Seeing the formidable power of the human cultivators' formation, the Purple Mansion wolf demons atop the mountain could no longer sit idly by. With an enraged howl, the Purple-Striped Wolf King led two other Purple Mansion wolf demons in a charge.
Following closely behind were over a hundred second-tier wolf demons, soaring through the air and attacking the human formation.
"Hold off the second-tier wolf demons!"
Jiang Linglong left behind a single command before transforming into a streak of sword light, ascending to face the three Purple Mansion wolf demons alone—and she quickly gained the upper hand.
Below, the human cultivators activated their formation flags and began clashing with the Foundation Establishment wolf demons. Despite the overwhelming number of demonic beasts, the humans held the advantage thanks to the formation.
"Clang!"
Elian activated his formation, the Western Extreme True Fire scorching a second-tier wolf demon until it coughed up blood and fled. Then, he summoned the Mingxu Sword, which streaked through the air, slicing through the second-tier lower-grade wolf demon with a sharp clang.
"Not bad."
Having slain a second-tier wolf demon, Elian allowed himself a faint smile. This was a hard-earned contribution to the battle.
Not far away, the old patriarch activated the Blazing Fire Divine Flags, trapping a second-tier mid-grade wolf demon within. Once the demon's spiritual energy was exhausted, he unleashed the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, severing the wolf demon's head with a sharp strike.
Retrieving his natal artifact, the old patriarch sighed in relief and smiled.
"It seems this battle won't be too difficult after all." (Your stupid mouth!!)
"I never imagined Ancestor Jiang would be this powerful."
High above, the battle continued. Jiang Linglong, fighting alone against three Purple Mansion wolf demons, remained in complete control of the battle. She even managed to destroy a third-tier magical tool belonging to one of the wolf demons.
At that moment, a rolling thunder echoed across the distant sky, and 70 to 80 large blue thunderbirds descended from the horizon.
"Not good, it's the Thunderbirds from Thunderclap Valley!"
"How is this possible?"
Someone exclaimed in alarm, causing many cultivators to pale.
The Thunderbirds of Thunderclap Valley were a powerful demon clan. Though few in number, their bloodline was immensely strong, with members reaching Foundation Establishment upon adulthood.
This group from Thunderclap Valley included nearly a hundred second-tier Thunderbirds, as well as three Purple Mansion-level demon birds.
Their arrival with such numbers signaled a full-force mobilization.
"There's a traitor."
Elian's pupils contracted, his thoughts immediately turning to suspicion.
Thunderclap Valley was 50,000 miles away. Even if the demon birds had received news, they shouldn't have arrived so quickly. The only explanation was that someone had betrayed them during the Tianxu Mountain war preparations, tipping off the demons in advance.
"Damn it!"
Lin Qianshu's eyes turned cold, a murderous aura radiating from her. Clearly, she had also realized the truth.
But there was no time to dwell on the matter. She quickly summoned a golden bracelet artifact, hurling it toward an early Purple Mansion wolf demon.
Initially, she had intended to stay hidden as a reserve force, waiting for the opportune moment to deliver a decisive blow against the demons. But with the demon ambush, she had no choice but to reveal herself early, aiming to gain an advantage before the Thunderbird clan could join the fray.
Her sudden attack caught the demon wolf off guard. The golden bracelet, refined by Jiang Linglong from Celestial Water Essence Gold, was a powerful third-tier mid-grade artifact.
Caught unprepared, the demon wolf could only spit out its demon core to block the bracelet. But Lin Qianshu, having made thorough preparations, unleashed the Frozen Jade Radiance Curse.
The Frozen Jade Radiance Curse was a unique ice-element divine ability, available only to cultivators with an ice spiritual root. The white radiance enveloped the demon wolf's core, locking it in place in mid-air.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Qianshu struck with the golden bracelet, sealing the demon core and storing it in her pouch.
With her first move yielding success, Lin Qianshu exhaled in relief and drew her natal celestial sword, the Ice Soul Frost Sword, unleashing a barrage of strikes.
Having reached Purple Mansion three layers nearly sixty years ago, Lin Qianshu's cultivation and magical tools were superior to the demon wolf's. Now, with its core sealed and its spiritual energy diminished by over fifty percent, the demon wolf was swiftly overwhelmed.
Within ten breaths, the Purple Mansion wolf demon was gravely injured, suffering heavy losses.
But just as Lin Qianshu gained the upper hand, the Thunderbirds arrived in force.
Two mid-Purple Mansion Thunderbirds charged directly at Jiang Linglong. At that moment, Jiang Linglong had severely injured the mid-Purple Mansion wolf demon she was fighting.
With the intelligence of Purple Mansion beasts nearing that of humans, the Thunderbirds knew that if they didn't intervene, Jiang Linglong would soon slay the demon wolf and decisively tip the battle.
Meanwhile, an early Purple Mansion Thunderbird led the second-tier Thunderbirds toward Lin Qianshu, aiming to eliminate this unexpected threat before turning on Jiang Linglong.
"Not good."
Facing two beasts of equal rank and nearly a hundred second-tier Thunderbirds, even a Purple Mansion cultivator like Lin Qianshu couldn't hold her ground.
Her expression darkened, and she shouted, "Block the second-tier demon beasts for me!"
Tianxu Mountain's forces, relying on their formations, had managed to maintain an advantage against the Wolf Demon clan. But the addition of the Thunderbirds from Thunderclap Valley tipped the scales, making the battle significantly harder.
Everyone understood the stakes. If they couldn't stabilize the situation for the two Purple Mansion elders, the elders might escape, but the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators would surely perish under the pursuit of the Purple Mansion beasts.
With no choice, the human cultivators poured their strength into the formations, holding off nearly a hundred second-tier Thunderbirds and engaging them in desperate combat.
Under the combined assault of the wolf and Thunderbird clans, the pressure mounted. Formations began to collapse, and the cultivators within suffered brutal slaughter, resulting in heavy casualties.
At a critical moment, the old patriarch and several late-Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward. Each faced multiple Foundation Establishment beasts, barely holding the line.
But it wasn't enough. The sheer number of second-tier beasts—nearly 200—was overwhelming. Combined with tens of thousands of first-tier beasts, the human forces were pushed back despite the formations.
"Die!"
The old patriarch activated the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, slaying a second-tier Thunderbird before scanning the battlefield.
Seeing the dire situation, his hair and beard flew wildly in the wind as he leaped into the air and roared, "Fall back! Let me handle this!"
Unfurling the Blazing Fire Divine Flags, he summoned a massive blaze that engulfed the skies, trapping over thirty Foundation Establishment Thunderbirds within.
Within the Blazing Fire Divine Formation, the old patriarch stood tall, the Nine Deflection Bell above his head for protection, as he single-handedly fought thirty Foundation Establishment demon beasts. For the moment, they could not break through the formation.
...
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