Whoosh—
Yet right after Wang Qiang acquired the power of that formation and his battle strength surged, the Soul Infant Sect Master actually charged forward of his own accord.
And when faced with this situation, Wang Qiang did not retreat either. He likewise surged forward, seeking a final confrontation with the Soul Infant Sect Master.
Because he knew full well that, in his current state, he had no path of retreat except to fight with everything he had.
However, the moment they exchanged blows, Wang Qiang was stunned to discover that he was unable to defeat the Soul Infant Sect Master. Even with the aid of everyone else's power, he still was no match for the man.
Pu—
Before long, the Soul Infant Sect Master's Dragon Scale Dagger struck Wang Qiang.
That single slash tore flesh and split bone—wounds so deep that even his bones were cut. It was clear just how tremendous the Soul Infant Sect Master's strength had become at this moment.
But that was only the beginning. What followed was—
One slash, two slashes, three slashes, four slashes, five slashes…
In no time, Wang Qiang was covered in wounds, his flesh a mangled mess, transformed into a blood-soaked figure drenched from head to toe.
Most importantly, with each strike that landed on Wang Qiang, the Soul Infant Sect Master also channeled the bizarre dark-black aura of the Soul Infant Demonic Art into his body.
Wang Qiang soon let out agonized screams of unbearable pain, his aura growing weaker and weaker until he lost the strength to contend with his opponent altogether, reduced to simply enduring the beating.
"Damn you! Get away from my husband!"
Upon seeing this, Zhao Hong could not endure it any longer. Gripping her Ancestral Weapon, she charged forward.
Close behind her, Ying Mingchao, Zi Xunyi, and in fact the entire alliance army surged forward as well.
They had come this time fully prepared to die. It was either destroy the Soul Infant Sect completely, or… perish right here.
"Hahaha, come, come, all of you! Let's see who can stop me today!"
Facing the combined assault of the alliance army, the Soul Infant Sect Master merely laughed heartily as he wove through their ranks.
No matter what means they employed, not a single person could so much as scratch him.
Yet the Dragon Scale Dagger in his hand was like a butcher's cleaver, continuously sweeping across their bodies. Blood sprayed through the air, and the scene was utterly horrific.
It was like a group of little white rabbits swarming a fierce tiger. Though they fought with the resolve of the dead and charged with furious momentum, facing such a vast disparity in strength, they could only endure the beating.
Though the Soul Infant Sect Master's attacks were savage, he dealt only superficial wounds—not a single person was killed. He merely sliced every last one of them into blood-soaked, flesh-mangled figures.
It was not just the men. Even the women—Zhao Hong, Zi Xunyi, and the others—received not a shred of mercy from his blade.
But this was far more than mere surface injuries, because that dark-black aura of his had invaded every single one of their bodies.
The entire alliance army had fallen, reduced to a force with no fighting capability left—not even the strength to stand.
As if deliberately humiliating Wang Qiang, Ying Mingchao, and the rest, the Soul Infant Sect Master used the power of barriers to construct an enormous prison cell and locked every member of the alliance army inside it.
The prison hung suspended in midair, impossible to miss. And because of its enormous size, even the dense masses of people below could clearly see the colossal floating prison.
Everything the Soul Infant Sect Master had done at this point could only be described as utterly inhumane.
Yet not only did he face no punishment, he instead received the cheers and acclamation of the billions of living beings below.
"Long live the Sect Master! These despicable scum deserve to be taught a lesson!"
"This isn't nearly enough to quell our anger! They should all be killed! Only by killing them can we be safe—only then can our Hundred Refinements Ordinary Realm have peace!"
Some even went so far as to shout demands that the Soul Infant Sect Master execute Wang Qiang and the others right then and there.
Wang Qiang and the others had never once done anything to wrong these people, yet now… they treated Wang Qiang, Ying Mingchao, and the rest as though they were mortal enemies who had slaughtered their fathers. Such cold-blooded cruelty.
"Mingchao, do you regret fighting for these people?" Zi Xunyi lay beside Ying Mingchao, her voice weak as she asked.
"I do regret fighting for them. But I do not regret making an enemy of the Soul Infant Sect. I only…"
Looking at the woman lying beside him—covered head to toe in wounds, soaked in blood, her features no longer even recognizable—Ying Mingchao's voice choked in his throat.
This was the woman he loved most in all the world. She had been tortured to this state, and he was powerless to do anything about it.
His heart was filled with anguish and self-blame, yet he could do nothing.
"Everyone, don't worry. They will be punished."