Compared to the advantage in the Qi Condensation battlefields, the slaughter in the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core battlefields was exceptionally brutal! The numerical disparity in these tiers was even more severe than in the Qi Condensation battlefields, reaching ratios of almost one to several dozen!
Yet, these two levels could not replicate the mercenary model. This was because the Star-Sea Continent had been in decline for too long, and its accumulation of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators was far too meager. In the past, a single Foundation Establishment cultivator was enough to start a powerful clan in a remote area; this showed their rarity.
As for Golden Core cultivators, they were elders in almost all regions, and some could even be the lords of a domain. Furthermore, the previous battles of the continent had seen many experts from noble clans and sects killed, leading to an even more severe shortage.
Although Qi Ping later founded the Nine Domains, created a space with incredibly dense spiritual energy, and increased the number of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators several times over, it still wasn't enough! The time was too short.
But the number of demons at these two levels was as vast as the sea! Such a comparison of combat power was destined to result in a brutal war. Even if the Star-Sea Continent had enough talismans, they didn't have enough people to use them.
What's more, the continent didn't even have enough talisman reserves. Unlike Qi Condensation talismans, which were easy to research and could be mass-produced once specialized against demons, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core talismans were a different story.
If a person had talent, the current cultivation model could easily produce a Qi Condensation talisman maker. After a period of training, they could produce talismans in bulk. As long as there were materials, the output was almost limitless. That was why the mercenaries could scare the demons—it was purely due to the skyrocketing industrial production of Qi Condensation talismans.
But Foundation Establishment and Golden Core talismans required rarer materials, and nurturing experts for these tiers was much harder. They couldn't be trained in a short time. Combined with the scarcity of resources—where many cultivators didn't even have enough for their own breakthroughs—how could they mass-produce talismans?
Therefore, in these two tiers, the production of each talisman was strictly regulated. They had to ensure that every talisman could provide effective lethality or support!
"The time given to us was ultimately too short. If we had a hundred years, how could it have come to this?" Lin Yue looked at the reports being sent back, almost feeling his heart bleed.
The shocking casualty numbers and the brutal state of the war brought intense pain just to read. In these two battlefields, the Star-Sea Continent had committed most of its available combat power, but the results were only just barely holding. In the Foundation Establishment tier, the win-loss ratio was about three to two in favor of the demons.
The Golden Core battlefield was even more brutal because the number of cultivators and talismans was even lower. The ratio was almost two to one in favor of the demons. Those battlefields that were lost saw almost total annihilation! Even the victories were bought with lives. In some special battlefields, only ten cultivators from the continent entered, while facing a thousand demons!
Facing such overwhelming enemies, how could anyone not feel despair? How were they supposed to fight?
The battlefield where Chang Qing, Chang E, and the Little Spear Saint were was exactly like this. The ratio of demons to Star-Sea cultivators exceeded one hundred to one!
Currently, the three of them were accompanied by three other Qing-God Army warriors, two vines, and a Demon-Devouring Iron-Tree. These were the only living beings from the Star-Sea Continent left in this sub-battlefield. The few others who had been with them had already fallen in the overwhelming demon tide.
As for the two vines and the Demon-Devouring Iron-Tree, they all looked hideous. Their auras were mottled but incredibly powerful! They were not enemies, but Treant Warriors enlightened by Qi Ping, who had also engraved tailor-made Demon-Devouring Arts into them.
Originally, they were only at the middle stage of Golden Core. But now, after devouring countless demons, they had forcibly reached the Great Perfection of Golden Core at incredible speed. However, the price was immense; they were currently on the verge of losing control and self-detonating. If they couldn't completely suppress and control this power, death would be their only end.
Though these six humans and three trees were still alive, their overall state was poor. Almost everyone was covered in black or red blood, their armor and bodies riddled with horrific, mangled wounds. Such terrifying injuries couldn't be fully suppressed even with healing pills.
The three trees looked better. As Treant Warriors, their self-healing ability was far superior. But the mottled and nearly uncontrollable power within them made them much more dangerous than the humans.
Even more terrifyingly, over a hundred Golden Core demons were pursuing them! Each of these demons possessed a powerful body and fierce lethality. Their numbers continued to grow, and they prevented the humans from recovering spiritual power or healing, while occasionally launching attacks that threatened their lives.
If the group hadn't formed the most perfect military formation currently known to the continent, and if they didn't have a few life-saving talismans left, they would have perished long ago.
"This won't do. We'll all die at this rate!" the Little Spear Saint spoke.
His originally sharp long spear was now worn down. He didn't remember how many demons had fallen beneath his spear—perhaps dozens, perhaps over a hundred. But these demons were like an endless tide; no matter how many he killed, more kept coming!
"I'll stay behind to hold them off. You guys escape! Save whoever can be saved!" the Little Spear Saint said with determination.
"What nonsense are you talking? How long could we survive without you?" Chang Qing said, casting him a disdainful look.
"I don't know how long you'd survive, but if we don't do this, we're all going to die right now!"
"Not necessarily! As long as I help you all return to your peak, you can kill these hundred demons!" Chang Qing's voice suddenly carried a trace of determination.
"What are you trying to do? You're the one most at the end of his tether. No matter how strong your healing ability is, what can you do? Wait... what are you doing?"
After the Little Spear Saint pierced a demon's head, his eyes suddenly widened. "Are you going to burn yourself?"
His eyes instantly turned red. He allowed himself to be sacrificed, but he was absolutely unwilling for his best friend to die for him!
"Brother! You..." hearing this, Chang E's eyes reddened, but she didn't collapse emotionally. She just continued to strike at the approaching demons with her hammer. She absolutely could not let the defense fail, or everyone would die. She only hated that she wasn't strong enough. If she were, her brother wouldn't have to do this. She didn't dare to speak to stop him, knowing that once her brother made a decision, no one could change it. Speaking would only increase his burden.
The other three Qing-God Army warriors also looked at Chang Qing with sorrow in their eyes. They were the strongest shields of the team and the core of the formation. Almost all lethal attacks that slipped through had been blocked by them, demonstrating the peak quality of the Qing-God Army. Even the three Treant Warriors looked at Chang Qing, their emotions rippling... they remembered that they only reached their master's hands because this young man had cultivated them. He seemed to be highly valued by the master.
Just as everyone and everything looked at him with strange emotions, Chang Qing rolled his eyes at them.
"What are you thinking? If I burned myself, could you hold on?"
"Then what are you doing?" the Little Spear Saint asked, bewildered.
"Devouring those bastards, of course! Just now, as I watched Ah Teng and Ah Shu devour the demon corpses, I suddenly attained the highest realm of medicine! Perhaps I can save us!"
The highest realm of medicine? Devouring demon corpses? Did those two things have anything to do with each other? Everyone was confused.
Chang Qing didn't bother responding. He looked at the two vines and the Demon-Devouring Iron-Tree. "Ah Teng, Ah Shu, transmit the cultivation method you use to devour demon corpses into my consciousness."
As he spoke, a tree-shaped mark lit up on his brow. This mark was the special imprint formed by his innate talent. The reason he could discover exceptionally talented trees before was because of this talent. But it did more than that; it could consume his origin power to help him rapidly digest the abilities and laws of the trees!
The two vines and one tree didn't hesitate. The only reason they had been given this method was to deal with demons! They were willing to pay with their lives. So if this young man—whom their master valued—wanted the method to save everyone, they had no reason to refuse.
In the next moment, they turned their insights into the Demon-Devouring Art into a beam of light that entered the mark on Chang Qing's brow.
After receiving the method and insights, Chang Qing didn't delay. He immediately consumed his bloodline origin power to accelerate the digestion of the cultivation method. This action caused his already pale face to instantly turn as deathly white as a corpse, frightening everyone! Anyone with even a slight bit of medical knowledge knew that reaching this step meant one was at death's door.
But Chang Qing laughed frantically!
"Good! Good! Good! I bet right!"
"Demon bastards, your end has come!"
In the next moment, Chang Qing used his spiritual power to grab a demon corpse and began to devour it frantically using the Demon-Devouring Art. Instantly, his body began to swell like a balloon, as if he would explode at any second.
"What the hell are you doing?" the Little Spear Saint asked in horror.
But in the next moment, his horror turned to shock. Chang Qing's body quickly deflated, and an incredibly majestic healing power appeared within him. As this power emerged, his face reddened at a visible rate.
"That's it! This is how it should be!"
"True medicine shouldn't use one's own origin energy; it should use someone else's!"
"My own power is limited, but the enemy's power is infinite!"
"Brothers, you're saved!"
Amidst his frantic laughter, Chang Qing grabbed another demon corpse. After devouring it, he channeled bursts of healing power into everyone's bodies, tailored to their individual needs! Under this power, everyone's bodies began to recover rapidly. Even the trunks of Ah Teng and Ah Shu healed, and they gained a more stable state to suppress the explosive energy within them.
It had to be said that in the path of medicine, Chang Qing had reached a new level!
However, those familiar with him felt a mix of emotions seeing him like this. Previously, Chang Qing had always been a refined, gentle gentleman, a warm physician. But after experiencing this wretched war together, they could fully understand his state of mind. It would be strange if he didn't go mad.
Regardless, they were saved!
Under Chang Qing's frantic devouring and healing, accompanied by his crazed laughter, everyone's injuries were healed at a visible rate. They quickly returned to their peak! In that moment, the spiritual pressure of the Qing-God Army formation reached its summit again!
No, it was even stronger! After experiencing that hellish slaughter, everyone's combat power had improved as never before—whether it was spiritual power, will, combat skills, or their familiarity and control over the formation!
A combination of factors brought this six-person formation to a new peak, like an even more violent beast awakening! Most amazingly, Chang Qing's healing power also recovered some of their mental will, allowing them to better face the coming battle.
They even had a burst of healing power stored within them, ensuring that any new injuries would be healed instantly. Now, under the protection of the formation, it was impossible for the demons to kill them with one hit. But the restored group could use their talismans and formation power to slay the demons one by one!
A bloody slaughter began anew. This time, however, every wound sustained by the Star-Sea side was healed by powerful restoration energy, allowing them to fight without any reservations. The Little Spear Saint and Chang E went into a frenzy, while the three Qing-God Army warriors remained composed, ensuring that everyone avoided lethal damage.
At this moment, no one noticed that the green mark on Chang Qing's brow was gradually turning black under the excessive load...