Chapter 661: Battlefield

Xiao Jianguo brought Li Yi to a defensive line on the eastern side.

This area had been ravaged by battle, left in ruins, with few alarm devices stationed here, and even fewer cultivators remaining—apparently, heavy losses from a previous clash had yet to be replenished.

After all, facing the Demon God Realm, ordinary cultivators were useless; only those with great strength could hold the line.

And right now, finding such powerful cultivators was the hardest thing of all.

"Li Yi, this section is in your hands. I'll do my best to send more personnel soon and restore this stretch of the defense." Xiao Jianguo said.

Li Yi scanned the surroundings, then said: "No need. The masters who can stop Heavenly Demons aren't available to you, and anyone else sent here would just die. This is enough—I'll hold it alone."

"That won't do," Xiao Jianguo said. "Too few people, and the rest are weak—only Qi Refining level, and only one Nascent Soul cultivator. If a demon from the Demon God Realm attacks, you'll be fighting alone."

Li Yi said: "The others only need to handle alerts. If I can win, more people won't help. If I can't win, adding more won't change a thing."

His magic power was vast; he wasn't afraid of prolonged battles or being outnumbered—as long as he could defeat his opponent.

Xiao Jianguo said: "It's good you have such confidence, but I'll still try to pull some personnel to assist you—even just easing your burden a little helps."

He didn't want to place the entire pressure of a defensive line on one person; as the commander of the Demon God Realm front, that was unacceptable.

"Do as you like," Li Yi said. "But I always keep my promises—I'll stay here for thirty days."

"Good. Then this section is yours," Xiao Jianguo said. "But I must clarify one thing: once you accept this mission, you cannot desert your post during its duration."

"Of course. I understand the rules." Li Yi said.

"Good." Xiao Jianguo finished, saluted Li Yi, then strode away.

After he left, Li Yi wasted no time and immediately began work.

Since he'd be staying here thirty days, he needed a solid plan—to prepare for any crisis that might arise in that time.

First, he needed a safe place to rest.

He couldn't spend every day trembling on this shattered battlefield—if a Heavenly Demon suddenly attacked and he died carelessly, that would be a waste.

Li Yi now took out Tianyi Palace.

It was a Dao Artifact-level imperial palace; even a Great Demon couldn't easily break through. Staying inside Tianyi Palace was very safe.

He casually tossed it down, and Tianyi Palace immediately transformed.

In the blink of an eye, a fortress-like structure stood firmly on the earth.

This was the advantage of a Dao Artifact—it could assume any form. He sealed off all other areas of Tianyi Palace, leaving only one great hall open for his rest.

The sudden appearance of this structure immediately drew the attention of other cultivators on the defensive line.

They flew toward it from all directions.

"What's going on? How did a fortress suddenly appear? Is this a new defense structure? It looks strange—no weapon emplacements, and it doesn't seem very sturdy."

"I just heard: a powerful cultivator named Li Yi has taken command here. That man beside the fortress must be him."

"Finally, a real expert has been sent! Without him, this line couldn't hold."

Several voices murmured.

Only four cultivators gathered—three were Qi Refining level, among the weakest here; the woman was stronger, possessing Nascent Soul cultivation, with traces of Daoist cultivation techniques.

"Hello, are you Li Yi?" the lead woman asked politely.

"I'm Li Yi. Xiao Jianguo sent me to command this line. Are you the cultivators stationed here?" Li Yi asked.

"Yes, I'm Su Mu. Pleased to meet you," Su Mu said. "These are Tao Sheng, Pan Hongjie, and Lu Yi."

She then introduced the three men beside her.

All three were military experts, dressed identically. Though only Qi Refining level, they radiated a blood-soaked, iron-willed aura—as if forged through countless battles, tempered by fire. Though their realms weren't high, few in their own level could defeat them.

"Hello, I'm Li Yi. We're teammates now. Let's work together and hold this line." Li Yi greeted them warmly, showing no arrogance despite his superior strength.

The three responded warmly—they'd be fighting side by side for a long time.

"Good timing—I'll introduce you to this fortress," Li Yi said, pointing to the structure. "It's a magic treasure, highly defensive. I'm using it as a temporary rest area—you won't be attacked while inside."

"Since we're teammates, I'm not stingy—you're welcome to rest here too."

"Wonderful!" Su Mu exclaimed with delight. "With a safe place like this, we won't have to stay awake all night watching the alarms."

Even cultivators grew mentally strained without rest—they needed a secure refuge.

"Li Yi, I know this is bold, but could the three of them rest inside for one day first? They haven't slept properly in a month. Meanwhile, I'll tell you about the defense line." Su Mu added quickly.

"No problem. Go rest inside. I'll hold the line for now." Li Yi nodded.

Tao Sheng, Pan Hongjie, and Lu Yi were all quiet. They simply nodded, accepted without ceremony, and walked toward the fortress to rest for a day, recovering their strength for the coming crisis.

After they left, Su Mu immediately said: "Li Yi, I know this is impolite, but I must confirm: what level of demons can you handle?"

"I killed a Heavenly Demon on my way here. Below Great Demon, none are a match for me," Li Yi said. "And my strength will improve with further battle—I'm not worried."

"You killed a Heavenly Demon?" Su Mu's eyes lit up. "I didn't expect you to be this strong—even a Heavenly Demon isn't your match. I knew we couldn't be this unlucky forever. Finally, a true expert has arrived."

Being able to fight a Heavenly Demon meant casualties on this line would be minimal.

As for Great Demons—they were rare. If one appeared, the line's top defenders would handle it; no need for them to worry.

"Li Yi, come with me; I'll show you the extent of our assigned defensive line and some key precautions." Then, Su Xing rose into the air, signaling Li Yi to follow.

"Li Yi, come with me. I'll show you the scope of our defensive zone and key precautions." Su Mu rose into the air, signaling Li Yi to follow.

Li Yi, new here, needed to understand the terrain—he summoned golden auspicious clouds beneath his feet and followed.

Soon, Su Mu flew him a distance toward the Demon God Realm.

"Within this hundred-kilometer stretch, we've deployed various alarm devices and detection equipment; as soon as a beast appears, an alert triggers immediately. Of course, these devices must be constantly replenished, since the enemy frequently destroys them."

"Within this hundred-kilometer stretch, we've placed various alarm devices and detection equipment. Any demon appearance triggers an alert—but these instruments must be constantly replaced, as the enemy frequently destroys them."

"So we must stay alert. Sometimes the alarm is a feint—just to exhaust us. Sometimes, it's a real attack."

"Our zone stretches from there to here. The real danger lies to the north—that's the path to the Demon God Realm. All demons come from that direction."

Su Mu explained continuously, sharing her experience without reservation.

He felt he needed to learn humbly, not grow arrogant or complacent—after all, this was a battlefield. Even if he had three-flower realm experts guarding his back, there would always be moments too late to call for help, so in critical times, he had to rely on himself.

He knew he must stay humble, not grow complacent—this was a battlefield. Even if he had Three Flowers Realm masters behind him, there'd be moments when help came too late. In the end, he had to rely on himself.

After touring the area, Su Mu stopped at the line's end: "This is the farthest we can safely reach. Beyond is the Demon God Realm's territory."

Li Yi looked up and saw, across the grasslands, a mountain range had appeared—like a wall dividing the Demon God Realm from Earth.

Above the mountains, demonic aura drifted, and banners fluttered.

He saw clearly: one banner bore ancient demon script. Though he didn't know its meaning, he guessed it read: "Tian Yue."

Because all these demons answered to the Tian Yue Demon King's orders to invade Earth.

Between the two lines, the land was utterly ruined—blood-red earth, scattered demon carcasses, the bones of fallen cultivators, and shattered weapons.

This was a bloody battlefield.

As Li Yi gazed toward the enemy side, demons on the mountain-wall were gazing back.

In moments, he felt dozens of murderous gazes converge upon him.

"We can't stay here. Demons of the Demon God Realm have terrible tempers—they often charge out to fight us, and that's why battles here erupt constantly."

Su Mu sensed the danger, her heart tightening. "Let's retreat quickly—avoid unnecessary conflict."

"Do they have Great Demons on their side?" Li Yi asked.

"They certainly have Great Demons stationed, but they rarely act. Heavenly Demons attack frequently—that's why we desperately need experts who can fight them," Su Mu said.

Clearly, even in the Demon God Realm, Great Demons weren't common—couldn't be summoned at will.

"If Great Demons don't move, we have nothing to fear." Li Yi glanced once more, then slowly withdrew with Su Mu, returning to their own defensive zone.

(End of Chapter)