Chapter 77: The Demon Race Attacks!
Tiangong Island.
Puppets were gathering across the sky.
Dozens of colossal Spirit-Puppet Vajra stepped slowly from Tiangong Island into the sea, standing ready in strict formation.
The cold seawater rose past their waists.
At Chaotian Peak, Lu Qingyang gazed at the many disciples ceaselessly moving about below the mountain, his brows faintly furrowed.
“Ten Great Demon Venerables led a million-strong horde in a surprise attack on Qingnan Shengzhou. Half the province is ablaze with war.”
“By order of the Sect Management Council, our Chaotian Sect is to guard the southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region and rescue the mortals.”
“There are quite a few mortal cities along that coast, with a population of no less than several hundred thousand. The situation is complicated.”
Old Huang’s face was anxious as he quickly reported the news.
“The southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region…”
Lu Qingyang mused. This place was not far from Tiangong Island.
But the key point was that it was also very close to Vast Sea City!
Vast Sea City was already right up against the Seven Stars Sea Region.
And the southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region bordered Vast Sea City directly.
In normal times, this place could be called extremely safe.
But now that the Demon Race had attacked, Vast Sea City, as the capital of Qingnan Shengzhou, would naturally bear the brunt.
Even if its surroundings were not as dangerous as Vast Sea City itself, they would certainly be caught in the aftermath.
“This is difficult…”
Lu Qingyang rubbed his temples, unable to make up his mind for the moment.
“Shh!”
Suddenly, a terrifying fluctuation came from beside the Spirit Lake.
Immediately after, a figure with a vigorous aura appeared before him.
“Venerable Ma!”
Seeing who had come, Lu Qingyang’s eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to greet him.
This person was none other than Great Vehicle Ma, whom the Sect Management Council had once assigned to the Chaotian Sect.
Over the years, though Great Vehicle Ma rarely showed himself, Lu Qingyang could feel that he had secretly helped the Chaotian Sect a great deal.
Especially many years ago, when a passing Spirit Transformation Divine Lord saw the Chaotian Sect developing rapidly and conceived a desire to seize it.
Fortunately, Great Vehicle Ma had released his own aura at the critical moment.
Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
“Sect Master Lu!”
Great Vehicle Ma wore a silver robe, his whole being exuding an air of refinement.
Hearing Lu Qingyang call out to him, he returned the greeting.
Toward Lu Qingyang and the Chaotian Sect, at the outset he had merely held an attitude of observation, doing only what his duties required.
It was only as the Chaotian Sect developed faster and faster, until there were even many things he could not understand, that he gradually came to see Lu Qingyang was no ordinary man, and so secretly lent his aid a few times.
He wanted to forge a good connection.
Thus, when facing Lu Qingyang, he would not put on any airs.
To do so would be to waste the goodwill built up over many years for nothing.
“Sect Master Lu, I have come to bid you farewell. I must go on ahead.”
“What, is the war already this urgent?”
Lu Qingyang was surprised. He had still been thinking of whether he could get the other to stay and help a little.
“That’s right, I must go reinforce Vast Sea City.”
Great Vehicle Ma shook his head, his expression serious.
“In truth, the Demon Race has come with considerable force this time. Not only Qingnan Shengzhou, but even the three neighboring provinces have Demon Race uprisings.”
“Qingnan Shengzhou is still the one with the lightest fighting.”
After hearing Great Vehicle Ma’s account, Lu Qingyang fell silent.
“Sect Master Lu, these years, you and the Chaotian Sect have gotten along quite well with me. With this parting, I hope we may meet again in this lifetime.”
Seeing Lu Qingyang deep in thought, Great Vehicle Ma smiled and cupped his hands.
“Venerable Ma is too kind. Our Chaotian Sect will forever remember Venerable Ma’s grace.”
Lu Qingyang looked up and solemnly returned the salute.
“Mm, since that is so, I shall take my leave now. As for you, there is no need to worry too much.”
“Though the southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region borders Vast Sea City, most who live there are mortals. The Demon Race will not invest too much strength there.”
Great Vehicle Ma smiled faintly, comforting Lu Qingyang.
“Is that so?”
Lu Qingyang nodded to show he understood.
He had been somewhat rattled earlier by the Demon Race’s attack.
But thinking it over carefully, he felt the other’s words made good sense.
So long as his luck was not exceedingly bad, he certainly would not run into a great Demon cultivator.
If no sixth-rank great demon appeared, then there was no great problem.
“Then Venerable Ma, be careful on the road.”
“Once this great tribulation has passed smoothly, I will treat you to wine.”
Lu Qingyang cupped his hands once more.
“Haha, good.”
Great Vehicle Ma laughed freely and turned to leave.
“Bzz—”
In an instant, spiritual light flickered.
Great Vehicle Ma’s figure vanished from where he stood.
And watching the back of Great Vehicle Ma as he disappeared, Lu Qingyang’s expression gradually turned solemn.
“Pass the order: all Foundation Establishment disciples of the War Execution Bureau, the Commerce Administration, the Law Enforcement Bureau, the Spell Art Bureau, the Spirit Mine Bureau, and the Spirit Puppet Bureau are to set out immediately for the southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region to reinforce Vast Sea City.”
Lu Qingyang gave the order in a deep voice.
“By the Sect Master’s decree!”
Old Huang answered and accepted the command.
“Also, recall all disciples of the sect.”
A cold gleam flashed in Lu Qingyang’s eyes as he continued, “Notify all the elders to prepare to meet the enemy.”
“Understood!”
Old Huang bowed once more in acknowledgment.
“Boom!”
As Lu Qingyang’s orders were issued, the entire Chaotian Sect immediately erupted into a clamor.
“Whoosh—”
Spiritual light blazed in all directions. In an instant, one Dharma Ship after another tore through the air, speeding straight for the southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region.
Above the sea, dozens of colossal Spirit-Puppet Vajra, bearing thousands upon thousands of puppets of every rank, spanned the void, their aura daunting.
“Splash—”
At the same time, one escape light after another rose, landing upon the giant Spirit-Puppet Vajra and heading southeast toward the Seven Stars Sea Region.
Each escape light represented a Golden Core True Monarch.
Counting Lu Qingyang, the Chaotian Sect now had four Golden Cores and two Nascent Souls. Its strength far surpassed that of the old Great Zhou’s Chaotian Sect!
…
The southeastern coast of the Seven Stars Sea Region.
Upon a tranquil stretch of beach.
Several fisherfolk children played and chased one another, a scene of perfect peace.
But suddenly, an anomaly arose!
The calm sea surface abruptly heaved into towering waves.
Boundless spray churned and rolled. The seawater seemed to have been split apart, revealing a deep, pitch-black fissure.
“Boom!”
In the next instant, a deafening roar came from beneath the sea.
A powerful, malevolent killing intent pervaded heaven and earth, frightening all the children into tears.
“Waaah!”
“Waaah!”
…
The crying did not cease, the scene thrown into utter chaos.
Only a few children stood frozen on the beach.
“Th-that… what is that?”
One child pointed at the unfathomable black fissure, asking in a trembling voice.
“Roar—”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a colossal creature crawled out from the fissure.
Its body was enormous, like a mountain, its height reaching a full hundred meters, blotting out half the sky.
It was a pig demon!
The pig demon perched on the coast, opening its mouth to roar, a pair of crimson eyes looking down upon all living things.
Behind it, countless demon beasts burrowed out from beneath the sea, dense beyond counting, impossible to see the end of at a glance.
“Ow!”
The pig demon roared, looking at the human younglings before it, and contemptuously took a step.
Instantly, wild winds surged.
An unmatched oppressive might descended.
The several children simply could not withstand it. They collapsed straight to their knees, trembling, their whole bodies shaking without end.
The pig demon nodded in satisfaction.
“Worthy of human younglings, so tender and delicious.”
It extended a foul tongue, licking its lips, greedily eyeing the younglings before it.
“Gurgle—”
In the next second, it opened its enormous blood-filled maw, biting straight at the children.
Yet—
At this critical moment!
A thick, heavy, pitch-black metal rod smashed down from the heavens.
Carrying a devastating might, it crashed directly onto the pig demon’s head.
“Bang—”
“Splat!”
A dull thud.
The pig demon’s colossal frame toppled straight to the ground.
Red and white matter spilled across the ground.
At the same time, a cold and mechanical voice resounded across the beach.
“Beep beep, the Skybase Weapon is deploying. Estimated completion in three minutes…”