Fang Zheng was immersed in the thrill of slaughtering his kin, his blade cutting through the air with a cold, sharp glint. Every swing of his weapon brought forth a bloody storm, with the roars of demonic beasts and the screams of humans intermingling into a chaotic battle song.
At that moment, a beam of light cut through the clouds in the sky, signaling the arrival of the official reinforcements. A team of thousands surged forward, their momentum unstoppable.
The leader of this group was a powerful figure in the later stages of the Yuan Ying realm, exuding a terrifying aura that sent chills down the spine. With every movement, his imposing presence became more evident, a natural display of the power that came with his position.
The two vice-captains were both at the initial stages of Yuan Ying, their spiritual energy fluctuating like surging currents, ready to explode at any moment. Behind them stood a hundred experts at the Golden Core stage, their energy merging into a military soul that shook the air around them.
As soon as the reinforcements entered the battlefield, they cut through the demonic beast ranks like a sharp blade, slicing into the heart of the beast horde. Their coordination was flawless, with spells and sword energy blending seamlessly. Their attacks were unstoppable, and wherever they went, demonic beasts fell one after another. The once ferocious assault from the beast horde quickly turned into a retreat.
Fang Zheng sensed the sudden change in the tide and inwardly cursed. His eyes scanned the battlefield rapidly, making a decision in an instant.
He took a quick step to the side, falling to the ground and pulling two corpses over himself to hide. Holding his breath, he began to play dead. His own demonic energy was the perfect disguise at this moment, allowing the demonic beasts to ignore him.
Just as Fang Zheng hid himself, a massive surge of spiritual energy erupted from the other side of the battlefield. Three enormous figures slowly emerged, it was the appearance of the three Demon Kings.
The leader, Ying Jie Wolf, was surrounded by an eerie dark purple aura, and a dark purple energy ball formed in his mouth. The energy ball contained world-destroying power, with the air itself sizzling under its pressure. Without hesitation, Ying Jie Wolf shot the energy ball forward. It was as fast as lightning, heading straight for the reinforcements.
However, the leader of the reinforcements, Wang Yu, reacted even faster. He shouted and quickly formed seals with his hands. A soft blue light enveloped the team as a protective barrier appeared in front of them.
The energy ball collided heavily with the barrier, causing a deafening explosion. The shockwave distorted the surrounding air, sending shockwaves in all directions. The invisible air currents created a massive force that sent Fang Zheng flying several dozen meters, even though he was far from the epicenter.
Fang Zheng tumbled through the air and landed, kicking up a cloud of dust. But gritting his teeth, he didn't make a sound.
Wang Yu stared at the three Demon Kings, his eyes flashing with anger and killing intent. He shouted:
"Ying Jie Wolf, how dare you instigate another beast tide! Do you think the government can be ignored?"
Wang Yu, the leader of Yan Yang Province's second squadron, was a rare talent in cultivation. With relentless effort, incredible insight, and a bit of help from his family's elders, he had risen to the position of captain in one of the strongest defense squads in the province.
His two vice-captains, Chen Gong and Song Kai, were also formidable experts. Chen Gong was calm and reserved, adept at water-based magic, always analyzing the situation carefully in battle, using softness to counter hardness. Song Kai, on the other hand, was quick-tempered and a master of wind-based magic, with a rapid and thunderous attack style.
Yan Yang Province had twelve defense squads, each responsible for protecting a specific area. The lowest-ranking squads included three Yuan Ying stage experts, while the first squad was elite, with three Hua Shen stage experts leading it.
The Ying Jie Wolf stood firm, his expression cold, without saying much. He subtly signaled his two companions behind him, and then a strange scene unfolded. Black bubbles began to appear on his skin, as though they were alive, swirling and churning. In the blink of an eye, two shadowy figures made of the black bubbles emerged from his body.
These creatures radiated a dark aura, their blood-red eyes gleaming with bloodlust. As soon as they appeared, they rushed towards Wang Yu at incredible speed, leaving behind a trail of black afterimages.
At the same time, the Thunder Beak Eagle spread its wings, locking its sharp gaze on Chen Gong as it soared into the sky. The immense wings created a fierce wind that howled as if the very heavens would be torn asunder. Amidst this storm, thick bolts of lightning crackled, lighting up the surroundings in a flickering glow.
With every flap of its wings, the wind was compressed by an invisible force. What had originally been a violent wind covering a hundred-meter radius was now compressed into a five-meter-diameter energy sphere. Wrapped in thunder, it was like a massive, destructive cannonball speeding towards Chen Gong.
Chen Gong reacted swiftly, drawing a long knife with a sharp flash of light. At the same time, water swirled around him, forming a protective armor.
Faced with the oncoming storm and lightning, Chen Gong moved like lightning itself, dodging at the very last second. The compressed energy bomb barely missed him, crashing into the ground with a deafening explosion. The thunder and wind clashed, shaking the earth beneath.
On the other side, Song Kai was locked in a standoff with the Diamond Rock Bear. The atmosphere was tense and charged. Suddenly, both launched attacks simultaneously, fists meeting with a tremendous clash.
However, the disparity in strength was immediately apparent. Song Kai was no match for the Diamond Rock Bear. With a heavy thud, Song Kai was sent flying, his body flung through the air like a broken kite, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"Whoa, that was brutal!" Fang Zheng thought, secretly shocked. He carefully opened his eyes, glancing towards the battlefield.
The scene was chaotic, with explosions and flashes of light everywhere. The sky seemed to tear apart, it was so violent.
With his current Foundation Establishment strength, Fang Zheng knew he couldn't participate in such a fight. So, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor. He began to move slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible to avoid drawing attention.
As he moved, he quietly absorbed the energy from the corpses around him to increase his progress.
Time passed, and Fang Zheng had no idea how long it took, but he finally managed to slip out of the battlefield.
Along the way, he kept absorbing energy from the corpses, his progress steadily increasing.
When he stood up and looked around, he saw that many of the demonic beasts had also retreated from the battlefield. They stared at Fang Zheng, but did not attack.
Fang Zheng gave them a casual wave and continued retreating. After all, it was still too close to the battlefield, and it was not safe.