Bluestone Mountain lay in the northern reaches of the Western Country. The Western Country was far from peaceful now; its overlord, Tōga, was waging war against the Leopard Cat Tribe.
A battle between two such great tribes would never be confined to them alone. Numerous demon clans under their command were slaughtering one another as well.
Although Bluestone Mountain lay toward the north of the Western Country, it could not escape the effects of this war.
War inevitably brought casualties, and losses only made demons increasingly frenzied and bloodthirsty.
That was war's greatest impact.
Now, a demon clan had appeared at the foot of Bluestone Mountain-a horde of evil spirits, demons born from evil energy.
These demons born from evil energy were numerous. In an age plagued by constant warfare, there was no shortage of evil energy or resentment, and both were growing ever denser.
They swarmed like plague-bearing rats, giving off crimson mist that corroded much of the mountain forest.
They were one of the large clans serving the Leopard Cat Tribe. Their fighting strength was low, but their numbers were immense, and a portion of them had now reached the foot of Bluestone Mountain.
Like a horde of ravenous rats, they caught the scent of living beings from the Demon Wolf Tribe on Bluestone Mountain and surged toward it.
"Awooo!"
Demon wolves glowing crimson threw back their heads and howled. Within a few breaths, thousands of them stood guard before the Demon Wolf Tribe's territory on Bluestone Mountain.
The Demon Wolf Tribe members stared at the repulsive creatures below. Their tribe had obeyed neither the Dog Tribe nor the Leopard Cat Tribe, remaining neutral.
The Dog Tribe did not hold that against them, but the Leopard Cat Tribe was different. In its eyes, anyone in the Western Country who refused to obey its commands had to perish!
Thus, the Leopard Cat Tribe's reputation in the Western Country was truly terrible. Almost every clan trembled at the mention of it, shaken to the core.
The Leopard Cat Tribe had once been the overlord of the Western Country, but its brutality had enraged the country's demons.
Eventually, Tōga had intervened, rallying the Anti-Cat Demon Tribes and driving the Leopard Cat Tribe out of the Western Country.
Now, the Leopard Cat Tribe had returned, intent on wresting the position of overlord from Tōga and ruling the Western Country once more.
The war had already reached the Demon Wolf Tribe on Bluestone Mountain. Every tribesman glared furiously, while the old man standing at their head shook with rage, his beard and brows trembling.
However weakened the Demon Wolf Tribe might be, it was not something these worthless demons born from evil energy could lay their claws on!
"Kill!"
At the old man's command, thousands of demon wolves shot forward like black arrows, stirring currents of air that whistled fiercely.
The evil spirits below were no fewer than the demon wolves. In fact, their numbers were far greater, packed together like an enormous black net ready to envelop the wolves.
Rumble!
The two sides collided in an instant. Blood flew, and hundreds were killed or wounded in that single moment.
The Demon Wolf Tribe members naturally did not stand idle. Weapons in hand, they charged into the horde of evil spirits just a step behind the wolves.
The old man's gaze was icy as he searched for the commander of this force. The Evil Spirit Tribe was exceptionally cunning; even the leader of a single unit would hide among the charging ranks!
They used the chaos to launch surprise attacks on the leaders of the demon clans they fought. The old man kept swinging his blade, sending flashes of steel through the evil spirits rushing at him.
Yet his mind remained utterly calm, his eyes watching every direction. Years of warfare had given him ample experience fighting enemies.
Even wounded, he was not someone the puny Evil Spirit Tribe could kill.
But that was in a head-on fight. If he were ambushed, he would naturally be in danger.
Mingye had gone to the Demon Wolf Burial Grounds and was away from Bluestone Mountain. The burden of protecting the mountain now rested on the old man's shoulders!
These sinister creatures really know how to hide. Where could their leader be?
The blade in the old man's hand was stained red, and his body was covered in blood. These evil spirits could hardly wound him; all of it belonged to his enemies.
The other Demon Wolf Tribe members kept shouting as they fought, their movements fierce and decisive. Most could slay quite a few evil spirits each.
Thousands of demon wolves were also tearing into the evil spirits. In just a quarter of an hour, the Evil Spirit Tribe had suffered devastating casualties.
But the Demon Wolf Tribe's wolves and tribesmen had also suffered some losses. At last, only a few yards from the old man, a seemingly ordinary evil spirit suddenly unleashed an extraordinary aura.
"Hmph, I've been waiting for you!"
The old man snorted coldly and swept his blade, blasting every evil spirit around him to pieces. Then he stepped forward, charging straight at the leader who had revealed his aura.
A vicious gleam shone in the old man's eyes. Infused with Demon Power, his blade blazed with brilliant light. His presence surged like that of a battle-hardened general as he delivered a killing stroke!
"Huh?! You actually have..."
The evil spirit leader's pupils trembled violently. Before the blade's light even reached him, an icy sense of danger gripped his body.
He tried to unleash all his Demon Power, but the stroke was simply too swift. The light struck the moment the blade moved.
The evil spirit leader's body was cleaved in two. Even the ground beneath him split, leaving a long, deep blade mark.
Both halves of his body were shattered by the blade's light, bursting outward like flying stones and killing many evil spirits.
With their leader dead, the entire Evil Spirit Tribe fell into chaos. All order vanished, and they could only flee in panic.
After delivering that stroke, the old man did not continue attacking. Instead, he exhaled a stale breath.
"The Force-Energy Method really is powerful. A pity I haven't fully mastered it yet..."
The old man shook his head slightly. He had used the Force-Energy Method Mingye had taught him in that last strike. His vitality was failing, and he could no longer use too much Demon Power.
That was why Mingye had taught him the Force-Energy Method, making his blade strikes even more formidable.
What he regretted was the extraordinary control it required. If he could truly master it, that last stroke would have released blade energy, allowing him to kill an enemy easily from several yards away.
"Honored Old Chief, five hundred demon wolves were killed or wounded, and several dozen tribesmen died in battle."
A member of the Demon Wolf Tribe approached the old man to report the casualties, his expression grim.
Even mere evil spirits had inflicted such losses on their tribe. Though they had won, the battle had still exposed the Demon Wolf Tribe's weakness.
"Clear the battlefield, and give our fallen tribesmen proper burials."
The old man's heart was heavy as well. He looked over the evil spirits' mangled remains strewn across the ground. Unfortunately, these creatures could not be eaten.
They truly had gained nothing from this battle.
"I only hope Mingye can obtain the Sacred Artifact, the Five Thunder Finger, without trouble!"
The old man gazed into the distance. The world really was far too chaotic, filled with conflict and warfare wherever one looked.
"The Leopard Cat Tribe... they still have strength to spare against our Demon Wolf Tribe... could the Dog Tribe..."
The old man naturally knew about the war between the Dog Tribe and the Leopard Cat Tribe. He had never expected the Leopard Cat Tribe to push all the way here.
Tōga was immensely powerful. Though the old man had never witnessed that strength himself, countless legends surrounded him.
The Leopard Cat Tribe truly had reason for confidence in mounting this comeback...
Before you continue