Chapter 151: Blood‑Colored Vortex

Zhou Yi's mouth curved with a cold edge: "Do you see? This is the path of rebirth through fire."

The Ironblood Legion, tempered by the flames of war, follows the same truth; without facing life‑and‑death combat, how could it forge an invincible force? Zhou Yi stared at the battlefield with a resolute expression.

Although the Changlin Army today intimidated both races with its ferocity, in his eyes there remained a shortcoming that urgently needed remedy.

In the initial clash, many soldiers instinctively shivered before the Great Luo Demon King; this normal reaction to mortal threat caused the Heavenly Gang Formation to fail to fully unfold.

Only after standing toe‑to‑toe with the Demon King without faltering did this fresh elite truly transform. The starlight circulating within the formation grew ever brighter, and a spark of unshakable confidence ignited in the soldiers' eyes.

This was the crux of Zhou Yi's scheme: only by tempering in the mountains of corpses and the Sea of Blood could a sharp martial spirit capable of confronting and slaying deities be cultivated.

When this will fully coalesces, even with a Saint ahead, wherever the Human Race's battle banner points there will be tens of thousands of weapons in pursuit.

Of course, this requires countless baptisms of blood and fire, like a thousand blows and hundred refinements forging divine weapons.

"This battle is the first hammer in forging the sword," Zhou Yi tightened his grip on the sword at his waist, feeling the tremor from the battlefield.

At that moment, the forum's heated debate over cultivation systems caught his attention, providing a perfect chance to elaborate his concept.

The controversy over the Honghuang realm hinges on a misperception of the Great Luo Golden Immortal's position.

In this work's setting, although this realm can manipulate laws it does not reach eternity, for above it still stand Quasi Saints, Saints, and the Hongyuan Elders of the He Dao realm.

Moreover, the Quasi Saint stage spans a vast range, measured by the Three‑Body Severance; each severed body is like crossing a heavenly trench.

Corresponding to the Zhetian system, a Supreme Emperor roughly equals the threshold of entering Quasi Saint. The Red Dust Immortal, having broken the shackles of heaven and earth, possesses combat power far beyond ordinary True Immortals, comparable to a half‑step Immortal King in Perfect World.

As for those at the Immortal King realm, they intersect with Honghuang Saints; an ordinary Immortal King is comparable to a newly ascended Saint, while a supreme Immortal King approaches the Hongyuan level.

Within the closed loop of the final realm, the Immortal Emperor corresponds to the Great Dao Saint, the ultimate form that transcends karmic reincarnation.

Thus this structure preserves each system's traits while forming a unique balance of power.

Special thanks to the readers for their in‑depth discussions; every suggestion is a vital cornerstone in building this world.

The blood‑colored battle flag sliced through the lingering mist as the Changlin Army formed the Black Bird Formation, tearing the sky. A torrent of iron armor carved a thousand‑foot light scar between the clouds; where the spear tips pointed, demon clouds roiled, and four towering demon silhouettes were forced into view.

The Human Race's elite blade did not target the Great Luo realm's demon generals; at the instant the formation split light into shadow, three thousand dark armors fell like a meteor shower, striking the dense demon horde behind.

Bronze long spears ignited true golden crow fire; ordinary demon soldiers burned on contact, and charred demon pills fell to the ground like raindrops.

"Retreat and refine your soul!" the leading Red‑Scale Demon General roared, and the four demons presented their true demon weapons to erect a barrier.

They knew well this was a "besiege Wei to rescue Zhao" tactic, yet the Pillars of Punishment in the Demon Master Hall still bore three Golden Immortal skeletons; facing death on the battlefield, defying the Jiao Demon King's orders was even more terrifying.

On the dragon‑head battle chariot among the clouds, the Jiao Demon King's handheld thunder orb cracked with fissures.

The demon master's direct disciple narrowed his blood‑red vertical pupils, his gaze piercing the smoke of a hundred li and landing on the Human Race's central troops.

There floated four merit golden wheels, the four Human Race Great Luo who were born during the celestial omen three years ago.

"Let's see who loses composure first," he snapped his fingers, shattering the thunder orb; violet lightning coursed over the black‑iron heavy armor.

As a special envoy of the Demon Master Hall, even sparring with a newly risen Human of equal rank already diminished his own standing, let alone the opponent's commander who had yet to appear.

Suddenly, a violent tremor echoed from the north‑west demon formation. Under the blood‑colored battle flag, thousands of golden streaks flashed, and the Wolf Demon Guard at the Core Formation stage fell in sheets like waves of wheat.

The Jiao Demon King's half‑broken horn shattered in response, revealing it was a Human Race surprise squad composed entirely of Golden Immortals.

"Impossible!" a phantom dragon claw emerged from the demon clouds, reaching for the battlefield. The Human Race has existed only three 60-year cycles since its birth; even with the Heavenly Dao's favor, such a number of Golden Immortals far exceeds reason, unless they have mastered some forbidden art?

The Jiao Demon King's brows tightened; the situation now left him no room to stand aside, and if he did not act, the entire demon army might be annihilated here.

He did not yet know that the force sweeping the demon ranks before him was the Red Flame Army commanded by Sui Huang, whose five thousand elites had all reached the Golden Immortal realm.

From its inception, this expedition bore Zhou Yi's strategic design, created expressly to tear the battlefield stalemate.

Unlike the Changlin Army, which focuses on group combat, the Red Flame Army abandoned the Celestial Palace formation system, adopting flexible guerrilla tactics.

Whether three form a spearhead or five become a blade, these combat units scattered like meteors stirred a blood‑colored storm among the demons, leaving only broken demon corpses in their wake.

In the shadows, over a thousand elite of the Wind‑Wave Army waited for opportunity. This covert strike force, neither versed in formation assaults nor a lone powerhouse, wove a deadly net within the darkness.

Often the demon generals remain unaware of the danger while their throats already bleed. In this battle the Human Race's elite were fully deployed; aside from the rear‑guard Kaoshan Army, the three expeditions each displayed their strengths.

The battle layout was in fact a chain of killing formations meticulously arranged by Zhou Yi and Sui Huang. The Changlin Army's iron wall spanned the front line, using the Celestial Palace formation to clash hard against the four great demon commanders, successfully locking the demon hierarchy's attention.

The Wind‑Wave Army turned into invisible eyes and ears, observing every movement of the demon forces; the Red Flame Army seized the chance to slip through Chen Cang, striking deep into enemy territory.

When the Jiao Demon King realized the flank was collapsing, the black‑armor torrent had already carved a crimson breach in his formation.

Seeing demon blood soak the earth, the Jiao Demon King rose abruptly, his massive demon aura soaring straight into the heavens.

The dark‑ice battle glaive that had accompanied him for a thousand years burst through the void; where its blade pointed, space warped, its terrifying pressure bearing down on the Red Flame formation.

"Now we have a tough nut," Zhou Yi gazed at the sky‑bound demon clouds, lightly tapping his sword hilt with his fingertip: "Sui Huang, go weigh this demon commander."

Before his words finished, the red flame surged upward against the heavens.

Sui Huang condensed holy fire in his palm into a red‑flame spear, which collided with the dark‑blue blade that had burst through the void; in an instant the heavens and earth lost their hue, and the shockwave flattened ten li of demon clouds.

Amid the resonant clash of the two innate treasures, the true curtain was drawn.

When a divine instrument breaks the innate shackles, its power becomes like a bright moon compared to fireflies. The Jiao Demon King seemed to swing his battle glaive casually, yet the surging energy torrent could instantly shatter the Changlin Army's most elite formation.

Although the Red Flame soldiers were Human Race's valiant warriors, faced with this cross‑dimensional onslaught, some in the formation began to stagger backward. The Jiao Demon's battle glaive, sheathed in rending demon energy, gathered a sky‑blocking blood‑colored vortex above the army.

"How the lowly ants dare to slaughter the demon race!" accompanied by the Jiao Demon King's fierce shout, the blood‑colored vortex crashed down.

The protective aura of tens of thousands of Red Flame warriors shattered like thin paper, and despair began to spread among the bronze armor.

At the hair‑trigger moment, brilliant starlight flared on the horizon. Sui Huang, bearing the torch of civilization, burst through the void, the dancing flames in his palm turning into nine sky‑burning fire dragons.