Chapter 435: A Life and Death Crisis, Clan Mark Secret Technique, Counterattack (Part 1)
"Under the Heavenly Demon Grand Array, even gods cannot survive. Xiao Tiance, regret your choices!"
Northern Continent, outside Extermination City.
Inside the spirit array, Wang Quan's cold declaration hung in the air. Around him and the other four Heavenly Demon Emperors, black demonic energy surged violently, pouring rapidly into the Heavenly Demon Grand Array.
"Buzz!"
The array began spinning at high speed, its massive patterns forming an intricate trap that completely engulfed Xiao Tiance.
At that moment, Xiao Tiance felt an overwhelming sense of death locking onto him. This aura was unlike anything he had ever encountered, even when he had faced the projection of a Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign (late stage) from the Maha Ancient Clan during his time with the Ice Spirit Clan.
"So this is the Heavenly Demon Grand Array? No wonder Moye mentioned it with such apprehension. It truly lives up to its name. A mid stage Heavenly Demon Emperor and four early stage Demon Emperors forming this array its power rivals that of a late stage Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign."
For the first time, Xiao Tiance felt a weighty pressure on his chest. With all his cards, he could hold his own against a single mid stage Heavenly Demon Emperor. But now, faced with this formation, the oppressive power felt insurmountable.
"Young Master, what do we do now?"
Ling'er's worried voice came through their mental link. At that moment, even she was at a loss.
Overhead, the little fatty spirit, Pangwa, chimed in. "Young Master, my Heavenly Dao Tower can block one strike from this Heavenly Demon Grand Array, but only one. A formation that rivals a late stage Saint grade attack is beyond my capabilities. I'm not a true sacred artifact."
Hearing their words, Xiao Tiance's heart sank further. Death felt closer than ever. Once the Heavenly Demon Grand Array was fully activated, everything within the spirit array's confines would fall under its range of attack.
"Buzz!"
The array's runes grew brighter. Five total nodes formed the array: east, south, west, north, and the center. Currently, the eastern and western runes were already active. Once all five lit up, Xiao Tiance's doom would be sealed.
"Ling'er, focus all your energy on gathering war runes. We're going to gamble everything on a direct strike. Let's see if we can destroy this formation!" Xiao Tiance commanded.
"Understood, Young Master."
Ling'er's hands moved in a blur, weaving complex seals. War runes coalesced around Xiao Tiance, their number climbing steadily. However, no matter how hard she pushed, the total stalled at 79 million war runes the current limit.
"Charge!"
Xiao Tiance surged forward, one hand gripping his Battle Intent Sword and the other holding the Heavenly Dao Mirror. His immense spiritual energy poured into both artifacts, causing them to glow with terrifying power.
"Buzz!"
The Heavenly Dao Mirror unleashed a radiant beam of light, distorting the space around it with crushing pressure. Simultaneously, the Battle Intent Sword shimmered with intricate runes an audacious combination of spirit array patterns engraved onto the weapon itself.
If any Grandmaster Spirit Array user were present, they would be shocked by Xiao Tiance's recklessness. Combining spirit array techniques with battle intent was like merging oil and fire one small mistake, and he could severely injure himself.
Fortunately, Xiao Tiance succeeded.
"Boom!"
The radiant beam from the Heavenly Dao Mirror smashed into the Heavenly Demon Grand Array, while Xiao Tiance's sword, blazing with runes, slashed toward Shihai at the formation's forefront.
However, as Xiao Tiance's attacks landed, the corners of Wang Quan's lips curled into a mocking smirk.
"Clang!"
A deafening sound echoed as Xiao Tiance's Battle Intent Sword shattered upon impact with the array. The backlash sent shockwaves through his arm, tearing his muscles and exposing bone.
"Boom!"
Xiao Tiance's body was flung backward, slamming heavily against the spirit array's barrier.
"Young Master!"
Ling'er and Pangwa's voices rang out in panic.
"Cough, cough!"
Xiao Tiance coughed up blood, his vision blurring as he stared at the intact Heavenly Demon Grand Array. His mind buzzed with disbelief and frustration.
"Why? Is this formation truly unbreakable?" Xiao Tiance muttered, despair creeping into his voice.
For the first time since his rebirth, he felt utterly powerless.
"Hahaha! Xiao Tiance, stop wasting your energy. If a mere pseudo Saint like you could destroy this formation, it wouldn't deserve its reputation as our God Race's strongest array. Your only options are to die here or flee. Open your spirit array and run you might have a chance," Wang Quan taunted mercilessly.
Xiao Tiance's gaze grew icy. His eyes locked onto Wang Quan's smug expression as he wiped the blood from his lips.
"Flee?" he sneered. "That word has never been in my dictionary. If I fall here, so be it. But you can be sure of one thing none of you will leave this place alive."
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Tiance dismissed all but one of his Twelve Heavenly Puppets, leaving only Qinghou at his side. Then, he stood tall, his voice cold as iron.
"Today, either I kill all of you, or I die trying."
Suddenly, a golden clan mark appeared on Xiao Tiance's forehead.
If any member of the Xiao Clan were present, they would immediately recognize it as the Xiao Clan's Ancestral Mark. It had lain dormant within Xiao Tiance since he awakened the Xiao Clan's Divine grade bloodline a thousand years ago, yet he had never relied on its power until now.
"Buzz!"
As the golden mark flared, Xiao Tiance's spiritual energy surged dramatically, leaping to a whole new level.
From the depths of despair, a counterattack began.
As Xiao Tiance's spiritual energy surged, his strength soared to the level of an early Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign, shocking the five Heavenly Demon Emperors.
"Is that some kind of secret technique?"
"Terrifying! What is happening? What is that mark on Xiao Tiance's forehead? How did his spiritual energy suddenly leap by an entire realm to rival a Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign?"
"Unbelievable!"
The four Heavenly Demon Emperors, including Wang Quan, stared at Xiao Tiance, their eyes wide with astonishment.
Wang Quan's gaze darkened, and he let out a cold snort. "So what if you've raised your power by one major realm? Such a trump card must come with severe consequences. Let's see how long you can maintain it!"
Before Wang Quan could finish, Xiao Tiance's hands formed a rapid series of seals. His voice resounded coldly.
"Three Mystical Transformations of Heavenly Fire Golden Emperor Transformation!"
"Boom!"
With an earth shattering burst of power, the golden clan mark on Xiao Tiance's forehead expanded rapidly. Within moments, fiery golden patterns spread across his face, glowing with ominous brilliance.
This time, Wang Quan and the other four Demon Emperors' expressions turned from surprise to sheer terror.
Xiao Tiance's strength had surged again, surpassing the mid stage Saint grade Heavenly Sovereign realm, making him stronger than even Wang Quan himself.
With golden flames flickering in his eyes, Xiao Tiance now resembled a wrathful deity of war.
"This so called impregnable Heavenly Demon Grand Array of yours is like a turtle's shell. Now, I'm curious if I can break it."
With a feral grin, Xiao Tiance turned into a streak of golden light, streaking toward the array.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Golden light flashed repeatedly, and deafening impacts echoed as Xiao Tiance slammed into the Heavenly Demon Grand Array.
"Damn it! Hold the formation steady! With Xiao Tiance's strength enhanced to this level, if we don't stabilize the array, we might not be able to take him even with five on one!" Wang Quan barked, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Understood, Lord Wang Quan!" The other four Demon Emperors responded in unison, pouring their energy into reinforcing the array.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance moved at breakneck speed, striking every corner of the Heavenly Demon Grand Array.
"Ling'er, why didn't the Young Master use such a powerful secret technique earlier? If he had, the array might never have been formed!" Pangwa, the chubby spirit, asked curiously.
Ling'er thought for a moment before replying. "Maybe... he forgot."
"Forgot?!" Pangwa was speechless. "How could someone forget about such an incredible secret technique?"
Ling'er hesitated before responding. "Perhaps the Young Master had his reasons. Either way, he wouldn't have held back without good cause."
"Fine. But it's such a waste if he'd used it earlier, this battle would've been over by now." Pangwa sighed, exasperated.
Just then, Xiao Tiance's voice cut through their thoughts. "Better late than never."
At that moment, a crisp sound echoed through the air.
"Crack!"
Though faint, the sound was unmistakable. Everyone within the spirit array froze.
Wang Quan and the four Demon Emperors snapped their heads toward the source of the noise.
A small crack had appeared on the Heavenly Demon Grand Array.
"Not good! The Heavenly Demon Grand Array is breaking!" Wang Quan shouted in alarm.
The other Demon Emperors' faces turned ashen. If the array collapsed, they knew full well that they wouldn't stand a chance against Xiao Tiance in his current state.
"Crack! Crack!"
The cracks rapidly expanded, spiderwebbing across the entire array.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the once impenetrable Heavenly Demon Grand Array shattered into countless fragments.
Before anyone could react, Xiao Tiance had already closed the distance, transforming into a golden streak of light.
"Boom!"
With a single punch, he obliterated Shishan's head, leaving nothing but a headless body.
Without hesitation, Xiao Tiance turned and delivered another devastating blow, reducing Wuming's skull to fragments.
"Damn it!" Wang Quan cursed, hastily launching a palm strike toward Xiao Tiance.
However, Xiao Tiance had already anticipated the move. Dodging gracefully, he countered with two swift punches, shattering both Wutian and Shihai's heads in an instant.
In a matter of seconds, Xiao Tiance had annihilated four Demon Emperors. His strikes were ferocious, each one showcasing the violent beauty of his overwhelming power.
"Damn it!"
Wang Quan didn't dare linger. Turning to retreat, he had barely moved a hundred meters before a cold, icy voice sent chills down his spine.
"Wang Quan, do you really think you can escape now?"
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Tiance appeared before him, his golden eyes glowing with a chilling brilliance.
"Boom!"
Xiao Tiance's fist rocketed toward Wang Quan's head. At the last moment, Wang Quan crossed his arms to block the blow, but the force sent him hurtling like a cannonball, slamming into the spirit array's barrier.
"Cough! Cough!"
Wang Quan coughed up blood, glancing down at his mangled arms. For the first time, fear filled his eyes.
"Impossible... What kind of terrifying secret technique is this?" Wang Quan muttered, trembling.
Summoning his demonic energy, he began to gather power for a desperate counterattack.
But before he could act, he felt a sudden, suffocating pressure.
Xiao Tiance appeared directly in front of him, his hand clamping around Wang Quan's throat like a vice. Golden flames surged down Xiao Tiance's arm, enveloping Wang Quan's head.
"Ahhh!"
Wang Quan screamed as the Golden Emperor Flame devoured his demonic energy, reducing his once mighty aura to nothing.
Moments later, Wang Quan's charred body collapsed, his head resembling a lump of coal. Though he clung to life, his power had been utterly extinguished.
"Release Lord Wang Quan!"
The battle raged on, but Xiao Tiance stood victorious, his golden eyes locking onto his next target.
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