Chapter 1711: Not a Good Omen

The Fiends weren't fools. Although they couldn't ascertain precise information about this side, they could generally sense the situation. They had sent two peak Moonfall cultivators in succession, yet neither had succeeded, clearly making them realize how troublesome the Jade Snail was.

The Water Spirit Fiend's self-detonation wasn't merely because it knew it had no escape; it was also a way to transmit information to the Fiends on the other side of the Wormway. Judging from the outcome, its plan was undoubtedly successful. Inside the Wormway, the Fiends who were preparing to provide reinforcements retreated, and the Moonfall auras gradually vanished.

The great battle was not yet over. On the Fiend side, there were not only Moonfall cultivators but also Constellation and Divine Sea cultivators. Although some had died due to the residual effects of the previous battle, most had managed to survive. The Jade Snail's warships and Constellation cultivators were hunting these Fiends outside the grey mist area, but due to distance limitations, it was difficult to completely clear them out in a short time. However, at this point, with many Moonfall cultivators now freed up, these Constellation and Divine Sea Fiends had little chance of survival.

A short while later, the Fiends within the grey mist area were completely slain, and a group of Moonfall cultivators surged out again. Apart from Ma Shangsi, nearly everyone else was disheveled and their auras unstable, clear signs of being corroded by the corrupting power. Although the battle didn't last very long, the Jade Snail's Moonfall cultivators ultimately couldn't fully protect themselves in such an intense fight, making corrosion by the corrupting power inevitable. Especially the Water Spirit Fiend's final self-detonation, which unleashed a dense, viscous wave of corruption in all directions. Even Lu Ye, who activated the Xuanwu formation, could barely withstand it, let alone others.

The group gathered around Lu Ye, who helped them incinerate the corruption within their bodies. While busy, Lu Ye looked at the grey mist-shrouded area, his brows deeply furrowed. Things were getting troublesome.

Although this battle had thwarted the Fiends' plan to invade the Jade Snail and even eliminated all invading Fiends, the grey mist formed by the accumulated corruption had grown larger. In terms of volume, it was twice as large as before, and the corruption within was undoubtedly denser. After all, so many Fiends had died, including over a dozen Moonfall cultivators; upon their deaths, the corrupting power within their bodies would dissipate. Lu Ye had never experienced such a battle before. It wasn't enough to just kill the enemy; their deaths left behind persistent corruption, which was truly difficult to deal with.

A short while later, the corruption within the Moonfall cultivators' bodies was incinerated, and their complexions improved significantly. Chou Wu looked at the grey mist-shrouded area and said, "Although we won this battle, the Wormway remains. If this thing isn't resolved, the Jade Snail will never find peace!"

Lu Ye turned to Ma Shangsi: "The Fiends have already located the Jade Snail. If we manage to destroy this Wormway, will the Fiends still be able to locate this place again and open another Wormway?"

If so, even destroying this Wormway now wouldn't be enough, because the Fiends could open another Wormway at any time.

Ma Shangsi replied, "That shouldn't be possible. As far as I know, although the Heavenly Frost Mirror has a locating ability, it requires some preparation. In other words, if the Fiends were to establish a foothold here and have support, then they would be able to open another Wormway. But right now, the Fiends have been wiped out. Without any support here, the Heavenly Frost Mirror's projection of Heavenly Frost energy is completely random."

Lu Ye understood: "So, as long as we destroy this Wormway, it will be virtually impossible for the Fiends to locate the Jade Snail again."

The starry sky is vast. Although the Heavenly Frost Mirror is a supreme treasure of the stars, the location where it projects Heavenly Frost energy is random. The Jade Snail was unlucky to be chosen once, but it's highly improbable to be chosen a second time; the probability is too remote.

"That's right," Ma Shangsi nodded.

"Then it's simple," Lu Ye turned to Chou Wu.

Chou Wu understood immediately and ordered, "Rest for a while. In half a day, follow me to destroy the Wormway!"

If it were a stable Wormway, a group of Moonfall cultivators would be utterly incapable of destroying it. However, this was not a stable Wormway, so there was still some room for maneuver. After a major battle and being corroded by corruption, everyone was significantly depleted. They immediately sat down to meditate and recuperate.

Half a day passed quickly. There was no movement from the Wormway, yet it remained, which subtly unsettled Lu Ye. The Fiends' defeat at the Jade Snail was obvious, so they probably wouldn't dare to send more Moonfall cultivators, fearing further losses. If that was the case, it meant the Fiends knew they had no good way to deal with this side. But why was the Wormway still there? Logically, the Fiends could have closed it using the Heavenly Frost Mirror. The Fiends possessed this ability. Since they hadn't done so, they were clearly unwilling to give up and likely intended to try again! Lu Ye had never dealt with the Fiends before, so he couldn't easily guess their intentions. However, no matter what the other side planned, it was always right for them to act first.

Led by Chou Wu, a group of Moonfall cultivators once again plunged into the corrupted area and quickly reached the Wormway. Spreading out their formation and steadying themselves, Chou Wu commanded, "Attack!"

In the next instant, spiritual power surged in waves, and the aura of each Moonfall cultivator steadily climbed, yet no offensive moves were launched. Everyone was gathering strength, clearly intending to unleash their strongest attacks to achieve a decisive blow. Lu Ye activated the Fire Phoenix Spirit Mark. Even though he felt there wasn't much hope, in this situation, he could only do his best.

After a full twenty breaths, accompanied by a roar, the Jade Snail's first attack was launched. The fierce spiritual power, gathered into a powerful strike, slammed into the Wormway. This was immediately followed by the second, then the third... Lu Ye's Fire Phoenix also lunged towards the Wormway, its scorching power almost distorting space itself. The full outburst of over a dozen Moonfall cultivators, though lacking systematic coordination and simply launching attacks en masse, was an assault that even a Sunlit cultivator on the opposing side would have to avoid. The void vibrated, dazzling light continuously erupted, and residual waves impacted all directions.

Lu Ye closely watched the Wormway's movements until everything settled. When the Wormway came into view, he couldn't help but frown. As expected, it didn't work!

Before acting, he had already suspected this. The Wormway was too profound; it was very difficult to shake it from the outside. If the Wormway could truly be shaken by external forces, there would have been signs when the Water Spirit Fiend self-detonated earlier. It should be noted that when the Water Spirit Fiend self-detonated, it was right next to the Wormway. The force of that self-detonation was far greater than the attacks Lu Ye and the others had just unleashed. If even the Water Spirit Fiend's self-detonation had no impact on the Wormway, what could their limited means achieve?

To destroy this Wormway, they would have to approach it from the inside. Simply put, if enough Moonfall cultivators passed through the Wormway, it could affect the Wormway's stability. This was evident from the commotion caused when the Giant Fiend and Water Spirit Fiend descended earlier. However, this was impossible. While the Fiend Moonfall cultivators could invade the Jade Snail through the Wormway, the Jade Snail's Moonfall cultivators could not pass through the Wormway to the Fiend side; that would be seeking death. Even if, for argument's sake, a Moonfall cultivator was willing to sacrifice themselves, one would certainly not be enough. The exact number of Moonfall cultivators required to collapse the Wormway was an immeasurable figure.

The Jade Snail's Moonfall cultivators undoubtedly realized this as well, and their expressions turned grim. They didn't attempt a second time. For some things, one verification was enough; further attempts would only waste time and effort.

"Let's retreat first!" Chou Wu waved his hand. The group glumly withdrew from the corrupted area. This time, since no battle erupted, everyone had protected themselves well and avoided being corroded by the corrupting power.

"What do we do now?" Han Dong asked, his face full of worry. Lu Ye was also frustrated. The Wormway's presence here was an enormous problem. Aside from anything else, the Jade Snail's Moonfall cultivators were practically pinned down, and he couldn't leave either. However, they currently lacked the ability to destroy the Wormway. They could only hope the Fiends would recognize the difficulty and close it themselves.

From the Jade Snail's perspective, the Fiends' losses in the previous battle were undoubtedly enormous, as over a dozen Moonfall cultivators, including two peak Moonfall cultivators, had died. But that was looking at the problem from the Jade Snail's perspective. The Jade Snail itself wasn't strong, and a dozen or so Moonfall cultivators constituted a powerful force for them. However, from the Fiends' perspective, a mere dozen Moonfall cultivators probably meant nothing. Thus, despite such losses, they had not given up on the Jade Snail; otherwise, they would have closed the Wormway long ago. The Wormway's continued existence indicated that the Fiends still harbored intentions toward the Jade Snail. This was not a good sign.

Everyone fell silent, having no better solution.

Amidst this silence, movement suddenly came from the Wormway. Everyone immediately noticed and quickly turned their attention toward it. Inside the Wormway, numerous auras faintly appeared, growing progressively clearer. This undoubtedly indicated that Fiends were passing through from the other side of the Wormway, heading this way. However, judging by the strength of their auras, the incoming Fiends were not strong; in fact, they were quite weak. They were all only at the Divine Sea level...

Unlike Moonfall cultivators, who needed some time to pass through the Wormway, Divine Sea Fiends traversed it very quickly. Almost the moment everyone sensed them, Fiends had already rushed out of the Wormway and descended into the corrupted area. Figures continuously appeared. In just a short while, hundreds of Divine Sea Fiends emerged, with even more still arriving.

"Kill them!" Chou Wu commanded. He didn't even need to act himself; one of the two warships unleashed a bright beam of light, striking the area where the Fiends were gathered. In an instant, countless Divine Sea Fiends were annihilated. However, this couldn't halt the Fiends' invasion; various figures continuously emerged from the Wormway. Both warships moved into action, eliminating them batch after batch. Even so, they felt somewhat overwhelmed. The Jade Snail's Constellation cultivators gathered around the corrupted area began to attack, and the Wormway's exit instantly became a graveyard for living beings.