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

Above the canyon, more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators of the demonic path floated and stood, vaguely divided into two groups.

The group at the front, numbering about fifteen, had mixed auras and were clearly either a hastily assembled vanguard or ordinary demonic cultivators. A slightly more rearward group of about ten people surrounded two key figures.

One of them was an old man dressed in a yellow robe with a sinister face, white hair and beard, and exuding a powerful spiritual pressure of the late-stage Foundation Establishment realm. He was clearly one of the organizers of this trip.

The other person was a beautiful young woman in red who looked to be no more than twenty years old, and her cultivation level was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

But with an innate arrogance and willfulness between her brows, she stood among a group of demonic cultivators whose cultivation was higher than hers, showing no fear, but rather subtly regarding her as superior.

Those demonic cultivators, especially the dozen or so cultivators behind her who were also dressed in red and whose auras were more refined, treated her with respect, clearly indicating that they were her direct subordinates or guards.

"You think a mere Four Fiends Formation can stop us? Break that shell first!"

The old man in yellow robes, his voice hoarse and tinged with impatience, gave the order first.

As soon as he finished speaking, the fourteen Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators who were acting as the vanguard immediately responded and moved into action.

In an instant, all sorts of demonic artifacts were unleashed: black banners, bone spears, blood blades, poison sand... with mournful howls and sinister light, they bombarded the Four Fiends Array light shield in the canyon below like a storm!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"

The deafening explosion echoed through the canyon, like thunder rumbling in the sky.

The four-colored barrier light flickered violently, and the four evil energies of cyan, red, blue, and yellow circulated, desperately resisting attacks from all directions.

Just as Xuan Le said, this Four Fiends Formation is of a high grade and has amazing defensive power. Despite the bombardment from more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, although the light shield rippled and the spiritual light flickered, the overall structure remained stable and showed no signs of collapse in a short period of time.

Inside the formation, Xuan Le felt somewhat relieved upon seeing this, but still dared not let his guard down.

He quickly assessed the situation and ordered in a deep voice, "We can't let them attack the formation with impunity! Senior Brother Lü, you and I will take half of our Foundation Establishment cultivators and go out into the formation to maneuver around them, trying to disrupt them as much as possible. We must not linger in battle; our main focus should be on delaying and harassing them!"

When Zhou Yuan heard his name called, he nodded calmly and flew out of the Four Fiends Formation's light barrier along with the five Foundation Establishment cultivators designated by Xuan Le (including himself, another Foundation Establishment cultivator from Huangfeng Valley, two Foundation Establishment cultivators from Yanyue Sect, and one Foundation Establishment cultivator from Tianque Fortress).

Upon exiting the formation, a chilling killing intent and chaotic spiritual energy surged towards them.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept across the battlefield, and he randomly selected a demonic cultivator who was wielding a pitch-black bone fork and whose aura was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage as his opponent.

He did not use his signature magical artifacts such as the Black Dragon's Roar or the Azure Fire Miasma, nor did he even reveal the Golden Breaking Sword or the Talisman Knife. Instead, he took out a blue longsword magical artifact from his storage bag, which was of medium to high quality and had a decent spiritual light.

He wielded the green sword with flowing light, his moves seemingly exquisite, yet his power was perfectly controlled, making him evenly matched with the demonic cultivator's bone fork.

The clanging and clashing sounds were incessant, yet neither could gain the upper hand; it was a perfectly orderly and entangled fight.

He diverted most of his consciousness to keep a close eye on the overall situation of the battlefield.

Especially the movements of the girl in red and the dozen or so red-clad demonic cultivators behind her who had not yet made a move.

On the other side, Han Li was also singled out by Lü Tianmeng to fight.

He was inwardly groaning, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and go for it.

He was equally low-key, wielding an ordinary silver flying fork magic weapon, and fought against a demonic cultivator in the early stages of Foundation Establishment.

The battle was equally intense and evenly matched, with neither side seeking merit but rather avoiding mistakes.

The more than sixty Qi Refining stage disciples inside the formation were also busy.

Under the command of Yu Xing and several Foundation Establishment cultivators, they formed groups of six or seven, relying on the light shield of the Four Fiends Formation for cover, and concentrated their spells or low-level talismans to harass the demonic cultivators who were attacking the formation from a distance.

Although its power was limited, its advantage lay in the large number of people and the relative safety of those hiding inside the formation. It successfully diverted the attention of three or four demonic cultivators, forcing them to focus on defense and preventing them from breaking the formation with all their might.

Overall, the battle seems to have reached a stalemate for the time being.

The seven factions of Yue Kingdom, relying on their advantageous formations, terrain, and numbers (numerous Qi Refining disciples), barely managed to withstand the first wave of fierce attacks from the demonic cultivators.

However, this "balance" was soon broken.

Above the canyon, the girl in red had been watching coldly. Seeing that her vanguard had been unable to break through for a long time, she frowned slightly and showed a hint of impatience on her face.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice clear yet carrying an undeniable command: "Stop wasting time, use the 'Azure Sun Demonic Fire' and break the formation quickly!"

Of the dozen or so red-clad demonic cultivators who had remained motionless behind her, seven immediately stepped forward.

These seven individuals were all at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, their auras were connected, and their movements were perfectly synchronized, clearly indicating that they were well-trained.

Each of them took out a large flag from their bosom. The flags were simple in design, dark red in color, and embroidered with strange blue flame patterns.

"Oh no! Those people are about to use some kind of combined attack technique! Stop them!"

Lu Tianmeng, who had been overseeing the overall situation within the formation while also keeping a close eye on the enemy's core forces, suddenly changed his expression and shouted loudly.

He realized that the seven banners were no ordinary magical artifacts, and their power would be unpredictable if they were successfully used.

Xuan Le also sensed something was wrong and immediately shouted to the three Foundation Establishment cultivators (including a Hidden Moon Sect cultivator from Zhou Yuan's team) who had just been sent out to deal with the seven red-clad demonic cultivators and were now relatively close to them: "Quickly, attack those seven flag bearers and interrupt them!"

Upon receiving the order, the three cultivators hurriedly turned their magical artifacts around and attacked the seven red-robed demonic cultivators who were forming an array and chanting incantations.

However, just as their attack was about to reach them, a flash of light appeared in front of the seven red-clad demon cultivators, and three or four defensive magical artifacts (shields, small cauldrons, etc.) suddenly appeared out of thin air, shining brightly and steadily blocking the incoming attack.

At the same time, several other red-clad cultivators beside the girl in red, who were not carrying flags, stepped forward with cold smiles, subtly protecting her from the side—clearly, the other side had been prepared and had arranged for guards.

In that short delay, the seven red-clad demonic cultivators carrying flags had already completed the secret technique.

They simultaneously pointed their large flags forward, and seven flames, each as thick as an arm, pure blue in color, and radiating an eerie heat and a destructive aura, suddenly shot out from the tips of the flags!

"Azure Sun Demonic Flame!"

The seven cyan flames, like seven ferocious fire pythons, roared into the sky. Instead of attacking separately, they quickly converged and merged in the air, forming a huge cyan fireball with a diameter of several feet in the blink of an eye, burning quietly and swaying slightly!

The core of the fireball was a deep, almost dark green, with flames flickering at its edges, radiating a chilling pressure. The surrounding air was distorted and blurred by the high temperature.

The next instant, the huge Azure Sun Demon Fireball trembled slightly, and its surface suddenly split into more than a dozen fist-sized azure fireballs, which shot towards the Yue Kingdom cultivators who were fighting on the battlefield below like meteors!

"laugh--!"

Wherever the blue flames passed, whether it was the spiritual light of magical artifacts or the protective aura, they were instantly pierced and melted, just like a hot knife cutting through butter!

A Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Hidden Moon Sect, who was fighting against a demonic cultivator, had his small, high-quality blue shield struck by a wisp of azure fire. The shield couldn't even withstand the attack for a moment; its spiritual light vanished instantly, and a large, charred hole was burned through it. The cultivator behind him was also engulfed by the azure fire. He only had time to let out a short scream before his entire body turned into a wisp of smoke and a few ashes in the azure flames!

Almost before the seven red-clad demonic cultivators made their move and before the azure flames were unleashed, Zhou Yuan and Han Li, who had been distracted by the core battlefield, made the same choice almost simultaneously, relying on their extraordinary sense of danger and keen perception of changes in the battlefield atmosphere—feinting an attack, quickly shaking off their opponents, and retreating as fast as possible.

Without hesitation, they crawled back into the light barrier of the Four Fiends Formation!

"Quickly! All fellow cultivators who have entered the formation, retreat back to the main formation immediately! Qi Refining disciples, strengthen the formation with all your might!"

Xuan Le's angry and shocked roar rang out almost simultaneously.

However, reactions can vary in speed.

Besides Zhou Yuan and Han Li, who were quick to react, and two other cultivators who were nearby and also sensed something was wrong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator and seven or eight Qi Refining disciples who were harassing the formation from its edge were unable to retreat in time, either because they were too far away or because they were entangled with their opponents and could not break free.

The tragedy happened in an instant.

The fireballs generated by the Azure Sun Demon Fire moved extremely fast, accurately and mercilessly covering that area.

The sounds of magical artifacts shattering, protective shields disintegrating, and piercing screams mingled together, but soon fell silent again.

In that airspace, only a few broken and charred fragments of magical artifacts and the lingering stench of burning remained. The cultivators who were just moments before were now nothing but bones.

Those who witnessed this scene within the formation turned pale and felt a chill in their hearts.

The power of the Azure Sun Demonic Fire far exceeded their expectations; it could so easily burn away the magic artifacts and protective measures of Foundation Establishment cultivators!

The crisis is far from over.

The enormous Azure Sun Demon Fireball did not dissipate after completing the first wave of attacks.

Instead, under the continuous control of the seven red-clad demonic cultivators, it slowly changed direction and locked onto the Four Fiends Array light shield below.

"Go!" the girl in red commanded.

The Azure Sun Fireball trembled again, this time splitting into even more and denser azure fireballs, which poured down like a torrential rain.

The flames crashed violently into the protective light barrier of the Four Fiends Formation, which shimmered with four colors: blue, red, green, and yellow!

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

Unlike the explosive sounds of previous magical weapon attacks, this time it was the teeth-grinding sound of flames burning the restriction.

The four-colored light shield fluctuated violently and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the restrictive spiritual light in the area hit by the cyan fireball dissipated.

Although it has not been completely breached, it is clearly teetering on the brink of collapse and will not be able to hold out for long!

Everyone's hearts sank. The protective array they relied on was about to be breached, and the demonic cultivators outside had an overwhelming advantage in both quantity and quality. A direct confrontation would only lead to certain death.

"This spirit mine... we can't hold onto it!"

Xuan Le's face was extremely ugly as she gritted her teeth and said.

Lü Tianmeng's face was also ashen. The most pressing matter had shifted from how to defend himself to how to break through and survive in this desperate situation!

However, the canyon has been sealed off by demonic cultivators, and enemies are everywhere.

The eerie Azure Sun Demon Fire was like a sword hanging overhead.

How to break through?

Where to break through? This became a pressing and despairing question weighing on everyone's mind.

Han Li's palms were sweating, his brain racing as he considered all possible ways to escape, but no matter which one he tried, it seemed hopeless in the face of the opponent's absolute strength and the terrifying Azure Sun Demon Flame.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to Zhou Yuan, who remained silent not far away beside him.

Zhou Yuan remained standing in the same spot, his face calm and his eyes deep. He showed neither the panic nor the despair and fear that others had, nor even... a trace of tension.

He seemed like a calm observer, assessing the situation, or perhaps... confident?

"He's so calm... Could it be that he's already planned his escape route?"

An idea rose uncontrollably in Han Li's mind.

Considering Zhou Yuan's previous mysterious and unpredictable performance, as well as his strength and mental fortitude far exceeding those of others of the same level, this possibility does not seem to be out of the question.

Han Li's heart inexplicably quickened as he stared intently at Zhou Yuan, trying to glean some clues from his expression.

Just as despair filled the air and everyone was at a loss, an old, hesitant voice rang out:

"Fellow Daoists..."

It was Yu Xing, the taciturn old man from Tianque Fort who had been guarding the mine for many years.

"I've been stationed here for over a decade and am quite familiar with the mine's layout... I know an extremely hidden abandoned mine tunnel with a complex network of forks that lead deep into the mountainside, underground, and out... the exit is in a secluded ravine dozens of miles away from this mine. Perhaps... perhaps we can give it a try."

These words were like a glimmer of light in the darkness, and everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to Yu Xing!