Chapter 323: Chapter 49: Blood Pupil Elder’s Assault, Netherworld Demon Blade!

Righteous Alliance, Lingxuan City.

Two days had passed since the counterattack on the Demon Path’s Xinliang City.

This battle, without a doubt, was a thorough defeat for the Righteous Alliance.

Of the over a thousand Foundation Establishment Cultivators who participated, only just over three hundred remain.

Among the forty Golden Core Cultivators, fewer than twenty returned alive.

Although they obliterated the Demon Sect’s living forces, the Righteous Alliance paid a far greater price!

All this was, naturally, because of that group of mysterious cultivators who arrived at the last moment, overturning the battle...

"So, who exactly are those cultivators?"

Wang Changchun stood atop the city wall of Lingxuan City, his gaze piercing through the dense mist.

And, the busy cultivators of the Righteous Alliance around him...

He couldn’t dwell on the pain of this defeat, nor did the cultivators of the Righteous Alliance have time to reminisce. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Because, at any moment, the Righteous Alliance could face a counterattack from the Demon Sect.

In just one day, Wang Changchun had dispatched a large number of Righteous Alliance cultivators from the rear, solely to hold the cities of Lingxuan and Qinghe.

At the same time, he gathered all array masters in the city to strengthen the arrays, in case of emergency.

Lin Chen himself had also been transferred from Qinghe City to Lingxuan City.

As Wang Changchun stood on the city wall, looking out at the distance.

Several streaks of golden light in the distant sky flew toward Lingxuan City.

They were the Golden Core Elders who had gone out to scout!

"Sect, Sect Leader... it’s not good!"

The three elders rushed into the city, their faces full of tension.

"Sect Leader... the Demon Sect, the Demon Sect has come!" The three Golden Core Elders arrived beside Wang Changchun.

Wang Changchun had been expecting this. He calmly asked,

"How many are there?"

"N-not clear... there’s only one Spiritual Boat; their numbers shouldn’t exceed a thousand." One elder said.

Upon hearing this, Wang Changchun let out a sigh of relief.

"However, the Blood Pupil Demon has arrived! He’s standing atop the Spiritual Boat..."

Hearing the latter part, Wang Changchun’s expression immediately tightened.

The Blood Pupil Demon... how could he be here?

Wang Changchun’s brows furrowed into a character "川".

By rights, the Blood Pupil Demon was seriously injured in that battle and shouldn’t recover for at least a year or more...

Could it be that the Blood Pupil Demon, despite his heavy injuries, decided to come?

Wang Changchun couldn’t fathom it; to him... this didn’t seem like the Blood Pupil Demon’s way.

"Could it be that the Blood Pupil Demon’s injuries have already healed?"

Wang Changchun’s eyes were uncertain.

But he quickly issued orders, "All members of the Righteous Alliance, everyone... assemble at the city wall!"

"Additionally, inform the Sect Leader of the Celestial Pill Sect... to also be ready!"

"Understood, Sect Leader!" The Golden Core Elders hurriedly left.

Meanwhile, above the clouds, in the sky over the Fog Mountain range...

A huge black boat, a hundred feet long, approached Lingxuan City, like a giant whale flying in the sky, full of oppression.

Watching the swiftly approaching Demon Sect’s Spiritual Boat, Wang Changchun’s expression turned grave, and the cultivators inside the city felt their hearts sink.

At this moment, Lin Chen also received instructions and, together with his master Han Jihai, ascended the city wall.

"Old Wang!" Han Jihai shouted, standing next to Wang Changchun, both looking at the distant Spiritual Boat.

Wang Changchun took a deep breath and quickly ordered,

"Activate the City Defense Array!"

"Yes!" Several Golden Core Cultivators acted, taking out the Array Plates, activating the City Defense Array together with Wang Changchun.

A massive, transparent barrier appeared in the sky, enclosing the entire Lingxuan City within.

Seeing the City Defense Array activated, the cultivators in the city breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Old Wang, how come the Demon Sect attacked so quickly?"

Han Jihai’s eyes showed a hint of worry, hesitant to speak further.

Wang Changchun glanced at him and said lowly,

"I suspect the Blood Pupil Demon’s injuries have healed..."

"How could that be possible!" Han Jihai was somewhat incredulous; he had seen with his own eyes two great arrays severely injure the Blood Pupil Demon.

But Wang Changchun shook his head slightly,

"Junior Brother, regarding that battle two days ago... the group of Golden Core Cultivators who arrived last, what do you think their identity is?"

Han Jihai pondered for a moment and said,

"I feel they are not Demon Cultivators, as their aura does not contain the cultivation of demonic techniques... instead, they seem like Death Warriors!"

Upon hearing this, even Lin Chen standing by felt something was amiss.

Thirty Death Warriors, thirty Golden Core Death Warriors!

Throughout Qing State, what power... could cultivate such a terrifying group of Death Warriors?

For a moment, everyone remained silent.

Wang Changchun laughed bitterly,

"Decades ago, a saying went... that the Demon Sect shall prosper for one hundred and twelve years!"

"Such is the trend of Qing State’s destiny..."

"But I don’t believe it! If the Demon Sect prospers, what will become of the common people, and us, the cultivators?"

"I believe that man can triumph over destiny, even if the Demon Sect is to prosper, I want to delay it indefinitely! Even if it costs me my life..."

Lin Chen stood aside, silently listening to Wang Changchun’s words.

He saw something called conviction in Wang Changchun’s eyes.

Lin Chen was very fortunate that when he first came to the Cultivation Realm, he descended within the territory of the Changchun Sect.

Although there were Tribulation Cultivators marauding, it was much safer compared to the Demon Sect’s territory.

And within the thousand-mile radius of the Changchun Sect, people lived in peace and prosperity.

Mortals and cultivators coexist quite harmoniously; upon seeing a cultivator, they respectfully address them as Immortal Master, without much fear.

But within the Demon Sect, mortals are like chickens and sheep, like pigs and dogs, merely livestock raised by Demon Cultivators...

All of this is inseparable from the rules of the Changchun Sect.

The sect rules of Changchun Sect explicitly state that any sect cultivator, whether disciple or elder, must not attack mortals without cause.

This truly shows the Changchun Sect’s heart of righteousness.

Han Jihai stood aside, and after a long silence, said:

"Senior Brother, what shall we do if we cannot withstand them?"

"The current Lingxuan City is far from what it used to be..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Changchun took a deep breath and said in a low voice:

"If Lingxuan and Qinghe City fall... we must retreat to Wudu and defend Wudu to the death!"

"If Wudu falls, the entire Fog Country will fall into the hands of the Demon Sect!"

"And once Fog Country falls, the Celestial Pill Sect will fall... at that time, we’ll only be able to retreat to the Yanlai Realm."

"But with Purple Smoke, Fog Country, and Yanlai—the three countries held by the Demon Sect against two—we can be certain that the Righteous Alliance will face a severe blow..."

"At that time, the defeat of the Righteous Alliance won’t be far off either."

Lin Chen nodded slightly upon hearing this, understanding that Wang Changchun possessed strategic vision.

As early as several years ago, Blue Star’s think tank had organized all the key towns and perilous sites of Fog Country.

Among them, to resist the Demon Sect, the Righteous Alliance needs to rely on two major perilous sites.

The first is Qinghe and Lingxuan City.

These two cities are south of the Fog Mountain range, separated by Fog Mountain, serving as a natural dangerous site.

Moreover, by harnessing the earth’s energy and setting up an array of mist,

they naturally hold a strategic advantage against the Demon Sect.

This is the first natural barrier of the Righteous Alliance against the Demon Sect.

The second is Wudu.

It is also the capital city of Fog Country.

Compared to Lingxuan and Qinghe City, Wudu has more and more fierce fog.

Because there’s a main vein of the Fog Mountain range there, naturally surrounding Wudu.

Plus the hidden routes of the Celestial Pill Sect...

For outsiders, breaking through Wudu is difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Conversely, the cultivators within Wudu can use hidden routes to conduct guerrilla warfare and harass the Demon Cultivators.

Likewise, Wudu’s location is extremely crucial.

It is precisely stuck in the southern core of Fog Country and is the founding place of the Celestial Pill Sect.

If Wudu falls, the entire Fog Country will fall into the hands of the Demon Sect...

While a few were discussing, a massive black ship in the sky had already approached the airspace above Lingxuan City.

A figure was levitating above the black ship.

It was the Old Demon Blood Pupil, his face wearing a grin as he spoke in a sinister voice:

"Heh heh, Wang! It’s time for this old man to trouble you today!"

"If you’re sensible, hand over Lingxuan City, and avoid the pain of flesh and blood..."

"Any cultivator of the Righteous Alliance who surrenders and lays down their arms will be forgiven and allowed to join my Ghost-Exorcising Sect and pursue the Great Path without peer..."

In the sky, the Old Demon Blood Pupil aimed to dissolve the war spirit of the Righteous Alliance’s side.

"Hmph, demonic heretics... everyone should strike them down!"

Wang Changchun sneered, looked at the hundreds of cultivators behind him, and waved his hand:

"Shoot down that Spiritual Boat!"

With his command, hundreds of cultivators all unleashed their techniques and divine techniques, bombarding the Spiritual Boat.

Numerous magical treasures, swords and spears, spirit umbrellas, dusters...

Numerous techniques, fireballs, giant stones, gales, thunder...

Emanating dazzling flashes in the air like rain.

The characteristic of the City Defense Array is that cultivators outside the array cannot directly attack those inside.

Conversely, cultivators inside the array can easily penetrate the array to attack outside.

The Old Demon Blood Pupil stood on top of the black ship and sneered coldly: "Overestimating yourself!"

Then he waved his hand, and three hundred Foundation Establishment and ten Golden Core Demon Cultivators on the Spiritual Boat took action together.

They raised their Protective True Essence and, with help from the Defense Array on the Spiritual Boat, blocked the barrage of techniques like rain.

After fending off the first wave of offensive, the Old Demon Blood Pupil quickly ordered:

"Prepare, attack the city!"

Thus, a barrage of techniques and magical treasures rained down from the Spiritual Boat, crazily bombarding Lingxuan City.

Using the advantage of height, these techniques precisely hit towards the direction of Lingxuan City... but they were firmly blocked by the City Defense Array.

After the invisible array shield fluctuated, it transformed into slight ripples, dissolving all these techniques.

The Old Demon Blood Pupil frowned upon seeing this.

"This array... is quite intriguing."

Then, he took a deep breath, and red mist appeared around him, eventually gathering in the air to form a massive red blade.

This blade was ten zhang long and one zhang wide, condensed with demonic energy, and its power was astonishing.

"Netherworld Demon Blade, slash!"

The Old Demon Blood Pupil, driven by Netherworld Ghost Qi, swung the demon blade towards the array.

In the city, Wang Changchun saw this and remained calm as he waved his hand.

Along with Lin Chen, six Golden Core cultivators struck together, channeling True Essence into the City Defense Array.

Boom!

The demon blade slashed onto the City Defense Array, but with the True Essence support from Lin Chen and others, the array remained as firm as ever.

At the same time, Wang Changchun took out a delicate array plate, activated it with a few finger motions.

In an instant, dozens of rays of golden light surged from within Lingxuan City, shooting skyward.

An endless flow of array power surged towards the invisible shield above Lingxuan City.

In a flash, a layer of golden light appeared over the shield, becoming more solid...