Chapter 880

Chapter 880: Evil Clouds Pressing on the City

Roar—

The Evil Bug, which was already as good as dead, suddenly leaped up when the Longyuan Sword pierced through its head, letting out a horrific howl and spewing streams of dark yellow liquid.

This was the final cry of the “ferocious” Evil Bug. Even though Wang Chen had retracted the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil in time, it no longer had the strength to return to the safety of its hidden hole.

After crashing back down to the ground, the Evil Bug’s bloated body twitched several times, and the remnants of its rocky armor crumbled into dust, even the inner shell splitting apart.

Its muscles rapidly melted away like ice under scorching sunlight, eventually forming a large puddle of pus, exuding a foul stench.

【Virtue +20000】

Wang Chen ignored the prominent notification that flashed in his vision, instead focusing on the remains of the Evil Bug’s carcass.

There, a crystal ball radiating a silvery glow lay prominently.

Evil Energy Pearl, a Golden Core level Evil Energy Pearl!

Wang Chen reached out and grasped the orange-sized crystal ball, feeling its substantial weight.

He had slain countless Evil Spirits and collected many Evil Energy Pearls, but this one was undoubtedly the largest and of the highest quality.

Upon closer inspection, he could see a dark golden concentrated substance swirling inside the crystal, likely the source of the Evil Bug’s power.

This was truly unique among the Evil Energy Pearls he had collected!

The BOSS had not died in vain.

Wang Chen was very satisfied.

After placing the Evil Energy Pearl into his storage bag, he glanced around and said in a deep voice, “Everyone can come out now; it’s safe!”

His magically enhanced voice instantly spread in all directions, even penetrating underground!

Although this small town had faced an invasion and devastation from giant creatures, with many having taken refuge in the hidden chamber to escape, a few remained hidden away.

If it hadn’t been for Wang Chen’s appearance, these people would have likely been dug out and devoured by the Evil Bug.

Wang Chen had sensed their presence earlier and wasted no time in speaking further, simply stating, “It’s not safe here; let’s move to another location for a while.”

With that, Wang Chen did not wait for anyone to emerge and instantly teleported away.

As for whether they listened or not, that was none of his concern.

In the following days, Wang Chen roamed the outer areas of Ling You City, using his wooden bird to search for small groups of Evil Beasts and Evil Spirits, harvesting Virtue points and Evil Energy Pearls.

Having advanced to the Golden Core stage, the destructive power of the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil had dramatically increased. He could easily capture low-level wandering and grudge-level Evil Spirits, and even higher-level ferocious ones fell into his net effortlessly.

As for the “ferocious” level Evil Beasts equivalent to the Yuan Ying level, Wang Chen would sense their presence from afar and steer clear, avoiding them completely.

The “ferocious” level Evil Spirits and magical beasts were not enemies he could currently face, and these types of BOSS were usually surrounded by numerous minions; challenging them alone would be akin to walking into a trap.

He stuck to a guerrilla tactic, taking advantage of any opportunities he saw, grabbing what he could, and then quickly disappearing.

His gains were quite substantial.

During this process, Wang Chen also saved many people in distress.

However, relative to the overall situation, his minor skirmishes hardly stirred any waves. The army of Evil Beasts had been attacking Ling You City for three days and nights, and their assault showed no signs of stopping, instead growing even fiercer!

The skies above Ling You City were shrouded in thick evil clouds, and dark thunder roared, with no trace of sunlight for several days.

At the guarding tower, True Master Jingyun gazed up at the sky, shrouded in darkness, her heart heavier than the oppressive evil clouds above.

Ling You City was fortified by nine guarding towers, each safeguarding a crucial node of the protective formation. When dormant, these towers stood only three levels high, blending seamlessly into the city’s dense architecture, almost invisible to the untrained eye.

However, when the protective formation was fully activated, the nine towers would ascend thirty feet into the air. The Golden Core cultivators stationed atop them could then oversee the city’s defenses, collaboratively manipulating the formations and providing mutual support.

The guarding towers harnessed a portion of the protective formation’s power, which in turn shielded the guarding cultivators. As long as True Master Jingyun remained within the tower, she felt no fear, even in the face of a Nascent Soul true immortal!

Yet, at this moment, True Master Jingyun’s confidence wavered.

The army of Evil Beasts encircling the city was formidable, but the true cause of her unease was the malfunctioning teleportation formation within Ling You City.

Normally, as a "yellow" level immortal city, Ling You City would immediately seek aid from a higher-level immortal city when faced with an overwhelming calamity.

The higher-level city was the "earth" level Luodu Immortal City!

Luodu Immortal City boasted a hundred times the number of Golden Core cultivators, numerous Nascent Soul true immortals, and even the presence of True Lords, its strength far surpassing that of Ling You City.

The crisis, however, was compounded by internal strife. At a critical moment, when the army of Evil Beasts appeared, a Golden Core true master betrayed the city. Not only did he seriously wound another true master, but he also self-destructed in a central location, severely damaging the teleportation array.

Even the protective formation was significantly compromised.

With the teleportation array in ruins, even if Luodu Immortal City received the help talisman, it would take time for reinforcements to arrive.

It was unclear how many of the previously sent help talismans had been intercepted by the Evil Beasts.

In recent days, Luodu Immortal City had neither sent reinforcements nor responded to their pleas.

In truth, even now, the leaders of Ling You City, including True Master Jingyun, were baffled by the sudden calamity.

This disaster did not seem like a random stroke of misfortune; it bore the hallmarks of a meticulously planned conspiracy.

The Golden Core true master, suspected of corruption, was the most damning evidence.

Regrettably, he was now nothing but ashes, leaving no trace of evidence behind.

But such concerns were secondary now. For True Master Jingyun, the immediate priority was to defend Ling You City. If the army of Evil Beasts breached the walls, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Her gaze shifted once more to the city’s outskirts.

Beneath the churning evil clouds, countless Evil Beasts encircled Ling You City, their silence and stillness unnerving. They seemed to be waiting, biding their time.

The eerie calm only heightened True Master Jingyun’s sense of impending danger.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As if confirming her fears, the ground near the city walls suddenly heaved, and massive Evil Bugs erupted from the earth, their iron-hard heads slamming into the nearest walls.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each impact reverberated like a heartbeat, carrying a soul-shaking force.

Simultaneously, the horde of Evil Beasts outside the city let out a collective howl, and the evil clouds above churned violently. Corrupted Golden Feather Thunder Rocs burst through the clouds, diving toward Ling You City with terrifying speed.

The all-out assault of the army of Evil Beasts had begun!