Chapter 414

Chapter 414: The Battle Turns Critical

These white-bone monsters came in various forms—dozens of feet-long skeletal fangfish, several-foot tall Puppet Soldiers clutching weapons like swords and spears, along with beast-shaped and bird-shaped skeleton demons. All were vicious and powerful.

Their numbers reached hundreds of thousands. Upon landing, they unleashed divine skills—charging, flying, or burrowing—all frenziedly rushing toward Iron-Walled Jin City!

Facing an army of monsters all at least Fourth-Rank, the Eight Immortals paled. Alone, they’d be devoured within half an hour!

Thankfully, the Divine Lightning Towers and Earth’s Magnetic Force Warship stood guard.

Without delay, Mr. Suan Mei ordered the attack!

At his command, tens of thousands of Divine Lightning Towers lit up—house-sized fireballs, hundred-foot Sword Rays, colossal tornadoes, and Five Elements Dao Magic attacks poured forth relentlessly.

The battlefield erupted with thunderous booms. White-bone monsters shattered under fireballs, crumbled to Thunderbolts, split by Sword Rays—some swallowed by tornados or dragged underground. Casualties mounted rapidly.

Yet the Divine Lightning Towers’ assault couldn’t halt the demonic tide.

Though eighty percent of the vanguard fell, survivors charged past the firepower zone to the city walls.

Behind them surged endless reinforcements—each fallen group replaced instantly. Their despair-inducing aura suggested infinite numbers.

The Earth’s Magnetic Force Warship finally activated. Earth Element Puppet Legions anchored themselves, drawing earth energy to unleash Divine Earth’s Magnetic Force Light against the horde!

The combined might of hundreds of thousands of puppets proved devastating. Even Seventh-rank white-bone monsters disintegrated mid-roar, their bones crumbling and souls extinguished.

Between the Divine Lightning Towers’ bombardment and the puppet legions’ defense, the terrifying assault was checked—for now.

Yet the Eight Immortals remained grim.

"Curse it! Had the Formation core eye survived, a single Dragon Ground Shock could’ve erased these fiends across a hundred miles!" Mr. Suan Mei growled.

"Too late," Immortal Wind Dragon said. "We hold temporarily, but look—White Bone Sect scoundrels target our Formation’s outer nodes!"

Hundreds of White Bone Sect Cultivators streamed from black clouds, splitting into teams to dismantle Iron-Walled Jin City’s protective array.

This was source-cutting strategy—the bane of mountain gate defenses. Fang Lie had employed it twice before. The protective array drew Spiritual Energy from miles of ground veins; severing these would cripple its power.

If half the Spiritual Veins were cut, the Divine Lightning Towers’ firepower would halve—dooming the city.

Trapped beneath besieging clouds, defenders could only watch helplessly.

Mr. Suan Mei fretted, "Did Mo Sect answer our plea?"

"They said ‘hold fast’," Immortal Wind Dragon replied. "But no reinforcements march."

"Impossible!" Mr. Suan Mei cried. "This land belongs to Young Master and Mo Sect! They’d never abandon it!"

"Yet Mo Sect’s army remains idle," Immortal Wind Dragon said. "Has Young Master abandoned us during his closed-door training?"

"The Young Master swore victory to those who endure siege. I trust his word!" Mr. Suan Mei insisted.

Other Immortals exchanged uneasy glances.

Meanwhile, in Mo Sect Leader’s temple, three Token Lords conferred—Huo Wufang’s projection joined Mo Qianxun and the silent Brave Token Lord.

As for the Faith Token Lord, he remained in closed-door training with no replacement selected.

"Sect Leader, the White Bone Sect’s schemes are too dangerous. If we don’t act, Iron-Walled Jin City will surely perish!" Huo Wufang frowned. "Why did you hold back reinforcements after getting the information?"

"Haven’t you heard?" Mo Qianxun replied lightly. "The Ghost Realm Sect joined forces with White Bone Sect. They’ve undoubtedly set ambushes along the route. Any reinforcements we send would most likely get trapped. Not only would we fail to save Iron-Walled Jin City, but we’d also suffer massive casualties. Only fools would fight such a hopeless battle!"

"But what about Iron-Walled Jin City?" Huo Wufang pressed. "That city supplies at least ten percent of Mo Sect’s materials! Losing it would cripple our supply chain!"

"I’m aware," Mo Qianxun said gravely. "But to truly save it, we need help. Only if East Kunlun and Great Thunder Sound Temple both send armies led by Thunder Tribulation Immortals to flank the enemy – combined with our forces – can we turn this tide."

"Then request their aid!" Huo Wufang urged. "The Righteous Sects Alliance pact obliges them to assist when we’re attacked!"

"Normally yes," Mo Qianxun sighed. "But Fang Lie destroyed Sword Fortress, claimed the White Dragon Divine Sword, and angered Great Thunder Sound Temple. Both sects want him dead. They’ll only help if Fang Lie surrenders the Kunlun Sword Token and Thunder Sound Golden Bell."

"Vultures! They’re exploiting our crisis!" Huo Wufang spat.

"True. But what can we do?" Mo Qianxun shrugged.

"Won’t they face condemnation from the righteous sects for abandoning us?"

"They’ll send troops eventually," Mo Qianxun sneered. "Though the ‘perilous journey’ might take months. By then, no one could blame them for arriving too late."

"So we just watch the city fall?"

"Let it fall." Mo Qianxun’s smile turned sly. "Temporary gains mean nothing. True victory lies in permanent control."

"What do you mean, senior brother?"

"Never forget Fang Lie’s backer – Bird Bro." Mo Qianxun fanned himself calmly. "Do you think that entity tolerates losses?"

"Of course not! It razed Sword Fortress over mere Divine Marrow!" Huo Wufang’s eyes lit up. "When Bird Bro discovers the lost city after Fang Lie’s cultivation ends…"

"Exactly." Mo Qianxun chuckled. "Though escaping won’t be easy. Fang Lie’s core followers are in that city. Heavy losses would drive him mad. White Bone and Ghost Realm Sects will regret this."

"Ha! I’ll enjoy watching those demons suffer!" Huo Wufang laughed. "Enough talk – I’ll focus on strengthening Fang Lie’s Qingyu Island into an impregnable fortress!"

His figure gradually vanished.

At Iron-Walled Jin City’s outskirts, White Bone Sect’s skeletal hordes kept attacking like endless tides after twenty-four hours. The defenders weakened visibly.

Enemy cultivators had sabotaged ground vein channels supplying Spiritual Energy to the protective array, reducing its power by twenty percent. This imbalance proved critical.

With Divine Lightning Towers’ firepower diminished, more white-bone monsters breached the kill zone. Puppet Soldiers frontline defenses strained under the onslaught. Bone jaws clamped onto earth’s magnetic force puppets – casualties loomed inevitable.

The Earth’s Magnetic Force Warship intervened, circling the walls while annihilating foes with Divine Earth’s Magnetic Force Light. This barely stabilized the front.

All knew the protective array would keep weakening as ground veins failed. Invasion was inevitable.

Yet now, countless low-level cultivators rallied behind the walls. Qi Sea cultivators, Golden Pool and Purple Palace realm fighters – many weaker than individual monsters – stood fearless.

They fought not just for survival, but from gratitude. Fang Lie had given downtrodden cultivators better lives. Now they repaid their debt.