Yuan's Ascension

Chapter 270: Carving A Path Of Survival For The Middle Land (1)

If qi refiners engaged body refiners in close combat without the protection of an array? It was basically a death wish!

"Rong Le!" Daoist Wan Xing cried out, his face contorted with pain.

He was completely covered in battle armor and enshrouded in a layer of flames that displayed a strange power. This allowed him to endure the remaining impact of the claw strike. His figure flashed, and he quickly manipulated the array disk to withdraw.

"Jin Ji! Zhao Xing!" The veins on Emperor Dong Pan's temples bulged as he unleashed a thunderous roar. But despite his anger, he was forced to flee for his life.

Niu Hao and Hai Feizhang cursed as they retreated.

"Jin Ji! You bastard!" Volcanic fury erupted in Wu Yuan’s eyes.

Fang Xia, the Arctic King, Bei Li, and the others were all equally outraged, unable to believe that Jin Ji and Zhao Xing would desert them in the middle of the battle. It was a complete and utter betrayal.

Just moments ago, Wu Yuan and the two arrays had joined forces, yet they were unable to break through the blockade formed by the eight Spiritual Body devil soldiers. They couldn’t get close to the worm devil at all.

On the contrary, if their aim had been to escape, they would’ve been able to do so easily. They hadn’t been in immediate danger, and had not reached desperate straits yet.

If Jin Ji and Hai Feizhang had intended to flee, they could have chosen to do so at any moment. Why did they choose to desert at the most critical juncture? What benefit did they gain from such an act?

From the perspective of Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and the others, no one could escape the calamity of the worm devil.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Jin Ji and Zhao Xing swiftly dashed out of the array, completely ignoring Emperor Dong Pan's furious shouts. They kept their heads down, charging frantically through the passage of the devil’s lair.

...

Inside the Middle Land Immortal Hall, the Heavenly Rankers who had yet to join the battle glared angrily at the two escaping figures.

"We’re finished!"

“We lost.”

"Traitors!" Many eyes turned bloodshot, and some even shed tears as an overpowering weight of despair engulfed the Conference Hall.

The last flicker of hope for the Middle Land was completely extinguished when the Septet Ignis Array crumbled, leaving nothing more than resignation in its aftermath.

"Look!" Suddenly, an urgent voice rang out.

Everyone immediately turned to the light screen. What they saw left them in complete disbelief.

Within the projection, Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and Niu Hao, who were initially fleeing for their lives, started emitting surges of fiery rainbow light!

They came to a halt as their bodies burst into flame. Within their eyes, there was only serenity.

The Spiritual Body devil soldiers who were in pursuit felt their souls tremble with a deep-rooted terror. They, no, the worm devil couldn't help but stare at the three figures erupting with rainbow light.

The light was dazzling and radiant, yet it gave the worm devil a feeling of suffocation, leaving it bewildered and uneasy.

As an entity from a noble bloodline, it didn’t spare any cultivator in the Middle Land a glance, except for Wu Yuan. But now, the worm devil felt threatened by these three seemingly insignificant beings, leaving it restless and uneasy.

“Scram!” Qiong Sea King and the Mountain Devil King, two powerful Archdemons, immediately charged over, one slamming into the Spiritual Body devil soldiers with its gigantic body while the other swept its massive tail through the air.

They were the first to notice the changes happening to Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and Niu Hao, and quickly began diverting the attention of the pursuing devil soldiers, allowing the three to complete their attack.

In the air of the underworld, Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and Niu Hao smiled peacefully, as though they had accepted their departure from the living. There wasn’t a single trace of fear on their faces.

“Fellow Daoists, trying to escape is futile. Even if we do escape, we’ve lost the array flags. Considering the worm devil's rapid growth, postponing the battle would only lead to our defeat.” Daoist Wan Xing's gentle voice echoed in the minds of Emperor Dong Pan and Niu Hao. “Today, the worm devil is at its weakest.”

Emperor Dong Pan chuckled, “I originally thought that with the emergence of a genius like Wu Yuan, we wouldn’t have to choose this path.”

Niu Hao remained silent, but his actions told them all they needed to know.

In mere moments, the bodies of these three ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivators completely burned to ash, leaving behind intensely bright spheres of rainbow light.

This was the result of the combination of their blood, flesh, and soul!

At this point, their weapons and armor fell to the ground.

A faintly shimmering object, reminiscent of the Heavenly Thunder Talisman that Wu Yuan had once activated, could be perceived within the rainbow light.

Everyone in the underworld instantly felt an intangible pressure.

“This is?” Jin Ji and Zhao Xing, who had fled dozens of li from the battlefield by now, couldn't help but turn back in astonishment.

"Wan Xing!"

"Emperor!"

Both Liu Junxing and Wu Nonghan's eyes welled up with tears. Being second-in-command of the Starcom Consortium and Wu Sect, they both grasped the meaning of this scene.

At the expense of their lives, they would unleash their greatest attack.

This is... a talisman? Fang Xia watched this scene in shock, his vast knowledge allowing him to vaguely comprehend the situation.

The three of them still took this step in the end. The Arctic King, situated in the six-legged golden mantis array, couldn't help but reminisce about a scene from decades ago when they came together to explore a relic site in the Xin Continent.

Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and Niu Hao each obtained a special talisman. At that point, the Arctic King did not understand the power of those talismans. But now, he finally understood.

Is this the Soul Sacrifice Talisman? Wu Yuan's expression changed.

Among the cultivators, he had the most extensive knowledge of cultivation and the strongest Soul Force.

Instantly, Wu Yuan comprehended the intentions of Daoist Wan Xing and the other two cultivators.

The Soul Sacrifice Talisman was a powerful artifact that targeted the soul, and its strength depended solely on the power of its owner. If its owner was strong, the talisman would be unstoppable. Conversely, if its owner was weak, the talisman's power would also be weak.

However, this talisman was rarely seen for several reasons. Firstly, it was extremely difficult to craft. Secondly, each user was only given one opportunity to use it in their lifetime.

The soul sacrificed by the Soul Sacrifice Talisman was none other than its owner’s! Its owner’s essence and soul were poured into the talisman in order to deliver the strongest possible blow. Often, it was only activated by the weak as a last resort.

Wu Yuan's eyes reddened. Once the Soul Sacrifice Talisman was activated, there was no turning back.

In other words, Daoist Wan Xing, Emperor Dong Pan, and Niu Hao were destined to die here.

It was also at this moment that Wu Yuan realized why Daoist Wan Xing and Emperor Dong Pan mentioned their willingness to die. It was likely that they had planned to use the Soul Sacrifice Talisman at the critical moment from the very beginning.

However, the fact that Niu Hao joined them as well was a surprise to Wu Yuan. This low-profile leader of the Pleiades Guild acted decisively without a sound.

"Wu Yuan, Fang Xia!" Suddenly, Daoist Wan Xing's voice resounded in Wu Yuan's mind. At the same time, Fang Xia heard the same voice in his mind.