Thud! Thud! Thud! For the first time, the monstrous body of the Evil Centipede showed the slightest tremor. Even more Ice Roars and Lightning Bolts hammered down upon it like a ferocious storm. While perhaps not every mage could react as swiftly or strike as accurately as the Wind Mages, the difference wasn't vast. The instant the Wind Mages’ initial volley struck the Evil Centipede’s head, the others unleashed their own magic.

What did it mean when over twenty thousand mages cast spells simultaneously? Unless witnessed firsthand, no one could truly imagine the scene. Countless thick bolts of lightning and torrents of Ice Roar descended like a deluge, blanketing the Evil Centipede, interspersed with bursts of crimson and viridian toxic powder.

The Evil Centipede’s speed was near absolute, and its massive bulk had already surged over forty meters past the junction, yet this enormous size had turned it into the perfect stationary target. Countless electrical flashes, Ice Roars, red venom, and green venom struck its body with pinpoint accuracy.

Screeech! Its massive form was instantly entangled by innumerable blue arcs of electricity, simultaneously stained by the red and green poisons into a blurred mass of blood-red or sickly green chunks. Then followed a rapid succession of explosive impacts as dense volleys of Ice Roar slammed into the Evil Centipede’s colossal frame.

It could be said that within those mere two seconds, the combined assaults of over twenty thousand mages and five thousand Taoists had struck the Evil Centipede all at once.

Roar! The creature’s enormous body abruptly ceased its charge, beginning to convulse, twist, and struggle violently. Only at this moment did I fully grasp the meaning of mage invincibility; in large-scale group combat, mages were eternally the most terrifying and dominant troop type. Even a behemoth like the Evil Centipede couldn't easily endure a simultaneous barrage of Ice Roar and Lightning Bolt from over twenty thousand mages, let alone the corrosive effects of the Red and Green Poisons unleashed by five thousand Taoists mixed in.

Although the Lightning Bolts and Ice Roars from the mages, combined with the poisons from the Taoists, couldn't instantly kill the Evil Centipede, the signature paralysis effect of the Lightning Bolt, the freezing property of the Ice Roar, and the corrosive nature of the venoms all delivered a devastating synergy, inflicting severe trauma upon the monster.

Roar! Roar! Roar! The entire underground palace seemed on the verge of collapse due to the Evil Centipede's violent thrashing and writhing.

“Attack with everything! Blast it dead!” Nalan Qiushui shrieked as if driven mad. Indeed, finishing off the Evil Centipede while it was vulnerable would be ideal, but whether fate would align with their hopes remained uncertain.

Every mage and Taoist went all out, pushing their innate abilities to their absolute limits. An unending torrent of Ice Roar, Lightning Bolt, Red Poison, and Green Poison rained down without pause. Everyone understood clearly: if the Evil Centipede managed to close the distance, the only outcome would be death.

There was also a crucial factor boosting morale: the previous flawless execution against the Woma Patriarch, coupled with the perfect accuracy of this initial strike and the Evil Centipede's agonizing struggle, had infused everyone with immense confidence. This conviction solidified their belief in victory, causing them to perform beyond their usual limits.

The dense, frantic magical bombardment continued relentlessly for a full minute. Shrouded within the magical tempest, the Evil Centipede struggled desperately to close the distance, but its speed remained pitifully low, resembling a frozen snake whose movements were stiff and sluggish.

In truth, while the Evil Centipede wasn't entirely frozen solid, it was close. Among the mages, over eight thousand were of the Chiyue (Crimson Moon) level or higher; the combined Ice Roars from these eight thousand alone were enough to induce a profound sense of cold and paralysis. Furthermore, the staggering effect of the Lightning Bolts from the remaining mages, alongside the corrosive poisons from the Taoists—all these debilitating effects converging—ensured the Evil Centipede suffered immensely.

Roar! Sensing the direness of its situation, the Evil Centipede’s massive head reared high before slamming down onto the earth with tremendous force.

Rumble! A violent earthquake shook the cavern, the ground giving way under the impact to form a gigantic pit. Immediately, the monster’s huge, thick body plunged swiftly into the opening.

“Ah! It’s burrowing!” Luo Xiao yelled out.

“Retreat! To the Desperate Valley!” Nalan Qiushui bellowed.

All mages ceased their attacks and rapidly fled toward the Desperate Valley. The ground still shook violently. Though the Evil Centipede’s massive form was unseen, everyone knew it was now tunneling directly toward their position.

The Desperate Valley was less than a thousand meters from the junction. High cliffs bordered both sides, and the northwest end featured a sharply inclined slope rising sixty degrees upward, while the exit opened onto a relatively spacious, flat area. It was an ideal spot for an ambush. Soon, the main body of troops rushed into the Desperate Valley and scrambled quickly up the steep slope toward the valley rim.

Rumble! Rumble! Just as the mages reached the top of the valley, the Evil Centipede burst from the earth below, surging upward toward them.

“Block the path!” Hong Tian and the others, who were already waiting in formation, roared. Countless Crescent Moon Sword Qi slashes hammered down onto the only clear space connecting the valley to the outside world.

Boom! With an earth-shattering impact, the valley’s sole exit was sealed tight by collapsing rock and debris from both sides. Simultaneously, the smaller contingent of mages positioned near the underground passage unleashed their magic, sealing the tunnel the Evil Centipede used to exit the valley and reach the outside. Moreover, immense boulders rolled down the sixty-degree slope on their side of the valley, completely barricading the ascent route.

In an instant, the Desperate Valley lived up to its name. The sides were near-vertical right angles, soaring over two hundred meters high. A week of meticulous planning and countless rehearsals culminated in this moment; the troop coordination was flawless, the timing perfectly synchronized.

Roar! Sensing the intense vibrations from beneath the earth, the Evil Centipede let loose a sky-rending shriek. It was clearly aware that something was gravely wrong. As an ancient creature surviving for millennia, the Evil Centipede possessed intelligence comparable to humans; otherwise, it would never have become one of the Ten Great Monsters that struck fear into all. With its retreat cut off and finding itself trapped, the Evil Centipede’s speed suddenly surged. It shot out like an arrow toward the valley rim, clearly aiming to launch a surprise attack before the mages could establish their lines. The mages, having just scrambled up, hadn't even managed to form ranks, yet the monster was closing in like lightning from behind. If the Evil Centipede caught up, the consequences would be unthinkable. Had I not seen it myself, I would never have believed the creature possessed such astounding leaping power; its vast body soared like a giant dragon, arcing almost to the valley crest.

“Smash it down!” Luo Zhen and the others, who had been lying in wait, commanded over twenty thousand warriors to launch their interception attack. As warriors, they couldn't muster powerful ranged attacks, but they were positioned above the valley floor. Previously, all the warriors had prepared countless massive boulders, stacking them atop the valley rim specifically for this critical moment.

Innumerable huge stones were shoved down the slope by the warriors, plummeting toward the Evil Centipede as it scrambled up the cliff face.

Boom! Boom! Like the sky collapsing, the massive rocks rolling down the slope slammed brutally into the monster’s enormous body.

Thump! Thump! Thump! A series of dull impacts signaled that the dropped boulders had accurately struck the Evil Centipede.

Roar! The sudden barrage of stones left the Evil Centipede with no means of evasion. Halfway up the valley wall, it was smashed back down toward the floor, emitting a shriek of agony. It crashed heavily into the valley bottom, its colossal body and countless tentacles gouging deep, straight gouges into the cliff face that extended all the way down—a truly horrifying sight.

The barrage successfully intercepted the Evil Centipede’s ascent, filling the warriors with exhilaration and renewed vigor.

“Keep smashing! Don't stop!” Luo Zhen yelled frantically, and the warriors redoubled their efforts, shoving massive rocks into the chasm below. Everyone knew these stones alone couldn't kill the beast, but as long as it was prevented from reaching the top, the mages would gain the time needed to organize and launch the next offensive wave.

Thump! Thump! Rumble! Countless enormous stones rolled down the slope toward the Evil Centipede trapped at the bottom, striking it whenever it managed to climb halfway up, sending it tumbling back down in utter disarray, its roars echoing incessantly.

Roar! Battered and scattered by the rain of giant rocks descending from above, the Evil Centipede suddenly reared back and spewed high-pressure grey jets from its mouth toward the valley rim.

“It’s corrosion magic!” someone immediately cried out in alarm.

“Don’t fear!” Hong Tian shouted. “It can’t reach us!” Indeed, due to the distance and height, the grey mist sprayed by the Evil Centipede failed to harm the main force positioned safely at the valley top.

While the warriors skillfully kept the monster pinned down with the stones, the mages and Taoists swiftly reformed their ranks and launched the second wave of attacks.

Ice Roar! Lightning Bolt! Poison Cast! Innumerable lightning bolts, ice shards, red venom, and green venom rained down like a furious tempest onto the Evil Centipede simmering in the valley below. Although the mages were positioned over two hundred meters above the valley floor, the sheer advantage of height ensured their spells struck the defenseless Evil Centipede below with unerring accuracy; there was nowhere left to hide.

Thump! Thump! The valley floor was immediately enveloped in a dense magical shroud. At this moment, the Wind Mages unleashed their trump card: concentrated targeting. Over two thousand Wind Mages simultaneously fired two thousand arcs of Lightning Bolt, which converged in mid-air to form one colossal bolt that struck the Evil Centipede’s head precisely. The other mages were equally diligent; even without the Wind Mages’ specialized focused strike, the combined power of twenty thousand Lightning Bolts and Ice Roars was astonishing.

Roar! Roar! This super-charged lightning strike inflicted unprecedented trauma. Amidst its world-shaking scream came a note of desperate sorrow, and its huge body charged toward the valley walls with even greater frenzy, only to be slammed back down by the relentlessly falling boulders each time.

Soon, the Evil Centipede shifted tactics. Its massive head slammed into the ground again, while the serrated maw and thick tentacles began to claw and dig at the earth like rows of mattocks.

“Ah! It’s trying to dig a tunnel to escape!” I exclaimed in alarm.

“It won’t escape,” Jian Li stated grimly. “The ground and the side walls within the Desperate Valley were bombarded by Ice Roar from the mages for three full days and nights beforehand. They have become dry, hard, and are now comparable to steel. Even with the Evil Centipede’s amazing digging capacity, it’s impossible for it to carve out an escape route!”

“It’s finished,” Nalan Qiuyun said excitedly.

Roar! From the bottom of the valley came terrifying, furious roars. Everyone could sense the mixture of rage and unwillingness woven into the sound. Clearly, the Evil Centipede, enduring the combined onslaught of the Daoist and magical armies, had failed to excavate a sufficient escape tunnel.

Unable to flee and unable to strike its enemies, even a formidable creature like the Evil Centipede had no recourse beyond uttering desperate roars.

The dense magical bombardment continued for a full ten minutes.

When all the mages collapsed onto the ground, nearly exhausted, all sound from the valley floor had ceased. The only visible signs were plumes of dust rising to the sky. As the swirling dust settled, what lay before the assembled forces was a vast, impossibly long body, split open by countless rents running downward, leaking brown ichor. The air was thick with an overwhelmingly foul, putrid smell.

“..........” Everyone anxiously scrutinized the gigantic, broken, and utterly motionless form at the bottom of the valley.

“The Evil Centipede is dead,” someone finally burst out, shouting in excitement.

“Roar! We finally killed it!”

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