Chapter 559 - 558: Coercion

Chapter 559: Chapter 558: Coercion

A Spirit King Stage cultivation level could only be considered decent in the Netherworld, but in the Mortal Realm, it was akin to a supreme deity, towering high above everyone else!

The concentration of Spiritual Power here was too low, and there was a scarcity of Heaven and Earth Treasures, making cultivation breakthroughs extremely difficult. Some had the potential to break through, but alas, the concentration was too weak. As a result, they could cultivate until their dying day and still find it difficult to reach a higher level.

Circumstances being what they were, many powerful experts chose to leave this place for the Netherworld or the Celestial Realm; otherwise, breaking through was simply impossible. Only those who reached that level would know of this situation.

Now, with a Spirit King Stage expert leading the charge, everyone’s expression changed drastically. Some even collapsed to the ground, too weak to even think of resisting. How could they possibly fight this? Besides the Spirit King Stage expert, there were also numerous Void Spirit Stage experts. They were pressing forward with an air of invincibility, striking fear into their hearts.

The battle hadn’t even begun, yet their morale had already plummeted.

"A legendary Spirit King Stage cultivation level..." The Spirit Race Ancestor sucked in a cold breath. He had recently obtained a great deal of resources and managed to raise his cultivation by a level or two, but he was still at the Void Spirit Stage. Facing a Spirit King Stage expert, he was completely powerless to resist.

He could feel that the opponent could slap him to death with a single palm strike! Let alone the Spirit King Stage expert before him, even the Void Spirit Stage experts at the side were enough to contend with him.

"Spirit Race Ancestor, what should we do?" Ye Qingxuan’s expression was icy. She, too, could sense that she couldn’t resist this power, but that didn’t mean she would compromise. She looked to the Spirit Race Ancestor for his decision.

"Activate the National Guardian Array!" the Spirit Race Ancestor said in a deep voice. "They have not come in peace. Even if we surrender, I fear they won’t spare us! They are likely here specifically for us. The Spirit King must have left to deal with them..."

Ye Qingxuan nodded. Yi Tianyun had told them about this possibility before—that they would soon face a terrifying blow and would need to call for reinforcements. She never expected it all to happen so quickly. The enemy was already at their doorstep.

At the Spirit Race Ancestor’s command, the National Guardian Array activated instantly. Layers of thick protective shields immediately rose up, enveloping the entire Imperial City and sealing it airtight.

Although the Divine Runes weren’t completely laid out, the majority were already carved and could exert a considerable amount of power. Finished or not, they had no choice but to forcibly activate it now. Otherwise, once the fighting started, they would be the ones suffering the most casualties.

After they activated the National Guardian Array, the many experts aboard the Treasure Ship revealed looks of contempt.

"Lord Xu, they actually dare to resist. They truly overestimate themselves!" A Void Spirit Stage expert at his side sneered. To them, this National Guardian Array was laughably weak. How strong could an array from the Mortal Realm possibly be?

Xu Guolin looked at the National Guardian Array and sneered, "If they want to resist, then let them. I’ll make them understand that futile resistance will only lead to more casualties!"

Immediately, Xu Guolin shot out, flying toward the Celestial Cloud Imperial City at extreme speed. The others couldn’t even track his movement. In the blink of an eye, he was before the Celestial Cloud Imperial City, raising a hand to viciously slam it down.

"Break for me!"

Xu Guolin roared, his palm flashing with golden light. A vast, ancient aura erupted from it. In an instant, thick clouds gathered in the sky. A moment later, a giant palm tore through the clouds, smashing down ruthlessly upon the Celestial Cloud Imperial City.

The heaven-blotting palm instantly covered more than half of the Celestial Cloud Imperial City. The terrifying power made their faces pale. ’Is this the power of a Spirit King?’

BOOM!

The giant palm pressed down heavily, setting off a massive explosion. The deafening sound of the blast reverberated from all corners of the Celestial Cloud Imperial City, echoing through the heavens! Even the earth itself trembled. It was as if a power not belonging to the Mortal Realm had been unleashed, causing mountains to crumble and the ground to split apart.

Cultivators watching from a great distance trembled, staring in horror toward the Celestial Cloud Imperial City as their hearts sank.

"Who did the Celestial Cloud Imperial City provoke to bring on such a powerful force..." They sucked in a cold breath, a chill running down their spines.

They had originally wanted to join the Celestial Cloud Mansion, but now they didn’t even dare to get close.

After the explosion dissipated, the Celestial Cloud Imperial City still stood tall. Aside from the surrounding area being blasted away, the city itself was completely unscathed. This was a powerful palm strike from a Spirit King Stage expert, yet the city had actually withstood it.

"Oh? Interesting. I didn’t expect the Mortal Realm to have a Divine Rune Master of this caliber..." Xu Guolin’s gaze turned cold. Although he hadn’t used his full strength, he had used at least half of it. To his surprise, he hadn’t managed to crush the National Guardian Array. It was frankly a bit embarrassing.

The other Cultivators from the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom were also startled. They hadn’t expected the defenses to hold, which was truly impressive.

"W-We did it! We weren’t breached!"

"The Spirit Race Ancestor is incredible! He held them off!"

"That’s right! Our Celestial Cloud Imperial City can hold!"

Their once-despairing hearts were suddenly invigorated, filled with hope.

Although they had managed to withstand the attack, the Spirit Race Ancestor, standing on the city wall, had a pale face. A dazzling light flickered in his hands as he continuously formed sealing techniques. To receive that single palm strike, he had consumed most of his Spiritual Power and had almost failed to hold on.

"As expected of the power of a Spirit King..." The Spirit Race Ancestor’s face was ashen. His body swayed, and he nearly collapsed.

Fortunately, Ye Qingxuan was beside him to support him. She asked worriedly, "Ancestor, are you alright...?"

"This power is too immense. If our National Guardian Array were fully complete, we could have held on for a few more hits. But as it is now, I’m afraid it won’t even withstand three... You must take our people and escape immediately. I will hold them off." The Spirit Race Ancestor’s expression was grave. This was a life-or-death moment; they had to retreat.

"But..."

"No buts! Go now! Survival is what matters! We must hold out until the Spirit King returns... It’s a pity. The Spirit King won’t even get to see this Celestial Cloud Imperial City before it’s occupied and destroyed..." The Spirit Race Ancestor shook his head, but he had not fallen into despair.

He knew that as long as they preserved their strength and waited for Yi Tianyun’s return, there was still a chance! As long as their people survived, the Celestial Cloud Imperial City would never truly perish!

"Ancestor..." Ye Qingxuan clenched her jaw, knowing what she had to do. Finally, she knelt down toward where the Spirit Race Ancestor stood and kowtowed. "Ancestor, take care!"

After paying her respects, she immediately rushed down to prepare to lead the people away. At this point, it was the only way; otherwise, no one would be able to leave.

Just as they were about to retreat, the Cultivators from the Treasure Ship, who had moved at some unknown point, surrounded them. A mere handful of Void Spirit Stage experts guarding the four cardinal directions was all it took to block all their escape routes.

"Thinking of escaping? That’s impossible..." They let out a chilling smile. They had come prepared; how could they possibly let them flee?

As the crisis deepened, Yi Tianyun felt something was wrong during his flight. A sense of danger lingered in his heart.

’Did something happen?’ He frowned, signaling the Ice Phoenix to go even faster! He had already charged back to the Celestial Cloud Continent and was not far from the Imperial City.