Compared to her life, what was a small promise worth?
Two breaths passed.
As everyone waited with bated breath, time seemed to pass especially slowly.
Yet nothing happened.
Another three breaths passed, then five…
The altar stood silently on the ground. Forget earth-shattering changes—there wasn’t even the slightest unusual sound.
Where was the promised manifestation of the Boundary God? The reopening of the Heavenly Ladder? Why did nothing appear?
A trusted subordinate behind the Yan King couldn’t help but step forward, whispering: “Your Majesty, could we have missed some…”
Could they have missed some steps?
This was what everyone was thinking.
But at that moment, the heart on the altar stopped beating.
Even the strongest heart would grow still when separated from its body’s nourishment, and this one was no exception.
Everyone present felt their eyelids twitch, sensing the terror of impending disaster.
Indeed, in the next instant, great clouds of black smoke billowed forth from the stone heart, concentrated and undispersed, its color deeper than midnight.
It spread in all directions, instantly filling the entire space, driving the white mist to who knows where.
When the black smoke occasionally paused, it revealed one face after another, each with different features but equally ferocious expressions. Their shrill cries were like ghost wails, yet everyone present could hear the wild ecstasy contained within!
Dark shadows loomed, blotting out the sky and sun.
In an instant, this place had transformed into the netherworld.
Heavenly Demons!
The Heavenly Demons had broken free from their seal and returned to the mortal realm!
The cultivators’ faces changed dramatically. Previously, the stone heart had been nourished in Yun Ya’s chest, transforming the absorbed power into a suppressive force that firmly sealed the Heavenly Demons. Now that this man’s heart had stopped beating, it also stopped nourishing the stone heart.
Even if it was the Boundary God’s true form, it could no longer contain the Heavenly Demons!
While others could only hear the Heavenly Demons’ piercing wails, Feng Miaojun’s ears were filled with these evil spirits’ unrestrained cheers.
It was the relief of being freed after a thousand years of imprisonment; it was the ecstasy of seeing daylight again.
Likewise, it was also the release of deep-seated hatred.
They had been sealed away for too long, weakened for too long, and now that they were free, they couldn’t wait to do something.
In the blink of an eye, the black smoke condensed in mid-air, gathering into a massive humanoid figure that slowly lowered its head. Though it had no facial features, everyone could sense that it was staring intently at the altar on the ground.
“Hand it over!” A vast voice resonated in the cultivators’ minds.
Seeing the scene before them, the Heavenly Demons immediately understood these mortals’ intentions. Freedom was precious, but only by seizing the stone heart from their hands and preventing the Boundary God’s descent could the Heavenly Demon clan rest easy forever!
The moment black shadows emerged from the stone heart, the Yan King knew trouble was brewing. He quickly produced nine bronze talismans, placing each in a different direction, and burying them in the soil with only small portions exposed.
The talismans, all made of fine bronze and engraved with blood-red runes, emitted a faint glow as soon as they entered the soil.
Then, with the Yan King at the center, the nine bronze talismans jointly created a barrier, appearing indistinct yet pushing all the Heavenly Demons outside.
Feng Miaojun observed this and softly praised: “Demon Rejection Formation.”
This was the same Demon Rejection Formation that had once protected Dream Water City from the Heavenly Demons’ invasion. However, the formation she had witnessed before covered a much larger area, with eighty-one anchor points. The Yan King had only utilized one anchor point, making it small but effective, better concentrating its power to resist the Heavenly Demons.
Those bronze talismans were the Yan King’s most treasured possessions, collected with who knows how much effort, obviously prepared specifically for confronting Heavenly Demons. Evidently, although he had previously reached an agreement with the Heavenly Demon leader, he had always remained wary, preparing for contingencies.
The gathered Heavenly Demons let out a deep growl: “Hand it over, or none shall be spared!” With that, they clenched their fists like humans and pounded heavily on the barrier!
Their form was enormous and their strength immense, making the action resemble a pile driver. Those sheltered within the formation immediately felt the ground shake, making it almost impossible to stand. The barrier trembled violently, like a soap bubble in the wind.
But it didn’t break.
The event happened so suddenly that more than ten people failed to escape into the barrier. Among them were both the New Xia and Yan people. Before they could rush into the Demon Rejection Formation’s range, scattered wisps of black smoke entangled them, entering through their seven orifices.
These unfortunate individuals immediately halted, their expressions becoming vacant.
Within a few breaths, they had drawn their magical weapons and begun frantically attacking the barrier.
Possessed by Heavenly Demons.
Witnessing the Heavenly Demons’ signature ability, the cultivators standing within the barrier wore expressions of extreme dismay.
These were monsters that had once swept across the world, beings that even the combined forces of humans and demons couldn’t handle. Could this formation, made of merely nine bronze talismans, truly withstand the Heavenly Demons’ assault?
The Yan King’s face turned ashen as he shouted: “Stand firm, don’t move!”
The formation’s positioning was crucial. In the past, the Haoli Empire had devoted an entire nation’s strength to resist the Heavenly Demons, but now all he could utilize was the spiritual power of Yan and the vital energy of everyone present. Even though those standing here were the elite among New Xia and Yan cultivators, he still had little confidence.
Originally, this formation was only prepared for emergencies and never intended to hold out indefinitely. The Yan King’s gaze fell upon the altar on the ground, nearly grinding his steel teeth to dust.
What had gone wrong? Why hadn’t the altar activated? Why hadn’t the Boundary God awakened?
It was infuriating—he could feel success was just within reach, separated only by a thin paper window, yet he didn’t know how to break through!
What could he do to extricate himself from this predicament? This time, he and Yun Ya had jointly schemed against the Heavenly Demon leader; once that monster appeared, it certainly wouldn’t spare him.
He had no way out!
Feng Miaojun and Yun Ya weren’t inside the barrier.
At some point, Yun Ya had produced a tiny branch, less than three inches long. The branch was golden, with a single leaf still attached.
The leaf had originally been as bright jade green, but now it had withered and curled for the most part, with only a tiny bit of green remaining.
Most of the Heavenly Demons focused their attention on the Demon Rejection Formation. Occasionally, when they brushed past the couple, a faint cyan light emanated from them, causing the Heavenly Demons to leap away like whipped sheep, not daring to approach.
Feng Miaojun lowered her head, observing their clasped hands, and realized the green light extended from Yun Ya to herself.
With her physical body as protection, she didn’t fear this cyan light. But what could repel the approach of lonely spirits and even Heavenly Demons?
Yun Ya had resisted the Heavenly Demon leader for over three hundred years; naturally, he would have some means of defense.
With each passing moment, the life force within her body was rapidly diminishing. The air seemed increasingly thin, breathing became more difficult, and she could hear her gasping, loud as a constantly working bellow.
An unprecedented weakness engulfed her entire body. Just as Feng Miaojun was about to close her eyes, she felt Yun Ya gripping her hand even tighter.