The procession continued. Many among those recruited from the villages and towns they converted winced from the stinging atmosphere. Unlike the mbers of the Poison Demon Cult, they're not that resistant to the miasma. They follow a different path of cultivation, after all.
But despite that, they gritted their teeth and moved forward.
anwhile, Luo Ming approached the High Priest. "What of Xun and Huangfeng, High Priest? They've stayed neutral, but can we trust them not to turn when the fighting starts?"
The High Priest's sly grin widened. "Xun weaves her webs, and Huangfeng buzzes in her shadow. They'll serve their purpose. If they betray us, the store's wares will bury them too. For now, focus on the adow. Signal the new recruits to advance."
Luo Ming nodded. Within monts, the new recruits who ca from different unorthodox sects or organizations surged forward, weaving through the adow's toxic pools. The forr Bone Ash Syndicate summoned their skeletons, brittle bones clattering as they ford a vanguard to shield the living. Other recruits, hailing from shattered bandit clans and rogue sects, brandished their weapons enhanced with [Elental Paste], an item that could be applied to equipnt, granting them temporary elental properties. It was inexpensive yet unpopular to regular cultivators. However, it's still a useful, never-before-seen item produced by the store. So of them also drank [Frosty Lotus Brew], which helped resist the toxins, cool their bodies, and bolster their stamina against the adow's corrosive haze.
The Abyssal Hounds loped alongside, their noses low to the ground, sniffing for hidden traps. The Nightmare Ogres stomped forward, their massive fras parting the haze like living battering rams.
After that, the cultists fanned out. The Poison-bearers activated their [Card Talismans], enhancing their combat capabilities. The Acolytes followed closely behind the Abyssal Hounds and Nightmare Ogres since they could slip out of their control.
As for the Priests, they took up the rear alongside Luo Ming.
The High Priest floated lazily, clearly unbothered even if soone could try and snipe him from sowhere.
They were expecting an ambush, but sohow, the Conclave showed themselves, erging from the adow's choke points as if they were confident to win a head-on clash. Or perhaps, it was their way to show respect. Either way, convincing and confronting them was already out of the question.
Kang, Venom Master of the Scorpion Branch, stood at the forefront, his black armor glinted with a sickly yellow sheen. His scorpion-tail whip lashed the ground, sending up sparks of corrosive venom. Beside him, Gao of the Serpent Branch coiled like his nasake, his jade-green robes blended with the haze as his twin serpentine daggers pulsed with poison qi.
Behind them, the Toad, the Centipede and Leech Venom Masters directed their Priests, each branch's signature toxins clashing with each other. Toad's forces unleashed clouds of paralyzing spores, Centipede's Priests summoned swarms of venomous crawlers, and Leech's acolytes conjured blood-sucking mists that sapped vitality from any who lingered too long.
Kang's voice bood across the adow, laced with disdain. "High Priest! You abandon our conquests for trinkets and snacks? You disgrace the Great Poison Demon with this farce. Surrender your title, or we'll strip it from your corpse!"
Still floating lazily, the High Priest's skeletal grin didn't waver. "Kang, still stinging from your failures? Gao, slithering for scraps of power? The old ways have rotted, and yet you still cling to the decay. Here. Behold the future."
He raised his staff, and the cultists responded in unison.
[Windstrike Talismans] flared from the hands of the Priests, unleashing tempests that shredded the spore clouds and scattered the venomous crawlers. [Spirit Embodint Sticker Seals] glowed on so of the recruits' arms, summoning projections of Diamond Thunderbirds and Ironclad Behemoths before charging to the Conclave's ranks, their enhanced strength tearing through unprepared Acolytes and Priests.
The Nightmare Ogres mindlessly roared, their fists also empowered by [Strength Card Talisman], smashing through Centipede's swarms and sending Leech's mists dissipating into harmless vapor.
The forr Bone Ash Syndicate commanded their skeletons to block the damages against them, forcing Toad's forces to retreat behind hastily erected barriers.
Kang raised his prosthetic hand, crafted from demonic beast bones, and the ground erupted. Dozens of Scorpion Priests burst from hidden burrows, their tails lashing as they unleashed waves of black venom that arced toward the cultists. Gao's Serpent Priests followed, their bodies coiling as they spat streams of corrosive green mist.
The venom waves crashed against the cultists, but the store's enhancents held firm. Those enhanced by Diamond Thunderbirds absorbed the brunt of the attack, drawing their blood but without counteracting with hidden weapons laced with poison. Those enhanced by Ironscale Drakes roared, their skin deflecting the corrosive mist with tallic clangs.
The Priests hurled another wave of [Windstrike Talismans], the paper slips igniting midair. Gales of razor-sharp wind tore through the adow, shredding the venom clouds and forcing the Conclave's Priests to scatter. Several Scorpion Priests scread as the winds sliced through their bodies, blood mixing with the toxic sludge beneath their feet.
At this, the adow erupted into more chaos as the Conclave's traditional toxins clashed not only with the sa toxins from the High Priest's followers but also with the store's unconventional arsenal.
The cultists' fervor, now fueled by their newfound belief in the Divine Convenience Store's power, gave them an edge against the Conclave's rigid tactics. The new recruits, even if they're less disciplined, fought with desperate hunger, their loyalty bought by the promise of more convenience
Kang roared in fury, charging forward with his barbed tail raised. "You'll pay for that, old man!" His tail lashed out, aiming for the High Priest's chest. However, a Poison-bearer intercepted, slapping a [Barrier Talisman] that conjured a shimring shield, deflecting the venomous strike. Or at least, that's what they're aiming for. But the barrier shattered, killing the Poison-bearer in the process. His spiritual energy wasn't enough to conjure it properly.
anwhile, the High Priest's skeletal fra blurred as he activated a [Thunderstep Talisman]. A burst of static propelled him forward, sending sparks of lightning down, hitting the poor Poison-bearers of the Conclave's side.
In the sa motion, the High Priest tossed an unopened [Spirit-Infused Potato Chip - Infernal Ghost Pepper flavor] into the air. It ignited with a pulse of his spiritual energy, exploding into a cloud of fiery dust that enveloped Kang, the other Venom Masters and their forces.
The Venom Masters howled as they imdiately tried to put out the sting from infernal pepper dust. Unfortunately for them, their skins instantly blistered as the pepper's heat seared their senses.
"What sorcery is this?!" The Centipede Venom Master bellowed, clawing at his face, ripping his skin off.
"Convenience," the High Priest replied dryly as he returned to his previous position. He wouldn't finish them just yet. They need to experience the wonder of the store products more.
Gao, who managed to evade the infernal pepper dusts swept across the battlefield, cutting down recruits, Poison-bearers and demonic beasts as he chased after the High Priest.
Alas, the old man didn't need to move at all. Gao was intercepted by a Priest bolstered by [Spirit Embodint Sticker Seal]. Her crude saber sparked with lightning qi from a store-bought [Thunderclap Charm] mingling with the toxin she applied to her blade.
Across the battlefield, the cultists pressed their advantage. The Abyssal Hounds lunged at the remaining Serpent Priests and Acolytes, their jaws snapping as they tore through their scaled skins with store-enhanced strength. Poison-bearers wove through the chaos, the [Energy Replenishing Candies] keeping their stamina high as they traded blows with the Conclave's forces.
Gao's eyes glinted with rage as he summoned a massive serpent construct, its fangs dripping with venom. It pushed away the female Priest fighting him before lunging at a group of Poison-bearers.
They countered with [Barrier Talismans], erecting shimring walls that absorbed the construct's strike. The barriers cracked in the end but it helped lower their casualty, giving the cultists ti to retaliate with a volley of their own spells that set the serpent construct ablaze.
High above, unnoticed by the combatants, a swarm of Hunting Wasps circled, their wings buzzing faintly as they were controlled by the Wasp Priests and Acolytes erging from behind the Conclave forces.
Venom Master Huangfeng's forces had arrived, positioning themselves to cut off any retreat as Xun had instructed. Their gleaming stingers twitched, ready to descend if the Conclave faltered.
The High Priest's gaze flickered, catching the glint of their wings.
"They're doing their part. Can you see that, Kang?" He muttered, his voice delivered only to the Scorpion Venom Master who was staggering to his feet, his face a mask of pain and fury.
"Traitors! The Great Poison Demon will deliver his fury!" Kang roared, slamming his claws into the ground. The adow quaked as a wave of black venom surged outward, threatening to engulf the cultists.
This ti, the High Priest raised his staff and slamd it down. A pulse of green energy rippled out, neutralizing the venom wave with a hiss of steam. "You're outmatched, Kang. That's enough resistance from all of you. As you are still devout followers of our Great Poison Demon, you have one chance. Kneel, or I'll bury you here."
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