The Battle Begins, the White Lotus Cult's Plan

Because!

Chu He knew something about Great Qian, too. At his current age, his cultivation was considered top-tier in Yun Province.

But!

There were quite a few comparable to him. Disciples of some great sects and powerful families would not venture into the world before reaching the third rank, lest they die before fully developing.

What was more!

Yun Province did not rank highly among Great Qian's thirty-six provinces. In provinces with greater overall strength, quite a few had broken through to the third rank at this age. The Demon Suppression Bureau had some such heaven's chosen as well.

There were even!

Rumors of fourth-rank experts under twenty in the imperial capital!

The very thought was terrifying!

However!

Chu He was confident, too. With the Point Allocation System's assistance, he would surely catch up in a short time, then quickly leave them behind, never to be surpassed by them for all eternity.

Unfortunately!

The Demon Points he had only just accumulated in abundance were exhausted again, and breaking through to the second rank peak stage would require eight hundred points.

"I need eight third rank early stage demons, or I'll have to kill higher-level demons."

Chu He looked east.

As a company commander of the Demon Suppression Guard, it was time he joined everyone in fighting shoulder to shoulder, slaying demons and exterminating fiends!

East of Nine Nether Town!

Battlefields covered a hundred-li radius, and blood flowed in rivers. Six hundred Demon Suppression Guards were locked in a frenzied slaughter with demons!

On the ground!

Lay the corpses of demons and Demon Suppression Guards!

Boom!

An earth-shaking collision!

Two figures each retreated dozens of meters. One was handsome and spirited-Zhang Wei. The other had a head of white hair and a face covered in black markings, clearly an evil cultivator.

"Kakaka... ten years apart, and your strength is still as formidable as ever, Centurion Zhang. You're only a hair's breadth from breaking through to the fourth rank. Unfortunately, you'll fall here today."

The white-haired evil cultivator laughed grotesquely.

"So the White Lotus Cult really was behind this. But Bai Sha, do you truly think you lot have us in the bag?"

Zhang Wei's face filled with killing intent.

At the same time!

He pointed toward different parts of the battlefield!

It had to be said that the Demon Suppression Guards lived up to their reputation as elites raised through a gu-like survival of the fittest. Their combat strength far surpassed ordinary fighters, and their frequent missions together gave them fairly seamless coordination.

The demons, by contrast, preferred fighting alone and had no coordination to speak of. Unwilling to cooperate, they were being beaten back by the Demon Suppression Guards.

Given enough time!

Victory was assured for the Demon Suppression Guards!

In fact!

All this was within the Demon Suppression Bureau's plans. The approximate number of demons throughout Nine Nether Town had long since been investigated. The decision to send six battalions had accounted for the possibility of their enemies turning desperate and lashing out early like cornered dogs.

Bai Sha swept his gaze around, his expression ugly. He had not expected a mere six battalions of Demon Suppression Guards to force them to this point.

However.

His expression did not change much further. Instead, he sneered:

"They're only appetizers. The true crisis that will wipe you out is almost here. I told you, you won't live past today."

"And don't think I don't know Qian Hao is in town, too. Someone will deal with him. All of you will die."

With that said.

Bai Sha wasted no more words and thrust a palm straight at Zhang Wei. A cloud of highly poisonous, foul-smelling gas appeared.

"Slash!"

Zhang Wei swung the Demon-Suppressing Saber in his hand.

A thirty-meter-long golden blade Qi cleaved through heaven and earth, splitting the poison gas apart and rushing straight toward Bai Sha's face.

Above the town center!

Two figures stood in midair. Towering presences radiated around them, compressing the space until it crackled.

"Tian Liu, so you were behind this after all, you old monster. You actually dared betray Great Qian and cooperate with the White Lotus Cult. Do you truly have no fear of your sect being slaughtered, your household exterminated, and your nine familial branches wiped out?"

A man in a flying-fish robe spoke icily.

It was Qian Hao!

At his waist!

Hung a saber and a sword. Qian Hao rested one hand on the sword at his waist. The sword intent radiating from its sheath tore tiny fissures in the surrounding void, proving this sword was anything but ordinary.

"Slaughter my sect and household, wipe out my nine familial branches... hahaha..."

Tian Liu threw back his head and laughed twice, then said, "True enough. The Demon Suppression Bureau often does such things. But you'll have to survive today first. Qian Hao, you don't really think you can stop this old man, do you?"

"Tell me, Qian Hao: if all six battalions of Demon Suppression Guards fall today, will the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Bureau still be able to keep everything stable?"

At Liu Yun's words, Qian Hao's expression chilled. "Why don't we try and find out?"

With that.

Qian Hao drew his saber and sword simultaneously.

Shing-!

Shing-!

Two peerless streaks of sword light and saber light shot straight toward Liu Yun. The sword light in particular was incomparably sharp and contained a trace of demon-suppressing power.

"Well met!"

Liu Yun snorted coldly and struck out with a palm.

Heavenly Yuan Palm!

There appeared!

A visible, three-hundred-meter palm in the void, moving to block the sword light and saber light. Its power was so immense that its pressure made the void tremble.

Boom...

Rumble...

The earth-shaking collision resounded through heaven and earth.

The saber light was annihilated by the enormous palm. The sword light, however, pierced through it and continued toward Liu Yun's face. Though most of its power had been diminished, it still could not be underestimated.

"Damn it!"

Tian Liu's expression changed, and his figure shifted a meter to the left in midair.

Yet.

The sharp sword light still left a bloody mark across his face.

"The Demon-Suppressing Sword is actually this sharp. It truly deserves its place among Yun Province's renowned divine weapons."

Tian Liu touched the blood on his face and spoke in surprise.

He could hardly be blamed for being so surprised.

His cultivation was at the fifth rank late stage, while Qian Hao was only at the fourth rank peak stage-a full three stages apart.

And!

An entire major rank separated them. Even if Qian Hao was a top heaven's chosen with formidable combat strength, he was no pushover himself.

Just now!

He had only been injured because the Demon-Suppressing Sword in Qian Hao's hand was too sharp, coupled with his own carelessness.

"Again!"

Tian Liu shouted.

Turning his palm into a fist, he took the initiative and attacked Qian Hao, simultaneously setting up several layers of protection around himself.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Successive collisions rang through heaven and earth. Their terrifying shock waves kept every demon within several li from daring to approach.

Large swathes of houses below collapsed. Fortunately, their residents had all fled earlier, or countless people would have died.

This was truly a case of immortals fighting and mortals suffering!

Boom...

The two exchanged another head-on blow. Qian Hao retreated over a hundred meters, while Tian Liu fell back only a dozen or so. The difference was clear at a glance.

However.

Tian Liu's expression was not much better. The threat of the Demon-Suppressing Sword left him fighting with his hands and feet bound, and Qian Hao's combat talent was too strong. Defeating him completely would take at least several more hours.

Tian Liu said, "You're stalling for time."

Qian Hao did not deny it. "So what if I am?"

A cold smile appeared on Tian Liu's face. "Waiting for Commander Zhou, aren't you? Since we dared make a move, do you think we wouldn't have made preparations?"

"Impossible. There's currently no one in Yun Province who can stop Commander Zhou. You're trying to distract me with this."

Qian Hao spoke expressionlessly.

"Distract you? Hahaha..."

Tian Liu laughed again. "Yes, no one can stop him. But delaying him for a while is no problem."

As he spoke.

Tian Liu shouted down below, "Come out."

Then...