Chapter 729

Chapter 729: The Flying Cloud Strange Snake

On the ground.

Wildfires burned across the wilderness, with piles of flesh and corpses strewn across the earth. The black-red blood gradually dried and congealed under the firelight.

Groans and mournful cries of beasts echoed everywhere. Scattered flames dotted the earth, and the acrid smoke and blood could not dissipate.

At the edge of the secluded valley.

Several soldiers, their bodies stained with blood, dragged a comrade out from beneath a massive lizard dragon. They carefully carried him towards the rear of the valley for treatment. This soldier had lost a leg, but fortunately, he was still breathing and could continue to live.

In other places, soldiers held torches, searching through the demon corpses for any signs of life. They called out to nearby comrades, pulling their breathing companions out from the heaps of bodies and pools of blood.

Despite their efforts, most of what they found were cooling corpses.

After this battle, of the three thousand border troops that came to aid, nearly eight thousand were casualties. The remaining soldiers were exhausted and unable to fight further.

Fortunately, many of the demons had dispersed, leaving only those at the distant mountain peak still engaged in relentless combat.

Tu Hao Yang wore a thick dark coat, walking among the soldiers, checking on and comforting them. He occasionally asked his attendants to hand out medicinal powders to treat the soldiers.

After touring the camp, he slowly ascended a high platform beside him and looked toward the distant mountain peak. Purple flames exploded, and sword lights flashed intermittently. The sounds of fighting and the light never ceased.

“These people have reached such heights; they are no small matter.” His fingers gripped the wooden railing in front of him, his eyes focused.

Even the five hundred elite warriors from the main line of Zhaoye Palace were unable to suppress them. It seemed these rebels possessed extraordinary power. If the Zhaoye Palace’s elite forces failed, then their side would be helpless as well. With the current state of border troops, both casualties and exhaustion had rendered them incapable of further combat. His supply carts were depleted, unable to provide support. Would they truly have to leave everything to fate? This was something he despised the most, entrusting everything to the ethereal ‘destiny.’

Just as the Prefect frowned in concentration, a tremendous sound erupted from the mountain peak in the distance.

A colossal snake, seemingly from ancient times, surged forward, its eyes filled with ferocity.

, swallowing the sky like a long whale sucking water, then a demonic wind raged, with countless dead demons’ souls from the wilderness surging in, to be devoured by it.

As the battle continued, these bizarre creatures constructed from the black and white pill furnaces grew even more powerful, their bodies covered in fine, dark blue scales, with only their abdomens being lighter in color. They floated in the air like clouds.

The purple-robed disciples of the main branch of the Night Palace formed another array in the sky; purple flames, like snakes, poured down from the sky, bringing intense light and killing this powerful 7th Rank Necromancer Sequence beast.

However, as soon as one dissipated, another seven gradually swelled and grew larger, each breaking free from the furnaces and floating in the sky, gradually occupying the sky above the mountaintop. These cloud serpents had heads that resembled human faces, some like evil dragons, and others like malevolent ghosts, causing unease in people’s hearts.

Seeing these seven hundred-meter-long fog-like ferocious serpents, feelings of helplessness and despair rose among the over three hundred Night Palace disciples.

But their opponent would not show mercy because of this.

Suddenly, the seven snake heads in sight rushed forward, their fierce appearance suddenly enlarging in their pupils. Sharp, long fangs appeared in their open blood mouths, connecting to deep darkness, swallowing the Night Palace disciples who couldn’t dodge.

“Crane Feather, you actually released this ancient beast!” A true disciple of the 6th Rank of the Necromancer Sequence accused painfully.

“Haha, what else could I do? Would you rather watch me being killed?” The real person Crane Feather stood under the pill furnace, his face twisted with anger. His feather fan was full of bloodlines, missing a piece as if it had been cut by a sword.

“Have you ever thought about when to stop? This beast might be too much for you to control and will eventually turn on you,” another true disciple questioned further.

“That’s none of your business. After I die, let the floods rage.” After saying this, Crane Feather laughed loudly, tears of blood seemingly streaming from his eyes.

“You all used to look down on me, now you suddenly care. Haha, what a joke, truly a joke.” His laughter carried a sense of sorrow and resentment.

“No one looked down on you, but” a fellow disciple of the same generation as Crane Feather hesitated to continue.

“But what!?” Crane Feather retorted, showing disdain.

“But the previous palace master thought your talent was limited, but you were diligent by nature. He was afraid you would get stuck, so he had Master Jade Sword come to help you, not expecting you to commit such an error.”

“This is a great mistake,” another true disciple stepped forward to respond.

  ”Help me? Don’t make me laugh. Isn’t he here for that witch? Don’t think I don’t know about some of our old acquaintances. Copper Candle and I were neighbors since childhood; his affairs aren’t unclear to me.” Crane Feather replied in a low voice.

  ”He and Jade Sword both like that witch, but alas, she doesn’t return their feelings. One often comes here to socialize, while the other takes the chance to stay at this garrison when he’s older.”

  ”Copper Candle was fortunate from a young age. Though his talent was average, with the guidance and support of his elders, he progressed steadily. As for me, I had to help my family farm and tend to the fields as a child; there was no time for cultivation.”

  ”It was only later, with the help of Senior Brother Copper Candle, that I had some opportunities to enter the outer door.”

  ”If it’s Senior Brother Copper Candle here, I would have no choice but to commit suicide immediately. Back then, he saved me and brought me into the fold.”

  ”But if we’re talking about Jade Sword, he looks down on me with such disdain. That scornful look, I felt it from the moment I entered. It’s still vividly clear. Only back then, our seniors favored him, and all the senior brothers and sisters treated him leniently, so I couldn’t express my anger.”

  ”Do you know what it was like when I first met him?” Crane Feather suddenly paused here, then continued without waiting for a response.

  ”Your sword dance is like that of a monkey, how amusing.”

  ”Yes, truly laughable, like a wild monkey on a mountain, stinking to high heaven.”

  ”But at that time, I had just begun to learn a few moves from Senior Brother Copper Candle, which I treasured deeply, yet he looked down on me so.”

  Crane Feather True Disciple’s eyes turned bloodshot, his voice growing more intense.

  ”Yes, I am not worthy to practice swordsmanship. How could I dare compare to this genius? If I were to practice, I would forever live under his shadow, unable to escape.”

  ”Perhaps Jade Sword’s words back then were just a joke,” one of the true disciples sighed.

  ”Even if it was a joke, the person is dead now, and talking about it serves no purpose. Do you think that if I surrender, you will let me go? Let’s not talk about such fantasies.”

  After Crane Feather finished speaking, he struck the alchemy furnace with his palm, causing a resonant metallic sound. The seven cloud serpents in the sky twisted again, their bodies piercing through clouds and fog, charging towards the remaining Night Palace main lineage disciples.

  Purple flames exploded, clouds gathered and dispersed, sword light interwove with fine scales, broken swords and fragmented bodies raining down from the sky. Meanwhile, the other side of the earth gradually turned white.

  (The chapter ends)