Chapter 1578: 消耗战

"Obstinate fool." The Yaozu old ancestor snorted coldly and immediately formed seals to revive the Di Qi, urging it with surging Fa Li.

The Zhen Tian Hu hummed with energy, its ultimate Di Wei and Di Dao laws intertwining as billions of thunderbolts gathered, unleashing a destructive force that could shatter the heavens and extinguish the earth.

Onlookers from all sides paled, trying to move their feet, but their legs trembled and lost all sensation, replaced only by sheer dread.

The Di Qi was terrifying beyond measure; its single strike was beyond most people's ability to withstand, even reducing Quasi-Emperor level beings to nothing in an instant.

"Break for me." The Yaozu old ancestor roared, pointing toward the Tian Ting.

Instantly, the Zhen Tian Hu unleashed a devastating thunderbolt, descending straight from the sky and striking the Tian Ting's protective barrier.

A thunderous boom erupted, with the point of impact as its center, sending out a halo of light that spread endlessly in all directions.

Wherever the halo passed, space twisted and warped, small mountains turned to ash, and crowds of people were sent flying in droves, with many perishing on the spot as their souls scattered.

The heavens and earth were left in utter ruin, as if ravaged by a thunderstorm.

Yet, to everyone's shock, the emperor soldier's world-shattering strike failed to breach the Tian Ting's immortal mountain protective barrier.

"Did I see that right?" The cultivators from all sides steadied themselves, unable to hold back their exclamations of disbelief.

"That's an emperor soldier, a Great Emperor's life-bound Di Qi!"

"Almost scared me to death." On a peak in the Tian Ting, Situ Nan took a swig of wine and rinsed his mouth afterward.

"The Taixu Gulong clan's Yu Tian Fa Array is truly overbearing and unmatched." Long Jie and Qing Long sighed in admiration, feeling a sense of pride as descendants of the Hong Huang Ancestral Dragon with shared bloodline.

"The issue is the sheer quantity!" Kui Niu and the others grimaced. "One emperor soldier alone won't break through this defense."

"It's not that one emperor soldier can't break the barrier, but the person controlling the Di Qi is too weak, far from unleashing its full power." Nan Di pondered. "Emperor soldiers need a Great Emperor to truly wield them."

"Ye Chen, we've held it off." Shangguan Yu'er said with a light smile, continuing to dispel the dead Qi around Ye Chen along with the other women.

Ye Chen smiled but said nothing, never doubting the Taixu Gulong clan's defenses—not even an emperor soldier could penetrate them.

"How is this possible? It withstood the emperor soldier." Outside the mountains, the Yao Huang and the Yaozu divine generals' faces turned extremely grim.

Compared to them, the Yaozu old ancestor remained composed, his aged eyes deep and fixed intently on the Tian Ting's defensive barrier.

As he stared, his eyes narrowed into slits.

As a Quasi-Emperor, he saw through it clearly—not only discerning the origin of the Tian Ting's defenses but also the vast number of barriers, layer upon layer, enough to shock even him.

"This is quite unexpected. It's the Taixu Gulong clan's Yu Tian Array, and in such massive quantities." The Yaozu old ancestor sneered.

"Old ancestor, shall we continue the attack?" Yao Huang turned to ask.

"Attack." The Yaozu old ancestor gave a faint smile. "Setting up so many protective barriers and attack arrays comes at a tremendous cost. I want to see how long they can hold out."

With that, he urged the Zhen Tian Hu to life once more, reviving its divine might.

This time, the Yao Huang and the Yaozu experts joined in, as controlling the emperor soldier drained too much energy, even for a Quasi-Emperor.

The Zhen Tian Hu's Di Wei reemerged, its divine power vast and mighty, with strands of Di Dao laws manifesting and intertwining with numerous visions.

Witnessing this, cultivators from all sides hurriedly summoned their life-bound magic tools and protective Fa Li to shield against the shockwaves.

For the second time, the Zhen Tian Hu released a monumental thunderbolt.

The Tian Ting barrier trembled but held firm, once again withstanding the emperor soldier's assault like an unyielding mountain.

Undeterred, the Yaozu continued to drive the Di Qi, sending down one devastating thunderbolt after another, each more domineering than the last.

Thunderous booms echoed through the heavens, with destructive forces bombarding the Tian Ting barrier repeatedly, intent on obliterating it.

Onlookers swallowed hard in secret. "The Tian Ting's defenses are insane! They can withstand so many strikes from an emperor soldier."

"It's only a matter of time before it's breached." The older experts stroked their beards thoughtfully. "Such powerful defenses require enormous consumption. Once the Yuan Shi runs out, the barrier will fall."

"This is where the real show begins." Many eyes gleamed with excitement. "Five million people against the Yaozu—it's bound to be spectacular."

"Damn it, the Yaozu must be on some kind of frenzy!" In the Tian Ting's immortal mountains, curses rang out as piles of Yuan Shi were depleted, causing everyone pain—these were valuable resources, after all!

"Don't activate the attack arrays anymore." Ye Chen's voice echoed across the immortal mountains. "Conserve the Yuan Shi for the protective barriers."

"Don't worry, we understand." The Tian Ting cultivators replied with a chuckle.

"How long can the Tian Ting's current Yuan Shi sustain the protective barriers?" Ye Chen turned his head, his sightless eyes looking toward Xiong Er.

"At least a month." Xiong Er straightened his collar. "And more Yuan Shi is being delivered continuously. As long as business keeps going, we'll have plenty. Money's not an issue—don't worry about it."

"This battle is all about attrition—don't drop the ball."

"At crucial moments, I, Xiong Ye, am always reliable."

"You don't need to worry." Long Yi scratched his ear. "The emperor soldier's destructive power is immense, but its consumption is just as huge. In a war of attrition, we can wear them down to tears."

"Besides, one emperor soldier is far from enough to break the Tian Ting's defenses—it would take at least three Di Qi to pose a real threat." Long Five added. "We know emperor soldiers inside and out."

Ye Chen smiled and turned back, his dim eyes gazing toward the mountains outside.

The Yaozu powerhouses were still attacking, howling ferociously as if pumped with stimulants or gunpowder.

Each strike shook the heavens and earth, collapsing space and turning that region into chaos.

The Yaozu attacked with overwhelming force, while onlookers watched intently, some hoping the Tian Ting barrier would break just to see a full-blown clash.

And so, one side defended while the other assaulted, shaking the very foundations of heaven and earth.

More spectators arrived from afar, from Dong Huang and Xi Mo, murmuring in awe at the Tian Ting's defenses, which could withstand an emperor soldier—an incredibly dominant barrier.

Quietly, night fell, but the thunderous booms persisted.

It was evident that the emperor soldier's strikes were less intense than before, its power noticeably weakened.

Glancing at the Yaozu members, from the old ancestor down to the ordinary soldiers, all had pale faces and disordered breathing.

Just as Long Yi had said, the Di Qi's destructive might was matched by its massive consumption—they couldn't sustain it indefinitely.

"Damn it, where does the Tian Ting get so much Yuan Shi to support the barrier?" A Yaozu divine general cursed, his demonic light dimming.

"We're depleting our Qi and blood, but they're not faring much better—they can't hold out forever." Another divine general sneered.

"Go back to the clan for more Yuan Shi and keep attacking." Yao Huang snorted coldly. "With the Yaozu's foundations, can we not outlast a mere Tian Ting?"

"You've truly underestimated them." The Yaozu old ancestor's face was the darkest, twisted into a grotesque expression like that of a demon.

"The Tian Ting is like an unkillable cockroach—that's exactly what they are." The watching cultivators rubbed their hands. "So resilient."

"Even an emperor soldier can't break through—it's going to exhaust the Yaozu half to death."

"Let me calculate it—an old fortune-teller like me predicts the Yaozu will end up in tears." On a nearby peak, Chi Yang Zi said contentedly, stroking his small beard.

"The major ancient cities of Xuan Huang all have Tian Ting industries, supplying resources endlessly. The Yaozu can't compare." Wu Ji Zi chuckled. "Unless they cut off the Tian Ting's revenue streams."

"You're underestimating the Yaozu's determination." In the Tian Ting's immortal mountains, Ye Chen took a deep breath, still standing amid the immortal fire.

As he spoke, a rumbling came from his stomach. As a mortal, he couldn't go without food like cultivators.

"Anything to eat? Give me something—I'm starving." Ye Chen coughed lightly, looking at Shangguan Yu'er beside him.

"Oh, you're hungry?"

"Nonsense, hurry up."

"Call me 'wife,' and I'll give you food." Shangguan Yu'er giggled.

"Yeah! Call her 'wife,' and we'll make you something good." Hao Tian Shi Yue and Bi You joined in the teasing.

"Stop messing around, I'm really hungry."

"Then we won't help—you have to say it, or no food."

"Don't scare me—I'll find food elsewhere." Ye Chen said, trying to manipulate the immortal fire. The Tian Ting was vast, with so many people; as the holy master, he could get food anywhere.

To his surprise, the immortal fire didn't budge—it just floated there.

"How thoughtful." The women all laughed.

The immortal fire had some intelligence; it split off a wisp that formed a hand, making an OK gesture.

Ye Chen twitched his mouth. You're just making things harder for me!

"Oh dear, what now? You can't go anywhere!" The women blinked at him playfully. "Will you say it?"

"I'm the holy master." Ye Chen turned the other way, knowing Xiong Er was nearby. "Fatty, get me some food."

"Coming right up!" Xiong Er scampered over.

"You dead fatty, get lost." The women put their hands on their hips and scolded, their gazes fierce enough to kill.

"Uh-heh-heh." Shivering under their stares, Xiong Er laughed awkwardly, tucked the food back into his storage bag, and scampered away.

"Having a brother like you really warms my heart." Ye Chen stroked his white beard, his expression meaningful.

"Will you say it?" Shangguan Yu'er pulled out a Ling Guo, waving it teasingly under Ye Chen's nose.

"I..." Ye Chen's words trailed off as he suddenly turned his head toward the mountains outside, his eyes closing.

The women followed his gaze, sensing something serious in his expression.

"Northwest direction." Ye Chen murmured with his eyes shut.

"As a mortal, you're still able to sense her presence—it's quite surprising." Hong Chen Xue walked over from the sky.

"Is it her?" Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes.

"Yes, it's Feng Xian." Hong Chen Xue said softly, also looking northwest. In a corner of the crowd, a figure in a black robe was sneering at the Tian Ting.

And who else could she be but Feng Xian? She had slipped out of Ling Shan secretly and infiltrated Zhong Zhou to watch the battle.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her." Hong Chen Xue sighed. "She used a reverse summoning to evade tracking."

"Even Bei Sheng isn't her match, and there are few in the Tian Ting who can stand against her. It's not your fault." Ye Chen said calmly, a flicker of cold light in his turbid eyes.