"By the time other forces notice, the demon realm's cities might already have fallen. It will be too late..."
The inner demon grinned, its face filled with uncontainable madness and excitement.
"I implore the Divine Emperor to issue an order, dispatching all forces to attack the demon realm!"
Mo Huai'an pursed his lips, stirred by the inner demon's words. His heart pounded, his hands clenched as if to tightly grasp all power and status.
"Guards! Declare war—!"
...
Within the Medicine Valley, the man stared directly at Long Yu opposite him, still feigning ignorance. "Stalling for time?"
He scoffed, his indifferent voice laced with provocation. "I don't understand what you mean."
Veins bulged on Long Yu's sword-wielding hand, his brows and eyes hardening. "Then I'll beat the truth out of you!"
With lightning speed, Long Yu appeared before the man.
*Boom—* The man dodged the horizontal sword strike, only to be caught off guard by a palm strike that sent him flying several meters away.
"Cough, cough..." He wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes fixed on Long Yu, filled with gloom and malice.
The blow was imbued with immense spiritual energy. The man's disheveled state clearly showed Long Yu was now going all out.
"You're just so-so..." The man staggered to his feet, gritting his teeth and enunciating each word, as if provoking Long Yu.
"Whether you're 'so-so' or not, you'll find out soon enough."
*Clang—!* Their swords clashed. The man could only resist for a moment before being blown away by the spiritual energy, crashing heavily onto the ground.
His hand bones seemed to have shattered... He pushed himself up, his body trembling like a sieve. His hands were also crushed by the immense spiritual energy, now a bloody mess.
*Crack.* The long sword beside him fell to the ground, shattering into several pieces, rendered useless.
Truly strong... The man spat out the sweet taste of blood, a faint, eerie smile playing on his lips.
"You have half an incense stick's time. If you choose to confess, I'll give you a quick death."
The chilling sword blade pressed against his neck, piercing slightly. The blood that seeped out flowed down the blade, dripping onto the ground.
"Confess...?" The man lowered his head and chuckled deeply. "Old man, don't you think it's a bit late?"
Late? What was late? Long Yu frowned, his expression grim. "You indeed had other plans."
"Hahahaha—" He burst into laughter, his body shaking with the force of it. Inadvertently, the sword at his neck dug in further.
But the man seemed oblivious to the pain. He suddenly raised his head, staring wildly at Long Yu, his eyes filled with delirium.
"It's late! Everything is too late! The King has played you all like puppets, yet you still think everything is going smoothly! Hahahaha—!"
Long Yu gripped his sword tightly, his face etched with an unprecedented solemnity. "What nonsense are you spewing!"
"You will, one by one, slowly fall from the Nine Heavens, descend from your divine altars, and finally perish..."
Facing the raving, seemingly insane leader of the demonized humans, Long Yu could no longer bear it. He raised his sword and slit his throat.
Bright red blood gushed out. The man's bloodshot eyes widened, filled with obsession and madness.
His throat was cut, his voice hoarse and terrifying. "They're coming... they're finally coming..."
Not dead yet? Long Yu gripped his sword and plunged it straight down, piercing the man's skull.
As the sword penetrated, the light in his eyes faded, and he instantly lost his life.
They're coming... What's coming...? Long Yu pulled out his sword, shaking off the blood.
The next moment, Jing Feng's voice, laced with anxiety and urgency, echoed from afar.
"Esteemed One! Are you alright—!"
Long Yu spun around sharply, seeing Jing Feng and Dongfang Wuji arriving one after another, followed by tens of thousands of demon realm soldiers.
They're here! The demonized humans were waiting for reinforcements!!!
Long Yu's body swayed, his face instantly turning ashen. "How could this be... they were waiting for... reinforcements?"
"Esteemed One!" Dongfang Wuji rushed forward, supporting Long Yu. "Esteemed One, how are you? Where..."
"Quick, back to the demon realm—!!!"
Jing Feng and Dongfang Wuji were startled. The demon realm soldiers following them plunged into the battle, clashing with the demonized humans.
The cries and screams of the surrounding demonized humans continued to erupt. The situation had clearly reversed with the arrival of the two.
But Long Yu stood unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing.
"Quick, back to the demon realm!!!" His eyes were bloodshot, finally understanding everything...
However, before Jing Feng and the other two could act, the communication jade pendants on their waists simultaneously grew scorching hot, as if burning through their robes.
Jing Feng's eyelids twitched, a deep unease settling in his heart. He stiffly unfastened the jade pendant and connected the call.
"Jing Feng!!! The Divine Realm colluded with the demonized humans! This was all the inner demon's stratagem to lure the tiger away from its den!!!"
Tang Yi's urgent voice rang out. Jing Feng's ears roared, his mind went blank, and he heard nothing more...
Beside him, Dongfang Wuji's pupils trembled, his entire body frozen as if petrified, unable to move.
At this moment, Lin Ze arrived with the demon race's forces, joining the operation to eliminate the demonized humans.
It's too late... Jing Feng lowered his head, his entire being as if he had lost his soul...
"It's too late..."
By the time they arrived, they had already used up most of their spiritual energy and stamina rushing to Medicine Valley.
Now, even if they rushed back to the demon realm with all their might, the war would likely be over...
Lin Ze, arriving late, froze in place upon learning the situation, bewildered. "How could this be...?"
He was the king of his race. Without him, Xiao Zi, even if she received the news, wouldn't be able to lead troops to support them...
Wouldn't the demon realm be isolated and helpless then?
"No! Perhaps it's not too late!" Lin Ze shook the dejected Jing Feng, his voice urgent.
"Don't you believe in the Demon Lord's strength?! Calm down!!!"
The Sovereign's strength... Right... The Sovereign couldn't possibly be in danger...
Jing Feng forced a smile, his limbs slowly returning to normal and becoming mobile. "Yes, the Sovereign is so powerful, nothing could happen to him..."
At the same moment, Bai Ran, who was cultivating, suddenly opened her eyes. The crimson earrings hanging from her ears were emitting a scorching heat.
Long Jinhan... Her dark eyes narrowed, a crimson glow swirling within them.