Chapter 798 - 719: Ascending the Pinnacle
At this moment, Tan Shuangshuang was immensely grateful for the ample time she spent in the Library earlier, which subtly advanced her intellect and, amidst the battle, improved her Heart Realm. She was now only a step away from welcoming the small thunder tribulation of the Tribulation Crossing Fifth Stage.
The number of demons emerging from the Demon Clan’s portal was continually increasing. The speed of increase was linked to the number of Abysses connected to the portal. With the current rate of demons emerging, it already surpassed the speed recorded in ancient times, indicating that this portal connects to more Abysses than the ones from the ancient days.
Tan Shuangshuang didn’t rest for long before continuing to fight. The Demigod Strongmen did not kill all the demons but left some for the cultivators to practice with, in an effort to quickly enhance their combat abilities during the relatively safer initial phases of the battle.
Nobody knew how many demons might ultimately flood through the portal. Even the Demigod Strongmen dared not boast of maintaining control over the battlefield and completely exterminating the demons as they emerged.
Almost a month had passed, and aid from across the continent, including Magic Beasts, had mostly arrived. Only the countries from the extreme distances were still on their way. The size of Black Stone Plain had grown so immense that it occupied the entirety of the area.
The Black Stone Plain itself was comparable to a small country, suggesting the immense number of troops occupying it. Looking out, all one could see was a dense mass of people! With so many gathered here, dealing with the Demon Clan became easier.
This time, more than a hundred Demigod Strongmen had arrived, virtually all from the continent, having traveled at their fastest pace to get here. As for Tribulation Crossing Powerhouses, their numbers reached tens of thousands, and Martial Venerate Level strongmen were beyond count.
The Demon Clan’s portal was not initially terrifying; the horrifying part was the Abyss’ breath it emitted and the astonishingly fast rate of demon emergence. Moreover, the troublesome aspect was that while the portal was open, it couldn’t be sealed unless no more demons emerged from the Abyss. This inability to seal the portal was an experience left by ancient cultivators after dealing with the Demon Clan’s portals.
Despite this, everyone continued searching for opportunities to seal the Demon Clan’s portal. Since the number of demons wasn’t yet overwhelming, Tribulation Crossing Powerhouses provided the main force, with some Demigod Strongmen assisting in counteracting Demigod Level demons. The rest researched methods to seal the portal.
However, it was obvious that a problem unsolved by the strongmen of ancient times, who were gathered to address such issues, could not be deciphered by modern cultivators who declined due to the Demon Clan’s portal influence.
Amid the battlefield, Tan Shuangshuang simultaneously fought and seized moments for cultivation. Determined to excel in combat, she devised a method to cultivate while battling, like the Demigod Strongmen who fought without rest.
Tan Shuangshuang did not keep her method to herself; she taught it to others to ensure all cultivators could learn. Unfortunately, only low-level cultivators and High-level Cultivators with reasonably good spiritual power could manage it due to the high spiritual power demands.
Even so, the ability to continuously battle without succumbing to exhaustion from physical and Spiritual Power depletion offered significant advantages to the battle. The most immediate result was a substantial reduction in casualties.
Of course, to avoid losing their minds from high tension, cultivators would rotate. After fighting for a period, they were replaced and allowed two days of complete rest to adjust their constantly tense mental state.
This kind of battle spanned three years. In the first year, everyone had it easy, with a notable number of demons emerging, but even more cultivators were fighting alongside, so there was no pressure. During the battle, Tan Shuangshuang broke through to the First Rank, becoming a Tribulation Crossing Fifth Stage cultivator.
In the second year, the battle grew more tense as demon numbers doubled, reaching an astounding scale. Though combat wasn’t easy, humanity could still manage. This year, reinforcements from the distant side of the continent finally arrived after a long journey.
The arrival of reinforcements eased the previously tense battle situation. That year, the diligent Tan Shuangshuang’s cultivation broke through two small stages consecutively, making her a Tribulation Crossing Seventh Rank cultivator.
In the third year, the rate of demon emergence from the portal abruptly increased again, driving the war between human cultivators and demons to an intense and escalating state. With too many demons emerging and more Tribulation Crossing Stage and Demigod Level demons arriving in the human world, tensions escalated after a Demigod Level Strongman fell in battle!
Under such high-pressure combat, Tan Shuangshuang faced a Demigod Strongman and, amidst the peril, unexpectedly broke through her Heart Realm. On the battlefield, she welcomed the Triple Small Thunder Tribulation, reaching Tribulation Crossing Perfection, merely one step away from the Demigod Level.
With enhanced cultivation and the ability to temper her spiritual power, Tan Shuangshuang now commanded up to 150,000 strands of the Thousand Silk Wrapping Avatar!
Her combat power now surpassed Demigod Level Strongmen. Confronting Demigod Level demons, she no longer battled on the edge of life and death but could easily annihilate them.
The range of Tan Shuangshuang’s combat had expanded immensely, guarding her with such an expanse that no one dared approach. Her 150,000 strands of the Thousand Silk Wrapping Avatar unfurled across a vast sky, spanning several hundred miles.
Though the number of demons emerging from the portal was frightening, areas where Tan Shuangshuang stood were safeguarded so thoroughly that any demon emerging, regardless of their level, was instantly ensnared and sliced in half before even hitting the ground.
Whether they were Martial Venerate, Tribulation Crossing, or Demigod demons, none could resist under Tan Shuangshuang’s Thousand Silk Wrapping Avatar.
The entrance of the Demon Clan’s portal, over such an extended time spewing Abyss’ breath, became inaccessible to humans—all fought far from it. Compared to the Abyss’ breath, the greater threat was the large numbers of demons emerging from the portal.
Fighting the Demon Clan became a more difficult struggle, with battle lines expanding continuously. Tan Shuangshuang had been combating for half a year without pause, not because she wasn’t exhausted spiritually, but she dared not rest.
Tan Shuangshuang occupied a huge battlefield area. She guarded it so securely that her absence would shift the hordes of demons she managed onto others who were already struggling.
Once, Tan Shuangshuang felt lost in her reduced battlefield importance. Now, integral to the battle, she began to reminisce about the carefree combat days, relieved of such heavy responsibility.