The Human Race Army Mobilizes

On the aquamarine floor of the Undersea Camp in the East Sea, Ao Guang stared in shock at Jiang He, whose expression remained calm and unhurried. His voice trembled with disbelief: "F-Five Sages? Clan Leader Jiang, are you certain of this?"

Jiang He's fingertips traced the bronze military token on the table. The White Tiger pattern carved into it shimmered in the watery light, and a composed smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Old Dragon King, Empress Nuwa is the Mother Goddess of my Human Race—that goes without saying. As for the Three Pure Ones, most of their disciples are now of the Human Race. Why do you think that is?" He slapped the bronze token down on the table. "Besides, even without the backing of Sages, the blades and spears of my Human Race are more than enough to protect ourselves and help the Dragon Clan stabilize the Four Seas."

Before his words faded, a beastly roar suddenly shook the camp from outside—not a dragon's cry, but one carrying a might that could shake mountains and rivers. Ao Guang's heart tightened. Following the sound, he saw beyond the camp's dome of water, a phantom image of a White Tiger shot into the sky. Its roar pierced the blue waves, reaching straight to the clouds. The phantom was wreathed in Geng Jin Sha Qi, its white brilliance blazing like the sun, illuminating the entire surface of the East Sea. The Sea Clan soldiers who had been advancing all halted, staring at the soul-shaking apparition.

"This is..." Ao Guang's eyes flickered with surprise.

"The White Tiger Legion has arrived." Jiang He rose and walked toward the camp entrance. "Of the Four Great Legions of the Human Race, the White Tiger governs slaughter and specializes in breaking through enemy lines. The one leading them to the East Sea is their commander—Bai Qi."

Speaking of which, Jiang He had given Bai Qi that name himself. Back then, Bai Qi had the strongest killing intent, so Jiang He, in a moment of carelessness, had blurted out the name Bai Qi!

The two stepped out of the Undersea Camp and stood on a floating coral reef. On the sea surface, countless bronze warships came riding the waves, their hulls carved with totems of a White Tiger devouring the moon. On either side of the decks were mounted Dragon Breaking Crossbows several zhang long, their bolts gleaming with the cold light of Geng Jin tempered steel. Every warship was packed with Human Race soldiers clad in Black Iron Heavy Armor. They carried long spears and broadswords, Talisman Pouches hanging at their waists. Their auras were condensed and hard as iron—lacking the ferocity of the Demon Race, yet radiating a blood-soaked spirit that feared neither death nor injury.

At the prow of the lead vessel stood a general draped in a White Tiger Cloak. His face was cold and sharp as if carved by a blade, his eyes as keen as a hawk's. This was Bai Qi, commander of the White Tiger Legion. Seeing Jiang He and Ao Guang on the coral reef, he leaped down. His Black Iron Heavy Armor boots trod upon the water's surface without sinking. In a few steps, he reached them, dropped to one knee, and clasped his fists: "Bai Qi, commander of the White Tiger Legion, leads one hundred thousand soldiers to report to the Clan Leader!"

Behind him, the one hundred thousand Human Race soldiers shouted in unison. Their voices thundered like rolling thunder, drowning out the crash of the waves and stirring even the deep-sea currents. Ao Guang gazed at this well-disciplined Human army, his heart shaken beyond measure. He had known of the Human Race's rise, but he had never imagined they possessed such elite troops. The condensed Army Soul Qi they exuded was even more awe-inspiring than the Demon Race's million-strong Demon Soldiers.

"Rise, Bai Qi." Jiang He raised his hand. "How was the journey? Smooth?"

"Clan Leader! Aside from clearing out a few insolent little demons, nothing much happened!"

Jiang He patted Bai Qi's shoulder and gestured for him to sit and speak. "I called you out for two reasons. First, to aid our allies, the Dragon Clan. As you've seen, the Demon Race has already stretched its hand to the borders of the Human Race. This time, we're going to slap that hand back. Of course, we can't start a full-scale war—that would only hand an advantage to those bastards in the Anti-Demon Alliance."

"Second, since our birth, the Human Race has never fought a major war. This time, we need to show our strength—make them understand that we don't just rely on the Mother Goddess's protection, and we're not just good at trade. We need to make it crystal clear to every race in the Primordial World: the Human Race is not to be trifled with!"

Hearing Jiang He's words, a strange light flickered in Bai Qi's eyes, like a hunter about to pounce on its prey, filled with a burning desire for the kill.

"Yes, Clan Leader! I'll keep the scale in check!"

Jiang He watched the excited Bai Qi and felt a twinge of unease. Had it really been the right call to summon Bai Qi?

He couldn't help but warn again: "Listen carefully. This time, you're only to fight the Demon reinforcements that come to aid them. Know when to pull back. Don't mess up my plan!"

"Yes, I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Jiang He stared at Bai Qi for a moment, then said: "According to intelligence, the Demon reinforcements have already reached Blackwater Bay. Your mission is to wipe out this relief force and, while you're at it, clear out the area around our Human borders."

"Yes!"

Bai Qi returned to the army and shouted: "By the Clan Leader's order—march!"

As the command flags waved, the one hundred thousand soldiers answered in unison. The bronze warships turned and sped downstream. Their hulls split the waves, throwing up walls of water several zhang high. Geng Jin Sha Qi and Army Soul Qi intertwined, forming an unstoppable white torrent across the sea.

Jiang He watched the White Tiger Legion's retreating backs and said to Ao Guang: "Rest assured, Old Dragon King. Bai Qi is a master of military strategy, and the White Tiger Legion's combat power is unmatched. The demons at Blackwater Bay are nothing to fear. Now that the White Tiger Legion guards the great river, the Dragon Clan can focus on the Demon Race's movements in the East Sea. As for the Demon Saints among the Demon Race—that will be for you, Old Dragon King, to hold back with your own deep reserves!"

Ao Guang gazed at the receding iron-blooded army, and peace finally settled in his heart. Only now did he truly understand why Jiang He was so confident. The rise of the Human Race was no accident. The combat power of the White Tiger Legion was enough to become another crushing weight upon the Demon Race. From the direction of Blackwater Bay, the sounds of battle had already erupted—the White Tiger roaring across the river, iron blood calming the waves. A sweeping purge along the great river had begun.

At the same time, inside Lingxiao Palace, a Demon Saint tasked with monitoring the East Sea rushed in to report, his voice laced with panic: "Your Majesty! Something terrible! A Human army has suddenly appeared in the East Sea—one hundred thousand elite soldiers in warships, arrayed along the great river, intercepting the reinforcements of Demon Saint Qin Yuan! That army... its combat power is terrifyingly strong!"

Di Jun sat upright on his throne. His golden pupils contracted sharply, and the chaotic aura around him surged: "The Human Race? Jiang He dares to openly send troops to aid the Dragon Clan? It seems I have underestimated this Human Clan Leader!" His fingertips drummed faster on the armrest. "It appears the Dragon Clan not only has deep reserves but has also fully allied with the Human Race! Our previous plans may need to change. The question is—was this Jiang He's idea, or Empress Nuwa's?"

"Your Majesty, regardless of whose idea it is, the fact remains that the Human Race has intervened, and two of our Demon Quasi-Sages are already trapped. The priority now is to find a way to send reinforcements!" said Demon Saint Shang Yang from the side.

"Then what about pulling some troops from the Blood Sea front to support them?" Di Jun pondered.

"Your Majesty, the Demon Soldiers under the Demon Saint at the Blood Sea are currently pinning down a flank of the Anti-Demon Alliance. If we withdraw them rashly..." Demon Saint Jiu Feng frowned.

"There's no time to worry about that!" Di Jun cut her off, his voice carrying an unyielding authority. "The Human Race's involvement has introduced a variable. If we let them and the Dragon Clan solidify their defenses, subduing the Dragon Clan and suppressing the Human Race in the future will be as hard as reaching the heavens! Tell the Blood Sea front—at any cost, they must stop the Human army at Blackwater Bay!"

As the order was issued, the situation in the Primordial World grew ever more tangled. The White Tiger Legion's forceful intervention had injected a fiercer variable into the already tense conflict between the Demon Race and the Dragon Clan. The sounds of slaughter at Blackwater Bay grew louder. Geng Jin Sha Qi, demonic aura, and dragon might intertwined, shrouding the entire lower reaches of the great river. And this was only the beginning of the Human Race's entry into the chaos of the Primordial World.

The Blood Sea howled like a raging beast. Crimson waves lashed against the Black Iron walls of the Demon camp. Banners snapped in the wind, but they could not hide the hollow emptiness left by the withdrawal of troops.

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. A golden-armored Demon messenger stumbled in, holding high a jade slip engraved with the totem of a Three-legged Golden Crow. His voice was frantic: "Lord Bai Ze! An urgent order from His Majesty!"

Bai Ze slowly turned, his gaze falling on the jade slip. He took it, infused it with demonic energy, and Di Jun's voice exploded in the tent like thunder: "Bai Ze! The situation at Blackwater Bay is critical! Demon Saints Qin Yuan and Ji Meng are trapped! The Human-Dragon alliance is overwhelming! Immediately withdraw half the troops from the Blood Sea front and rush to reinforce Blackwater Bay! At any cost, you must stop the Human army outside Blackwater Bay!"

The runes on the jade slip flared and dimmed, finally dissolving into a wisp of smoke. Bai Ze looked down at the residual embers of the Golden Crow in his palm, his brows tightly knit. His long fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the sand table. On the table, the troop deployment along the Blood Sea front was clearly marked. After withdrawing half the forces, the remaining garrison could barely hold the camp. The Anti-Demon Alliance's army was watching like a hawk—one wrong move, and they would swarm in, tearing the Blood Sea defense line to shreds.

"Withdraw half the troops..." Bai Ze murmured, his voice full of helplessness. "His Majesty has finally let the battle at Blackwater Bay cloud his judgment."

He paced to the tent's edge, lifted the curtain, and looked out at the Blood Sea's perimeter. In the distance, the Anti-Demon Alliance's camp stretched for dozens of li, their blood-colored killing intent piercing the clouds. Brahma's ambition was plain as day—he was waiting for the Demon Race to show a crack, so he could slip through.

The wind outside carried the Blood Sea's distinctive bloody stench, whipping Bai Ze's robes. The deputy generals behind him all wore troubled expressions. One of them couldn't help but speak: "My Lord, His Majesty's order is as firm as a mountain, but the Blood Sea front..."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Bai Ze cut him off, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "If we withdraw troops, Blackwater Bay may not be saved, but the Blood Sea will surely fall. If we don't withdraw, the two Demon Saints at Blackwater Bay are in danger, and I cannot answer to His Majesty."

"Very well. I have no choice but to go myself. Order the other Quasi-Sages to assist His Highness the Eastern Emperor in holding the line here."