Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 425

“Five… five Nascent Soul demonic combat forces.”

“What should we do?”

“Purple Cloud True Lord is at mid-stage Nascent Soul. He might be able to hold back two or three of them. With Lady Liuying from Moon Gazing Palace and the Withered Leaf City grand formation, we might be able to hold out.”

“That makes some sense. It all depends on Purple Cloud True Lord now.”

The cultivators of Withered Leaf City whispered among themselves. Purple Cloud could not help swallowing nervously. He knew his own limits better than anyone.

His cultivation was only at the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul realm.

Fire Ghost Old Demon, on the other hand, was at the sixth layer. The gap in aura was obvious at a glance.

Yet in the face of everyone’s discussion, he did not dare refute them. He feared that if morale collapsed, defeat would come even faster.

Let alone holding back two or three opponents. Just Fire Ghost Old Demon alone was enough to overwhelm him.

Lady Liuying arrived with the Core Formation cultivators and transmitted her voice.

“Brother Purple Cloud, do not show fear. As long as we hold out until the Sword Sect reinforcements arrive, Withered Leaf may still be defended. You'll be incharge of that Crimson Ghost Dao Aspect.”

“Liuying…”

Purple Cloud’s head felt like it was about to explode.

But reality gave them no time to discuss countermeasures, nor any chance to care about his pride.

Crimson Kite demonic cultivators were always ruthless and taciturn.

With a furious roar from the Dark Demon Barbarian Lord, a hundred-meter-wide dark-green fist imprint blasted forward. The air emitted piercing explosions as shockwaves rolled outward in rings.

The Withered Leaf City formation activated instantly, with Liuying presiding over the core.

She raised her right hand.

Two streaks of silver light shot out from her sleeves, transforming into a pair of silver-white scissors. Moonlight cascaded down like a sea of phosphorescent powder, causing the scissors’ radiance to surge.

Borrowing the power of the formation, she cut toward the incoming fist imprint from afar.

An even more violent surge of spiritual energy erupted, flattening dozens of miles of terrain around them.

The spiritual barrier formed by the formation rippled violently.

The Withered Leaf cultivators cried out in shock.

“It blocked it!”

“Lady Liuying blocked it!”

Some were astonished. Others were anxious beyond measure.

“Logistics team, open the treasury immediately and feed spirit stones into the formation!”

“Counterattack! Counterattack!”

The cultivators commanding atop the walls shouted loudly. Those stationed there unleashed techniques and talismans in succession, firing them toward the demonic cultivators.

This was precisely the meaning of a defensive formation.

Those inside could attack freely.

Those outside could only pour their attacks onto the protective barrier.

But to defend such a vast city, the consumption of spirit stones was astronomical. Only with a spirit vein as support could such power be maintained.

On the demonic side, the army had long since split into three groups, attacking from multiple directions to dilute the formation’s defensive strength. This effectively created local weaknesses in the barrier.

Dark Tiger Demon Lord swung the black mace in his hand.

It transformed into a thousand-meter-long whip and lashed fiercely against the barrier.

The Dark Tiger beneath him spewed yin qi. Under the violent impact, the formation inscriptions engraved on the eastern gate rapidly dimmed.

This effect made Wang Yu glance sideways.

Dark Tiger explained smugly, “My Nether Tiger’s innate talent includes formation-breaking power. It specializes in formations centered on spirit veins.”

So that was it.

The minor underlings on both sides exchanged spells. Sword qi, spears, fireballs, water blades. All were small techniques used by Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Most were drowned out in the sea of spiritual light.

Only the divine abilities unleashed by Core Formation cultivators were worth watching, booming endlessly. Daoist Qingyang’s Painted Beast Technique was especially suited for group combat.

Once the formation fell, he would certainly become one of the top combatants.

Wang Yu paid only partial attention to all this.

Fire Ghost Old Demon and Purple Cloud were facing off, neither having made a move yet.

He, however, was itching for action.

Since advancing to fourth-rank in the Demon Cat Clan territory, the Thunder Corpse had not yet fought. He also needed such displays to strengthen his authority.

The Thunder Corpse was one.

The Yellow Springs Earth Resentment Puppet was another.

Neither had ever been used at full power. Today was a good opportunity to test them.

With a thought, the fourth-rank mid-grade magic treasure, the Thunder Fiend Coffin, floated behind him under the infusion of demonic essence.

Thunder corpse qi surged forth like a natural disaster, filling the scene with overwhelming visual impact.

Within the sea of lightning, the Thunder Corpse leaped out.

Standing in midair, it reached out toward Withered Leaf City.

Boom!

Thunder roared across the heavens.

Its innate divine ability, Summoning Thunder and Commanding Lightning, revealed its might for the first time. A pale-blue, purple-tinged sea of lightning poured down, covering half of Withered Leaf City.

The formation automatically adjusted, gathering most of its spiritual energy to reinforce the barrier against the lightning disaster.

The Dark Demon Barbarian Lord’s eyes lit up. He retreated to the edge of the lightning sea and muttered,

“Fellow Daoist Profound Pill has quite a few trump cards. Let me show you one as well!”

As he spoke, his entire body descended like a falling meteor. A massive dark-green ghostly foot condensed out of thin air, resembling a demonic specter and a heavenly pillar at once.

It stomped down on the half of the formation weakened by insufficient spiritual energy.

Crack!

The ghostly foot crushed through the Withered Leaf formation, flattening several streets.

Countless casualties followed.

As a demon-hunting city, Withered Leaf had no mortals. Most of those who died were Taihu rogue cultivators.

The stench of blood filled the air. The wails and sobs of the dying caused the morale of Withered Leaf City to plummet.

Lady Liuying’s face turned pale as she spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Her life-bound treasure, the Crescent Moon Shears, flew out once more. With a single opening and closing motion, it severed the Dark Demon Barbarian Lord’s ghostly leg. She cried out loudly,

“Brother Daoist Purple Cloud, act now!”

Unfortunately, the Purple Cloud she had placed such high hopes in was drenched in cold sweat, staring fixedly at Fire Ghost Old Demon.

The latter did not even make a move. He simply stood atop the crimson ghost’s head, watching him.

Mockery filled his eyes.

For Fire Ghost Old Demon, coming here as reinforcement under his clan’s orders, as long as he managed to stall a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator without fighting, he had already completed his mission.

No one could fault him for that. It was an exchange of pieces.

There was no need to risk his life to kill the opponent. Whether the chance of success was high or not was beside the point. What he worried about was whether excessive consumption of demonic essence would cause him to run into powerful experts from Taihu’s reinforcements.

It was better to let Wang Yu and the others take action. That would both guarantee victory and preserve his own strength.

On the battlefield.

Neither side’s strongest experts moved. Although the Dark Demon Barbarian Lord’s ghostly leg had been severed, his true body was not seriously injured. Meanwhile, the flaws in Withered Leaf City’s formation were being rapidly repaired.

However, the Dark Tiger Demon Lord seized the opening when Lady Liuying had just finished her attack. The Nether Tiger beneath him spewed even more formation-breaking yin power toward the breach.

The repair speed dropped sharply, and even came to a complete halt.

“Formation masters!”

“Master Luo, hurry and repair it, quickly!”

“Master Zhou, you too!”

“Master Liu…”

Formation masters were mandatory personnel in every city. Some cities had only one, while others had hundreds. In cultivator warfare, they could play a crucial role.

At present, half the city was still engulfed in thunderstorms, while the other half had developed another massive breach. The situation was already extremely critical.

Whether they were willing or not, those formation masters could only grit their teeth and rush forward.

At this moment, Wang Yu’s true body seized the opportunity.

Riding atop the Thunder Fiend Coffin beneath his feet, he charged forward like a massive battering ram, swift as a falling meteor.

Carrying the secret power of thunder fiends, he slammed violently into the front. The power of the treasure surged forth, while the surrounding sea of lightning added further pressure.

It forcibly blasted open another huge breach.

With a sweep of his hand, Wang Yu led the demonic cultivators forward.

Riding bone swords and dark clouds, they howled through the air like ghosts crying and wolves howling, following in his footsteps as they stormed straight into Withered Leaf City.

This move could only be described as bold beyond belief.

Holding the flesh-and-blood demonic sword, Wang Yu’s eyes brimmed with killing intent. Asura Dao Intent condensed upon the blade.

Behind him, a sea of blood surged and churned.

An eight-armed Asura stood atop the blood sea, wielding an identical flesh-and-blood demonic sword.

Dao Intent took form.

Demonic essence poured in.

Blood Slaughter Heart-Butchering Sword!

Scarlet sword light swept across dozens of miles.

Every cultivator on the eastern wall felt as if death were imminent. Their minds were struck by overwhelming killing intent. In such desperate circumstances, the will to resist collapsed.

One after another, they fell to their knees, exposing their necks and awaiting execution.

Lady Liuying’s beautiful eyes burned with fury.

“Purple Cloud!!!”

Her rage-filled roar snapped Purple Cloud back to his senses.

But when he saw the might of that blood sword, he did not dare approach it at all. He could only stare at Wang Yu with shock and anger.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out.

The eastern wall of Withered Leaf City completely collapsed.

Several thousand cultivators died on the spot. Not even fragments of flesh or bone remained. Only fresh blood essence filled the air.

The corners of Wang Yu’s lips curved upward.

As the Human Pill Art circulated, blood mist gathered in midair. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into over a thousand Human Pills, which were distributed to the demonic cultivators who had followed him into the city.

These pills were mainly for restoring mana, making them ideal for battlefield use.

The entire process was smooth and flowing, like a work of art.

Fire Ghost Old Demon burst into laughter and praised him loudly.

“What a Supreme Law Profound Pill Demon Lord. Supreme in techniques, profound in alchemy. Good! Good! Good!”

With one section of the city wall lost, the formation’s power dropped drastically.

Dense cracks spread across the spiritual barrier.

Fire Ghost Old Demon no longer paid it any mind.

The four-armed crimson ghost beneath him threw out a punch. At the same time, the demonic cultivators still outside the city launched a full assault.

In the next instant, the entire Withered Leaf City formation shattered completely.

The shattered spiritual light fragments quickly dissipated.

The crimson ghost reached out toward Purple Cloud True Lord.

Gritting his teeth, Purple Cloud activated a massive bell. Its copper base was etched with purple patterns. It was his life-bound treasure, the Purple Cloud Bell.

A mid-grade fourth-rank treasure.

The purple bell faced the crimson ghost, and dense violet cloud-mist spiraled out, tightly binding the four-armed ghost.

With a flip of his hand, a cloud-white longsword appeared in Purple Cloud’s grasp.

Its sword light flowed like a boundless ribbon, intangible and elusive, as it slashed toward the four-armed ghost, attempting to destroy it.

Fire Ghost Old Demon sneered disdainfully.

“Paltry tricks, yet you dare show them off before an expert!”

The next moment, Flames surged violently upward, transforming the Crimson Ghost into a towering fire giant. The purple cloud mist binding it collapsed instantly, and a blazing tongue of fire spewed from its mouth.

Those bizarre and unpredictable sword lights crumbled completely before absolute power. Scarlet flames turned the eastern district into a prison of fire. Countless cultivators wailed in agony, roasted alive into charred flesh.

Seizing the opportunity, the Dark Demon Barbarian Lord hurled out a massive banner and planted it into the sea of flames. Its nature was similar to the Soul Banner of Yin Ghost Peak, or rather, it was essentially a soul banner.

The refining purpose differed, but the raw materials were the same.

The souls of the fallen cultivators were drawn out by the demonic banner and poured into it, causing the Dark Demon Barbarian Lord’s face to split into a delighted grin.

Truly experienced.

Wang Yu could not help but admire him inwardly.

Fire Ghost Old Demon was fighting fiercely on his side, and Wang Yu naturally would not stand idle. As the formation was breached and demonic cultivators flooded into the city, the battle entered its most dangerous close-combat phase.

Cultivators fell on both sides. The clashes between Core Formation cultivators were also highly destructive. Yet Wang Yu directed the Thunder Corpse to strike directly at Lady Liuying. After slashing out a sword with his main body, he transformed into an aurora and plunged into the City Lord’s residence.

Regardless of quantity, a city treasury always held something valuable. Taking it first was never a loss.

The one who shared the same idea was none other than Dark Tiger Demon Lord. He made the same choice as Wang Yu. His Nether Tiger cooperated with the Thunder Corpse, entangling Lady Liuying in battle.

As a result, the two met at the entrance of the treasury. Dark Tiger chuckled, breaking his usual cold demeanor.

“One half each.”

“Reasonable.”

Wang Yu casually tossed out several restriction-breaking talismans. The protective formations of the Withered Leaf treasury instantly ruptured, leaving huge gaps. The two rushed inside and wordlessly divided the spiritual items.

There were not many ready-made spirit treasures inside. Most were strategic supplies.

At the same time, a dusty, exhausted team rushed into Withered Leaf City.

Inside the treasury, Wang Yu paused mid-motion. He and Dark Tiger spoke in unison.

“Taihu reinforcements are here.”

“Taihu reinforcements are here.”

“Let’s go.”

The treasury’s harvest was mediocre. Any real gains would depend on whether the Nascent Soul cultivators could win.

Wang Yu was very familiar with the reinforcements.

Burning Heart True Lord and Violet Lightning True Lord of Thunderfire Temple. He had old grudges with the latter. The other party might not recognize him.

There was also one person Wang Yu did not recognize.

Dark Tiger explained beside him, “That is Flame Dragon Lord Xiao Fulong of Blazing Sun Sect. During the last righteous-demonic war, he was still at Core Formation. In just five hundred years, he has reached mid-stage Nascent Soul.”

“Xiao Fulong? Blazing Sun Sect has joined as well… This is not good.”

Although he said this, Wang Yu had heard of this man before.

Also in Withered Leaf Marsh.

Back then, after Chang Xi had set him up and he fled Withered Leaf City by force, an old soul-path cultivator at second-layer Foundation Establishment had tracked him down. The inheritances of Yin Crow Ancestor and the second-rank Ancient Soul Sect had come from that man.

In the inheritance jade slip, it recorded that the one who killed him was Xiao Fulong of Blazing Sun Sect. He hoped that whoever obtained his legacy would avenge him.

He never expected to encounter him today.

As for revenge, it was not part of his current plans. Right now, Wang Yu was only interested in Violet Lightning True Lord.

Enemies really did meet on narrow roads.

“What now?”

Dark Tiger asked.

Wang Yu replied, “Purple Cloud is suppressed by Fire Ghost Old Demon. Liuying is badly injured. Burning Heart and Purple Lightning are nothing special. Brother Dark Tiger, can you use the fusion technique to hold back Xiao Fulong?”

Dark Tiger pondered briefly. Thinking of Wang Yu’s terrifying killing power, he was tempted.

“I can try. But Flame Dragon Lord definitely won’t be easy to kill. As for Burning Heart and Violet Lightning…”

“If I can kill them, we split the spoils evenly. I get first pick of one item.”

“Deal!”

Timidity led to starvation. Boldness led to feasting.

Dark Tiger had always succeeded by weighing risks and benefits. Only Wang Yu could consistently stir up his greed. If he could obtain another Nascent Soul corpse, he was confident he could break into mid-stage Nascent Soul.

Extremely precious breakthrough spirit pills could likely be exchanged from the sect or from the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect.

The two moved at once. Dark Demon Barbarian Lord also rushed over.

Flame Dragon Lord Xiao Fulong charged straight toward Fire Ghost Old Demon’s battlefield. With a wave of his hand, a blazing dragon claw hundreds of meters long lashed out.

Dark Tiger Demon Lord suddenly rushed forward. His yin beast merged with him, and he smashed the dragon claw apart head-on.

Dark Demon was startled.

“Has he lost his mind? He’s actually fighting Flame Dragon head-on?”

Wang Yu said calmly, “Fire Ghost can suppress Purple Cloud. Liuying is heavily injured. The Thunder Corpse can handle her. Fellow Daoist Dark Demon, you deal with Burning Heart. I’ll take Violet Lightning.”

As he spoke, he gestured toward a corner of Withered Leaf City.

Dark Demon Barbarian Lord immediately understood.

A spatial lockdown trap had already been set up.

Excellent.

His motivation instantly surged.

“Then let’s fight!”

On the Taihu side, seeing the reinforcements finally arrive, and that Flame Dragon Lord was among them, Purple Cloud secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If help had come any later, he would have considered fleeing.

The teams following the three Taihu Nascent Souls were still far behind and would arrive in about the time it took for an incense stick to burn.

Violet Lightning remained arrogant. Seeing Wang Yu charge at him, he shouted,

“Crimson Kite scum! You dare not flee when you see me!”