into a chaotic boil, causing the surrounding celestial phenomena to change drastically!

It was clearly midday, with a golden sun hanging high.

Yet it was obscured by rising gloomy, overcast clouds, and wild winds whipped the earth.

Waves of mournful demonic sounds rose and fell, shaking people's minds!

Several miles away, a Fuyun Sect disciple had just wielded his sword to kill and repel a few Yin demons, then immediately opened his mouth to spew a stream of fierce fire, wrapping those Yin demons in a torrent of flames and burning them to ash in an instant.

After finishing all this.

That Fuyun Sect disciple dared not linger in battle for even a moment; he shifted the escape light beneath his feet and fled forward once more.

But he had not even gone ten zhang away.

When a pitch-black long arrow suddenly pierced the air from behind him.

Even though that Fuyun Sect disciple had kept his guard up and shifted his escape light several zhang away in time, he still could not dodge it.

A single arrow caused his body to explode in mid-air; his Primordial Spirit did not even have time to escape from his Purple Palace, and both body and soul were lost!

"..."

The panic this fleeting glimpse brought to Bao Xian was truly beyond words.

In his terror, he could only ruthlessly urge his escape light, not daring to even look back, and continued to flee forward.

That Fuyun Sect disciple was someone Bao Xian knew; he was a prized disciple of the Fuyun Sect and had always enjoyed a considerable reputation among the surrounding Daoist lineage disciples.

Recently, having broken through to the Cave-Mystic Realm, he was in high spirits and had volunteered to come to the Yu Yang Kingdom to eliminate demons and quell the chaos.

Yet who would have expected such a prominent figure.

To be shot dead on the spot by a single arrow, with even his Primordial Spirit unable to escape!

Like this.

It truly left Bao Xian utterly stunned...

"The people of Yuchen are nothing more than this; what exactly are they being so arrogant about!"

On a fire-wheel carriage in the distance.

A red-eyed man holding a longbow looked at the chaotic scene before him, laughed three times, and said:

"That so-called Deng Yunji boasted of his extraordinary divine abilities, but in the end, didn't he still fall for Senior Sister Gu Yi's brilliant scheme?

Now, not only has his spiritual treasure altar been destroyed by our side and his troops routed, making it impossible for him to produce any more 'Evil-Expelling Divine Generals' to assist in battle, but he himself has also been severely injured and fallen into a coma, nearly losing his life.

If the Yuchen disciples only have this much ability, then once I, Wan Youyue, am admitted into the Huzhao Upper Sect, I will surely seize back several pieces of this Dong Mi land from Yuchen's mouth!"

The red-eyed man was called Wan Youyue, a formidable figure in the Huzhao Lower Academy.

It was precisely he who had just drawn his bow and fired an arrow, killing that Fuyun Sect disciple in the Yuchen camp.

"With Xiao Xiao Shixiong Wan's capabilities, being admitted into the Huzhao Upper Sect is naturally a certainty, but..."

At this moment, there were several other Daoists standing on the fire-wheel carriage.

One grey-clothed man looked at the chaotic situation of the two armies slaughtering each other, frowned slightly, and said:

"Although Deng Yunji has been severely wounded and his troops are scattered, I fear our side may not necessarily be guaranteed victory.

This time, Yuchen's troops were divided into five units, led respectively by Deng Yuanji, Wang Sen, Chen Hang, He Lizi, and that Shen Cheng.

Although Deng Yunji's troops are currently routed, there is no guarantee that others won't come to their rescue.

For the sake of caution, shouldn't we retreat a bit further and not be too reckless, lest we run into Yuchen people coming to reinforce them?"

As soon as these words were spoken.

The smile on Wan Youyue's face stiffened slightly.

He glanced at the grey-clothed Daoist, clearly hesitant in his heart.

But Daoist merit was right before his eyes, and it had been difficult enough to be the first to kill across the Shuo River and catch up to this remnant unit of Yuchen.

If they retreated at this time.

Not only would all their efforts be in vain, letting the easily attainable Daoist merit slip away.

But it would also invite ridicule from several rivals and cause him to lose face...

After a fierce internal struggle in his mind.

Wan Youyue still shook his head and refused, saying:

"What Xiao Xiao Shixiong says is reasonable, but today's operation against Deng Yunji was a scheme meticulously set by Senior Sister Gu Yi and several True Persons.

While we are hunting down this remnant of Yuchen, Wang Sen, Chen Hang, and the others are currently being held back by other Huzhao troops.

In the short term, it is absolutely impossible for them to come and provide reinforcements!

Such a formation.

Clearly intends to completely annihilate Deng Yuanji's unit and cut off one of Yuchen's fingers!"

When he reached this point.

Wan Youyue raised his head slightly.

He looked toward the Zheng Zheng Xu Tian, at the battlefield of those few Golden Core True Persons, smiled grimly, and said:

"If this battle can be completed without regret, there will be no need for those few Hook-and-Twist Giant Cities to trigger the heavy, turbid Sha Qi; our Huzhao can also win easily. With battle merits right in front of us, how can we let them slip away easily!"

These words carried a sense of high-spirited ambition, and the several Daoists on the fire-wheel carriage all had their eyes light up and couldn't help but nod.

The grey-clothed Daoist was speechless for a moment, seeing that Wan Youyue's mind was clearly made up.

He sighed helplessly in his heart and could no longer persuade him, so he could only grip several talismans in his sleeve and secretly be extra cautious.

And just as Wan Youyue continued to draw his bow and nock an arrow.

Far away.

Bao Xian was also desperately drawing True Qi from his Qi Sea, charging forward regardless of everything, hoping to break out of this killing field.

This time, Deng Yunji had truly been defeated miserably; he had clearly already crossed the Shuo River and was on the verge of uprooting a Hook-and-Twist Giant City, severing the Huzhao camp's plan to trigger the heavy, turbid Sha Qi.

Yet he unexpectedly fell into a trap and suffered a miserable defeat.

Consequently, the troops he led could only flee the Northern Lands in a panic, suffering heavy losses.

And if it weren't for the talismans bestowed upon Deng Yunji by his masters, he likely wouldn't even have been able to save his own life.

He would have died in this small border country and become a laughingstock for the world.

And at this moment.

Glancing at the chaotic situation on the battlefield, Yuchen troops were being slaughtered by Xiantian Xiantian Mo Zong disciples from time to time.

Yin Qi whistled in like a tide, and bone chariots rumbled across the sky.

All kinds of ferocious-looking demons and evil beasts were roaring, their howls rising everywhere, as if they wanted to drag the entire world into the filthy Yellow Springs!

This terrifying scene caused Bao Xian's pupils to constrict.

A sense of despair couldn't help but well up in his heart...

Counting it up.

Since Yuchen and Huzhao divided the river as their boundary, the two sides had been fighting for over a month.

During this period, the two sects had had their own victories and defeats, with exchanges back and forth.

On the Huzhao Sect side, five Daoist lineages—Snake Dragon Mountain, Split-Form Temple, Five Yin Palace, Divine Crow Altar, and Cloth-Mist Sect—had gone into battle.

And because of the Dharma contract with Tao Zhen.

Yu Shitong had also dispatched the Fuyun Sect, Six-Ding Temple, Bright-Ease Gate, Spirit-Number Mountain, and Chen-Zhang Sect to respond, with Deng Yuanji, Chen Hang, and these five Upper Sect disciples leading the troops respectively.

In this way.

The two forces were equal.

In the short term, it was difficult to determine a winner.

Who would have thought that this time, Deng Yunji would be greedy for merit and advance recklessly, ignoring the dissuasion of several Daoist lineage True Persons, and insist on crossing the river to fight.

He wanted to take the initiative to uproot one of the Huzhao Sect's Hook-and-Twist Giant Cities and ruin the plans of these Xiantian Xiantian Mo Zong disciples.

At the beginning.

Things were still going smoothly.

Because Deng Yunji, the main general, had personally entered the battle to fight, boosting morale.

The cultivators under his command were naturally unwilling to fall behind and competed to be first, fearing that being a step slow would invite Deng Yunji's punishment.

In that case, they would also miss out on Daoist merit for nothing.

And after Deng Yunji displayed his divine might with a hand of Yang-Coil True Thunder, easily breaking the great formation set up by the Huzhao camp.

The war naturally reached its peak!

At that time, it wasn't just Bao Xian.

Even those few Daoist lineage True Persons who had previously urged Deng Yunji not to advance recklessly were secretly shocked and couldn't help but change their view of Deng Yunji.

They only suspected that this person might truly be able to break the stalemate between the two sects by his own strength.

However, just when the war situation for Yuchen was looking excellent.

Deng Yunji was suddenly wounded and nearly died.

Consequently, the troops under his command were also defeated by the Huzhao Daoist lineages that had been lying in ambush for a long time, and they could only flee the Shuo River in a panic, unable to resist.

And as for why Deng Yunji was suddenly attacked.

And the situation fell into crisis in an instant.

Bao Xian was actually also trapped in a fog and did not know the truth...

But according to the words of the Daoist lineage disciples who fled back from the front line.

It was because Gu Yi suddenly appeared and ambushed Deng Yunji from behind that he ended up in such a miserable outcome.

It was just that Deng Yunji was, after all, a True Person of the Immortal Dao.

No matter how powerful Gu Yi was, it was likely difficult for her to arrive behind Deng Yunji without a sound and carry out a lethal strike.

What's more, at this time above the Zheng Zheng Xu Tian, Gu Yi's figure had not been seen.

Thinking about this back and forth.

It couldn't help but make Bao Xian feel suspicious in his heart.

But he was not allowed to ask more, as that Daoist lineage disciple who had fled back from the front line was soon trapped by several bone demon soldiers due to a moment of carelessness.

Before Bao Xian could provide assistance, that Daoist lineage disciple was killed on the spot, leaving no last words.

Afterwards, in utter helplessness,

Bao Xian could only follow the crowd to retreat across the Shuo River and flee toward the Southern Lands...

And just as his mind was racing and countless thoughts were jumbled together.

A thunderous sound that seemed capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks suddenly exploded in the sky, rumbling across the wilderness.

It shook the eardrums of the cultivators beneath the clouds until they were slightly swollen, with a faint sense of stinging pain!

When Bao Xian and the others looked up in panic, they saw that above the Zheng Zheng Xu Tian, a True Person from the Six-Ding Temple already had half his body shattered, his precious robes damaged, and demonic flames surging from his shell.

In the blink of an eye.

He was burned into a human torch, with no breath of life left!

"These Yuchen people are truly difficult to deal with; if it weren't for Deng Yunji's greed for merit and reckless advance, it would have been extremely difficult for us to swallow so many troops in one breath."

A youth wearing a high crown and dressed in magnificent robes sighed, casually collected the belongings of the dead Six-Ding Temple True Person, and spoke with emotion to the Huzhao companions beside him.

"Now that our sect's Hook-and-Twist Giant Cities have already formed a formation, after waiting a little longer, we can use the formation to trigger the heavy, turbid Sha Qi, and the overall situation will be settled!"

An old man in green robes laughed loudly upon hearing this, shook a ball of emerald fire from his shoulder to block the attack of a Yuchen True Person, and said happily:

"And just now, Chen Chen Shidi Lu sent a message that when Deng Yunji's troops were crossing the river, he had already successfully raided the camp and used magic power to defile the 'Spiritual Treasure Altar' in Deng Yunji's tent, making it impossible for Deng Yunji's side to produce any more Evil-Expelling Divine Generals.

With one side growing and the other waning, how can we not win!"

As soon as the old man in green robes said this, it caused the several Yuchen True Persons in the Zheng Zheng Xu Tian to have sorrowful expressions and roar repeatedly.

But no matter how much force they exerted, they could not escape the battle circle, feeling utterly helpless in their hearts.

"True Person Deng has misled me! Misled me!"

At this time, an old Daoist from Spirit-Number Mountain looked at the scene of the troops being defeated like a collapsing mountain beneath the clouds, heartbroken:

"If we are defeated just like this, how will this old Daoist have the face to see True Person Yu, and how should I return to Spirit-Number Mountain!"

"If you hadn't said that, I would have nearly forgotten..."

The high-crowned youth followed the old Daoist's line of sight to look beneath the clouds, smiled slightly, and said:

"We are currently on the killing field, where there is no room for sentiment; no matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat.

Since I have freed up my hands, these Yuchen troops have reached the end of their lives; this True Person will show mercy and send them on their way!"

This voice rumbled and echoed in the sky, surging like the sea and the tide!

The retreating Yuchen soldiers were all terrified upon hearing these words, captured by his killing intent.

And the Huzhao troops cheered and clamored, their momentum growing even stronger.

"It's over..."

Daoist lineage cultivators like Bao Xian were all pale-faced, and a sense of despair couldn't help but well up.

The current situation was originally one where the enemy was strong and they were weak, and they could not resist.

It was entirely reliant on several True Persons fighting desperately above the Zheng Zheng Xu Tian that the situation had not completely overturned.

But now, in the Huzhao camp, a True Person had actually freed up his hands.

If he were allowed to join the lower battlefield, the situation would surely be completely one-sided.

It was feared that no one present would be able to survive!

"Chen Chen Shidi, I said you were truly too cautious; it's clear that people like Wang Sen and Chen Hang have already been held back by others on our side, and it's impossible for them to come and provide reinforcements.

Yet you still harbor doubts and are suspicious of everything."

At this time, on the fire-wheel carriage.

Wan Youyue, while drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, casually pierced through several fearless puppets, pinning them dead a hundred zhang away and beating them into a pile of scrap iron, while laughing at the grey-clothed Daoist beside him:

"How about it, was I right, Xiao Xiao Shixiong?"

"..."

The grey-clothed Daoist was speechless upon hearing this.

But seeing the scene before him, his heart also relaxed slightly.

After sighing secretly, he bowed to Wan Youyue, just about to flatter him a few words.

From the corner of his eye, he vaguely caught a glimpse of strands of eerily beautiful red light, like a violent storm, invading across dozens of miles of cloud sea, arriving in an instant!

"Not good!"

The high-crowned youth's pupils constricted, his sleeves raised, just about to cast a spell to intercept, but he was blocked by a sword light that didn't know where it originated.

It startled him into a flurry, leaving him no time to care about anything else.

And after he fought for several rounds, finally threw out several talismans to force the sword light back, and barely managed to find a chance to escape.

That flying sword did not continue to attack, but turned into a rainbow and threw itself into the distance.

And at this time, the cultivators raised their eyes to look.

They saw that in the sky, at some unknown time, there was an extra surging blood river, headless and tailless, with no known origin or destination, its momentum incomparably prominent, as if the Netherworld Blood River had overturned into the human world!

Its chilling, evil state made even these Xiantian Xiantian Mo Zong people feel wary in their hearts!

"Reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived! And it's Instructor Chen!"

Exclamations of surprise instantly arose in the Yuchen camp.

The several Daoist lineage True Persons were all overjoyed, their morale greatly boosted.

"Chen Hang..."

And looking at the handsome Daoist in purple robes and a golden crown above the blood river, the Huzhao cultivators felt their pupils constrict sharply, their hearts shaken.

"Chen Hang, how could you come here? Chen Chen Shidi Lu—"

The high-crowned youth had a look of shock on his face.

But before he could shout out, he was coldly interrupted by Chen Hang:

"Since I have come here, you should already be perfectly clear about the fate of that so-called Chen Chen Shidi Lu."

The high-crowned youth's face turned pale, he took a few steps back, his sleeves trembling slightly.

And at this time, looking at the scene of corpses strewn everywhere and demonic Qi surging beneath the blood river, Chen Hang also frowned slightly.

His sleeves moved, and the Qi light in the firmament suddenly swayed, dispersing all kinds of mournful winds and miserable mists, allowing the sunlight to shine down brilliantly, returning the world to a clear and bright appearance.

And accompanied by several macro-sounds that seemed to collapse mountains and overturn peaks.

He pointed his finger, and thunder light vaguely appeared in the void!

Merged

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 355 =====