Chapter 2393: The Dark Battle

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the statue of Youming Dadi crumbled, shattered beneath the iron hooves of the Tianmo. The emperor's glory was stained with the ignominious blood of its collapse.

Oh, great emperor!

Tears welled in the eyes of the people of Youming Dalu, their souls howling with rage. That statue was not mere stone; it was a symbol, the faith of Youming. Its destruction amidst the Tianmo army was like a steel blade plunging into their hearts.

Ah!

Countless elders steadied themselves, performing blood sacrifices, using their life essence to charge into the Tianmo ranks. They detonated their bodies and souls, dragging swarms of Tianmo with them to the Yellow Springs.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

One explosion triggered a chain reaction. All the elders nearing the end of their lives pushed their juniors away and plunged headfirst into the gates of the underworld, achieving ultimate transcendence. In their final moments, they offered up their life's cultivation, blooming into vibrant crimson flowers within the dense Tianmo horde.

Blood stained the heavens and earth, a gruesome landscape of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

"Such delicious blood." The nine Tianmo generals sneered hideously, moving with lightning speed, their overwhelming demonic aura sweeping through. Weaker cultivators were instantly crushed to dust, their vital energy devoured.

"Retreat!"

Youming Dizi's sharp cry echoed to the heavens as he blocked the nine Tianmo generals.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle was fierce. Yang Feng faced nine opponents alone but held his ground. His ancient armor was drenched in Tianmo blood as he battered the nine until their demonic bones splintered and flew apart.

The emperor's path inheritance did not shame his father's illustrious name.

"Join forces and slay him!"

A cold snort echoed as hundreds of Tianmo generals attacked. Their icy war spears gleamed with dark demonic light, aimed at ending his life.

"Fight!"

Yang Feng's roar shook the heavens. He unleashed dozens of forbidden techniques without reservation. Every pore of his body exuded his bloodline essence, his entire form burning like blazing flames. He shone like the sun, casting a brilliant light over the blood-soaked darkness.

"Kill!"

Hundreds of Tianmo generals surrounded him, their faces contorted with savagery as their rolling demonic aura devoured everything in sight.

Yang Feng showed no fear, his aura dominating all directions. He fought alone against hundreds of Tianmo Zhundi and refused to yield. He was repeatedly engulfed by the demonic aura, only to break free each time. Tears streamed down his face, but he had no time to spare a glance at his father's shattered statue.

This was war—there was no room for sorrow.

As the emperor's heir, he proved himself worthy.

Like a war god, he stood alone at the vast Haomiao Tian'guan, slaughtering the Tianmo until they scattered in disarray, all to cover the retreat of his people. From the moment he took his position at that mighty pass, he had no intention of returning; he would defend the mountains and rivers his father once guarded with his own flesh and blood.

Yet, one person's strength was too insignificant; even Youming Dizi could not withstand the Tianmo assault.

Boom!

Haomiao Tian'guan crumbled, and Youming Dizi was covered in blood, his armor exploding into pieces.

"Die!"

A Tianmo general struck, thrusting a spear straight through.

"Get back!"

Dozens of Youming Zhundi arrived, destroying the Tianmo general.

"Fight!"

What followed moved even the spirit of Youming Dadi: countless elders repeatedly pushed Youming Dizi behind them. They charged fearlessly into the sea of Tianmo, like moths to a flame, none hesitating as they exploded on the spot. The emperor had once protected them, and though he was gone for eons, they remained, building a bloody Great Wall for the emperor's descendant.

Tears streamed down Yang Feng's face; he could barely stand.

Perhaps it was because he was the emperor's son, bearing the inheritance of the emperor's path, that so many people were willing to shatter themselves for him, repaying the grace of the great emperor's protection.

"Go!"

An elderly Dasheng grabbed him and retreated frantically.

The elderly Dasheng did not fear death; his duty was to protect Youming Dizi, and he would be the last to stand in front of him.

In that moment, a belief surpassed his own dao: as long as Youming Dizi lived, he lived.

"Insignificant insects."

Mo Jun sneered, as if he could see Youming Dizi, Yang Feng, from millions of miles away. His blood was truly exquisite, making even Mo Jun lick his lips in anticipation. He would capture him personally once the great emperor arrived and devour his bloodline.

"How boring." Another Mo Jun chuckled darkly.

Amid the rumbling, the people of Youming had retreated to a mighty stronghold, stretching eight million li east to west.

This Youming Stronghold was modeled after the walls of Nan Chu, inscribed with countless emperor path array patterns and filled with deadly formations over the past decades—a precaution that had come into use far sooner than expected.

The Tianmo pursued relentlessly, blanketing the ground from Youming Stronghold onward like a black expanse. Their war banners fluttered fiercely, their faces savage and cruel, their blood-red eyes gleaming with a chilling killing intent as they licked their scarlet tongues.

Above, the Qingtian Mozhu still hummed, unleashing endless Tianmo that filled the earth, then the void, and even the skies.

"Kill!"

The nine great Mo Jun lazily raised their hands, pointing toward Youming Stronghold.

At their command, the Tianmo army surged forward like a tide, assaulting the stronghold as the void's absolute killing arrays unleashed beams of destructive light.

"Kill!"

The steady Youming forces held their ground, activating millions of killing arrays that fired billions of divine rays.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The clash was immense, shaking everything. Tianmo and Youming cultivators alike were obliterated in waves, their blood painting the walls. Lives were as worthless as grass, the scene unimaginably grim.

"Hold the line—the Zhutian reinforcements will arrive!"

An elderly Zhundi roared hoarsely; all they could do was wait for aid. Though Youming Dalu had its emperor path inheritance and imperial artifacts for defense, it was far inferior to Da Chu by more than just one level.

In the past, Da Chu repelled the Tianmo invasion through sheer capability.

Zhutian had the Zhutian Wheel of Reincarnation and the Huanggu Shengti, but Youming Dalu had neither. Add to that the recent calamities of tribulation tides, Tianmo invasions, and Honghuang chaos, which had left Youming with heavy losses and few peak experts. They could not achieve what Da Chu had.

So, they could only defend and wait. Today's Zhutian was not like the past, with the Dacheng Shengti in slumber, but he would surely awaken in times of crisis.

Yang Feng said nothing, having reformed his divine body like an unyielding stele on the city wall. Without a miracle, Youming Dalu would be consumed.

Yet, in this era full of emperor path variables, hope still glimmered—Zhutian was not defenseless.

Boom! Bang!

Amid the rumbling, two sections of the stronghold were breached, and the dense Tianmo poured in madly.

"Fight!"

Youming cultivators surged forward relentlessly, sealing the breaches at all costs. Every step the Tianmo took came with a horrific price, and they were driven back through sheer determination.

"Worthless!"

A Mo Jun snorted coldly, growing impatient.

"Such exquisite blood—such a feast for the eyes." Compared to that Mo Jun, another was quite relaxed, finding the greatest pleasure in watching the Youming cultivators struggle.

As he spoke, he furrowed his brow slightly.

The other Mo Jun did the same, exchanging glances before all looking toward the distant sky.

At that sight, the nine demonic forms trembled in unison. Through the haze, they saw what seemed like a black curtain, but it was a mass of figures—so dense there were no gaps, appearing like darkness at first glance. Dozens of Jidao Diji hovered like radiant suns.

Indeed, the Zhutian reinforcements had arrived, fully awakening their Jidao emperor might, ready to strike the Zhexian Tian Di Zhen.

"Impossible!"

The Mo Jun shot to their feet, their faces darkening instantly.

"Clearly, the Zhexian Tian Di Zhen failed to conceal all the signs—it's been detected by the Zhutian insects," a Tianmo general said coldly.

"Hold the array!"

The first Mo Jun bellowed.

Hold it—they had to hold it!

With the great emperor yet to descend, facing all of Zhutian with their strength could mean the destruction of the Qingtian Mozhu, a devastating blow to the Tianmo army.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Immediately, millions of demonic light pillars shot skyward, bolstering the Zhexian Tian Di Zhen.