Chapter 1430: Single Duel

Venerable Red Dust clutched his broken arm, his face etched with surprise. "What's happening?" he exclaimed. "Why have they suddenly stopped moving?"

The powerful cultivators from various states, who had been preparing to retreat, also looked bewildered. The hell creatures were known for their fearlessness of death; even the Grand Venerables of the Five Decays of Heaven-and-Man personally engaging them couldn't halt their determined surge forward. There was no logical reason for them to suddenly stop.

The Soul Transformation Realm Hell Twin-Headed Hound pricked its ears, its eyes wide with horror. Clearly, it had heard the bell sound and knew exactly what it was. Yet, they had finally seen an opportunity to break through the defenses and return to the surface; how could they possibly give up? Suppressing its fear, it howled heavenward, "Don't stop! Keep moving forward!" Intimidated by its oppressive aura, the hell creatures that had halted resumed their charge, launching a fresh sprint.

Seeing this, Jiang Fan decisively cast the "Ego-Free Dust Purification Art," entering stealth. Then, he discreetly shook the Hell Soul Bell.

The piercing bell sound seemed to have no particular effect on humans or demons; to them, it merely sounded like metal scraping. But to the hell creatures' ears, it carried an indescribable sense of authority. The army of hell creatures, which had just begun to move, uneasily stopped once again.

The Hell Twin-Headed Hound yelled in annoyance, "Charge! Don't stop!"

Just as the hell creatures prepared to move, Jiang Fan shook the bell again, terrifying them into stillness.

"Charge!" *Clang-clang!*"All of you, charge!" *Clang-clang-clang!*"Hurry and charge!" *Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*

Finally, the Hell Twin-Headed Hound's composure cracked. Raising its two dog heads, it howled furiously: "Which bastard is that?! Have the guts to fight me one-on-one? A duel, I challenge you!"

But Jiang Fan's continuous shaking of the Hell Soul Bell was its only reply. The Hell Twin-Headed Hound, consumed by rage, tried to perk up its dog ears to pinpoint the sound's source. However, it was a chaotic battlefield, and the one shaking the Hell Soul Bell was more erratic than a dog, constantly changing positions. It was impossible to pinpoint their location. What's more, he was shaking it with increasing enthusiasm!

As the bell sounds continued ceaselessly, the hell creatures finally felt a strong unease and began to retreat. Initially, it was those closest to the Hell Soul Bell, then panic spread, and the surrounding hell creatures also started retreating until entire swaths of them turned and ran. No matter how much the Hell Twin-Headed Hound scolded, it could no longer stop them. The scene unfolding perfectly illustrated the adage "defeat like a crumbling mountain" on a mortal battlefield.

Seeing the hell creatures retreat, Jiang Fan put away the Hell Soul Bell, then quietly deactivated his disguise. He tugged on the sleeve of the dazed Jiang Wuya and whispered, "What are you waiting for? Go claim the credit!"

Jiang Wuya, as if waking from a dream, swept his sleeve, sweeping the cultivators from Taicang State along with him as they pursued. Spirit Snake Mountain had promised many rewards. Even if they didn't get the top honor, they could still exchange their kills for corresponding resources.

Song Lingyu realized, her eyes sparkling, "Don't run away! If you run, who am I going to pay back my debt to Jiang Fan?" With such rare and astonishing rewards available, she had to seize the opportunity to exchange for a few Heaven-Soaring Pills to repay Jiang Fan's debt and then redeem her poor disciple. So, she sprang forward, chasing after the hell creatures, relentlessly pursuing them and expending her energy without hesitation. For a time, she actually killed more than Jiang Wuya, despite him being a Soul Transformation Realm cultivator.

Jiang Fan slowly nodded. "It seems people shouldn't be too well-fed; they need a bit of debt to stay motivated." After speaking, he also joined the chase. The hell creatures were only concerned with fleeing for their lives; even with pursuers behind them, they dared not stop, only offering symbolic counterattacks. Therefore, he unleashed his full power, engaging in sweeping attacks as he pursued them.

The Hell Twin-Headed Hound was furious and was about to chase after and tear the cultivators from Taicang State to shreds. The powerful cultivators from the other eight states also reacted. All of them, eyes red, howled and pounced forward. Several Soul Transformation Venerables locked onto it, intending to sever its heads and claim the bounty. Terrified, the Hell Twin-Headed Hound decisively fled, retreating with the other hell creatures towards the breach.

Deep within the beast tide, Grand Venerable Ice Heart's sword rose and fell, striking down a Soul Transformation Realm hell creature hidden within the beast tide. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked at the breach and the continuous torrent of hell creatures surging from the south. A sense of helplessness rose within her. "The breach probably can't be sealed," she murmured.

Just then, her sleeve vibrated gently. A golden scale flew out from her sleeve. This was a scale given to her and the Young Emperor by Grand Venerable Golden Scale. The scales' interconnectedness allowed them to communicate in real-time within the underground world and keep track of everyone's movements. A golden light emanated from the scale, projecting into the air, revealing Grand Venerable Golden Scale, the Young Emperor, and their surroundings.

Grand Venerable Golden Scale floated with a helpless expression behind a group of Spirit Snake Mountain demons. Those demons were desperately resisting the beast tide army, which resembled endless waves. Although they fought to the death for their homes behind them, they still couldn't withstand the onslaught of the beast tide; their defensive line was precarious and could break at any moment. Grand Venerable Golden Scale cleared large sections of the beast tide with one hand, but they were quickly filled by the hell creatures.

"Grand Venerable Ice Heart, what's the situation on your side?" he asked.

Grand Venerable Ice Heart slightly shook her head, saying, "I'm deep within the beast tide. But the situation is likely very bad; the defensive line has probably already broken."

Hearing this, Grand Venerable Golden Scale sighed softly. This was within his expectations. The Spirit Snake Mountain demons, as local inhabitants, couldn't stop the decline even by fighting with their lives. The powerful cultivators from other states would certainly not fight to the death; the defensive line breaking was within his expectations.

In another projection, the Young Emperor pointed a finger at the fleeing beast tide ahead. A core of lightning flew into the beast tide, instantly exploding and transforming into endless lightning, engulfing a stretch of land. When the lightning dispersed, only steaming, fragmented remains imbued with yin energy were left on the ground. The hell creatures were completely annihilated!

The Young Emperor glanced at the two venerables' battlefields and said indifferently, "Once my southern path is cleared, my work here will be done."

Upon hearing this, Grand Venerable Golden Scale's face was filled with shame, and even Grand Venerable Ice Heart felt a bit embarrassed. One of them led the demon army, and the other commanded reinforcements from various states. Under such circumstances, both faced the collapse of their defensive lines. Yet the Young Emperor, single-handedly, drove the hell creatures of his entire path back towards the breach. The unspoken comparison left them, who were also Grand Venerables of the Five Decays of Heaven-and-Man, feeling rather uncomfortable.

But just then, Grand Venerable Ice Heart suddenly looked down at the beast tide beneath her feet, a trace of astonishment on her face. "What's happening?" As she looked intently, the beast tide surging in her direction gradually halted. Soon, they began to turn around and head back towards the breach! And their expressions were panicked, whimpering in fear as if fleeing from something horrifying.

Grand Venerable Golden Scale also noticed this scene and asked in surprise, "Grand Venerable Ice Heart, are there powerful reinforcements from another state?"

Grand Venerable Ice Heart shook her head. "No, the latest reinforcement is an eight-aperture Nascent Soul from Taicang State. Besides, what kind of reinforcement could scare away all the hell creatures on the eastern front? Is it a Sage?"