Chapter 2858 - Bathed in Light
The Taixi Guard Formation, which had stood tall and majestic for millions of years, collapsed after failing to withstand the second attack of the Infinitum Army’s astrals.h.i.+ps. Compared to astralguard formations, a defensive formation that spanned a vast region relied strongly on the power of formation threads, which in turn relied on the ebons’ will, cooperation, belief, and desire for victory.
It was obvious that the ebons couldn’t bear the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb and Gladean Ruins’ betrayal. At that moment, thoughts of their consecutive defeats came to mind like a nightmare come true.
The ebons crumbled in the face of the terrifying power of nova source. The destruction of the Taixi Guard Formation had become their fifth, and most significant defeat, because it meant they’d completely fallen to the bottom. In all these years, not even during the era of the SwordG.o.d Lin Clan’s two successive reges mundi had they failed so miserably.
It seemed the four consecutive defeats had all been foreshadowing. Their first defeat had come when Shenxi Xingtian lost the battle of the reges mundi, the second and third times when their expeditions had ended in failure, and the fourth time when he’d been betrayed by the five regal clans.
"Taixi City’s been breached!"
"Kill them!"
"Attack their astrals.h.i.+ps! They’re trying to escape!"
The ebons were in danger without the Taixi Guard Formation. Although there were millions of formations within Taixi City—some of them even reaching sanctuary cla.s.s—the formations would eventually fall. Only by escaping in their astrals.h.i.+ps would there be hope of survival. At that moment, the ebons’ s.h.i.+ps which were on standby, abandoned Taixi City without hesitation, breaking out of the encirclement. It was the command given by Shenxi Xingtian, who was still vomiting blood.
"Break the siege! Fight your way out and head to Ebonopolis. Forget everything else! Escape if you can!”
Taixi City had descended into panic and chaos. The ebons, who usually walked around with their noses turned up, were now panicking. Like street rats, they scurried in fear and shame. They were once arrogant, but now they screamed and cried in despair.
"We must cripple the ebons!"
"We’ve broken the formation. Focus on their astrals.h.i.+ps!"
"Yes!"
The ebon combat force consisted of astrals.h.i.+ps and wildbeasts, both of which were equally important. Although eliminating the wildbeasts would be a long process, this was a great opportunity to destroy their astrals.h.i.+ps.
Three million astrals.h.i.+ps surrounded the ebon s.h.i.+ps. Nova sources exploded, the thunderous booms filling the battlefield. One by one, the s.h.i.+ps were bombarded and blasted to pieces.
Few normal G.o.ds could survive an astrals.h.i.+p explosion, but astral G.o.ds who possessed extraordinary vitality could.
In the center of the battlefield, Yi Daiyan watched the s.h.i.+ps blow up, eyeing those above sanctuary cla.s.s. In one swift move, the Infinitum Stele cut through ether ore like a knife through b.u.t.ter, stabbing holes in the so-called ‘top’ astrals.h.i.+ps. Even ether-cla.s.s astrals.h.i.+ps would explode once their divine astrals.h.i.+p formations were broken, and the eruption of nova source would vaporize the ebons aboard them.
Taixi City was completely engulfed by raging nova source. It was definitely the most tragic battle in all of Ebonia’s history. The s.p.a.ce surrounding Taixi City was originally as vast as a skypiercer-cla.s.s world, but repeated explosions had turned the soil, rock, and ore veins into ashes, expanding the area. Pure nova source, divine hazards, and cosmic impulses collided.
The subterranean world was bathed in light and the sound of explosions was endless. Xiaodao’s Gladean Ruins, almost as powerful as Yi Daiyan, rushed into the fleet of astrals.h.i.+ps as soon as the Taixi Guard Formation collapsed. Although its attacks weren"t as deadly as the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb’s, lower-cla.s.s astrals.h.i.+ps were powerless before the Gladean Ruins. Its mighty teeth alone could destroy an ether-cla.s.s s.h.i.+p.
Not even the gears on the Star Hunter"s ether-cla.s.s s.h.i.+p could stop the Gladean Ruins, much less the far weaker ebon astrals.h.i.+ps.
The attacks continued without end. In the end, the nova source of many astrals.h.i.+ps was almost completely depleted and parts of destroyed astrals.h.i.+ps littered the ground and sky. But only fragments remained. Man, astral G.o.d, and beast had long been crushed to ashes.
The battle lasted for half a day. Toward the end, the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb joined in to help intercept the ebon s.h.i.+ps. With nine heads, the dragon’s every bite sank precisely into its targets. Compact nova source explosions were mere firecrackers for the mechanical dragon.
And why wasn’t the Ebonfiend there? The answer was obvious! Aware of the situation in Taixi City, Shenxi Xingtian was forced to abandon it. He would be walking into a trap if he dared to return. One could certainly imagine how despondent the ebons in Taixi City felt.
A great number of ebons had perished, and with the addition of the Ninedragon Imperial tomb, even fewer astrals.h.i.+ps would escape the encirclement. At least nine hundred thousand astral G.o.ds were slaughtered in their s.h.i.+ps. In the end, less than a hundred thousand of them were able to take advantage of the chaos and flee. Out of a million astral G.o.ds, only ten percent of them remained.
The ebons had been utterly defeated by the Infinitum Army. Half a million surrendered, three hundred thousand died in battle, and the rest either escaped or were severely injured. Those particular ebons no longer posed a threat; Taixi City had fallen after standing for millions of years and was now in ruins.
There were over ten billion normal G.o.ds in Taixi City, all pure-blooded core members. In their struggle to escape, at least a third of them died. It was the largest death toll since the war had begun. And most of them had been killed when the astrals.h.i.+ps exploded. From those figures alone, the ravages of war were clear.
The Taixi Guard Formation, astrals.h.i.+ps, astral G.o.ds, and normal G.o.ds had been almost completely wiped out. No matter how many wildbeasts had gathered to support them, Taixi City was beyond saving. However, it was the capture of Shenxi Xuanxi and Shenxi Ling’e, the two reges mundi with taixi divine eyes, that truly signified their defeat.