noffsinger Chapter 61 Star Palace Crisis 3
Chapter 61 Star Palace Crisis 3
Deep in the clouds near Tianxing City.
Wang Tianlong concealed all his aura, hovering silently in the high sky like an invisible ghost. He had already arrived at the battlefield, even before the ancient demons launched their all-out attack. He had taken in the fierce battle below, the crumbling city defense array, and the sudden burst of star protection from the Holy Mountain.
However, he never showed up.
The hundred Nascent Soul Ancient Demon Kings, Tianlong, calmly scanned the battlefield, quickly calculating in their minds, "Although I have advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage, if I rashly rush into this battle, facing so many enemies of the same level, especially Kongyu, even if I can kill a few ancient demons, I will not be able to turn the tide of the battle, and may even put myself in danger."
He knew how to assess the situation carefully. If he intervened, the best outcome would only be to delay the city's fall, but he couldn't change the inevitable fate of Tianxing City's eventual demise.
"Besides... the Heavenly Void Jade Book is still on me." Wang Tianlong touched his storage bracelet, his eyes becoming even more profound. "The Ancient Demon Saint Lord's target is me and the Heavenly Void Jade Book. If I show myself, it will inevitably attract the Ancient Demons' frenzied attack, and may even attract the Yuan Sha Saint Lord's clone as well. At that time, not only will I be unable to save Tianxing City, but I myself will also be unable to escape death."
His purpose in coming here was to assess the situation, not to play the hero.
"However... we can't just stand by and watch." Wang Tianlong's eyes flickered, and he already had a plan in mind. "As the core of the Chaotic Star Sea, Tianxing City must have long-distance teleportation arrays leading to other safe areas. This is the last resort for the cultivators in the city."
His divine sense, like an invisible tentacle, carefully evaded the ancient demon's perception and quietly probed into the interior of Tianxing City. Sure enough, in the city's central area, he sensed several strong spatial fluctuations, clearly indicating that the large teleportation array was still in operation.
"It seems the Star Palace was prepared as well." Wang Tianlong understood. "Once the city falls, they will definitely evacuate through the teleportation array. However... the Ancient Demons probably didn't forget this and will certainly try to stop them."
Night falls outside Tianxing City.
After a full day of frenzied attacks, the ancient demon army finally halted its offensive. The remnants of the three destroyed array cones lay scattered at the edge of the battlefield, silently testifying to the day's carnage.
Although they failed to breach Tianxing City, the ancient demons' offensive was not entirely ineffective. While the pillars of starlight remained dazzling, closer inspection revealed that their brilliance had dimmed slightly compared to their initial state. Clearly, maintaining such a powerful formation was taking a heavy toll on the resources left by the Star Palace's ancestors.
Above the demonic clouds, the leader of the empty city looked down at the still-standing colossal city with a gloomy expression. He had not expected that the Star Palace would have such a trump card as "Star Guardian," which had caused his plan to break the formation to fail at the last minute.
"My lord, the power of the stars is quite effective against demonic energy. A forced attack has taken a heavy toll on our men," an ancient demon general reported. "Should we postpone our offensive and reconsider our strategy?"
His gaze flickered, and he didn't answer immediately. He knew that although his side had the advantage in strength, Tianxing City, protected by the stars, had become a tough nut to crack. If they launched a reckless attack regardless of the cost, even if they eventually broke through the city, their side would inevitably suffer heavy losses.
"Pass down the order: the army must retreat a hundred miles to rest and regroup." Kong Yu finally spoke, his voice icy. "Send out scouts to closely monitor the movements of Tianxing City, especially spatial fluctuations. We must not allow a single person to escape through the teleportation array!"
"Yes!" The ancient demon general accepted the order and left.
Soon, the massive ancient demon army retreated like a tide, regrouping in the sea a hundred miles away from Tianxing City. They laid down layers of demonic arrays, completely surrounding Tianxing City. They did not go far, but rather, like a pack of patient, hungry wolves, waited for their prey to be exhausted, or... for the array to show a flaw.
Inside Tianxing City.
As the ancient demon army retreated, cheers of relief erupted from the city walls. Many cultivators collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their faces filled with exhaustion and relief.
However, Ling Yunchen and other senior executives were not happy at all.
"Palace Master, although the Star Guardian is strong, its energy is consumed extremely quickly. At this rate, it can only last for three more days at most," an elder responsible for maintaining the formation reported with great concern.
"Three days..." Ling Yunchen's heart sank. This timeframe was far too short.
"Pass down the order: all cultivators, seize the time to recover your mana," Ling Yunchen said in a deep voice. "Also, activate all backup teleportation arrays and begin organizing the lower-level disciples and mortals to evacuate in batches!"
"Evacuate? Palace Master, are we going to abandon Tianxing City?" someone asked in surprise.
"It's not about giving up, it's about preserving the flame." Ling Yunchen's gaze swept over everyone. "Tianxing City may fall, but the human race's heritage cannot be broken! Go as many as you can!"
Everyone fell silent, knowing in their hearts that this might be the only option.
Deep in the clouds.
Wang Tianlong took in the retreat of the ancient demons and the movements of Tianxing City.
"A temporary halt to the attack? It seems that Kongyu doesn't want to suffer too many losses." Wang Tianlong sneered inwardly. "However, this also gives Xinggong a chance to catch their breath and retreat."
His keen senses detected several hidden spatial fluctuations activating frequently within Tianxing City. Clearly, the Star Palace had begun using teleportation arrays to evacuate its personnel.
"Although the ancient demons have retreated, the spatial blockade has not been lifted." Wang Tianlong's gaze fell on the faintly visible spatial blockade array nodes behind the ancient demon army. "The Star Palace's teleportation array will probably be interfered with or even cut off before it can travel very far."
The next day, early in the morning.
When the first ray of sunlight pierced the sea, the cultivators of Tianxing City were met not with hope, but with an even more suffocating despair.
"Waaaaah—waaaah—"
A deep, mournful horn sounded, like a death knell from hell, echoing within the ancient demon camp. Immediately afterward, demonic clouds, even denser and more violent than yesterday, surged towards Tianxing City once more like a black tsunami!
This time, the ancient demons had clearly adjusted their tactics. Instead of attacking in a dispersed manner, they concentrated the power of all one hundred Nascent Soul ancient demons into three massive torrents of demonic energy, like three giant black hammers, which took turns bombarding the three key nodes of the city's protective formation!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Each impact caused the entire Tianxing City to shake violently. The star-protecting light barrier trembled violently, its light dimming rapidly at a visible speed. The pillar of light atop the sacred mountain also began to flicker, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
"Snap!"
A crisp cracking sound, like a thunderclap, resounded in everyone's hearts. A corner of the city's protective array finally succumbed to the terrifying impact, and a crack a hundred feet long appeared!
"Oh no! The formation has been broken!" A chorus of exclamations erupted from the city wall.
The low-level monsters, who had been waiting for this opportunity, surged into the city like a flood bursting its banks, following the crack!
"Kill! Leave no one alive!" The cold voice of Kong Yu echoed throughout the battlefield.
A bloody street battle erupted instantly within Tianxing City. Demons and cultivators clashed in close combat, their screams, the roar of spells, and the clash of weapons echoing through the sky. Every moment, cultivators fell, their blood staining the streets crimson.
"All disciples below the Nascent Soul stage, evacuate immediately via the teleportation array!" Ling Yunchen drew his sword and charged ahead of the others towards the crack, attempting to stop the surging demons.