Chapter 330 - 221: Sweeping Across (Part 2)

Chapter 330: Chapter 221: Sweeping Across (Part 2)

Qi Jin flared around Yu Fei. His sword, Zhanming, stirred a faint breeze as it arced silently toward the demon’s head.

The greatsword passed bizarrely through the Spider Demon’s raised shield without a sound, cleaving half its body away in a single strike.

Through long practice, Yu Fei had learned to apply the Spatial Penetration property of his Illusory Sword Intent not just to his boundless Sword Qi, but also to his ordinary sword techniques. This opened up countless possibilities for his combat style, making it both peerlessly powerful and unnervingly unpredictable.

The 5th-rank wood-attribute Spider Demon had made one misjudgment after another, and was consequently sliced in two by Zhanming’s sharp edge—from its right shoulder to its left abdomen—dying on the spot.

Its massive body toppled like a collapsing building. By the time it hit the ground, most of the corpse had already dissolved into a pungent green gas, leaving only eight bladed legs and a puddle of bubbling, dark-green fluid. A moment later, the liquid evaporated, leaving just a small pile of residue.

The Spider Demon’s great hammer, long saber, and shield, however, were completely unaffected, dropping to the ground with a loud CLATTER. The supernatural firearm it had held had long since warped, becoming a pile of scrap metal dripping with venom.

The Spider Demons’ supernatural weapons possessed some biological traits; upon the host’s death, an internal self-destruct mechanism would activate, melting the weapon into a pile of scrap.

With the death of the Primordial Demon Corps’ commander and its core of high-rank Bladed Demons, its formation instantly dissolved into chaos. The remaining demons simply swarmed forward, attacking any human they met.

Yu Fei could only focus on cutting down the Bladed Demons and a few Shadow Demons charging directly at him. He had no time to exterminate the other mid-rank demonkin, as two more 4th-rank Spider Demon teams emerged ahead.

Even in this high-intensity battle, and despite the fact that his Melt Gold Jade Body Skill was now even better at refining Yang Qi and his Shenxiao Saint Body’s Qian-Kun aspect could also replenish his energy, Yu Fei’s Inner Qi reserves were in constant decline. There was no helping it; the fighting was simply too fierce and too frequent.

The safest way to fight on the front lines was to have a Gang Qi Martial Artist at the core of a team, supported by a dozen or so Martial Artists at the Five Realms Divine Intent.

But Yu Fei killed so quickly that the other unattached Martial Artists couldn’t keep up. As a result, he was left to handle this section of the front alone.

Fortunately, his Inner Qi Realm was Vast as the Sea, and the reserves in his Qi Sea were terrifyingly massive, allowing him to hold the line for now.

Whenever Yu Fei managed to slow his pace slightly, his Inner Qi reserves would recover a bit. In a battle like this, a Martial Artist’s physical stamina was the most crucial factor.

After felling another 5th-rank Spider Demon, the area in front of Yu Fei was suddenly clear.

He had been killing them so fast that this part of the demonic tide had actually developed a gap.

Yu Fei planted Zhanming into the ground and let out a long sigh. After an hour of such intense slaughter, even he was starting to feel a hint of fatigue.

Zhuo Feiming had once told him that the most common cause of death for human Warriors on the front lines was exhaustion. It was why she had personally forged the mighty greatsword Zhanming for him.

The truth of her words hit Yu Fei hard. Imp Demons and Bladed Demons were the most numerous foes on this battlefield. These two types of cannon-fodder demons were relatively small, and a casual swing of Zhanming could cut them down like wheat. As for the giant Spider Demons, a single clean strike from Zhanming was all it took to kill one.

If he had been using a typical three-foot blade, he would have had to expend far more Inner Qi and stamina to kill his foes.

He lifted his eyes and scanned the area. The few Martial Artists still fighting nearby were all strangers.

Even a Gang Qi Martial Artist couldn’t endure the grueling battle on the front lines indefinitely. Too many unexpected things could happen. The consumption of Inner Qi wasn’t always a choice; in a crisis, a desperate burst of power was often necessary. That was why so many Martial Artists were resting back on the city walls—they needed to rotate out.

"Hmm...?"

In the distance, an enormous Spider Demon caught his eye. The creature was fiery red, and the crimson markings on its body were so vivid they seemed to pulse with a life of their own. Judging by its size and aura, Yu Fei determined it was a 6th-rank fire-attribute Spider Demon—the most powerful entity on this entire section of the battlefield.

Furthermore, the corps commanded by this 6th-rank Spider Demon contained a high number of 5th and 6th-rank Bladed Demons, with almost no low-rank Imp Demons in sight.

Even from a great distance, Yu Fei felt a bone-chilling dread.

"Move now! Everyone gather up!"

An anxious male voice echoed through the psychic network.

The defensive position at Dragon Path Crossing had been meticulously selected. Calculations based on the Cangyun Constant predicted that relatively few 6th-rank Spider Demons would appear in this sector. With the demon tide diverted to other fronts, the pressure here was supposed to be manageable.

However, whenever a 6th-rank Spider Demon Corps did appear, it was imperative to gather forces and annihilate it immediately. If one were to break through to the second or third defensive walls, it would be a catastrophe for the Martial Artists stationed there.

A Martial Artist of the Inner Qi Realm could easily kill a 4th-rank Bladed Demon and hold their own against a 5th-rank one. But against a 6th-rank Bladed Demon, they would likely be killed in an instant.

These high-rank cannon-fodder creatures possessed only raw strength and speed. When power levels were comparable, a Martial Artist could easily defeat them using superior technique.

But at the 6th-rank, a quantitative change became a qualitative one. When its strength and speed were utterly overwhelming, the life or death of an ordinary Inner Qi Realm Martial Artist could be decided in a single moment.

And that was to say nothing of a terrifying war machine like a 6th-rank Spider Demon. Without a Gang Qi Martial Artist to face it, such a creature was practically unstoppable.

"Hold on! I’m coming!"

"Hey! You, kid in the black armor! Get over here and regroup with us!"

...

The moment the 6th-rank Spider Demon Corps appeared, the once-silent psychic network erupted in a cacophony of voices. Yu Fei had cleared his area too efficiently, causing other Martial Artists to instinctively drift toward the flanks. After all, beyond their defensive duties, they were also on the battlefield to earn battle honors.

With an absolute monster like Yu Fei in this sector, there were fewer demons for the other Martial Artists to kill, so they had naturally drifted off to the sides in search of their own targets.

Now, seeing the 6th-rank Spider Demon about to attack this very spot, they all realized that only Yu Fei and a handful of Five Realms Divine Intent Martial Artists were left to defend it.

The realization struck terror into their hearts. If this 6th-rank Spider Demon Corps broke through, it would wreak havoc on the battle lines behind them.

Of course, a single 6th-rank Spider Demon couldn’t possibly breach the city walls—it would have trouble even getting close. Mobile response teams of Martial Artists would certainly take care of it.

But for those on the front line, any local chaos meant a temporary collapse of the defensive line. In the time it would take to restore order, every single one of them would be in extreme danger.

A battle group of about twenty, not far from Yu Fei, urgently dispatched eight Divine Intent Martial Artists to reinforce his position. The remaining members erupted with Qi Jin, their saber gleams and sword flashes intensifying. They were clearly using their trump cards to quickly eliminate their current opponents and free themselves up to help stop the 6th-rank Spider Demon.

Feng Bo and his group fought to carve a path through the battlefield toward Yu Fei. It was only as they got closer that they realized the young man in black armor was only at the fourth realm.

"This..."

’For someone at the mere fourth realm to be fighting on the front lines... his strength must be extraordinary. Being able to defeat a 5th-rank Bladed Demon is impressive, sure. But judging by the giant weapons scattered around, this kid clearly wiped out an entire 5th-rank Spider Demon Corps all by himself.’

’He’s too strong! Stronger even than us, and we’re at the Five Realms Divine Intent! No wonder this sector is so empty of other fighters. He must be another one of those heaven-blessed prodigies from the Seven Greats. Only monstrous talents like them can fight across realms as easily as breathing.’

’Still, a 6th-rank Spider Demon is charging this way. Without a Gang Qi Martial Artist, there’s no stopping it!’

A 6th-rank Spider Demon was on the same power level as a Gang Qi Martial Artist. The only difference was that the demon didn’t understand martial techniques, so its immense power was applied crudely. This was the only reason a Gang Qi Martial Artist could kill one. But even then, it required numerous other Martial Artists to run interference and keep the Bladed Demons of its corps at bay.

Otherwise, if pestered by 6th-rank Bladed Demons, even a Gang Qi Martial Artist might not be a match for the main beast.

"Kid in the black armor, stop staring! Get over here and form up! We’ll back you up and hold off this 6th-rank Spider Demon! Reinforcements are coming!"

’Feng Bo was self-aware enough to know his own limits. This young man could hold his own on the front lines at just the fourth realm; even as a fifth-realm warrior, Feng Bo knew he was no match. These monstrous talents from the Seven Greats were not only incredibly powerful, but they also advanced through the realms at a terrifying pace. In another ten years, this kid might even be a Grandmaster.’

’But for now, there was no need to put on a brave front. No matter how strong the kid in black armor was, he was still only in the Inner Qi Realm!’