Chapter 137 - 131: Rout

Chapter 137: Chapter 131: Rout

Sensing the ever-weakening connection in his mind, Li Changsheng vigorously rubbed his face, trying to dispel the frustration and anxiety clouding his thoughts.

But the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, wishing he could tear the thing that had ambushed them to pieces.

’An insect? Or a snake?’

Li Changsheng gritted his teeth. "After this is over, I’ll definitely kill you..."

If that thing hadn’t shown up, Xiaohai might have broken through to become a demon insect. Although it still wouldn’t have made him completely safe, it would have at least given him a bit more confidence.

As for the pressure that would come after Xiaohai’s breakthrough, he believed he could handle it. At worst, he could bear the pain of giving up some of his other insects.

Unfortunately, all of this could only exist in his imagination.

But while he was stewing in his frustration, the battle outside was growing more intense.

The two sides were clashing not far from Ten Thousand Serpent Lake.

In the midst of the battlefield, the acrid smell of burning flesh and blood filled the air. The Spiritual Qi was in chaos, thick with a chilling killing intent.

When the Power Demon Sect attacked, the Demon Hunting Corps’ long years of experience fighting demonic beasts became apparent. The team quickly fell into an orderly formation, just as they had against the Snake Tide, and unleashed a volley of talismans. They gave the howling, charging Power Demon Sect Cultivators a rude awakening.

While the enemy was scrambling to react, the Demon Hunting Corps closed in fast. The light of various Magic arts blossomed, instantly cutting down more than ten people.

After the Power Demon Sect’s Cultivators overcame their initial panic, the advantage of their powerful bodies became clear. Although they looked ragged under the Demon Hunting Corps’ assault, no one else died.

Meanwhile, Congli, who was tied up with Luan Jian and Mingzhuang, took out a dark yellow scroll.

As the two watched, he unrolled it.

In an instant, a seemingly endless horde of crimson demonic beasts leaped from the scroll and joined the battle. The one-sided slaughter was immediately reversed.

The crimson demonic beasts seemed to have no weaknesses; even when cut into pieces, they would quickly reform. Combined with the Power Demon Sect Cultivators who periodically jumped into the fray, this soon led to casualties in the Demon Hunting Corps. Gradually, their offense turned into a defense, and they became locked in a stalemate.

But as time passed, the Demon Hunting Corps’ decline became more severe. Every so often, someone would be snatched away by a demonic beast comparable to an Early-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, torn to shreds, and devoured.

This struck fear into the hearts of the Demon Hunting Corps members, and thoughts of retreat began to surface.

And once the idea of retreat appeared, their already-cracking defensive line broke down even further, and the demonic beasts grew even more rampant.

The number of casualties multiplied.

Luan Jian, who was struggling to hold off Congli, saw this and his focus wavered for an instant.

A sharp glint flashed in Congli’s eyes. Raging flames of blood suddenly erupted from his body, instantly coalescing into a colossal, nine-headed beast.

Two of its solid-looking heads—a goat’s and a crane’s—suddenly opened their eyes.

SCREECH...

The crane head tilted back and let out a piercing cry.

The sharp sound flooded Luan Jian’s mind, and his body went rigid.

’This is bad!’

The thought flashed through Luan Jian’s mind. The next instant, a square, beastly pupil filled his vision, and his once-active thoughts instantly turned into a pool of stagnant water.

The nine-headed beast whipped its tail down hard at Luan Jian.

Seeing this, Mingzhuang, who was surrounded by a hundred water locks, roared anxiously, "Get out of the way!"

But Luan Jian, ensnared by the beast’s Calamity Spirit, didn’t react at all.

The next moment, BAM! The thick tail, condensed from Qi Blood, smashed brutally into Luan Jian. He was sent flying backward, blood gushing from his seven orifices as if it cost nothing.

He flew back dozens of meters before crashing heavily to the ground, his aura rapidly dwindling to almost nothing.

His chest was smashed open, revealing glistening white bone and glimpses of red viscera. The features of his face were a mangled mess, as if a heap of mud had been slapped onto it—a truly wretched sight.

If not for a thick layer of spiritual light that had burst from his chest to shield him for an instant, that single blow would have been enough to kill him, body and soul.

But he wasn’t far from death. His aura was as weak as a flickering candle flame; even a single Qi Cultivator could finish him off now.

"Hahaha!"

Having succeeded with one strike, Congli couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His fists fell like rain, and with the nine-headed beast assisting from the side, he put Mingzhuang in a perilous situation. It looked as though Mingzhuang would soon follow in Luan Jian’s footsteps.

Not far away, Tan Hu and Steward Ye were working together to fend off an assault from Zuo Ling, the armored giant, and a crimson demonic beast comparable to a Mid-Meridian Condensation cultivator.

When they saw Luan Jian instantly crippled and on the verge of death, both of their expressions changed drastically.

Tan Hu cursed, "Is he made of mud or something? Can’t even take one hit."

The Wind Blades spreading around him grew even more frenzied.

Even the fearless demonic beasts didn’t dare to charge straight in.

Zuo Ling’s eyes flickered. He sneered, "Senior Brother Cong’s beastly avatar isn’t something an ordinary person can withstand. Once he’s done with that Demon Pup, it’ll be your turn!"

"Bah!"

Tan Hu, not backing down in the slightest, waved a hand and threw a massive Wind Blade. "Avatar, my ass!" he cursed. "At best, it’s just some condensed Qi Blood. Let him try and hit your granddaddy! See if I even flinch!"

Hearing this, Zuo Ling’s face twitched. He directed his Godfall Thorn to shatter the incoming Wind Blade, and a large amount of blood surged out from under his robes.

In just a moment, the blood coalesced into hundreds of black-and-red birds that swarmed toward Tan Hu. Like moths to a flame, they were repeatedly shredded by the Wind Blades, only to reform and charge again.

After several consecutive charges, the birds had consumed a great deal of Tan Hu’s Spiritual Power, forcing him to take out and swallow a pill to restore his Spiritual Qi.

Steward Ye forced back a crimson demonic beast, formed a hand seal for a Technique, and poured Spiritual Power into the Magical Artifact in his hand.

Along with a scorching heat, a plume of black smoke billowed from the pipe-like Magical Artifact, quickly enveloping the black-and-red birds.

Zuo Ling sensed the explosive aura within the smoke. His expression shifted, and he immediately prepared to recall the birds.

But Steward Ye was a step faster. The hand seal for his Technique changed, and he shouted, "Ignite!"

BOOM...

In an instant, the black smoke erupted into a raging inferno, engulfing all of the black-and-red birds.

"Haha, nice one!"

Tan Hu’s face lit up with joy, and he spat out a whirlwind.

Instantly, the fire roared even stronger, and the black-and-red birds evaporated and dissipated within the flames, one after another.

After a few breaths, less than half of the birds managed to escape, their bodies a full size smaller.

Zuo Ling watched the scattered birds return, his heart aching with regret.

This was the Blood of Ten Thousand Spirits that he had refined with great difficulty. He never expected more than half of it to be burned away by this unassuming old man. Who knew how long it would take to gather it all again?

Zuo Ling collected the remaining Blood of Ten Thousand Spirits and gritted his teeth at the two men in the distance. "You deserve to die!"

Tan Hu grinned mockingly. "Come over here if you’ve got the guts! Your granddaddy will rip your head right off!"

Zuo Ling glared at him angrily, his lips moving slightly. He waved a hand to recall the Godfall Thorn and furiously poured his Spiritual Power into it.

VMMMM...

As Spiritual Power flowed into it, the Godfall Thorn’s crimson body became as translucent as jade and emitted a continuous hum.

A ferocious aura began to spread.

Tan Hu and Steward Ye felt this aura, and their expressions turned grave. They had nearly suffered a great loss at the hands of this blood artifact before.

The two of them formed hand seals for their Techniques, respectively condensing a ten-foot-long Wind Blade and a massive Fireball several meters in diameter, and hurled them toward Zuo Ling.

At this moment, the giant who had been periodically attacking them with blasts of Qi Blood instantly appeared in front of Zuo Ling.

The giant roused the Qi Blood in his body. Scarlet Qi Blood, like flames, coiled around him, slowly condensing into the illusory image of a beast.

"Hah!"

With a bellow, the giant leaped up. He smashed a fist wreathed in scarlet Qi Blood into the Wind Blade, while the illusory beast above his head lunged forward to bite the Fireball.

CRACK... BOOM...

A fierce wind wrapped in furious flames shot toward the sky. The giant was thrown back more than ten meters, coughing violently, with trickles of crimson blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing this, Tan Hu wasn’t pleased. Instead, he frowned and thought to himself, ’Qi Blood shaping. I’ve underestimated him.’

He and Luan Jian had worked together to seriously wound this man before, but they hadn’t killed him because they needed him to lead the way.

He never would have thought that this Body Cultivator, who was only comparable to the Early-Meridian Condensation stage, had actually grasped Qi Blood shaping—a technique that only Mid-stage Body Cultivators should be able to comprehend.

The thought flashed through Tan Hu’s mind, but his hands didn’t stop moving. He condensed another massive Wind Blade.

However, just as he was about to unleash it again, "Ah!" a bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Tan Hu and Steward Ye whipped their heads around to look, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.

They saw Mingzhuang, his chest bitten by the nine-headed beast condensed from Congli’s Qi Blood, having his thigh brutally torn off by its claws.

His half-mutilated body was slapped hard onto the ground by its tail, and he passed out.

"Hahaha!"

Congli laughed loudly. With a wave of his hand, he sent out two streams of blood qi to seal both of their Spirit Veins, then turned his gaze toward Tan Hu and Steward Ye.

"Run!"

Tan Hu roared. The Wind Blade he had been condensing in his hand exploded, kicking up a fierce gale that swept him away as he fled into the distance.

Steward Ye’s figure also turned into a streak of light, fleeing in another direction.

Zuo Ling opened his eyes and shot a resentful look at the fleeing Tan Hu. The jade-like Godfall Thorn in his hand trembled for an instant and vanished.

"Ah!"

Not two breaths later, a pained cry rang out.

Steward Ye materialized from the streak of light. He looked down at the massive hole in his chest, a helpless smile on his face. His aura vanished, and he fell to the ground.

The Godfall Thorn wounded not just the physical body, but the soul as well.

Hearing the scream, the distant Tan Hu immediately spat out a mouthful of essence blood, and the speed of his Escape Light surged again by several degrees.

When the remaining Demon Hunting Corps members saw their captain and vice-captain fall one after another, and Tan Hu and the others flee, their morale completely vanished. They broke ranks and scattered, each fleeing for their lives.

"Hahaha!"

"Every one of them is rich as hell! Kill them all!"

Seeing the rout, savage smiles spread across the faces of the Power Demon Sect disciples. Laughing, they joined the demonic beasts in the hunt.

Buildings collapsed one after another from the fleeing and the attacks, revealing the Spirit Farmers hiding inside.

Some were devoured on the spot by the demonic beasts, while others were intentionally spared by the Power Demon Sect Cultivators and had their lives left to them.

Congli, who had been watching, frowned at the sight. He then recalled the Blood Soul Record and began channeling his Qi Blood into it.

One by one, restrictions lit up. Soon, nine of them were glowing.

AWOO...

The demonic beasts that had been hunting everywhere roared, turned, and transformed into streaks of bloody light that flowed back into the scroll.

When the last demonic beast had flown in, the Blood Soul Record hummed and trembled, emitting pulses of bloody light.

Seeing this, Congli immediately sliced open his palm. A large gush of crimson blood flowed into the Blood Soul Record, and the bloody light gradually subsided.

"Hoo..."

Congli let out a breath and put away the Blood Soul Record. He turned to Zuo Ling and the armored giant who had walked up and ordered, "Tell the other disciples to stop hunting the Demon Hunting Corps members. Have them all gather the Spirit Farmers and extract their Spiritual Vortexes."

"Yes."

The two cupped their fists in acknowledgement.

Congli’s gaze shifted to the Ten Thousand Snake Lake Island, a savage smile spreading across his face.

The battle was won. Now, it was time to reap the rewards.