146: Chapter 146 The Bone Army Presses In, First Battle

The White Bone Chariot hovered fifty li outside the Luoxia Sect.

Five hundred Bone Birds, like dark clouds blotting out the sun, circled in the low sky, their eerie green eye-fires dyeing the dusk a ghastly green.

On the backs of the Bone Birds, five hundred Black-robed Cultivators stood solemnly, their auras cold and murderous; the weakest were at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and among them were nearly a hundred Golden Core level fluctuations.

And on both sides of the White Bone Chariot, there also floated twelve... white bone altars!

Each altar was constructed from human bones, about three zhang high, with pale bone-fires burning at the top.

Around the altars, distorted phantoms of resentful souls were vaguely visible, letting out silent wails.

"White Bone Soul Sacrifice Array..."

Atop the city wall, True Person Qing Luan's expression was grave.

"Using the skeletons of living beings as a foundation and resentful souls as a guide, the twelve altars resonate to summon the phantom of a 'White Bone Demon God,' its power comparable to a full-strength strike from the Late Nascent Soul Stage. This White Bone Demon Venerable has indeed come prepared."

Lin Yue narrowed his eyes, his Divine Sense sweeping across those twelve altars.

The aura of each altar was obscure and sinister, faintly repelling the Power of the Stars of the City Protecting Great Formation.

Clearly, this was a method specifically prepared to break the Star Dragon Evil-Breaking Grand Array.

"Lin Yue!"

Within the White Bone Chariot, that cold voice rang out again.

"This Venerable gives you one last chance—hand over the Star Lord Inheritance, open the Burial Dragon Abyss, and lead your people to submit to the Black Lotus Cult. If you do, this Venerable can leave a sliver of life for your Luoxia Sect."

"Otherwise..."

The voice suddenly turned harsh.

"After today, there will be no more Luoxia in the Southern Border!"

As the words fell, the five hundred Bone Birds screeched in unison, the sound waves surging like a tide, causing the outer light screen of the City Protecting Great Formation to ripple slightly.

On the city wall, many Cultivators with lower cultivation turned pale, their auras becoming chaotic.

"Hmph!"

Lin Yue snorted coldly, his star dragon nascent soul circulating, and a vast starlight pressure soared into the sky, forcibly suppressing that screeching wave of sound.

"White Bone Demon Venerable, enough nonsense."

His voice was calm, yet it spread across a hundred li.

"If you want to seize my Legacy and destroy my Sect, then..."

"Step over my corpse."

As the last word was uttered, Lin Yue raised his hand and waved.

"Star Dragon Evil-Breaking Grand Array—Activate!"

Boom—!!!

The nine layers of the city-protecting light screen lit up with brilliant starlight simultaneously!

The outer Starlight Barrier was like an inverted giant bowl, completely enveloping the Luoxia Sect.

Within the middle layer, the Dragon Roar Thunder Domain, the muzzles of the four hundred and thirty-two dragon roar cannons lit up with red-gold light as energy gathered.

At the inner core of the Star Dragon Evil-Breaking array, the formation eye composed of starfall iron began to rotate slowly, releasing a majestic aura that suppressed all evil.

The moment the Formation was activated, the heavens and earth changed color.

The originally dark sky was illuminated by starlight as if it were broad daylight.

The Power of the Stars cascaded down like a waterfall, merging into the Formation.

The phantoms of resentful souls around those twelve white bone altars let out shrill screams under the starlight, their forms becoming somewhat faint.

"A fine Formation!"

From within the White Bone Chariot came a sigh of admiration.

"A pity... it must be broken today!"

"White Bone Demon Army—Attack!"

The command was given.

Five hundred Bone Birds dove simultaneously!

The Black-robed Cultivators on the birds' backs all struck out together, various sinister techniques pouring down like a torrential rain.

Black poison mist, blood-colored bone spears, distorted resentful souls, corrosive miasma... for a time, the sky was covered by multi-colored evil light, bombardment raining down upon the City Protecting Great Formation.

"Outer barrier, hold on!"

Lin Yue's voice spread throughout the city via the Formation.

At the one hundred and eight nodes of the outer layer, the Star-Patterned Puppets were activated simultaneously.

Each Puppet released the Power of the Stars, forming a fine network of star patterns on the surface of the light screen, weakening and dispersing the evil light attacks layer by layer.

Boom boom boom—!

The sound of explosions was continuous, and the light screen trembled violently, but in the end, it did not break.

"Dragon Roar Thunder Domain—Counterattack!"

Lin Yue ordered again.

At the one hundred and forty-four nodes of the middle layer, the four hundred and thirty-two dragon roar cannons fired simultaneously!

Boom boom boom boom—!

Four hundred and thirty-two red-gold light pillars tore through the sky like spears of a Heavenly God, shooting toward the diving flock of Bone Birds.

The dragon roar cannons specifically countered evil; wherever the light pillars passed, poison mist dissipated, bone spears shattered, and resentful souls were annihilated.

The dozens of Bone Birds at the forefront didn't even have time to scream before they were pierced and vaporized by the light pillars.

The Black-robed Cultivators on their backs fell one after another, most of them being heavily injured by the aftershocks while still in the air.

In one round of volley fire, at least thirty Bone Birds were shot down, with casualties exceeding a hundred!

"Good!"

On the city wall, the War Department Cultivators cheered in unison.

However, the White Bone Demon Venerable laughed instead of getting angry.

"Not bad, quite interesting."

"But... this is only the beginning."

As his voice fell, on both sides of the White Bone Chariot, those twelve white bone altars simultaneously lit up with a ghastly white light.

Buzz—!

The bone-fires on the altars surged, turning into twelve white light pillars that soared into the sky, converging high above to condense into a... hundred-zhang tall White Bone Demon God phantom!

That Demon God had three heads and six arms, each hand holding a white bone weapon, and eerie green flames burned in its eye sockets.

The moment the phantom formed, a terrifying pressure to the extreme descended.

That was a pressure belonging to the Late Nascent Soul Stage!

"White Bone Demon God... Descend!"

The Black-robed Cultivators on the twelve altars all spat out essence blood, merging it into the phantom.

The White Bone Demon God phantom suddenly solidified by thirty percent, its six arms swinging simultaneously as the six white bone weapons, carrying the momentum to destroy heaven and earth, smashed fiercely toward the City Protecting Great Formation!

"Star Dragon Evil-Breaking—Defend!"

Lin Yue formed hand seals, the inner core formation eye operating at full capacity.

The starfall iron released a majestic Power of the Stars, condensing a... starlight giant dragon phantom on the surface of the light screen!

The giant dragon was a hundred zhang long, its entire body composed of stars, with scales and claws clearly defined and lifelike.

It roared toward the heavens, the dragon's cry shaking the sky, as it met those six white bone weapons.

Rumble—!!!!

An earth-shaking roar.

The starlight giant dragon and the White Bone Demon God clashed head-on, a terrifying energy storm sweeping in all directions; within a hundred li, mountains crumbled and the earth cracked.

The nine layers of the City Protecting Great Formation's light screen flickered violently, and several cracks appeared on the outermost Starlight Barrier.

But in the end... it held!

The starlight giant dragon phantom dimmed slightly, but it did not dissipate.

Meanwhile, the White Bone Demon God phantom was also shaken back a hundred zhang, and fine cracks appeared on its six weapons.

"What a Star Dragon Evil-Breaking Grand Array!"

Within the White Bone Chariot, the White Bone Demon Venerable's voice finally took on a tone of gravity.

"To be able to withstand a strike from the White Bone Demon God without breaking... Lin Yue, you indeed have the capital to be arrogant."

"But..."

His tone suddenly turned cold.

"This Venerable wants to see how many times your Formation... can withstand!"

"Twelve Altars—Operate at full capacity!"

The command was given.

The Black-robed Cultivators on the twelve white bone altars all sat cross-legged, forming hand seals, continuously pouring their essence blood and cultivation into the altars.

The bone-fires on the altars burned even more vigorously, the White Bone Demon God phantom solidified once more, and its pressure became thirty percent stronger than before!

"Not good!"

Atop the city wall, Star Dust's expression changed.

"They are sacrificing themselves to forcibly increase the power of the White Bone Demon God! At this rate, the Formation won't hold for long!"

"Then... we strike proactively!"

A cold light flashed in Lin Yue's eyes.

"True Person Qing Luan, True Person Xuan Jian, True Person Cloud Crane!"

"Here!"

The three Seven Star Alliance Nascent Souls stepped forward together.

"Please, the three True Persons, lead the elites of the Seven Star Alliance to go out and raid those twelve altars. I don't ask for their complete destruction, as long as you can interrupt the sacrifice."

"Understood!"

True Person Qing Luan nodded and looked behind her.

"Cultivators of the Seven Star Alliance, follow me out of the city!"

"Yes!"

A hundred Golden Cores and five hundred Foundation Establishments responded in unison, their Killing Intent soaring to the skies.

"Fellow Daoist Star Dust, Xing Yun, Star Rain!"

"Here!"

"Please, the three Star Gazing Emissaries, take charge of the inner core and be ready at any time to activate the 'Star Track Shifting Array' to share the pressure for the outer nodes."

"Rest assured."

Star Dust responded solemnly.

"Fellow Daoist Star Radiance."

"Here."

"You take charge of the city wall, coordinate the overall situation, and be ready to provide support at any time."

"Yes."

Finally, Lin Yue looked at the White Bone Demon God phantom outside the city, as well as the White Bone Chariot.

"As for the White Bone Demon Venerable..."

He gripped the starfall sword tightly.

"Leave him to me."

As the words fell, Lin Yue stepped off the city wall.

Starlight condensed beneath his feet, turning into a star rainbow that carried him straight into the sky.

"White Bone Demon Venerable!"

His voice exploded like thunder.

"Do you dare to fight me?!"

"Arrogant!"

A figure slowly walked out from the White Bone Chariot.

It was a middle-aged man clad in white bone battle armor, his face haggard and his eye sockets sunken, with two clumps of eerie green flames burning in his pupils.

He held a White Bone Scepter in his hand, the top of which was inlaid with a skull the size of a fist, and eerie green flames also burned in the skull's eyes.

It was precisely the White Bone Demon Venerable!

"A mere Early Nascent Soul Stage dares to challenge this Venerable?"

The White Bone Demon Venerable sneered.

"Since you are in a hurry to die, this Venerable... will fulfill your wish!"

He waved his scepter, slashing through the void.

A ghastly white bone blade tore through space, slashing directly toward Lin Yue's face!

Wherever the bone blade passed, even light was swallowed, leaving a pitch-black trail.

"Good timing!"

Lin Yue did not dodge, his starfall sword meeting the attack.

Sword light poured out like a starry river, clashing fiercely with the bone blade.

Clang—!!!

The sound of clashing metal rang through the clouds.

A terrifying shockwave spread out with the two of them as the center, shaking the Bone Birds within ten li into disarray.

Lin Yue's figure retreated violently for a hundred zhang, his hand holding the sword slightly numb.

The White Bone Demon Venerable, however, only retreated ten zhang, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Good sword! Good strength!"

He licked his lips.

"This sword of yours... this Venerable wants it!"

Before his voice had even faded, his figure suddenly disappeared.

When he reappeared, he was already behind Lin Yue, the White Bone Scepter stabbing toward his heart like a venomous snake!

"Star Escape Technique!"

Lin Yue was prepared; his figure dissolved into starlight and reconsolidated a hundred zhang away.

At the same time, he struck back with a sword.

"Star Scar Slash!"

The sword light streaked across like a meteor, chasing the White Bone Demon Venerable's throat.

"Child's play."

The White Bone Demon Venerable dismissed it with disdain, lightly tapping his White Bone Scepter.

A bone shield appeared out of thin air, blocking the sword light.

The sword light struck the bone shield, leaving only a shallow white mark.

"Late Nascent Soul Stage is indeed troublesome..."

Lin Yue's gaze was grave.

In a head-on clash of cultivation, he was definitely not the opponent.

But... "Who said I was going to fight head-on?"

A cold sneer suddenly curled on his lips.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Hao Tian's voice rang out.

"Master, there is an abnormal fluctuation in the White Bone Demon Venerable's aura; especially when he performs techniques, a brief energy stagnation occurs at his left shoulder."

"A weakness?"

"It should be an old injury. Moreover... it has damaged his Origin."

Lin Yue's eyes lit up.

An opportunity!

He rushed forward again, the starfall sword turning into a sky full of sword shadows that enveloped the White Bone Demon Venerable.

The two of them fought fiercely in the high sky, sword light and bone shadows intertwining, the rumbling sounds incessant.

Below, the Seven Star Alliance elites led by True Person Qing Luan had already clashed with the Black Lotus Cult Cultivators guarding the altars.

Shouts of battle, explosions, screams... echoed throughout heaven and earth.

The great battle had fully erupted!

And no one noticed—

Beneath the ground of the Luoxia Sect, Lin Cang sat cross-legged in the Evil Suppressing Secret Chamber, his hands pressed against the earth veins, the Earthen Mountain Suppressing Art operating at full capacity to firmly lock down the Sect's earth veins.

Ten zhang beneath the ground in the east, west, and south directions outside the city, three Star Burst Formations quietly lit up with a faint glow, waiting to be detonated.

The three-hundred-man Evil-Breaking Commando led by Lin Hu had already circled around quietly from the flanks, lurking like venomous snakes, waiting for the moment of the fatal strike.

Lin Yan stood at the highest point of the Artifact Refining Hall, holding a remote-control Formation Plate in his hand, his eyes fixed on the White Bone Demon Venerable high in the sky.

Lin De, Lin Shi, Lin Laosan... all the hidden trump cards were in position.

This battle had only just begun.

And the final outcome... was still unknown.