[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress":3,"chapter-evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-chapter-159":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Evolution: From Little Devil to Devil Empress",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1079829,1395,"Chapter 159: King of Knights [15] - Struggle","evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-chapter-159",159,"\u003Cp>After the Black Tulip team’s encounter with the bandits and the woman, their group didn’t meet any other danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they were attacked a couple of times by beasts that had bypassed the humans’ defenses at the border and entered the Empire’s hinterland, they suffered no casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the beasts that managed to bypass the defenses were not very powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the only reason that they were even able to get here was because of their relative weakness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers stationed at the border didn’t care enough to chase them down, knowing that the beasts would be unable to cause much damage to the Iron Armor Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing no danger and riding on carriages, the remaining journey was smooth and quick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, a large city appeared on the horizon, and the series of carriages slowly approached them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the carriage she was in came to an abrupt stop, Liora understood that they had finally arrived at their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a leap, she exited the carriage and gently landed on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, her eyes focused on the city in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had visited many cities throughout her two lives, she had to admit that this one was quite special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because of its large size nor because of the precious materials used to build it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, what attracted Liora’s attention was the many signs of battle remaining on the city’s stone walls, as well as the old, almost black, blood splattered all over them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city radiated a supreme fighting momentum, as if tens of thousands of Knights were stationed in it and were ready to battle against any invader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a city would be rare to meet even in the Crucible. Perhaps Devils are stronger than humans. But for a race to survive and spread throughout countless planes, it has to possess something unique.\", Liora sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning her head and looking at the guard team at the entrance, which was investigating the identities of the people entering the city, she turned to Eleanor and spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should go. Alpha, you follow the team. We will separate for now.\", she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Eleanor could say anything, Liora’s figure had already vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite being a True Knight, Eleanor failed to catch her traces, as if her existence had been erased by an invisible hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In shock, Eleanor couldn’t help but turn to Alpha, only to find that she remained calm despite her master’s disappearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, she subconsciously relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing herself to suppress her shock, Eleanor motioned the rest of the team to line up in the queue and prepared to undergo the guards’ investigation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At times like these, even her identity as a noble would not help her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>--\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Eleanor and the Black Tulip team were trying to enter the city, Liora had unknowingly already entered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Shadow Manipulation and shuttling through the darkness, she easily bypassed the city’s tight defenses without anyone discovering her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Death, fear, hatred, and even some faint hope...\", Liora couldn’t help but whisper as she glanced at the faces of the pedestrians around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, these people were not truly the city’s residents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, they were Knights and soldiers of the northern part of the Empire, summoned by Duchess Lobelia to fight against the beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This city was not the only one with such a mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were hundreds of such cities scattered throughout the northern border of the Empire, guarding against the beasts’ march.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But among these cities, this one is quite special...\", Liora realized as she raised her head and looked at the purple insignia painted on a high tower at the city’s center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with the powerful aura emanating from that place, she understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is where Duchess Lobelia, a Great Knight renowned throughout the Iron Armor Empire, was currently staying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right. As a noble of the Empire, Eleanor would of course not come to a random border city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like the rest of the nobles, she was requested to come here, assisting Duchess Lobelia to calm down the beast waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Liora followed the sounds echoing from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loud cries, the painful moans, and the sounds of metal clashing reached her ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, a large-scale battle was taking place over there, with thousands of participants on either side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take Liora long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, she had arrived at the other side of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout her journey, she had seen many injured Knights and soldiers, with many of them carried on the shoulders of their companions and brought towards the city’s center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the wall, Liora didn’t take the normal route. She pushed against the ground with her feet and launched herself up, soon landing elegantly on top of the stone wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the battle that she had been hearing all this time materialized before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side were the Knights and soldiers standing on the stone wall, while on the other were thousands of bloodthirsty beasts, which galloped towards the city with red eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The humans held bows, crossbows, and other mechanical contraptions, firing at the beasts and preventing them from getting close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liora noticed that thousands, if not tens of thousands, of corpses were already lying on the outer side of the wall, stacked on top of each other and creating a gruesome scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The metallic smell of blood and the countless negative emotions assaulted Liora’s senses. As a Devil, her senses were acute to such things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a Devil’s will was not strong enough, such an atmosphere would awaken their instincts and make them go crazy for blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liora suppressed those feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her attention remained on the scene around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the beasts charging towards the city were not very strong, their numbers seemed to be endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time one of them was shot down, another would pop up from behind, stepping on its companion and swiftly taking its place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, despite this terrifying sight, the soldiers on the wall continued firing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them chose to put down their weapons for even a second, much less flee and abandon their companions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liora could hear their whispered voices in between their tired breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Behind us stands the Iron Armor Empire. How can we allow these beasts to invade and harm our friends and family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With Duchess Lobelia as our support, we will surely emerge victorious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The human race shall prevail!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voices were low, and no one but them could hear them, but they seemed to provide these soldiers with power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Numb, they continued firing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just when Liora was about to grab a soldier and ask a few questions, a sudden change caused her movements to halt.\u003C\u002Fp>",1120,"2026-06-03T10:39:03.947Z",1,"novelbin.me","7a7aa0221637a8a1cb81ab804c6b66c6ca80e5b69080402f81fc2ec688e01763","evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-chapter-160","evolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-chapter-158",482,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fevolution-from-little-devil-to-devil-empress-cover.jpg"]