Xian Xian’s Radix World Tree was firmly rooted outside the southern city gates, its black roots spreading endlessly. The Radiant Vines formed a defense, while the Bloodrain Sword from the Scarlet Lily filled the sky in attack.
Since the beginning of the war, Xian Xian alone had killed thousands of enemy warriors. The Radix World Tree was born for this sort of war. It burst into a hundred thousand blades of Bloodrain Sword. The sword-shaped petals could directly pierce the hearts of sky saints and empyrean saints, resulting in immediate death. No other lifebound beast had such an effect.
Moreover, its Evernight Curse was already at its strongest. As long as it continued, its opponents would fall into confusion, and more and more people would slaughter each other. With its existence, Tianming could face a whole army alone.
However, there were still too many of the enemy—at least four times their numbers. Even if the Sun-Moon-Star Formation was trapping most of them in the outer layer, countless beastmasters and lifebound beasts pounced on Xian Xian, slashing frantically, like densely packed ants that could cause severe damage.
At that time, Ying Huo, Meow Meow, and Lan Huang were all playing their roles. They guarded Xian Xian, making it the base of their battle and allowing it to control the entire battlefield. They were there to slaughter, and at the same time, protect Xian Xian.
With the Greenspark Tower, no one could defeat Lan Huang... at least for now. The giant beast charged through the battlefield, leaving a bloody path in its wake. When it unleashed its Kilofold Rings, a rain of blood and corpse fragments filled the sky.
As for Tianming, he was at the forefront, Archfiend in hand, performing a striking demonstration of the Eight Desolation Fienddragon Whip. Wherever the black and red chain went, a bunch of corpses followed. Within a short period of time, an empty area appeared in front of him. They were all afraid to die. In other words, Tianming was left to the powerhouses on Nonahall’s side.
Tianming’s opponent soon arrived. Feeling a chill creep up his spine, he looked up and saw a woman in gray accompanied by three gigantic necrobeasts. Her gaze met his, lips curling into a sinister smile as a cold light flickered.
"You’d better not run. Just watch properly as I kill ten million people tonight. Li Tianming, I assure you that each and every one of them will die miserably! I don’t care if you think I’m cruel or without morals. In this world, strength is the indisputable rule. I’ve fought everything and climbed to the pinnacle of all living beings to dominate the lives and deaths of millions, not to be a good Samaritan. You mustn’t run! Stay and play the humanitarian!”
She was extremely worried that Tianming would escape, thus her emphasis on the matter. Ignoring the entire battlefield, she charged toward him with her three lifebound beasts. To avenge Ghoul King Xue Yi and the nightmare soulworm, her killing intent overshadowed the entire army.
“With the imperial son’s head, won’t the cities fall without an attack?” Her malicious laughter didn’t at all resemble the sound a cool and elegant woman such as herself should make.
As she approached Tianming, Jian Wuyi suddenly shot from the side, his four swordbeasts attached to the sword. His temperament was similar to Feng Qingyu, his attainments in sword arts equally profound. In the process of forcing back Ghoul King Si Ling, he slaughtered a hundred Nonahall warriors.
“Jian Wuyi, you’re no match for me!” Si Ling laughed contemptuously.
Jian Wuyi ranked third in the Archaion Sect and was a level short of Si Ling, equal to Ghoul Kings You Ying and Qing Ming.
However, Jian Wuyi didn’t bother responding to Si Ling’s sneer. The sword in his hand resembled a wooden sword, yet it burst with astonishing power. At the same time, a blazing sun appeared beside him.
It was the Solunar Blast. Relying on the protection of twenty thousand first-origin tribulation elders, Yi Xingyin and tens of millions of ordinary people could better display the power of the Solunar Blast.
The formation sun flew to Jian Wuyi's side, burning like a raging fire. Together with countless Infinite Starnets, it helped Jian Wuyi stop Si Ling.
Si Ling was the strongest opponent on the enemy’s side. If she was allowed to enter the city and come face to face with the citizens, millions would die. This kind of peak powerhouse who stood on top of hundreds of millions of people was one in a billion. Therefore, as the strongest man in the city, Jian Wuyi’s purpose was to stop her.
Even with the formation sun and the Infinite Starnet, no one knew whether or not they would succeed. On this bloody battlefield, everyone had gone beyond their limits to fight the enemy.
In the midst of the legions, Si Ling and Jian Wuyi locked horns. In the other three directions, the other ghoul kings should all have begun fighting. The east and west weren't an issue; after all, Xuanyuan Xie in the north was merely a divine marshal and wasn’t as strong as Fu You. Therefore, the formation moon was currently limiting Fu You in the north.
The sound of war shook the sky as everyone desperately fought. Only by giving it their all would it be possible to survive.
Tianming was still fighting on the battlefield. The stars were shining in the sky, while the blood on the ground had formed a river. Among the corpses were enemies, warriors of the Fienddragon Legion, and city defenders alike. Many familiar faces had fallen forever, their heads separated from their bodies. The cruelty and ruthlessness of war was beyond words. Such carnage drove them into madness and suffering, and turned them into killing machines.
No one could stop Tianming. He alone directly withstood the frontal impact of the opposing army. However, he was soon eyed by two gigantic, bloodthirsty beasts that emerged from the ground. They stared at him with ferocious eyes, surging with killing intent. They were here for Tianming!
The moment Si Ling confirmed Tianming’s position at the south city gates, they immediately headed over. They were the heartscourge fiend and skyscorch bloodfiend, lifebound beasts at the same cultivation level as Si Ling.
“Li Tianming, the battle in the Kilostar Domain was the most frustrating and painful battle of our lives. You made us lose everything.”
“There’s no sealing formation tonight. You’ll be able to experience our real power!" the two beasts spoke, one after the other, then charged at Tianming.
For Tianming, a catastrophe was imminent. Even though he had broken through to the seventh-level life phase, Xue Yi’s lifebound beasts were still terribly strong. The heartscourge fiend in particular was extremely lethal, despite its injuries.
The skyscorch bloodfiend spewed out Skyscorch Bloodphlegm, the sea of flames burning Xian Xian’s branches and vines and causing it to scream in pain.
“Die!”
Without the sealing formation, they were indeed terrifying. However, behind Tianming was a city filled with countless lives. He had to hold on. There was no retreat.
“Everyone has given their all, let alone I, the imperial son. Mother, you said that even a little grace should be returned many times over. I’ve received their Omnisentient Will. Without the Archaion Sect, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So even if I die here, I won’t have any regrets or complaints.”
He drew the Grand-Orient Sword, split it into two, and held the swords in both hands. With Archfiend wrapped around his arm, it was as if Li Muyang was by his side.
Ying Huo, Meow Meow, Lan Huang, and Xian Xian, who all resonated with his soul, were present. Attached to him was his beloved, who had never uttered a word of complaint. She wasn’t afraid in the face of death, so why should he fear?
“Kill!”
Tianming led his lifebound beasts toward the scarlet behemoth in fierce confrontation.
At this moment, there were several Infinite Starnets entangled around the heartscourge fiend, smashing it to the ground. The sky glittered as the cold silver moon in the north crossed over the city and slammed into the beast.
The impact exploded its flesh and blood. For a while, countless heartscourge worms flew out of its body.
“Tianming, no matter what you do, stop the heartscourge fiend! Once those worms enter the city, the consequences will be disastrous!” Yi Xingyin’s voice sounded from within the formation.
“What about the divine marshal’s side?” asked Tianming.
Since the formation moon was here, Xuanyuan Xie must be having a hard time dealing with Fu You.
“We have no choice. I’ll try my best to support him. You must stop them!"
Yi Xingyin left the formation moon by Tianming. It continuously absorbed the strength of all residents and was the ultimate power of the Sun-Moon-Star Formation. At present, Yi Xingyin hadn’t detonated the formation’s sun and moon yet, so they acted as obstacles. If they failed to kill their opponents, the formation would lose a lot of power once the sun and moon were detonated.
“Right now, any of the four fronts might collapse. The two beasts and Ghoul King Si Ling are the strongest among the enemy. There must be no mistakes when using the Solunar Blast to suppress them. We can’t allow Si Ling or the two beasts to enter the city!"
Although there was a crisis, Tianming's thoughts remained clear. He understood the great responsibility he carried.
“Xian Xian, stop the heartscourge worms!”
“Alright, I will!”
In the moment of life and death, even this little one remained steady and reliable. As soon as it extinguished the Skyscorch Bloodphlegm, it stretched out countless roots to intercept the heartscourge worms that were heading for the city. With its restraint on the offspring, at least ninety percent of them were intercepted.
The worms were pierced and devoured. The Greenspark Tower could heal Xian Xian’s broken branches and vines, but it couldn't spark more growth. If Xian Xian wanted to restore its peak combat power, it had to eat. And the more it ate, the more worms it could stop.
The heartscourge fiend’s enormous body was entangled in the Infinite Starnet, and at the same time, the formation moon continued its bombardment. Just as the fiend was about to activate the Soulhide Curse, it was interrupted by the formation moon. For a period of time, all it could do was roll around the battlefield, trying to break free from the restraints of the Infinite Starnet and the formation moon.
The only thing standing before Tianming was the skyscorch bloodfiend.