Chapter 217: "Do You Want to Dance Too?"
"Every half a tea's time, kill 100 captives and toss their bodies into the formation. Heh, do we have anything to fear in a battle of endurance?"
Inside the Tian Ming Sect, the Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation loomed large, shrouding everything in a suffocating mist of blood. Even as three powerful Heavenly Flames bombarded the formation's barrier, radiating intense heat and destructive force, the Soul Clan members remained indifferent.
They knew that as long as the formation stood, no one no matter who could harm them.
The true strength of the formation wasn't just its power but its near limitless endurance, fueled by the bodies and souls of the captives.
"Understood, Lord Demon Saint!"
Two Soul Clan Dou Zun quickly bowed and left for the dungeon. Moments later, the chilling sound of screams echoed through the area, each one more blood curdling than the last.
Rather than feeling disturbed, the Soul Clan members seemed energized by the wails of despair. They smiled contentedly, as if savoring the sweet melody of death a grotesque display of their twisted nature.
As bodies were tossed into the formation, blood drained from the corpses, streaming toward the array's center. Above the formation, a vortex like structure greedily devoured the escaping souls.
Outside the Formation
"Boom!"
The formation suddenly trembled, and its dimming barrier erupted with renewed black and red brilliance. The oppressive energy surged, regaining its full potency.
"Damn it!" Xiao Wu cursed, clenching his fists.
He had been briefed by Fifth Granduncle about the formation's mechanics. The Soul Clan was replenishing the array by feeding it fresh blood and souls.
"Don't lose heart, Xiao Wu," Fifth Granduncle said solemnly. "This formation is powerful, but we will break through it eventually and put an end to these monstrous remnants of the Soul Clan!"
"They're too vile! This formation, their methods, their entire race they shouldn't exist!" Xiao Wu seethed with anger.
Fifth Granduncle shook his head, looking at the formation below with a cold gaze. "Xiao Wu, the Soul Clan's ways have always been like this cruel, twisted, and unforgiving. This is their last stand, and such desperation is to be expected.
You might not know, but the feud between our clans began in ancient times.
Back when the second generation patriarch of our Xiao Clan confronted the Soul Clan for slaughtering innocents, the Soul Clan's patriarch retaliated with open hostility.
During one battle, our patriarch was delayed by enemies, and the Soul Clan's leader was slain. Since then, the hatred between us has only grown deeper.
It's normal for someone like you, who hasn't experienced much, to find their actions hard to accept. But remember, evil may flourish for a time, but justice always prevails in the end.
For now, we'll outlast them. Once they've used up all their captives, this formation will collapse on its own."
Xiao Wu tightened his fists, unwilling to accept the situation. "Fifth Granduncle, isn't there any way to forcefully break this formation?"
"There is," Fifth Granduncle replied, nodding slightly. "But it would come at a great cost.
Besides, the formation traps both sides. They can't escape either. We'll wait them out eventually, their resources will run dry, and the array will fall."
As Xiao Wu wrestled with his frustration, a figure stepped out of the void.
It was Tian Luo.
The Xiao Clan members immediately bowed.
"Greetings, Lord Tian Luo!"
Tian Luo nodded calmly, gesturing for them to rise. His status within the Xiao Clan was second only to Xiao Tianchen, the patriarch himself. Even Xiao Qing, the heir, treated Tian Luo with utmost respect.
Tian Luo's gaze shifted to the formation below. He studied it briefly before turning to Xiao Wu.
"A single formation is holding you up?" Tian Luo's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"Lord Tian Luo," Xiao Wu explained respectfully, "this is the infamous Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation, one of the Soul Clan's deadliest arrays. It can even harm an Eight Star Dou Sheng.
To minimize casualties, we've been using Heavenly Flames to attack the formation.
Unfortunately, the array's power is replenished whenever the Soul Clan sacrifices captives. This has led to a stalemate.
While they're trapped inside, and we're safe outside, breaking the formation will require significant effort. But once they run out of captives, the array will naturally weaken."
Tian Luo nodded thoughtfully. He had heard of this formation from Xiao Tianchen it was second only to the Death Realm Grand Formation in lethality.
In ancient times, the Soul Clan had used this very array to fend off the Soul Devourer Clan, delaying them until reinforcements arrived. It was a testament to the array's formidable power.
"I see. But you don't need to worry," Tian Luo said with a faint smile. "Leave this to me. A mere Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation is nothing to me."
His words exuded confidence.
For ordinary mortals, this formation was a nightmare, but Tian Luo was no ordinary being he was a Heavenly Demon Puppet, forged from rare metals and enhanced by the Xiao Clan's techniques.
Even if he stood still and let high level Dou Shengs attack him, they would struggle to inflict any significant damage.
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up with hope.
He quickly signaled Qinglian and the two Six Star Dou Shengs who were using Heavenly Flames to step back.
"Lord Tian Luo, what brings you here?" Qinglian asked curiously, his childlike form making him appear harmless.
Tian Luo chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Qinglian's head. "I was worried about you all, so I came to check on things."
Qinglian pouted but didn't resist, knowing Tian Luo's good intentions.
Inside the Formation
Meanwhile, within the array, the Soul Clan's Demon Saint was unfazed by Tian Luo's arrival.
"Even if the Xiao Clan brought reinforcements, this formation will hold. They'll tire themselves out before they can touch us," he said confidently.
Suddenly, a subordinate rushed over.
"Lord Demon Saint, one of the enemies outside has stepped forward. He appears... different."
"Oh? Let's see who dares challenge this formation!"
The Demon Saint's eyes gleamed with a sinister light, his grin widening.
Outside the Formation
Tian Luo stepped forward, his metallic frame gleaming faintly under the blood red glow of the formation.
"Do you think your precious array can stop me?" he asked, his voice calm yet menacing.
The Soul Clan members inside felt a chill. Tian Luo's imposing aura was unlike anything they had encountered before.
He raised a hand, his movements deliberate.
"If you value your lives," Tian Luo said coldly, "leave now. Otherwise, you'll soon join the corpses fueling this array."
The Soul Clan warriors tensed, their confidence wavering.
Tian Luo's metallic fingers traced patterns in the air, and an oppressive energy began to gather around him.
"So," Tian Luo said, his voice laced with mockery, "do you all want to dance too?"
While Tian Luo and Xiao Wu were discussing their plans, inside the Tian Ming Sect, chaos brewed.
Inside the Formation
"Lord Demon Saint, Xiao Wu's attacks have stopped!" a low rank Soul Clan Dou Sheng hurriedly reported.
"Oh?"
The Demon Saint opened his eyes and looked toward the top of the formation. As soon as he caught sight of Tian Luo's figure, his expression shifted dramatically.
"Damn it! Why is Tian Luo here? Didn't the clan leader promise to deal with Xiao Clan's Nine Star Dou Shengs himself?"
At these words, the expressions of the other Soul Clan members darkened.
The reason they had chosen not to flee was because Hun Tiandi (Soul Heaven Emperor) had assured them he would personally handle the Xiao Clan's most powerful forces.
Without that promise, they wouldn't have dared to stay and fight. A single Nine Star Dou Sheng like Tian Luo was more than capable of wiping them all out.
Even though they had been resigned to their fate as pawns, willing to die for the Soul Clan's grand plan, they had at least hoped to take a few enemies down with them.
But with Tian Luo's arrival, it became painfully clear that their leader had lied. From the start, they were nothing but expendable pieces.
Realizing this betrayal, a wave of unease swept through the group.
Sensing the shift in morale, the Soul Demon Saint, the leader of this operation, let out a bitter laugh. Rising to his feet, he addressed his subordinates:
"Everyone, it's clear now we were abandoned from the start.
But don't forget, we knew this when we left the Soul Realm.
We are nothing more than sacrificial pawns. Tian Luo's arrival changes nothing. If we die, we die."
At his words, the room fell silent for a moment. Then, a defiant cry erupted:
"Fight to the death!"
"Yeah! Take one down with us, and it's worth it! Take two, and it's a victory!"
"Fight!"
The once shaken Soul Clan members now burned with renewed determination, ready to give their lives for the cause.
The Soul Demon Saint grinned wickedly at their fervor.
"Don't rush. The Bloodthirsty Soul Devouring Formation is still active. Even if Tian Luo is a Nine Star Dou Sheng, he'll have a hard time breaking through.
Our goal has always been to buy time, and we'll keep dragging this out until we've exhausted the captives of the Tian Ming Sect and Ice River Valley.
When that time comes, we'll fight to the end."
"Drag them down! Buy time for the clan leader!"
"Drag them down!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
The group erupted in laughter, their faces contorted into terrifying grins.
Tian Luo Breaks Through the Formation
Suddenly, Tian Luo's figure pierced through the formation's barrier with ease.
The moment he entered, the formation responded violently, launching a barrage of devastating attacks.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
"Damn it! Tian Luo has breached the formation!" The Soul Demon Saint's face darkened as he barked orders:
"Increase the array's power!"
"Yes, Lord Demon Saint!"
Wave after wave of attacks rained down on Tian Luo. The sheer intensity was enough to grievously injure even an Eight Star Dou Sheng, and the relentless bombardment would have overwhelmed most.
However, Tian Luo merely raised a layer of Dou Qi armor around himself, letting the attacks crash harmlessly against it.
Beneath his mask, his expression remained calm and indifferent. The suffocating waves of smoke and fire generated by the explosions were nothing more than an inconvenience to him.
Then, with a sudden surge of energy, Tian Luo released a powerful shockwave.
"Boom!"
The shockwave dissipated the formation's gathered energy and blew away the smoke surrounding him.
Walking forward with unhurried steps, Tian Luo's figure emerged from the chaos like a god of war descending onto the battlefield.
"Second only to the Death Realm Grand Formation?" he said with a sneer. "What a joke."
His voice, calm yet brimming with disdain, cut through the noise.
Tian Luo had expected the formation to challenge him, maybe even force him to go all out. Yet it had failed to even scratch him.
The formation launched another flurry of attacks, but this time Tian Luo moved.
His figure flickered like a ghost, dodging each strike with ease. His movements were so swift that not a single attack landed.
Confrontation with the Soul Demon Saint
Seeing Tian Luo close in on them, the Soul Demon Saint, Hun Shengtian, gritted his teeth and gathered his forces.
"Attack!"
Dozens of Dou Shengs unleashed their techniques, hurling devastating energy blasts toward Tian Luo.
But no matter how fierce their attacks, Tian Luo dodged every single one.
When Tian Luo finally stopped, his cold gaze swept over the group.
"Hmph. So it's you, Hun Shengtian," Tian Luo said mockingly. "The so called 'Four Demon Saints' of the Soul Clan? Where are the others? Hiding like cowards?"
Hun Shengtian's expression twisted with rage. Memories of their last encounter flooded his mind the time when Tian Luo had cornered him within the Nine Dragons Ascension Formation.
If not for the Gate of Death, he would have died that day.
But now, even the Gate of Death had been taken by Xiao Tianchen.
"Tian Luo!" Hun Shengtian roared. "I didn't expect to see you here. Fine! Let's see if you've improved since last time!"
Hun Shengtian surged forward, unleashing a massive blood red energy claw aimed at Tian Luo's chest.
"Clang!"
Tian Luo raised his arm and effortlessly blocked the strike. His fist shot out like lightning, smashing the energy claw into shards.
"Boom!"
"Crack!"
The overwhelming force of his counterattack sent Hun Shengtian stumbling back.
"Attack together!"
The other Soul Clan Dou Shengs rushed forward, launching their own attacks.
Tian Luo stood his ground, calmly deflecting their strikes with calculated precision. Each counterpunch sent a Soul Clan Dou Sheng reeling.
Finally, Tian Luo stopped in front of one of the weaker Dou Shengs.
With a wicked grin beneath his mask, he cocked his fist back.
"You too?" he said mockingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you want to dance?"
(End of Chapter)
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