Chapter 1403: 小花的发现

That decisive act—directly slaying the Third Star Venerable right in front of the Fifth Star Venerable—was a feat no other expert in any human team could have achieved. More importantly, Xu Yang's victory in this battle boosted the human team's morale to an unprecedented high. It made every human warrior realize that as long as they persevered in this battle, with Boss Xu Yang as their beacon and guide, the final outcome would not disappoint anyone.

“All armies, hear my command: fully enter defensive posture. If my judgment is correct, a counterattack consisting of millions, perhaps even tens of millions, of Shade warriors will soon be launched against you. This will be our opponent's first truly powerful counterattack since the Nightfall. Therefore, my only demand is that you minimize casualties as much as possible, holding your ground in the current offensive battle zone. You must not advance a single step, nor retreat a single step. The time has come to demonstrate the resilience of our human army. All sectors, prepare to establish defensive formations and conduct reconnaissance on the enemy's situation.”

Xu Yang transmitted these commands simultaneously to hundreds of thousands of human legion warriors via soul power, and every single one of them roared a deafening response from the bottom of their hearts.

Indeed, just as Xu Yang had predicted, shortly after his command was given, the first wave of Shade warriors launched a full-scale counterattack, with their numbers reaching an astonishing ten million. One can imagine a Shade legion exceeding ten million in number, bolstered by the Nightfall's stellar attribute enhancement, rapidly spreading outwards from deep within Treasure Mountain. Enemies, appearing like a roaring tsunami, emerged seemingly from nowhere. At first glance, their numerical superiority brought immense pressure to the human legion. However, Xu Yang's resounding voice echoed continuously in everyone's minds, instilling them with full confidence. Even with the enemy's overwhelming numbers, they remained fearless.

“Brothers, the time has come to demonstrate our unyielding will! No matter how many enemies there are, they will never break our defenses!”

The leaders of the five legions simultaneously declared this, and protective spell formations of various colors began to activate. Treasure Mountain, almost entirely lit up by the power of countless top cultivators' techniques, became the most dazzling point of light beneath the endless night.

At this moment, Xu Yang's phantom disappeared, returning to his true body's will above the void. Meanwhile, Xu Yang's true body, hidden in the void and controlling the overall situation, still extended his spiritual power to every corner of the battlefield. He could now get some temporary rest.

“Next, it's up to you, Xiao Hua. If my judgment is correct, the Empress guarding the deepest part of Treasure Mountain should be formulating subsequent battle plans. As long as we can obtain her initial commands, we will forever control the initiative in this battle.”

This was Xu Yang's thought, but he wasn't sure what Xiao Hua would discover. For now, he felt confident. Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, Xiao Hua, in her identity as the Ninth Star Venerable, had already returned deep into the heart of Treasure Mountain.

What utterly astonished Xiao Hua was that the sights she witnessed along the way far exceeded her imagination. She continuously transmitted information through the spiritual connection system she had established with Xu Yang.

“Ayang, you cannot imagine the power under which everything here was constructed. I can confirm that the source of power in this place is definitely not as simple as mere stellar energy. It's a very complex, mixed elemental force that doesn't originate from the continent, yet it gives me a very familiar feeling. More importantly, I can clearly sense a perfectly complete energy flow in this place, meaning Treasure Mountain possesses its own independent energy circulation system. If we cannot find the source of this system and cut it off, then it's highly probable we won't be able to break the so-called ‘eternal life’ of these Shade warriors. If we cannot find the source of this power system, or the core of some mysterious formation, then we simply cannot win this battle. Because with this energy system's continuous operation, the enemy's numbers will constantly replenish. No matter how many Shade warriors we eliminate, this formation system can bring forth an equal number of reinforcements in the shortest time.”

After hearing Xiao Hua's voice in his mind, Xu Yang's brows gradually furrowed.

“Don't rush; take your time. It's not yet time to draw conclusions. I want to see what surprises these guys can bring us. No matter how complete this energy formation system is, it will ultimately have flaws.” Xu Yang's reply echoed back into Xiao Hua's mind. It was at this very moment that she was forced to cut off all mental contact with the outside world, because she was deep in the jungle. Near a dazzling starlight node, she sensed the powerful aura fluctuations of two other Star Venerables.

Xiao Hua could vaguely see a brilliant light around the corner, with three figures standing in its midst. She couldn't yet determine which Star Venerables these three figures were. However, two of these three individuals had auras no weaker than Xiao Hua's own power, suggesting they were likely high-ranking members among the Twelve Constellations.

“Oh, Ninth Brother, you're back so soon. It seems you didn't encounter any significant obstacles in your local battle zone.” Just then, a gentle-looking young man suddenly turned, hands clasped behind his back, and looked at Xiao Hua.

Before Xiao Hua could respond, another person beside him chuckled. “Seventh Brother, do you still have time to tease Ninth Brother? Although he hasn't achieved any remarkable accomplishments yet, as one of the later entrants into the Twelve Constellations, his talent is undeniable. I believe it won't be long before you have to give up your position as the Seventh Star Venerable to him.”

As soon as the person finished speaking, the Seventh Star Venerable burst into laughter. “Fourth Brother, talking like that makes it sound like you look down on your little brother. While I admit my talent isn't as good as Ninth Brother's, my contributions in battle strategy are undeniable. Chief Venerable, wouldn't you agree?”

When the title "Chief Venerable" was uttered, Xiao Hua's breath immediately caught. She couldn't help but gaze at the young man standing proudly with his hands behind his back in front of the crystalline Stardust Tree. If this person was called the Chief Venerable, could he be the First Star Venerable among the Twelve Constellations, and the strongest of them all?

“Both of you, quiet down. Third Brother has already fallen.” As soon as this voice emerged, Xiao Hua immediately raised her eyebrows. Not only did she feel the unparalleled power of this person, but more importantly, the voice carried a remarkably familiar tone. And when this individual slowly turned around, Xiao Hua was almost petrified on the spot. Because she saw a familiar face she could never forget: the top-ranked Chief Venerable among the Twelve Constellations! It was none other than Long Kun, Xu Yang and Xiao Hua's closest companion from the Great World!