Chapter 683: Chapter 679: Final Battle (37)

Mi Jin’s face dramatically changed, as he quickly ordered Wind Media, “Go check out Beast Valley…”

Before he could finish his command, a mournful cry of a crane echoed across the sky, very much like the call of the Flame Yu Crane owned by the Mi Clan.

Simultaneously, Tang Zhi, the leader of the Tang Clan, and Tang Zuo, the head of the Dark Thunder Hall, rose into the sky on their cloud chariot. They confronted the people at the edge of the gorge from a distance. Standing behind Clan Leader Tang Zhi, the head of Dark Thunder Hall suddenly sneered, “I have to admire the grit of the Mi Clan. You dare to build your clan’s territory beside a volcano. Today, I would like to see if the fury of a volcano that has slumbered for a thousand years can break the South Ridge Formation of the Mi Clan!”

“You’re spouting nonsense!” roared Mi Hai, First Head of the Martial Hall from the Mi Clan, “Although Beast Valley is a volcano, it has been dead for two thousand years. Can the Tang Clan revive it?”

Tang Zuo snorted coldly and did not reply, finding Mi Hai’s foolish confidence beneath his notice. The Mi Clan believes the volcano is dead due to two thousand years of inactivity, but they have not considered…

For the ancient volcano, a few thousand years is merely a period of dormancy. If left undisturbed, this volcano might remain “dead” for several more millennia.

But if provoked, the oldest volcano in Longzhou could awaken prematurely, bringing apocalyptic disaster to those near South Ridge.

That’s why Tang Yao’s secret order specified only the planting of the Divine Phoenix Trees, without mentioning the South Ridge Formation at all.

Because from the beginning, there was no need to worry about the formation. As long as the Divine Phoenix Trees awakened the dormant volcano, the South Ridge Formation of the Mi Clan would break by itself!

A thunderous eruption exploded from the heart of Beast Valley, and glowing magma burst out in billows of black smoke. Towering pillars of orange-red rocks thrust into the night sky, leaving scorching trails, as meteor-like stones rained down. The volcanic rocks struck each mountain peak on the South Ridge, turning the scene into a vision of the apocalypse.

The South Ridge Formation was the only light in this end-of-the-world scenario. Whether it was magma or boulders, they were all deflected and crushed against the light barrier. But every hit caused ripples to spread across the barrier.

These ripples were the result of significant damage, appearing across the light barrier.

Currently, South Ridge was entirely engulfed in black smoke, and Beast Valley had turned into a sea of flames. Predatory birds and spirit birds fluttered helplessly in the sky, watching their home become an inferno.

The most unfortunate one was Mi Yang, who wanted to merge with the Phoenix Tree. Positioned at the center of Beast Valley, he bore the brunt of the volcanic eruption. The two-hundred-feet-tall Phoenix Tree began burning amidst the magma, and before the second explosion, Mi Yang was incinerated into a chunk of charred wood, body and soul completely destroyed.

The masters from the allied forces panicked. Facing this apocalyptic disaster, they thought of their clan members they had yet to evacuate. If the South Ridge Formation broke, facing such a disaster, wouldn’t they risk annihilation!

Right now, they had no energy to pay attention to the Tang Clan. They flew into the black smoke, shouting, “Quickly, follow me to block the stones! We cannot let the South Ridge Formation break!”

The robust warriors of the Fierce Realm truly lived up to their reputation at this moment. The meteors of molten rock raining from above were either smashed into fragments or hacked into pieces, dramatically reducing the pressure on the South Ridge Formation.

Though the warriors of the allied forces were brave, the volcanic eruption was relentless. The Beast Valley, which they thought had experienced the most violent burst, roared once again.

This time, in addition to meteor-like rocks, there was also a river of flames bursting into the sky, resembling a waterfall hanging from the heavens.

Perhaps, facing the molten meteors, the warriors of the allied forces might have ways to resist, but under the downpour of this river of fire, even if the premier martial masters of the Mi Clan activated the Qingmu Battle Body, they wouldn’t be able to withstand it. The South Ridge’s barrier trembled with the earth, and the performance of the barrier against the magma left much to be desired.

The extreme heat and weight caused the magma, even as it slid off the light barrier, to continue damaging it. The enormous heat put a tremendous strain on the South Ridge Formation.

What they thought would be a fierce battle turned out to be a volcanic eruption seemingly aided by divine intervention. The sudden stroke of luck left the warriors of the Fierce Realm part of the Tang Clan somewhat bewildered.

The role of a leader is to issue orders when subordinates are at a loss. Hence, Tang Zhi on the cloud chariot yelled, “All allied forces listen up, retreat from South Ridge immediately and avoid the disaster!”

Huh? Leave South Ridge?

Shouldn’t you strike the enemy when he’s down at a time like this?

Isn’t a volcano erupting on the side of South Ridge creating the perfect opportunity for them to attack?

With these questions, the warriors of the alliance cautiously retreated. The martial masters of the Tang Clan retreated particularly slowly, their reluctance evident with every backward glance.

In the face of an enemy, there’s no need for compassion. For these professional warriors, even if they couldn’t go into battle at this moment, they could at least throw a few combined attacks. But the Clan Head’s order was paramount, and even if they were reluctant in their hearts, they had to leave.

The three large ships of the Tang Clan again retreated a dozen miles, arriving at the previous Southern Boundary of Xiling. Looking at the valley now hidden in the clouds, the people on the ship showed complex expressions.

Tang Yi, the leader of the Divine Martial Army, couldn’t understand and asked aloud, “Clan Head, why not take advantage of their predicament? If we dispatch our top martial masters from another direction, we could catch the Mi Clan off guard!”

Just as the martial masters of the Mi Clan were not particularly afraid of the fiery meteors, the Tang Clan warriors were also not afraid of this apocalypse-like scene. In fact, they believed that they could become the talk of the town if they fought in the fire curtain.

Maybe Clan Head Tang Zhi didn’t have an accurate understanding of the strength of the top martial masters of the clan. Therefore, as the leader of the Divine Martial Army, Tang Yi felt it was necessary to voice a reminder.

“I understand your willingness to fight, Commander Yi, but at this time, neither clan warriors nor allied forces are suitable to set foot in South Ridge.” Tang Zhi explained to Tang Yi, “The first two eruptions were just an appetizer. This apocalyptic scenery is likely to last for a while. Let’s let the volcano wear them down first. Once the black clouds disperse, we can fight again.”

No one could predict how long an awakened volcano would erupt—it could be several hours, several days, or even several years. They really didn’t need to rush at this moment. Knowing that they had gathered forces from the North Mountain to counter-attack South Ridge, Mi Jin, given his character, would have surely gathered all clan members at the main peak.

They were gathered both for protection and to guard against sudden changes in the formation at the front. But it also meant that the Mi Clan allied forces had to defend the South Ridge Formation. All their clan members were under the protection of the South Ridge Formation. If the formation breaks, the toxic black and yellow gases enveloping South Ridge alone could kill nearly half of the clan.