Chapter 501: Four Heavenly Thunder Gather Together

At the far western horizon, a flash of lightning appeared instantly. It illuminated the dark boundary between sky and earth, causing it to flicker on and off. Immediately after, as if in response, another flash of lightning appeared in the far eastern direction. Subsequently, lightning struck in all four cardinal directions. No thunderous roars could be heard, indicating the immense distance. However, the constant flashes of lightning were steadily drawing closer. This undoubtedly showed that the Iron Rod Hammer was effectively attracting heavenly lightning.

Yaoyue's expression shifted repeatedly. Her undead army feared heavenly lightning above all else. During thunderstorms, necrotic energy was the easiest target for lightning. If combined with the lightning cultivation techniques of the Righteous Thunder Sect disciples, they could strike with pinpoint accuracy. Not only would her undead army be annihilated, but even she would be in grave danger.

"Heaven is not on my side!" Yaoyue raged, glaring at the sky. Just as she had glimpsed the hope of victory, a storm of heavenly lightning presented a formidable threat. But could she retreat? She glanced at the peak of Boundary Mountain, now within reach, then at Jiang Fan's hateful figure. She punched her mount and commanded, "Army, heed my order! Target all Righteous Thunder Sect members! Ignore everyone else!" Heavenly lightning was indeed powerful, but without the Righteous Thunder Sect disciples to guide it with their lightning techniques, it wouldn't pose a significant threat. In other words, by eliminating the Righteous Thunder Sect members, she would still hold an overwhelming advantage!

With a single command, the tide of battle dramatically shifted! The beast hordes attacking the four major sects abandoned the Tai Shang Sect, Ten Thousand Swords Sect, and Giant Sect, converging en masse on the Righteous Thunder Sect! Immediately, the pressure on the Righteous Thunder Sect surged. One elder, caught off guard while fighting a corpse puppet in front of him, had his head twisted off by an undead puppet attacking from the side. Several disciples were also killed by the frenzied rush of undead puppets.

Lei Zhenhai's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he roared, "Protect the Righteous Thunder Sect members! Once the heavenly lightning gathers, it will be the end of the undead puppets!" The Iron Rod Hammer had indeed summoned heavenly lightning, but it would take some time for the lightning to arrive from such an immense distance. Yaoyue was playing for time. If she could eliminate the Righteous Thunder Sect members during this period, the threat would be greatly reduced. Otherwise, she herself would be in danger! The other three sects immediately reacted, rushing to the vicinity of the Righteous Thunder Sect members. They simultaneously repelled the surging beast horde and urged the Righteous Thunder Sect disciples to fall back, buying them precious time.

Seeing this, Yaoyue's brows furrowed deeply. She couldn't afford to waste time! She glanced at the Great Wall on both sides of Boundary Mountain. The Heavenly Sound Sect, Thousand Refinements Sect, Joyous Union Sect, and Spirit Beast Sect were each guarding one of the two flanks. Their strength was not comparable to the four major sects on Boundary Mountain. Her eyes gleamed as she issued another command. "The rearguard forces, attack from both flanks! Once the defenses are breached, encircle the rear of Boundary Mountain!" At that point, with a pincer attack, the Righteous Thunder Sect members would undoubtedly perish. Furthermore, the defenses on Boundary Mountain would completely collapse. In the chaotic mêlée between humans and undead puppets, the undead army would surely triumph due to their overwhelming numerical advantage!

As the order was given, the beast horde at the front continued its frenzied assault on the Righteous Thunder Sect members. Meanwhile, the beast hordes in the rear split into four groups, launching attacks on the four sects along the Great Wall. The disciples of these four sects faced a formidable foe but remained relatively calm. Firstly, the number of demonic beasts was far less terrifying than those on Boundary Mountain. Secondly, they relied on the smooth, hundred-zhang tall walls and could also throw burning timber to eliminate enemies.

However, since Yaoyue dared to attack the city walls, she had naturally made preparations. The first to clear the path were colossal thirty-zhang tall undead puppets. They violently slammed into the walls, trying to shatter the ice on them. It didn't matter if they were burned to death at the base of the wall, because their massive bodies would serve as stepping stones for the undead puppets behind them. In less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the bases of the four walls were piled high with the corpses of undead puppets, forming mounds almost as tall as the walls themselves. The inevitable direct confrontation had finally arrived.

What caused Lei Zhenhai, who had been constantly observing the situation, to feel his heart sink was this: Compared to the Upper Three Sects and the Righteous Thunder Sect, the strength of these four sects was clearly a step below. Their defensive lines had, to varying degrees, begun to falter. The most severe situation was with the Joyous Union Sect. Their disciples' cultivation methods primarily focused on charm techniques, with few offensive combat arts. While charm techniques might be highly effective against humans, they were useless against demonic beasts, especially undead ones. Undead puppets had no appreciation for charm; they would tear with their claws and bite with their mouths. Soon, a female elder perished, and several disciples were wounded.

Yaoyue also noticed this scene. A smirk played on her lips as she declared, "The strength of a wall is always determined by its weakest point. The other three teams, each detach five hundred units, and attack the Joyous Union Sect!" The pressure on the other three sects suddenly eased. In contrast, the Joyous Union Sect's pressure doubled. As yet another elder fell, their defensive line completely spiraled out of control. Over a dozen undead puppets leaped onto the city wall and began surrounding them. With only one elder and a dozen or so disciples left, how could they possibly resist? It was nothing short of a one-sided slaughter. In the blink of an eye, only three disciples remained! The elder desperately tried to protect them, but she couldn't hold out for more than a few breaths!

Lei Zhenhai watched with a pounding heart and roared, "Azure Cloud Sect! Reinforce them!" Their last reserve force had to be deployed. What worried Lei Zhenhai was that the strength of the Azure Cloud Sect's elders and disciples wasn't significantly higher than that of the Joyous Union Sect. Could they withstand the beast horde? The four sects on Boundary Mountain, as well as the other three sects on the Great Wall, all cast anxious glances towards the Azure Cloud Sect. If the Azure Cloud Sect couldn't hold, the endless undead army would advance unopposed along the Great Wall. At that point, nothing could be done to reverse the situation.

Li Qingfeng gritted his teeth, his voice heavy with emotion. "Remember what I said before the battle? No one is allowed to retreat! Don't bring shame to the Azure Cloud Sect!" The disciples' faces were grim. The deployment of the Azure Cloud Sect disciples meant the battle was nearing collapse. If they didn't fight, they would die. If they fought, they might also die! Their lives were no longer their own to control! "Charge!" Li Qingfeng yelled, drawing his spiritual weapon first and rushing towards the Joyous Union Sect's defensive position.

Just as he arrived, another massive undead creature scaled the city wall from the outside. Li Qingfeng was quick-witted, shattering the necrotic energy in its abdomen with a single sword thrust. But it was that brief delay that proved fatal. The Joyous Union Sect elder, surrounded by over a dozen undead puppets, finally succumbed. Her heart was pierced by a tail, and she died a tragic death on the spot! Li Qingfeng's face was filled with cold fury as he cleaved through the puppets with his sword, revealing the three remaining disciples. Wen Hongyao and Zhao Wuji, also filled with grief and indignation, rushed in one after another, slaying the undead puppets.

Jiang Fan's eyes also flickered with cold light. The entire Joyous Union Sect team, originally over twenty people, had been reduced to just three surviving disciples! Two of them were severely wounded. Only Ji Ruyue remained relatively unharmed, trying to protect them while being besieged by two undead creatures. But she was exhausted and constantly had to guard her fellow disciples behind her. How could she possibly handle two undead creatures on her own?

With a squelch— One of the undead puppets suddenly lunged forward, its massive mouth filled with sharp teeth. It clamped down on her. Ji Ruyue immediately felt the chilling, piercing pain of teeth entering her flesh, exploding like an electric current throughout her body. Immediately after, it felt as if all strength had been drained from her body. She couldn't move. Azure Peak, the sword in her palm, silently clattered to the ground. Its cold blade reflected her image, being carried away in the beast's mouth. Ji Ruyue's mind went blank. Was this how it ended?

Bang—

Just then, a deafening shockwave made her hair fly wildly and her ears ring. Her body suddenly spun, disoriented. Then, she fell onto the cold ground. She was stunned, not yet understanding what had happened.

Boom—

The giant bone beast that had seized her crashed heavily to the ground. Standing on its grotesque head was the figure of a young man, holding a multicolored small mountain in his left hand and a frigid longsword in his right. A visible, gaping hole had been punched through the giant bone beast's chest. The lingering necrotic energy dispersed with the wind.

"Jiang... Junior Brother Jiang?"