Chapter 504: A Great Slaughter Begins (Previous chapter: the town stone was missing a three-headed serpent)

A dark stretch of water.

The three great demons walked shoulder to shoulder, when suddenly one of them drew a deep breath and turned back to look at the troops, every one of them clad in resplendent fish-scale armor: "Feels a chill in my chest—let's hurry back to the fief."

The demon beside it, lion-like in appearance with hair like serpents, gave a noncommittal twitch at the corner of its mouth.

All three of them were great demon generals of Bai Yujing, and though they might count as the weaker ones among the eight who had earlier surrounded the Sky Soaring Pavilion, neither their strength, their breadth of vision, nor their courage could be faulted.

But that, too, depended on who they were compared against.

They had long heard of the fame of Su Hongxiu of the Heavenly Sword Sect, but after truly seeing her strike, even though the aquatic demons had dodged in advance to keep their losses from being too heavy, they still could not forget the sharpness of that sword-light, even after returning to the waters.

It was hard to imagine how many great demon generals could actually defend against it, if they truly took a hit.

"Rumors say this still isn't her full strength."

The three great demons exchanged glances, each seeing the lingering dread on the others' faces.

If that woman had shown her true form when she looked so young, even the Fourth Young Master would have found it hard to escape with his life beneath her sword.

The Fifth Prince might be able to put up a fight, but only one fight at that… They were all great generals of the South Long Gong, and even though their hearts leaned toward Ke Shiliang, they still found it hard to say he could surely defeat Su Hongxiu.

Being awed by that woman's sword-light was nothing to be ashamed of.

They only felt something slightly strange in their hearts.

As things stood now, the Dao Sons of the Xian Sect seemed to already show a faint trend of surpassing the younger generation of the South Long Gong; even the Fifth Prince, of the older generation of dragon princes, found dealing with these prodigies extremely taxing.

At the level of Bai Yujing, if they could not surpass the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong—

Then the South Long Gong's standing would rest entirely on the South Long Wang alone.

After all, the four older princes, though they possessed strength comparable to Hedao, were still somewhat immature compared to the sect lords of the Xian Sect, and there were two fewer of them besides.

Only the South Long Wang was certain to lose to no Hedaojing Sect Lord, and could even take on two at once without issue.

Add to that the fact that the South Long Wang's relationship with the West Long Gong was one of life-and-death brotherhood.

Only thus had they been able, over the past hundred thousand years, to keep the Seven Sons of Yu Nanhong suppressed within the Hedao treasure-land, and hold over seventy percent of the say in the Yu Nanhong region.

But a Long Wang would, after all, grow completely old, and after his immortal passing, while the South Palace's strength would plummet, the closeness with the West Palace would also fade with time.

The Xian Sect's treasure-land, on the other hand, could be passed down generation to generation, and almost nothing would go wrong.

The Fourth Young Master, outstanding among the dragon grandsons, being outshone by Su Hongxiu, could also prove from the side that the South Long Gong's decline was already very evident.

"These matters aren't for the likes of us to worry about."

The tallest demon waved a hand, cutting off the other two's silence: "Among the Dao Sons there may be someone like Su Hongxiu, but there's also the likes of Bai Wu, a good-for-nothing who can only show off a sharp tongue; the dragon grandsons haven't yet truly received the Long Wang's teaching, so who's stronger and who's weaker is still hard to say."

"Perhaps we were just startled by that one sword." Another great demon sighed with a smile.

Opening three great cities already counted one among the top-tier experts below Hedao; only three or four dragon grandsons could stand against it.

What's more, according to the intelligence currently in hand, the opponent's Hongmeng Heavenly Soldiers were very likely more than one.

"We're back in the water—what is there still to be afraid of?"

The last great demon shook its head, strode forward, and offered comfort: "A great disaster survived is a blessing to come."

Today it was also thanks to the Fifth Prince's momentary forbearance that they had snatched their lives back, but the Prince surely had fire in his heart—otherwise he would not have led his troops straight back to the Long Gong.

Generals like themselves should hurry back to guard their fiefs, and not let any trouble arise, lest they cause problems at such a critical juncture.

A long, straight trench at the bottom of the sea.

It looked gloomy and oppressive.

Between the orderly footfalls of the demon soldiers, the resplendent fish-scale armor pieces clattered.

A full three hundred plus, among them the lowest cultivation was already close to the late Return-to-Void stage, and they advanced with practiced battle formations, with dedicated scouts watching in every direction.

"…"

A faint, almost imperceptible sound seemed to come from above.

Shen Yi stared silently at the bottom of the trench, a robe of ink-black blending with the gloom of the trench around him; he looked at the jade slip in his palm, and a few degrees of ruthless sharpness gradually rose in his clear eyes.

It wasn't every time one got the chance to catch the troops resting.

What's more, there were three great demon generals of Bai Yujing traveling together here.

They were not pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

To swallow this group of Long Gong soldiers quietly was almost impossible—they would certainly get word out.

After waiting patiently for a long time and finding that still no better chance appeared—

Shen Yi still chose to step slowly out of the shadows.

If that's how it is, then take them by force.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

They sensed something amiss.

Without any need for orders, the entire demon soldier formation had already simultaneously taken a ready stance, looking toward both ends of the trench.

As if sensing something, they stared fixedly into that darkness, their expressions changing drastically!

The three great demon generals of Bai Yujing raised their heads to look upward, and upon noticing the ink-robed figure gazing down at them, their eyelids twitched slightly, and in an instant they had their weapons in hand.

Vast demonic qi surged skyward!

Their opening move was a killing technique!

As if to stir up the entire stretch of water, turning it into a massive whirlpool, like a roaring dragon, they lunged to kill toward the top of the trench in the water.

Boom—

The roar had barely risen before it was as if a hand had seized it by the throat.

The terrifying whirlpool rapidly weakened, until the entire stretch of water returned to calm.

From the dark water-curtain ahead of the trench, figures of varying heights stepped out slowly—seven in all—and as their faces grew clearer, the expressions upon them were utterly indifferent.

"Heh… heh…"

The three great demon generals of Bai Yujing reacted with extreme speed, drawing together, each gripping their weapon, forcing themselves to stay calm.

And as those seven figures gradually drew closer.

They only felt a chill run down their backs, and even the long-handled weapons in their palms grew slick with sweat.

It wasn't that the three great demons had weak hearts.

Rather, demons of Bai Yujing caliber like these — to put it bluntly — even the Fifth Prince's banner only numbered six.

The opposing force… was more terrifying than a single Long Gong Prince!

In this stretch of Yu Nanhong, when had such a massive aquatic force appeared, and yet the South Long Gong remained completely unaware.

And when they finally steadied their hearts and clearly saw those familiar faces.

The three great demons felt even greater fear, their palms trembling without their realizing it. Outsiders might find it hard to imagine — what kind of experience it was to watch so many companions who had once shared wine and laughter with them, now walking toward them expressionless, brimming with killing intent.

It even made them entertain the thought that the Long Gong intended to purge them all.

"Scatter from this place! Send word to the Long Gong!"

Still, it was that demon with a face like a green lion and hair like long serpents who restrained his emotions and saw through the oddity of these "companions" — beneath their lifelike exteriors, they clearly carried the aura of things that were not alive.

He first took out a conch to transmit a message, only to find the signal blocked by some invisible prohibition.

He let out a furious roar and immediately leapt into the air!

Yet the figure that had just taken flight was instantly swallowed by several Town Stones that had likewise surged up from the opposite side.

"Hah!"

The remaining soldiers reacted with equal speed, leaping up in hopes of escaping this long gorge.

Over three hundred figures surged out at once, scattering like a school of fish, dazzling to the eye.

Besides, they were no fish.

Had they not joined the Long Gong demon army, every one of them, set loose outside, would have been a renowned and feared demon.

Though it looked chaotic on the surface, in truth they coordinated in secret, only to shield the fastest-moving aquatic demons and escort them out of the gorge — even their escape routes never clashed.

What was more terrifying was that they had needed no discussion whatsoever before executing these moves.

At this moment, above the long gorge, a head that blotted out the sky slowly emerged — deer antlers on its crown, whiskers and mane rippling, a pair of eyes glinting with fierce light, its faintly visible body covered in green scales.

A pair of dragon claws quietly hooked onto the gorge's edge.

This azure dragon gazed down upon the scene below, then opened its blood-red maw wide — between fangs flashing with cold light and a crimson forked tongue, a roar that nearly took solid form burst forth!

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The many demons at the forefront were flung back by this wave of sound, spear wounds mysteriously appearing on their fish-scale armor, crumbling to ash at a speed visible to the naked eye — flesh and scale shells splintering apart, sloughing off from bone-white skeletons.

The demons further behind were also forced back down to the ground.

Unable to bear the horror, they summoned all their demonic power to resist, yet still stumbled back step after step, some even pinned to the ground by that overwhelming aura!

Azure Dragon Shatters the Stars.

A single spear — three hundred demons subdued!

The azure dragon raised its head, and between the phantom images of its dragon horns, a youth in dark robes stood suspended with his spear, his eyes brimming with violet intent. With that spear-tip's edge, he carved across these waters a terrifying gulf of despair — one that seemed impossible to cross in a lifetime.

Behind the long gorge.

A rumbling like the earth shaking and mountains trembling suddenly arose.

A mountain-like, flowing-gold giant tortoise strode forward on four limbs, its advance thunderous and overwhelming. Beneath that terrifying bulk and its incomparably sturdy demonic body, countless demons were simply trampled to pieces!

Puchi! Puchi!

The appearance of the eighth Bai Yujing Town Stone left these demons utterly in despair.

On the panel, the demons' lifespans began to skyrocket!

"…"

Shen Yi, however, silently scanned the surroundings. The grand formation he had set up in advance did not seem to have fully blocked the messages transmitted through those conches.

Thinking of this.

He casually sheathed his long spear, his form dropping straight down to the bottom of the valley.

Following behind Wu Jun, wherever they passed, the dense carpet of severed limbs and broken arms was all swept into the thumb-ring.

"Move faster."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin, then, right in front of the remaining demons, began sorting the corpses by category, and with practiced ease began reshaping demon souls and condensing Town Stones.

The three great demons coordinated seamlessly, making up for their lack of strength.

Even while facing seven Town Stones at once, they had held on until now without perishing.

By comparison, when Shen Yi hadn't planned ahead, his Town Stones fought more like each on their own, occasionally even wounding their own side.

But just then, the three great demons suddenly sensed the emergence of a ninth Bai Yujing aura, and in an instant they turned to stare blankly back.

Another familiar face appeared in their line of sight, yet the realm aura emanating from him made their hearts pound with dread — and at the same time, they found it absurdly laughable.

Under their painstaking cultivation, those elite soldiers and fierce generals had failed to break through to Bai Yujing.

Yet now, in the hands of that dark-robed youth, it was accomplished with ease at an unimaginable speed.

These tangled feelings quickly condensed into a suffocating, overwhelming terror.

"Evil cultivator! Evil cultivator! We must report to Immortal Hongze — we must be rid of you, this monstrous fiend against the very order of heaven!"

The shrill, anguished howls echoed unceasingly through the gorge.

They had already been outnumbered from the start.

The three great demons' brief daze and the collapse of their mental defenses were instantly seized upon by the Town Stone demons. Within the span of just a few breaths, they were picked off one by one and slain in succession!

The moment the panel notification rose.

Shen Yi had already recalled all the Town Stones to his glabella, and one after another, demon origins condensed out, all flowing into the demon souls.

He wouldn't even waste time sitting cross-legged to adjust.

He hurried quickly toward the next direction recorded in the jade slip.

What evil cultivator or demon lord? It was nothing more than a starving diner.

He had to act before the Long Gong's Dao Merging realm great demon could react, and snatch as many delicacies as he could.

……

Fourth Dragon Grandson's Palace.

Exquisite glazed cups each emitted a faint white glow, illuminating the entire grand hall as bright as day.

Any random ornament placed outside would be a treasure worth a fortune.

Everyone knew a single red dragon could never become a Long Wang, so to keep Old Fourth Ke's heart, the South Long Gong had given him many compensations.

Such as a palace far more lavish than the other dragon grandsons enjoyed, all manner of heaven-sent treasures reserved for dragon sons, and even the military authority of a dragon son, entrusting him to lead five extraordinary Bai Yujing generals.

Under such generous treatment.

The only demand placed on Old Fourth Ke was to keep watch over the waters near Yu Nanhong's Seven Sons, and report any news or changes to the Long Gong at the first moment.

As the years passed.

He would become a great demon on par with the Dao Merging realm, guarding the house for the South Long Gong.

Yet at this moment, the palace was utterly empty, with only two figures left raising cups to drink.

The rich wine fragrance was clearly no ordinary thing.

On any normal day, even the most valued Bai Yujing demon generals under Little Fourth Lord's command would find it hard to enjoy such fine nectar, let alone drink their fill until their minds grew hazy.

The Long Gong's demands on Little Fourth Lord were truly very low.

But even this single demand had been defied.

From the moment Old Fourth Ke concealed the news of Little Thirteen's death, he absolutely could not afford to lose... Now that things had reached this state, he could only bring his family and many soldiers and generals to the Long Gong, paying the price of surrendering military authority, to beg the Long Wang's forgiveness.

"Is there really no saving it?"

The tall insect demon, eyes blurred with drink, slowly set down his cup, a fierce glint rising in his eyes: "What's the use of us guarding this pile of dead things here? If the Long Wang refuses to show mercy, our futures are finished, our lives at risk."

"Not necessarily." Though the other great demon was similarly drunk, he clearly still maintained the most basic sanity.

He shook his head, suddenly lowering his voice: "That news came from Little Seventh Lord... Little Seventh Lord has already died at the hands of Su Hongxiu of the Heavenly Sword Sect... So there's still room to turn things around."

"Little Fourth Lord will certainly try to provoke a few of the princes, pushing all the blame onto Yu Nanhong's Seven Sons... When that time comes, you and I must kill more, kill even more—best to cut down a thousand Xian Sect disciples' heads... There's still a chance."

"Trample Nanyang Nanyang Baodi flat!"

This great demon clenched his fist hard, as if comforting himself, his rough voice growing more resolute: "As for now, let's just get thoroughly drunk, don't think too much, just wait for Little Fourth Lord's news."

"Get thoroughly drunk..."

The tall insect demon shook his head, looking toward the white jade throne at the front of the grand hall, and laughed with a slightly foolish air: "I think I'm already drunk."

Upon that pristine white throne.

A figure in dark robes swayed gently; a handsome young man sat leaning back, calmly examining the glazed wine cup in his hand, lightly swirling the wine within, then gently setting it down on the table.

Bang.

A faint sound rang out in the grand hall, like a prelude, immediately followed by footsteps serving as accompaniment.

The other great demon stared woodenly outside the hall.

He saw shadows of figures, unhurriedly stepping into the hall, their bodies stained with blood, as if they had just fought their way out of a mountain of corpses and sea of blood, radiating an aura that made the entire grand hall tremble.

One... six... twelve... eighteen...

A full eighteen figures stood quietly before the two demons. Wu Jun bent down, reached out and took the wine cups from their hands, carefully passing them to another Zhen Stone, and said softly: "Set them down carefully, these all belong to my lord, don't damage them."

Before the words had finished.

Wu Jun's palm was already pressed on the insect demon's head, smashing its skull violently onto the stone table.

Boom! The stone table shattered! Along with it, the entire grand hall floor sank downward with a thunderous crash.

He bent down, lifted the insect demon's head again, brought it to the other's ear, and asked softly: "What did you just say you were going to trample flat, hmm?"

(End of chapter)