Nie Li was extremely busy; he had to set up the Tai Yi Killing Array within two days. The resourcefulness of the City Lord was impressive—he gathered the required demon spirits in just half a day. Since Nie Li was already familiar with the array, he didn't need to study it further, and though setting it up required a lot of effort and manpower, he completed it swiftly. He also incorporated some demon spirits he had killed but hadn't absorbed, spirits of the Legend Rank. If the old version of the array could kill any Legend Rank enemy, the upgraded version could even take down a weak Demigod.
Nie Li wanted to go straight after the demon spirits threatening Glory City and eliminate the strongest of them, but he remembered that Zi Yun needed practical experience. This would be an excellent opportunity for her to improve. He took her beyond the city walls and said, "Yun'er, since you're determined to grow stronger, you'll help me face some of the strongest in the demon horde. But while I fight the commander, I won't be able to protect you. You'll have to rely on yourself."
Zi Yun nodded at his serious expression, vowing to herself that she would never hold him back.
They took off, and thanks to Nie Li's speed, they soon caught up to the rear of the monster horde. There, they spotted a towering ape-like monster, nearly eight meters tall, with snow-white fur and an overwhelming aura. This creature was clearly at the peak of the Legend Rank and possibly even stronger than both Long Sha and Gui Sha combined. Another creature at the initial stage of the Legend Rank stood beside it, about twenty kilometers ahead of the main horde.
Observing this, Nie Li found it feasible. He instructed, "Zi Yun, listen closely. Once we engage, the other Legend Ranks will take about thirty seconds to notice us, and they'll reach us in about one minute and thirty seconds. While I fight the commander, you'll have to handle the other one. Can you defeat it within two minutes?"
Zi Yun replied, "Nie Li, although I'm only at the 3-Star Black Gold Rank, my swordsmanship is close to breaking through to Swordmaster level. If I fuse with the Snowdragon Spirit you gave me, I believe I can fight it."
Nie Li was taken aback by her confidence and talent, realizing her swordsmanship might even surpass his. Smiling, he said, "Let's get started."
Moving stealthily, they positioned themselves to attack from their targets' blind spots. Nie Li and Zi Yun both fused with their demon spirits, concealing their auras. Zi Yun infused her sword with the frost-fire of the Snowdragon and attacked the weaker monster from behind, while Nie Li did the same to the stronger one.
Their initial strikes weren't completely successful, as the creatures were quick to react. Zi Yun's opponent lost an arm, with an unusual fire burning at its wound. The creature quickly severed its arm at the shoulder and charged at her. Nie Li's opponent, while injured, remained ready to fight. Zi Yun, seeing her opponent's momentary distraction, attempted to follow up with a flurry of sword slashes. However, the monster feigned weakness, waiting to counter. It struck her from a blind spot, landing a heavy blow. Though Nie Li noticed, he couldn't intervene and could only trust in her abilities.
Despite her injuries, Zi Yun rose, feeling as if time slowed. In that moment, she broke through to the Swordmaster realm. She could see her opponent's movements as if in slow motion, allowing her to counter its next attack with a powerful slash that decapitated it. Meanwhile, Nie Li, who had just finished his own battle, looked at her with pride, noting that she might now even be stronger than her father. He quickly flew to her, gave her a healing pill, and watched as her wounds healed visibly. She looked at him, her eyes shining with accomplishment, and said, "We did it!"
Nie Li patted her on the shoulder, saying, "You did great. But remember, there's always room for improvement. In martial arts, there's no true peak, only endless advancement." Determination filled her gaze as she pondered the endless path of the sword.
Next, Nie Li explained, "The demons will be on high alert after this. They'll likely group together. For this next stage, you won't need to participate, but you can watch from a safe distance. I'll try to eliminate as many Legend Ranks as possible in one strike. But to do that, I need to break through to the Legend Rank. I'm very close, and the blood and spirit of that demon commander should be enough to push me over the edge."
Sitting down, Nie Li began absorbing the spirit energy, feeling his aura grow stronger until he reached the Legend Rank. Zi Yun wasn't surprised, as he had previously explained that Legend Rank was only the beginning, not a limit. With his breakthrough, a new technique appeared in Nie Li's mind. Reviewing it, he was pleased—it was a cloning technique. He could now create two clones, each possessing 75% of his power, though the technique required splitting his energy reserves.
He quickly devised a plan with Zi Yun. "I'll use my clones strategically. One clone will use a gravity field to hold down the 20 Legend Rank enemies, while the other clone and I will unleash the Dragon God Sword Supremacy and Yin-Yang Fire Blast simultaneously. The probability of their escape is low, but I'll be completely drained afterward. I'll set up an array so you can remotely share your soul force with me. Are you okay with that?"
Zi Yun agreed without hesitation.
After setting up the arrays, Nie Li focused on restoring his energy and adjusting his mental state. Before they knew it, another day had passed, and dusk had settled. It was time. He fused with the Shadow Devil for stealth, and Zi Yun took her place in the array, prepared to monitor his soul force from afar.
Using the Shadow Devil's abilities, Nie Li crept close to the monster horde. When he was only 20 meters away, he activated his Fanged Panda Spirit and summoned his clones. As soon as the Legend Ranks sensed something was wrong, Nie Li's first clone launched the gravity field, trapping them under a thousand times the force of gravity, immobilizing them. With his strongest sword strike, Ittoryu: Dragon God Sword Supremacy, and the other clone's Yin-Yang Dragon Fire Explosion x10, the attacks blended into a devastating assault, tearing through the line of demons. One after another, they fell, but the strongest of them—a snow demon at the half-step Demigod Realm—evaded slightly, losing only two limbs.
Exhausted, Nie Li withdrew the gravity field. The demon leader, seeing its dead comrades and in a rage, rushed at him. But with Zi Yun sharing her soul force, Nie Li regained enough strength to summon his dragon wings and escape.
As they flew back to the city, Nie Li sighed in relief, knowing his deception had worked. The demon leader, thinking he would make it to Glory City before Nie Li could recover, ordered the horde to continue.
Once back in Glory City, Nie Li went straight to the City Lord's mansion. "Father-in-law, the demon horde is approaching. Are the defense lines ready?"
"Nie Li! I can sense that you've grown even stronger," the City Lord replied. "Did you accomplish your mission?"
"Yes, I eliminated all but one Legend Rank. The strongest of them survived with heavy injuries, but I'm confident I can defeat it. However, the horde's bulk still needs to be managed by you and the other warriors."
He added with a grin, "And by the way, old man, maybe you should just pass the mantle to Zi Yun—she's already stronger than you."
"You brat! You think I'm useless? I know my daughter well, but I'm already using your techniques and feel a breakthrough to Legend Rank is close!"
Nie Li responded with a mysterious smile, "Don't underestimate her. Even if you break through, she might already be stronger than you."
Ye Zong looked at him, stunned. Nie Li left the room with a knowing look.