Quite a few deities were paying attention to the battle that erupted outside the Burning Incense Academy and the Turbulent Port at this very moment.
They locked onto a certain anchor point, casting their divine senses to observe.
"The only two demigod vice-principals of the Burning Incense Academy have both gone to support the Turbulent Port, taking a large number of deities with them. Doesn't that mean that the Burning Incense Academy at this moment..."
They inwardly cursed their bad luck.
The Burning Incense Academy was now a powerful ally, possessing an efficient and harmless means to eliminate disasters. They did not wish for it to suffer.
The demigods of the Water-Flooded Kingdom also felt a sense of foreboding.
Judging by the travel time, the two vice-principals of the Burning Incense Academy were about to arrive on the battlefield, injecting fresh strength into the Turbulent Port. But wouldn't they turn around and leave?
If they were in the same situation, and their homeland was under siege, they would certainly disregard everything else and rush back to defend their home first.
However, they did not.
The academy's two vice-principals arrived at the Turbulent Port battlefield, slicing into the rolling black tide like a sharp blade.
The deities and demigods of the Water-Flooded Kingdom were moved to tears.
The Burning Incense Academy truly was a force to be reckoned with!
But what about their main base? Could it hold out for long relying solely on defensive structures like the Pure Sky Curtain and the Sword of Radiance?
Both were quite strong. The Sword of Radiance was a combined formation, unleashing a dazzling golden sword energy that even a demigod would have to evade. However, when applied to the aberrant tide, the Sword of Radiance achieved far less. It was a single-target attack; one swing could annihilate thousands upon thousands of aberrations, but for an endless tide of aberrations, this kill count was like a drop in the ocean.
At this moment, the Immortal Legion, comprising hundreds of thousands of awakened individuals, launched a fierce attack.
With a single blow, they annihilated an equal number of aberrations. As the legion charged, the fine, black-tide-like aberrations visibly thinned out.
By the time the crimson legion completed its circuit and returned to the protected area within the Pure Sky Curtain, the external aberration tide had become sparse.
The deities, who had been quietly observing, were utterly shocked.
"Is this... a deity?!"
An attack that annihilated a million aberrations, an attack that repelled a Law Manifestation demigod, and you call this a deity?
"I was once defeated by this Lord Black Blade."
The Lion of Red Sand spoke, feeling unworthy of facing this person in a one-on-one duel.
Henceforth, he would add the record of his defeat by Black Blade to his résumé.
It was an honor.
A demigod, staring at Black Blade's actions, repelling an attack from the enemy demigod, said solemnly, "In this state, the strength of this Burning Incense Black Blade is no less than mine."
"Dean Liu Feng, Chief Instructor Black Blade, Professor An... The Burning Incense Academy truly is a treasure trove of talent!"
They were filled with envy and jealousy.
How fortunate was the young dean, who looked ordinary and at most slightly handsome, to have so many outstanding subordinates!
*Green with envy.jpg*.
Dean Fang himself, the object of their envy, was currently in great distress.
He looked at the aberration tide outside, which had been swept away as if by a bulldozer, and lamented, "If this were within our own oasis, how many destiny points and items would we have harvested!"
...
Within the Pure Sky Curtain, the bystanders, who had gradually recovered from their feverish excitement, were panting heavily. Some had even collapsed onto the ground, their energy completely depleted.
Their eyes held a lingering fear.
They had actually charged in and out of the aberration tide, and through the encirclement of deities and demigods, seven times?
"We're so awesome!"
"Just surviving is enough. I can brag about today's feat for ten years, no, for my entire life!"
"Exactly! I fought a demigod!"
By the time they realized it, their legs were already weak, and they could no longer replicate the heroic spirit of moments ago. But this did not stop them from bragging.
If they couldn't boast about such achievements, it would be more painful than killing them.
Some of the more powerful and still-excited awakened individuals looked at the black silhouette, sharp as a carved knife, and wished that this esteemed figure would lead them into battle once more.
Such was life, they would die without regret.
However, Black Blade did not charge again.
He commanded the epic generals and elite warriors within the Immortal Heroic Souls, forcibly assembling a legion of hundreds of thousands. While powerful, its stability was poor.
If a demigod outside seized an opportunity, they could easily disperse the legion with their far superior agility.
Just now, Black Blade had merely caught the demigods and deities of the evil god faction off guard, making them uncertain of the Immortal Legion's tactics.
The same move would not work again.
But it was enough.
The aberration tide outside had thinned considerably, and these aberrations were swept in by the demigods of the Black River faction from the surrounding regions.
As the tide thinned, the load on the Pure Sky Curtain decreased significantly.
Black Blade, Gou Pingan, Liu Ji, and others, relying on the sky curtain, did not engage the deities and demigods directly. Instead, they focused on eliminating ordinary aberrations, each becoming a master aberration cleaner.
The students who remained in the academy poured out in full force.
Among them were many veterans of Burning Incense. While their combat power was formidable, their accumulation of mysterious energy was insufficient. They seized this opportunity and fought fiercely, turning the defense of the city into a battle of annihilation.
"But this is merely a defense relying on the defensive sky curtain. Even if we cannot break through this curtain for a while, we can severely deplete its energy. It cannot last long."
A former human powerhouse, very familiar with city defense rituals, a demigod of the Black River faction, spoke.
He let out piercing shrieks, and invisible sound waves spread out, causing the black river water to churn continuously.
One hour passed, and the white sky curtain rippled.
Two hours passed, and the white sky curtain rippled.
Three hours passed, and the white sky curtain was still rippling.
The demigods of the Black River faction fell into deep thought.
The deities from the seven great nations, who were watching from afar, let out similar exclamations: "The Burning Incense Academy is too rich!"
Indeed, fostering non-direct-lineage deities and openly sharing various inheritances had always made the Burning Incense Academy appear wealthy in the eyes of the seven great nations. Whether the academy was strong was debatable, but its wealth was unquestionable!
The 'wealthy' Burning Incense Academy had a mere tens of millions of soul crystals in its balance.
A few days ago, it was even poorer.
Their Burning Incense was so poor that all they had left was deity labor! Where could they get extra soul crystals to play a war of attrition with the Black River faction?
If it came to that, Dean Fang would likely have to make a strategic retreat.
But for now, as long as the energy limit of the Pure Sky Curtain was not breached, it could be maintained for a long time.
Attrition? There was no attrition.
At the core of the secret realm, a cubical body resembling a contained black hole spun slowly, emitting endless energy.
...
Elsewhere, outside the Turbulent Port, there were also constant roars.
Even though the city defense ritual weakened these tremendous roars by a hundred or a thousand times, they still sounded like drums pounding when they reached the city, as if giants were constantly hammering the earth.
The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear in the buildings of the outer city. The streets were in chaos.
However, the city defense ritual was still operating.
After several hours of intense assault, neither the Black River faction nor the Burning Incense Academy could break through. Neither could the Turbulent Port.
"Why are these human forces like turtle shells!"
A demigod who had been promoted from a ghost grumbled.
The troops belonging to Lord Yujin had almost all been mobilized, and their strength indeed far surpassed that of the human forces.
The ratio of deities to demigods was three to one.
Yet, they still couldn't break through this small human oasis.
The human powerhouses were a bit troublesome, that was one thing. The human cities were as hard as turtle shells, that was another.
The deities of the evil god faction had no idea that humans loved infrastructure the most.
The areas humans could manage were limited, just a corner of an oasis. With very few deities, humans could only find other ways to fill the great void in their sense of security.
That method was to build defenses!
The Water-Flooded Kingdom had a history of tens of thousands of years, experiencing ups and downs. Currently, its top forces were not as glorious as in its peak period twenty thousand years ago.
But the defenses, continuously built year after year, generation after generation, only grew stronger with time.
This was the fundamental basis for human survival.
Perhaps the technology of the Water-Flooded Kingdom was inferior to that of the Candela Trial Ground, but they had invested more, consuming vast resources and time.
The defensive capabilities and combat effectiveness of the Turbulent Port were even superior to those of the Trial Ground No. 404 relic.
With the cooperation of several demigods and twenty to thirty deities, let alone just a few hours, the followers of the Black River faction's evil gods could not conquer it even if they attacked for several more days.
These usually low-key, ant-like humans actually possessed such strength?!
Black river water bubbled and gurgled. From the steaming black bubbles, mud continuously gathered and piled up. In the blink of an eye, an indescribable being appeared on the black riverbed.
Its figure grew larger and larger, soon far surpassing the Law Manifestation of a demigod.
The giant city of the Turbulent Port seemed like a miniature toy in comparison.
A pair of eyes appeared on the black and gray muddy figure, looking down indifferently at everything before it, spreading infinite death and decay.
Instantly, all was silent!
The surging, irrational aberrations stopped roaring.
The oasis land within the Turbulent Port withered inch by inch. Even through the city defense ritual, the life force of the oasis was being stripped away.
Along with the life force, the deities present also had theirs stripped away.
Some deities developed black spots on their skin, while others gradually aged, their black hair turning white.
They retreated in panic, unable to suppress the fear spreading within them.
Their proud powers were no match for the deterrent gaze of this high-level being!
"It's an envoy of the evil gods!"
"We're doomed! We're doomed! We're doomed!"
"I said it long ago, don't provoke the evil god faction. Now look, we're all going to die!"
"This is all the Burning Incense Academy's fault!"
A deity exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, most deities and demigods frowned. They were rational and understood that even if they did not confront the evil god faction, these evil god followers and envoys would eventually find them.
Unless, they obediently became sustenance for the evil gods, offering one oasis after another.
But if they did that, would they still be human?
They might indulge in pleasure, they might be unwilling to give up power, they might strictly control the ladder of advancement, but at least, they were still members of humanity.
Even if the evil god faction wanted to treat them as data, they would have to lose some teeth.
Besides, it was just the Ninth Realm!
They weren't unacquainted with the Ninth Realm!
Rumble—
The Ninth Realm Lord Yujin extended a finger like rotten mud and slowly pointed it out. This finger was not fast, but it seemed to slow down time around it.
It directly sent a demigod and several deities flying.
The flying deities, their bodies gradually becoming gaunt, their cheeks sunken, looked as if their entire bodies had been hollowed out.
Even the esteemed one who manifested the Law Manifestation of a demigod had several cracks appear on his manifestation, with black water seeping in and spreading.
And this was merely a casual finger flick from Lord Yujin.
The deities, who had just mustered some fighting spirit, saw their hope dim again.
They couldn't win, no matter how they thought about it!
"Sword, arise!"
Liu Feng stepped on his flying sword, brought his fingers together, and formed several seals with alternating left and right movements.
Instantly, golden light swords appeared one after another, soaring into the sky.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of golden swords gathered together, forming a colossal golden sword that pierced the heavens and earth, and with a mighty slash, it descended.
This sword severed the slowed time! It shattered the unspeakable restraints!
Moreover, it carved a gap several thousand meters long on Lord Yujin's body.
Beyond the gap, the sky, the earth, and the gray fog were all cleaved, forming a vast, seemingly endless void that reached the far side of the great domain.
"It's Dean Liu Feng!"
"Hiss, is this the combat power of a demigod at the peak?!"
"We cannot disgrace the name of the seven great nations."
Seizing the opportunity when time was disrupted, the old king of Red Sand launched a fierce attack. Endless sand surged from all directions, enveloping and eroding Lord Yujin's body.
The demigod of the Cloud Chart Kingdom, Old Man Yun Zhong, had his body covered in dense, profound symbols.
These were ritual symbols.
Old Man Yun Zhong had inscribed the rituals onto his own body, forging a unique path. He was a mobile, large-scale ritual array.
These symbols flew out from him, instantly forming a net that locked onto the surrounding space.
The top existence of the Water-Flooded Kingdom, known as the Pure Water Demigod, suddenly puffed out its belly and opened its mouth, spitting out a volume of water comparable to a great river and sea in an instant, as if dyeing the entire black river white.
Flowing Sand! Cloud Runes! Pure Water!
The three demigods, despite coming from different factions, seized the opportunity with their experience and launched an incredibly coordinated attack.
They applied three debuffs to Lord Yujin.
At this moment, Dean Liu Feng, whose offensive capability was top-tier, had just finished his sword strike and could not possibly gather power to unleash such a blow again.
However,
The demigod of the Flame Thunder Kingdom, 'True Lord Annihilation,' whose offensive capability was also top-tier, had already extended his palms.
One palm manifested extreme flames, while the other was filled with ultimate lightning.
He slowly merged the two, concentrated to the extreme. Just as the three of them, including Old Man Yun Zhong, had finished applying the debuffs, True Lord Annihilation hurled the Lotus of Annihilation in his hands.
Instantly,
There was no deafening roar, no rolling clouds that extinguished everything. All there was, was a vast space slowly collapsing under the immense red and blue lotus.
Within the space was the terrifying figure of Lord Yujin.
"Did it work?"
Eyes watched, holding their breath.
A hand like mud stretched out from the enormous fire lotus. Instantly, the flames extinguished, and the lightning dissipated, as if they were merely dust attached to the giant.
Lord Yujin's intact figure appeared before everyone.
The gap that Liu Feng had carved also healed.
He stood in the broken space, yet was unaffected by the spatial cuts and disturbances, as if his dimension of existence was above space itself.
He merely looked down indifferently at the few human figures before him.
"Some strength, but not much."
Lord Yujin once again extended a finger, pointing towards the sky.
The sky grew darker, gray fog surged, forming mud that obscured the heavens, and the mud instantly solidified, transforming into a giant star, countless times larger than the entire Turbulent Port.
A harbinger of disaster!
The harbinger of disaster descended with a rumble.
It solidified space, and then crushed space inch by inch.
A massive shadow was cast upon the faces of the deities and demigods, obscuring everything.
The demigod of the Mountain Rock Kingdom, 'Giant Peak Demigod,' clapped his hands together, and a colossal sky pillar rose with a rumble, pushing towards the terrifying harbinger of disaster that was slowly descending. But before it could even hold for two breaths, this mountain peak, like a crushed spine, broke with a roar.
The harbinger of disaster continued to descend.
The demigod of the Ancient Wood Kingdom, 'Old Woman Feihua,' painfully threw out a precious seed. In the blink of an eye, a colossal tree grew, and a single leaf on it could support a small town.
Old Woman Feihua controlled the giant tree and slowly entangled the descending harbinger of disaster.
Crack—
The giant tree rapidly rotted and shattered, withering like falling flowers.
Old Woman Feihua's face also turned pale.
They could not stop it.
They couldn't even delay it for a moment.
Is this the power of the Ninth Realm?!
"Damn it, where are the elders of the Sacred Court!"
"The elders are probably unwilling to confront an envoy of an evil god."
"We're finished, finished."
Just then, a thunderous roar sounded.
A young man with a simple and honest appearance stepped into the air, arriving in front of the harbinger of disaster.
Countless golden patterns spread out around him, interweaving and constructing.
This was... Law Manifestation!
But how could a mere demigod's Law Manifestation face such a world-destroying strike?
Many deities only wished to flee, but the harbinger of disaster crushed space, making them like insects frozen in amber, unable to escape.
Outside the body of the honest young man, a colossal Law Manifestation had already been outlined.
Dragon's head, tortoise's body, its four legs like four pillars of heaven, firmly planted on the ground. Its body was several times larger than an ordinary demigod's Law Manifestation, and it exuded a golden luster all over, as if eternal, as if immortal.
"Immortal Rock Dragon"!
Upon seeing this figure, countless people had this thought.
The rock dragon's horns pointed upwards, and the heavens and earth roared in unison with him.
He propped up the heavens and earth that were sinking.
His four legs began to sink into the earth, forming annular mountain ranges around him. His eyes were calm, calm yet filled with persistence, filled with determination.
"Roar—"
Space cracked and creaked.
The descending harbinger of disaster was finally halted and slowly veered off to the distance, gently landing on the ocean, stirring up giant waves tens of thousands of meters high.
In the middle of the giant waves was the stranded harbinger of disaster, half submerged in the sea.
Time and space seemed to freeze.
The figure outlined by endless mud showed a remarkably lifelike expression of surprise. Its eyes fell upon Wei Bao, who had constructed the Rock Dragon Law Manifestation.
"You, human, are not bad."
"But..."
"How will you handle this?"
Lord Yujin spoke.
Instantly, another harbinger of disaster appeared in the sky, descending towards the earth.
The harbinger of disaster, which the Immortal Rock Dragon, Wei Bao, had only managed to stop with all his might, was merely a common, repeatable move for Lord Yujin.
His Rock Dragon Law Manifestation was already cracked.
He looked at the slowly descending sky, as if recalling the past, the most tragic battle.
At that time, he had also shouldered a city, facing a Ninth Realm Lord.
And he had lost.
He had lost without any suspense.
Now, he had advanced to demigod with a six-divine-nature foundation, which was much stronger, but his demigod Law Manifestation had not been fully constructed, and his strength was not much stronger than back then.
His eyes were calm, calm yet filled with unwillingness, and in his unwillingness, there was a belief in a desperate struggle.
Suddenly, ripples appeared in Wei Bao's pupils, and he muttered to himself.
This demigod powerhouse, famous in the Candela Empire and having forged the prestige of the Immortal Rock Dragon, rarely showed a wronged expression, like a child who had finally waited for their parent.
It was different from back then!
Golden light dispelled all the gray haze.
A blurry, insignificant figure, not even manifesting a demigod's Law Manifestation, suddenly appeared before the Turbulent Port.
He slowly raised his right hand.
Instantly,
The wind stopped, the clouds ceased, the sound quieted, the river broke.
The harbinger of disaster quietly stopped in front of the hand that was raised.