Rumble!
The earth trembled, mountains swayed, and trees toppled. An earth-shaking roar rushed closer from afar, pounding against their eardrums. The horizon was a black mass of countless demonic birds sweeping through the sky, their overwhelming presence darker and heavier than storm clouds.
Mountains crumbled, rivers ran dry, birds scattered, and beasts fled. Heaven and earth changed color.
Fear rose in the Daoists' hearts, and the fourth-generation disciples were even more uneasy. Yet the sight of that figure at the very front, standing as straight as a pine, lifted their spirits. An invisible strength washed over them, cleansing their hearts of panic. It seemed that as long as he remained standing, they would possess boundless courage to face the darkness and fear no challenge.
Rumble!
The mountains shook more violently. Earth and stone collapsed, sand flew, and rocks hurtled through the air. The flying birds and running beasts were no longer merely a black tide and a dark line; their forms were now clearly visible.
Amid towering demonic qi, countless beasts roared and savage birds shrieked, stretching beyond sight. A force capable of toppling mountains and overturning seas surged toward them. Wherever the Demon Tide passed, even an incidental collision left living creatures devastated.
Endless demonic beasts filled the front ranks, while greater demons emerged one after another behind them. Xuanming sensed over a hundred: snakes, insects, rats, ants, tigers, leopards, wolves, and boars. Their races were varied, their demonic qi differing in strength. Some were supreme Great Demons who had condensed sacred embryos, while others were newly risen Great Demons who had completed their heavenly circuits. Whatever their level, all seethed with murderous intent.
Deep within the clouds above, a ten-thousand-zhang body roamed, swaying its head and tail. Its scales gleamed coldly, and an occasional scale, claw, whisker, or