Chapter 89: Heavenly Wood Divine Light

There was no need for Steward Wang's reminder.

Everyone looked up and saw at the edge of their vision, on the horizon where the water met the sky, what looked like scattered drops of ink. In an instant, these spread out in blotches, forming patches of dark, ominous clouds.

“They’re Black Plague Birds!”

Chen Mobai immediately recognized these demonic beasts. They were the very creatures that had forced Marquis Qi and him to flee in disarray, and the primary cause of Ba Jiang’s sister’s death.

“As expected, these beasts were the quickest to arrive.”

A disciple from the Divine Wood Sect, his face grim, walked to the bare tree and inserted a specialized talisman.

“Everyone,” Steward Wang quickly explained the strategy, “the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ will first sweep the area. However, to prevent the demonic beasts from discerning its patterns and to guard against attacks from second-tier beasts, the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ will not be activated again as long as we can withstand the assault.”

Chen Mobai understood the reason behind this.

It was written in the pamphlet he had received earlier.

The pamphlet explained that since there was only one Foundation Establishment cultivator on the island for the time being, and certainly more than one second-tier demonic beast among the enemy, the Heavenly Wood Divine Light Array—capable of heavily damaging second-tier beasts—was their ultimate trump card on Azure Light Island.

The thirty-six spirit tree array flags stored thirty-six charges of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’.

Once activated, if a demonic beast took a direct hit, even a second-tier one would lose half its life; weaker ones might even be instantly pulverized.

However, once these thirty-six charges of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ were exhausted, the second-tier demonic beasts would have no more fears and would freely charge onto Azure Light Island to rampage and kill.

Nevertheless, the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ was not irreversible. The talisman just inserted into the spirit tree array flag by the Divine Wood Sect disciple served this very purpose.

It allowed the spirit tree, after activating a ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ charge, to quickly absorb spiritual energy from the earth's veins within two hours and recharge another charge of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’.

Therefore, the defense of Azure Light Island hinged on whether they could use the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ to deter the second-tier demonic beasts while simultaneously repelling the swarming masses of demonic beasts attempting to land on the island.

However, the Divine Wood Sect also had many capable individuals who understood the principles of feigning weakness and exploiting it.

As thousands of Black Plague Birds swarmed over Azure Light Island, four beams of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ immediately shot up into the sky.

One of them originated from the very spirit tree array flag they were guarding.

Boom!

Chen Mobai felt a sudden surge of potent spiritual energy, powerful enough to crush him, erupt from deep within the cliff where they stood. It was then instantly siphoned away by the spirit tree that his team was surrounding.

It was like a bolt from the blue.

A pure, radiant beam of light, like a sword, cleaved through the sky.

It vaporized large numbers of the surging Black Plague Birds, turning thousands of demonic beasts into plumes of dark red blood mist that stained half the sky.

Shriek!

A sharp cry, filled with fury, rang out. Chen Mobai felt his head swim, but his Spirit Nurturing and Soul Forging Art immediately activated, restoring his clarity.

However, the cultivators around him who had not yet developed spiritual sense swayed unsteadily, some even collapsing. Those with weaker cultivation levels even had blood trickling from their mouths as they fell on the edge of the cliff.

“They’re second-tier bird kings, and there are three of them!”

Steward Wang glanced at the sky, his expression a mix of alarm and delight.

The power of the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ was indeed extraordinary. It had directly blasted one of the second-tier Black Plague Bird Kings into severe injury, sending it plummeting onto the island. Another second-tier bird had half its wing vaporized, leaving only the fastest one, which had managed to evade the ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’s wide-range sweep.

It was this heavily wounded second-tier bird king, having crashed onto the island, that had desperately unleashed its final sound wave ability under Zheng Deming's attack, significantly affecting Chen Mobai and those nearby.

But being severely injured, the second-tier bird king was ultimately slain by Zheng Deming's flying sword, its cries tragic as it fell.

However, the death of this bird king provoked a frenzy among the Black Plague Bird flock.

Even after the four beams of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ had swept through, hundreds of Black Plague Birds shrieked, spitting out gusts of wind that formed blades and arrows, launching suicidal charges towards the west side of Azure Light Island, where the bird king had fallen.

Having prepared in advance, Chen Mobai and his team immediately displayed their various abilities: some used artifacts, some activated talismans, and others attacked directly with spells.

With a 'whoosh'!

Chen Mobai opened the Five Transformations Umbrella hanging at his waist, releasing spiritual energy for the artifact to absorb. A misty green aura covered the umbrella, blocking the wind blades and arrows raining down from the sky!

Although these Black Plague Birds were numerous, their individual power was not very high.

Chen Mobai even had enough power left to protect the two Qi Condensation cultivators beside him who were still recovering from the bird king’s final sound wave attack.

After blocking the first wave of attacks, the Black Plague Birds began to assault them, using their sharp beaks and keen wings to strike at those guarding the spirit tree.

At this point, the difference between disciples of major sects and rogue cultivators became apparent. Divine Wood Sect disciples did their best to protect those with lower cultivation around them, while most rogue cultivators only looked out for themselves. Individuals like Chen Mobai were few and far between.

Steward Wang, who usually seemed jovial, was utterly ruthless in actual combat. Wielding a crimson flying sword, he moved back and forth, slicing the five Black Plague Birds that charged him into a dozen pieces.

The other Divine Wood Sect disciples also had their own methods, raising their standardized black armored shields. After establishing their defensive positions, they unleashed talisman after talisman.

Lightning, wind, frost, and flames erupted in an instant, turning twelve Black Plague Birds into corpses.

Chen Mobai, however, held back, not using his full strength. Facing the two Black Plague Birds that rushed at him, he threw out two ‘Entanglement Talismans’. Instantly, two vines appeared, stopping the two fast-moving demonic beasts before they could change direction.

Then, with a flick of his left sleeve, two golden lights shot out, piercing blood holes in the foreheads of both Black Plague Birds.

By this time, the Qi Condensation cultivators who had been affected by the sound waves had also recovered. They either swallowed pills or used secret techniques, then engaged in fierce combat with the Black Plague Birds charging at them.

Because the four beams of ‘Heavenly Wood Divine Light’ had previously swept away the majority of the Black Plague Birds, and more than half of the remaining ones were restrained by the other two bird kings and did not rashly charge, the last group of Black Plague Birds, having lost their leader, descended into madness and chaotic command.

Soon, Chen Mobai and his team had dealt with nearly a hundred Black Plague Birds that had rushed into their area.

After the Black Plague Birds still circling outside the island launched two more rounds of wind blades and arrows, the remaining ones finally dared not charge onto the island. They landed on a barren reef about a dozen kilometers west of Azure Light Island, blocking one direction.

After the battle ended, Chen Mobai looked at the bird corpses scattered across the cliff, the black feathers and fragmented wings floating on the water below, and then at the two wailing Qi Condensation cultivators with broken arms. He fell silent.