“The worm devil’s army has withdrawn!
“This confrontation has taken its toll on the worm devil, it must be unwilling to suffer greater losses.”
“Even with vast reserves of flesh and blood, nurturing hundreds of devil soldiers is no simple task.”
“Already, the worm devil has issued orders for the remaining devil soldiers to retreat deeper into the devil zone.”
Within the Middle Land Immortal Hall, numerous Heavenly Rankers came to a swift consensus – to momentarily halt their attacks.
The triumphs of the previous night were significant, but the costs incurred were equally devastating. Thus, they chose to turn their focus to patrolling the perimeter of the devil zone, affording themselves a much-needed respite.
However, as dusk fell, a realization began to dawn on the Heavenly Rankers. Given its noble bloodline, a worm devil was not one to simply concede defeat due to the loss of a few devil soldiers. The purpose of its existence was rooted in carnage and destruction. Why would it fear them?
The reason the devil soldiers hid during the day was to rest and recover from the devastating blow dealt by the Middle Land’s powerhouses. The worm devil was merely regrouping its troops, gathering strength for what was to come.
Then, it began!
Three swarms of devil soldiers emerged at different locations on the outskirts of the devil zone, obliterating vast stretches of land and mercilessly slaying an unfortunate Heavenly Ranker that crossed their path. These swarms were all led by Spiritual Body devil soldiers spanning over 300 meters. Under their command were more than ten devil soldiers at the sixth-stage Communion phase or higher.
At that moment, all cultivators of the Middle Land realized the grave truth – the worm devil was sending out its main forces.
“Retreat!”
“Quickly withdraw!”
“Leave the devil zone immediately!” Emperor Dong Pan, Fang Xia, and others frantically issued commands, the panic evident in their voices.
At this point, warnings were unnecessary. Countless Heavenly Rankers were already scrambling to flee the devil zone. Yet, the rampaging Spiritual Body devil soldiers possessed eyesight capable of seeing 10,000 li into the distance, allowing them to target and capture the escaping Heavenly Rankers from the sky.
Just fifteen minutes later, Mountain Devil King found himself pursued by a swarm of devil soldiers. They appeared to target him specifically due to his strength.
Thankfully, Mountain Devil King, an eighth-stage Communion cultivator, possessed the vitality and power to endure their attacks until Qiong Sea King arrived.
No words needed to be exchanged as they crossed paths.
Layered armor, resembling scales, cloaked Qiong Sea King’s massive frame. Without hesitation, Qiong Sea King dove headfirst into battle.
“Spirit battle armor!”
“Heavens! Qiong Sea King possesses spirit battle armor? When did he acquire it?” gasped the Heavenly Rankers, their astonishment evident.
No one anticipated that Qiong Sea King held such a powerful trump card.
“Roar!” The colossal Spiritual Body devil soldier bellowed, hurtling towards Qiong Sea King at a terrifying velocity.
Boom! The clash between these two titans created an explosion that seemed to shake the foundations of the world.
“They’ve collided!”
“What incredible speed! Spiritual Body devil soldiers are indeed difficult opponents. Their bodies are as hard as armor, no wonder the Huang Temple’s array could only inflict superficial wounds on it.”
“Qiong Sea King is at a slight disadvantage.”
“The wings, scales, and claws of the Spiritual Body phase devil soldier are all weapons, and it can recover quickly from injuries. This cultivation phase is truly deserving of the name ‘Spiritual Body’.”
“Though Qiong Sea King is physically weaker, he compensates for it with his extraordinary skill and technique, and has the support of an artifact. Thus, he is only at a slight disadvantage.” The Heavenly Rankers looked on anxiously. Qiong Sea King represented the apex of combat power among the immortal cultivators of the Middle Land.
“Kill!” bellowed Qiong Sea King. With the protection of his spirit battle armor, he fought with unrestrained fury against the Spiritual Body devil soldier.
His decision to confront the enemy head-on stemmed not only from his desire to save Mountain Devil King, but also the need to assess the strength and capabilities of Spiritual Body devil soldiers in preparation for their inevitable decisive battle.
Victory in battle was achieved by understanding both oneself and one’s enemy.
It was only after Qiong Sea King retreated with Mountain Devil King, leaving the devil zone, that the Spiritual Body devil soldier gave up its pursuit and turned back.
…
In a different region of the battlefield, Wu Yuan plunged headfirst into a swarm of devil soldiers to save several Heavenly Rankers, including Bu Yu. He found himself entangled in a fierce struggle with them, one of which was at the Spiritual Body phase.
Both sides unleashed their devastating might, leaving a trail of desolation that stretched for numerous li in their wake.
Relying on his vitality and speed, Wu Yuan took down three Communion devil soldiers, and then escaped from the Spiritual Body devil soldier. His strength could be said to rival Qiong Sea King!
However, Wu Yuan and Qiong Sea King could only hold back two of the three swarms of Spiritual Body devil soldiers. Consequently, the third swarm wreaked havoc upon the cultivators of the Middle Land, inflicting countless injuries and claiming the lives of five Heavenly Rankers.
In the wake of this staggering loss, the surviving Heavenly Rankers made a strategic retreat from the devil zone, regrouping at the North Huang City some 2000 li away. The city was the third-largest of its kind in the Huang Continent, housing a population of millions.
…
The atmosphere in the Conference Hall of the Middle Land Immortal Hall was heavy and solemn.
Daoist Wan Xing swept his gaze across the assembly of Heavenly Rankers, speaking with a grave voice, “This is what it means to go to war against a devil. This is what it means to face a calamity. However, our sacrifices have not been in vain. We have succeeded in eliminating a considerable number of devil soldiers, even compelling the worm devil to deploy its Spiritual Body devil soldiers.”
Emperor Dong Pan added, “From another perspective, our vanguard has struck a nerve of the worm devil. We are fortunate that Daoist Qiong Sea and Daoist Wu Yuan participated in this battle. If not for them, the casualties resulting from the worm devil’s retaliation would have been even more devastating.”
At that moment, the Heavenly Rankers turned toward Qiong Sea King and Wu Yuan with grateful expressions.
Qiong Sea King’s reputation was known far and wide, and he had long held the title of King of the South Ocean. Thus, no one was surprised by the strength he displayed. On the other hand, Wu Yuan’s name swiftly rose to prominence, and his standing at the pinnacle of the Middle Land in strength was solidified.
…
The appearance of the three Spiritual Body devil soldiers had caught all the Heavenly Rankers off guard. The strength of the worm devil completely surpassed their expectations.
After some discussion, it was decided that the 40 or so Heavenly Rankers would temporarily rest in North Huang City and await the arrival of the arrays. From what they could tell, their only hope of eliminating the Spiritual Body devil soldiers lay in the arrays.
The majority of Heavenly Rankers sought places to rest and recuperate.
Meanwhile, within the Middle Land Immortal Hall, Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, Fang Xia, the Arctic King, and Niu Hao, met up with Qiong Sea King and Wu Yuan.
Daoist Wan Xing spoke, “Daoist Qiong Sea, Daoist Wu Yuan, the Spiritual Body devil soldiers are too powerful. Any other Heavenly Ranker who encounters them will most likely meet their end. Henceforth, patrolling the devil zone is no longer a viable strategy. Only the two of you have sufficient strength.”
“Therefore, if the two of you are confident, would you be willing to venture into the devil zone alone and continue hunting the devil soldiers?” Daoist Wan Xing continued. “We hope that you can hinder the growth of the worm devil as much as possible.”
“Especially you, Daoist Wu Yuan,” Emperor Dong Pan couldn’t help but interject. “Your individual hunting efficiency is equivalent to that of dozens of Heavenly Rankers.”
The cultivators couldn’t help but shift their gaze towards Wu Yuan. In terms of power, Qiong Sea King was slightly superior. But when it came to patrolling and killing efficiency, Wu Yuan was the undisputed number one!
Thus far, Wu Yuan could be considered the biggest contributor to the fight against the worm devil.
“I require half a day of rest.” Qiong Sea King said glumly. “My ether has been greatly depleted.”
Feeling the intense scrutiny on him, Wu Yuan shook his head. “I need a day to regain my strength.”
The Teng Snake was about to hatch!