The battle had raged for a full six days.
For these six days, from the initial disarray and the Yin Yang Sect's continuous retreat to the arrival of reinforcements, barely holding the demon alliance's offensive, the most intense fighting had erupted in the southern regions of the Yin Yang Sect.
Blood had stained the sky, and corpses littered the ground.
The demons' assault had been relentless, and the Lei Di Alliance forces had not even had time to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades.
In six days, almost all of the Lei Di Alliance's reinforcements had arrived at the Yin Yang Sect. Consequently, Qiong Ku had stopped sending troops to destroy the teleportation arrays.
It was no longer significant. Sending small groups of soldiers to harass them would only result in them being picked off.
Currently, the demon alliance held the advantage and only needed to press their attack steadily. Moreover, the longer the conflict dragged on, the more beneficial it would be for Qiong Ku.
The battle of attrition had turned the entire southern region of the Yin Yang Sect into a colossal meat grinder.
The Lei Di Alliance, relying on the defensive fortifications and weaponry on the Yin Yang Sect's peaks, huddled together to resist the enemy's onslaught.
However, in a battle of attrition, especially when the strength difference wasn't insurmountable, it wasn't about raw combat power but about who would break first, who would falter. That person would lose.
The soldiers on the battlefield were not mere war machines; they were flesh and blood, and they grew weary. Their exhaustion was immense.
War consumed spiritual energy and physical strength faster than anything else. Prolonged, high-intensity combat easily led to mental exhaustion. Soldiers at the front were constantly rotated back for rest, with those from the rear immediately stepping up, creating a seamless transition, allowing the demons no opportunity to exploit weaknesses.
Both sides had entered a war of attrition. When those at the front grew tired, those behind them would advance, launching continuous attacks.
A battle of attrition was the ultimate test of willpower.
The supply of resources, the logistics, the morale of the soldiers—these were all crucial elements beyond mere combat strength.
But most importantly, on the Lei Di Alliance's side, they saw no hope of victory.
In a localized conflict, the besieged party could expect reinforcements to break the encirclement.
However, in this war, everyone knew there were no more reinforcements. They were the last bastion of the Lei Feng Realm.
The enemy had superior numbers, stronger high-tier combatants, and several times more Tribulation Crossing demon marshals than them. They genuinely saw no hope.
Their continued resistance was solely fueled by their conviction to protect their homes and their will to survive.
Qian Duoduo had broken countless swords, yet he continued to fight, drenched in blood.
Bal Nu, severely wounded, was carried to the rear for treatment.
Wang Chao had already fallen in battle. He Shi Ba had an arm severed from his shoulder, and Li Lei, protecting them, wielded a cleaver, fending off the surrounding enemies.
Those lazy, pampered direct disciples of the Nascent Soul realm, whom Wan Lei had once admonished and humiliated, were now at the forefront, and few remained.
The female disciples of the Kui Lian Sect behind Yue Lingxi had fallen in large numbers, but she still fiercely defended her position.
The Fang siblings, Fang Bailu, Fang Guyu, and Fang Hanlu, along with the younger disciples of the Fang family, had just repelled another demonic assault. They too were exhausted and wounded.
The Great Ascension elders of the Lei Di Hall, such as Venerable Yunxiao and Bei Hanwu, fought consistently on the front lines, never retreating an inch.
A large portion of the defensive positions had already been lost. Any further retreat would expose the wounded in the rear to the enemy's attacks.
In the sky, the war vessels of both sides were bombarding each other. In recent days, some of the enemy's warships had advanced, while the others were intercepted by troops dispatched by Xi Ren.
At the highest altitude, beneath the Yin Yang Life and Death Disk, the Tribulation Crossing powerhouses of the Lei Di Alliance were at their absolute limit.
They could barely maintain their defense by relying on the power of the Yin Yang Life and Death Disk.
Qu Tianlei, solely controlling the Life and Death Disk, bore the greatest pressure. The others formed a circle, collectively resisting the attacks of over thirty powerful individuals.
The enemy's sheer number of strong cultivators was overwhelming. Even after eleven were killed in the Lei Di Hall battle, two in the Ghost Immortal Secret Realm, and four sacrificed by Elder Da Zhuang during the teleportation array ambush, they still numbered an astonishing thirty-six.
The enemy had three times their numbers, meaning they faced the attacks of thirty-five equally matched cultivators.
Qian Niao was an exception.
Despite the enemy's superior numbers, they managed to hold their ground with the help of the Life and Death Disk, but they could only defend, not counterattack.
The key to this battle rested on Qu Tianlei, who sustained the Yin Yang Life and Death Disk. As long as he lived, the defense could continue.
The enemies repeatedly attempted to ambush Qu Tianlei, but they were all intercepted by others from the Lei Di Alliance.
Although Qu Tianlei was not directly attacked, the constant assault on the Life and Death Disk inflicted significant backlash upon him, and he had sustained hidden injuries.
Furthermore, the immense cultivation required to support the Life and Death Disk alone was taxing him, and he was beginning to falter.
The close-quarters combat had entered a white-hot phase.
The Sword Slave, an ancestor of the Kai Tian Sword Sect, was currently battling Fang Guling, a sword cultivator from the Fang family.
"Rebel! You use the techniques I taught you against me. Truly respecting your master, are we?"
"Master, our paths diverge. We cannot conspire. Today, we are enemies. Speak no more of our past affections. If you retreat now, you will still be my master."
"Who cares? Today, I will cleanse the sect!"
Sword Slave snorted coldly and brought his long sword down heavily. Fang Guling crossed his sword to block, but was sent flying backward by the terrifying force of the blow.
Fang Guling barely managed to stabilize himself, nearly crashing into Qu Tianlei in the center.
At that moment, Sword Slave suddenly shouted, "Now!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Guling's initially weak and listless cultivation suddenly erupted.
He raised his long sword, condensing a sword pellet at its tip. With fluctuating streams of light, he thrust it directly towards Qu Tianlei's dantian.
Qu Tianlei, caught completely off guard by Fang Guling, was pierced through the dantian.
The sword pellet remained embedded within his dantian.
Boom!!!
With a thunderous explosion, the sword pellet detonated, and Qu Tianlei was bisected.
As he fell powerlessly, his face still wore an expression of disbelief.
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone. No one expected Fang Guling, the Fang family elder who had been fighting alongside them, to suddenly turn on Qu Tianlei.
And to strike a fatal blow at that.
Qu Tianlei was dead, and the Yin Yang Life and Death Disk immediately became unstable.