"Swish!"
Just as the Eastern Demon Emperor shattered the city gate of Yimu City with a single palm strike, he immediately pulled a signal flare from his chest, ignited it with demonic energy, and sent it soaring into the sky, where it exploded with a thunderous bang!
"Not good! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The two gate guards who had earlier taken bribes from the Eastern Demon Emperor were already hacked into several pieces, their severed limbs and mangled flesh strewn across the ground. As the soldiers inside the city spotted the anomaly, they quickly sounded the alarm.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The urgent bell tolls echoed throughout Yimu City, plunging it into chaos. Fifty li away, the 400,000-strong demon army saw the signal flare, their demonic energy surging as they unleashed their arts, covering the distance in the blink of an eye.
The Eastern Demon Emperor, clad in a black robe and surrounded by celestial demonic energy, fought barehanded. With each palm strike, several immortal soldiers exploded into bloody mist, dying on the spot!
The massive demon army of 400,000 surged into the city like a dark tide, clashing with the 100,000-plus immortal troops stationed there. Due to the narrow terrain within the city, most demon soldiers abandoned their cumbersome spears and lances, drawing their signature demon-realm short weapons—ring blades—for close combat.
The ring blade, a peculiar weapon with blades on both ends and a handle in the middle, struck from tricky and unpredictable angles, easily catching opponents off guard.
The 400,000 demon troops poured into Yimu City, slaughtering over a thousand soldiers on the city walls with ease, like chopping vegetables, and hoisted the Eastern Demon Emperor's banner.
The remaining immortal soldiers fought and retreated, gradually scattering into the alleyways for a final stand.
Amid the melee, a resourceful deputy general fought his way out of the encirclement, bloodied, seized a warhorse, and raced to Gengjin City to deliver the news.
"What! Yimu City has fallen? How many demon troops are there?"
In Gengjin City, Marshal Wen, upon receiving the report, stood frozen, his face ashen.
"Too many to count—at least two to three hundred thousand! Please, both marshals, send reinforcements immediately!"
The deputy general, having delivered his message, collapsed and fell unconscious.
"Brother Guan, save my Yimu City!"
Wen Qiong dropped to his knees with a thud, begging Guan Yu to send troops. Guan Yu, valuing loyalty, promptly mustered 50,000 troops and handed them over to Wen Qiong to rush to Yimu City's aid.
But as Wen Qiong led the 50,000 borrowed troops out of Gengjin City toward Yimu City, they were intercepted halfway by the Southern Demon Emperor, who had been lying in wait with his remaining 30,000 men.
This was part of Han Xiaotian's pre-arranged plan to block reinforcements, aimed at delaying troops from the other three cities from reaching Yimu City.
By the time Wen Qiong finally broke through the blockade and fought his way out of the encirclement, over 10,000 of his 50,000 troops had already been lost!
When Wen Qiong finally led the remaining 40,000 reinforcements to the outskirts of Yimu City, his heart sank. The entire city was shrouded in demonic energy, the air thick with the stench of blood. The yellow earth beneath his feet was soaked crimson, sticky to the touch.
"Hahaha! Marshal Wen, Han has been waiting for you!"
A long laugh rang out, and three figures appeared atop Yimu City's gate tower. In the center stood the Eastern Demon Emperor, Han Xiaotian, flanked by the Western and Northern Demon Emperors.
"You demonic old fiends, I'll fight you to the death!"
Wen Qiong, seeing the three demon emperors, was so enraged his eyes nearly split. A auspicious cloud rose beneath his feet as he flew spear in hand toward the gate tower, ready to give his all.
But though Wen Qiong was one of the Four Great Marshals of the Immortal Realm, his cultivation was only at the True Immortal level. Against three demon emperors, he stood no chance. In just a few exchanges, he was slain by their combined might!
One of the Four Great Marshals of the Immortal Realm, Wen Qiong, had fallen!
With Wen Qiong dead, the 40,000 immortal soldiers under his command became lambs to the slaughter. Under the assault of the demon army's hundreds of thousands, they were butchered into mincemeat!
In the Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor was convening his ministers to continue strategizing against the demon realm. Suddenly, a soldier from the Southern Heavenly Gate rushed in, panicked.
"Report!"
"Your Majesty, disaster strikes! The Eastern Demon Emperor tricked his way into Yimu City's gates and led 400,000 demon troops in a bloody massacre. Marshal Wen Qiong, defender of Yimu City, has fallen in battle!"
"Gasps!"
At these words, the hall erupted in shock!
"What about the other three marshals? Why didn't they send reinforcements?"
The Jade Emperor, flustered, roared at the soldier from the Southern Heavenly Gate.
"I don't know, Your Majesty. The intelligence from the front only says this much."
The soldier trembled as he replied, seeing the Jade Emperor's fury.
"Where are Thousand-Li Eyes and Wind-Attuned Ears?"
The Jade Emperor barked.
"Your servant is here!"
"Your servant is present!"
As the Jade Emperor spoke, Jiang Yuan, also in the Lingxiao Palace, saw two oddly shaped immortals step forward and kneel before the Jade Emperor.
One had enormous eyes, taking up a third of his face, while the other had long, slender ears, resembling a rabbit.
"Quickly, show me the situation in Yimu City! I want to see!"
The Jade Emperor shouted.
Thousand-Li Eyes and Wind-Attuned Ears immediately performed their arts, and a large screen formed from immortal energy appeared above the Lingxiao Palace.
Everyone looked up to see Yimu City's walls covered in demon banners, black demonic energy soaring skyward. Inside, corpses littered the ground, blood flowed like rivers, turning the city into a hellish landscape!
The scene shifted to Kuishui City in the north, where Marshals Zhao Gongming and Ma Yuanjun were leading 200,000 immortal troops in a fierce battle against 200,000 demon soldiers led by three demon emperors!
Then, the view switched to Lihuo City in the south, where the Eastern Demon Emperor Han Xiaotian led another demon force, exploiting Ma Yuanjun's absence to launch a sneak attack on his home base!
"Fools! A bunch of fools!"
The Jade Emperor, after watching, stomped and cursed, berating Ma Yuanjun for his lack of brains, letting his home be stolen!
"Seal-Keeper Immortal, draft an imperial edict immediately!"
"Your will!"
The Jade Emperor roared at the Seal-Keeper Immortal, who quickly grabbed paper and brush, bowing in response.
"Order the True Martial Demon-Suppressing Grand Emperor to set out immediately with the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper. Also, have Erlang Shen Yang Jian and Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince, lead the 500,000 troops guarding Tianzhu Mountain to reinforce! Hurry!"
Though the Jade Emperor was in a rage, his mind remained clear. He knew the four marshals were no match for the three demon emperors, so he decisively dispatched the True Martial Demon-Suppressing Grand Emperor, a fellow Immortal Emperor, with the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, hoping to trap the enemy with the Big Dipper Formation, buying time for Yang Jian and Nezha to bring the 500,000 troops from Tianzhu Mountain to Kuishui City.
"This infuriates me, infuriates me! All of you, get out!"
The Jade Emperor, still seething, vented his anger at the assembled civil and military officials, who quickly shuffled out of the Lingxiao Palace.
"Damn, I really want to sneak to the front lines and have some fun! I'd level up like crazy!"
Jiang Yuan, leaving the Lingxiao Palace with the others, felt an itch of excitement.