Chapter 31: Seeing Trouble Ahead

"This mission is to eliminate them at all costs, swiftly and thoroughly," Di Cun continued, "Remember, Kun Peng, you must restore Taiyi's lost face; a great reward will follow upon completion."

Hearing that, a flash of light passed through Kun Peng's eyes; he had thought it was merely personal revenge, but now saw there were extra benefits.

As the Demon soldiers drew near, the valley seemed to suffer an earthquake, and many members of the Human Race stumbled.

However, after previously undergoing the baptism of Demon blood, their constitutions had been strengthened, and no casualties from panic occurred.

A Human Race warrior shouted, "Elders and children, fall back; the hunting team holds the front!"

The crowd quickly split into two groups; elders and children retreated to the rear, while the hunting team formed a tidy line inside the wall, ready to fight.

Xiao Ling'er and Shan led a force of over ten thousand, among whom were many Golden Core‑realm masters.

When Yao Yan and Fang Yun arrived, they saw the black, looming Demon Race army surge like storm clouds; they furrowed their brows, "Didn't the Demon Race promise a hundred years of peace? How come they return so soon? And the Human Race's main force is absent today—what a trouble."

The two exchanged a worried glance; since the Human Race entered the proper path, Zhou Yi and Shi Hao had been scouting separately, never expecting disaster to strike so suddenly.

Even with telepathic summons, they would need time to return. Now, the Human Race can only rely on its own strength to face the crisis.

The Demon Master Palace floated above the Human Race's camp like a massive black demonic mountain, exuding a chilling aura.

Then, clumps of black dense fog drifted from the Demon Master Palace, slowly encircling the entire Human Race camp like ghosts.

A heavy oppressive pressure followed, and the Demon soldiers' shouts rang through the valley, sharp and ear‑splitting.

The hunters at the front wore grim faces; they knew the foes before them were far beyond those of old, with countless Demon soldiers surrounding the entire valley.

A fierce red glare shone in their eyes, as if the people before them were merely prey awaiting slaughter.

Suddenly, a heart‑shaking dragon roar split the sky.

The defensive formation on the wall activated, its light flashing, shielding all of the Human Race inside.

This layer of protection eased everyone's nerves a bit, for confronting that overwhelming oppression was truly unbearable.

After briefly instructing the tribe, Yao Yan and Fang Yun swiftly leapt to the top of the wall, their gazes fixed on the massive palace above.

With a creak, the palace doors opened slowly, and Kun Peng's figure gradually emerged.

The moment he appeared, Yao Yan and Fang Yun's already stern brows tightened further; they sensed the powerful aura radiating from Kun Peng, stronger than any previous opponent, making his true strength impossible to gauge.

Seeing Yao Yan and Fang Yun, Kun Peng seemed slightly disappointed; he had hoped to test Zhou Yi's might, but only saw these two "minor figures." Thus, he assigned three great generals to deal with them.

All three were top‑tier elites, one of whom bore a faint dragon aura.

Then, Kun Peng formed a water sphere in his hand, hovering over the Human Race, which instantly turned into a torrent that poured down.

Had it not been for the wall's formation blocking it, the Human Race would likely have been annihilated.

Seeing this scene, the Demon soldiers cheered exuberantly.

Kun Peng coldly ordered the total destruction of the Human Race's Huang Cheng. The three generals surged like lightning toward Yao Yan and Fang Yun, while the Demon soldiers began pressing the Human Race's defenses.

Confronted with the situation, Xiao Lin, Xiao Ling'er and others fixed their gazes, meeting the enemy without fear.

They shouted rallying cries, charging first into the enemy ranks, engaging the Demon Race in fierce combat.

On the battlefield, the clang of metal and the blasts of spells intertwined, exposing the gap between ideal and reality; Human Race warriors fought bravely, but their outdated gear soon led to a grueling fight with heavy casualties.

Xiao Ling'er and Shan clutched the long blade, its edge already chipped, and the fighting spirit in their eyes gradually faded.

This encounter made them clearly realize the massive gulf in strength between the sides; when facing scattered Demon forces before, their squad had handled it with ease.

Yet now, confronting the Demon army, they saw how blind their prior confidence had been.

Nevertheless, they did not retreat, but swung their weapons fiercely, striving to share the burden for their tribe.

Seeing the dire situation, he fought while signaling the tribe to retreat behind the barrier.

Suddenly, the barrier glimmered with golden light, bathing everyone; a miracle occurred, wounds healed swiftly, and morale instantly rebounded.

"Is luck finally here?" someone shouted.

Immediately, a familiar voice rang in everyone's mind, "Hold on, I'm arriving right now."

Zhou Yi had just crossed Mount Buzhou when he received Sui Huang's distress call. His heart burned with urgency, and he rushed to the Renzu Buluo, activating a protective array to aid his people.

On the battlefield, Yao Yan and Fang Yun faced a severe challenge. As the seawater summoned by Kun Peng fell, the Demon generals moved like fish in water, especially the flood dragon, whose control of the currents was masterful.

Its whole body was encircled by a ghostly blue water ring, forming an impenetrable shield.

The flood dragon roared, "How dare you treat my water clan this way; today you will pay!" With that, a gleaming silver spear materialized in its hand, thrust toward Yao Yan.

The other two water demons swarmed Fang Yun, forcing him to summon Xing Tian for aid.

Kun Peng watched with cold eyes, sneering at the combat power before him, silently resolving to annihilate the enemy completely once he intervened.

Under the enemy's crushing pressure, Yao Yan's heart ignited with raging fury, "Today we settle this to the death!" His body erupted in golden flames, dazzlingly bright, causing the approaching flood dragon to recoil in shock, staring at the man.

The flame's power made everyone present feel a mortal threat.

The two demon generals flanking Fang Yun sensed the oddity, exchanged a glance, reached a consensus, and assigned one to aid the flood dragon against Yao Yan.

"Hey, today you'll see my strength; don't fall so quickly," Yao Yan gripped the Mysterious Heavy Ruler, golden flames instantly enveloping it.

To onlookers, it seemed he held a tiny sun in his hand, scorching and dazzling.

Raising the Mysterious Heavy Ruler for a powerful strike, a golden flame vortex roared out, charging straight at the two.

Confronted with the sudden assault, the flood dragon and that demon general flashed a hint of panic in their eyes.

If they resisted outright, they'd be gravely wounded. The demon general felt even greater terror, knowing the flame was extraordinary.

In the critical moment, the flood dragon abruptly pulled the demon general to block in front of itself.

"What are you doing?" the demon general shouted in terror.

Yet the flame was already at his eyes, leaving no time for thought.

He gave his all, erecting a water wall before him to resist, but the wall shattered the instant it touched the flame.

Seeing the danger, the flood dragon forcefully shoved the demon general into the flame, then stepped back a few paces.

The flame struck the demon general; his body convulsed in pain a few times before collapsing, the fire continuing to spread over him.