The Zhou family's ancestral land, deeply hidden within the core of Xingzhou's deep space, was inaccessible to ordinary powerful beings. Furthermore, numerous formidable defensive formations were deployed around it, safeguarding its security.
However, now.
The flames of war had already reached the outskirts of the Zhou family's ancestral land.
Nearly all of its defensive formations had been breached by powerful entities.
Even the Zhou family's ancestral land itself was forced out of deep space by formidable cultivators.
Daily, allied forces composed of cultivators from various Holy Lands continuously attacked the Zhou family's ancestral land.
They engaged in fierce battles with the Zhou family's cultivators.
The various Holy Lands did not seem eager to launch a full-scale assault.
They intended to employ a "boiling frog in warm water" strategy, gradually depleting the Zhou family's strength. Today, they would kill a Saint, tomorrow, ten Golden Core cultivators.
No matter how profound the Zhou family's foundation, they could not withstand such attrition.
Once the Zhou family's strength was depleted to a certain extent, it would likely be the signal for the allied forces of the Holy Lands to launch their strongest and most ferocious offensive, aiming to completely overwhelm the Zhou family.
...
On this day.
The fires of war continued to rage.
A desolate mountain range outside the Zhou family's ancestral land had transformed into a bloody and brutal battlefield.
Both sides had committed hundreds of Golden Core cultivators and over ten Saint realm experts. As for the Condensing Core realm, they were as numerous as cattle. They clashed fiercely.
Every second, powerful cultivators perished, falling onto the vast scorched earth, their bodies becoming cold corpses.
Many Zhou family cultivators had fallen.
The allied forces of the Holy Lands had lost even more.
However, they could afford it due to their overwhelming numerical superiority. Even if they lost twice, thrice, or even four times as many men as the Zhou family, they felt no pain, as they could easily bear the cost.
Therefore, although the Zhou family cultivators generally possessed superior strength compared to their counterparts in the Holy Lands, over time, they could not compensate for the disparity in numbers. They gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, retreating steadily.
"Hahaha, killing one Zhou family Saint and ten Zhou family Golden Cores every day, I find this pace too slow. Those Holy Lands that were leading the charge before were truly useless. Since it is our Nine Dragon Holy Land's turn to lead the charge this time, today I shall achieve a glorious victory in one go, taking down ten Saint realm experts and a hundred Golden Core cultivators, directly severing an arm of the Zhou family! Let the other Holy Lands see the might of our Nine Dragon Holy Land."
On the battlefield, a terrifyingly powerful expert radiated a formidable aura. He hovered in the air, his Saint energy coiling around him like nine dragon pythons.
Xingzhou, Nine Dragon Holy Land.
The Nine Dragon Saint!
A powerful being at the seventh stage of the Manifestation Saint realm.
With the supreme powerhouses of both sides remaining dormant,
experts of this caliber were capable of dominating the battlefield.
"Boom!"
With a single palm strike, his terrifying and boundless Saint energy transformed into nine massive azure dragons, pressing down upon the heavens. The surging palm force sent a Zhou family cultivator at the fifth stage of the Manifestation Saint realm coughing up blood, flying back dozens of miles, and smashing into a mountain, breaking it in two.
"Hmph, what kind of nonsense is this Zhou family? Utterly incapable of putting up a fight!"
The Nine Dragon Saint laughed triumphantly, his arrogance boundless.
"Seventh stage of the Manifestation Saint realm, we cannot confront him directly. Retreat!" The Zhou family cultivators immediately made their decision.
They had no cultivators at or above the seventh stage of the Manifestation Saint realm present, and thus could not withstand the ferocious Nine Dragon Saint.
"Trying to escape? Not a chance! I may not act, but when I do, it will be earth-shattering, and the battle will be won in one go!"
"Nine Dragon Sky Sealing Array, seal the heavens and lock the earth, ten directions forbidden!"
The Nine Dragon Saint flipped his palm, revealing an exquisitely crafted golden罩, adorned with nine lifelike azure dragons coiled around it, baring their fangs and claws. Each dragon appeared so vivid as if it would leap off the罩 at any moment.
"This is a powerful Saint artifact that I spent boundless effort to refine, using countless rare heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and various divine metals. To even condense the artifact spirit, I scoured Xingzhou and Yaozhou, and with great hardship, captured nine Saint realm Flood Dragons before finally forging this Saint artifact. It is both offensive and defensive. With this treasure, I can even contend with cultivators at the eighth stage of the Manifestation Saint realm."
"Go!"
The Nine Dragon Saint flung his hand, and the Nine Dragon Sky Sealing Array shot into the sky. It swelled against the wind, and in an instant, it transformed into a hemispherical, massive罩 that covered the entire battlefield.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The Zhou family's Saint realm cultivators, seeing the unfavorable situation, attempted to blast through the Nine Dragon Sky Sealing Array, but to no avail.
"Hahaha, kill them all, slaughter them all!"
The Nine Dragon Saint laughed maniacally, and over twenty allied Saint realm cultivators revealed their true fangs and charged forward.
"Ah, we are going to be annihilated! Why hasn't our ancestor come to save us?" a young Zhou family cultivator despaired.
"Even if the ancestor acts, it will be useless! Do you think the enemy doesn't have Saint Kings? They have more than double the Saint Kings we have! If our three ancestors were to act, it would likely play right into their trap. Now, we can only rely on ourselves. Pull yourselves together! You are descendants of the Zhou family, do not disgrace your ancestors! Even if we die, we must die with purpose, taking several of them down with us."
Another Zhou family cultivator nearby slapped him awake and roared into his ear.
"Kill!"
The young Zhou family cultivator, jolted awake by the slap, trembled. He forcefully suppressed the fear in his heart, his eyes gradually firming, revealing his fighting spirit. He tightly gripped his spear and charged forward.
"Thirteen Forms of the Heaven-Battling Sacred Spear!"
"Heaven-Facing Spear Form!"
"Middle-Level Spear Form!"
"Dripping Water Spear Form!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Brilliant spear lights erupted. In his hands, the spear seemed to transform into a swift and agile Flood Dragon. Several Golden Core cultivators from the allied forces were caught off guard and were pierced through, their bodies torn apart.
Blood splattered onto his face, carrying warmth, further fueling his battle frenzy.
"Kid, you're quite capable. Killing a few of my subordinates, pay with your life!"
At this moment, a powerful Quasi-Saint targeted him and unleashed a punch, carrying immense power. The young Zhou family cultivator struggled to raise his spear to block, but was still blasted back, spitting a mouthful of blood. He crashed heavily onto the ground, his eyes unfocused, his breath faint. He was only at the late stage of Golden Core. Even if his strength rivaled the peak of Golden Core, he was still no match for a Quasi-Saint.
"Like ants!"
The allied Quasi-Saint sneered, about to finish off the young Zhou family cultivator. However, he didn't expect the young man to suddenly widen his eyes. An unknown surge of power erupted from within his body, and he sprang up from the ground. His bloodied hands tightly gripped the spear, and with all his remaining strength, he thrust out a final spear strike.
"Mutual Destruction!"
His Golden Core detonated within him.