"Aside from the Nine Sun Astral Formation, our city did have some powerful trump cards that could threaten devilish lords, but these trump cards all have severe limitations and can only be used a set number of times, so there are barely any remaining now. These devilish lords are throwing their armies at us once every few days, and they're doing this in order to exhaust all of our trump cards. I'll disclose the specific details of the situation to the two of you later," Master Azure Dragon replied with a wry smile.
"Indeed, those devilish lords are extremely devious, and every time they've attacked the city, we've been forced to exhaust a large number of our defensive resources. On many occasions, the two of us were forced to exit the city to combat the enemies, and the devilish lords would always appear to attack us. If we hadn't used some trump cards to defend ourselves, we could've easily followed in the footsteps for our two fallen fellow Daoists," Fairy Lin Luan said as a look of intense resentment appeared on her face.
"It sounds like the city's not in a very good place; please elaborate on the current situation," Han Li said in a calm voice.
"Yes, it would indeed be a good idea for us to get a better grasp of the situation," Fairy Silver Light chimed in in agreement.
"Fellow Daoist Shi, introduce our Heavenlean City's current situation to our fellow Daoists here," Master Azure Dragon said as he turned to one of the Spatial Tempering cultivators.
"Yes, Grand Elder!" a grey-robed elderly man said as he immediately took a step forward in a respectful manner.
After extending a salute to Han Li's duo, he began in a solemn voice, "The situation that our Heavenlean City is currently in is truly not a very optimistic one. All of the fortresses we had constructed around the city had been razed to the ground by the devilish army several months ago, and five of the thirteen protective restrictions we've set up around the city have also been destroyed. In order to repair these restrictions, we'll require at least a month of respite. The most powerful asset of our city, the army of copper puppets, has also been reduced from 100,000 to around only 70,000.
"On top of that, the remaining puppets are all severely damaged, and are in desperate need of repair and recuperation. Otherwise, their numbers will only drop at an increased rate. The most damning thing of all is that the treasure used as the core of several of our city's major protective formations was destroyed in a surprise attack from the Jialun War Devils, which has dropped our defensive prowess by about 30%. As for the spirit beasts being nurtured by the Heavenlean Sect and Heavenly Sovereign Sect..." As the elderly man spoke, the grim look in Fairy Silver Light's eyes became more and more pronounced.
Han Li's brows also furrowed slightly, and after listening for a while longer, he suddenly interjected, "Why is it all bad news? Isn't there anything good you can tell us?"
"Of course there's some good news as well! Thus far, our city hasn't actually suffered all that many casualties, and we've only lost around 10% of all of our low and mid-grade cultivators, and mortal warriors. It's just that morale is not very high due to frequent battles we've had to endure and the death of the two Body Integration Stage seniors. On top of that, our supply of spirit stones and other resources are extremely abundant, and they'll be able to last us several decades with no issues..." Thus, the grey-robed elderly man began to rattle off a list of positives at Han Li's behest.
"I see, so we're not lacking in manpower or resources. With Brother Han and I here to reinforce the city, there's a very good chance that we'll be able to defend it," Fairy Silver Light said in a slightly relieved manner.
"That's what Fellow Daoist Azure Dragon and I think as well. With your assistance, we won't have to fear the four devilish lords anymore. Those All-encompassing Devilish Cavaliers and Jialun War Devils are certainly very troublesome, but as long as we can put on a display to show everyone that our high-end powers aren't inferior to that of the devilish army, then I'm sure morale will be recovered in no time," Lin Luan said with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Indeed, when the devilish army attacks our city again, we just have to think of a way to trap the four devilish lords, then unleash the power of the Nine Sun Astral Formation; perhaps we'll be able to severely wound one or two devilish lords," Master Azure Dragon chimed in in an optimistic manner.
"It most likely won't be that easy. Those two devilish lords have already seen us enter Heavenlean City, so they'll definitely have their guard up. They'll most likely devise countermeasures against the Nine Sun Astral Formation, or simply wait until the day when the five suns transition into moons before they attack the city again," Han Li said with a shake of his head.
"Hehe, if they choose to do that, then our city will get some much-needed respite. If we can repair the city's restrictions and copper puppet army, and prepare some other trump cards we have up our sleeves, we may be able to defend the city even if the Nine Sun Astral Formation fails. However, no matter what happens, we'll require your assistance, fellow Daoists," Master Azure Dragon said with a cold smile.
After a brief silence, Han Li nodded, and said, "It looks like that's all we can do for now. Rest assured, if those devilish lords join in on the attack against the city, Fellow Daoist Silver Light and I will be sure to lend you our assistance."
"We came all the way here with the goal of helping your city through these tough times, so we're certainly not going to just stand by and watch when our services are required," Fairy Silver Light chimed in with a smile.
"You have my thanks, fellow Daoists," Fairy Lin Luan immediately said in a grateful manner, and Master Azure Dragon also expressed his gratitude with an elated look in his eyes.
After that, Han Li and Fairy Silver Light made some more inquiries about the city defenses, and after the Spatial Tempering cultivators answered all of their questions, they took their leave and were taken to their silent cultivation chambers to rest.
They had traveled for a long time to get to Heavenlean City, and a battle against the devilish army could erupt at any moment, so they really did need to rest and recuperate.
Of course, prior to their departure, Master Azure Dragon gave each of them a jade slip containing information about the devilish army that they were facing.
As such, as they were resting, they would be able to familiarize themselves with their enemies.
Following the departure of Han Li's duo, the group of Spatial Tempering cultivators also took their leave. Master Azure Dragon looked on at their departing figures, and suddenly heaved a long sigh.
"Are you still concerned, Fellow Daoist?" Fairy Lin Luan asked with a faint smile.
"How could I not be concerned? You and I both saw how our fellow Daoists were felled on that day. Those two devilish lords are far more fearsome than we imagined; even with Fellow Daoist Han and Fellow Daoist Silver Light's assistance, our chances of securing victory are still very slim," Master Azure Dragon said in a grim voice.
Fairy Lin Luan's expression darkened slightly upon hearing this, but a cold smile then appeared on her face, and she said, "But if we use that thing, there's still a chance for us, so it's not like we've deceived them."
Chapter 1909: Descendant of the Sacred Ancestor
"Are you really planning to release that thing? Even with the combined powers of all four of us, we were only able to seal it into the Nine Sun Astral Formation when it was at its most feeble point. If we were to release that monster, perhaps it would attack us first before it attacks our enemies. After all, it does possess some intelligence," Master Azure Dragon said in a concerned manner.
"There's no need to be overly concerned about that; the Blood Soul Talisman is almost ready, and it's in the final stage of its preparation. I've inquired the restriction masters in our sect about this, and even though the talisman isn't completely ready, it'll currently still be around half as effective as it should be in its complete form. As long as we inject that talisman into the monster, even if we won't be able to completely control it, we'll at least be able to ensure that it won't attack us. Our top priority now is
to endure this period of two months. Sealing that beast in the Nine Sun Astral Formation is indeed a very secure arrangement, but if the formation doesn't deactivate on its own, there's no way for us to release that beast, either. You and I both know that if the devilish lords didn't care about casualties and launched an all-out attack on our city, even with the Nine Sun Astral Formation, there's no way we can stop them," Fairy Lin Luan said in a grim voice
"The Blood Soul Talisman is ready? That's fantastic! With Fellow Daoist Han and Fairy Silver Light's assistance, we should be able to last until that day. I'm sure those devilish beings won't have anticipated that we're also waiting for the day when the five suns transition into moons to arrive," Master Azure Dragon said in an elated matter.
"With that monster's help, even in the worst-case scenario, we'll at least be evenly matched with those devilish beings. If worse comes to worst, then we'll just have to take our core disciples and travel to Deep Heaven City. We'll have to rely on their charity for our safety, but at the very least, it'll ensure that we'll survive this devilish tribulation. During the few days prior to the day when the five suns transition into moons, gather all of the city's resources and core disciples so we can leave right away if required. As long as we do our best to hold off those devilish lords, those disciples will definitely be able to make a safe departure," Fairy Lin Luan said with a confident smile, and it was quite clear that she had put a lot of thought into this plan.
After contemplating the proposed plan for a moment, Master Azure Dragon decided that it was quite sound, but a forlorn look then appeared on his face. "I guess that's our only option. What a pity; if our two fellow Daoists hadn't fallen into that trap, our Heavenlean City would be in a far better situation right now."
"Indeed, who would've thought that the devilish lords would become so cunning? If we had anticipated their plan and unleashed the combination formation that the four of us prepared in advance, we definitely would've been at least evenly matched with those devilish lords," Fairy Lin Luan sighed.
"Alright, so we've now decided on our main course of action, but I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on things as our overall morale is still very shaky in the aftermath of the loss of our two grand elders. Also, make sure that no resources are spared in repairing those copper puppets. It took our four sects tens of thousands of years to refine them, and they're our main counter against the All-encompassing Devilish Cavaliers."
"Of course, but I think it's time we considered unleashing our elite forces against those Jialun War Devils. Otherwise, the puppets alone definitely wouldn't be enough..."
Thus, the two began to discuss some other matters. Fair Lin Luan possessed a slightly inferior cultivation base compared to Master Azure Dragon, but she was clearly the leader when it came to decision-making.
...
Just as the two of them were holding their discussion, the four devilish lords were also discussing some matters together. They were situated in a hall within a massive valley that was enshrouded in dense devilish Qi tens of thousands of kilometers away from Heavenlean City.
Tie Long was sitting on the main seat, while Fei Ya was leaning expressionlessly against a stone pillar beside the entrance of the hall.
The other two devilish lords were comprised of a smiling beauty in a blue dress, and a 40-feet-tall giant clad in a suit of fiery red armor. Only his eyes were visible through the suit of full-body armor, and there were flames dancing within them.
"What? Lord Li's trio was killed at the same time? And we've been ordered to stop attacking Heavenlean City to investigate this matter?" the giant in the suit of red armor exclaimed in an incredulous manner.
Even though he had tried to keep his voice as low as possible, the entire hall still tremored violently.
"Is that true, Brother Tie? You're not making a joke here, are you?" the female devilish lord asked in a bewildered manner.
"I only just received this order following my return as well. This order was passed down by Master Xue Guang himself, so it's definitely authentic. On top of that, Master Xue Guang even deployed his personal guards, the Yin Yang Twin Devils, to meet up with us in a month. It seems that not only was Lord Li's trio killed, something that was extremely important to Master Xue Guang was also lost in the process," Tie Long said in a grim voice.
"Even the Yin Yang Twin Devils were sent out? That item really must be extremely important to Master Xue Guang, then. Brother Tie, do you know exactly what was lost to prompt such a reaction from Master Xue Guang?" the woman asked.
"I'm not so sure about that, and Master Xue Guang didn't elaborate on it, either. However, we should be able to ask the Yin Yang Twin Devils when they arrive," Tie Long said with a shake of his head.
"Hehe, if it's something that Master Xue Guang doesn't want to tell us, then I'll only be asking for trouble if I try to pry around for answers. It's a pity that we'll have to give up on our attack against Heavenlean City, though," the woman sighed.
Not only was this woman an early-Body Integration Stage devilish lord, she seemed to be regarding the late-Body Integration Stage Tie Long as equals.
"We're not giving up; it's only a temporary ceasefire. Once the day when the five suns transition into moons arrives, we'll launch an all-out attack. Two Body Integration Stage human cultivators just arrived at Heavenlean City, and they're quite powerful, so there's no longer any point in launching these attacks to whittle down the city's defenses. On top of that, seeing as the Yin Yang Twin Devils are coming here, perhaps we can invite them to assist us during our all-out attack. Even if the humans do come up with some tricks, they'll be no match for all six of us," Tie Long said in a calm manner.
"That's true. If the Yin Yang Twin Devils can also participate in the attack, then we'll be able to take the city down with ease. Speaking of which, from the sounds of it, you seem to have already encountered the two new human cultivators; would you be able to tell us about their abilities?" the woman asked.
Tie Long's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this before he replied, "I'm not the only one who encountered those two; Brother Fei was also with me."
"You were also there, Brother Fei? What did you think of those human cultivators?" the red-armored giant asked.
Fei Ya didn't seem to be a fan of speaking, and only after a long pause did he give a clipped response. "There's a weak early-Body Integration cultivator and a powerful mid-Body Integration cultivator."
The woman faltered slightly before chuckling, "That's not a very helpful answer, Brother Fei. Besides, you're a direct lineal descendant of Sacred Ancestor Xue Tian, so your powers far outstrip those of cultivators of the same caliber; your standards of weak and powerful are much different from ours."
"One of them is weaker than you, while the other can kill you; is that clear enough?" Fei Ya elaborated in an expressionless manner, and the woman's chuckles were immediately cut off as a dark expression appeared on her face.
"Is that an exaggeration, Brother Fei? Fairy Yu is one of the branch descendants of Master Ming Luo; her bloodline may not be as pure as your direct lineal bloodline, but she's definitely far more powerful than other devilish lords of her cultivation base as well," the red-armored giant said in a skeptical manner.
"I'm just telling you what I think; you can choose to believe it or not," Fei Ya replied in a cold voice.
The red-armored giant didn't have any response to this.
"Hehe, Brother Fei's words are a little harsh and abrasive, but one of those two new human cultivators is indeed quite extraordinary. At the very least, his physical body is no weaker than mine, and he possesses incredible strength; he was able to escape completely unscathed from a grab that I had unleashed. Keep in mind that he was caught completely off guard, and my grab was imbued with a hint of the power of laws; under normal circumstances, it should've been able to capture a mid-Body Integration cultivator with ease," Tie Long said.
"Is he really that troublesome to deal with?" The woman was truly surprised to hea
r this.
"Brother Fei is definitely not exaggerating. Even I was struck by a sense of extreme danger when facing that human cultivator, and I may not have been able to defeat him. Otherwise, Brother Fei and I wouldn't have immediately made a retreat after the initial confrontation. If you two encounter that human cultivator, then you really must be careful," Tie Long said in a solemn manner.
"Thank you for the words of caution, but if I really do encounter this human cultivator; I'd like to face him to see if he really is as powerful as the two of you proclaim!" the woman said as a competitive gleam flashed through her eyes.
Tie Long's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, and he was just about to say something when the red-armored giant suddenly proposed a theory that sent a jolt running through everyone's hearts. "If that human cultivator is this powerful, then could it be that he was behind the deaths of Lord Li's trio?"
Chapter 1910: Mysterious Wooden Box
Tie Long and the woman's expressions stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and they reflexively exchanged a glance. A hint of surprise also appeared on Fei Ya's stoic face.
"Now that you mention it, that is indeed quite possible. Judging from the time when Lord Li's trio was killed, there's a good chance that they would've encountered the two human cultivators as they were traveling to Heavenlean City. In that case, that human cultivator must be even more powerful than I imagine him to be. With the assistance of another devilish lord, it won't be difficult for me to defeat Lord Li's trio, but even I wouldn't be able to kill all of them if they were intent on fleeing the scene," Tie Long said in a contemplative voice.
"In that case, we really must regard this man as a formidable enemy. If he was able to kill Lord Li's trio, then it may be quite difficult for us to ensure his death even with the help of the Yin Yang Twin Devils. If he's determined to escape, then only a Sacred Ancestor will be able to trap him with absolute reliability," the woman murmured as her brows furrowed tightly.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1103