Chapter 379: Rivers of Blood
Both Spirit City and the soul beasts fought with everything they had. The Spirit Empire relied on its vast ranks of spirit masters, unleashing an array of soul skills that filled the skies, with some even using large-scale attack techniques at the cost of enormous soul power—devastating against soul beasts.
But the soul beasts had two significant advantages. First, their physical resilience was unmatched; they were naturally stronger than spirit masters of the same level and seemed to have boundless stamina, relentlessly assaulting Spirit City. Meanwhile, the Spirit Empire's soul masters, despite being bolstered by the Angel's Light, were gradually wearing down, their reserves dwindling with each passing hour.
Second, the sheer numbers of the soul beast army were overwhelming, easily numbering in the millions. As time wore on, cracks began to appear in Spirit Empire's defenses. The walls, initially more than thirty meters thick, started showing signs of collapse. Without the high-ranking spirit masters constantly exhausting themselves to cast defensive techniques, they wouldn't have been able to hold off the advancing beasts.
Among them, Lightfeather Douluo played an especially critical role. His exceptional range and powerful long-distance attacks made him the most effective of all the spirit masters on the field, but also the most exhausted. He darted from wall to wall, sniping high-level soul beasts and prominent enemy leaders, always mindful of conserving his soul power as much as possible.
Golden Crocodile Douluo was constantly on the defensive in his battle against Bear Sr. Xiong. Although multiple Soul Douluo-level masters risked their lives to support him, their efforts did little more than interfere, as they lacked the strength to cause significant harm to Sr. Xiong . Luckily, Lightfeather Douluo prioritized support for Golden Crocodile Douluo, firing arrows to keep Sr. Xiong off balance, even refraining from using spirit skills to conserve energy.
Seeing his empire struggle against the relentless onslaught, Qian Daoliu realized they were at a critical juncture. With a subtle wave of his hand, he issued a command.
At his signal, a blinding golden light emerged from deep within Spirit Hall. A multitude of figures, each adorned with golden wings, soared into the battlefield. These were the Angel Legion—Spirit Hall's final trump card and the very foundation of the Angel Clan's power. Each warrior of the Angel Legion wielded a golden sword, deadly even against high-ranking soul beasts.
With the Angel Legion's entrance, Spirit Empire managed a temporary shift in momentum, even launching occasional counterattacks. Other formidable spirit master corps, including the Holy Dragon Corps and the Heavy Infantry, also made their presence known, wreaking havoc on the soul beast ranks.
In the sky above, Di Tian's expression grew darker. He had initially thought that with the soul beasts' superior physical strength and overwhelming numbers, capturing Spirit City would be a straightforward task. Yet the reality proved otherwise. The Spirit Empire's defenses and the Angel Legion's reinforcements turned the tide, holding the soul beasts at bay.
Moreover, many spirit masters were capable of unleashing wide-area destruction techniques, particularly devastating against the disorganized soul beasts. Soul Douluo and Titled Douluo, in particular, could devastate entire groups of enemies with their area-of-effect abilities, turning the battlefield into a scene of carnage.
Amidst this chaos, Hu Liena and Xie Yue's combined attack, their fused martial skill Bewitching Charm, enveloped the area in a dense red mist. Even the soul beasts found themselves severely hampered within its range. With their combined strength reaching Titled Douluo level, they were an indomitable force against the ten-thousand-year beasts.
Watching from a distance, Di Tian cast a cold glance toward Qian Daoliu and issued an order for all soul beasts to halt their assault and retreat five hundred meters from the city walls, surrounding Spirit City without actively attacking.
Qian Daoliu immediately instructed his forces to rest and regroup. He opened the Empire's treasury, distributing medicinal supplies freely to treat the wounded and restore the fighters' stamina.
In most sieges, the initial assault is the fiercest, with successive waves gradually weakening. However, Qian Daoliu knew this would not be the case here. Di Tian's meticulous strategy left no room for retreat. Such a sudden ceasefire was out of character and likely indicated that Di Tian was preparing a more insidious plan.
In a concealed area nearby, Di Tian turned to Tang San. "Tang San, it seems you miscalculated. Your strategy wasn't as effective as you claimed. The defenses of Spirit City were stronger than I expected, and their number of spirit masters exceeded our estimations. Do you still suggest we press on?"
Tang San's face darkened. "Spirit Hall has millennia of accumulated strength, but I'll admit, their forces are greater than I anticipated. I suggest we continue the assault; otherwise, things will get even more difficult later on."
Di Tian hesitated. "What do you mean? We've already been attacking for four hours, and my forces have suffered heavy losses. Are you suggesting we keep wasting lives on a futile attack?"
Tang San sneered, "How can you call it futile? Spirit Empire's spirit masters are drained. If we keep pressing, they'll eventually be forced to their limits. Even with the Angel's Light, their soul power won't last forever."
Di Tian pondered, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. "Isn't there another way, Tang San? Continuing this assault will cost us dearly."
Tang San's smile turned colder. "Di Tian, if we don't press forward, it's likely your soul beasts will suffer even more disastrous losses."
Di Tian looked startled. "What do you mean? Are you saying Spirit Empire has more hidden resources?"
Tang San chuckled. "You can't seriously believe that Spirit Empire has shown us everything. Qian Daoliu may be fighting, but Bibi Dong has yet to appear. Don't forget they also have millions of troops scattered across the continent and numerous Titled Douluo who could still be recalled. If those forces return to support Spirit City, we'll be attacked from all sides."
Di Tian closed his eyes, deliberating. Finally, he spoke, "Fine, I'll continue the assault, but since this is a partnership, your forces need to join the battle as well. Otherwise, I'll assume you're planning to reap the benefits without risking anything."
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