The Great Battle Is About to Begin

An old man with white hair and beard stood in mid-air, roaring in anger.

"So, my Divine Blade Sect is supposed to die just because we don't have powerful experts guarding us, and we should just stay in Yunzhou as cannon fodder?"

"Those good-for-nothings on the merit rolls, they get to hide in the Central Plains and enjoy the best resources, taking the ill-gotten gains and living lives of debauchery and pleasure every night."

"Ye Haichuan, as the Prefectural Commander, you should know this better than I do."

The night sky instantly gained another figure, an old man in a black robe. He landed steadily in mid-air, a hundred meters in front of the previously speaking old man.

The old man in the black robe spoke calmly, his face devoid of emotion: "Old Ghost Ji, this is no excuse for you to collude with Demonic Beasts."

"Ye Haichuan, why are you so pedantic? Which of those ancient clans outside our borders isn't in league with Demonic Beasts?"

The old man surnamed Ji was named Ji Changqing. He was the current sect master of the Divine Blade Sect, and like Ye Haichuan, he was a Core Formation Realm expert.

Ji Changqing's expression was furious: "How have they stood for so long? It's because they have deep foundations and numerous powerful individuals."

"I fear it's due to cooperation with Demonic Beasts, a deeply intertwined interest."

Ye Haichuan's face turned stern as he said: "Ji Changqing, as the sect master of the Divine Blade Sect, how dare you spread monstrous lies here? Great Xia will not tolerate the wickedness of Demonic Beasts within its borders, nor will it tolerate a spreader of such monstrous lies like you."

The night sky suddenly lit up, and a pair of iron fists descended like mountains, pressing down on the surrounding hundred-zhang area with a thunderous crash.

Ji Changqing was not to be outdone. His long saber was instantly unsheathed, a brilliant cold light soaring into the sky, directly cleaving towards the fist peak above his head.

"Rumble!"

The immense sound shook the heavens and earth. The vegetation below was instantly pulverized, surrounding rocks cracked, and debris flew everywhere. The two old men in mid-air immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

As the extremely intense battle unfolded in mid-air, the entire area of the Divine Blade Sect seemed to boil like water. Countless figures poured out from the sect's gates.

Shouts of killing and roars were incessant, throwing the entire sect into chaos.

The members of the Demon Suppression Division stationed at the foot of the mountain all withdrew their gazes. The battle in mid-air was too distant for them.

The most urgent task now was to hold the defensive line at the foot of the mountain and survive this battle. Staying safe and sound within the Demon Suppression Division was the most important thing.

As the figures on the mountain grew closer.

Jiang Qingyun's expression turned solemn, and he shouted.

Everyone simultaneously raised their weapons, and the battle instantly erupted.

"Clang clang... clang," the sound of weapons colliding and screams shook the night sky.

Su Ye blasted away an attacking Divine Blade Sect disciple with a single punch. His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, dodging an incoming saber, and he casually threw out another punch. Blood mist filled the air, corpses littered the ground, and broken weapons and shattered halberds were everywhere.

As both sides were locked in a fierce battle, loose soil and rocks tumbled down the mountainside. Following a loud "bang," a dark, gaping hole was revealed.

Two crimson lights flickered within the hole. As the crimson light fully emerged from the hole, a giant ape, ten zhang tall, wielding a massive axe, leaped towards mid-air.

Ye Haichuan's stern shout suddenly echoed from above.

"Black Wind Ape Lord, how dare you enter the heartland of my Yunzhou!"

"What a big mouth! Is Yunzhou some dragon's pool or tiger's den? I'll barge in today!"

"Black ape, I've been waiting for you for a long time." A tall old man stepped out, his figure exceptionally imposing.

The Black Wind Ape Lord's voice boomed, echoing in everyone's ears.

"I wondered who it was. So it's Old Ghost Wang. You killed my brother, and today I will surely make you pay with blood."

The booming voice echoed in everyone's ears. Su Ye had no time to attend to anything else. From the cave entrance where the giant ape emerged, countless Demonic Beast figures were now pouring out.

And the "Old Ghost Wang" the Black Wind Ape Lord spoke of was Wang Baili, one of Yunzhou's only two Earth-rank Inspectors. Although Inspectors were under the jurisdiction of the Demon Suppression Division, they had great autonomy.

They were more like scouts in the army, investigating the movements of major demons in various regions and gathering information on aristocratic families and sects. The matter of the Divine Blade Sect colluding with Demonic Beasts was discovered by an Inspector and reported.

Jiang Qingyun's face turned ugly, and he exclaimed in disbelief.

"The Divine Blade Sect had an ambush! They actually hid Demonic Beasts within their sect!"

"They've truly decided to betray Great Xia."

The real battle slowly began to unfold. The Demon Suppression Division, which had initially held the upper hand, was completely put on the defensive by the impact of the demons.

"Old Huang, hold on! Your son, and your little grandson, don't you want to see them again?" the young man who had been joking with Old Huang roared.

"Heh heh," Little Seven, please pass on a message to them. I'm sorry, I won't be able to return alive.

The sounds of killing continued, and figures fell one after another. More and more Demonic Beasts poured out of the cave entrance, vaguely surrounding the Demon Suppression Division members.

"There are too many of these Demonic Beasts, we can't hold them back at all."

Jiang Qingyun descended like a god, slashing away an attacking Demonic Beast with his saber, and coldly shouted: "Even if you can't hold them back, you must! Not a single step back! Are you afraid of mere Demonic Beasts?"

As for the other areas, they were even more dangerous. Jiang Qingyun knew he could not reveal any of it, and immediately shouted.

"There are still millions of citizens below the mountain! Today, we can only fight to the death to have a glimmer of hope of survival."

"For this encirclement and suppression operation, all contribution points will be doubled, and those who achieve merits will receive additional rewards."

"Everyone, this is the heartland of Yunzhou. I believe reinforcements will arrive from the division soon."

"Alright! We will follow Lord Jiang and fight to the death!"

Everyone shouted in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.

"Die!"

The Ghost Head Saber was swung with great force, meeting the incoming axe shadow. With a "crack," Su Ye felt his grip lighten; the Ghost Head Saber, which had been with him for many days, had broken.

"Human brat, you're going to die." The Ape Demon sneered.

Then, its massive form leaped high into the air, bringing its great axe down fiercely. His gaze locked onto the axe blade, Su Ye hurled the broken hilt of his saber with all his might.

"Pfft."

The sharp weapon pierced the Ape Demon's chest, leaving a huge bloody hole. If one looked closely, they could even see the human figure fighting on the other side.

His True Qi erupted completely within his body, his skin seeming to ignite with black flames. The earth beneath his feet churned as Su Ye moved.

His fist struck like a mountain, shaking the very ground, accompanied by sonic booms. It passed through the chest of a Bear Demon, and the True Qi erupted the moment it entered the body. The Bear Demon's corpse, which had been hanging from Su Ye's arm, exploded violently.

[Killed Mid-stage Meridian Opening Realm, Bear Demon. Gained 78 Assistance Points.]

Su Ye's figure didn't stop. After unleashing another punch to kill an early-stage Aperture Opening Realm Horse Demon, his body suddenly flashed, blocking Ma San at the last possible moment.

He firmly parried the incoming long saber, his fingers applying slight force. With a "crack," the saber shattered inch by inch. Seeing this, the Divine Power Sect disciple's face instantly changed, and he turned to flee.

Ma San's face was pale, and his voice was weak: "Thank you, Lord, for your assistance."

"This is no place for you. Find somewhere to hide first. We'll talk after everything settles down."

"Understood." Ma San replied, then turned and burrowed into the corpse of a nearby Demonic Beast.

Su Ye turned and darted away, crushing the head of the fleeing Divine Power Sect disciple before him. He then proceeded to blow up the bodies of several more Demonic Beasts.

His figure flickered as he searched everywhere for Demonic Beasts. It was too time-consuming; it would be more direct and effective to simply block the cave entrance. As he thought, he exerted force with his feet.

Jiang Qingyun, who had been paying close attention to the demon cave, his gaze sharpened as he looked towards the direction of the cave entrance from which the Demonic Beasts were pouring out. His voice was filled with unquestionable authority: "You there, stop this foolishness and return at once."