sinovels Chapter 82
Chapter 82
In the blink of an eye, he had rushed up the mountain peak and charged into the ranks of the demon archers.
"The wind sweeps away the remaining clouds!"
Wang Tianlong roared, and a sudden gust of wind rose around him, transforming into countless sharp wind blades that swept towards the surrounding demonic archers. How could these low-level demonic archers withstand the furious attack of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator? Instantly, screams of agony rose and fell, limbs flew everywhere, and their formation was thrown into chaos.
The other team members followed closely behind, unleashing all sorts of supernatural powers and magical treasures to quickly annihilate the ambushing demon archers.
However, before everyone could catch their breath, the ambush formation in the valley suddenly activated, transforming into a huge black vortex that emitted a powerful suction force. At the same time, several powerful demonic energies shot into the sky from the valley and flew rapidly toward them.
"They are ancient demons at the Nascent Soul stage! At least ten!" one of the team members said.
"Go! Don't linger!" Wang Tianlong had no intention of lingering. He glanced at the rapidly expanding black vortex and the powerful enemy in pursuit, and once again ordered a retreat.
The team sped away without stopping, continuing their flight towards Fallen Soul Slope.
The ancient demons relentlessly pursued them from behind, and further away, even more demonic energy seemed to be converging in this direction. In the sky, the flying mounts of the ancient demons occasionally swept past, emitting piercing shrieks that relayed their locations.
"This won't do. We'll be worn down or surrounded sooner or later." Wang Tianlong frowned, his mind racing.
Just then, a warm, cool sensation emanated from the Bodhi beads on his wrist, calming his restless mind slightly. He glanced at the terrain below and suddenly saw a deep, exceptionally dense canyon of demonic energy not far ahead.
"Everyone, follow me! Conceal your presence and slip into the canyon below!" Wang Tianlong made a decision in a flash. The most dangerous place is often the safest place. The canyon is filled with demonic energy, which can perfectly mask their presence, and the complex terrain will make it easier to shake off pursuers.
"yes!"
Everyone had complete faith in Wang Tianlong, and upon hearing this, they immediately suppressed their auras to the lowest level and followed Wang Tianlong, plunging headfirst into the bottomless, demonic-filled canyon.
Upon entering the canyon, the surrounding light suddenly dimmed, and a dense demonic aura enveloped the body like a viscous liquid. The howling wind and the whispers of unknown demons filled the air. At the same time, the auras of the pursuers above and the probing divine senses were indeed blurred and obscured by the dense demonic energy.
"Full speed ahead along the canyon!" Wang Tianlong transmitted his voice, leading his team to make a difficult but determined stealth journey along the dark, rugged, and treacherous bottom of the canyon towards Fallen Soul Slope.
In the south, on the outskirts of Lingmiao Garden, near Luohunpo, deep within an abandoned mine hidden by a natural illusion array.
Wang Tianlong's team was the first to arrive. Utilizing the complex terrain and dense demonic energy of the Earth-Cracking Canyon, they successfully evaded most of their pursuers. Although they encountered several attacks from mutated monsters along the way, they escaped unscathed; all ten members of the team were unharmed, with only one member sustaining minor injuries. This was undoubtedly an excellent outcome.
After selecting this abandoned mine as a temporary assembly point, Wang Tianlong immediately set up several layers of concealment and guard formations. The team members took turns resting and on guard, silently waiting for the arrival of other teams.
The second squad arrived the following night. Led by Caiyi, this squad consisted of only seven men, all wounded and exhausted. During their infiltration, they encountered an elite ancient demon patrol, resulting in a fierce battle. Although they annihilated the patrol, they suffered the loss of three men.
"Fellow Daoist Caiyi, you've worked hard." Wang Tianlong looked at Caiyi's slightly pale face and the injuries of his team members with a solemn expression.
"It's alright, we've finally arrived." Caiyi put down a pill, took a moment to adjust her breathing, and said in a deep voice, "We've made quite a commotion by exposing ourselves, and the Ancient Demons' vigilance has clearly intensified. The subsequent teams will probably face even greater difficulties."
On the morning of the third day, the team personally led by Master Xuanhun arrived. This team was the strongest, but only eight people remained upon arrival. Two of them had sacrificed themselves to cover their teammates while forcibly breaking through an ancient demon barrier, choosing to self-destruct to block the enemy. Master Xuangu's face was gloomy, clearly indicating his heavy heart.
"Senior Xuanhun." Wang Tianlong and Caiyi stepped forward to greet him.
"Hmm." Venerable Xuanhun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the group in the cave. "Reaching this far is already quite an achievement. As for the rest of the group..."
Before he finished speaking, a slight ripple came from the warning array outside the cave.
Everyone immediately went on high alert. Moments later, the third and fourth teams arrived almost simultaneously. Each team was led by two veteran late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from the human realm. These two teams were in even worse shape; one had only five members left, and the other only six, all severely injured and practically incapable of fighting. They had been ambushed and pursued by ancient demons, and had fought their way out to reach this place with their lives on the line.
The atmosphere inside the cave grew increasingly oppressive. Nearly twenty Nascent Soul cultivators had already perished just by reaching the assembly point! And these were only the four teams that had arrived initially.
"Rest where you are, treat the wounded, and replenish your supplies with medicine," Master Xuangu ordered in a deep voice, a hint of weariness in his tone. "We can wait at most one more day. After that, no matter how many remaining teams arrive, we must move out!"
Everyone nodded silently, knowing that time was of the essence. Every moment they waited increased the risk of exposure.
Another day and night passed.
During this time, two more battered teams, totaling nine people, arrived, covered in wounds. They were the fifth and sixth teams, and had suffered nearly half their casualties.
However, by the final deadline set by Master Xuanhun, the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth teams had still not appeared.
Inside the cave, all was deathly silent.
Master Xuanhun slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the remaining forty-five Nascent Soul cultivators gathered in the cave (including himself, Wang Tianlong, Caiyi, and other core members). Of the hundred-strong elite team that had set out, more than half had already been lost during the infiltration!
"It seems the other four teams... are likely in grave danger." Master Xuan Gu's voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow. "Perhaps they are trapped, perhaps..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the unspoken meaning.
"Gentlemen," Venerable Xuanhun took a deep breath, his eyes rekindling with a resolute light, "our mission is not yet complete! The Spirit Misty Garden lies ahead! The ancient demons stained this land with the blood of my comrades. Today, let us destroy the Spirit Misty Garden, sever the ancient demons' foundation, and console the spirits of our fallen comrades!"
"Wang Tianlong, Caiyi," Master Xuanhun said, looking at the two, "you two will continue as the vanguard, leading your forces to scout ahead and clear out the outer perimeter. I will lead the main force to provide support. Once you discover the core of the teleportation array or Venerable Poison Flood Dragon, immediately send a signal and we will join forces to surround and kill them!"
"Yes!" Wang Tianlong and Caiyi bowed and accepted the order.
"The rest of you, check your magical artifacts and elixirs, and adjust your condition. We'll depart in half an hour!" Master Xuangu gave his final order.
Inside the mine, everyone fell silent, sitting cross-legged to begin their final breathing exercises. A palpable sense of battle spirit and tragic grandeur filled the air.
Wang Tianlong stroked the Bodhi beads on his wrist, then touched the Void Shuttle and the Heavenly Net in his arms, his eyes cold and resolute.
Forty-five people against the ancient demon guards of Lingmiao Garden, who had been operating for decades, and the Venerable Poison Dragon at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage... This was undoubtedly a tough battle with a huge disparity in strength.