As the expression on Daoist Master Hanbing’s face twisted in shock, the demonic army, led by Kuang, surged forward brandishing their weapons. Aided by the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Array, these Raging Demons had seemingly tapped into their innermost reservoirs of demonic fury; their eyes burned scarlet, black miasma coiled around their forms, and they met the Tianmeng soldiers with palpable killing intent.

The soldiers at the very front were mere rank-and-file troops, utterly incapable of withstanding the Raging Demons whose power levels started at the Heavenly rank. In what felt like the space of a single breath, that contingent of thirty thousand troops was shattered. Their cultivation was inferior, their strength lacking, and even their armaments were vastly outmatched by the Raging Demons. Once their proud spells and formations failed to ensnare the fiends, they were like lambs scattered before a pack of hungry wolves—destined only for the slaughter.

A warrior whose cultivation barely scraped the peak of the Earthly rank raised his long spear, thrusting it toward a Raging Demon towering over ten feet tall. The demon didn't even bother to dodge, letting the spear strike its body, sparking briefly. Then, a massive palm slammed down, smashing the man’s head to pulp. The demon snatched the exposed brain matter and greedily brought it to its mouth. A wisp of soul erupted from the man’s crown, but before it could escape, the demon sucked it in with a deep gulp, providing the perfect nourishment.

The vital essence and blood of immortal cultivators were the finest delicacies for demons. They didn't even treat this encounter as a battle; it was a one-sided feeding frenzy.

Other demonic legions massed behind them watched as the Raging Demons roared with exhilaration, devouring cultivator after cultivator. Their eyes, too, flushed crimson with primal desire, making them itch to charge forward instantly.

Witnessing his army disintegrated upon first contact, Daoist Master Hanbing’s face grew paler still. He dared not linger any longer. He commanded the Heavenly Soldiers who had reached the Heavenly rank to swiftly form ranks and meet the Raging Demons. Only by leveraging their numerical superiority could they offer a meager resistance; otherwise, if they continued their unrestrained rush, the entire legion would be torn to shreds.

Just as these Heavenly Soldiers rapidly coalesced into formation, a colossal phantom materialized from the void. It was a figure with the head of a beast, the body of a man, two fire snakes piercing its ears, two fire dragons beneath its feet, clad in immense, fiery-red scales. Upon seeing this monstrous silhouette, Daoist Master Hanbing’s expression became unspeakably grim. Though he hadn't lived through the ancient wars, he knew fragments of that era. Was this not Zhurong, the Ancient God of Fire? If this phantom manifested within the array, then this formation must surely be the legendary Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Array?

The mere thought filled his eyes with utter despair. In the Primordial Era, didn't the Demon God Chiyou use this very array to slay countless immortals? What were Xuan Immortals, Golden Immortals, Absolute Immortals, or even Immortal Saints before this array? They were no better than clay figurines—helpless. Even the ancient immortals of that age struggled against it; what chance did they stand?

Under Daoist Master Hanbing’s darkening gaze of hopelessness, Zhurong’s towering body dissolved into a sea of fire, engulfing the assembly…

Facing the divine majesty of Zhurong, the Heavenly Soldiers were powerless to resist. Their armor instantly melted away, followed swiftly by their physical bodies, and finally, their nascent spirits were utterly consumed by the blazing inferno.

At this moment, Ye Jingyu launched his final offensive. The remaining few demons charged like mad beasts toward the lines of the two hundred thousand troops. Without the shield of those fifty thousand Heavenly Soldiers, the remaining fighters posed no credible threat to them. A unilateral massacre commenced.

Such overwhelming power had long since alerted the Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord and Daoist Master Qianyun. When they arrived at Daoist Master Hanbing’s side, half of the two hundred thousand strong army had already been slaughtered. The remaining soldiers, showing a grim ferocity, began self-detonating their nascent spirits in a desperate bid to harm the demons. But they were trapped within the array. The moment anyone attempted self-destruction, Ye Jingyu would simply unfurl the Chiyou Banner and sweep their essence away. With the Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Array stabilized at this level, the self-detonation of mere cultivators who hadn't even reached the Heavenly rank was hardly a concern.

“Profound Mystery, quickly, leave…” Seeing this catastrophe unfold, Daoist Master Qianyun roared, grabbing the Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord’s hand and preparing to flee.

“This must be the long-lost Twelve Heavenly Witches Annihilation Array. Can we truly escape?” The Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord’s face showed a trace of bitter resignation. Though the array wasn't operating at its peak capacity, its current might was far beyond what he could breach in his current state.

“If the one directing the main formation were the Demon God Chiyou, we certainly couldn't leave. But this array isn't at its zenith now. With this in hand, I refuse to believe we can’t slip away…” As Daoist Master Qianyun spoke, an object resembling both a shuttle and an eye appeared in his grip.

The Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord and Daoist Master Hanbing exclaimed in unison: “The Cloud Piercing Shuttle?”

Daoist Master Qianyun nodded, spat a mouthful of vital blood onto the shuttle, which immediately burst into blinding white light, enveloping Daoist Master Qianyun, the Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord, and Daoist Master Hanbing. They shot skyward, and in an instant, they reached the edge of the Grand Array, nearly piercing through, when a figure—with eight human faces, a tiger’s body, ten tails, and a terrifying presence—blocked their path, raising a massive palm to strike them down…

“Not good…” A cry of alarm escaped Daoist Master Qianyun’s lips as he threw all his energy into evading the gigantic blow. The Cloud Piercing Shuttle moved with blinding speed, narrowly avoiding the strike, yet they felt themselves plunged into a world composed entirely of bloody mist.

Seductive murmurs drifted from every direction. Vaguely, they saw countless women in crimson skirts manifesting from the void, contorting themselves into poses of irresistible allure, their garments slipping away until three perfect, exquisitely formed nude bodies were revealed before the trio…

Even with their Daoist hearts firmly anchored, the sudden onslaught of such overtly beautiful women caused their composure to waver momentarily. Before they could fully recover, these enchantresses were upon them, their smooth skin pressing and rubbing against them…

Daoist Master Hanbing and Daoist Master Qianyun fared slightly better; at most, they felt the blood surging violently within their veins. But the Profound Mystery Heavenly Lord, whose being was purely a nascent spirit, felt his essence about to fly apart—a truly esoteric and profound sensation. Just as his spirit was about to be completely siphoned away, a small black bead suddenly drifted out from within his core…