Immortal Execution Sword Array!
The moment the sword array formed, an indescribable terrifying aura of slaughter, as if from a battlefield of gods, crashed down like a tangible tide, enveloping every inch of Lingdou City! It exuded a terrifying sword pressure that extinguished all vitality! Even the sky was completely dyed a depressing dark crimson! Sunlight was utterly isolated, and the entire city fell into a blood-red dusk!
At the edge of the sword array, a semi-transparent barrier formed by countless fine sword qis, like a giant inverted bowl, fell from the edges, sealing the entire Lingdou City strictly within, emitting an aura sufficient to shatter one's soul.
"Roar!"
A demon, likely converted from a flying Martial Soul soul master, sensed impending doom. It let out a terrified roar, directly activated its Martial Soul True Body, transformed into a giant flying demonic beast, and frantically flapped its wings, attempting to escape this purgatory.
After all, the power of the sword array made the demons tremble with fear, but it hadn't officially activated yet. If it forcefully broke out, even though it would be severely injured, it should be able to endure it, which was better than waiting to die inside.
However, while the idea was good, the reality was...
Hiss—
A sound like a red-hot branding iron pressing into butter.
The moment that demonified soul master came into contact with the sword array's barrier, his massive and hideous body couldn't even hold on for a single second before being shredded by the barrier hanging from the edge of the sword array. He turned into a wisp of slowly rising green smoke carrying a burnt odor, disappearing completely. Not even a trace of ash remained, as if he had never existed.
This action directly sounded the alarm for the other demonified soul masters and survivors. Subsequently, after a few demonified soul masters who still didn't believe in evil met the same fate as the first one in the same manner, not a single person dared to touch this barrier again, staying far away from it.
That was an absolute restricted zone!
Now, all living creatures still alive in Lingdou City had become "prisoners awaiting slaughter" within this unprecedented sword array.
"Come in with me to take a look."
After ensuring that not a single demonified soul master could escape from Lingdou City, Chen Junting didn't give Xue Feng and the others a chance to refuse. With a wave of his hand, he scooped up the six demonified Worships whom he had physically put into a "deep sleep." Moving as if chasing the stars and the moon, he arrived above Lingdou City in less than the blink of an eye.
Yan Shaozhe and Tianyang Douluo looked at each other, and suddenly, Yan Shaozhe violently came back to his senses, "Not good! Bei Bei is still in the city!"
So, with the phoenix wings spread, he transformed into a golden light and chased after them!
For a time, only Xue Feng, with an exceptionally ugly expression, and Tianyang Douluo, who wanted to speak but hesitated, stood around the empty pit.
"...Your Majesty..."
"Let's go back."
As soon as the words fell, swan wings extended from behind Xue Feng, and he similarly flew toward Lingdou City. Seeing this, Tianyang Douluo followed closely behind, unable to help but feel worried in his heart.
It wasn't for Xue Feng, but for the Dou Ling Empire.
Any fool knew that there was a problem with the Supreme Worship, and after the various methods she left behind also proved problematic, it would cause an unimaginable impact on the entire Dou Ling Empire. The six Worships being demonified, their personalities drastically changed and not recognizing their own kin, and the entire Lingdou City falling into unprecedented chaos, were still secondary. The most important thing was that the genius soul masters of three generations of the empire might be ruined because of this.
Once the Tianhun Empire found out...
Annexation, destruction of the country—they would absolutely not give up this opportunity.
Harboring a myriad of chaotic thoughts, with Chen Junting's permission, the Immortal Execution Sword Array did not attack them, so Xue Feng and Tianyang Douluo, just like Yan Shaozhe, entered the Lingdou City enveloped by the Immortal Execution Sword Array safely.
Overlooking the capital that had nearly half reduced to ruins, there wasn't a trace of heartache or hesitation in Xue Feng's outward expression. He just turned around and hurried toward the imperial palace.
As an emperor, what he needed to do now was not to regret the decisions he made back then, but to find a way to stabilize the impending chaotic situation by any means necessary.
Regarding this, Tianyang Douluo naturally followed closely behind.
He had to ensure Xue Feng's safety.
If even the emperor met with an accident, things would be even worse.
Meanwhile, in another part of Lingdou City.
Bei Bei, transformed into the Bright Holy Dragon, was pressing down a hideous giant turtle with one claw, and tightly biting a weird monster that looked neither like a rabbit nor a spider in his mouth. Lying around him were all unconscious demonified soul masters, and even a few other enormous beings who had activated their demonified versions of Martial Soul True Bodies.
Although he looked majestic and imposing, and his body was actually fine, the dim golden light, the scars covering his scales, the torn wounds, and the dripping blood... all indicated that the battle just now, before the Immortal Execution Sword Array descended, was not an easy one.
Whoosh—
"Bei Bei, are you alright!?"
The light arrived first, the voice followed.
After a shower of warm radiance fell, Bei Bei felt his taut nerves relax a lot. Before he could even speak, Yan Shaozhe sent a Phoenix Sacred Light from afar, forcefully dispelling the guys who had fallen to the ground but hadn't yet touched their demonified Martial Soul True Bodies, turning them back into demonified human forms.
"Roar—, Dean Yan, I'm fine."
Accompanied by a dragon roar, the dragon claw stepping on the hideous giant turtle stomped down fiercely! With a muffled grunt, the giant turtle also reverted to the demonified Xu Sanshi. At the same time, the opening and closing of his dragon jaws while speaking also dealt a blow to Jiang Nannan, who was under her demonified Martial Soul True Body!
Amidst a muffled, neither light nor heavy scream from her unconscious state, Bei Bei no longer maintained his Martial Soul True Body.
After releasing it, he gently lowered the falling demonified Jiang Nannan and laid her down smoothly beside Xu Sanshi.
"Phew, it's good that you're fine."
The late-arriving Yan Shaozhe couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief after confirming that Bei Bei was indeed unharmed. If his teacher's only descendant had an accident, he really wouldn't be able to explain himself.
After this, noticing Bei Bei's concerned gaze, Yan Shaozhe also paid attention to the man and woman on the ground. Although their appearances had greatly changed in their demonified state, it couldn't hinder his judgment.
"It seems Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan have also been hit."
At this time, Bei Bei looked at Yan Shaozhe and asked rather urgently, "Dean, is there really a way to return them to normal!? Also, what exactly is going on?"
"This is a long story..."
As Bei Bei had the right to know, Yan Shaozhe naturally held nothing back. He told him everything he knew and what he had just experienced, without any concealment.
As for whether there was a way to make the demonified people return to normal...
After Yan Shaozhe and Bei Bei tried using the light attribute, which could form a counter, they found that it only caused ripples and didn't work at all, so the two had to give up.
"It seems we can only place our hopes on Chen Junting."
Yan Shaozhe shook his head, looking helpless.
"That's the only way."
Upon learning that Chen Junting had defeated the equally Limit Douluo "Ye Xishui" in just a few moves, and effortlessly killed the six demonified Worships of the Dou Ling Empire in an instant, Bei Bei first felt a wave of emotion, and then a surge of expectation arose.
With this kind of strength, he should be able to solve it… right?
Uh—Or perhaps it should be "definitely be able to solve it, right"?
And at this moment, Chen Junting, who was being pinned with high hopes, appeared in a secret room. Looking at the empty room and the very few residual auras, his expression didn't fluctuate much.
Clearly, he had anticipated this situation.
After obtaining some information from "Ye Xishui's" memories, Chen Junting, upon arriving at Lingdou City, rushed to two locations one after another. The last place he rushed to was this secret room.
According to the content obtained from the soul search, "Zhongli Wu" and the Demon Empress spent most of their time resting and cultivating here during the years they disappeared. The Demon Empress even used the vengeful spirits and blood obtained from slaughtering the entire Star Luo City and destroying more than half of Heaven Dou City previously, along with the Holy Emperor's energy, to elevate her cultivation further. She even managed to confuse certain perceptions with the Holy Emperor's risky assistance, breaking through to the 800,000-year realm a few years ago, but was also severely injured as a result, like a candle in the wind, and never recovered.
Unfortunately, by the time he arrived at Lingdou City, "Ye Xishui" was quite decisive. The first thing she did after leaving the Dou Ling Imperial Palace was to find "Zhongli Wu," telling him to take the Demon Empress and the others away.
And she herself acted as a decoy.
As for the place Chen Junting rushed to first... it was naturally the base where "Ye Xishui" and the others had painstakingly trained soul masters. Of course, it was also funded by the Dou Ling Empire. It was a pity that "Ye Xishui" and the others used them to hatch their own plots, training quite a few "Evil Soul Masters," and some even reaching the Titled Douluo level.
However, these people had also been taken away.
Such a sizable group of Evil Soul Masters with passable strength was undoubtedly an unstable factor. More importantly, from the information Chen Junting obtained in the soul search, "Ye Xishui" and the others trained these "Evil Soul Masters" merely to be tools, and in the literal sense at that.
"A storm is brewing."
Muttering a sentence, Chen Junting turned and left.
Actually, based on the energy attributes of the other plane, combined with the constant appearance of the word "demon," Chen Junting gradually formed a rough guess about the other plane trying to invade the Douluo Plane.
And if it really was the plane he guessed, Chen Junting wouldn't be as worried in his heart. Although he didn't know much about it, in his impression, the performance of that plane in the original future timeline was somewhat lacking.
However, while his feelings were just feelings, that was only relative. In reality, he still needed to take it seriously.
Now, he had to study and see if there was any way to make the demonified soul masters return to normal. He couldn't possibly just kill all the demonified soul masters, could he?
Also, he didn't believe that after Lingdou City had stirred up such a massive chaos and slaughter, "Zhongli Wu" and the Demon Empress would let go of the large number of vengeful spirits and blood produced here.
So later, he would still have to carefully investigate to see if there were any hidden tricks left behind by them within Lingdou City.
Returning outside the secret room, with just a thought from Chen Junting, his spiritual power had already sensed Yan Shaozhe's location. So, with a flash of his figure, he arrived beside them.
And at this moment, Bei Bei, who was watching Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan with a worried face, brightened up upon seeing Chen Junting's arrival, and hurriedly stood up from the pile of ruins he was sitting on.
Seeing this, Yan Shaozhe spoke with a rather respectful tone.
"Greetings, Sword Douluo Your Eminence."
Hearing him being so polite, Chen Junting couldn't help but laugh.
"Dean Yan is being too polite."
"Not at all. On the continent, the strong are respected. Naturally, I must use an honorific for a Limit Douluo. Besides, I have already stepped down from my academy duties and am no longer the Dean."
To this, Chen Junting just smiled and didn't take up the topic, shifting his attention to the demonified Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan. After all, if it weren't for their pleasantries, Bei Bei, who was anxiously stomping his feet on the side, would have interrupted them already.
As time passed minute by minute, under the targeted suppression of the Immortal Execution Sword Array, not a single demonified soul master could wake up. Chen Junting took this opportunity to continuously deepen his scan, using his spiritual power to scan Xu Sanshi's entire body, including his Spiritual Sea.
Until he reached a conclusion: this so-called demonification was simply the energy of another plane permeating every aspect of a human body. In other words, a person's Essence, Energy, and Spirit.
This energy first affected a soul master's essence, then circulated through the Essence to connect the limbs and bones, thereby polluting a soul master's Essence, changing their physical form. When a soul master's Essence and Essence had both changed, the two drove the transformation of a soul master's Spirit, causing their mind to become twisted.
So, if they wanted to solve it... it wouldn't be easy.
"Not easy!?"
Bei Bei first widened his eyes upon hearing this conclusion, but then immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise, "That means there is still a way!"
"Indeed there is."
Chen Junting pondered while responding, "Because at the current 'pollution' progress, a soul master's ultimate essence hasn't been changed yet. If we wait another three days, then there will be absolutely no way."
"Then what should we do?"
Bei Bei asked, but what answered him was silence. However, Bei Bei didn't open his mouth again; instead, he suppressed the anxious emotion in his heart, so as not to disturb Chen Junting's thoughts.
Until...
"It seems true knowledge comes from practice."
Holding the idea of giving it a try, Chen Junting just reached out and grabbed the most severely injured guy, who was barely breathing in and not breathing out, basically beyond saving.
Then, Chen Junting's spiritual power precisely pierced into this person's Spiritual Sea. It didn't take much effort to find his soul, and then he directly struck at the core of the soul!
Since that energy started from a soul master's Essence, he would do the exact opposite, starting from a soul master's Spirit. As long as the mind didn't have problems, he could use a little external force to drive away that rootless energy with a flash of spiritual light.
"Uh—"
Suddenly, the unconscious soul master let out an unconscious scream. But this didn't cause Chen Junting to stop; instead, he directly poured in his soul power, giving him a little assistance.
Within a few minutes, "Ah—"
With a tragic scream, the demonified state completely faded away.
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