Chapter 827: Eight Persons as One

As the Dao Palace exerted its full strength, drawing a large amount of the Corpse Race's attention, several streaks of light rapidly swept in from another direction. The lead streak was fiery red, resembling a meteor plummeting from the sky.

It was the Kyushu team, rushing to the scene.

Looking up, the battlefield blazed in the distance. Countless members of the Corpse Race surged like a tide, filling the sky and the ground. Several times, the Dao Palace's battle formation was almost overwhelmed, causing everyone who witnessed it to feel a surge of anxiety. The team arrived without concealing their presence, as there was no need to.

Their objective was to forcefully infiltrate the Hun Tian Holy Temple Secret Realm.

Such a grand display of force was quickly noticed by the Corpse Race. Instantly, members of the Corpse Race moved to intercept them, and a clash ensued in a flash.

Yang Yuan and Ju Jia immediately surged past Lu Ye, charging ahead. Both growled, their spiritual power surging and their vitality robust, appearing like two small burning suns. Facing the many Corpse Race members blocking their path, they showed no fear, bravely plunging into the hordes with their bare bodies.

They were like tigers entering a flock of sheep, sweeping aside all resistance!

Close behind them were Lu Ye and Feng Ruolie, their blades gleaming and spear-lights flashing, cutting down members of the Corpse Race.

Lü Qing unleashed powerful spells with ease, precisely eliminating any stragglers. Meanwhile, the constant hum of a sword accompanied Mu Qingyun as she moved agilely, her flying sword weaving back and forth, leaving nothing alive in its wake.

Lan Ziyi, bringing up the rear, appeared unconcerned, yet her cold eyes constantly assessed the surrounding situation, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment.

Ying Wuji had vanished; no one knew his whereabouts except for Lu Ye, whose senses were exceptionally keen. However, every time Ying Wuji reappeared, a member of the Corpse Race met a grim fate. Despite belonging to different factions and collaborating for the first time, their coordination was as if they had rehearsed countless times. Each person exerted their strength in their designated role, and as a unified eight-person team, the power they displayed far exceeded the sum of their individual strengths. Wherever the team went, no matter how vast or powerful the Corpse Race forces they encountered, they could not be stopped even for a moment.

At this moment, everyone on the team spontaneously felt an unparalleled sense of ease and effectiveness.

In such a situation, on such a battlefield, even a solitary True Lake Realm expert would have a very limited impact. Yet, a group of Cloud River Realm cultivators, working together with a clear division of labor, could achieve significant gains without needing to exert excessive power. With overwhelming force, the Kyushu team rapidly approached the entrance to the Hun Tian Holy Temple Secret Realm! In the distance, the numerous Dao Palace cultivators within their battle formation clearly witnessed this scene, each one deeply shaken.

Only by being present could one truly understand the strength and tenacity of the Corpse Race. It was unimaginable that anyone in this world could, with just a handful of people, so easily break through the Corpse Race's defenses and penetrate deep into their territory.

This astonishing sight bolstered the Dao Palace cultivators' confidence in the battle, prompting them to unleash their powers with even greater intensity.

The many stronghold cultivators who had rushed from all directions to provide support were a tremendous help. Without their participation, the Ziwei Dao Palace alone would not have been able to hold out for long. But with the addition of the stronghold cultivators, even if they couldn't defeat the Corpse Race, they could endure for a longer time. The Dao Palace's objective was to delay and contain the enemy!

The commotion near the Hun Tian Secret Realm entrance alerted the three Corpse Commanders. Following Iron Corpse Commander Zhou Yun, the other two Corpse Commanders had also appeared, exerting pressure on the Dao Palace. At this moment, when Bronze Corpse Commander, hidden within the massive Corpse horde, looked back, he saw the Kyushu team's overwhelming and formidable advance and was immediately enraged.

With yellow clouds churning around him, the Bronze Corpse Commander immediately disengaged from his current battlefield and lunged directly towards the portal.

Regardless of what those few humans intended to do in the secret realm, he would not allow them to succeed. As one of the Golden Corpse King's three Corpse Commanders, and a decaying corpse type capable of controlling vast hordes, the Bronze Corpse Commander naturally held no regard for a mere handful of humans. Pang Huanyin, who had retreated to the battle formation, witnessed this scene. Though she wished to intervene, she was utterly powerless.

She and Elder Xiao, working together, were more than capable of containing one Iron Corpse Commander. However, on such a chaotic battlefield, they could no longer move freely as they did initially. All Dao Palace cultivators and stronghold cultivators were entrenched in their positions, relying on three Soaring Dragon Boats as a barrier. Stepping outside this protected range meant risking their lives, even for her.

As the Bronze Corpse Commander charged, yellow clouds rolled across the sky, bringing even more Corpse Race members with them. By the time he reached the portal, the size of the Corpse horde had become truly terrifying. Many zombies were also hidden within, ready to move at the opportune moment.

From a distance, the massive scale of the horde created a stark contrast with the Kyushu team, momentarily giving the impression that the Kyushu team was like ants trying to shake a tree.

Yet, even in this situation, the Kyushu team showed no intention of retreating. Yang Yuan and Ju Jia, leading the charge, seemed oblivious to the danger ahead as they unhesitatingly led the others straight into the Corpse horde.

It was as if a ferocious beast had opened its maw and swallowed the Kyushu team whole! Yellow clouds filled the air, with only intense spiritual power fluctuations and multi-colored lights flickering intermittently, like bolts of lightning coursing through the yellow mist. Not a single trace of the Kyushu team remained visible.

Witnessing this from afar, Pang Huanyin's heart leaped into her throat. However, just ten breaths later, her eyes widened as the swirling yellow clouds showed signs of collapsing!

This clearly indicated that the Bronze Corpse Commander, who controlled the horde, had suffered a severe blow and could no longer fully command his own Corpse Race forces.

How did they manage to precisely locate the Bronze Corpse Commander amidst thousands of Corpse Race members? The difficulty with decaying corpses isn't their individual strength, but their ability to hide within a horde, making them virtually impossible for ordinary cultivators to find. If cultivators from Unrivaled Continent encountered decaying corpses and their hordes and couldn't escape, they were certain to die and be assimilated into the Corpse Race.

Therefore, Pang Huanyin found it difficult to comprehend how Lu Ye and his team had managed to severely wound the Bronze Corpse Commander! Just as this thought arose, the yellow clouds completely dissipated, and bodies, belonging to the Bronze Corpse Commander's horde, began to fall uncontrollably from mid-air. The figures of the Kyushu team instantly came into view, all of them completely unharmed, showing no signs of having engaged in a life-or-death struggle.

A figure fled from the collapsing yellow clouds, terrified like a stray dog. It was none other than the Bronze Corpse Commander himself! At that moment, his eyes trembled violently, clearly indicating he had suffered a tremendous shock.

As a decaying corpse, without the protection of his horde to conceal his true form, his individual strength might not even surpass that of some ordinary zombies.

At that moment, he felt a chilling killing intent lock onto him, so he fled without looking back.

"Do you think you can escape?"

As a cold snort echoed, a clear sword hum resounded. A sharp sword light, like thunder and lightning, tore through the void and swept past the Bronze Corpse Commander.

The Bronze Corpse Commander immediately froze in mid-air!

The sword light returned, landing near Lu Ye and revealing Mu Qingyun's figure. In mid-air, the Bronze Corpse Commander's body suddenly split apart, his foul, putrid blood splattering across the sky. Bronze Corpse Commander, one of the three Corpse Commanders, who had dared to intercept the Kyushu team by himself, was slain on the spot in just ten breaths.

Witnessing this from afar, the Dao Palace cultivators and stronghold cultivators were invigorated. They cheered in unison, their voices shaking the clouds.

Both Silver Corpse Commander and Iron Corpse Commander, who had been locked in battle, were profoundly shocked. As fellow Corpse Commanders, they naturally knew how powerful the Bronze Corpse Commander was; even the two of them combined might not have had an easy time against him. Yet, such a formidable Corpse Race member had been killed in just ten breaths.

Since the Corpse Race first appeared on Unrivaled Continent a millennium ago, nothing so outrageous had ever occurred.

For a moment, a long-forgotten fear surged within the two Corpse Commanders. They couldn't fathom who these people were or how they possessed such terrifying abilities. "Pathetic! Hahahaha, all of you are pathetic!"

Feng Ruolie laughed heartily, his spear flashing like a dragon, fighting with frenzied abandon.

Since arriving on Unrivaled Continent, he hadn't had a proper fight, which was undoubtedly agonizing for someone who relished combat as much as he did.

Now, everything he was experiencing felt like a grand feast. Especially by cooperating with the others, he had completely cast aside all his worries. Feng Ruolie vaguely felt he could exert twelve times his usual strength. And he wasn't the only one who felt this way.

The eight individuals functioned as a single entity, with clear divisions of labor yet interconnected. As they fought their way forward, almost everyone felt a surge of powerful confidence, believing that even if gods or demons stood before them, the eight of them together could slay them.

Lü Qing sighed inwardly. Only by having something could one truly understand the regret of losing it. Such a lineup, after all, could not last forever.

Here and now, they could set aside factional differences and work together, but should they meet again in Kyushu another day, they might once more be mortal enemies.

This brought a touch of sadness to his heart, yet he was helpless to change it.

The secret realm entrance was now within reach. Although Corpse Race members continued to pour in to intercept them, if even the Bronze Corpse Commander, controlling his horde, could only hold the Kyushu team back for ten breaths, how could these scattered Corpse Race members possibly stop them?

A few breaths later, Yang Yuan and Ju Jia were the first to reach the entrance. They exchanged a glance, said nothing, and plunged in without hesitation. For rugged body cultivators, blazing a trail and facing danger head-on was a customary duty, and neither of them shied away from it.

Close behind them, Lu Ye and the others also entered the portal in succession. Witnessing this from afar, Pang Huanyin breathed a long sigh of relief.

The most difficult moment had passed!

Lu Ye had told her earlier that as long as they could force their way into the Hun Tian Holy Temple Secret Realm, the situation would essentially be stable, and the remaining matters would be beyond the Dao Palace's intervention. From her perspective, once the Kyushu team entered the secret realm, the Dao Palace gained the flexibility to advance or retreat. However, she did not immediately order a withdrawal, as remaining there would still help alleviate pressure on Lu Ye and the others.

Until everything was settled, the Dao Palace would not retreat, nor would she, Pang Huanyin! This was a matter of Unrivaled Continent. If visitors from Kyushu could risk their lives for it, there was no reason why the native cultivators of Unrivaled Continent could not do the same!

March, early spring.

The overcast sky was a grayish-black, exuding a heavy sense of oppression, as if ink had been spilled on rice paper, staining the heavens and blurring into clouds.

Layers of clouds intertwined, releasing streaks of crimson lightning accompanied by rumbling thunder.

It was as if a deity's low roar echoed across the human world.

The land was hazy, and a ruined city stood silent in the dim red rain of blood, utterly lifeless.

Within the city, crumbling walls and withered vegetation were everywhere. Collapsed houses and greenish-black corpses and mangled flesh were scattered about, like broken autumn leaves silently decaying.

The once bustling streets were now desolate.

The sandy roads, once teeming with people, were now silent.

All that remained was blood-soaked mud mixed indistinguishably with flesh, dust, and paper, a truly horrifying sight.

Not far away, a broken carriage was deeply mired in mud, emanating a sense of sorrow. Only a discarded rabbit doll, hanging from its shaft, swayed in the wind.

Its white fur had long since been soaked crimson, giving it an eerie and sinister appearance.

Its clouded eyes seemed to retain some lingering resentment, staring forlornly at the mottled stone ahead.

There, a figure lay prone.

It was a boy, thirteen or fourteen years old, his clothes tattered and covered in grime, with a damaged leather pouch tied around his waist.

The boy squinted, motionless, as bone-chilling cold seeped through his worn outer garment from all directions, invading his entire body and gradually stealing his warmth.

Even with rain falling on his face, his eyes remained unblinking, fixed coldly on the distance like a hawk.

Following his gaze, about seven or eight zhang away, a gaunt vulture was gnawing on the decaying carcass of a wild dog, occasionally observing its surroundings with vigilance.

It seemed that any rustle in this dangerous ruin would send it instantly soaring into the air.

After a long wait, the opportunity arose. The greedy vulture finally plunged its head completely into the wild dog's abdominal cavity.