As the incantation for expelling evil spirits was chanted, the demon souls' bodies also began to shake.
Their originally murky eyes seemed to regain some clarity.
But that was all. They only trembled for a second. The next moment, as if provoked, their attack speed and frequency gradually increased.
With the accelerated attacks, the protective shield also began to shake violently.
As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined equal a Zhuge Liang. With hundreds and thousands of these creatures, Zhang Tian's single protective shield couldn't hold for long.
"What's going on? It seems to have no effect."
Looking at the situation, Wang Banyue blinked.
"It seems the expelling evil spirit incantation has little effect on these fiends."
"Old Hu, let's try a different approach. Can we directly force the demons possessing them out?"
Zhang Tian's mind was racing.
If the first method didn't work, Zhang Tian would decisively switch to the second.
"You mean the Great Demon Exorcism technique?"
Hu Ba yi looked at Zhang Tian.
Zhang Tian nodded.
Daoism is inherently the nemesis of demons and evil spirits. They are skilled in exorcising and subduing them. In Maoshan Taoism, there are more than ten methods for exorcising demons.
The best among them is the Sanqing Mantra.
This mantra has been passed down for a long time. After chanting, it causes extreme pain to demons and evil spirits.
Of course, it might be different from what Tang Monk chants.
As the two made up their minds, they both waved their hands, and myriad Daoist rhymes began to spread.
Immediately after, golden incantation patterns appeared overhead.
With the appearance of the incantation patterns, the demon souls' bodies began to tremble.
The frequency and amplitude this time clearly increased.
Concurrently, their blue eyes seemed to emit faint glimmers of light.
As the light emanated, the souls' mouths gradually opened.
A wisp of blue smoke began to flow out from the seven orifices of their souls.
The blue light flickered continuously, and the blue smoke above began to gather.
Gradually, Zhang Tian discovered that the Fire-ranked insects they had killed earlier were floating in the air.
"Aren't those the blue bugs we dealt with before? How are they possessing people?"
Fatty exclaimed.
It was clearly these Fire-ranked insects that were controlling the souls.
This showed that creatures that died around the Demon Pagoda would not vanish but would serve as a vessel for a soul.
Zhang Tian guessed this had something to do with the surrounding formations.
As long as the formations existed, the souls could not leave the Demon Pagoda.
"If we deal with these Fire-ranked insects, it should be enough,"
Zhang Tian said.
After he spoke, Hu Ba yi's peach wood sword waved continuously.
The next moment, a golden talisman flashed.
The golden talisman expanded in the air.
As the golden talisman continuously enlarged, its golden light and the talisman itself directly enveloped the Fire-ranked insects flying in the sky.
"Annihilate!"
With Hu Ba yi's sharp hand seal.
The golden talisman emitted dazzling golden light. As the light flashed, the entire Demon Pagoda seemed to shake.
The golden talisman, dozens of feet wide, was like a great seal, directly striking the Fire-ranked insects. The insects had no chance to resist and turned into dust.
As the Fire-ranked insects died, the souls gathered around began to clear up.
Their movements slowed down, and eventually stopped.
Zhang Tian also removed the protective shield.
He looked at the countless souls before him.
He didn't know how many years these souls had been trapped in the Demon Pagoda.
But judging by their appearance, they must have grown weary of this place.
"Xi Zi, Xi Zi, wake up."
Hu Ba yi approached his former comrade and shouted loudly.
As Hu Ba yi called out, Xi Zi seemed to hear something, and a trace of color gradually appeared in his eyes.
"Where is this? Hu Ba yi! Didn't I die?"
After recovering his senses, Xi Zi's face showed some confusion.
Xi Zi clearly remembered that he had been burned to death by the Fire-ranked insects while saving Hu Ba yi.
But why, upon waking again, was he standing here?
And Hu Ba yi was standing right in front of him.
Could it be that Hu Ba yi had also died?
"Hu Ba yi, you're not dead too, are you? I didn't expect none of our squad survived."
Tiger, another member, also regained his consciousness. They still remembered what happened before.
Hu Ba yi's eyes were slightly red.
Looking at his former teammates, Hu Ba yi felt a surge of emotion.
"No, I survived. Thank you, Xi Zi, thank you."
"Tiger, you too, and everyone else."
Hu Ba yi looked at his comrades, his excitement beyond words.
"Hu Ba yi, you're alive?! That's great, our sacrifice wasn't in vain. But why are we here? Logically, we should be dead, right?"
Xi Zi looked bewildered.
At this moment, the people around also gradually recovered.
They looked around in a daze.
Especially in this unfamiliar environment, which made the newly awakened feel immensely lost.
"Where is this?"
"Didn't I die in the storm?"
"Avalanche? I died in an avalanche."
"Where is this? Where is my Qin Dynasty army?"
A series of voices came from the surroundings.
They spoke different languages, and no one understood what anyone else was saying.
There were even a few foreigners standing around with looks of frustration.
Faced with the incongruous scene, their faces were filled with confusion.
"So we are dead, why are we here? Hu Ba yi, what exactly is going on?"
Xi Zi looked around.
His face was full of doubt.
The situation here left everyone perplexed.
"It's because of this Demon Pagoda that you are still lingering here. If you leave this place, you will die."
Hu Ba yi's hoarse voice fell.
After he spoke, Xi Zi and the others felt a violent pain in their heads, and then, countless memories flooded into their minds.
Decades of memories, and the long period of drifting, began to return.
For a moment, the expressions on Xi Zi and the others' faces began to change.
From their innocent and confused looks, they gradually turned to fear and terror.
"I remember, I remember everything."
"We have been drifting in this terrifying place for years. It's too horrifying, too oppressive. The dark space, the invisible giant hands... Hu, we don't want to stay here for another moment."
Xi Zi's face showed a hint of panic and intense fear.
Clearly, everything here had instilled fear in Xi Zi.
As Xi Zi and the others' memories returned, the memories of others during their time in the Demon Pagoda also surged forth.
For those like Xi Zi who had only been there for a few years, their expressions were relatively good. But for those who had been trapped here for thousands of years, every face showed signs of pain.
They wished they could die right now, but they couldn't.
"It's too terrifying, I don't want to be here anymore, someone save me out."
"This place is simply hell."
A chorus of laments echoed around.
Zhang Tian looked at the gradually rioting crowd with no change in his expression.
Imagine being trapped in a place for a thousand years, enduring torment every day. Without immense willpower, one's mind would surely break.
And the people before him were now on the verge of mental collapse.