Chapter 947

Building walls, deploying troops, constructing cities, stockpiling forces.

Translation: "Build walls, set up formations, construct cities, stockpile troops."

The army of the Supreme Demon Nation possesses rationality and restraining power beyond imagination.

Translation: "The army of the Supreme Demon State possessed rationality and restraining power beyond imagination."

They did not launch an immediate attack on the northern Wu Kingdom's territory, not even sending out scouts; instead, they steadily built forward military outposts, appearing calm and composed.

Translation: "They did not launch an attack toward the northern Wuguo territory at first notice, nor did they send out a single scout; they merely steadily built forward military outposts, appearing calm and composed."

Wu Tie could roughly guess their intentions.

Translation: "Wu Tie could roughly guess their thoughts."

These demon folk were full of confidence in their own strength.

Translation: "These Demon State fellows were full of confidence in their own strength."

They firmly believed Wu Kingdom could not be their match, so no probing attacks or scouts were needed; everything was as easy as picking snails with three fingers, a sure thing.

Translation: "They firmly believed Wuguo could not be their match, so no probing attack was needed, no scouts needed; everything was as easy as picking up snails with three fingers, a sure thing."

They mobilized troops and commanders, stockpiled sufficient forces, then launched a furious push to completely flatten the Wu Kingdom.

Translation: "Mobilize troops and commanders, stockpile sufficient forces, then launch a furious push to directly raze the entire Wuguo."

"I suppose that's their plan?"

Translation: "\"I suppose this is their plan, then? \""

Wu Tie furrowed his brows and sent out an order—let Li Ergou work harder, cannot let these demon armies have it too easy.

Translation: "Wu Tie furrowed his brows and sent out an order—let Li Ergouzi be more diligent, cannot let these Demon State armies have it too easy."

Thus, on the night the Yin Wu Eagle's banner was raised, a group of limbless, poorly made giant god soldiers—using inferior materials, no special alloy, just a bit of refined steel—slowly trudged toward the demon nation's military city.

Translation: "Thus, on the night when Yin Wu Jiu's military banner was raised, a group of limbless Giant God Warriors made of extremely inferior materials, not using any special alloy at all, only a little bit of refined steel, slowly walked toward the Demon State's military city."

Over three hundred maimed giant god soldiers, their chests patched with mismatched scraps, moved slowly and clumsily, emitting a constant "ding-ding-dang" clatter, occasionally collapsing in the mountains.

Translation: "Over three hundred limbless Giant God Warriors, their chests patched with mismatched scraps, moved slowly and clumsily, emitting a 'ding ding dang' clatter all the way, occasionally tumbling in the mountains."

In this miserable way, they inched bit by bit to the outskirts of the already sizable demon military city.

Translation: "They thus, extremely despondently, inched bit by bit to the outskirts of the already sizable Demon State military city."

The demon nation's army was extremely elite; even though these three hundred-plus defective giant god soldiers were still a hundred li from the walls, the demon soldiers on the ramparts had already spotted them.

Translation: "The Demon State army was extremely elite; when these three hundred-plus defective Giant God Warriors were still a hundred li from their walls, the Demon State soldiers on the walls had already detected their presence."

On the walls, skull-shaped demon mirrors lit up, bathing a radius of several hundred li in a vast greenish magical light.

Translation: "On the walls, skull-shaped demon mirrors lit up, large swaths of cyan-green demonic light illuminating the surrounding hundreds of li in brightness."

Previously, the Yin General, accompanied by a large retinue, burst out from the gate tower, stood on the wall, and solemnly observed the giant god soldiers.

Translation: "Previously, the Yin General, accompanied by a large retinue, burst out from the gate tower, stood on the wall, and solemnly gazed at the Giant God Warriors."

"Tsk… this is!" the Yin General's brow flashed a gray mystic light; his vast demonic thought, like flowing water, swiftly swept over the troop, penetrating their bodies, revealing every internal and external detail in crystal clarity.

Translation: "\"Tsk… this is! \" the Yin General's brow flashed a grayish gloomy light; his vast demonic thought, like flowing water, swiftly swept over the group of Giant God Warriors, penetrating their bodies, examining every internal and external detail clearly."

"Tsk… this is!" the Yin General suddenly burst out laughing: "Ha, ha, ha, using spirit crystals to drive the demon-slaying divine thunder? Tsk, that power is no small thing—let these trash bear it?"

Translation: "\"Tsk… this is! \" the Yin General suddenly burst into laughter: \"Ha, ha, ha, Demon-Exterminating Divine Thunder powered by origin crystals? Tsk, that power is indeed not small, having these wastes bear it? \""

The Yin General laughed, pointed forward, and a towering thousand‑chi‑high demon puppet began to stride slowly, each step covering several li, positioning itself before the troop in the span of a breath.

Translation: "The Yin General laughed, pointing forward with a wave of his hand; a towering demon puppet a thousand zhang tall slowly stepped forward, each stride covering several li, blocking the Giant God Warriors in an instant."

The three‑hundred‑plus giant god soldiers staggered, surrounded the massive demon puppet, and slowly climbed up its toes onto its back.

Translation: "Over three hundred Giant God Warriors stumbled, encircling the huge demon puppet, slowly climbing from its toes onto its dorsum."

After waiting silently for a dozen breaths, the giant god soldiers' bodies flashed red all over and then exploded.

Translation: "After silently waiting a dozen breaths, these Giant God Warriors flashed red all over and then exploded."

Lightning splashed, plasma flooding like water over the demon puppet's feet.

Translation: "Lightning burst and splashed, plasma like water flooding the demon puppet's soles."

Countless bolts of electricity flickered; a dim black sheen shimmered over the puppet's surface; the self‑detonation of the three‑hundred‑plus giant god soldiers inflicted no damage at all, not even marring the smooth hide on its feet.

Translation: "Countless bolts of electricity flickered violently; a layer of dim, dark luster shimmered on the demon puppet's surface; the self-detonation of over three hundred Giant God Warriors could not harm it in the slightest, not even damaging the smooth hide on its soles."

In the high rear sky, a dozen or so high‑speed airships, each thirty‑plus zhang long, screamed through the air like moths to a flame, shooting out from clouds hundreds of li above.

Translation: "In the rear high sky, over a dozen high-speed flying ships thirty-odd zhang long screamed, tearing the air like moths to flame, shooting out from clouds hundreds of li above."

These slender, scar‑covered high‑speed airships emitted a sharp tearing sound; in just a few dozen breaths they crossed hundreds of li and slammed head‑on into the giant demon puppet's chest.

Translation: "These slender, scar-covered high-speed flying ships emitted sharp tearing sounds; in just thirty-odd breaths they spanned hundreds of li and slammed headfirst into the colossal demon puppet's chest."

Inside these airships were packed with fire‑attribute spirit crystals and heaps of demon‑slaying divine thunder.

Translation: "Inside these flying ships were filled with fire-attribute origin crystals, and moreover packed with heaps of Demon-Exterminating Divine Thunder."

The thousand‑chi‑tall demon puppet was engulfed in the firelight from the airship explosion; its dim black surface suddenly flared, and its massive, hill‑sized body merely twitched slightly.

Translation: "The thousand-zhang-tall demon puppet was entirely engulfed in the firelight from the flying ships' explosion; its surface dim dark luster suddenly brightened, and though it stood as tall as a thousand zhang, its massive body like a small mountain merely twitched slightly."

After the firelight from the airship blast faded, the puppet's dark glow also dimmed.

Translation: "After the firelight from the flying ships' explosion faded, the demon puppet's surface dark luster also dimmed."

This demon puppet remained utterly unharmed; emerald‑green magical light flickered in its eye sockets as it let out a deep, resonant roar toward the northern sky.

Translation: "This demon puppet remained unscathed; its eye sockets flickered with emerald demonic light, and it emitted a deep, resonant call toward the northern high sky."

Wave after wave of hurricane‑force gusts spread from the puppet's surface, the tremendous sound shaking the surrounding forest trees like a tide spreading in all directions.

Translation: "Wave after wave of hurricane spread from the demon puppet's surface outward, the massive sound waves shaking the surrounding forest giants, expanding like tidal waves in all directions."

The Yin General stood on the wall, sneered contemptuously: "Just petty skirmishes, not worth the stage; once the demon lord wipes out the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty's rebel army and frees his hands, it will be the time of your Wu Kingdom's downfall."

Translation: "The Yin General stood on the wall and gave a mocking cold laugh: \"Petty skirmishes, not worth the stage; once the demon lord exterminates that Fufeng Divine Dynasty rebel army and frees his hands, it will be the time of your Wuguo's destruction. \""

While those giant god soldiers and airships were ludicrously attacking the demon forces under the Yin General's command, the golden‑armored youth of the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, accompanied by a few subordinates, had already sneaked to within less than a hundred li of the demon city's walls.

Translation: "Just as those Giant God Warriors and flying ships were attacking the Yin General's demon forces in a laughable manner, the gold-armored youth of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty had already brought a few subordinates, sneaking to a point less than a hundred li from the Demon City's wall."

A palm‑sized cloth floated above the golden‑armored youth's head, continuously emitting five‑colored cloud light that enveloped their bodies.

Translation: "A palm-sized silk scarf hovered above the gold-armored youth's head, continuously emitting five-colored clouds that enveloped their bodies."

The five‑colored cloud light possessed superb concealment; even when the Yin General just scanned the giant god soldiers with his demonic thought, he failed to detect the youth's party.

Translation: "These five-colored clouds possessed extremely strong concealment; when the Yin General just now used demonic thought to scan those Giant God Warriors, he actually failed to detect the whereabouts of the gold-armored youth and his party."

The golden‑armored youth drew a green longbow nearly as tall as himself, nocked an arrow made of bird bone, drew it slowly, and loosed the shot.

Translation: "The gold-armored youth drew a green longbow nearly as tall as his body, nocked an arrow seemingly made of avian bone, slowly drew the bow, and shot an arrow."

The arrow flew forth silently, its trail like light, like electricity, like a dream, moving at extreme speed.

Translation: "The arrow flew forth soundlessly; its shadow was like light, like electricity, like a dream, its speed pushed to the extreme."

A strange gray demonic sigil suddenly appeared on the Yin General's brow; he let out a low, guttural roar, and instinctively his waist bent backward as if split by a heavy axe.

Translation: "A strange gray demonic mark suddenly appeared on the Yin General's brow; he let out a low, guttural roar, purely instinctive, his waist as if cleaved by a heavy axe, abruptly bending backward."

Despite the Yin General's quick dodge, the arrow still grazed his brow and flew past.

Translation: "Even though the Yin General dodged swiftly, the arrow still grazed his brow as it flew past."

Soundlessly, a deep wound reaching the bone appeared from chin to brow; all flesh within the wound vaporized, then strands of black‑gray cold blood gushed out like a stream.

Translation: "Soundlessly, from chin to brow, a wound deep to the bone appeared; all flesh and blood within the wound instantly vaporized, then strands of black-gray chilled blood spurted out like a small stream."

The Yin General's massive body bent ninety degrees backward; he touched his blood‑soaked face, his entire nose gone, leaving only a deep gash in the center of his visage that kept spurting blood.

Translation: "The Yin General's burly body folded ninety degrees backward; he touched his blood-soaked face, his entire nose had vanished, only a deep gash remained in the center of his visage, continuously spurting blood."

"Hss… Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, Shadow‑Chasing Wind Arrow… ha ha ha!" the Yin General's body jerked upright, his eyes spewing gray demonic flames as he swept them fiercely outward.

Translation: "\"Hiss… Fufeng Divine Dynasty, Shadowless Chasing Wind Arrow… heh heh heh! \" the Yin General's body jerked upright, his eyes spewing gray demonic flames as he fiercely swept outward."

The golden‑armored youth had already withdrawn silently with his subordinates.

Translation: "The gold-armored youth had already silently withdrawn with his subordinates."

The Yin General's face twitched; four fangs bared, flames licking them, he grinned ferally: "Interesting, interesting, the Fu Feng royal clan is here. That arrow certainly isn't something ordinary lackeys could fire!"

Translation: "The Yin General's face twitched several times; the four fangs protruding from his mouth blazed with fire, he grinned hideously: \"Interesting, interesting, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty's royalty is here. This arrow could not be shot by ordinary lackeys! \"

"March out, northward." The Yin General gave a forceful wave of his hand toward the north.

Translation: "\"March out, northward. \" the Yin General gave a forceful wave of his hand toward the north."

"They've come to our door; if I show no reaction at all, that's a capital crime." The Yin General, cold‑hearted, pressed his lips together and whispered: "North, conquer…"

Translation: "\"They've come knocking; if I, the commander, show no reaction at all, that's a capital crime. \" the Yin General tightened his lips coldly, whispering: \"North, take…\""

The Yin General produced six dice and threw them hard onto the battlements before him.

Translation: "The Yin General produced six dice and forcefully tossed them onto the battlements before him."

The dice spun for a moment; he grinned widely: "Capture twenty‑seven cities, slaughter them!"

Translation: "The six dice spun for a moment, he grinned: \"Capture twenty-seven cities, slaughter them! \"

The demon city's gates swung open; twenty‑seven legions of ten‑thousand demon troops, like ghosts, rode the demonic black wind, rolling out silently and splitting into twenty‑seven streams marching north.

Translation: "The Demon City's gates swung open; twenty-seven ten-thousand-strong demon army units, like ghosts, rode the demonic wind and black clouds tumbling out, silently splitting into twenty-seven streams, advancing northward."

Behind each of those twenty‑seven demon armies followed a demon puppet standing a thousand chi tall.

Translation: "Behind each of these twenty-seven demon armies followed a demon puppet of roughly a thousand zhang in height."

Originally twenty‑seven pitch‑black magical ships, each a thousand chi long, were ready to sail out, but as soon as they lifted off, the Yin General waved his hand and drove them back to the dock.

Translation: "Originally there were twenty-seven black-bodied thousand-zhang demon ships ready to set sail, but as soon as these demon ships lifted off, the Yin General waved his hand and drove them back to their anchorage."

"It's just killing a chicken; why use a cleaver?"

Translation: "\"Just killing a chicken; what need for a cattle knife? \""

The Yin General's gray gaze swept over the dark mountains beyond the city, and he murmured: "Send scouts to locate those Fu Feng brats. Ha ha, if we could capture a few of the Fu Feng clan's royalty, this merit could earn me a marquessate, right?"

Translation: "The Yin General's gray gaze swept over the pitch-black mountains outside the city, he murmured: \"Send out scouts to find the whereabouts of those Fufeng Divine Dynasty brats. Heh heh, if we could capture a few of the Fufeng clan's royal lineage, this merit could earn me a marquessate, right? \""

After a moment's thought, the Yin General looked up and gave a dark chuckle: "Fu Feng clan's little brats, can you hear my words?"

Translation: "After a moment's contemplation, the Yin General tilted his head back and gave a few dark chuckles: \"Fufeng clan's little brats, can you hear my words? \""

"No matter your formation—whether you aim to divert disaster eastward, merely survive, or harbor other schemes—the Supreme Demon Nation fears nothing. I, the general, will now leave the city and personally attack the northern Wu Kingdom."

Translation: "\"No matter your formation, whether you aim to divert disaster eastward, merely linger, or harbor other schemes…… the Supreme Demon State fears nothing. I, the commander, will now leave the city and personally attack northern Wuguo. \""

"You aren't trying to provoke me into acting according to your wishes, are you?"

Translation: "\"You aren't trying to provoke me into acting according to your wishes, are you? \""

"Fine, I'll follow your lead… heh, you must not be caught by me, definitely not be caught by me."

Translation: "\"Fine, I'll follow you… heh, you must not be caught by me, you must absolutely not be caught by me. \""

"Otherwise, whether you are a Fu Feng prince or princess, I, Yin Wushuang, notorious for sparing neither men nor women, will make you unable to live or die."

Translation: "\"Otherwise, whether you are a prince or princess of the Fufeng clan, I, Yin Wu Shuang, notorious for not distinguishing between men and women, will surely make you unable to live or die. \""

With a strange laugh, Yin Wushuang gave a deep call; instantly another thirty‑thousand‑strong demon force assembled within the city, Yin Wushuang mounted his skull‑horse and led the charge out the gate.

Translation: "With a strange laugh, Yin Wu Shuang let out a low summons; immediately inside the city a force of exactly thirty thousand demon troops gathered, Yin Wu Shuang mounted his skeleton horse and led the charge out the gate."

Inside the demon city, the many garrisoned soldiers stared at Yin Wushuang's retreating back; their gazes were either cold, mad, dazed, or chaotic—none bore the look of a normal person.

Translation: "Inside the Demon City, many remaining demon soldiers stared with flickering eyes at Yin Wu Shuang's retreating back; their gazes were either cold, frenzied, dazed, or chaotic—none bore the look of a normal person."

South of the 108th city of Slay Ghost City, near the original border of the Ghost State, lie thousands of towns and villages of all sizes.

Translation: "South of the 108th fort of Ghost-Slaying City, near the original Ghost State border, lie thousands of towns and villages of various sizes."

Before Li Ergouzi operated those giant god soldiers and flying ships to launch a ridiculous attack, the civilians inside those cities, towns, and villages had already retreated to the north.

Twenty-seven demon armies marched straight in, seeing only empty villages and towns along the way, and in the fields that had just been opened up, many hoes, plows and similar tools had been abandoned.

Moreover, in the villages' livestock pens many large and small livestock and poultry remained.

Cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, geese, ducks, chickens and so on; except for the large livestock tethered in the pens, the other poultry and small livestock roamed freely in the empty villages and towns.

The villages' granaries were full of grain, and every shop stocked abundant supplies of daily necessities such as oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea.

The demon armies' scouts swept through these villages and towns with effortless ease.

They quickly concluded that Wuguo was very prosperous; based solely on the abundance of supplies, it was even several levels stronger than the Fufeng Divine Dynasty, which had been gravely wounded by the Supreme Demon Kingdom.

However, Wuguo's overall strength should be far inferior to that of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty.

From the tools abandoned in the fields and the weapons such as swords, spears and halberds found in the villages, it is evident that both the material and the forging technique are far inferior to those of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty.

From the basic farm tools and the weapons kept by the populace, one can judge that Wuguo's level of civilization is inferior to that of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty.

The speed at which the demon armies advanced northward increased even further.

Prosperous, yet lacking sufficient strength to protect that prosperity, for the Supreme Demon Kingdom this is truly a huge piece of fat meat.

All the way, black winds howled and black clouds roiled; the twenty-seven demon armies maintained their uniform pace and almost simultaneously encountered the first military city of considerable size.

These military cities were spaced less than 150 li apart; with the strength of the demon armies' soldiers, they could even see the movements of neighboring allied forces, and could easily transmit sound and communicate with each other, facing no obstruction.

The twenty-seven demon armies lined up outside the south walls of the twenty-seven military cities; then the commander of the central army stepped forward and spoke in a low voice toward the city wall.

This was a demon general of the fifth level of the Divine Manifestation Realm; he effortlessly projected his voice across a radius of a thousand li, so that all ranks of the twenty-seven demon armies and all the inhabitants and garrisons of the twenty-seven military cities could hear him.

"Open the gates and surrender; you may become slaves and survive."

"After ten counts, if you do not open the gates and surrender, we will attack the city; once the city is breached, we will slaughter its inhabitants as retribution."

The commanders of the other twenty-six demon armies laughed at the same time, their silent smiles especially vicious and sinister.

Yin Wu Shuang's order was to slaughter the cities.

Regardless of whether these military cities opened their gates and surrendered, slaughtering them was inevitable.

But how delightful it would be to make them believe his words, to have them open the gates and surrender voluntarily, and then, after their surrender, to raise the slaughter knife so that they would weep in despair and regret!

Demons are so easily satisfied.

As long as others, because of one's actions, give rise to the most intense negative emotions in their souls, this can bring the demon unsurpassable joy, a joy that springs from the depths of the heart.

"Ten!"

The demon general who had spoken the surrender appeal began the countdown.

Inside the twenty-seven military cities all was chaos; suddenly, a low-ranking civil official wearing a green official robe, with a vulgar appearance and extremely vulgar bearing, poked his head out from the wall of one military city and screamed hoarsely.

"After years of war, the city's elite have been exhausted."

"Now we in the city have not a single Divine Manifestation Realm commander… how can we fight?"

"Today, this official… will hang up his seal, resign his post, each look out for his own life, and flee!"

With a shout, the low-ranking civil official tore off his official robe, threw away his waist badge, took a few trusted guards, crashed into the gate tower, then stepped onto a teleportation array and vanished in an instant.

On the city wall, a scattered few thousand garrison troops shouted in unison, followed the official's footsteps, rushed into the teleportation arrays in the four gate towers, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Within the city, tens of thousands of civilians cried out for their parents in a chaotic uproar, and then… they all simultaneously rushed toward the open spaces throughout the city, stepping onto one teleportation array after another.

The commanders of the twenty-seven demon armies were speechless.

"How terrified of death must one be to set up escape teleportation arrays in the gate towers?"

The demon army commander who had just uttered 'Ten' began to doubt life.

He instinctively recalled the civil and military officials of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty who defended their cities to the death, refusing to surrender… though those fellows were loathsome… compared to them, the officials of Wuguo…

"As this general, I truly wish to crush them one by one."

The twenty-seven military cities abandoned resistance; all inhabitants and garrison troops deserted the cities and fled.

The twenty-seven demon armies fell silent for a while, then, under Yin Wu Shuang's reprimand, continued to advance northward.

One after another, the small military cities were abandoned.

One after another, the medium-sized military cities were abandoned.

One after another, the large military cities held out for a little less than half an hour, barely resisting the demon armies' vanguard; once the city's populace had fled via the teleportation arrays, they also abandoned the city-defense grand formation, which had suffered hardly any damage, and fled.

After six days and six nights like this, the demon armies under Yin Wu Shuang's command marched straight in and arrived beneath the walls of the 108th Slaying Ghost City.

Here, also the nearest point to that massive teleportation array, is a strategic stronghold of Wuguo's southern frontier defense—a huge military city.