Chapter 1738: The Attempted Occupation

He wasn't dead! But his left arm and half of his shoulder were gone, and blood, reddish with shimmering gold, dripped steadily.

Master Diyun stumbled for a few steps initially, but then he blew a puff of white mist onto his wounds. A layer of frost quickly formed over the wounds, freezing them.

The power of Elder Du's soul implosion was immense; even an immortal's body couldn't withstand it.

Elder Liu gritted his teeth. "I'll finish him off!" he declared.

No sooner had he spoken than another demon immortal emerged from the woods and stood beside Master Diyun, as the Heavenly Palace troops closed in around them.

"It's too late," Xiao Wencheng said, pulling Elder Liu back. "Since he's shown himself, we can deal with him later! Look, there's activity on the west side of the island too."

He Lingchuan murmured, "Can Heavenly Demons use the bodies of immortals?"

A few questions in his mind were suddenly clarified.

He Lingchuan had been the first to spot the brain-eating insect demons earlier. Seeing them stand firmly on their side, the Illusion Sect immortals' impression of them improved, and they became more patient.

"Over the years, Heavenly Demons have also collected some immortal bodies, specifically for times like these!" Elder Liu gritted his back teeth. "Only an immortal's body can withstand the descent of a Heavenly Demon, allowing them to exert power and be less restricted in the human realm!"

Among ordinary humans or cultivators, special physiques capable of serving as a Heavenly Demon's vessel are one in a hundred thousand, making them extremely difficult for Heavenly Demons to find. For instance, Naraka, as the chief god of the Kshatriya host, had to sign a contract with He Chunhua and promise him many conditions just to acquire He Lingchuan's body.

Even so, these vessels can at most withstand one or two-tenths of a Heavenly Demon's power, and will collapse if overloaded or if the time limit is exceeded...

Therefore, Heavenly Demons can only descend as avatars, and their actions in the human realm are always restricted and inconvenient, with short time limits.

But if they use an immortal's body, it's a different story!

As powerful beings who fought back and forth with Heavenly Demons in ancient times, immortals' bodies have extremely high endurance and no risk of collapsing at any moment.

The only challenge is that they are hard to come by.

At this point, He Lingchuan finally understood why Heavenly Demons were so keen on digging up immortal caves. Aside from eliminating old adversaries, they also coveted their bodies!

No wonder Elder Du didn't surrender after his defeat and instead chose to self-detonate. He knew his fate.

"Even if they seize an immortal's body, they can't just put it on and roam around freely whenever they want, can they?" Until today, He Lingchuan had never seen a single Heavenly Demon using an immortal's body, not one! Clearly, immortal bodies aren't like clothes that can be worn whenever desired.

"No," Xiao Wencheng replied casually. "Whatever restrictions we face, they can't escape them either!"

Why do the immortals who have survived to this day all hide in grotto-heavens and blessed lands? It's because the external spiritual energy is insufficient; prolonged exposure outside would cause their spiritual power to decline significantly, eventually leading to their demise. Heavenly Demons who seize immortal bodies are subject to the same conditions. Therefore, it's impossible for them to just wander around the human realm without a specific purpose.

"The process of so-called 'divine descent' consumes an immense amount of demonic energy. If a Heavenly Demon descends with half its power, it might only retain two or three-tenths after entering the vessel; nearly half its energy is expended on the journey." Given how precious demonic energy is in the divine realm now, no Heavenly Demon can afford to expend it casually. "Furthermore, as far as we know, Heavenly Demons descending to the human realm seem to be subject to certain restrictions and cannot exist for long. This is also a long-standing area of research for my master."

Elder Liu added, "Additionally, while Heavenly Demons can occupy our bodies, their recovery is very slow if they are injured in battle."

After all, a cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest is not the same as the true owner controlling it; even the circulation of flesh and blood isn't as smooth as it would be naturally.

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Wait a moment. They've already used an immortal's body, so is what descended a Heavenly Demon's avatar or its main body?"

"If it's a great Heavenly Demon descending, it might just be an avatar," Xiao Wencheng said coldly. "But if it's a so-called subordinate deity or lower, they can be nearly fully present!" He pointed at Master Diyun in the mirror. "I hope a complete Heavenly Demon has descended into Diyun's body, so when I catch it, I'll make sure it thoroughly enjoys the torment of true fire on its soul!"

"The full power of a Heavenly Demon!" He Lingchuan exclaimed. "Is this the Heavenly Palace's trump card, daring to raid the ancient True Immortal's abode? Are these immortal bodies always ready for use?"

"No, they have to prepare for a long time beforehand!" Xiao Wencheng replied. "Divine descent is not a simple ritual. Due to the barrier between the two realms, the more power a Heavenly Demon intends to project, the more difficult the descent process becomes."

As old adversaries of Heavenly Demons, these High Immortals were well aware of the complexities and intricacies of a major divine descent.

He Lingchuan realized.

Previously, when he and Granny Zhu caused havoc at Mount Xu and burned down the Star-Picking Tower, the Heavenly Palace dispatched two Qi Beasts and one celestial deity avatar—meaning the Hundred-Battles Deity had undergone a minor divine descent. Why didn't the Heavenly Palace deploy a more powerful vessel? He Lingchuan now felt a pang of fear thinking back. It was fortunate that he had devised a quick-strike plan then; the entire process didn't exceed a quarter of an hour, so the Heavenly Palace didn't have time to activate stronger defenses. It had been a lucky break by chance.

"The Heavenly Palace's incursion into Inverted Sea this time shows they are absolutely determined, with even Heavenly Demons in position," He Lingchuan said, watching intently. "Their preparations must be thorough; this confrontation has only just begun." There would likely be massive casualties.

Another half an hour passed, and Xiao Wencheng's expression grew even more solemn. Despite the Illusion Sect's full efforts to stop them, another lighthouse of the Wonderful Ocean Heaven was erected in the Shihezi area, right next to the lake! The Hao Yuan Golden Mirror's display showed the area quickly blurring, as the lighthouse barrier shielded all of the Illusion Sect's privileges in that vicinity.

This was the sixth lighthouse constructed by the Heavenly Palace. On the sandbox, there were still some gaps between them, but with two more built, they would largely connect.

Xiao Wencheng walked to the edge of the sandbox and pointed: "The Heavenly Palace has established six lighthouse barriers, but they aren't displayed on this sandbox!"

This sandbox displayed the topography of Inverted Sea, with every hut, every field, and even small trees on the hilltops of Silver Pearl Isle clearly visible and figures movable. It was a real-time sandbox, recording every dynamic change on Silver Pearl Isle.

But He Lingchuan had already noticed that after the Heavenly Palace erected the lighthouses—no, to be precise, after the True Eye above the lighthouses opened—all changes within the barrier were no longer displayed on the sandbox! So many people from both sides had entered the battle, and the battlefield must have been riddled with holes and scars, with countless individuals fallen. Yet, none of this appeared on the sandbox. The sandbox showed these six locations as completely empty! They appeared peaceful and serene, just as they were before the Heavenly Palace forces invaded. Furthermore, the sandbox showed no sign of the lighthouses themselves, nor the True Eyes.