"Fall back! Everyone fall back to the grand formation!" Lu Tianmeng cried out in alarm as he saw the green flames on the great banners growing thicker and thicker. Without a moment's hesitation, he withdrew his figure first and fled back toward the grand formation behind them.
The cultivators nearby heard his shout and immediately followed their leader in retreat.
Xuan Le witnessed the scene and, without the slightest delay, issued the same withdrawal order.
But among the cultivators on Han Li's side, only a few who held a clear advantage could extricate themselves at will. The rest were all desperately entangled by their opponents and utterly unable to break free. Han Li's opponent similarly launched a frenzied assault, attempting to pin him down.
But Han Li let out a cold laugh, recalled his other magic treasures, brought out his White Scale Shield, and withstood the onslaught head-on as he nimbly made his way back to the grand formation. The Heavenly Fiend Sect cultivator could only stop outside the formation with a disgruntled look on his face.
Xuan Le saw that more than half of his squad was still trapped outside the formation, the fighting only growing more fierce, and knew things were dire. He was about to rush out with several other cultivators to provide support, but the moment he moved, Lu Tianmeng grabbed him.
"It's already too late! The Green Sun Demonic Fire has been summoned!" Lu Tianmeng said, shaking his head with a grim face.
Han Li, who had also heard the words, finally noticed that the tips of the great banners held by those red-robed figures were now shooting out streams of green flame as thick as arms. More than a dozen columns of green fire surged into the sky and merged into a massive green fireball several zhang in diameter, gently floating in the air and swaying ever so slightly, blindingly brilliant.
"This is—?"
Xuan Le stared for a moment, then opened his mouth to say something. But the red-robed figures' next move instantly made his expression turn ghastly.
The red-robed figures pointed their banner tips at the Seven Sects cultivators still entangled outside the formation. The enormous fireball emitted a muffled "pu" sound and split into more than a dozen smaller fireballs, each several chi long, that shot straight toward those cultivators.
These green fireballs were astonishingly fast. In the blink of an eye, they were hurtling toward the Seven Sects cultivators with terrifying momentum.
The cultivators had naturally noticed the great fireball's transformation. Most of them simultaneously deployed various magic treasures to intercept the green fireballs, while a rare few employed talismans to launch Daoist art attacks, all desperately trying to shoot them down.
Unfortunately, this green flame was called the Green Sun Demonic Fire for a reason—it was truly horrifying!
Whether it was a magic treasure or a Daoist art attack, the moment it touched a green fireball, it was silently dissolved without a trace, like a moth flying into flame.
Witnessing this incredible sight, the cultivators' faces turned ashen white!
Before they could even think, the dozen-plus fireballs slammed into them all at once. The protective shields and barrier-type spells surrounding their bodies were extinguished on contact, one and all. Their bodies were instantly annihilated by the demonic fire, leaving not the slightest trace in this world.
The remaining cultivators who had not yet been struck witnessed this horrifying scene. Without a shred of hesitation, they sacrificed being heavily wounded by the opposing Heavenly Fiend Sect cultivators—or even abandoned the magic treasures they were locked in combat with—and fled straight toward the grand formation.
But in their panic, two or three of them were cut down by their opponents' magic treasures before they could escape.
Thus, in the very first clash of the battle to defend the spirit mine, the Seven Sects' side had already lost nearly a dozen Qi Refining stage disciples and one Foundation Establishment cultivator—a devastating toll!
But the power of the Green Sun Demonic Fire did not end there!
Under the red-robed figures' control, the green fireballs merged back into one, then transformed into a surging wave of green flame that charged straight toward the Four Evils Formation.
Everyone hiding inside the formation saw their faces change drastically, and a wave of panic swept through all the cultivators.
Xuan Le, his brows tightly knitted, turned and asked Lu Tianmeng directly: "Brother Lu, what exactly is this green flame? How could Foundation Establishment cultivators possibly unleash such terrifying true fire? The restrictions of this grand formation should be able to withstand its charge, correct?"
Lu Tianmeng listened to the barrage of questions and couldn't help but let out a bitter smile. But seeing all the other cultivators gazing at him intently, he had no choice but to explain helplessly: "I won't hide anything from you, fellow Daoists. When I was fighting at the border, I only caught a glimpse of the Green Sun Demonic Fire's fearsome power on one occasion! As for whether it can breach the Four Evils Formation, I truly have no way of predicting! What I can tell you is that I later heard some of our elders mention that this demonic fire cannot be unleashed carelessly. Not only must these Blazing Flame Cultivators specially cultivate the Green Sun Demonic Fire Art, but each use also comes at the cost of lowering their own cultivation level. That is why it is so difficult to resist!"
Lu Tianmeng's words left Xuan Le and the other cultivators exchanging uneasy glances, their expressions full of frustration.
At that moment, the roaring tide of green flame finally collided with the four-colored restrictions of the grand formation. A deep, rumbling explosion sounded, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
They watched as the green waves smashed against the four-colored barrier again and again, sending it rippling and trembling. But in the end, it managed to hold against the terrifying demonic fire, and the Seven Sects cultivators inside the formation breathed a collective sigh of relief.
However, Han Li and the others had barely relaxed for a moment before their hearts clenched with dread once more.