Chapter 1536: Turning the Tide

Jiang Fan's heart sank as he heard the report and looked. Another Giant King had arrived, accompanied by a battle group of a hundred! And that wasn't all! Ancient Giants were falling like dense rain, their numbers equivalent to two full battle groups! The Sand Giant King had brought not only his own battle group but also the Shadow Giant King's battle group, which had already joined the fight.

What truly suffocated Jiang Fan, however, was the deafening rumble. With a tremendous, earth-shattering roar, yet another Giant King descended! A dim, star-like emblem adorned his brow, making his specific identity unclear. Yet, the aura he exuded was extraordinarily dangerous! Along with him came his own battle group! Two Giant Kings, plus three battle groups in total!

How could they possibly fight this? If they rushed to the East Line, it would be instantly annihilated. If they rushed to the North Line, the West Line would also be instantly annihilated. This force of giants, far outnumbering those already on the battlefield, would be devastating wherever it was deployed. In that moment, human powerhouses on both the West and East lines plunged into despair. This was an utterly uneven battle. Although they had mentally prepared for the war long ago, confronting a giant army twice their own strength unleashed a profound sense of despair that they couldn't suppress.

Conversely, the East Line giants, previously intimidated by Jiang Fan, were greatly emboldened upon discovering their allies had arrived. They roared, swung their maces, and renewed their ferocious attacks, rapidly tightening the encirclement. The battle situation plummeted, reaching a critical juncture.

Even Jiang Fan hesitated for a moment. Was it still necessary to continue this fight? They had captured the Black Sun Royal Court's armory, yet the maces they seized had fallen back into the hands of the Ancient Giants. They had moved the Heaven-Connecting Black Pillar to the forbidden zone, but the zone hadn't produced the expected effect. All their pre-battle plans had been greatly undermined during actual combat. It could only be said that the battlefield was constantly changing, exceeding all predictions.

The only hope was that Jiang Fan had killed the Fire Giant King, extinguishing the "Fire Path" he had paved with his source power. Without this protection, the newly arrived Ancient Giants would be eroded by the forbidden zone. If the two Giant Kings lacked a way to counteract the forbidden zone, severely wounding these incoming giants, then there might still be a glimmer of hope.

However, Jiang Fan's fragile hope was quickly dashed. No sooner had the Sand Giant King landed than he detected the "Fire Path" had extinguished. His vertical eye narrowed. "The Fire Giant King... has fallen?" The unidentified Giant King said in a deep voice, "Never mind him for now. Protect the incoming battle groups!" The forbidden zone's erosion was already causing the skin of the newly arrived Ancient Giants to sizzle and burn. Any further delay, and it would begin to corrode their flesh. This was only because Ancient Giants had thick skin; a human Nascent Soul expert would have already been reduced to bloody mud by now.

Without hesitation, the Sand Giant King's brow star rapidly spun. Immediately, the ground rippled like waves, and endless sand surged from beneath the earth. It transformed into fast-moving waves of sand, sweeping the newly landed Ancient Giants rapidly outwards. This speed was sufficient to protect the Ancient Giants, allowing them to escape the forbidden zone quickly. At most, the Ancient Giants would suffer only superficial injuries. The effect of the curse would also be minimized.

In the blink of an eye, three hundred Ancient Giants were being swept outwards by the sea of sand. Some of them had already reached the edge of the forbidden zone. The next moment, they would rush out, becoming a devastating flood that would overwhelm the Taicang Grand Province army.

Just then! With a resounding thud, the Ancient Giants, poised to burst out, suddenly slammed into something invisible yet incredibly tough at the edge of the forbidden zone. They were instantly bounced back, landing hard on the ground. Then, giants from other directions also crashed, either sent sprawling or stumbling backward. The Ancient Giants behind them, caught off guard, were knocked over en masse. The Sand Giant King's expression flickered. He decisively halted the sand sea and then directed it to surge towards the edge of the forbidden zone. However, the sand sea also struck something and was repelled. As it continued to be impacted, the invisible, tough barrier gradually became visible. It was an immense, golden, bowl-shaped light barrier, inverted and covering the entire forbidden zone, pulsating with ancient rhythm.

Jiang Fan recognized it, exclaiming in surprise, "The Heaven Mountain Battlefield's barrier?" He hadn't been mistaken! This was indeed the very barrier that had sealed the Heaven Mountain Battlefield for a millennium! Soul Transformation realm experts might force their way through, but Nascent Soul realm experts couldn't pass at all! Then he looked at the top of the barrier. Jiang Wuya, who had been missing without a trace, held a bamboo scroll and silently chanted a spell. Streams of Soul Transformation power surged into the barrier beneath his feet, making it increasingly solid. It was becoming difficult even for Soul Transformation realm experts to pass through!

Jiang Fan suddenly understood! No wonder Jiang Wuya had been missing since the beginning of the battle; he had been following the High Wine Sacrifice's orders to carry out an even more crucial mission! The High Wine Sacrifice had anticipated every possibility, foreseeing that the Giant Kings would have countermeasures for the restrictions. Therefore, he had secretly instructed Jiang Wuya to seal the Ancient Giants within the forbidden zone when they descended in large numbers. This would allow the human powerhouses outside to completely wipe out the Ancient Giants' vanguard, achieving a minor victory. It would also inflict as much damage as possible on the supporting Ancient Giants, alleviating pressure on subsequent battles. As for how long they could be sealed in the forbidden zone, that depended on how long Jiang Wuya could endure.

Regardless, this greatly boosted the morale of the human forces on the battlefield. Whether it was the allied forces clashing on the North Line or the humans deeply entrapped on the East Line, all found a new lease on life.

"Followers of the Fire Worship Sect, if you're not dead, keep killing!" the blood-soaked Fire Worship Sect Master roared, leading the charge directly towards a giant. The Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, his arm smashed to reveal bone and bleeding profusely, gritted his teeth and said to Xia Chaoge beside him: "Hold on, Jiang Fan is coming to save us. Don't you dare die!"

At this moment, Xia Chaoge's aura was weak, her heart having been pierced by an Ancient Giant, leaving a bloody hole. Both of them had already used up their Heavenly Garment Divine Water. She was only clinging to life, a small feather substituting her heart, keeping her from falling. Xia Chaoge looked at the Earth Tooth Sword Jiang Fan had given her, biting her lip slightly, and said: "I have no regrets dying. But I cannot let my Martial Uncle's sword be lost from my hands." She gripped the Earth Tooth Sword tightly and, along with everyone else, counterattacked the giants.

The Ancient Giants, too, realized this was a moment of life and death. If their reinforcements were trapped, they would die. If not, they could utterly annihilate this reckless human army!

Roar! Roar! Roar! The Ancient Giants roared in unison, savagely raising their maces for a final stand. For a time, the shouts of the human army and the roars of the Ancient Giants pushed this millennium-long war to its most intense point. Countless humans fell, and Ancient Giants were also slain from time to time. Casualties on both sides mounted at an unprecedented rate. It was a true meat grinder!

Jiang Fan's hair bristled with rage as he charged towards the peripheral Ancient Giants!