Chapter 70: The Might of the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, A Sky Fox is About to Undergo Tribulation
Flames soared and frost spread. Electric wheels spun, and wood energy was dense.
This was a battlefield at sea.
Hundreds of warships were entangled, locked in a chaotic, deadly battle. The four most common Demon Soldiers in the Archipelago – the Flame Turtle, the Profound Frost Fish, the Electric Pattern Snake, and the Elm Bear – unleashed various Dao Methods, their attacks weaving a dense net in the air.
Storms of arrows, flashes of sabers and swords, and shouts of war echoed to the heavens. From time to time, ships, engulfed in black smoke, sank into the sea, creating whirlpools.
Or electric wheels shot out, blasting apart ship hulls and sending wood splinters flying. Large sails caught fire.
Or the ship’s rudder would freeze into ice, making it impossible to steer. The ship would spin in place, futilely counterattacking while taking damage.
At the center of the battlefield, eleven generals were cornering Tie Ao.
Tie Ao, with the Demon Suppressing Pagoda hovering above his head, cast down waves of golden light, shielding himself. He stood unmoving, like a golden-armored deity descended to earth. After Chu Yun confiscated his Dragon Roaming Spear, he had replaced it with a Phoenix Wing Lei Jin Xi.
Facing the fierce assault of multiple enemy generals, he wielded his Phoenix Wing Lei Jin Jing like the wind, ferociously and bravely, unleashing a continuous stream of Dao Methods. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be losing; instead, he held a firm advantage.
Ever since Tie Ao’s defeat by Chu Yun and the subsequent blow of Long Daozhi’s death, his temperament had matured and stabilized. In battle, he would advance and retreat, defend and attack with perfect coordination, his spear skills reaching a great accomplishment.
This major battle had undoubtedly become the center of the battlefield. Within a radius of several miles, no warships could be seen. Countless people gazed at the scene with awe and fear. This was the highest level of combat in the Archipelago and the key to this sea battle.
Dao Methods of gold, wood, water, fire, earth, and other elements clashed with each other. They exploded into colorful, glazed splendors. Amidst the shattered light waves, Tie Ao suddenly charged forward, making a surprising move.
He switched to using the Phoenix Wing Lei Jin Jing for defense and instead unleashed the Spirit Demon Soldier, the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, from above his head.
The Demon Suppressing Pagoda, golden yellow and lustrous, had seven layers. Its ancient, rustic design marked it as an artifact of the King of Gold Virtue from ancient times. It was not only a Destiny Demonic Treasure but also an excellent Demon Soldier that was both offensive and defensive.
However, over millions of years, originally a Tribulation Demon, the Demon Suppressing Pagoda could not withstand the incessant heavenly tribulations after the King of Gold Virtue’s fall. Despite containing destiny, it was weakened by the heavenly tribulations, barely managing to ascend to the rank of a Spirit Demon Soldier.
Since ancient times, it had protected the bloodline descendants of the King of Gold Virtue. Through countless years of ups and downs, it had witnessed the rise and fall of the Tie Family for countless generations. It was a Spirit Demon Soldier of great origin.
“Let you all know where the Demon Suppressing Pagoda gets its name! Suppress them for me!” Tie Ao roared, activating a mysterious, supreme-grade Dao Method within the Demon Suppressing Pagoda.
The Demon Suppressing Pagoda bloomed with intense golden light in mid-air, like countless arrows of light, making it impossible to look directly at it. Suddenly, it expanded mightily, from the size of a model to a true tower.
With a boom, the Demon Suppressing Pagoda descended with irresistible might.
In an instant, the generals surrounding Tie Ao were greatly alarmed, feeling a strong sense of crisis. One of the top generals, bracing himself, commanded his Great Demonic Beast, the Cold Wind Leopard, to confront it.
As a result, the Cold Wind Leopard’s roar abruptly stopped as it was absorbed into the Demon Suppressing Pagoda.
The general spat out a mouthful of blood. Ignoring his dizziness and pale face, he frantically activated the Spirit within him and sent out a Spirit call. However, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no response. His renowned Great Demonic Beast had its connection directly severed by the Demon Suppressing Pagoda and was suppressed!
“Hahaha!” Tie Ao laughed heartily, his morale soaring. He commanded the Demon Suppressing Pagoda to suppress again.
Six more of the generals’ Great Demonic Beasts, Great Demonic Plants, and Great Demon Soldiers were successively suppressed. The generals were thrown into a panic, their strength greatly diminished. Tie Ao put away the trembling Demon Suppressing Pagoda, wielded his Phoenix Wing Lei Jin Jing, mounted his Ashen Horse, and cut down two top generals and five junior generals.
The enemy generals were horrified and turned to flee. Tie Ao pursued, his Phoenix Wing Lei Jin Jing thrusting through the slowest-running junior general, piercing him through the heart, killing him instantly.
The Tie Family’s morale surged, and they routed the alliance army. The allied forces were routed, suffering countless losses. They fled for dozens of miles before finally stopping to regroup and stabilize their lines.
“Tie Ao is ferocious, unstoppable.”
“The Spirit Demon Soldier, the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, is an artifact of the King of Gold Virtue. It is incredibly powerful in suppressing Demonic creatures. What shall we do?”
“I really don’t know how the Shu Family defeated Tie Ao. Unless a Spirit Demon-level force and a Great General arrives, no one can truly suppress him.”
The generals were all crestfallen and in disarray. Gathering together, they discussed with lingering fear.
They did have Spirit Demon-level combatants among them. However, to prevent traitors, these forces were stationed on their respective home islands for defense.
Great Generals occupied the pinnacle of military power in the Archipelago. Even the foremost power, the Tie Family, now only had three Great Generals (including Tie Ao). The Shu Family, which was in the spotlight, only had two Great Generals: Shu Tianhao and Chu Yun.
These Great Generals were typically island lords or elders of top-tier powers. They remained on their home islands for defense and were rarely mobilized.
While the allied forces were shrouded in gloom, the Tie Family’s morale was soaring.
“Hahaha, these rabble! Without dispatching a Great General, who can stop me, Tie Ao!” Tie Ao, seated on the commander’s throne, threw his head back and laughed. This exhilarating battle had greatly relieved his pent-up frustration, leaving him feeling immensely refreshed.
“Young Master’s might is unparalleled, unstoppable.” Those around him offered fawning compliments.
Tie Ao’s expression, however, subtly changed. In such situations in the past, Long Daozhi would always appear. He wouldn’t offer flattery but would present proposals, offering various ingenious strategies for dealing with the upcoming situation.
“Alas, if only Long Daozhi were alive to witness this scene,” Tie Ao’s mood sank. The joy of his recent victory dissipated significantly.
“Report! Urgent military intelligence! The Little Tyrant Chu Yun has captured the Yan Family’s main island, presenting the Fire Mandate Document. The Yan Family has surrendered!” At this moment, a soldier rushed in and reported loudly.
“What? The Fire Mandate Document!” Tie Ao suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with surprise.
“The Fire Mandate Document has appeared?”
“With this document, it’s no wonder even the proud Yan Family bowed their heads.”
“Among the Five Mandate Documents, the Gold, Wood, and Earth Mandate Documents were lost over millions of years due to various reasons. Only the Fire Mandate Document and the Water Mandate Document have remained hidden. This is extraordinary! The Five Mandate Documents represent the orthodox lineage of the Archipelago.”
“Originally, the Shu Family, with its humble origins and insufficient foundation, was like a nouveau riche. But with this Fire Mandate Document, they are like being bestowed an imperial yellow robe, representing ancient heavenly authority.”
For a moment, the generals turned pale, whispering amongst themselves, their hearts in turmoil.
The joy of their recent victory had completely vanished, leaving not a trace.
Tie Ao’s face turned grim. As he slowly sat down, he rapidly pondered in his mind: “Heaven is unfair! With the appearance of the Fire Mandate Document, the Shu Family has annexed the Yan Family and ended the war early. We, on the other hand, are still struggling in the quagmire of war. The situation is truly dire. The enemy can attack or defend, completely holding the initiative…”
He thought hard for a long time, with no solution. He subconsciously asked, “Daozhi, what do you think of this matter?”
The hall fell silent.
Tie Ao suddenly jolted, realizing once again that Long Daozhi was already deceased.
“Alas,” he sighed inwardly, and then asked aloud, “Is there any other intelligence?”
The soldier, kneeling on the ground, immediately replied respectfully, “There are two more things.”
“One is that the Little Tyrant Chu Yun has been reclusive lately. Intelligence indicates a high probability that he is preparing the Sky Fox for its Spirit Demon Tribulation.”
“The second is that upon hearing of the Fire Mandate Document’s appearance, the current Saintess of the Shui Family of Rain Island, Shui Ruolan, has publicly declared her intention to visit the Shu Family Island to pay homage to the Fire Mandate Document in the near future.”
These two pieces of news were equally significant.
“The Sky Fox is about to undergo a Spirit Demon Tribulation?” The generals trembled upon hearing this.
Currently, Chu Yun, with only the Spirit Demon Drunken Snow Saber, was already unstoppable and enjoying immense popularity.
If he were to gain another Spirit Demon-level supreme-grade Demonic Beast, the Sky Fox…
It was truly terrifying!
Was there any way for them to live?!
“Hmph!” Seeing the unfavorable emotions of the generals in the hall, Tie Ao immediately snorted coldly, chastising, “What are you afraid of? Are you all so frightened by Chu Yun alone? The Spirit Demon Tribulation of a supreme-grade Demonic Beast is not so easy to undergo. Even if he passes it, can Chu Yun’s Spirit control it?”
A person’s Spirit was extremely limited when facing the infinite number of Demonic creatures in the world.
Therefore, ordinary Beast Tamers usually only had two or three Demonic creatures. Skilled Beast Tamers might have four or five. Among these Demonic creatures, they were divided into main and support roles, with differing cultivation levels, and were not developed uniformly.
At times, to manage their internal Spirit and prevent Demonic creatures from becoming disobedient or rebellious, Beast Tamers would limit the cultivation of their Demonic creatures. This was to prevent their Spirit from growing to a level they could no longer suppress as their cultivation increased.
In special circumstances, Beast Tamers might even deliberately weaken their Demonic creatures’ cultivation due to concerns about their internal Spirit.
Tie Ao, at eighteen years old, was considered a genius among geniuses. Even so, his internal Spirit was not enough for him to control a second Spirit Demon.
Chu Yun had just turned one year older, counting by traditional East Asian age reckoning. Naturally, he would not have enough Spirit to command a second Spirit Demon.
“That’s right. No matter how much of a genius Chu Yun is, his internal Spirit is not sufficient.”
“Although he has the Dragon Eye Fruit, the Dragon Eye Fruit can only enhance his physical fitness. Hahaha, wonderful, wonderful.”
The generals chuckled, recovering from their panic and steadying their minds.
“The last time he underwent a Spirit Demon Tribulation, Chu Yun was lucky. He encountered a Lightning Tribulation, and fortunately, he had the Lightning Dispelling Dao Method. However, the Sky Fox has nine attributes, and its heavenly tribulations are usually composite. The Lightning Dispelling Dao Method won’t be as effective. Regardless of whether the heavenly tribulation can be passed, even if it can, his limited Spirit will absolutely not be able to control two Spirit Demons. Furthermore, there is Shui Ruolan. That woman is not simple; the Shu Family will have trouble.”
Tie Ao sneered inwardly. “The Fire Mandate Document is a case of possessing something that brings disaster. Although the Shu Family is currently powerful, the Shui Family is also one of the ancient Five Great Families. You people will quarrel, and once I deal with these allied forces, I will immediately turn my attention and repay the humiliation I suffered at the Shu Family island tenfold!”
