I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you always manage to... bring surprises!"

On the distant city wall, Wei Wuyai, who had witnessed the astonishing scene just now, was still shaken to his core, even with his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, and muttered to himself.

His face was filled with disbelief.

He had thought Zhou Yuan was merely skilled in supernatural abilities and decisive in killing, but he never expected that Zhou Yuan could unleash large-scale destructive spells in such a "free and uninterrupted" manner! This completely overturned the common sense of combat!

After the initial shock, Wei Wuyai's heart tightened.

Zhou Yuan had a blood feud with Mu Lan before, and now he has displayed great power on the battlefield, slaughtering thousands of mages. His sharp edge has been fully revealed, and he will surely become a thorn in the side of the Mu Lan people, attracting their fiercest targeting! Danger!

With this thought in mind, Wei Wuyai dared not delay any longer. In a flash, he transformed into a streak of dark green light, piercing through the light barrier and rushing towards Zhou Yuan's location to prepare to provide support.

Sure enough, the moment he left the city, he saw seven incredibly powerful beams of light, like unsheathed swords, tearing through the chaotic army formation and heading straight for Zhou Yuan with chilling killing intent from deep within the Mulan army! Their speed far exceeded that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators!

The two streaks of light leading the way, one a hazy blue and the other pitch black, were none other than Master Zhong and Sect Master Fang of the Yinluo Sect!

Two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators actually took action themselves!

Behind them followed five figures with considerable auras. Two of them clearly possessed spiritual pressure at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, while the other three were also outstanding individuals at the early Nascent Soul stage.

Seven Nascent Soul cultivators, including two late-stage, two mid-stage, and three early-stage!

This lineup almost instantly unleashed a terrifying force capable of crushing any defensive line in Tiantian City, all for... to surround and kill one person!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou! Return to the city immediately! Do not fight him head-on!"

Wei Wuyai's heart sank, and he let out a long, sharp cry, pushing his escape speed to the limit in an attempt to reach Zhou Yuan's side before the enemy could surround him.

However, Zhou Yuan, who was at the center of the storm, remained calm.

His terrifying divine sense, far surpassing that of the late Nascent Soul stage, was like a heavenly eye, taking in all the movements within a radius of dozens of miles, including the seven rapidly approaching killing intents.

However, he did not pause in the slightest while performing the "Ten Thousand Swords Technique".

Just as Wei Wuyai issued a warning, Zhou Yuan raised his hand again, his five fingers clenched loosely, facing the direction from which the seven streaks of light were coming.

"Buzz—!"

Another dazzling golden sea of ​​swords instantly condensed in front of him, then transformed into an even more violent and dense golden torrent, sweeping fiercely towards the seven streaks of light!

This time, the Myriad Swords Technique seems to be more refined than before, and the sword energies resonate more closely, faintly forming a strange formation, making it even more powerful!

"A trivial skill!"

Master Zhong snorted coldly. Before anyone could see what he was doing, a giant hand, as big as a house and shimmering with silver light, formed entirely from pure spiritual energy, appeared out of thin air. With the power to suppress the void, it slammed down hard on the oncoming golden sword stream!

"boom--!"

The giant silver hand and the golden sword stream collided with a deafening roar! A violent surge of spiritual energy exploded outwards, distorting the space around them.

The giant silver hand flashed violently, but was riddled with holes by countless sharp sword energies. Finally, it let out a mournful cry and collapsed with a bang.

However, nearly a third of the golden sword flow was dispersed by this palm strike, greatly reducing its momentum.

Sect Leader Fang was even more direct. With a flick of his wide black robe sleeves, a small triangular banner, entirely black and engraved with countless painful ghost faces, flew out. It swelled in the wind, spewing out thick, ink-like black gas. The black gas surged and transformed into a huge ghost-faced shield, blocking everyone's path.

The golden sword energy shot into the black mist, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea. Although it dissolved a lot of the black mist, its speed and power were greatly weakened and slowed down.

The other five Nascent Soul cultivators also used various methods, either summoning defensive magic treasures to withstand the attack or using spiritual techniques to deflect and neutralize the sword energy.

In an instant, flashes of inspiration and continuous roars filled the air.

However, Zhou Yuan's Ten Thousand Swords Technique was not a single wave.

Just as the first wave of swords was blocked and delayed, the second and third waves of golden swords arrived one after another!

It was still the same size, the same power, the same... almost without gaps!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

Endless golden sword energy, like a relentless metal storm, frantically assaulted the defensive line formed by the seven people.

Even with their profound cultivation, Master Zhong and Sect Master Fang were forced to slow their advance and devote more of their attention to defense by the continuous and powerful torrent of sword energy.

The other five were under immense pressure, especially the three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. Under the impact of the third wave of sword strikes, their protective auras were trembling violently, and their defensive magic treasures were dimming, emitting mournful cries of unbearable strain.

A distance of a thousand feet should be covered in an instant for a Nascent Soul cultivator, but under Zhou Yuan's almost "unlimited firepower" of sword energy blocking, it seemed to become an insurmountable chasm!

Every few dozen feet they advanced, they faced a new wave of powerful sword strikes, forcing them to stop to defend, parry, and dodge, greatly reducing their speed of advance.

"Just how much magic power does this child possess?!" Master Zhong's face darkened, his heart filled with doubt and uncertainty. Even he would find it difficult to sustain such a high-intensity, continuous spellcasting for long.

"Wait until he's exhausted! He can't hold on much longer by squandering his power like this! When he's exhausted, that will be the moment he dies!"

Master Zhong transmitted his voice to Sect Master Fang, attempting to stabilize the situation and wait for an opportunity.

However, one breath, two breaths, three breaths... ten breaths have passed!

Zhou Yuan remained suspended in place, his expression unchanged, and even his eyes showed no fluctuation.

The golden sword stream continued to pour down wave after wave, steadily and continuously, without showing any sign of weakening!

On the other hand, the three early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators on their side finally couldn't hold on after enduring more than ten waves of sword strikes.

"Snap!" "Pfft!"

One of the people's defensive ancient mirrors was pierced by the dense sword energy, losing all its spiritual light.

The other person's protective jade pendant shattered instantly.

The third person was grazed by several stray sword energies, blood splattering across the sky. He screamed and retreated hastily, completely losing his fighting ability.

"Master Zhong! This person is strange! We can't force our way in any further!" Master Mulan, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, also turned pale. His natal magic weapon was a large earthen-yellow seal, which was now covered with fine sword marks. He was heartbroken.

Master Zhong looked at the black-robed figure in the distance who was still "leisurely" releasing sword energy, and then glanced at Wei Wuyai who was about to reach Zhou Yuan's side. His expression changed several times, and finally turned into a muffled groan of unwillingness.

"That's enough! Retreat!"

He knew that with Wei Wuyai's support, even if they could break through this annoying sword flow, it would be extremely difficult to take down Zhou Yuan, who was in good condition, in a short time.

Forcing the issue might allow the enemy to launch a counterattack using their large formation, resulting in even greater losses.

Today, this person single-handedly dampened our spirits!

The seven streaks of light arrived quickly and disappeared just as fast.

After withstanding two more waves of sword attacks, they quickly retreated, escaping Zhou Yuan's attack range and returning to the depths of the Mulan army.

As Master Zhong and the others retreated, Zhou Yuan finally stopped releasing the heart-pounding, seemingly endless "Ten Thousand Swords Technique".

The golden sword energy slowly dissipated, leaving only the dense, sharp aura of Geng metal in the air, and the scorched earth below, which had been plowed through by the sword energy countless times, scarred and littered with corpses.

Zhou Yuan tilted his head slightly to look at Wei Wuyai, who had arrived beside him and was breathing a little rapidly.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou..."

Looking at Zhou Yuan's calm and unwavering face, Wei Wuyai seemed to regard his feat of single-handedly confronting seven Nascent Soul cultivators and slaughtering thousands of magicians as nothing more than casually brushing away a few flies.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and exclaimed sincerely, "Today, I have truly broadened my horizons! I never imagined that Fellow Daoist Zhou not only possesses divine attainments in swordsmanship and magical artifacts, but also has reached such an unfathomable level in the art of magic! I admire you, I admire you!"

His evaluation of Zhou Yuan had reached an unprecedented level.

This person is capable.

Even more so than myself!

With him around, Tiancheng might...

Can they really hold out for a few more days?

"Fellow Daoist Wei, you flatter me. It's just because of some external things."

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly, flipped his wrist, and a small, white, and luminous jade bottle appeared in his palm.

He uncorked the bottle, and a pure, refreshing fragrance, seemingly brimming with endless vitality, instantly filled the air.

"This is... ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk?!"

As expected of the Grand Elder of the Huayi Sect, Wei Wuyai was very knowledgeable and recognized the item instantly, his face showing shock once again.

The Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk, a single drop can instantly restore the mana of a Nascent Soul cultivator, making it a rare and precious life-saving treasure!

Its value is incomparably precious!

Zhou Yuan actually possessed this item, and just now... he actually relied on it to maintain that terrifying continuous spellcasting?

"good."

Zhou Yuan nodded, put the jade bottle back, and said calmly, "I used up a lot of energy just now, so I had no choice but to use a few drops. Although this item is rare, it is worthwhile to use it here and now."

His infinite mana regeneration in his equipment slots is one of his biggest secrets, and it must never be revealed.

Using the explanation of the ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk is reasonable and can dispel the doubts of Wei Wuyai and the possible spy from Mulan who might be spying on him.

Presumably, after learning that he was able to cast spells so "crazy" thanks to the ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk, the people of Mulan, though wary, could understand.

Upon hearing this, Wei Wuyai's expression deepened with shock, which quickly transformed into profound admiration and emotion: "Fellow Daoist Zhou...you are truly righteous!"

"Such rare treasures of heaven and earth have been used here to fight for our Tiannan! On behalf of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, I, Wei... thank Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

He meant it sincerely.

A rogue cultivator, for the sake of the Tiannan war which was not his own sect, not only personally risked his life and killed powerful enemies, but also used life-saving items such as ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk without hesitation.

This sense of responsibility and dedication far surpasses that of many Nascent Soul elders of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance.

"It's my duty." Zhou Yuan waved his hand, unwilling to discuss the matter further. "Let's go back to the city first. The Mulan people have suffered such a great loss; they won't let it go easily and will surely have other plans."

"What Fellow Daoist Zhou said is absolutely right."

Wei Wuyai's expression hardened, and he and Zhou Yuan transformed into streaks of light, quickly returning to the light barrier of Tiantian City.

……

The Mulan army, central camp.

Inside a magnificent stone hall, hastily constructed using earth-attribute magic, yet still imposing and filled with layers of restrictions.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as the stillness before a storm.

Master Zhong sat upright in the main seat, his face ashen, his fingers unconsciously tapping the stone chair armrest, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

The sect leader sat to his left, the eerie green light beneath his hood flickering erratically, clearly indicating his turbulent emotions.

Below, several Nascent Soul Grandmasters stood with their hands at their sides, not daring to breathe loudly. In particular, the three early-stage cultivators who had suffered losses under Zhou Yuan's sword were pale-faced and still had lingering fears.

"A disgrace! An utter disgrace!"

Master Zhong slammed his hand on the armrest, and the hard stone armrest instantly turned into dust.

"Seven people! Two divine masters! They were actually forced back by a single person using a mere spell! And thousands of our soldiers were lost! The Mulan Holy Clan has utterly disgraced itself!"

"Master Zhong, please calm your anger."

An elderly man from Mulan, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, forced himself to speak, "That Nan cultivator Zhou Yuan's supernatural abilities are indeed bizarre. The metal-type spells he casts are powerful and have a wide range, and the casting speed is incredibly fast, almost instantaneous. Moreover... he seems to have inexhaustible magical power, which is completely illogical. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."

"That doesn't make sense?"

The sect leader's hoarse voice rang out, tinged with a chilling undertone, "In my opinion, he doesn't possess boundless magical power, but rather a vast collection of rare and precious treasures that can instantly restore one's magical power! That's what gives him such terrifying endurance!"

Just then, a sound transmission talisman drifted into the main hall and was examined by Master Zhong.

"So it's ancient spiritual milk?"

Master Zhong frowned, then sneered, "No wonder! So he has such external resources to rely on! Hmph, ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk is good, but it's by no means inexhaustible! He used it today, how much can he use tomorrow? And the day after? Once we deplete his spiritual milk, this person will be nothing to fear!"

That being said,

Sect Leader Fang's tone carried a hint of urgency, "But Master Zhong, since your Mulan has made up your mind to conquer a large area of ​​Tiannan territory in one fell swoop, why are you still unwilling to exert your full strength?"

"Now that Tiancheng is right in front of us, if we delay any longer and allow Zhou Yuan to escape, he's just a rogue cultivator whose whereabouts are unpredictable. It will be much harder to find him and retrieve the Yuanming Lamp then!"

His true target was always the Golden Thunder Bamboo magic weapon on Zhou Yuan's body.

The Yuanming Lantern is related to the summoning of the sacred bird of Mulan and is of great significance to the people of Mulan.

Master Zhong glanced at Sect Leader Fang, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but considering the future cooperation, he suppressed his emotions and said in a deep voice:

"Sect Leader Fang, rest assured, I have already sent word to the grasslands. My clan's other two Divine Masters have finished their current duties and are leading their elite troops on their way. At the same time, the second batch of reinforcements, including more than a dozen Lamas, has also set off and will arrive soon!"

His eyes flashed with a cold light, his killing intent chilling: "At that time, all three of my Mulan Divine Masters will be gathered, plus Sect Master Fang, making four late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators! The total number of Nascent Soul cultivators will exceed sixty! Furthermore, we have the Restriction-Breaking Rhinoceros, which is specifically designed to counter all kinds of formations and restrictions! With such power, let alone Zhou Yuan, we could easily raze the entire Tiantian City to the ground! This Divine Master wants to see how long his meager ten-thousand-year-old spiritual milk can last!"

"That's excellent!"

Upon hearing this, a faint light flashed beneath the hood of the sect leader's head, and his hoarse voice carried a hint of satisfaction.

"I will await good news, and once the army arrives, we will breach the city in one fell swoop and capture and kill this villain!"

……

Half a month passed quickly amidst tense standoffs and sporadic skirmishes.

On this morning, outside Tiantian City, the heart-pounding rumble of war drums rang out once again, heavier and more intense than ever before, as if striking the hearts of every cultivator guarding the city.

The garrison soldiers immediately climbed onto the city wall and nervously looked out.

On the plains outside the city, the size of the Mulan army seemed to have expanded even more than it had been half a month ago! Banners fluttered in the wind, and the air was thick with killing intent.

What's most chilling is that there are over fifty Nascent Soul cultivators hovering in the air in front of the army!

The dark mass, emanating a continuous spiritual pressure, resembled an invisible mountain, causing the light barrier of Tiantian City to ripple slightly.

At the very front of these fifty-odd figures were four figures that resembled ferocious beasts from the primordial era. Just by standing there, they caused the space to subtly distort, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at them.

Besides the familiar faces of Master Zhong and the Black-Robed Sect Leader, two more people appeared.

The man on the left is a hunched, yellowish-brown old man with a crooked ebony cane, who looks like he is about to die.

However, his seemingly cloudy old eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light, and his aura was condensed and obscure, in no way inferior to Master Zhong!

It was another divine master from the Mulan Grassland—the divine master surnamed Zhu!

The person on the right is a short, unremarkable old man dressed in simple linen clothes.

He always had a half-smile on his face, his hands tucked into his sleeves, making him look harmless.

But those who know him know that this old man is ruthless and has strange supernatural powers. He is the Bi family master, one of the three great masters of Mulan!

On the Mulan Grassland, the three great masters have gathered at the foot of Tiantian City!

Including Sect Master Fang of the Yinluo Sect, there are a total of four Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators!

"What?! All three of Mulan's great masters...have arrived?!"

On the south city wall, Wei Wuyai saw the four figures, his pupils contracted sharply, and for the first time, his face showed undisguised shock.

He had long guessed that Mulan's ambitions this time were not small, but he did not expect the other party to be so determined that he would send all three pillars of the nation to the front line!

This is no longer a simple case of looting or border conflict; it is about... national annihilation and racial extinction.

A war of annihilation that would completely destroy the Nine Kingdoms Alliance and even shake the very foundation of Tiannan!

A chill ran down Wei Wuyai's spine. Four late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators... He was the only one in the city to have reached this level. How could he possibly withstand them?

What weighed heavily on his mind was that seven or eight enormous creatures stood on the ground in front of those dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators!

This beast resembles a giant rhinoceros, standing over ten zhang tall and nearly twenty zhang long. Its entire body is covered in thick, dark blue scales, and it has a single, curved, dark purple horn on its head. Surprisingly, its four hooves are treading on pale blue clouds.

This allows it to hover at low altitudes!

It is indeed the Breaking-the-Forbidden Rhinoceros!

This beast possesses immense strength and thick hide; even more terrifying is its innate resistance to and destructive power against all kinds of spiritual energy restrictions!

Its single-horn charge, combined with special combined attack tactics, is enough to shake or even tear apart many solid array formations and restrictions! Previously, many strongholds on the border of Yu Kingdom were lost, mostly because these giant beasts were the first to break through the outer defenses.

"Ugh—!"

A deep horn sounded, and seven or eight forbidden rhinoceroses simultaneously raised their heads and let out a muffled, thunderous roar. Blue clouds rolled beneath their hooves as they strode heavily toward the pale golden light shield of Tiantian City!

With every step I took, the earth trembled!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!"

The giant rhinoceros's horn slammed into the light barrier, unleashing a deafening roar! The surface of the light barrier immediately caved in violently, ripples spread wildly, and runes flickered erratically!

Although it was not ultimately broken, it clearly withstood tremendous pressure.

At the same time, the four late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in front of the formation also made their move!

Master Zhong raised his hand and pressed down, and a giant silver palm of spiritual energy that blotted out the sky slammed down!

With a tap of his ebony cane, the priest unleashed a strange, grayish light that seemed capable of corroding everything!

With a flick of his sleeve, Master Bi unleashed a barrage of countless fine needles, each shimmering with a chilling blue light, like a torrential downpour!

Sect Leader Fang then summoned a long, ghostly banner, which spewed out billowing black smoke that transformed into countless ferocious ghostly shadows that pounced on the light barrier!

The combined attack of the four late-stage experts was incredibly terrifying. The light shield trembled violently, emitting a creaking sound as it struggled to withstand the strain, and the surface radiance dimmed visibly!

The fifty-odd Nascent Soul cultivators behind also simultaneously unleashed their magic weapons and spiritual techniques. Countless attacks followed like a storm, bombarding the same area of ​​the light barrier!

"Damn it!"

Wei Wuyai's face was ashen, his eyes filled with both anxiety and barely suppressed rage.

While he was fully activating the central core of the grand formation and gathering the power of the spiritual veins to stabilize the light barrier, he gritted his teeth and said to a trusted elder beside him:

"Send a message! Issue an ultimatum to the Righteous Alliance, the Demonic Alliance, and the Heavenly Alliance! Half a month! I'm only giving them half a month! If the main reinforcements don't arrive at the gates of Tiantian City by then..."

"We, the cultivators of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, will abandon Tiantian City and the Yu Kingdom, and retreat northwards en masse! At that time, the hundreds of thousands of Mulanfa soldiers will no longer be confined to the territory of our Nine Kingdoms Alliance! Let them weigh the consequences themselves!"

This is a threat that is almost a complete breakdown in relations.

But given the current situation, the Nine Nations Alliance is on the verge of life and death, and can no longer care about any alliance or friendship.

The other three major forces are reluctant to come to our aid, simply because they want the Nine Kingdoms Alliance and the Mulan people to fight to the death so that they can reap the benefits.

Now, the Nine Nations Alliance doesn't want them to reap the benefits!

"yes!"

The elder solemnly accepted the order and hurried away.

Wei Wuyai took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and looked at Zhou Yuan, who had been standing silently beside him, gazing at the scene outside the city. His tone carried a hint of weariness and a last hope:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you've seen it yourself. The Mulan people are determined to breach the city this time. Four late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, over fifty Nascent Soul cultivators, and that giant beast that specializes in breaking restrictions... At this rate, the Shangyuan Annihilation Array probably... won't even last three days. Once the city falls, in the chaos of battle, our Nine Kingdoms Alliance cultivators will have no chance of fighting to the death; they will inevitably collapse... Fellow Daoist Zhou, do you have any... solutions?"

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

If Zhou Yuan also says there's nothing he can do, then Tiancheng might really be unable to hold out.

The half-month agreement was nothing more than a last-ditch struggle and a threat; even he himself wasn't sure what to expect.

Zhou Yuan withdrew his gaze from outside the city and turned to look at Wei Wuyai, who looked anxious. A calm expression, even a relaxed smile, suddenly appeared on his face.

"There is a way, of course." Zhou Yuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Wei Wuyai's ears, making him freeze instantly.

"Fellow Daoist Wei need not worry. Since I, Zhou, have agreed to help you defend the city, I have made preparations."

As Zhou Yuan spoke, he flipped his wrist, and a flash of spiritual light appeared in his palm, revealing twenty-four high-grade spirit stones that were entirely green and translucent, yet all exuded pure and abundant spiritual energy!

A total of twenty-four!

"This... so many high-grade spirit stones?!"

Wei Wuyai's eyes widened suddenly.

Even though he was the Grand Elder of the Huayi Sect and the leader of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, and had seen countless treasures in his life, he was still stunned by the twenty-four high-grade spirit stones that Zhou Yuan casually took out, and his mind went blank!

High-grade spirit stones!

In the human realm, especially in the southern sky, how rare and precious is that?

The Huayi Sect has a history of thousands of years and a profound foundation. However, in the sect's treasury, there are only three high-grade spirit stones!

Moreover, it is regarded as the lifeblood of the sect and will never be used unless absolutely necessary!

But Zhou Yuan, a rogue cultivator, actually... threw out twenty-four at once?!

Moreover, judging from his expression, it seemed as if he had only taken out twenty-four ordinary stones!

This skill...this profound knowledge...Looking at Zhou Yuan's calm face, Wei Wuyai felt for the first time that he seemed to have never truly seen through this young "fellow Daoist Zhou" in front of him.