Chapter 2236: Infusing Life Force

With the increased spiritual energy concentration, the elixirs produced in Panlong City have become more potent. Wounds are already beginning to heal and should be fully mended in about a quarter of an hour.

Xu Shichu then took out a small compass dial. It was a square, chiseled silver plate with intricately carved runes, but it lacked a needle. He carefully attached the red needle. The azure flame on the needle suddenly spread onto the dial, causing the runes on the chiseled silver plate to glow with an ethereal blue light. The compass was activated. The red needle immediately began to spin.

This wisp of azure flame originated from a gift from Ling Mountain, which Xu Shichu had adopted as a pet. It was originally a spirit of fire born from true subterranean flames, and as Xu Shichu fed it various strange and wondrous things, it gradually acquired many unique abilities.

Xu Shichu handed the compass to Hu Min. "The needle points to the Blood Toad's location," he explained. "A greater distance means a larger amplitude, while a shorter distance means a smaller amplitude. Right now, it's at least a hundred zhang away from us."

Hu Min looked and saw the needle pointing northwest, swinging back and forth with a wide amplitude. Xu Shichu then quietly explained its other uses.

Hu Min took a messenger and selected a few agile subordinates. "Follow me!" he ordered.

He Lingchuan cautioned him, "That thing has the ability to heal quickly, but don't worry; just inflict heavy damage!"

"Understood!"

He Lingchuan's gaze was sharp. He noticed that the Blood Toad's long tongue had been severed by the Floating Life Blade earlier, yet when it ambushed Du Lingshan again, its tongue had already regrown! Even for a divine descent body, such regenerative ability was astonishing. What's more, the elemental energy from the Floating Life Blade clung to its wounds like maggots, which should have certainly prevented self-healing. So, was that also a divine art?

Wu Xianxian's summoning of the gods this time was highly skillful. The two Heavenly Demons he summoned possessed abilities very well-suited for a human battlefield.

So, where was the third Heavenly Demon? He turned his gaze towards the enemy lines.

The two armies were engaged in fierce combat. The last Heavenly Demon, possessing a human female's body, did not launch attacks but merely followed behind Wu Xianxian. Her eyes were tightly closed, her hands crossed over her shoulders, and a faint, shimmering blue light emanated from her body. She even appeared somewhat sacred.

Just then, General Hong galloped forward on horseback and pierced a Jindu Ghostling with a single spear thrust! This Ghostling had been weaving and leaping through the crowd. General Hong observed it intently for more than ten breaths, locking onto its movement trajectory. This spear thrust, though launched later, arrived first; it was as if the Jindu Ghostling had impaled itself, its heart pierced through. It let out a pained shriek and collapsed to the ground, instantly dissolving into pus.

The Jindu Ghostling had originally created seven avatars, scattering to kill people. With General Hong's strike, one was immediately eliminated. However, another Jindu Ghostling avatar, hidden among the enemy ranks, suddenly glowed with a blue light, then twitched twice. He Lingchuan's gaze swept over, and he just happened to see it split from one into two, squeezing out another avatar!

There were still seven.

This thing, like the avatars He Lingchuan himself could create, was not an illusion, foam, or a mere phantasm, but a real, tangible entity with destructive power. Otherwise, the Panlong Army's elemental energy would have seen through it long ago. And this meant that each split to create an avatar required a tremendous amount of energy.

The blue light that flashed on the Ghostling made He Lingchuan immediately turn his head, focusing his gaze on the third Heavenly Demon behind Wu Xianxian. Her body swayed slightly twice, her brows furrowed, and a trickle of blood flowed from her nose. The people nearby immediately stepped forward to wipe it away for her.

The Jindu Ghostling's avatar regenerated, but this Heavenly Demon was the one injured? No, that's not right. After the celestial laws changed, divine powers that allowed for substitution of death or injury between different individuals were no longer effective. So what was happening?

At this moment, Hu Min, holding Xu Shichu's compass, was relentlessly pursuing the Blood Toad. This compass was very useful; Hu Min could blow a bugle call in advance to alert different teams. But even so, the Blood Toad moved too quickly, and the Panlong Army was already engaged in fierce combat with the Beijia forces, making it difficult to avoid distraction. It continued its rampages.

At this point, He Lingchuan also realized that the Blood Toad was focused on assassinating the leaders of the Panlong Army's units! Whether they were squad leaders, troop commanders, or colonels, they were all crucial links and nodes in the military chain of command. When orders came down from above, they directed their subordinates to execute them. They were the core and backbone of their respective units. As long as the Blood Toad eliminated these nodes, even the Panlong Army, with its strict discipline and strong combat power, would face problems with disrupted communication and chaotic orders. It didn't need to kill all of them; just a few successful attempts would make all Panlong Army generals feel insecure! With such an elusive entity capable of appearing behind them at any moment to assassinate, which general wouldn't be distracted? Once they lost focus, the overall combat effectiveness of the Panlong Army would immediately decline!

Wu Xianxian seized the opportunity and immediately organized the Beijia army to launch two waves of counterattacks. General Golden Horn roared, and dozens of Golden Horn Rhinos behind him immediately gathered. Wu Xianxian was also a highly decorated general, knowing that reversing the situation hinged on this move. He bowed to the Heavenly Demon behind him and said urgently, "To catch a thief, first catch the king. I humbly request the goddess to lend General Golden Horn a hand!" If they couldn't break through the Panlong Army's encirclement, these more than a thousand Beijia soldiers would likely perish by Immortal Spirit Lake today.

The Closed-Eye Heavenly Demon nodded, suddenly extended her left hand, and swept it towards General Golden Horn, who was not far away. The giant rhinos of the Golden Horn clan suddenly glowed with a faint blue light on their bodies. At the same time, their bodies grew at least one size larger, and they became surprisingly agile and swift when running, appearing completely different from before. In contrast, the woman's exposed right hand seemed to have had its flesh drained, her skin becoming loose and wrinkled.

Considering the Blood Toad's rapid self-healing ability, He Lingchuan blurted out: "Goddess Xunyu!" he exclaimed. "The one standing behind Wu Xianxian is likely an avatar of Goddess Xunyu!"

Xu Shichu was startled, then nodded. "Infusion of life force! This method is indeed very much like Goddess Xunyu."

The number of Heavenly Demons is vast. Apart from the few dozen most famous true gods, other Heavenly Demons are rarely remembered by mortals. There are occasional exceptions, which are due to their exceptionally unique innate divine arts. For example, the Jindu Ghost Mother is a low-ranking deity, but it is also the only deity who can directly give birth to its offspring in the mortal realm. The Goddess Shimei, whom He Lingchuan and others killed in the Upside-Down Sea, could record others' divine abilities onto the generated palm leaves, turning them into easily usable divine spell commands. These are all extremely practical divine arts.

Goddess Xunyu's special ability is not offensive in nature. She can temporarily infuse her life force and divine power into companions, but will later reclaim it with interest—this is known as a divine power loan contract. Additionally, she can provide beneficial divine spell enhancements. Therefore, the Blood Toad and the Jindu Ghostling were able to attack the Panlong Army so ferociously because they had borrowed power from Goddess Xunyu. The repayment afterwards was a matter for later. The main body could simply return it.

With her presence, the difficulty of killing the other two Heavenly Demons increased significantly.