The Meishan battlefield gradually blurred behind the Northern Expedition Army, like an old painting carried away by the wind.
The army advanced more than a thousand li, its vanguard swiftly eliminating scattered Demon scouts along the route with barely a pause.
The smell of blood in the air was fainter than it had been at Meishan. In its place hung a heavier, more oppressive atmosphere, as though something lay sleeping ahead.
Qi Wu walked in the middle of the army, neither occupying the command position nor marching at the very front.
His pace was not particularly fast, but he did not deliberately slow down either. Jiang Qingyue followed just behind him to one side, while Gale stayed farther out on the left flank. High overhead, Lilith maintained a minimal projection of the Blood God Kingdom, ensuring no abnormal spatial fluctuations seeped in from above.
Xiao Tiance rode up beside Qi Wu. "At this pace, we can reach the outskirts of the Imperial Capital before nightfall. But the closer we get, the more densely packed the Demons will be."
Qi Wu gave a quiet acknowledgment. "I know."
He added nothing. Xiao Tiance glanced at him and asked no further questions.
The army marched for roughly another two hours. As the sun began sinking westward, the vanguard suddenly stopped.
A brief transmission came through, containing only one sentence: "A Demon defensive line has appeared ahead, on a scale far beyond expectations. Requesting orders."
Qi Wu did not answer immediately. He closed his eyes, but even with them shut, his enhanced Six Eyes could still make out the rough outline of the defensive line ahead.
That was no ordinary Demon formation!
An ordinary Demon formation consisted of separate individuals, with gaps, weaknesses, and a structure that could be divided. But the defensive line