Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1290 - 699: Defeated and Forced to Flee

As Zhao Sheng and his three companions fanned out to the edges of the Magic Platform, assuming the positions of the Four Symbols Formation, Emperor Jiang advanced alone to the center. There, he settled into a cross-legged sitting posture.

Closing his eyes to focus his intent, the treasures upon his face suddenly erupted with a blinding Divine Light.

A moment later, a colossal Chaos Divine Beast manifested, leaping forth before unleashing a heaven-shaking roar toward the firmament.

Woo!

Following that sound, the atmospheric conditions above the platform shifted violently. The frigid ice fog receded like a ebbing tide, causing the sky over the ruins to brighten significantly in an instant.

The Chaos Divine Beast then ascended toward the Tianqiong, appearing to lock onto a target as it slammed with immense force into a tiny "speck of dust" concealed deep within the Void.

Total silence fell over the world immediately, and even time itself seemed to freeze.

Under the watchful gazes of Zhao Sheng and his allies, the massive frame of the Chaos Divine Beast began to contract at an incredible speed. It shrank from thousands of feet to hundreds, then dozens, until it was no larger than a mustard seed. In the blink of an eye, it vanished entirely from their Spiritual Sense.

The group’s morale surged at this sight; they realized that Kui Niu had been correct—a Lost Cave Heaven was indeed hidden in this location.

Suddenly, Zhao Sheng’s voice rang out: "Stay alert, everyone! The Ancient Puppets are approaching."

Wuzhiqi, the Soaring Snake, and Huo Dou turned their attention toward the outer perimeter of the ruins. They witnessed a horde of dilapidated, ancient War Puppets emerging from the wreckage, swiftly encircling the Platinum Platform.

As these War Puppets began to radiate their own spirit light, their collective aura intensified. The Law Fluctuations they emitted became so dense they were nearly tangible.

Huo Dou’s expression shifted as he scanned the perimeter.

Despite their battered appearance, the combat strength of these Puppets was clearly formidable. Given their overwhelming numbers, even though their own group possessed the power to face a hundred enemies, they could not be certain of intercepting every single construct.

Should even a solitary Puppet slip through, it would not only reflect poorly on their capabilities but also risk interrupting Emperor Jiang during his "casting."

Thinking quickly, Huo Dou’s body flared with Yellow Light. With a forceful downward thrust of his palms, a deluge of yellow flames rained down upon the advancing War Puppets.

Moments later, several of the most heavily damaged War Puppets went dark, while two others suffered malfunctions, turning to attack everything in their vicinity with mindless rage.

Simultaneously, Zhao Sheng and the other two practitioners manifested their Divine Beast Dharma Forms. They acted in unison to block the War Puppets charging from their respective quadrants.

In that first clash alone, the Puppet forces were thinned by nearly twenty percent. Six were obliterated instantly, and another three sustained such critical damage that they ground to a halt.

A few breaths later, the four Divine Beast Dharma Forms hovered around the Magic Platform. Their Spiritual Sense and Will merged, creating a Four Symbols Barrier that completely shielded the platform.

"Roar!"

As the barrier solidified, the largest of the constructs—an Elephant Head Puppet—raised its Elephant Tusk Greatsword high and let out a booming cry.

This particular Elephant Head War Puppet appeared to possess the highest level of spiritual awareness, acting as a commander by issuing "combat" orders to the rest of the horde.

Instantly, the remaining Puppets hurled their Spiritual Treasures. Beams of Flowing Light shot into the air like falling stars, whistling through the air before crashing into the Four Symbols Barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Four Symbols Barrier trembled under the assault, its radiance fading fast as numerous Spiritual Treasure Weapons became wedged into its surface.

Nearly thirty of these weapons flared with various hues of Law Divine Light, relentlessly battering the barrier’s integrity and testing the mental resolve of the four defenders.

Zhao Sheng cursed his oversight internally; he hadn't anticipated a "Leader Level" Puppet being concealed among these ancient relics.

It was common knowledge that a group of Puppets led by a commander performed on an entirely different level than a mindless swarm.

Zhao Sheng’s eyes flashed with sparks of electricity. With a sharp gesture, the Kui Niu Divine Beast exhaled a torrent of Thunder Light, striking the embedded Spiritual Treasure Weapons and forcing them back inch by inch.

Wuzhiqi likewise channeled his power, summoning the Yellow Springs Weak Water River. The surging currents of Weak Water engulfed the Spirit Blades, pinning them down against the riverbed of the Yellow River.

Deprived of their Spirit Blades, the combat effectiveness of the Puppets plummeted.

Seizing the opening, the Soaring Snake lunged into the mechanical crowd, tearing apart three relatively preserved War Puppets with reckless abandon.

"Soaring Snake, pull back!"

Wuzhiqi yelled, as the Yellow Springs Weak Water River rose in massive waves to swallow six more of the intact Puppets.

These ancient constructs were simply too weathered. Their long existence had nearly drained their spiritual essence; otherwise, they would have been far more difficult to defeat than a demon beast of the same rank.

While the battle between the cultivators and the Puppets raged on, a Yellow Cloud suddenly formed in the sky. It grew steadily, expanding across the firmament until it took on a faint, grayish-white tint.

Zhao Sheng looked up at the Yellow Cloud, a glimmer of excitement appearing in his gaze.

This cloud pulsed with powerful Earth Dao Law Fluctuations, and the grayish-white hue signaled the presence of the Petrification Law, a specific branch of the Earth Dao.

"Jie Jie, the boss is on the verge of success," Wuzhiqi shouted with glee upon spotting the cloud.

The appearance of the Yellow Cloud was a sign that the core Laws of the Cave Heaven were manifesting. It meant the hidden, drifting Lost Cave Heaven had been successfully pinned down.

The remaining task was to pull the Cave Heaven back and find the method to unlock its Gate.

Since guiding it back would take time, Zhao Sheng and the others were required to maintain their defense a while longer.