251: Chapter 251: A Great Battle Is Imminent

When Li Changsheng walked out from the depths of the Immortal Cave, this was the scene he witnessed.

Behind him followed over a hundred Jade Rabbit statues with silver-white bodies and red eyes; their orderly steps made the ground tremble.

The Jade Rabbit Army.

Li Changsheng looked at all this and said in a low voice, "You're being too cautious."

Xiao Ran glanced at him: "Aren't you the same?"

Li Changsheng smiled, and with a thought, the Jade Rabbit Army charged into the battlefield.

Each of the hundred-plus Jade Rabbit statues possessed the combat power of the Peak Soul Transformation Stage. They leaped, pounced, and bit, clashing with the Silver-Armored Guards.

The number of Silver-Armored Guards began to decrease.

Fifty, forty, thirty, twenty... Finally, the last Silver-Armored Guard was shattered by a single claw strike from Shi Haokong, turning into fragments that scattered across the ground.

The square was littered with corpses.

The Cultivators of the Human Race and Yao Race had also suffered significant losses; seven or eight Human Race Cultivators had been pierced by the Silver-Armored Guards, and over a dozen Yao Race Prodigies had been sent flying by silver spears.

Xiao Ran recalled the ten Yellow Springs corpses, put away the yellow spring banner, and looked toward the palace gates.

The palace gates were already wide open, revealing deeper halls within.

"Enter!"

Zhao Wudi was the first to rush inside.

Sword Dust followed closely behind.

Li Qingyun led the Prodigies from the City Lord's Mansion and followed suit.

Unwilling to be left behind, the Yao Race—Shi Haokong, Snake Abyss, and others—poured in one after another.

Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng exchanged a glance and also stepped inside.

The interior of the Moon Palace was even more spectacular than the outside.

Countless night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the vaulted ceiling, illuminating the main hall as bright as day.

The floor was paved with silver-white jade, engraved with patterns of Chang'e Flying to the Moon.

On both sides of the hall stood rows of stone pillars, carved with Jade Rabbits, laurel trees, and auspicious clouds.

At the deepest part of the hall was a high platform.

Hovering above the platform was a miniature moon—the lunar star fragment.

Its light was soft and warm; when it shone on one's face, it made the entire body feel comfortable.

The lunar star fragment was surrounded by dense taiyin essence, with visible silver light entwining it like threads and wisps.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to the lunar star fragment.

That was the core of the Secret Realm; whoever obtained it could gain a massive amount of taiyin essence.

It was even possible to use it to achieve a Breakthrough to the Void Refinement Stage.

But no one dared to move.

Because four people stood before the high platform.

Four illusory shadows.

On the left was a burly man holding a giant axe.

He was bare-chested with knotted muscles, and silver-white light flowed along the edge of his axe.

Wu Gang.

In the center was a woman holding a Jade Rabbit. She wore a long white dress, her long hair fell like a waterfall, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, though her eyes were filled with sorrow.

Change.

On the right was a general clad in silver armor, holding a long spear with a cold expression.

Heavenly Soldier Commander.

At their feet crouched a giant Jade Rabbit, more than ten times larger than those outside, entirely silver-white with eyes like red gemstones.

Moon Palace Guardian.

Each of the four illusory shadows possessed the Aura of the Void Refinement Stage.

This indicated that they were at least experts of the Void Refinement Stage or higher during their lifetimes; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to condense illusory shadows of such strength so many years after death.

While certainly not equal to a true Void Refinement Stage expert, they were definitely much stronger than those in the Soul Transformation Stage.

"This isn't real..." someone said with a trembling voice.

"They are phantoms, but their attack power is real," Li Qingyun said solemnly.

Change spoke, her voice full of resentment: "The Moon Palace is a Forbidden Ground. Those who enter without permission shall die."

Wu Gang raised his giant axe and swung it down.

The silver-white axe-light transformed into a half-moon-shaped blade of light, heading straight for the crowd.

"Scatter!" Zhao Wudi shouted, flashing away to dodge.

The light blade struck the floor, carving a deep trench into the ground.

Several Cultivators who failed to dodge in time were grazed by the light blade and turned into blood mist.

The Heavenly Soldier Commander pointed his spear, and silver-white spear-light shot toward the crowd like a torrential rain.

Each beam of spear-light had the power of the Peak Soul Transformation Stage, and they were so dense that they were impossible to dodge.

"Defend!"

Sword Dust drew his sword, and his Sword Qi formed a light shield, blocking the spear-light shooting toward him.

Li Qingyun also took action, his golden sword-light forming a wall to protect the Disciples of the City Lord's Mansion.

Shi Haokong's golden Demonic Qi formed a protective barrier, blocking the spear-light.

Change gently raised her hand, and the Jade Rabbit leaped from her arms, turning into a white light as it pounced toward the crowd.

Its speed was startlingly fast; it appeared instantly before a Zhao family Prodigy and bit through his throat.

Blood spurted out, and the Zhao family Prodigy fell before he could even let out a scream.

"Kill!"

Zhao Wudi roared, slashing his sword toward the Jade Rabbit.

The Jade Rabbit flashed away; its speed was like lightning, causing Zhao Wudi's sword to strike empty air.

Battle erupted once again.

This time, they were facing illusory shadows of the Void Refinement Stage.

Xiao Ran stood at the very back, not charging in.

He observed the attack patterns of the four illusory shadows, looking for weaknesses.

Wu Gang's attacks were wide and powerful but slow.

The Heavenly Soldier Commander's attacks were dense but their power was dispersed.

Change's attacks were eerie but low in frequency. The Jade Rabbit's speed was fast, but its defense was weak.

"I have a plan."

Xiao Ran said to Li Changsheng through the Soul Link.

"Have your Jade Rabbit Army tie up that Jade Rabbit; their speed should be enough to stall it."

"Leave Wu Gang to me; I'll use the Yellow Spring Army to surround him."

"Leave the Heavenly Soldier Commander to the Yao Race; they have many people and can wear him down. As for Change..."

"Leave her to the Human Race. Zhao Wudi, Sword Dust, and Li Qingyun—three against one should work."

The two nodded and moved separately.

With a thought from Li Changsheng, over a hundred Jade Rabbit statues charged forward, surrounding the Moon Palace Guardian Jade Rabbit.

The two sides of Jade Rabbits clashed; they moved so fast they were a blur, with only silver-white light visible flickering.

Xiao Ran released the Yellow Spring Army, and over a thousand corpses surrounded Wu Gang.

Wu Gang's giant axe swung down, shattering several corpses with one blow, but the corpses quickly reconstructed themselves and continued to close in.

He didn't fear attrition, but Wu Gang did.

Wu Gang's spiritual power was limited; every bit used was a bit gone.

On the Yao Race's side.

Shi Haokong, along with Snake Abyss, Feng Qingyin, Quae Wangmang, Lei Qianjun, and Chi Hanyuan, surrounded the Heavenly Soldier Commander.

The six Great Yao Sovereigns joined forces with dense attacks; though the Heavenly Soldier Commander's spear was sharp, he couldn't withstand their numbers and was forced back step by step.

On the Human Race's side, Zhao Wudi, Sword Dust, and Li Qingyun besieged Change.

Zhao Wudi used his broken sword to slay demons, his Sword Qi like a rainbow.

Sword Dust's frost frost sword was unsheathed, his Sword Intent clear and bright.

Li Qingyun's long sword was like a dragon, his Aura majestic.

Change fought one against three and gradually began to falter.

The battle lasted for half an hour.

Wu Gang's illusory shadow was the first to shatter.

The Yellow Spring Army had exhausted too much of his spiritual power; his axe-light grew weaker and weaker until he was simultaneously pierced by several corpses and dissipated into points of light.

Xiao Ran recalled the Yellow Spring Army; the losses were significant but acceptable.

Next was the Heavenly Soldier Commander.

The six Great Yao Sovereigns joined forces and finally pierced through his chest.

The long spear shattered, and the illusory shadow dissipated.

Finally, it was Change.

Zhao Wudi pierced her shoulder, Sword Dust severed her arm, and Li Qingyun pierced through her heart.

Change's illusory shadow shattered, turning into starlight.

Seeing its master dissipate, the Jade Rabbit let out a shrill cry and tried to flee.

But Li Changsheng's Jade Rabbit Army held it fast, giving it no chance.

Ultimately, the Jade Rabbit turned into a red gemstone and fell to the ground.

Li Changsheng picked up the red gemstone and tucked it into his robes.