Chapter 1004: The Great Sun Tathagata's Purifying Mantra vs. Heavenly Demon War

Retreat!

In the dark heaven and earth, Ye Chen's voice, carrying supreme authority, echoed throughout the world.

Bei Zhen Cang Yuan had already been overrun by the Tian Mo army, and all who could be saved had been rescued. Those who couldn't were reduced to dust. The Heavenly Court army and the descendants of emperors were all retreating en masse.

This battle had come too suddenly, with no preparations in place, leaving them completely caught off guard by the Tian Mo forces.

Ye Chen set down the Hao Tian Xuan Zhen, entrusting it to those behind him. War was this cruel; there was no time even for grief.

As the commander of the three armies, he had to be responsible for his soldiers and for the common people behind him. The Tian Mo army was overwhelmingly powerful, and to resist them would require the full might of the entire Da Chu. This would be a prolonged and brutal war.

Boom! Rumbling! Thunderous roars!

The heavens shook as the Tian Mo army surged out of Bei Zhen Cang Yuan.

Looking down from above, it was a vast black ocean, churning with terrifying waves that swallowed up vast swathes of beautiful mountains and rivers.

The Heavenly Court army and the descendants of emperors retreated again and again, until they reached a mountain range stretching a million li from east to west. There, they finally halted.

Form the arrays!

The nine great hall masters of the Heavenly Court shouted with thunderous voices.

Immediately, the scattered army regrouped at top speed, forming neat square formations that spread like a black carpet across nearly a million li of land and filled the skies above.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Then, over a thousand Virtual Heaven Killing Arrays were deployed in the skies, more than ten thousand killing arrays filled the void, nearly a hundred thousand mountain-protecting barriers rose up, and over twenty Heavenly Realm artifacts were activated to safeguard the heavens, all in wait for the Tian Mo army's assault.

"Take everything that can be taken, and destroy everything that can't."

Ye Chen, gripping the Blood Spirit Divine Saber, stood in the void, his authoritative voice ringing out once more across the heavens and earth.

As soon as he spoke, cultivators from various forces with weaker abilities began to withdraw en masse.

Ye Chen's words carried profound meaning. The fall of Bei Chu was only a matter of time. The Heavenly Court army would retreat to Nan Chu to hold their ground, as this was a war that would drag on. All the cultivation resources of Bei Chu were vital assets for fighting the Tian Mo army and could not be left behind for them.

Clearly, Ye Chen had chosen this spot to stall the Tian Mo army, buying time.

Bei Chu needed time to transport those resources, Yang Ding Tian and the others needed time to evacuate the mortals to Nan Chu, and Nan Chu needed time to reinforce its city walls, which would serve as Da Chu's final barrier.

"Destroying the Qing Tian Mo Zhu is easier said than done!" Tai Xu Gu Long gazed toward the direction of Bei Zhen Cang Yuan, as if he could see through the countless miles to that massive, pitch-black demonic pillar piercing the sky.

"The Tian Mo army outnumbers us by more than ten times." Zi Xuan's expression was grave. "With such absolute suppression in strength, how can we ever reclaim Bei Zhen Cang Yuan?"

"Liu Yi, if I fall in battle, you will be the next Holy Lord of the Heavenly Court."

As the two discussed, Ye Chen, standing in the void, spoke again, his words ethereal yet commanding, as if arranging his final affairs.

"Kid, don't do anything reckless." Tai Xu Gu Long said in a deep voice.

"The entire Da Chu, only I can reach the Qing Tian Mo Zhu." Ye Chen's tone remained calm.

"I..." Tai Xu Gu Long began, but didn't know what else to say.

Indeed, by using the Immortal Wheel Heavenly Dao to escape into a spatial black hole, one could evade the Tian Mo army, and in all of Da Chu, only Ye Chen possessed such power.

But Tai Xu Gu Long also knew that reaching the Qing Tian Mo Zhu and actually destroying it were two different things. Since the Tian Mo knew their weakness was the Qing Tian Mo Zhu, they would surely have defenses in place. How could Ye Chen, alone, stand against a group of quasi-emperors whose powers were suppressed?

They're here!

As Tai Xu Gu Long pondered, Xiao Feng's voice resounded through the skies.

Gazing into the distance, the Tian Mo army advanced like an endless black ocean, devouring the land. Each soldier had blood-red eyes, all bloodthirsty and savage, making the Heavenly Court cultivators' faces turn pale.

Charge!

Ye Chen suddenly swung his sword, pointing directly at the Tian Mo army.

In an instant, the Virtual Heaven Killing Arrays, the void killing arrays, and the Heavenly Realm artifacts all activated simultaneously, unleashing waves of divine light.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The Tian Mo army had barely arrived when they were caught off guard, with figures being obliterated in droves, bodies raining from the void, and black blood staining the heavens and earth.

Yet, even so, the Tian Mo army pressed on relentlessly, surging forward as soon as one wave was wiped out.

Moreover, the Tian Mo army had come prepared, deploying ancient killing arrays whose numbers and power completely overwhelmed the Heavenly Court forces. Demonic divine light pierced through the mountain-protecting barriers.

Charge!

The Tian Mo generals laughed mockingly, their eyes filled with sinister light, as the vast Tian Mo army swept in like a tide.

Om! Ma! Ni! Ba! Mi! Hong!

Suddenly, every member of the Heavenly Court army pressed their palms together, chanting ancient Buddhist scriptures. The scriptures intertwined into waves of Buddhist light, purifying the turbid world.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The Tian Mo soldiers who had just charged forward were annihilated in batches upon contact with the Buddhist sounds and light, plummeting from the void. Even the stronger ones clutched their heads and roared in agony.

Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou!

A Tian Mo general under the Tian Mo monarch snorted coldly, clearly aware that this purification mantra was specifically designed to counter evil demons.

Sound the war drums!

The Tian Mo general's cold command thundered like lightning, shaking the heavens and earth.

Immediately, nine ancient, battered war drums were brought out, each towering a thousand zhang high and etched with ancient demonic patterns. Every wisp of aura emanating from them was as heavy as a mountain, carrying a aura of world-ending destruction.

"Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons!" Zi Xuan's face changed dramatically, filled with disbelief.

"More precisely, damaged Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons." Tai Xu Gu Long murmured, his expression darkening. "The Tian Mo Domain actually has so many Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons. Even in their damaged state, their power is not to be underestimated."

Boom! Boom boom boom!

Opposite them, the Tian Mo army began beating the war drums.

With each drumbeat, a massive illusory figure appeared amid the Tian Mo army, standing tall as a giant, clad in icy armor with blood flags fluttering. It was like a primordial demon god, its presence dominating the eight directions, ruling over the world and overlooking all.

The prolonged drumbeats were like a demonic curse, seeming to emerge from the nine underworlds, Bewitching minds and shaking souls. They carried the might of an emperor, forming dark ripples that spread toward the Heavenly Court army, causing the void to collapse inch by inch wherever they passed.

Om! Ma! Ni! Ba! Mi! Hong!

At the same moment, every member of the Heavenly Court army burned their cultivation power, reciting the Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou.

In an instant, a massive illusory golden Buddha appeared behind them, standing tall and mighty with a swastika on its chest. It was enveloped in brilliant Buddhist light and also chanted Buddhist sounds, radiating billions of rays of light that illuminated the world.

In a flash, the Buddhist sounds of the Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou clashed with the demonic sounds of the Tian Mo war drums.

Boom!

That stretch of heaven and earth exploded, instantly turning into a chaotic realm where the void, skies, firmament, and mountains all crumbled piece by piece. Terrifying spatial rifts and black holes emerged.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The devastating power of the Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou against the Tian Mo war drums turned both the Tian Mo army and the Heavenly Court cultivators into ashes in massive numbers, leaving no corpses behind.

Boom!

As the heavens split open, the towering golden Buddha shattered with a roar.

The Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou had been overpowered—or rather, the Heavenly Court army had been overpowered. The Buddhist sounds were crushed, and the demonic sounds of the Tian Mo war drums swept through unchecked, attacking indiscriminately. The Heavenly Court army was reduced to ashes in droves, and even the mountain-protecting barriers exploded violently.

Attack for me!

With the demonic sounds of the Tian Mo war drums breaking both the Da Ri Ru Lai Jing Shi Zhou and the barriers, the numerous Tian Mo generals waved their war pikes, pointing toward the army.

Boom! Rumbling!

At once, ancient war chariots soared from the Tian Mo army, crushing the heavens and earth as they charged forward. Each chariot carried a Tian Mo soldier clad in black armor and wielding a black spear.

Behind the swarm of chariots came the Tian Mo army like a vast ocean.

Charge!

The nine great hall masters of the Heavenly Court also swung their swords, activating killing arrays to clash with the Tian Mo army. Figures filled the skies as they rushed out, many mounting chariots and soaring through the clouds with overwhelming killing intent.