214: Battlefields

"Are you not leaving yet? I am enough to handle this alone."

Jiang Qi glanced at the effeminate man beside him, whose entire body exuded a feminine Qi, and his tone was somewhat cold.

"Oh, well, it is Prince Kang's Dharma Idol after all." The effeminate man's tone was gentle, but his meaning was clear. "Refining an entire Earth Vein into a Dharma Idol host—how can one not be cautious of such a method?"

"What's more, my duty is to fully assist Zhou Yan in resolving this crisis; my position is very clear."

"As for your position, my Lord... that is less certain."

His words were gentle, yet he clearly stated his intent: he was here both to resolve the crisis caused by Prince Kang and to monitor Jiang Qi.

"I feel the same way. After all, I never considered your Demon Sect to be anything good." Jiang Qi scoffed, said no more, turned, and continued to face the enemy.

The view pulled back, showing two giant Dharma Idols, each radiating different light, fiercely attacking the opposing Rock Giant.

Although the Rock Giant possessed a magnificent Aura, it was completely suppressed and unable to fight back. That was precisely Prince Kang's Dharma Idol.

Inside Prince Kangs Residence at this moment, faint tremors occasionally shook the ground.

Surprisingly, the panic caused by the initial conflict quickly subsided. Under the coordination of various personnel, everyone in the Residence dealt with the crisis in an orderly manner, led by the many retainers of the Residence.

"Steward Song, how is the situation?" Xiao Teng asked with a serious expression, looking at the old man who was controlling the entire Residence's Grand Formation.

Steward Song frowned deeply, his worry evident.

"It is very unfavorable."

"According to the original plan, we should have controlled the Prince's Dharma Idol to attack Kaifeng and complete the Removal of Corrupt Officials."

"But now, not only are there two Soul Transformation blocking the way, but the Core has also malfunctioned, leading to insufficient energy supply."

"If this continues, the Prince's Dharma Idol will be difficult to maintain."

"And once the Dharma Idol collapses, the entire Residence, along with the connected Earth Vein, will lose its protection and turn into ordinary rock."

"Is there no way to repair the Core?"

Xiao Teng was also anxious now. If those two Soul Transformation Cultivators kept fighting, everything they had done would be for naught.

Hearing this, Steward Song merely shook his head.

"I only know that the Core is located beneath the Residence, but only the Prince knows what the Core actually is."

"I only know it is something similar to a Cultivator, capable of supplying energy to the Dharma Idol in place of a Soul Transformation Cultivator."

Elder Mo remained silent for a moment before slowly stepping forward.

"If a Nascent Soul Cultivator is used as the energy Core, how long can it be maintained?"

"You old coot, what nonsense are you spouting!" Xiao Teng didn't wait for Steward Song to reply; he grabbed Elder Mo's collar.

Elder Mo, however, showed a relieved smile.

"It doesn't matter. I am old and already do not have much time left."

"Originally, I hoped to secure a minor official position after the Removal of Corrupt Officials succeeded. Now, it seems that advancing the Great Cause even slightly is more meaningful than being an official."

"You..." Xiao Teng wanted to say more, but his throat seized up, and he finally let go.

Once everyone calmed down, Steward Song spoke in a deep voice.

"Although the Core is lost, the Grand Formation remains largely intact. If a Nascent Soul Cultivator voluntarily acts as the energy Core, the Dharma Idol can operate at full power for half an hour."

Silence descended upon the room once more.

Not until the ground trembled again did Elder Mo cup his fists and chuckle.

"This old life of mine was saved by the Prince. If not for the Prince, I would have passed away during the Core Formation Stage."

"The Prince supported me for more than ten years. Repaying the Prince with half an hour—no matter how you look at it, I am the one profiting."

"Fellow comrades, this old man shall go ahead. May you all finally achieve the Great Cause."

"I won't say empty words like 'For Great Yu.' I only hope that everyone lives up to the Prince and to this old man."

"Everyone, farewell."

Elder Mo bowed deeply, and everyone returned the gesture simultaneously.

Outside, the two Soul Transformation Cultivators, who had previously been able to mock each other, suddenly felt the Rock Giant below, which had been suppressed, surge with vitality. It vanished instantly, then reappeared at extreme speed behind them, smashing its fists directly into the backs of the two Dharma Idols!

The expressions of the two tightened, and they turned to meet the attack.

The fierce impact caused the surrounding terrain to sink.

"Is this its full power?" Jiang Qi swept his Divine Sense and immediately noticed that the Residence, which had been internally chaotic, was now orderly.

Everyone was seated cross-legged at their respective array positions, working together to pilot this massive war machine.

Jiang Qi and the Joyous Union Sect Soul Transformation Cultivator exchanged glances, instantly reaching a consensus. Regardless of their respective goals and positions, they had to strike with full force now.

In an instant, the three Soul Transformation Dharma Idols engaged in a fierce clash. Two streams of Human Dao Laws and one stream of Musical Law intertwined and ground against each other.

Inside Kaifeng.

"Old Wang, lend a hand!" Xiao Sheng shouted breathlessly toward Wang Yao, using his sword to fend off a Half-Demon.

Wang Yao used his twin blades to sever two Half-Demons. With a shake of his wrist, he accurately threw a Blood Blade toward the Half-Demon that had been fended off. The blade burst into fragments, tearing it into a pile of rotten flesh.

After the two handed the Dragon Vein over to Li Wenbo's Clone, they returned to the battlefield, helping the defenders clear the Half-Demons while rescuing refugees who had not been teleported away.

Seeing that Xiao Sheng was running out of strength, Wang Yao fought while retreating, quickly closing the distance.

"Brother Xiao, can you still go on? If not, I'll cover your retreat first."

Although Xiao Sheng was panting heavily, he gritted his teeth and said.

"How can a true man say no? This is all dazzling Karma!"

He took a deep breath and shouted at Wang Yao.

"Old Wang, be my Protector! Let these beasts witness my methods too!"

After saying that, he performed several backflips to leave the battle circle, settled into a solid stance, placed a Talisman on his left and right, clasped his hands together, and began muttering incantations.

Seeing this, Wang Yao swung his Great Cauldron, weaving it into an impenetrable shield.

Any Half-Demon that came near was injured upon touching it and died upon impact, making it impossible for them to approach for a while.

However, this move also attracted more Half-Demons to surround and attack him. Although these low-level modified Half-Demons had impaired intelligence, their will was tougher, and their charge was relentless even after heavy casualties.

Just as Wang Yao began to feel strained and was about to tell Xiao Sheng to retreat and maneuver, a voice came from behind.

"I invite Senior Brother to possess me!"

Immediately afterward, a large hand pressed down on Wang Yao's shoulder and pulled him backward.

A two-meter-tall, muscle-bound "Xiao Sheng" suddenly appeared; his originally loose Daoist robe was stretched taut.

"Evil heretics! Take a punch from this Daoist!"

"Ora Ora Ora Ora!!!"

Xiao Sheng's demeanor changed drastically, shifting from his slightly dull righteous Qi to a sharp, exposed edge. He transformed into a ruthless meat grinder, taking Wang Yao's place and pushing back the Half-Demon horde.

Relying on his powerful recovery ability, Wang Yao was back to full strength in just a few breaths and charged back into the battlefield.

The two Body Cultivators actually chased and fiercely attacked the Half-Demon horde, causing these mindless Half-Demons to instinctively feel fear.

Elsewhere in the Kaifeng, Yuan Chenling had just lured a Core Formation Stage Half-Demon into a pre-set trap when he saw severed limbs constantly being thrown into the air from a distant street, raining down like precipitation.

"Is that Wang Yao and the others? Should we go meet up?" he asked.

Shi Suiyan quietly watched the Half-Demon in the trap until its breath was completely severed, only then did she reply.

"They are all Body Cultivators. You won't be able to help much if you go. Just stay here obediently and capture high-grade Half-Demons with me."

As she spoke, she set up another trap and tossed a Recovery Medicinal Pill to Yuan Chenling, signaling him to continue working.

Watching her condescending posture and the extravagant, unsparing manner in which she set up traps, Yuan Chenling merely made another mental note and followed the scent to search for more Core Formation Stage Half-Demons.

Although these Half-Demons were strong, their intelligence was low, and due to their mixed Bloodline, they were deeply suppressed by him.

Capturing Core Formation Stage ones was not difficult, especially since Shi Suiyan would give him a Medicinal Pill that increased cultivation for every one he brought back. This was precisely why he was willing to exert himself.

Watching Yuan Chenling depart, Shi Suiyan cast her gaze toward the distant street block.

Most of the people there were participants in this competition, who had been teleported to a location not far from the refugee area, allowing them to advance to support or retreat outside the Kaifeng.

However, most chose to remain in Kaifeng and fight the Half-Demons.

The most powerful presence among them was not the Core Formation Cultivators, but a fierce Sword Intent soaring into the sky.

Shi Suiyan looked in that direction and whispered.

"Long Tianxing, you still came... your cultivation progress is faster than expected."

She only paid slight attention before refocusing her sight on the high sky. Lightning intertwined within the clouds, and two figures flickered in and out of view.

"I can hardly predict what happens next."

"Senior Brother... please, you must, you absolutely must bring about a different outcome."