Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 470 - 455: Illusory Encirclement

Zhou Leng glanced at the demon spirit bird and asked, "Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Report immediately. I can break the illusion, find people to cooperate with me, quickly devise a strategy, and join forces to counter-ambush them. I’ll first pretend to escape and lead them on a chase for a while."

"Understood!" The demon spirit master’s tone held an indescribable excitement. Being besieged by demons for so long, there was finally a chance to bite back fiercely.

Zhou Leng had already chosen an open terrain, so no matter what the enemy did, they couldn’t suddenly surround him.

Sweeping his gaze, those non-sea siren ambushers were revealed.

The eye demon was easily recognizable, a large eyeball floating in the air, with octopus-like tentacles spreading from beneath it.

Zhou Leng fled, darting around chaotically.

The enemies realized their target had noticed them. Unsuitable for direct confrontation, they retreated to await the opportunity.

In the human encampment, a war correspondent kept observing Zhou Leng, continuously taking photos.

Soon, the human commanders devised a strategy.

Following the predetermined plan, Zhou Leng reached the designated location and began attacking the sea sirens, posing as one of them.

The ambushing demons moved again.

This time, Zhou Leng pretended not to see them.

An ambushing force of over a hundred and fifty innate demons approached from all sides.

Three great innates among them.

Before long, the encirclement formed.

Thirty eye demons were positioned in various directions, coordinating with demon artifacts to cast spells together.

A flash of spell light, and within a three-kilometer radius centered on Zhou Leng, transformed into a toxic forest.

Within the forest, countless demons charged forward with earth-shattering roars.

Zhou Leng surveyed his surroundings, seeing through everything.

This illusion, being large-scale, was less effective than the previous single-target illusion of the Radiance of the Bright Candle. All illusions appeared semi-transparent in his peripheral vision.

Zhou Leng feigned being caught in the illusion, leaping and running in shock, seemingly evading the demon army within the illusion realm. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Not far away, the innate martial artists preparing to counter-kill the ambushers got ready.

Just as they were about to act, their expressions changed dramatically.

A portion of the demon warlocks chanted spells, and an ice sphere rose, growing larger as it flew until it became a ten-meter diameter massive ice sphere, hovering in mid-air.

The ice sphere rotated, scattering snowflakes across the illusion realm.

Centered on Zhou Leng, the ground within a three-kilometer radius froze over.

The icy chill froze everything; all demons below the innate level turned into statues, some standing frozen, others shattering into pieces.

Meanwhile, a group of Hundred-Eyed Bows hidden in the dark revealed themselves.

These Hundred-Eyed Bows included innates and Vitality Stage warriors, their left arm transformed into a long flesh-and-blood bow, while their right arm spread like a flesh-and-blood wing, lined with eyeballs on the inner side.

The right hand of the Hundred-Eyed Bows drew the bowstring. Eyeballs jumped onto it densely, transforming into sharp blood-red metal arrows.

Fwoosh...

In an instant, the Hundred-Eyed Bows expended up to thirty percent of their own eyeballs, firing hundreds of blood-red arrows at Zhou Leng.

They continued drawing their bows, turning all eyeballs on their bodies into arrows, shooting them out before turning to flee.

The human martial artists, giants, and demon spirit masters counter-ambushing outside couldn’t see the scene inside the illusion realm, yet their faces displayed sorrow.

"So many Hundred-Eyed Bows..."

"That must be the legendary demon artifact, the Ice Sphere."

"We must avenge the Sea Siren Slayer!"

"Avenge the Sea Siren Slayer!"

The martial artists growled lowly, charging towards the innate demons outside the illusion realm.

Within the frozen illusion realm.

All demons below the innate level were frozen stiff.

The three great innates each led dozens of innates, charging towards Zhou Leng from three different directions.

Before entering, they wore various magic artifacts to resist the Ice Sphere’s power and were bolstered by spells to see through the illusion realm.

Also within the Ice Sphere’s range, ordinary innates had to endure freezing power more than three times stronger.

Their speed slowed compared to normal, but unprepared innates were even slower.

All demons, full of confidence.

Illusions combined with icy power, paired with the Hundred-Eyed Bow’s barrage, guaranteed victory without doubt.

They saw blood-red arrows raining down like a storm, covering Zhou Leng’s location.

Zhou Leng desperately dodged, but the sheer number of blood-red arrows, with eyeballs rolling on the arrow flights, allowed them to alter trajectory within a certain range to track him.

Arrow after arrow, infused with powerful demonic force, pierced into Zhou Leng’s body.

Shoulder, arm, chest, abdomen, leg...

Zhou Leng exerted all his strength to avoid critical damage but couldn’t dodge all the arrows.

Some arrows merely embedded their tips, while a few pierced through his chest and limbs.

Zhou Leng’s gaze remained fearless, almost without pause, as he dashed with speed surpassing all demons, weaving through the two great innate forces, heading towards the edge of the illusion and Ice Sphere range.

"What’s going on..."

All the demons realized this damned human martial artist was hardly affected by the Ice Sphere; the Qi blood surged around him like fire, repelling all cold.

The heat emanating from him clashed with the surrounding cold, forming a humanoid mist.

All the planning seemed effective yet somehow ineffective.

"Outer reserve forces, block him! Block him!"

The three great innates were undeniably strong, but despite their preparations, their speed couldn’t match Zhou Leng.

Suddenly, the illusion realm quivered gently, shifting from its original enclosure to a semi-transparent state.

Everyone inside and outside could see the semi-transparent illusion forest and the icy world within.

Killing intent blazing, the demons chasing Zhou Leng glared outward.

Many martial artists appeared outside the illusion, nearly half of the eye demons slain, numerous Hundred-Eyed Bows lying on the ground.

Simultaneously, those outside glanced at the semi-transparent illusion.

In the icy terrain, a figure bristling with arrows broke through the surrounding dozens of innates, rushing towards the illusion’s edge.

Pierced by hundreds of arrows, courageous as flame.

Many people picked up their phones or Demonized Watches to film this masked sea monster slayer.

Zhou Leng rushed to the edge of the Illusion Realm and the frozen sphere, as five Innate Demons launched attacks from different directions.

The two sides were getting closer and closer.

The whole process was too fast for anyone to lend a hand.

At the forefront, a Muscle Innate Beastman swung a spiked club at Zhou Leng.

On both sides, four Innate Demons closed in together.

Zhou Leng used both hardness and softness in his left hand, sweeping away the spiked club.

Rushing to the front of the Beastman, he stomped the ground fiercely with both feet and struck with both palms.

His legs were like elephants, his arms like dragons.

Boom!

His whole body’s Qi Blood exploded, releasing a vast white aura.

The moment his two palms crashed into the Innate Beastman’s chest, his body’s Qi Blood erupted again.

Thwack, thwack, thwack...

Covered in long arrows, he was knocked back.

True Qi carried the long arrows, shooting explosively toward the other four Innate Demons.

The two sides were too close, the four Innate Demons had no time to react.

Thwack, thwack, thwack...

Hundreds of arrows flew wildly, piercing through the four Innate bodies.

Some pierced eyes and brains, others through the chest and heart.

They all fell to the ground simultaneously.

The Muscle Innate Beastman in front, his chest and abdomen exploded, sending his upper body flying and his lower body slamming onto the ground.

Zhou Leng’s body, covered in countless wounds, healed rapidly, with blood flowing backward.

Those backward-flying long arrows were not stained with a drop of blood.

Zhou Leng glanced back at the Great Innate behind him, dashed out of the range of the Illusion Realm and frozen sphere, and charged at an Eye Demon without fleeing.

With a strike of his palm, the Eye Demon burst open like a blood-filled balloon.

At this moment, the Great Innate of the human side charged toward Zhou Leng.

Seeing their ambush fail, the three Demon Great Innates led their subordinates to turn and run.

"Trying to escape?"

Zhou Leng retrieved a bundle of Demonized javelins from the Magic Spirit Bag.

Grabbing them, he twisted his body, took a step, landed, and threw.

Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...

Supersonic Demonized javelins pierced one Innate Demon after another in the back, leaving one-foot-diameter blood holes on their bodies.

He threw fifty javelins in one breath, killing twelve Innates and severely injuring thirty-one.

The precision was so high that all the Great Innates present were amazed.

Zhou Leng rushed over, picked up the Demonized javelins, and Magic Spirit Bags from the Demon bodies, taking the chance to finish off the heavily injured demons.

A Demon Spirit Master flew into the air, retrieved the frozen sphere, shrank it to the size of a fist, and tossed it to Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng stored it away, surveying his surroundings.

The Innate Demons were either dead or had fled far away.

In this battle, a total of 121 demons were slain.

Zhou Leng alone killed 48 demons.

The non-combatants in the camp watched for a long time, then burst into cheers.

The war correspondent’s blood boiled; the front-page headline for the Demon City battle was secured!

He even had the title ready.

As long as righteousness is there, even with a hundred arrows, one can slay demons.

An Innate Master approached.

"Sea monster slayer, please return to the camp immediately to rest; your injuries are too... where are your injuries?"

The persuading voice suddenly stopped.

Zhou Leng’s body showed no wounds, only faint red marks in a few places.

"Thank you for your kindness, the battle has just begun."

Zhou Leng blended into the crowd and entered the water.

By the lakeside, a Green-skinned Fish Demon, holding a bone spear and squealing, its fish head and fish body but with legs, stomped and ran on the ground with a splat.

Suddenly, the Green-skinned Fish Demon threw a refined steel spear to both left and right.

One spear hit the head of an Innate Fish-man, blowing off most of its head.

Another pierced through the chest of a Blue-skinned Sea Siren.

Many Sea Sirens screamed wildly, jumping with rage.

Subsequently, the Green-skinned Fish Demon dived back into the lake and disappeared.

Soon after, a Rusted Iron General slipped to the rear of its own camp, throwing three refined steel spears.

Supersonic spears, carrying surging power, hit three Innate Demons.

Two died instantly; one was left on the brink of death.

After his attack, the Rusted Iron General immediately retreated far away.

Throughout the day of battle, occasionally, a demon would ambush an Innate, making all Innate demons nervous.

Every ambush plan failed completely.

Because the sea monster slayer had completely changed his style; attacking and then fleeing, no Innate except the Grandmaster could keep up.

Even occasionally using spells to mark him, the opponent’s powerful Qi Blood would scatter it.

The battle raged from day till night; neither side’s Martial Artists broke through the demon’s divisions, but fortunately, the massive deaths of Innate demons reduced the pressure significantly.

That night, the Seventh Division’s reinforcements, using the Demon Spirit Master’s communication, reported the situation to Shuizhou Base, including the deeds of the sea monster slayer.

Chen Shouhu, after listening, pondered for a moment and said: "Use Demon Spirit communication to transmit all the Innate War Merit Token information."

"Understood."

Quickly, all information about the Innate War Merit Tokens for those participating in the Tai Lake battle was transmitted to the Martial Arts Brigade, and the war merits were sorted.