Chapter 26: Fierce Battle Among Demons

Shangguan Feng was evidently the strongest among them. As dozens of monsters attacked, streaks of brilliance flashed from his storage pouch. Instantly, dozens of sword lights, each several meters long, coalesced. With a low shout, his sword lights swept forth, and the monsters in his vicinity were instantly crushed.

On the other side, the three dragons were hardly lacking. Long Ao wielded a long spear, Long Tian brandished a four-pronged trident, and with every swing, dragon roars echoed. Within moments, the monsters attacking them were routed.

Long Ling’er used a purple ribbon adorned with silver bells at both ends. As she wielded it, there was an elegance reminiscent of flowing clouds and water sleeves, the bells’ ringing adding to her grace. Yet her attacks lost none of their potency, dispatching the charging monsters with effortless ease.

Mo Bufan, too, faced little difficulty. Though his power was somewhat lesser than the others, the speed and force of his attacks were no less effective, and with every move he made, another monster was vanquished.

The remaining five, however, struggled. Aside from Gao Xiuneng, who managed to cope, the others quickly became burdens. Though they could defeat some monsters, they ultimately relied on Mo Bufan and the others for protection.

Zheng Feng and his companions watched Mo Bufan’s display, their shock palpable. They finally understood that when this brother left them, he was not seeking death but simply found them too burdensome.

Especially Zhao Yunfan and Chen Tianwen—whose hearts were now a tumult of emotions. They had once looked down upon Mo Bufan, ridiculing him at every turn, yet now he was their savior. They knew they would have to apologize and make amends.

The monsters’ attacks were not insignificant; though their magical power had faded, their physical assaults were still dangerous. While their blows could not harm the spiritual essences within their bodies, a direct hit could still cost half a life.

Mo Bufan and his group were able to hold their own against the monsters, but the other beasts and cultivators fared far worse.

A silver bear, over three meters tall, smashed aside several monster shadows with its paws, but was finally struck by a sneaking monster. As it roared, a swarm of monsters pounced, and in moments, the silver bear was torn apart—a grisly sight.

A lone swordsman fended off dozens of monsters with flashes of his blade, but in a moment of distraction, his protective barrier was breached. As demonic energy invaded his body, he struggled, only to be overwhelmed and torn to pieces.

A pack of demon wolves formed a defensive circle under their king’s command, but were swiftly overrun by the massive onslaught. Hundreds of monsters engulfed the pack, and wolf remains flew everywhere.

In just moments, hundreds of beasts and cultivators were decimated, and tens of millions of monsters surged toward Mo Bufan’s defensive circle.

A trace of despair flickered in their hearts. They had to withstand the monsters’ attacks while maintaining their barriers against the invading demonic energy, a pressure nearly unbearable.

Most alarming was that Zhao Yunfan and Chen Tianwen’s protective shields were rapidly weakening, barely holding on. If demonic energy invaded their bodies, death would be inevitable.

Seeing this, Mo Bufan drew a spirit sword talisman, which exploded into a sword light several meters long, instantly scattering dozens of monsters.

Without delay, he produced a formation he’d obtained from Song Yuchen. With a thought, eight formation flags embedded themselves in the ground, conjuring a formation two meters in diameter that isolated the demonic energy, instantly sealing it outside their space.

Without the interference of demonic energy, their pressure eased considerably.

At the same time, several monsters breached the formation, but Shangguan Feng’s flying sword dispatched them with ease.

“These monsters rely on demonic energy. If anyone has any hidden aces, now is the time to use them!” Mo Bufan shouted.

At his words, the three dragons exchanged glances and acted. Each drew a dragon-shaped jade pendant from their waist, and as they cast their spells, three enormous dragon shadows, each over ten meters long, let out roaring cries and spiraled outward.

The dragon shadows pulsed with pure, sacred spiritual energy, runes flashing across their forms.

In an instant, wherever the dragon shadows passed, hundreds of monsters crumbled. Their predicament was swiftly resolved.

“So, you’re friends of the Dragon Clan. I am impressed!” Shangguan Feng acknowledged them with a respectful bow.

The three returned his gesture courteously.

But before anyone could relax, the dragon shadows faded, and the next wave of monsters surged forward, their momentum undiminished.

“Do you three have any more treasures?” Mo Bufan turned to the dragons.

Their faces darkened, and each shook their head.

Mo Bufan looked to Shangguan Feng, who, slightly embarrassed, revealed a few more flying swords—clearly his last cards.

Mo Bufan sighed, fingering the last treasure Song Yuchen had given him: the Heaven and Earth Disk. Now, at the critical moment, he would have to use it, though he had no idea how long it would hold.

As he spoke, a new tide of monsters crashed toward them.

They wasted no time, annihilating the monsters that breached the formation.

But in mere moments, the formation was piled with dozens of monster corpses, and one of the formation flags was knocked down, greatly weakening the barrier.

The subsequent monsters became even more frenzied, surging toward them.

Mo Bufan realized that at this rate, he wouldn’t last a quarter of an hour, and the others would fare even worse.

Resolute, he shouted, and the Heaven and Earth Disk flew from his pouch, expanding to three meters across. Runes surged forth, enveloping them all.

The monsters outside growled and slammed into the spiritual wall, unable to penetrate.

Mo Bufan caught his breath and sank to the ground. “Damn, they really want to kill me.”

He then noticed everyone staring at him, their expressions mixed—envy, jealousy, even greed.

Mo Bufan’s power seemed only at the first realm of the Void Refining Stage, yet his speed and force surpassed the others. He had just produced treasures that only celestial immortals could possess—naturally, everyone had feelings about this.

“Why didn’t you bring this out sooner?” Long Ling’er, the exception, looked at him reproachfully.

Mo Bufan ignored their gazes and spoke calmly: “The longer we can hold out, the better. This treasure isn’t absolutely safe; if it’s broken, we’ll be blind. Instead of complaining, restore your strength quickly. There might be another battle soon.”

Long Ling’er glanced around; she saw swarms of monsters converging on the Heaven and Earth Disk like locusts, pounding the rune barrier. Each blow made it flicker, and the disk trembled.

It seemed Mo Bufan was right; the barrier could fail at any moment.

The group exchanged glances, looked out at the endless monsters, and finally sat in a circle, cross-legged, to restore their cultivation.

Zhao Yuan’er, who had been protected inside the formation, now moved to her master’s side, stealing a glance at Mo Bufan. She found herself increasingly curious about this calm, treasure-laden man.

But remembering how she had once arrogantly demanded he become her consort, she realized her supposed status and background meant nothing to him.

Her lips quivered, and she hesitated to approach him, but inwardly she vowed to join the Heavenly Profound Sect.

They had barely rested for a quarter hour when a thunderous roar erupted outside, and everyone instantly snapped their eyes open.

The monsters ceased their assault, turning to look outward.

Another roar followed, closer this time.

They swallowed nervously.

Mo Bufan inwardly cursed, “Don’t tell me their leader is coming... Am I just cursed to attract trouble?”

At that moment, a colossal silhouette, over ten meters tall, emerged from the demonic mist.

Worse still, as it appeared, three more earth-shaking roars sounded from all directions, each approaching rapidly—clearly headed straight for Mo Bufan and his companions.

Before they could prepare, the first giant demon appeared. It resembled the others but sported bull horns and wielded a steel trident.

Without a word, it raised its massive foot and stomped down on the Heaven and Earth Disk.

Boom! The impact felt as if it struck their very hearts. Zhao Yunfan and Chen Tianwen collapsed in terror, faces pale as death.

Mo Bufan swallowed hard, producing a “Swift as Lightning” talisman, praying it would be of some use.

As he spoke, three more giant demons appeared, each immediately stomping furiously on the Heaven and Earth Disk.

They were like helpless children being relentlessly pummeled by a gang of adults, utterly powerless.

After dozens of stomps from the four giant demons, the Heaven and Earth Disk began to groan, clearly on the verge of collapse.