The Narukami army had just retreated into the protective barrier when the Abyss monsters began frantically attacking it.
Facing suicidal assaults from all directions, the mountain-protecting array still shone brightly.
However, Ling Feng could sense that the energy of the Heaven and Earth San Cai Array was rapidly depleting.
Both the Abyss monsters' attacks and the dark, dense mist were incessantly consuming the array's energy.
At this rate, the protective barrier would be broken within a day.
Of course... that was assuming nothing unexpected happened. Otherwise, they might not last even a day.
But misfortune often struck at the worst times.
*Boooom!*
*Rumble—*
*Rumble—*
Thunderous explosions echoed through the clouds as smoke filled the air.
"Thousand Miles of Ice!"
A blue flying sword pierced through the smoke and dust, striking the Ruin Grader's armor with immense force, embedding itself deeply.
Immediately, a biting wind arose, and a massive blizzard materialized out of nowhere, its extreme cold spreading outwards.
Three colossal war machines were frozen solid. The residual power reached ten miles of the sea, creating an icy landscape!
"Take this! Starfall Stream of Consciousness Slash!"
Ling Feng burst from the smoke, wielding Fen Ji and Wu Feng, the stars' light shimmering around him.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the Ruin Grader's eyes glowed, and a colossal laser beam shot out.
Ling Feng couldn't react in time and was hit directly, propelling him and the laser beam towards the protective barrier.
*Boom!*
The ice encasing the Ruin Grader slowly melted.
"Damn it."
Ling Feng extended his thumb, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He unleashed his Zhen Qi, dispersing the Abyss energy left by the laser strike.
The Ruin Grader's massive laser wasn't just a laser; it was infused with a substantial amount of Abyss energy.
It was like a poisonous ray, possessing extremely corrosive properties.
For the first time, Ling Feng found his own spell being forcibly interrupted.
"Again!"
"This time! Let's see how you dodge! Starfall Stream of Consciousness Slash!"
Ling Feng transformed into a streak of light, charging towards the Ruin Grader once more.
The Ruin Grader attempted its previous tactic, firing a blinding Abyss laser.
"Come!"
Ling Feng combined his two swords, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow, pushing aside the laser and striking the Ruin Grader's eye with immense force.
"My turn! Starfall Stream of Consciousness Slash!"
Ling Feng unleashed all his starlight power, cleaving with each sword strike. The sword intent surged, its residual power carving over a dozen gashes into the earth.
With the final celestial sword strike, the Ruin Grader's eye was directly pierced.
*Boom!*
As Ling Feng slid to the ground, a mushroom cloud slowly rose behind him. Another Ruin Grader was annihilated.
Following this, two Ruin Hunters, disregarding everything, unleashed a barrage of attacks towards the protective barrier.
Seeing this, Ling Feng and Chiyo exchanged life for injury, while Sasa Yuriko and Kitsune Saiguu unleashed their full output from afar to eliminate them.
After the battle, Chiyo was covered in wounds, and Ling Feng sustained minor injuries, his Qi and blood in turmoil.
Just as they thought it was over.
As Ling Feng and Chiyo were halfway back to Narukami Shrine, two even more colossal figures tore through a black void and emerged.
Their terrifying aura caused the pupils of all four to contract.
Ling Feng's expression turned to shock as he read the information provided by his Eye of Perception.
"Mechanical Archon!"
Before they could react further, the Mechanical Archon, a fused version of the war machines, had its purple markings glow.
Two dazzling pale purple beams, thousands of meters in diameter, shot towards Ling Feng and Chiyo.
Simultaneously, countless purple missiles tore through the sky.
"No good! Chiyo!"
Feeling an intense threat to his life, Ling Feng quickly shielded Chiyo.
Heaven and Earth San Cai Array! Yin-Yang Five Elements Array! Dragon Scale Golden Armor!
Tai Xu Sword Qi! Divine Manifestation!
Ling Feng's internal Zhen Yuan flowed endlessly, released without reservation.
*Boom!!!*
As the ground of Narukami Island shook violently, dust swept across it like a sea, obscuring the sky.
The intense shockwave sent countless Abyss monsters flying, and the Narukami army was inevitably affected as well.
When the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, a deeply embedded chasm stretched from the Byakuyakoku to Narukami Shrine.
"Ling! Chiyo!"
Kitsune Saiguu and Sasa Yuriko shouted anxiously, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
These two colossal beings were no weaker than mid-tier combat Archons, their combat power even rivaling top-tier ones!
The mountain-protecting array guarding Narukami Shrine had already dimmed considerably, even showing tiny cracks.
"Raijin, you must hurry back!"
Kitsune Saiguu thought to herself, already preparing to sacrifice herself to buy time.
In the giant crater at the end of the chasm, Chiyo slowly woke from a brief period of unconsciousness.
Ling Feng, covered in blood, stood in front of her, unmoving, his star-patterned armor close to shattering.
Chiyo's pupils constricted, her heart filled with dread as she quickly got up.
Suddenly, Ling Feng weakly leaned back and collapsed. Chiyo quickly caught him.
"Ling! How are you?! Are you alright!"
"Cough, cough, cough... I'm okay, but it took everything I had to block it."
Ling Feng couldn't help but cough up several mouthfuls of blood.
He felt like Khaenri'ah must have been cheating, unleashing two Soul Transformation level Mechanical Archons, and these were merely the ones transported here.
Who knew how many there were in Khaenri'ah itself.
No wonder it took the Seven Archons and the deaths of several gods to conquer Khaenri'ah, forcing the Heavenly Principles to intervene personally.
This was simply not a fight for mortals.
"Stop talking. I'll help you back to the Grand Narukami Shrine."
Chiyo helped Ling Feng up.
*Rumble—*
Suddenly, the ground shook violently again. Ling Feng's pupils contracted sharply, and he coughed up more blood, his voice slurred.
"No good, the protective barrier is broken! We have to get back to the Grand Narukami Shrine quickly!"
In his perception, the thirty-six Heaven and Earth Spiritual Flags had completely depleted their energy.
***
Narukami Shrine. With a full-power output from the two Archons once more, the mountain-protecting array had exhausted its energy, and the protective barrier shattered.
Instantly, countless Abyss monsters surged into Narukami Shrine like a stampede, shaking the very earth.
All surviving Shogunate soldiers and warriors from the three races stood up, gripping their weapons.
Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they gritted their teeth, looking at the endless Abyss monsters with immense fear.
How could they possibly win against such numbers...
The Electro Archon was also absent. What should they do!
In an instant, the army's morale plummeted, their fighting spirit faltering.
Suddenly, Konbumaru, Sasa Yuriko's disciple, holding the Mistsplitter Reforged repaired by Ling Feng, stood before everyone and shouted.
"Everyone! Since death is inevitable, rather than be hunted down and killed, let us fight to the death on the battlefield!"
"We have countless civilians behind us. As warriors of Inazuma, our mission is to protect them."
"Lord Ling once said, 'Man is bound to die, some are lighter than a feather, some are heavier than a mountain!'"
"The Electro Archon also said, 'As warriors, we must die standing, not live kneeling.'"
"I believe the Electro Archon will return, and by then, these scoundrels will die by her blade."
"For our families, for our homeland, for the Electro Archon, let's fight these fiends! Fight to the last moment!"
After hearing Konbumaru's words, everyone was inspired by the fighting spirit within his speech.
"Let's fight them!"
"Yes! Let's fight them!"
"If our homes are lost, what meaning is there!"
"Let's fight!"
Instantly, the entire Narukami army's spirits soared, raising their weapons and roaring.
"Kill!"
Seeing the Abyss monster army approaching, Konbumaru gave the order and charged forward with his long sword.
His girlfriend, Asase Hibiki, resolutely followed him, wielding the Skyward Blade.
Immediately, the sounds of battle erupted from Narukami Shrine!
However, the disaster did not end there. Without the protective barrier, the dark, dense mist surged into Narukami Shrine.
Many civilians and Shogunate soldiers were corrupted by the Abyss energy, crying out in agony.
Despair, pain, and wails... At this moment, Inazuma was like a living hell.
Sasa Yuriko continuously fired arrows at the Mechanical Archons.
However, the damage they inflicted was negligible.
Perhaps because the two Archons had used too much energy simultaneously, they were currently absorbing the dark mist to rapidly recover their strength.
Once they recovered their energy, death would await everyone.
The agonizing cries of the people, the rivers of blood...
Kitsune Saiguu could not bear to witness it all. She clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and let it out.
Kitsune Saiguu opened her eyes, casting a final glance at Sasa Yuriko, who was still fighting hard, and at the land she loved, before slowly walking into the Grand Narukami Shrine.
She was ready...
"Smelly fox, sneaking around, what are you doing?"
A large hand suddenly grabbed Kitsune Saiguu's shoulder.
Hearing the familiar voice beside her ear, Kitsune Saiguu spun around abruptly. She saw Ling Feng, Chiyo, Sasa Yuriko, and Yae all standing behind her, though she didn't know when they had arrived.
"Ling."
Kitsune Saiguu didn't know how to explain.
"From now on, leave it to me. I will inject all my power into the protective barrier and restart it."
"Will that have any side effects on you?"
"No, if my power is depleted, I'll just need some time to recover."
Ling Feng smiled, patted Kitsune Saiguu's shoulder, and slowly walked to the center of the Grand Narukami Shrine's courtyard.
Ling Feng slammed the ground, his Zhen Yuan pouring out frantically and then into the array.
A miniature Heaven and Earth San Cai Array pattern materialized. This was the core energy point of the mountain-protecting array.
As Ling Feng infused all his Zhen Yuan, a golden protective barrier reappeared, dispelling the dark mist.
Those infected by the Abyss energy also fell unconscious.
"Everyone, look! The protective barrier has reappeared!"
"Hang in there, everyone! Eliminate these fiends!"
Konbumaru and the others, who had been in retreat, saw the protective barrier reappear and their fighting spirit reignited, sounding the horns of counterattack.
Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Having exhausted his Zhen Yuan all at once, Ling Feng felt somewhat weak, collapsing on the ground, gasping for air.
"Ling! Are you alright?"
Chiyo and the others rushed forward, asking with concern.
"I'm fine."
Ling Feng waved his hand and got up from the ground.
"Yae, I'll entrust this Qian Kun Fan to you. It can control the Heaven and Earth San Cai Array of Narukami Shrine with just a thought."
Ling Feng smiled faintly as he handed the Qian Kun Fan to Yae.
"Why?"
"As the future Guuji of Yae, the protective barrier should be managed by you."
"Alright."
Yae took the Qian Kun Fan and gently stroked it.
Ling Feng smiled slightly, seeing that Yae had accepted the Qian Kun Fan.
If that's the case... it's time...
Ling Feng slowly walked towards the outside of the Grand Narukami Shrine, the others following closely.
*Bang!*
The group suddenly felt themselves collide with an invisible wall.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
"What is this?!"
Chiyo and the others reached out to knock on it, only to find an invisible barrier blocking them.
"Ling! Did you do this?!"
Kitsune Saiguu looked at Ling Feng, who was bowing his head not far away. With her keen senses, she immediately detected something unusual and wrong.
"Ling?"
The others looked at the receding figure with confusion.
"I apologize, everyone. Please stay here for a while. I will deal with whatever is outside."
"Ling, what are you doing! You have no power left, don't do anything foolish!"
Everyone sensed the wrongness in Ling Feng's words, a sense of foreboding filling their hearts. Sasa Yuriko quickly shouted.
Ling Feng sighed to the heavens and, with his back to them, said apologetically.
"Chiyo, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your wedding."
"Inu-gami, after so long... you're still alone... Hurry and find someone suitable... to marry."
"Smelly fox, Yae, you've taken good care of her. I'd like to ask you... to continue taking care of Yae... for five hundred years."
"You bastard! What are you trying to do! Didn't you promise me a fried tofu banquet?" Yae kept hitting the invisible wall, her voice hoarse.
"Before the dawn arrives, someone must illuminate the darkness a little."
"When Ei returns... tell her... I'm sorry... I might have to break my promise."
"Life! Burn! Nascent Soul! Burn!"