Chapter 1119 Stalemate: Bloodbath at the Prince's Palace
Faced with the invasion of the foreign army, the Zhen Dong Prince's Mansion, which had already integrated the Eastern Region, reacted swiftly and made decisive decisions.
However, the invasion of the four major demonic races from beyond the realm was a long-planned operation, with all their elite forces deployed.
Their offensive was fierce, their methods unpredictable, and their coordination seamless, far exceeding the experience of the Eastern Border Defense Forces in dealing with scattered demons in the past.
Faced with the most ferocious Thunder Demon Clan, under Qing Yanjing's decision, Dongfang Shuo led the elite troops of the Eastern Region Garrison to provide reinforcements. With his Saint-grade cultivation and Xuanhuang Dragon Qi, he was able to temporarily curb the rampant advance of the Sky-Splitting Thunder Demon Li Wujiu.
The two sides engaged in a fierce tug-of-war in the shattered star belt, with lightning and dragon energy clashing. Every moment, a large number of Thunder Demon warriors and Eastern Region cultivators perished, and the starry sky was dyed with a mixture of purple-black and gold-red colors.
However, the situation on the other three fronts deteriorated rapidly.
Led by the Thousand-Blade Demon Emperor Tu Feng, the Blade Demon Clan army did not entangle with the border guards for long. Instead, like an incomparably sharp blade, it swiftly pierced through the hastily formed joint defense line of several medium-sized forces in the direction of the Black Annihilation Continent with its ghostly speed and indestructible blade energy.
They operate in small, unpredictable groups, targeting weak points in defenses, teleportation nodes, and resource stockpiles, resulting in astonishingly efficient destruction.
By the time the reinforcements dispatched by the Prince of Zhendong arrived, the main force of the Blade Demon Clan had already left behind a scene of devastation and countless wreckage. They had broken through the border and begun to infiltrate the resource-rich and densely populated star field in the eastern region!
Under the control of the Blood Sea Demon Emperor Ming Tao, the Blood Demon Clan has transformed the eastern border into an ever-expanding sea of death and blood.
Wherever the sea of blood passed, life was ravaged and all things decayed.
When an ordinary cultivator's spiritual attack falls into the sea of blood, it's like a mud ox entering the sea; instead, it will be defiled and backfire.
Several sects skilled in fire-based and masculine martial arts attempted to purify the sea of blood with blazing flames, but instead were corrupted by the endless resentment and filthy blood contained within, suffering heavy losses.
The sea of blood, like a living thing, devoured all life and energy along its path, growing ever larger and more unstoppable, slowly but steadily spreading towards the inner domain.
The most troublesome are the Spirit Demons.
The Bewitching Demon Empress Youji did not pursue rapid breakthroughs; wherever she went, she turned into a hell for the soul.
Countless bizarre illusion seeds, mental plagues, and memory-altering techniques spread like an invisible poisonous fog.
Many border troops and monk groups collapsed from within before even seeing the enemy, turning on each other or becoming mindless, controlled zombies.
The Spirit Demon warriors concealed themselves within the illusions, gracefully and precisely reaping souls, and continuously spreading chaos and fear to the starfields further back, severely disrupting the Royal Palace's command and control as well as its logistical supply lines.
Bad news spread back to the Thunder Continent like an avalanche.
"Report! The Blade Demon Clan has broken through the Black Annihilation Continent's defenses, and its vanguard has appeared on the outskirts of the Heavenly Craft Continent, attacking the Divine Machine Sect's mountain gate!"
"Urgent report! The Sea of Blood has submerged seventeen border continents and is moving towards the Blazing Sun Continent! Three sects along the way are requesting help!"
"Urgent military intelligence! The illusionary magic of the Spirit Demon Clan has infiltrated the Azure Star River. The Tianyin Pavilion branch has lost contact and is suspected of having fallen! Rebellions have broken out at multiple logistics nodes!"
The atmosphere inside the Zhen Dong Hall was extremely heavy.
Qing Yanjing's face was frosty as her fingertips moved rapidly across the huge star map sandbox, outlining a series of alarming enemy advance routes.
Lei Feier, Xiao Yu, Ya Fei, Yun Yun and others also turned pale. Although they had experienced many storms, this was the first time they had faced such a comprehensive and dire battle situation.
"The four extraterrestrial evil races have a clear division of labor and work together seamlessly. The Thunder Demon Clan is holding back our main force from the front, the Blade Demon Clan is flanking and disrupting our territory, the Blood Demon Clan is steadily advancing and creating panic and destruction, and the Spirit Demon Clan is disrupting the morale of our rear... What a vicious scheme!"
Qing Yanjing gritted her teeth and said, feeling the pressure on her shoulders as heavy as a mountain.
With her husband in seclusion, the safety of the Eastern Region rests on her shoulders.
"Mistress, the Blade Demon Clan is too fast and has already threatened the Heavenly Craft Continent. That is an important source of materials for refining weapons and arrays in our Eastern Region. We must not lose it!" an elder from Thunder Prison said urgently.
"Although the Blood Sea's advance is slow, its destructive power is too great and difficult to contain. We must stop it from approaching the Blazing Sun Continent, where there is a large population!" another elder said.
"The Spirit Demon Clan is treacherous. If we don't deal with them, there will never be peace in the rear, and the command system will eventually collapse!" Venerable Taishan added.
Qing Yanjing took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She knew that continuing to divide her forces for rescue and setting up defenses everywhere would only allow the enemy to lead her by the nose.
Ultimately, their forces were dispersed and defeated one by one, but if they were not rescued, the core area would fall, and the consequences would be equally unimaginable.
"Feng Gongfeng!" She looked at Feng Wuyai, who was doing his best to maintain the Sky-Patrolling Thunder Eye.
“Your Highness, using my spiritual power of wind, I sense that the main force of the Blade Demon Clan is sharp and concentrated, the Blood Demon Clan is powerful but somewhat sluggish, and the Spirit Demon Clan… is elusive and unpredictable,” Feng Wuyai said quickly.
"The Thunder Demon Clan and Dongfang Shuo are locked in a stalemate in the Shattered Star Zone, and there is no immediate danger. The most urgent task is to curb the advance of the Blade Demon Clan, stabilize the rear, and then plan for other matters."
“Alright!” A decisive glint flashed in Qing Yanjing’s eyes.
"Feng Gongfeng, please take charge of the central command, monitor the overall situation, and assist in dispatching the reserve forces to deal with emergencies."
"Sister Fei'er, you and the other sisters are in full charge of the palace guards and the defense of the Heavenly Thunder Continent. Chen'er must be absolutely safe!"
"Lei Dong, Zi Huo, come with me to gather the most elite forces of the Thunder Prison headquarters, and... ask Venerable Bao Sheng to take action! We must personally go to the Heavenly Craft Continent to intercept the advance of the Blade Demon Clan!"
At the same time, he ordered all forces on the Blazing Sun Continent and in the surrounding areas to spare no effort, relying on favorable terrain and pre-arranged formations, to slow down the advance of the Blood Sea!
The Royal Palace has issued its highest bounty, recruiting powerful individuals skilled in mental defense and psychic techniques to form the Illusion-Breaking Army, specifically to combat the Spirit Demon Clan!
With the order issued, the entire Thunder Prison and the core forces of the Zhen Dong Prince's Mansion were fully mobilized.
Qing Yanjing took the lead and, since helping Qing Chen awaken her physique, she seemed to have opened her heart and her skill in spirit arrays had also improved by leaps and bounds.
Now, she has not only successfully advanced to the Saint-level Grandmaster of Spirit Arrays, but her cultivation has also reached the peak of the Immortal Rank. At this moment, she is dressed in battle armor, looking heroic and exuding a chilling killing intent.
Beside Qing Yanjing, a hint of helplessness flashed in the eyes of Venerable Baosheng. Although fighting against the extraterrestrial evil race was the duty of the strong in the Great Thousand World, such a grand scene still made him feel lingering fear.
But thinking that he was now practically tied to the Prince's mansion, he sighed.
"So be it, things have come to this point, there's no turning back. Besides, resisting the evil races from beyond the realm is our duty." Venerable Baosheng shook his head to himself and murmured.
With the addition of Venerable Baosheng, a Saint-level combatant, the reinforcement team gained much more confidence.
Qing Yanjing selected eight Immortal-grade Heavenly Sovereigns, dozens of Spirit-grade Heavenly Sovereigns, and the most elite five thousand Thunder Punishment Army members from the Qi Lei Prison headquarters to form a powerful assault force. Through the ultra-long-distance teleportation array inside the Royal Palace, they headed straight for the war-torn Tiangong Continent!
The Tiangong Continent is renowned for its weapon crafting and formations.
When Qing Yanjing and his group arrived, the place was already a scene of carnage.
The army of the Blade Demon Clan swept across the land like locusts, destroying sects and dimming the stars wherever they went.
The Divine Machine Sect's protective mountain formation had already been personally broken by the Thousand Blade Demon Emperor Tu Feng.
The sect's disciples and cultivators from nearby forces who came to their aid were using the remaining fortifications and the familiar environment for refining weapons to engage in brutal street battles and interstellar combat with the ghostly sword demon warriors. People were falling every moment.
"Form ranks! Thunder Prison descend!" With a command from Qing Yanjing, five thousand Thunder Punishment Army soldiers instantly formed a massive thunder battle formation.
Countless thick bolts of lightning, like a torrential rain, bombarded the rampaging Blade Demon army, instantly clearing out a large area.
"Hmm? Finally, a few decent-sized fish have arrived!" A cold and sharp demonic thought locked onto them.
A demonic figure formed from countless blade shadows shot into the sky from the shattered main hall of the Divine Machine Sect; it was none other than the Thousand Blade Demon Emperor, Tu Feng!
The demonic blade in its hand trembled slightly, emitting a humming sound that yearned to drink blood.
"You wicked creature! Cease your rampage!"
Beside Qing Yanjing, Venerable Baosheng shouted and took the lead in meeting the challenge.
Although he disliked fighting, as a saint, he naturally possessed his own dignity.
He summoned a holy shield and held it in front of him. At the same time, the two precious orbs in his hand lit up again, and the Nine Yang True Fire and the Profound Nether True Water transformed into an ice and fire tornado that swept towards Tu Feng.
"A sacred item? Perfect for testing your blade on you!" Tu Feng laughed wildly, his demonic blade transforming into countless blade shadows, each seemingly capable of cleaving through space, fiercely clashing with the ice and fire power of the Treasure Saint Venerable.
Qing Yanjing then commanded the powerful warriors of Thunder Prison to form a battle formation and begin to wipe out other Blade Demon Clan forces on the continent, while also supporting the remaining garrison.
She herself took action, wielding a quasi-saint-level peerless sacred artifact that unleashed countless sword lights. Combined with an exquisite spirit array, she could often trap and kill several Xuanmo Emperors of the Blade Demon Clan.
The battle instantly became intense.
The Venerable Baosheng and Tu Feng clashed at high speed in the star space, the sacred artifact and the demonic blade colliding and unleashing devastating energy ripples.
The powerful warriors of Thunder Prison and the elite of the Blade Demon Clan clashed fiercely, with lightning and blade energy crisscrossing, and blood and demonic blood splattering everywhere.
Seeing this, the remaining disciples of the Divine Mechanism Sect were greatly encouraged and unleashed astonishing fighting power, coordinating with the Thunder Prison reinforcements from within and without.
However, the Blade Demon Clan is indeed exceptionally fierce, with extremely strong individual combat power, and their fighting style is unpredictable and bizarre.
Although Lei Fajun's battle formation was strong, it was difficult for it to fully exert its power in this complex star field environment, and casualties began to occur.
At that very moment, another unexpected event occurred!
Feng Wuyai's urgent telepathic message simultaneously rang in the minds of Qing Yanjing, Venerable Baosheng, and the others, carrying a hint of alarm and anger: "Mistress! Venerable Baosheng! Be careful!"
The Blood Demon Emperor of the Blood Demon Clan suddenly abandoned the slowly advancing Blood Sea and personally led an elite Blood Demon Guard to cross space using a secret technique, appearing on the flank of the Heavenly Craft Continent!
The Heavenly Demon Emperor of the Spirit Demon Clan has also appeared in this area, attempting to disrupt our morale! Their target... is you! The core strength of the Royal Palace!
As soon as the words were spoken, a bloody gash was suddenly torn open in the void on one side of the Heavenly Craft Continent, and a monstrous wave of blood, carrying countless ferocious blood demons, surged out.
The leader was none other than the Blood Sea Demon Emperor Ming Tao, who exuded an endless bloodlust!
At the same time, invisible ripples of illusion spread out like mercury, causing many Thunder Prison warriors to freeze in their tracks, their eyes filled with confusion and madness.
"Hehehe... You must be the core of the fighting force in the Eastern Region of the Great Thousand World. It's time to wipe you all out in one fell swoop!"
"By devouring your essence, blood, and souls, I will surely advance even further!" Ming Tao laughed wildly, and the blood waves transformed into countless ferocious maws, biting and tearing at them.
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of illusionary ripples appeared, viciously targeting the weaknesses in the Thunder Prison expert's soul. Even Bao Sheng Venerable and Qing Yanjing felt their minds tremble slightly.
In front of him was Tu Feng, an incomparably sharp blade; on his flanks was Ming Tao, a vast and filthy sea of blood; and in the shadows lurked You Ji, an illusion that was impossible to defend against!
The three Heavenly Demon Emperors actually went so far as to temporarily suspend their original plans and join forces to ambush and annihilate the strongest reinforcements and core leaders sent by the Zhen Dong Prince's Mansion!
The situation instantly became extremely critical!
Qing Yanjing's heart sank, but her eyes became even more determined.
"Hey!"
Just then, a clear, resonant sound, carrying endless penetrating power, suddenly came from the extremely chaotic void above and to the side of the battlefield!
It wasn't an energy explosion, but rather space was forcibly torn apart in an extremely ingenious, swift, yet immensely powerful way!
An ancient figure, cyan in color and seemingly formed from the purest gale from the heavens, stepped out from the spatial rift!
The newcomer had white hair and beard, and a gaunt face. He was none other than Feng Wuyai, the Supreme Elder of the Fengling Clan!
"Old Feng?!" Qing Yanjing was overjoyed.
"Heh heh, another big fish has come to its death." Ming Tao was taken aback when he saw Feng Wuyai, and then he couldn't help but sneer.
Feng Wuyai ignored Ming Tao, his gaze sweeping over Qing Yanjing and the others, finally settling on Tu Feng, who was engaged in fierce battle with Bao Sheng Zun Zhe, as well as Ming Tao and You Ji, who were watching him from the flanks.
He took a deep breath, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness.
"With the mistress in trouble, how can I, as a servant of the Prince's Palace, sit idly by? I have temporarily entrusted the affairs of the central government to a reliable person."
"The evil spirits here will be dealt with by this old man, Bao Sheng, and the Mistress together!"
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already transformed into an almost invisible stream of azure light, directly cutting into the battlefield, his target being the Blood Sea Demon Emperor Ming Tao, who was controlling the Blood Sea and attempting to corrupt the great formation!
"You evil race, you wicked path! Let my Nine Heavens Gale cleanse your tainted blood!"
"Boundless Wind Domain, Nine Heavens Wind Slaughter!"
Feng Wuyai pressed his hands down, no longer pursuing large-scale domain control, but instead concentrating all his lifelong understanding of the wind attribute into a single point!
In an instant, the void within a radius of ten thousand feet centered on him seemed to transform into a desolate wind domain!
It was no longer the all-pervasive cutting of before, but countless cyan wind blades condensed to the extreme, containing the meaning of destruction and purification.
Just like the most loyal soldiers, they formed an abstruse battle formation, transforming into a blue torrent that tore through the sky and cleansed away the filth, and charged fiercely toward the core of the blood sea controlled by Ming Tao!
Wherever the wind blade passed, the viscous, foul-smelling blood waves were like hot soup poured on snow, making a hissing sound as they were quickly evaporated, cut, and purified!
Countless blood demons hiding in the sea of blood let out mournful screams and turned into green smoke in the purifying wind!
"You old scoundrel! You're asking for death!" Ming Tao was both shocked and furious.
He hadn't expected that the newcomer's wind attribute would have such a restraining effect on his Blood Sea!
It roared and abandoned some of its suppression of the great formation. The sea of blood surged and condensed into countless ferocious blood-colored demons and tentacles, which swept across the sky to meet the torrent of cyan wind blades!
Seeing that Ming Tao was stopped, Qing Yanjing couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She then turned around and fixed her beautiful eyes on the third Heavenly Demon Emperor of the extraterrestrial evil race.
The Spirit Demon Clan, You Ji.
