Chapter 533: Just Need A Bit More
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
This was an unexpectedly fierce battle.
The desert demons were extremely strong. Each of them was comparable to the Jindan Stage from righteous sects in Nine Regions and even better than that of Spirit Sword Sect disciples whose golden core had been soaked in the gutter oil. Moreover, their array was stronger. The action of those dozens of demons seemed chaotic, often inexplicable. However, when they raised their hands or lifted their feet, they could pull up such great strength. Their frontal collision against the Wang Lu-led sword array did not cause them to fall!
Every time the two sides launched their attack, the ground shook, and the aftermath of the sword qi continued to rage across the surrounding area. The black tide that shrouded the area was actually pushed out, revealing the clear sky.
However, the blue sky was also quickly lost in the violent energy turbulence. Sometimes, deep night sky emerged, sometimes, there were lightning and thunder, sometimes, the sky was shrouded with clouds, and sometimes, the red sun shone...
From this strange phenomenon, it could clearly be seen how fierce this battle was. Standing on the main position on the three individual sword array, the more Wang Lu attacked, the more startled he was. When this double array strategy was formulated three years prior, no one thought that someone could match this sword array!
Of course, strictly speaking… if the Demon King could solve the threat of Fenrir within three years and completely recover from the injury, then the complete form of the Demon King was enough to crush everything. If they really encountered that situation, everyone could only go to the Yellow Springs. However, at present, although the Demon King had failed to recover from injury, his bodyguards were actually unusually powerful.
"Are they really just Jindan?"
During the fierce battle, Ouyang Shang could not help but ask.
Wang Lu said with a sinking voice, "According to human classification, they are indeed Jindan Stage; From peak Jindan to low-level Jindan, the average is not much higher than us, and their number is less than us. But…"
But after a long and fierce battle, the golden generation of Spirit Sword Sect could not gain an upper hand. Let alone crossing their defense to kill the Demon King… they even slowly retreated under the pressure of the other side. And this was when the sword array led by Wang Lu whose offensive was the sharpest. When Wang Lu's primordial spirit started to flicker and needed to be substituted, the scene became even worse.
"... It's the disparity between the array."
Within the three interlinked primordial spirits, suddenly, Fei Ying's voice could be heard. Within the seventy-two great killing array, she assumed the center spot, and was the only node closely connected with the three individual sword array, therefore, she could communicate with Wang Lu and the others.
Fei Ying was an expert in array. In terms of talent and perception of this, she was even better than the Ouyang Shang who was good at basically everything. At this time, after a period of observation, the quality of array used by the demons was judged as above that of their sword array combination.
"The array disparity is it…" Ouyang Shang immediately felt that things had become even more difficult. This sword array combination was originally conceived as a result of him and Wang Lu neglecting their sleep and forgetting about food. Later on, it was ultimately formed after going through amendment of everyone else. Meaning that this was the condensation of the wisdom of the golden generation. Although there was still a gap in performance compared with a lot of the arrays of Yuanying and Deity Stage, it was already the pinnacle in Jindan Stage.
In terms of array, the stronger was not always the better. For example, in the legendary great desolation period, the immortal slayer sword array that could kill an immortal, in terms of wondrousness, its power, naturally, was far above the three individual sword array, but that sword array could not be used before reaching Supreme level, thus far from meeting the need of the cultivators of Spirit Sword Sect. At this time in Jindan Stage, their sword array combination could already be called as the peak.
Unexpectedly, there was sky above sky. The current array used by the demons was obviously better than what they had. After experiencing it, they felt tied, and the situation was getting worse.
"No wonder on a one-on-one level battle array, there is a disparity between them and us. This battle is not good."
Through primordial spirit link, Fei Ying helplessly sighed.
"Don't think about it, just leave the battle thing to us. There will always be a way." Ouyang Shang comforted Fei Ying and then said to Wang Lu, "If you can't hold on, then let me take over, I see that your primordial spirit is already nearly reaching the limit."
Wang Lu actually thought otherwise. "Let you take over so the situation would get worse? Now with me as the controller, there's at least a balance of power, but once we get weaker, the situation will immediately snowball, and it will be impossible to recover."
"... The problem is, after your oil lamp is completely dry, wouldn't the situation be similarly worse?"
"That's why before the oil lamp is dry… We have to come up with some unusual method." Wang Lu gritted his teeth. "Prepare the suicide squad."
"Suicide squad?" Ouyang Shang narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious?"
"Or else what? Competing with them in terms of endurance, waiting for them to get exhausted first? I think their situation is much better than we are, we can't match their endurance. It is impossible to turn the table around without using ultimate 1 ."
"Your so-called ultimate is to let your Junior Brother or Sister go to the other side and blow up their golden core?"
"If you have other ultimates then tell me!"
"... I can't agree with that. Even if I could stomach the sacrifice, your move is too risky. The number of people in our combined sword array is just right, no extra personnel. So self-destruction of the golden core is equal to the self-destruction of the sword array. If it fails to scatter the other party's array, then it would be a suicide for every one of us."
Wang Lu said, "There's a gold medal substitute, Autumn Beam."
"If it's at the start of the battle, then that's okay, but now that the array is running at full capacity, how could there be a room for Autumn Beam to intervene? Once the newcomer is forcibly inserted in, it would cause stagnation in the array, that's also a suicide!"
"Oh? So looks like Big Brother has already come up with a way that doesn't need to be risky and sacrifice stability to win?"
Ouyang Shang was silent for a while. "Let me try it first. If I fail, you can take anyone you want to blow themselves up."
"Good, then I'll wait for the good news."
——
After Ouyang Shang assumed the command, the situation did not improve. Of course, it was not as bad as Wang Lu expected. Although their explosive power was not as against the heaven as primal chaos heaven splitting sword qi, using the power of the earth, dealing with the demons seemed to be easy for Ouyang Shang.
Of course, a large part of this came from the inexplicable blessing of the earth, which made his move very effective. Relying on this extraordinary display, Ouyang Shang barely managed to maintain the situation. Unfortunately, until his primordial spirit turned hot and could not hold on any longer, he could not find an opportunity to turn the situation around.
After Ouyang Shang stepped down, it was Zhang Sheng's turn. However, regarding this Emotion Sword sword cultivator, it was really difficult for everyone to have their confidence in him. Zhang Sheng's performance was indeed excellent, but after all, he could not be compared with Ouyang Shang and Wang Lu. Therefore, when he took the commanding position, Wang Lu was ready to choose the appropriate golden core from the seventy-two great killing array to be blown at the enemy.
However, right at this time, the demons' array's performance had also begun to decline. Not only their power output gradually decreased, they also appeared to be somewhat stiff when they changed position, not as much as flexible as before. In this stalemate situation, this change was particularly eye-catching.
Because the thing necessary to break this stalemate was precisely such kind of small change.
"This is…" Wang Lu inexplicably looked at the situation before him. "Could it be that the demons' endurance is not good? The period of validity of their array has passed?"
Ouyang Shang was also confused. "Or the Emotion Sword has a special effect on these desert demons?"
"Or…"
For a time, the two of them could not understand this mystery. However, they were not particularly attached to this problem. Right now, what they must do was to give their full support to Zhang Sheng as the leader of the array and bring his Emotion Sword power to the extreme.
Zhang Sheng would not be distracted by other things, but would instead be completely immersed in the Emotion Sword. Right now, the visible sword in his hand was fully waved by him, guiding the golden core true qi to become invisible sword qi, bursting forth the thread of emotion that brewed within his immortal heart.
"Disorder!"
The sword of disorder mind was vast and indistinct. When it came out, the sharp edge of the sword drifted without a resting place, just like moon breaking into pieces in the water. The demon that guarded at the front part of the array felt as if he saw a blur. The curved sword qi had bypassed the heavy shield to hack his shoulder. The thick armor canceled out the sword qi, but the trace of confused heart and at a loss feeling had infiltrated in. This emotion thread wound around his mind that this demon immediately stood with a blank expression on the spot.
At that moment, the mind of that demon became confused. Countless forgotten lights and shadows passed before his eyes: the hard but simple life in the tribe, the day to day blacksmith practice, the secret feelings that he kept about his childhood sweetheart… until the ancestor's blood was awakened, and the old life was torn apart.
Why… would I want to fight? Even if I win, can everything I hope come back?
The confusion of this shield bearer caused the entire demon array to turn sluggish. Zhang Sheng immediately stepped forward and pursued the victory. It was just that the speed with which the demon changed their array was also quick. Hundreds of thousands of hurricane-spear-like shadows were struck at him, forcing Zhang Sheng to place his sword across him, using bluntness to defend against the incoming attack.
When Zhang Sheng found the flaw in the offense of the demons, they had already changed the person at the front of the array. Now it was a butcher, with the same tall and burly body and burning flame in his eyes. With him as the core, the demon array became blazing hot, and Zhang Sheng's disorder mind was burned out.
Zhang Sheng sighed and operated his immortal heart, cleaning away the confused thoughts in his mind and replacing them with burning fighting intent, as if a fire had been ignited.
"Burn!"
After the red sword qi was unleashed, it turned into a sea of fire, adding fire to the blazing demon array, aggravating it!
"Ahh!" The bloodthirsty butcher's barely existent reason was burned down, causing his brutal killing intent to become impossible to resist. He left the array for a surprise attack, pointing his bloody hatchet and chopper at Zhang Sheng with ocean-like killing intent. At this moment, Zhang Sheng secretly stepped down, and Wang Lu, who was ready, went to the stage. Then, the primal chaos heaven splitting sword qi whose power had already been stored up, like splitting the heaven and earth apart, burst out!
Half of the butcher's body melted away, completely annihilated under the primal chaos heaven splitting sword qi. Losing their front guy, the demon array was unable to withstand a single blow in the face of the combined sword array. After sending out that single sword strike, Wang Lu smoothly stepped down from the main position. And after taking a breath, Zhang Sheng immediately stepped up, sending out a piercing cold sword intent.
"Sorrow!"
When the butcher was executed, the demons were shocked and grieved, and Zhang Sheng's sorrow sword came just at the right moment. The sorrow sword intent was like big snow falling from the sky, sweeping through the heart of every demon, freezing all emotions.
The whole array stagnated and the rock-solid combination suddenly fell into a state of disunity.
This time, there was no need for a substitute, because Zhang Sheng had already perfectly brewed the sharpest sword intent.
It was the most powerful sword strike in the emotion sword, which was the most lethal and explosive. Its full power strike could even compete with the primal chaos heaven splitting sword qi. If it fell in the demon array whose condition was now like a sheet of loose sand, in just one strike, the outcome would immediately be decided!
However, right at this time, Zhang Sheng felt that his primordial spirit trembled, and the sword intent that had been perfectly brewed was slightly scattered.
It was not his own problem, but the supply of magical power from the seventy-two great killing array had begun to waver. The combined sword array chain-reacted from one to another, so his emotion sword was also greatly affected.
"What's wrong?"
"... Time." Wang Lu whispered.
"Time?" Zhang Sheng suddenly understood. It turned out… the array time was about to end.
The combined sword array could only last for about an hour. Previously, after Wang Lu, Ouyang Shang, and Zhang Sheng had taken turns in the main position and rushed hundreds of miles forward, crossing halfway through their way home, and then fighting the dying and reborn again demons with their array… the time had finally come to an end.
...