He calmly watched the terrified civilians and said with indifference, "Everyone, today I will cleanse this land of these ill-omened things. I believe you all support me. Otherwise, why would I help you drive out this damned darkness?"
Countless cheers rang out as the civilians clapped excitedly and shouted, "Yes..."
Yi Chen said coldly, "Then follow my will. I will protect you..."
Before he had finished speaking, dense footfalls sounded from every direction. Tens of thousands of soldiers clad in black armor closed in around them in orderly formations.
The three black-armored warriors at their head drew their blades simultaneously. Savage killing intent slammed into Yi Chen's chest, filling him with an icy chill and utter despair.
A bloody mark appeared on Yi Chen's forehead, then blood began gushing from it.
Yi Chen's mind blurred. His body involuntarily staggered back two steps before he barely steadied himself.
One black-armored warrior burst into a vicious laugh. "Who are you people? How dare you attack our Demon Dragon Fortress city defense forces?"
Yi Chen clenched his teeth. Feeling the surging power within his body, his heart brimmed with excitement.
Although he did not know exactly what had happened, he could sense that his cultivation had reached a critical moment.
If he could devour more Fallen Ones, he would have a chance to shed his old flesh and bones and be reborn-he had already been close to touching the threshold of Peak Douluo. With just a little more effort, he could advance successfully.
Yi Chen drew a deep breath, and golden scales emerged across his body. He clenched his fists hard, sending a visible, transparent wave of air spreading from his arm. With a cold snort, he punched at the black-armored warrior.
The black-armored warrior sneered and swung his weapon to meet him without hesitation. An eerie green sheen flickered over his fist, with a strange rune faintly appearing and disappearing within it.
They collided. The black-armored warrior retreated seven or eight steps in succession, while Yi Chen merely swayed and remained standing ramrod straight.
Yi Chen cursed inwardly. Fallen Ones really were bizarre beings. The warrior had actually withstood such a ferocious attack head-on.
The other two black-armored warriors also drew their swords and thrust at Yi Chen. Three exceptionally sharp longswords pressed against vital points on his body at once. If he moved even slightly, those three swords would surely be enough to take his life.
Yi Chen narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. "Fallen Ones... do you really think I can't wipe you out?"
A grayish-white sphere of light shot out of Yi Chen's head and instantly swelled into a humanoid statue a hundred meters tall, covered in thick armor, its features indistinct and a battle-axe in its hand.
Roaring black flames burned over his body, and billowing hot winds spewed from his mouth.
With a swishing, tearing sound, the three thrusting longswords disintegrated, scattering fragments through the air and onto the ground.
Yi Chen curled his fingers slightly. A strand of pale blue lightning danced between them. With a sharp crack, it struck a Fallen One's body and blasted him to pieces. A thumb-sized spirit pearl hovered in the air, then dropped into Yi Chen's palm like a little pebble.
"What... what is that thing?" a black-armored warrior shrieked in panic. "A divine miracle? No, no, no, that's impossible!"
Yi Chen said coldly, "What's so impressive about a divine miracle? A handful of scum like you think you can overturn the heavens?"
With a wave of his hand, lightning roared skyward, then smashed into the heads of three black-armored warriors with a tremendous air-rending blast. Amid three agonized screams, their heads exploded into fragments. Wisps of murky black vapor drifted from their skulls and poured into Yi Chen's body as though drawn by some unknown force. The black smoke around him grew ever denser.
Yi Chen said in a low voice, "Everyone, come with me... this isn't a suitable place to fight..."
Thousands of figures surrounded Yi Chen. He commanded in a low voice, "Come away with me. The air here is filthy. This place isn't fit to live in."
Everyone obediently followed Yi Chen into the distance. Only after they were far from the abandoned city did he breathe a sigh of relief. "Everyone, listen carefully. Dark creatures beyond your imagination are lurking on this land. They will control you and steal your lives. Moreover, certain evil forces are manipulating this world. They are trying to destroy it... I don't care how formidable your abilities used to be. Now you must join forces with me..."
Thousands of figures stared blankly at Yi Chen. No one spoke.
Yi Chen roared, "We must join forces, kill them, and save this world!"
Strands of pure dark power traveled through Yi Chen's meridians and throughout his body, making him shudder. His power advanced by leaps and bounds. Streams of dark energy circled within him, slowly merging into an illusory yet solid phantom that resembled a real human being.
These pure dark elements, containing the very essence of power, rapidly repaired the damage Yi Chen had suffered from his excessive expenditure, greatly improving his cultivation.
"These damned bastards can actually absorb the dark power here and turn it into their own strength... hmm, that makes things easier. We must find their core and destroy them..."
Yi Chen's eyebrows gradually thickened, and fine lines of blood appeared on his forehead.
Yi Chen waved his hand. Countless black sparks flickered behind him, and thirty-six palm-sized, ring-shaped golden seals floated at his back. Each seal radiated an aura that could suffocate anyone.
With a soft hum, the thirty-six enormous seals suddenly erupted in rings of milky-white light, then transformed into ninety-nine layers of restrictions that tightly enveloped Yi Chen's entire body.
Silver arcs of lightning three feet long appeared across the surface of his body. Each was as thick as the mouth of a bowl, flickering incessantly and shaking the surrounding space until it warped. Threads of lightning continually seeped outward, making the surrounding air scorching and viscous as the temperature rose sharply.
A dark figure appeared like a phantom on a cliff not far from Yi Chen. A black-armored warrior raised his right hand, and the black iron chains coiled around his five fingers rattled sharply.
The black iron chains spiraled into the air like living creatures, winding around the black-armored warrior's wrist one after another. Then they transformed into countless fine iron cords and lashed viciously at Yi Chen.
With several muffled thuds, the iron chains snapped one after another. An immense rebounding force swept back, sending the black-armored warrior staggering dozens of steps backward. He knocked over more than a dozen comrades before finally coming to a stop.