The land, peaceful for ten thousand years, had finally erupted into war between the human and Demon Races once more.
This battle was the eruption of hatred that had endured for tens of thousands of years, perhaps even longer. There was no right or wrong—only a struggle over resources between races.
At that moment, dozens of King Beasts flew out from among the Demon Race and hovered above the city walls. One Giant Python suddenly transformed into human form and addressed the people inside the city.
"The Three Great Dao Sects and the Five Great Sects of old really do still exist, safe and sound. We don't want to completely break with the human race this time, so we haven't wiped out every human we've encountered along the way.
"Today, we've come only for the Nine Nether Snake King beneath the Demon Suppressing Tower. Release him, and we'll turn around and leave. Otherwise, we'll slaughter every human in this city!"
Just then, an old Daoist in white appeared out of thin air before the group of King Beasts.
"Boundless Heavenly Venerable. Isn't this the little venomous snake from the Dragon Transformation Pool? We haven't seen each other in a few thousand years, and you've actually learned to take human form. What a pity, what a pity!
"A few thousand years have passed, and your brain still hasn't evolved. You rotten fish and stinking shrimp actually dare to run your mouths beneath the Demon Suppressing Tower!
"Looks like you've all forgotten the painful lesson from ten thousand years ago, haven't you?"
There was no point in talking when they were so far apart in their views. The King Beasts that had flown out didn't bother speaking further with the old Daoist. Instead, they immediately attacked the Demon Suppressing Tower standing before them.
"Kill! Kill everyone who stands in our way! Break through the Demon Suppressing Tower and rescue the Nine Nether Snake King!"
Led by dozens of King Beasts, the Demonic Beasts launched another wave of attacks. The King Beasts flew straight toward the Demon Suppressing Tower, avoiding any prolonged entanglement with the humans.
But the outcome was beyond their expectations: a great many human experts had arrived. And the human Grandmasters—that is, those in the Seventh Grade Realm—far outnumbered the Demonic Beasts.
From the very start of the war, the humans had them on the back foot. To their despair, they discovered that whenever a human couldn't hold on or was injured, they could immediately retreat beneath the Demon Suppressing Tower and recover.
But if the Demonic Beasts attacked at that moment, they would be mercilessly slain by the Order Law of the Demon Suppressing Tower.
Under the Order Law's attacks, anything below a King Beast died on contact.
The Order Law also greatly weakened the King Beasts. Under its suppression, the human Grandmasters could easily wound them, and even kill them.
Just then, the Giant Python that had only just transformed into human form changed back into its true body. The giant snake was at least thirty or forty zhang long.
It fought the old man it had just spoken with to a standstill.
The Giant Python suddenly spat a mouthful of poisonous gas at the people in the city.
"Just what I wanted!"
Another old man stepped forward, holding a three-foot jade fan.
As the Giant Python's poisonous gas swept toward him, the old man flicked the jade fan in his hand, and it grew to a zhang in size.
With a light wave, he blew all the incoming poison back into the Demon Race.
"Ah..."
The poisonous gas was fearsomely potent. Countless cries of agony rose from among the Demon Race. The gas corroded the Demonic Beasts charging at the front, those who had no time to dodge, until only their bones remained.
Those were a whole group of Fifth and Sixth Grade Demonic Beasts, and their own leader had poisoned them to death so easily!
"Not good! That's a top-grade Dao Soldier, the Universe Fan! Even I couldn't withstand its full power!"
The Giant Python was frightened. When it saw several other old men with different Dao Soldiers in their hands, it suddenly despaired!
"Why? If just a few of you have the power to wipe us out, then why did you let us attack this far?"
"Haha, little snake, are you scared? Do you know how dull and dreary our lives have been for ten thousand years? We'd just come out of seclusion, and here you are, you big fool, giving us a chance to stretch our limbs. We couldn't have asked for more.
"Don't think you're safe just because you're only at Peak Eighth Grade. Even if you break through and become the Nine Nether Snake King, reaching Ninth Rank Peak, you still won't be leaving here alive today!
"Did you really think our human race was easy prey? You dared to occupy Xingyu City, and you even dared to come to a city in the heartland of human territory. Did you truly think humans could be slaughtered at will?
"We deliberately let you in this time, to use your blood to tell the Demon Race:
"The humans—even with the Eighteen Demon Suppressing City Lords of old all gone—are still not to be insulted by the likes of you.
"And you're nothing but a pathetic creature without even a Divine Beast bloodline!
"We've been fishing for so long, and the only one to bite was you, some little trash fish! Then again, which true Divine Beast or Sacred Beast would dare run wild beneath the Demon Suppressing Tower in human territory?!"
As the Giant Python listened to the old man's merciless mockery, its heart turned to ashes. It had been stuck at Peak Eighth Grade for many years, unable to break through.
Its ancestor, the Nine Nether Snake King, was said to have been sealed beneath the Star Origin Demon Suppressing Tower.
When the Demon Suppressing Tower appeared this time, it learned that the Azure Dragon Clan had managed to bring back their former Old Clan Leader.
That had given it the idea of rescuing the Nine Nether Snake King.
It had contacted many Divine Beast and Sacred Beast clans of the Demon Race, hoping they would join forces with it, but no one would help.
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