The seventh day after the "Watchtower Bastion" took shape, the darkest moment before dawn.
Without warning, that pillar of demonic energy connecting heaven and earth churned violently in the distance, like a boiling ink pool. From the bottom of the light pillar, the core area of Ten Thousand Poison Marsh, came waves of bone-grating, eerie sounds as if billions of bones were shattering and reforming, accompanied by a cacophony of countless resentful soul screams merging into a noise tide capable of tearing apart divine souls.
"WHOOOO—HUMM—!"
At the highest watchtower atop the bastion, the massive "Demon-Scrying Mirror" embedded there suddenly erupted with blinding red light, emitting a shriek reaching the extreme of alarm! Within the mirror's surface was displayed toward Ten Thousand Poison Marsh—where the area originally shrouded in thick demonic energy now showed countless dense, grotesquely twisted black specks, like a breached black flood, surging toward the bastion!
"Enemy attack—!! The demonic tide is here—!!"
The hoarse, desperate cries instantly tore through the bastion's brief tranquility, like ice water thrown into boiling oil, instantly boiling the entire thousand-li defensive line!
"All positions! Activate defensive formations!"
"Archers, spellcasters to positions! Body cultivators, demon beast vanguard, prepare to engage!"
"Aquatic forces, check water elemental barriers! Prevent demons from infiltrating underwater!"
Roars from generals at all levels, whistles of messengers, hums of formations activating, clashing of weapons being drawn... countless sounds mixed together, composing a pre-battle symphony pushed to the extreme of tension.
Tang Xiaoqi's figure appeared first at the apex of the most prominent "Demon-Suppressing" fortress in the bastion's middle section. His gaze was heavy and grave as he gazed into the distance. With his vision, he could clearly see that those so-called "black specks" were countless grotesquely shaped demons emanating thick demonic energy!
There were bone demons assembled from rotting corpses and skeletons, with ghostly green soul fire burning in their eye sockets. There were engulfing demons, twisted and writhing like massive flesh tumors, opening maws filled with razor-sharp teeth. There were soul-devouring shadow demons with ethereal forms capable of passing through physical obstacles. There were flying demon bats riding demonic energy like locusts darkening the sky. And there were even some massive fused monsters, the size of small mountains, forcibly merged from dozens or hundreds of different demon species, emanating a nauseating chaos aura...
They had no rationality, only the purest instinct for destruction and devouring, like a black tsunami carrying mind-eroding demonic energy, surging madly toward the bastion! Their numbers were so vast that the end was nowhere in sight!
"BOOOOOOM—!"
The first contact wasn't flesh colliding with flesh, but a clash of energies!
On the bastion, tens of thousands of human spellcasters and talisman masters, under unified command, simultaneously cast spells and activated talismans! Fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, thunder spears, golden light... colorful spell torrents, like festival fireworks yet carrying lethal killing intent, poured down into the demonic tide's vanguard!
At the same time, massive crossbow ballistas and spirit stone cannons positioned throughout the bastion roared deafeningly. Specially crafted demon-slaying arrows and energy beams tore through the air, exploding brilliant flashes within the demonic tide, instantly clearing vast areas.
Demon beast warriors let loose earth-shaking roars, with some revealing their true forms, relying on sturdy physiques and innate divine abilities to guard crucial nodes of the bastion, tearing apart and crushing those demons that had somehow survived the long-range fire and climbed up. Claws and fangs clashed against demon shells and rotting flesh with bone-grating sounds; blood and demon pus splattered everywhere.
Aquatic forces maintained rippling water elemental barriers, blocking and shredding demons attempting to infiltrate through rivers and underground passages. Crown Prince Ao Qin even manifested part of his dragon form, coiling above the rivers, dragon breath belching forth water dragons imbued with purification power, swallowing and crushing vast swathes of demons.
From the start, battle entered white-hot intensity!
There were simply too many demons, seemingly endless. They feared no death, even stepping over their comrades' corpses to advance. Spell light flashed continuously, cannon roars echoed without cease, demon beast roars intertwined with demon screeches—the entire area before the bastion had become a flesh-grinding mill!
However, the most terrifying thing wasn't the demons' numbers or ferocity, but the pervasive demonic energy erosion!
Thick demonic energy spread with the demonic tide, like an invisible toxic fog, constantly eroding allied warriors' protective spiritual halos, attempting to seep into their bodies. Once low-level cultivators were invaded by demonic energy, they would soon have bloodshot eyes, lose their minds, either go mad attacking comrades or directly be assimilated by demonic energy, transforming into new demons!
Even mid and high-level cultivators needed to divert some mental focus and spiritual power to resist demonic energy erosion, their combat effectiveness greatly reduced. Along the battle lines, cultivators would suddenly emit inhuman screams, turn to pounce on nearby comrades, sparking chaos.
"Hold steady hearts! Operate the Heart-Clearing Incantation!"
"Fall back! He's been eroded by demonic energy! Restrain him quickly!"
"Purification talismans! Who still has purification talismans?!"
Panic and chaos spread like a plague along the defensive line. The threat of demonic energy even exceeded the demons' frontal attacks!
At this critical moment, Tang Xiaoqi acted.
He didn't charge directly toward the front lines, but floated above the "Demon-Suppressing" fortress, hands forming seals, his Nascent Soul within blazing with great light, his guardian dharma image faint and hidden behind him.
"World-Purifying Sacred Domain, open!"
With his low cry, centered on him, gentle yet pure white light rippled outward like water waves, rapidly covering a ten-li radius of the defensive line! Where the light passed, that suffocating demonic energy met its nemesis, quickly dissipating and being purified. Cultivators eroded by demonic energy and fallen into madness, under this white light's illumination, saw the blood-red in their eyes quickly recede, returning to clarity. Though shaken with hindsight, their lives were at least saved.
For low-level demons, this purification white light was even more like the sun melting snow—they let loose pitiful screams, bodies emitting black smoke, movements becoming sluggish, even directly dispersing!
"It's Temple Master Tang!"
"True Lord of Purification has acted!"
"Now! Seize the moment, counterattack!"
The battle line, originally tottering from demonic energy erosion, instantly stabilized under this purification domain's support! Allied morale surged; spells and arrows poured down even more densely, harvesting demon after demon stripped of demonic energy protection.
Xiao Qi maintained the World-Purifying Sacred Domain, his face slightly pale. Operating such a large-scale, prolonged purification domain was also a tremendous strain on him. But he could not stop—he was the key enabling this battle line, this entire allied force, to resist demonic energy erosion!
He was like a mobile purification source, patrolling the long defensive line. Wherever demonic energy was dense, wherever the battle line was under pressure, his World-Purifying Sacred Domain would cover there, like a stabilizing pillar, firmly holding the tottering defense line steady.
The battle continued from dawn to noon, then to dusk.
The demonic tide's assault seemed endless, wave after wave. Allied casualties continued to mount; spirit stones, arrows, and talismans were consumed in enormous quantities. Before the bastion, demon corpses had piled into mountains; flowing pus and blood dyed the earth an eerie purple-black.
Gruesome!
Unspeakably gruesome!
Everyone clenched their teeth and held on; with every breath, someone fell. But no one retreated, because behind them, there was no retreat!
The sunset's afterglow dyed the blood-washed bastion a heroic and tragic orange-red.
Tang Xiaoqi floated in mid-air, his blue robes also stained with spots of filth. He gazed at the demonic tide still surging madly below, and at that increasingly terrifying fluctuation vaguely emanating from within the demonic energy light pillar in the distance, knowing this was merely the beginning.
He took a deep breath, swallowed a pill restoring spiritual power, yet the light in his eyes grew even more resolute.
"If we cannot hold, we must still hold!"