... The Dawn Army, bursting forth at high speed, immediately encountered a fierce barrage of fire. Not only that, but the Suicide Ghosts drifting and hovering in the sky also shrieked in excitement, hurtling down like missiles upon the white-armored Winged Folk.

The Nascent Soul stage Winged Folk were indeed powerful. The white armor instantly activated layers of pristine shields, allowing them to brace against the firepower and press forward with frenzied momentum. Yet, no matter how wild or fierce they were, they remained constrained to the Nascent Soul level.

Under the dual bombardment of the Netherfire Cannons and the Suicide Ghosts, those white-armored Winged Folk could resist for a time, but not for eternity. Within a mere dozen breaths, their shields shattered, and the leading few were blasted into nothingness, body and spirit annihilated.

Such gruesome casualties failed utterly to halt the mad rush of the white-armored Winged Folk. One after another, they advanced with terrifying speed, seemingly fearless of death, screaming slogans about obliterating demons and heretics. Clapping their hands together, dense beams of light erupted, easily vaporizing the Bellied Cannon Ghosts.

This level of fanaticism stunned Lei Dong, filling him with immense pressure. He immediately sent out mental fluctuations, dispatching Mo Ye and Xuan She to hold the line. Mo Ye and Xuan She both manifested their colossal true forms, standing like twin ramparts at the vanguard, blocking the advance and ranged attacks of the white-armored Winged Folk.

Spirit Transformation stage, truly worthy of the Spirit Transformation stage. The moment these two made their move, they applied severe pressure to the white-armored Winged Folk. Though strong, the Winged Folk could not withstand their mighty assaults. Those requiring dozens, even hundreds of cannon shots to finally kill were shattered by a single, full-strength strike from a Spirit Transformation expert. In reality, the gap between them was enormous. Normally, a Spirit Transformation expert could handle several dozen early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators without issue, and could likely manage seven or eight peak Nascent Soul cultivators without major problems.

Of course, this was the clash of armies, and Lei Dong dared not let them delve into extreme danger. He could only rely on the support of his own artillery fire, fighting defensively while slowly retreating. Facing such an organized force of Nascent Soul experts, even the Spirit Transformation experts felt their scalps tingle and their resolve waver slightly.

Even fighting and retreating proved intensely arduous. The white-armored Winged Folk at the Nascent Soul level were certainly no pushovers. Powerful spells rained down densely upon the two Spirit Transformation powerhouses. After just a few exchanges, they were battered into a sorry state, possessing only the ability to defend, with no strength left to counterattack.

Fortunately, Lei Long and the Flame Demon King began supporting them from the rear. One seized the Scarlet Flame Dragon Cannon and fired a long-range shot. From the fiery blast, a crimson fire dragon immediately emerged, roaring and clawing its way down toward the white-armored Winged Folk.

The Scarlet Flame Dragon Cannon was once a prized possession of the Purgatory Demon King, possessing destructive power far exceeding standard bombardment capabilities. This single shot shattered the incredibly sturdy walls of the temple, instantly slaying over a dozen white-armored Winged Folk.

The power of this cannon was indeed formidable; even a Spirit Transformation expert hit squarely by one would either die or lose half their life force. Its sole drawback was that it could not fire continuously; each launch required a massive influx of Fire Elemental energy for replenishment.

If Lei Dong used it himself, he would need to draw energy from the Fire Spirit Jade—a process that was not only costly but also incredibly cumbersome. However, Lei Long was exempt from this, being a beast of the Fire element with exceptional mastery over flame arts. Although far from reaching the level of the Six Extremes Yang Fire, its power was considerable. He merely needed to channel his own strength directly into the Scarlet Flame Dragon Cannon.

Even with Lei Long exerting his full effort, recharging the cannon’s energy took seven to eight breaths. This demonstrated that despite its power, the Scarlet Flame Dragon Cannon had significant limitations.

As for the Flame Demon King, he too excelled in flame manipulation. Flames wreathed his body, snaking out like a fiery serpent that ignited the very air, directly controlling the fire to engulf half the enemy's deployment zone.

This caliber of flame lay between the Samadhi True Fire and the Six Extremes Yang Fire. Its temperature was extreme; even if it couldn't instantly kill the white-armored Winged Folk, it inflicted continuous damage and erosion. These Winged Folk were forced to dedicate their full attention to countering the omnipresent flames, risking severe combat reduction and becoming prime targets for the Netherfire Cannons and Suicide Ghosts if they momentarily slipped up.

Still, this was likely far from enough. Lei Dong sighed inwardly; it seemed his Fierce Ghost Army and Sword-Shield Ghost Soldiers would also have to be committed to the battle. Otherwise, Lei Dong and his core group would inevitably fail to truly hold back an organized army of Nascent Soul experts.

This white-armored Winged Folk army was not only powerful but also utterly fearless of death. At this rate, Lei Dong estimated they would fully break through his blockade in mere dozens of breaths. Once the Bellied Cannon Ghost formation was broken, Lei Dong’s only option would be to retreat with the four Spirit Transformation experts.

Lei Dong had found dealing with the Blood Puppet Army previously much easier. That time, the battlefield was open, allowing the Bellied Cannon Ghost formation to spread out completely, catching the enemy completely off guard. This time, however, the constraints of the small side hall limited the number of ghosts that could deploy simultaneously to just over a thousand. Though, admittedly, this allowed for ceaseless bombardment.

While Lei Dong wrestled with the might of this white-armored Winged Folk army, the Dawn King—who had been filled with satisfaction believing his plan had succeeded—was instead overcome with shock and bitter frustration.

He had initially expected the intruders to operate discreetly when infiltrating the temple, perhaps even alone. Yet, to his utter shock, he faced four Spirit Transformation experts—four beings of the exact same rank as himself, the Dawn King.

It was absurd; when had Spirit Transformation experts become so common, appearing in droves? Even the (Brightest Holy Domain), with all its open power, boasted only nine Spirit Transformation experts in total.

However, shock notwithstanding, the Dawn King felt secure with the white-armored Winged Folk army as his trump card. He wasn't afraid of the four Spirit Transformation experts. Even if there were ten, the Nascent Soul Winged Folk army he had personally established and secretly cultivated could crush them—albeit at a heavy cost.

The presence of four Spirit Transformation experts did not intimidate the Dawn King; rather, it stirred a subtle excitement within him. The entire Dawn Temple was now sealed, trapping the enemy like turtles in a jar within a confined battlefield. If he was willing to pay the price, eliminating those Spirit Transformation experts wouldn't be too difficult.

This was the first time in the Dawn King’s life he had the chance to eliminate multiple Spirit Transformation experts simultaneously—four of them. If they had met in open territory, even if the White Armor Army couldn't secure victory, couldn't they simply flee? Couldn't they maneuver around him?

But trapped within the temple, the Dawn King wondered how they could possibly escape. If these Spirit Transformation experts fell, all the warfronts on his territory would quickly be extinguished in his favor. The enemy army, leaderless, was merely meat on his cutting board, ready to be sliced as he pleased. He even began calculating whether he might manage to subdue one or two of the Spirit Transformation experts, and what methods he would use to incorporate their army into his own forces.

Thinking of this, the Dawn King’s heart burned with excitement and joy. Misfortune often paved the way for blessings; this disaster might actually grant him a massive boost in overall strength.

But his smile soon faded. The power of the four Spirit Transformation experts had been factored into his calculations. However, the young Nascent Soul cultivator, whom the Dawn King had barely paid attention to, was displaying astonishing capabilities. What were those strange artifacts, emanating the oppressive aura of the Ghost Race? Within just twenty or thirty breaths of contact, his army had suffered devastating casualties.

At this rate, the Dawn King feared that even if he won the battle, he would lose over half of his thousand-plus White Armor soldiers. This grim projection made the Dawn King nearly roar aloud. He quickly issued an order for the White Armor Army to retreat from the side hall, which had become a true grinder. After all, these trapped foes possessed no means of spatial law manipulation to escape this fortified temple.

"My esteemed brothers across the way," the Dawn King began his attempt at flattery, "you have no path left to retreat. I suspect there might be some misunderstanding between us. Why don't we talk this over properly, see if we can resolve this?"

Hearing this, Lei Dong temporarily suppressed the impulse to summon his beloved Fierce Ghost Army from his Grotto-Heaven Paradise. In essence, Lei Dong preferred not to commit his painstakingly cultivated Fierce Ghost Army to a brutal clash with this level of White Armor Army before they had fully matured. Winning at the cost of losing too many would be a net loss.

Seeing signs of negotiation from the Dawn King, Lei Dong let out a breath of relief. Hands clasped behind his back, he spoke with confidence, "The famous Dawn King, is he truly such a hesitant character? If there is to be negotiation, I request you enter the side hall yourself, rather than skulking about."

"A mere Nascent Soul junior dares to admonish your King?" the Dawn King retorted angrily from a distance. "I believe you fail to grasp the situation. With a single command, my thousand White Armor soldiers can grind you all to dust within half an incense stick’s time."

"Heh, I concede that much," Lei Dong replied, feigning slight weakness. "However, I trust, Senior Dawn King, that even half of your prized White Armor soldiers would remain to see that done?" Lei Dong was certain that if he deployed all his hidden cards, he could achieve victory. Like the Dawn King, however, he wished to avoid suffering undue casualties to his own strength. He would placate the King first, then strike for the kill. The Dawn King was as good as dead.

"I admit you possess some skill to gather these few Spirit Transformation experts by your side," the Dawn King began to use coaxing language. "I admire you. Why don't you detail our grievances, and I promise to make sincere concessions." The King's secret goal was strikingly similar to Lei Dong's at this moment: this youth must die. ...