More than half a year had passed since the great battle ended.
Many things had happened during this time.
After the Ten Southern Demons suffered a crushing defeat, Azure Demon dragged its wounded body into taking charge and preserved the name of the Ten Southern Demons.
Terrifying Demon and Rabbit Demon successfully escaped under Mang Demon's cover, while Cunning Demon and Beautiful Demon also exhausted their demon-transformation power and successfully broke free from Gathering Cauldron Mountain.
Using these four surviving great demons as its foundation, they promoted another five great demons into the third echelon.
Through such measures, they barely reorganized and barely kept the Ten Southern Demons worthy of their name.
But everyone knew that the Ten Southern Demons had suffered devastating losses. If they had once been strong in men and horses, they were now old, weak, sick, and crippled.
They had once had Azure Demon and Inch Demon in the first echelon, with the rest in the second echelon. There had even been seeds like Alligator Demon capable of advancing, while the third echelon had been sparse indeed.
And now? Half of them were substitute third-echelon members. Even Mang Demon, who had once merely filled out the numbers, had become a veteran member.
The second echelon had suffered grievous losses. Terrifying Demon and Rabbit Demon had become startled birds. Cunning Demon and Beautiful Demon had not faced much danger, but after experiencing the residual power of the Demon Transformation Cauldron at Gathering Cauldron Mountain and hearing of Inch Demon and the others' fates, they no longer dared confront the Demon Transformation Cauldron head-on.
Azure Demon's injuries had yet to heal. Achieving this much was already the limit.
With their top-tier combat strength severely damaged, the resulting chain reaction was that the Hundred Sect Alliance's middle- and lower-tier