Path to Heaven
chapter-170

Chapter 170: War of Attrition

“Not enough yet! Do not activate any skill talisman but employ durable artifacts to attack instead!”

While Huang Tianya yelled, a golden buddhist staff artifact beamed out from the Goldhoop Monk. Following that, the golden hoops attached to that 1.5 metre staff simultaneously collided, visibly forming a circular sonic wave; sweeping forward and shuddering the foremost 5-6 Flying Aspara Apes into a sluggish state.

In the next moment, over 20 beams of varied colours struck repeatedly against those 5-6 Sky Apsara Apes, completely beating them down.

Exactly like the earlier Flame Bonedevouring Ant, the remaining 30 plus Sky Aspara Apes immediately flew into a raging frenzy. Sharp ear-splitting whistles filled the sky, as streaks of fiery tongues volleyed out from the mouths of these Sky Aspara Apes.

Streaks of fiery tongues as thick as one’s arm, that would divide into 7 streaks, blasted down like a reign of lightnings.

The artifact shields of dozen plus cultivators of the second layer immediately shifted, as they suspended over their heads like a saucepan lid, forcibly resisting the first round of assaults from these Sky Aspara Apes.

With a flicker of cyan, black sinister gas came wildly pouring out of Huang Tianya’s hand, and transformed into a ghastly claw that gripped a single Sky Aspara Ape. Although that Sky Aspara Ape struggled desperately, it couldn’t abscond from the boiling flames and black sinister gas. Eventually, it turned rigid as it was smashed onto the ground.

“Go!

“Release!”

After another two waves of effective artifact volleying, the forty plus Sky Aspara Apes were wiped out cleanly by these Tertrasea Hall cultivators.

In spite of that, they didn’t get a single chance to catch their breath. Yet another field of darkness came soaring in from all four corners.

“Gold Armoured Wasps!”

“Wolfhead Bats!”

The Gold Armoured Wasps were demonic beasts that replicated fist-sized wasps. They were upper-tier level 3 demonic beasts, and their exterior shell was exceptionally tough.

The Wolfhead Bats were wind element, low-tier level 4 demonic beasts. Wei Suo had encountered a few of them before.

The second beast tide comprised of these two types of demonic beasts, and totalled to more than 200 in number.

“Each of you unleash one Ice element controlling talisman!” Huang Tianya’s expression sank and immediately exclaimed. Without large-scale restraining artifacts to curb such epic multitudes, they would very possibly lose over half of their own artifact shields.

A dozen plus cultivators quickly fished out talismans into their hands and activated them.

The might of ten plus ice element skill talismans overlapped, and condensed out streaks of interwoven ice crystals in the air; surging towards a good half of the Gold Armoured Wasps and Wolfhead Bats, before freezing them rigid.

“Kill!”

Following Huang Tianya’s sonorous roar, various artifact weapons billowed out like a tempestuous storm; overwhelming the Gold Armoured Wasps and Wolfhead Bats.

“On the left, employ a lightning element controlling skill talisman!”

As the potency of those ice element skills quickly diminished, Huang Tianya’s command once again instigated 5-6 activations of lightning element skill talismans, as a dense mass of lightning webs engulfed the top of their heads instantly.

A solo cultivator killing a demonic beast was indeed incomparable to a squad razing a group of demonic beasts.

Under the combined bombardment of both rounds of skill talismans, the second wave of Gold Armored Wasps and Wolfhead Bats were seemingly wiped clean.

“Hurry! My left will take charge of the ground, unleash your earth element skill talismans to obstruct the demonic beasts! Follow that up with fire element skill talismans to incinerate them! My right will take charge of the air, unleash your ice element controlling skill talismans again!” In spite of that, the countenance of Huang Tianya and other Tetrasea Hall cultivators turned exceedingly appalled again.

Because the next swarm of demonic beasts was not only streaming in from all four corners, but included ground demonic beasts in addition to the aerial ones. They were sweeping in like a flood tide.

The Tetrasea Hall cultivators who hadn’t seen such a scene before, immediately obeyed Huang Tianya’s commands and did their utmost to unleash the talismans and skill techniques.

As an earth skill talisman was activated, a thick and broad earthen wall rose and encircled the outer perimeter of the cultivators. Following that, stone pillar and sharp stalagmites drilled out from the ground; in addition to fields of quicksand forming around.

Atop them, above the stacks of artifact shields, an astonishing frosty air was stirring violently. Myriads of different ice element true energy and artifact weapons bolted out from the gaps of those artifact shields.

Soon after, a batch of fire element skill talismans was unleashed; enveloping the outskirts of the massive earthen wall, transforming into a 60 plus metre protective sea of flames. Combusting walls, fiery pillars and fire clouds pouring down embers could be seen.

Most of the first stampeding group of demonic beasts were instantly incinerated into charred ashes. Meanwhile, the 20 cultivators of the outer layer, while striving to maintain their divine light screen, concurrently unleashed their skill techniques and artifacts; blasting them against the demonic beasts within that sea of flames.

However, the legions of demonic beasts were simply too overwhelming. Moreover, fire element demonic beasts weren’t afraid of those fire element skill assaults. As such, some forcefully broke through the sea of flames.

Nevertheless, there were simply too few level 5 or above demonic beasts, as their kinds were rare to begin with inside the heavenly dome. As such, all the demonic beasts of this wave were annihilated 20 metres before reaching the earthen wall.

Still, the floods of demonic beasts were simply too excessive. Within a flash, the majority of perimeter walls and houses of the Guhuai Manor had been utterly trampled and collapsed. Instead, hordes of dark shadows swarmed over the entirety of the Guhuai Manor. At present, even without Huang Tianya commanding, the cultivators in charge of the ground were incessantly activating their skill talismans; attempting to prevent a massive breach in their outer layer of defence. As for the cultivators dealing with the air, they repeatedly conjured large-scale area restraints with the skill talismans and techniques.

The forty plus cultivators of the Tetrasea Hall, the lowest of them with the cultivation of Divine Sea Stage level 4, had a combined total of at least 600-700 talismans on hand. Generous stacks of talismans could be seen in the hands of those 10 plus Heavenly Circuit Stage cultivators. Nevertheless, the rate of expending 10-20 pieces each round was truly astounding.

“Firefeast Gem Lizards!”

“Ivorystone Fanged Beasts!”

Following the piercing screams of a cultivator, one could notice those two particular types of demonic beast amongst the horde.

The Firefeast Gem Lizard is a mid-tier level 4 demonic beast, with ruby like scales covering their bodies. It can devour flaming energies and regurgitate them out. The Ivorystone Fanged Beast is a low-tier level 4 demonic beast that has an appearance of a wild boar. However, its earth element true energy would constantly conjure up thick stone armour to cover its body. In addition to its unbelievably monstrous strength, once it begins a rampaging charge, it would resemble a massive stone roller.

The two demonic beasts joined the foray, as streaks of flames were rapidly devoured alongside the unstoppable momentum of the Ivorystone Fanged Beasts’ charge. Within a short duration, the earthen walls, stalagmites and other obstructions were all pounded with cracks and fissures.

“Stop activating your fire element skills! Kill those Ivorystone Fanged Beasts first!”

Huang Tianya howled out in alarm, as he snatched a white talisman and activated it. The effects of that talisman could be vividly seen descending onto a large region ahead of those Ivorystone Fanged Beasts. Within a split second, a thick layer of frost carpet condensed over the ground. Without being able to maintain their balance, those Ivorystone Fanged Beasts tumbled and collided into each other in rapid succession.

“AH!!!”

The outer layer of cultivators immediately unleashed various skills, staking all in as they bombarded the fresh appearances of the Firefeast Gem Lizards and Ivorystone Fanged Beasts.

“It finally ended! There aren’t anymore waves of beast tide!”

All of a sudden, a cultivated exclaimed with delight. The distant forest had indeed calmed down without a single movement. No longer was there an unending stream of demonic beasts pouring out.

“I’ve finished all my skill talismans!”

“Me too!”

Yet within an abrupt instance, appalling yells resounded from the group.

Under the astonishing speed of squandering, the Heavenly Circuit Stage cultivators started declaring their diminished state of skill talismans. However, although there were no longer new demonic beasts pouring out from the forest, several lis around Guhuai Manor was still infested with demonic beasts; appearing above a thousand of them.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

As a minor group of cultivators exhausted their skill talismans, various types of demonic beasts had already stampeded towards the front of the outer layer cultivators, as they began laying close combat siege to them.

In the first instance of collision, two of the divine light screens shattered as they collapsed with blood-curdling screams.

“Not good!”

Huang Tianya shouted upon witnessing this scene. The cultivators could only leave their artifact shields congregating at the top, covering their heads like a turtle shell against the assaults of aerial demonic beasts. Then, they charged to fend off the onslaught of those breaching demonic beasts.

Under such a situation, as long as a single part of this iron bucket formation was wrecked, then everyone would undoubtedly perish here.

As the skill talismans were soon completely exhausted, they could only rely on their artifact weapons to deal with the swarming tides of demonic beasts. However, the sharp claws, armours and deadly destructive skills of the demonic beasts could similarly deal damage to those artifact weapons and shields.

Dozens of brilliantly lit streaks whizzed out and assassinated this wave of demonic beasts. Simultaneously, 7-8 artifacts were being smashed into smithereens, as divine light screens shattered to the ground.

The present circumstance was completely a war of attrition.

The Tetrasea Hall cultivators would claim ultimate victory if they could eliminate this horde of demonic beasts before they expended all their artifact weapons and shields. But if a large flock of demonic beasts survived that onslaught, the Tetrasea Hall cultivators would all meet with tragic fates.

……

“They’ve exhausted all their skill talismans.”

Spectating the diminishing state of large-scale explosions and splendid radiance within Guhuai Manor, Wei Suo’s group could immediately decipher what was going on.

Viewing from afar, they could distinctly observe the frequent destruction of artifact weapons and shields as they crashed to the ground.

After several incenses worth of time, the majority of offensive and defensive artifacts had already been wrecked. However, it seemed like there was still a large group of demonic beasts.

“Boom Boom Boom!

In the next instant, various splendorous beams lit up the entire Guhuai Manor once again. Every cultivator had starting staking their all and unleashing various powerful skill techniques.

From what Wei Suo could tell, the Guhuai Manor cultivators would probably not be able to withstand after two incenses worth of time. The current scene was merely the final radiance of the setting sun. The stronger the skill techniques conjured, the more intense the rate of expending true energy.

Instead, to his surprise, after an incense worth of time, the various bombardments of brilliance hadn’t weakened at all.