Chapter 2022: Heavenly Abyss Great Battle (Five)

Volume 10: The War in the Demon Realm

Hundreds of cultivators, aided by corpse puppets powered by magic formations, managed to trap seven or eight Demon Lords firmly in place for a time. Moreover, after a flash of brilliant light erupted within Tianyuan City, over a hundred stone towers, thousands of feet high, rose from the ground with a resounding roar and soared directly towards the demonic army.

From the demonic side, the massive warships and triangular demonic towers hovering in the rear naturally moved to intercept them without hesitation. After a deep hum, they remotely unleashed countless black light beams. However, the surfaces of the human flying towers shimmered with a vibrant five-colored radiance, effectively blocking all the incoming light beams. The moment they neared the demonic forces, countless portals on every level of the towers simultaneously flew open, and a torrent of armored puppets and various spirit beasts surged forth, swarming towards the demons like a plague of locusts.

Within the demonic warships and triangular towers, there were clearly many demons standing guard. Following a series of eerie screeches, swarms of demonic armored warriors and demonic birds also flew out, darkening the sky. For a time, the sky was choked with flowing light and dark energy, and the void once again erupted into a bloody maelstrom.

Han Li had already retracted his divine sense and was naturally unaware of these developments, quietly awaiting in the center of the magic formation. He knew well that with the battle having escalated to such a degree, their deployment could be required at any moment.

Indeed, their wait was not prolonged; after only about half an an hour, the colossal magic formation beneath them abruptly began to hum loudly. From beneath each male cultivator, a hazy white radiance emanated, completely engulfing their forms. The male cultivators were initially startled, but then, one after another, they produced triangular jade tokens from their robes and hastily activated them. A myriad of spiritual lights in various colors emerged from these jade tokens, transforming into pale purple runes that gracefully circled the cultivators.

Upon witnessing this, Han Li's heart stirred, but before he could fully comprehend, the white light within the formation suddenly surged severalfold, emitting a prolonged, clear resonance. Han Li's vision blurred, and he was instantaneously transported away by the power of the formation.

A moment later, as the clear hum within the formation abruptly ceased and the white light dissipated, all thirty-six male cultivators and Han Li had vanished without a trace.

Simultaneously, high above a certain sector of the Tianyuan City battlefield, a colossal light formation materialized out of thin air. Then, with a flash of spiritual light, thirty-six male cultivators and Han Li appeared. The male cultivators' positions seemed meticulously pre-arranged; though appearing scattered and sparse, they subtly formed an incredibly profound formation that precisely encircled Han Li and four other individuals.

The instant Han Li materialized, black energy surged around his body, and a dark, ominous battle armor mysteriously appeared upon him. Simultaneously, with a flash of faint green light, seventy-two small green swords silently emerged from within him, forming a verdant sword lotus that spun continuously beneath his feet. Only then did he gravely raise his head and sweep his gaze across the other four individuals.

Two of them were indeed the silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue. Though both were shielded by several treasures, one was exceptionally pale, while the other was visibly blood-stained, appearing to have suffered considerable losses. The silver-haired elder, in particular, had his robe completely torn and shattered across his chest, and horrifyingly, one of his arms was missing from the shoulder.

Standing opposite them were a blood-robed youth and a burly man with a beast-skin kilt, his brawny, bronzed torso bare. The burly man held a mace flickering with emerald green flames in one hand and clutched a bloody severed arm in the other, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace. It seemed the elder's arm had been brutally torn off by him.

The arrival of Han Li and the thirty-six male cultivators caused the silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue to visibly relax, but the blood-robed youth and the burly man instantly snapped their gazes onto Han Li alone. As soon as they clearly saw Han Li's face, the youth's eyes immediately filled with malevolence, while the burly man squinted, a dangerous glint of ferocity flashing in his gaze.

“Late Integration stage! No, his cultivation is far more formidable than that of an ordinary late-stage cultivator. Brother Bloodlight, is this the target you wish for me to handle? His cultivation realm isn't quite what you described.” The burly man's face darkened as he turned to the youth and questioned.

“It is indeed this human junior surnamed Han. However, his cultivation was originally only at the Mid-Integration stage. Ah, I understand now. That celestial phenomenon from a few days ago was caused by this very fellow. Brother Xiong, rest assured, he has only just advanced to this realm and hasn't even consolidated his cultivation yet, which will actually make him easier for you to handle.” The blood-robed youth, after scanning Han Li with his divine sense, was initially surprised, but a moment later, a look of realization dawned on his face as he spoke.

“He's also the one who advanced to the Late Integration stage? You're not mistaken, are you? If another late-stage Integration cultivator emerges from their side, your problems will be immense.” The burly man surnamed Xiong's face flashed with ferocity as he sneered, glaring at Han Li.

“If there are more late-stage cultivators, Brother Xiong needn't trouble himself; I will naturally take them on. You simply need to capture this Han junior for me; other matters are not your concern,” the blood-robed youth said coldly.

“Heh heh, since Brother Bloodlight puts it that way, there's nothing more for me to say. I'll take care of this human kid. But don't claim I didn't warn you; even if they have no other contingencies, this current encirclement alone will likely keep Brother Bloodlight preoccupied for quite some time,” the burly man replied casually after rolling his eyes.

The magic formation the burly man referred to was naturally the layers of green light curtains conjured by the thirty-six male cultivators, who had waved their triangular jade tokens the moment they materialized. This light curtain not only instantly concealed the male cultivators' figures, but also enveloped the surrounding several miles of territory. On its surface, countless silver patterns subtly shimmered erratically, as if hinting at deeper complexities within.

“A mere temporary formation erected by a group of Nascent Soul cultivators—how could it possibly bother me?” the Bloodlight Avatar remarked, casting a dismissive glance at the light curtain.

“This formation and this young man are most likely their ultimate ploy to deal with you. How could it be as simple as it appears?” The burly man, however, shook his head, a strange expression on his face as he spoke.

“Oh, I had forgotten. Brother Xiong is quite adept in the art of formations. Have you discerned something?” The Bloodlight Avatar paused, asking with a hint of surprise.

“In such a short time, how could I discern any profound mysteries? I can only tell that this formation is likely related to spatial restrictions,” the burly man chuckled dismissively.

“Spatial restrictions… now that is indeed quite tricky. Thank you for the reminder, Brother Xiong; I will certainly repay you handsomely later.” The Bloodlight Avatar's face darkened slightly as he expressed his gratitude.

As the two demons conversed, Han Li, frowning slightly, inquired of the silver-haired elder, “Brother Gu, what is going on? How are you two here, and in such disarray? And why is there an additional late-stage Demon Lord trapped within the formation now?”

The instant Han Li saw the demonic burly man, he felt a subtle prickling sensation on his skin, and his vigilance instantly heightened to the extreme, though he betrayed no hint of it on his face.

“Brother Han, things might be quite troublesome. This late-stage Demon Lord emerged from obscurity; there was no information about him in our original intelligence. Zen Master Jin and I saw him alongside that Saint Ancestor Avatar and initially planned to separate them before immediately summoning you. But we never imagined this Demon Lord's divine powers were so formidable; in a single encounter, he gravely wounded Zen Master Jinyue and even tore off one of my arms. I consider myself well-experienced, but I never thought such a terrifying monster could exist among Integration stage beings—he's simply—” The silver-haired elder gave a wry smile, his face etched with lingering fear.

“He's practically half a Mahayana cultivator! Brother Han, you must be extremely cautious. This individual is likely far more difficult to deal with than that demonic Saint Ancestor Avatar. However, all our contingencies have now been deployed; even several Integration stage ascetic elders who have been in seclusion within the city, and a few envoys sent by the Saint Island, have already made their moves. These two demon overlords are now left for the three of us to handle. If we suffer an early defeat and allow these two demons to become unhindered, this battle will be definitively lost.” Zen Master Jinyue, standing nearby, worriedly interjected before the elder could finish.

“Ascetic elders and Saint Island envoys?” Han Li's gaze shifted, and indeed, in some of the distant battle groups emitting rumbling sounds, he detected five or six unfamiliar Integration stage presences, locked in fierce, inseparable combat with several dark demonic creatures transformed into three-headed, six-armed forms.

“Ancient Demons!” Han Li exclaimed, his face paling as he clearly discerned the appearance of those demonic creatures.

“Those are indeed demons possessing the purest demonic bloodline, the true primordial Ancient Demon race from the Demon Realm. At the same cultivation level, these Integration-stage Ancient Demons are significantly stronger than other Demon Lords. Had it not been for the sudden appearance of these terrifying demonic creatures, we would not have been forced to summon Brother Han ahead of time,” the silver-haired elder reminded him grimly.

“So you mean for me to deal with this late-stage Demon Lord? But what about the Saint Ancestor Avatar…?” Han Li asked after a brief moment of contemplation, the strange glint in his eyes receding.

“We believe we still have some methods at our disposal. Furthermore, we can now borrow the power of this spatial formation. Even if we cannot defeat the Bloodlight Saint Ancestor Avatar, we are confident we can hold him back for a significant period. Brother Han, please focus entirely on confronting this late-stage Demon Lord.” The silver-haired elder and Zen Master Jinyue exchanged a look, then spoke through gritted teeth.

Upon hearing this, a blue light flashed in Han Li's eyes, and he swept his gaze towards the burly man once more. Coincidentally, the demonic burly man also turned his head to look, and their eyes instantly met. The demonic burly man didn't even blink, but the frenzied excitement on his face gradually intensified, and faint silver lights continuously flickered within his pupils.

Suddenly, the burly man moved, appearing without warning in the center of the light curtain. Then, without a word, he tossed the elder's arm he held into the air and struck it with the mace in his other hand. With a resounding 'boom,' the severed arm instantly disintegrated into a shower of blood, thoroughly drenching the burly man's upper body. A thick, sanguine stench immediately permeated the entire light curtain.