"My lord, the Hanging Blade Pass has been breached."
" Cang Yue led his men into Jingxi Prefecture, according to plan..."
"Within seven days at most, it and its followers will be surrounded and killed by numerous human cultivators at the Void Return and Spirit Transformation stages."
On the steep, sword-like cliff of the Heaven-Pacifying Yao Prefecture stands a massive Devil Palace.
Deep within the Devil Palace, upon the throne.
A figure slowly rose to his feet.
He was clad in a dark black robe with dragon patterns, his posture upright and imposing like a deep pool or a towering mountain.
His face was strikingly handsome yet sinister, and his skin was pale.
His dark golden vertical pupils were cold and unparalleled, and a pair of jet-black dragon horns, as black as jade, snaked backward from his forehead.
Simply by standing here, an invisible pressure permeates the air, the air stagnates, and Spiritual Qi bows down.
His dark, vertical pupils glanced at the demon lord reporting below, his voice low and deep.
"Knew."
"Issue the order that the Suanni proceed according to the established strategy, so that Cang Yue... may die a worthy death."
"Yes!"
Upon receiving the order, the demon lord below vanished from his spot.
Ao Qing looked at the empty hall, his dark golden vertical pupils flashing.
" The Zong Household... you forced me to this."
"No one can stop me from conquering all nine battles and transforming into my dragon form!"
Ao Qing's tone was slightly hurried, carrying a hint of hidden apprehension.
Ten years ago, the bloodline of the Zong Household appeared in the Demon Manor, and then he lost a reverse scale.
Ten years later, the reverse scale that should have been connected to him by blood suddenly disappeared.
It was as if they had never existed in this world.
It terrified him.
The scales of the Void Return Dragon are so tough that no one in the entire Western Continent dares to say they have a way to refine or destroy them.
But how could he not sense his own Achilles' heel? It had truly vanished.
Such a terrifying event prompted him to make many plans over the next ten years.
Forced to take unexpected steps before the Prefecture-Breaking War, they were the first to uncover the Zong Household's secrets.
They were afraid that something might happen during the subsequent Prefecture-Breaking War.
Thinking of his connection with the Zong Household, Ao Qing felt troubled.
" Zongzheng Lie, what method have you found?"
"Could it be that it can merge with my bloodline? Or perhaps it can counteract my dragon's might?"
Ao Qing couldn't figure it out, but his deep-seated fear and anxiety were even stronger.
Ten thousand years have passed since I escaped from the Central Continent and landed in this Savage Wilderness.
It took him ten thousand years to get to this point, and now that he is about to succeed, his Achilles' heel has suddenly disappeared, forcing him to be cautious.
He and the Zong Household were sworn enemies, yet they were also extremely familiar with each other.
Even the slightest mistake in a detail can lead to crucial success or failure.
He had been preparing for this test for ten years.
They went so far as to make it seem like they were starting the Prefecture-Breaking War ahead of schedule, all in an attempt to draw out the Zong Household's methods.
He wanted to see how the Zong Household would refine and eliminate his Achilles' heel!
Thinking of this, Ao Qing's eyes narrowed, and he roared to the sky.
"Hold head high--!"
A vast, ancient dragon's roar soared into the sky from the top of the Devil Palace.
The news spread throughout the entire Heaven-Pacifying Yao Prefecture in an instant.
Its sound Void Breaking and filled the sky, booming incessantly.
The dragon's power it contained caused the mountains and rivers to tremble.
The dragon's roar echoed throughout the Demon Manor, and all the great demons obeyed its command.
"This is... the Prefecture-Breaking War is about to begin!"
The moment the dragon's roar sounded, the Nether Toad awoke with a start.
A look of horror flashed in its bright yellow eyes.
From the original owner's memories, it knew very clearly the ferocity of the Prefecture-Breaking War.
Many powerful demons were like mere weeds in such battles.
It is still recovering from its injuries, and a major battle is imminent.
I fear he will not live much longer.
The thought that he might die in the Prefecture-Breaking War, unable to accompany his master, and unable to complete the mission entrusted to him by the country, filled him with dread.
Nether Toad couldn't help but feel a little sad.
But it knew that such an important matter could not be delayed.
Suppressing his grief, he put away his natal demon weapon and the Nether Toad transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the inner courtyard.
"Whoosh!"
The Nascent Soul demon was incredibly fast; in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it had already transformed into human form and appeared inside Lu Li's underground palace.
"Master! Something terrible has happened!"
" Ao Qing issued an order, instructing all Blessed Land to prepare for the battle."
"It seems like this is really going to start. I've heard there have been clashes on the border between the two provinces."
"There's a possibility that humans might launch a surprise attack on the Demon Manor during this time, so Ao Qing has warned all the demons to be on high alert!"
Upon hearing Nether Toad's voice, Lu Li's expression turned serious.
Too fast, this precious golden period of development has passed far too quickly.
Beyond Heaven Dao Academy was getting on track, the preparations for the Prefecture-Breaking War began.
This caught him somewhat off guard.
"Did Ao Qing issue the order? Was there a specific time?"
Lu Li didn't dwell on these details, but asked about the key points.
"They didn't say anything, only that all Blessed Land Dongting should prepare immediately."
"During this period, all Blessed Land Dongting are forbidden from fighting each other. All Demon Beast, and humans must prepare for the war!"
The Nether Toad's voice was slightly surprised, and its enormous belly trembled incessantly.
His dark green clothes were stretched taut with tension.
Though brief, these words were enough to show that the Prefecture-Breaking War was truly about to begin.
This is probably the final moment.
"Too fast."
"At this rate, the Prefecture-Breaking War will break out in a few years at most."
Why does it feel so sudden?
"The various Blessed Land Dongting must not fight each other... Humans have launched a sneak attack and entered..."
Lu Li's eyes flickered as he pondered carefully.
Ao Qing's order was extremely brief, yet it allowed him to perceive a glimmer of opportunity.
The Prefecture-Breaking War is about to begin, and troops are being assembled in various places. The lords of the Blessed Land of Dongting will probably take this opportunity to conduct their final seclusion and cultivation.
Like Nether Toad toad, the fear etched into its very bones still makes it tremble incessantly.
The lord of Dongting, another Blessed Land, will surely do the same.
Some humans even took advantage of this conflict to cause trouble.
This is the time of year, we must seize it!
Thinking of this, Lu Li stood up and looked at Nether Toad.
" Nether Toad, it's time for you to take the stage!"
"I?"
The Nether Toad was stunned, completely bewildered.
"That's right, listen to me, the Prefecture-Breaking War is imminent, this is our last chance!"
A glint flashed in Lu Li's eyes as he revealed his plans.
Since Ao Qing has ordered that the various Blessed Land Dongting must not fight each other, they should take this opportunity to expand their power as quickly and forcefully as possible.
While fighting is prohibited, it doesn't mean hoarding resources is forbidden.
The various Blessed Land are not adjacent to each other without any flaws.
There are always some small, Rogue Cultivator in the cracks and gaps.
These will all be the goals of the Beyond Heaven Dao Academy!
Furthermore, everyone says that humans have sneaked in, but who knows who did it?
Since all the Blessed Land Dongting have begun military preparations...
There's no reason why the Beyond Heaven Dao Academy shouldn't be in sync!
The Nether Toad can even openly perform its frantic healing rituals to plunder resources.
Play the role of a Blessed Land lord driven hysterical by a war of terror.
It can also lay the groundwork for their subsequent abnormal behavior.
The newly established Silver Hall no longer needs to be timid; it's just a matter of acquiring and selling counterfeit goods.
At this opportune moment, we can fully unleash our potential and absorb resources to the maximum extent possible.
Especially mid-to-high-level resources!
In the past two years, the research on Spirit Machinery in Great Xia has encountered no problems or bottlenecks; the only bottleneck is materials.
The few fourth-tier materials in Nether Toad's Storage Bag were used to forge two large creatures, which he placed in his underground palace as pillars.
If we can take this opportunity to accumulate more high-level resources.
Upon realizing this, Lu Li's heart suddenly raced.
"Judging from the performance of those two behemoths... as long as we can forge five or six more..."
"Even a Spirit Transformation can fight!"