When Jiang Yuan's large group arrived at Lihuo City, only two days had passed since the war in the demon realm began. However, the situation before them was grim. Within a day of the Eastern Demon Lord's surprise attack on Yimu City, the Western Gengjin City and Northern Kuishui City had fallen in succession. Marshals Zhao Gongming and Ma Yuanjun led their remaining troops to retreat into Lihuo City, guarded by Guan Yu, for a final stand.
Originally, relying solely on the three marshals at the True Immortal realm and fewer than 200,000 remaining celestial troops, they were powerless to resist the four demon lords. Just as the city was about to be breached, the True Martial Demon-Subduing Great Emperor arrived with the Seven Star Lords of the Big Dipper, setting up the Big Dipper Seven Star Formation to firmly shield the entire Lihuo City, thus saving the lives of the soldiers and civilians within.
The Big Dipper Seven Star Formation, within the True Martial Hall founded by the True Martial Emperor, is also known as the Heavenly Dipper Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Formation. It is anchored by seven Star Lords: Greedy Wolf Star Lord, Giant Gate Star Lord, Wealth Star Lord, Literary Star Lord, Chastity Star Lord, Martial Star Lord, and Broken Army Star Lord.
When Jiang Yuan and the others arrived, they happened upon the True Martial Demon-Subduing Great Emperor floating above the ladle-shaped Big Dipper Seven Star Formation, single-handedly challenging the four demon lords of the demon realm.
"I've long heard of the True Martial Emperor's transcendent Dao. Today, Han, along with my three brothers, shall test your skills," said the Eastern Demon Lord Han Xiaotian, clad in a black robe fluttering in the wind, standing with hands clasped behind his back, nodding slightly to the True Martial Emperor with a faint smile on his face.
The True Martial Emperor wore a black Daoist robe embroidered with all the stars of the heavens, shimmering with divine light, dazzling to behold. After the Eastern Demon Lord finished speaking, the True Martial Emperor responded with a faint smile, "I too have heard that the four demon lords each possess a primal demonic aura. The Heavenly Demonic Qi is ever-changing, the Blood Demonic Qi eerie and vicious, the Fiend Demonic Qi fierce and domineering, and the Corpse Demonic Qi extremely toxic. Please, four lords, enlighten me."
"If you want to fight, then fight! Stop with the chatter! Fiend Demonic Qi!" Northern Demon Chi Zhong, descendant of the great demon Chi You, roared, his body emitting pitch-black fiendish demonic qi. He suddenly transformed into a giant over ten zhang tall, with horns sprouting from his head, thick scales covering his face, and a massive war blade in hand, swinging it down at the True Martial Emperor.
As the Northern Demon Lord made his move, the other three demon lords also activated their primal demonic qi. The Western Demon Lord Li Wuji was surrounded by blood-red demonic qi, far more terrifying than when Jiang Yuan had seen him at the Ascension Platform earlier, now that his true form had descended. The Southern Demon Lord Shi Bu's body surged with streaks of green demonic qi, seemingly containing the world's deadliest toxins. The Eastern Demon Lord Han Xiaotian's Heavenly Demonic Qi flickered in and out, obscuring his face and making him impossible to discern, yet his entire presence exuded an overwhelming terror.
"Form the Four Spirits Blood Formation!" Eastern Demon Lord Han Xiaotian shouted softly, stepping in arcane patterns, quickly forming a circular stance with the other three demon lords. The four streams of demonic qi intertwined, turning the once clear sky blood-red! Han Xiaotian pulled a small, exquisite ancient tripod from his bosom, its body carved with a clawing black dragon, its fierce dragon head looking like a malevolent beast. "Fulong Tripod, go!" With a light shout, he gently lifted his hand, and this artifact from the primordial era spun into the air, casting beams of blood light!
Four earth-shattering roars came from the tripod, gripping hearts and causing pain on the faces of the celestial beings present. Jiang Yuan and the other Eternal Hall players involuntarily covered their ears, feeling nauseous. Against these emperor-level experts above, they, mere scattered immortals, didn't even qualify to strike! As the Fulong Tripod inverted, four pillars of blood light appeared beside Han Xiaotian, Li Wuji, Shi Bu, and Chi Zhong, slowly coalescing into four fierce beasts.
One beast had a single leg on its belly and a voice like thunder—the Kui Ox Jiang Yuan had seen in the mortal realm. The other three beasts differed: the Yellow Bird was a divine bird with yellow feathers, now wrapped in blood light, looking extremely ferocious. Taotie was ugly, with a goat's body, tiger's teeth, and human hands, its face dominated by a massive mouth. Zhulong had a human face and dragon body, its eyes emitting eerie green light.
"Kui Ox, Taotie, Zhulong, Yellow Bird. Hmph! You demon realm folk truly have means, subduing these four ancient beasts. Very well, I'll face these creatures today!" The True Martial Emperor's expression shifted slightly, clearly surprised inwardly. These ancient beasts had vanished since the primordial era hundreds of thousands of years ago, yet now they reappeared! He held a whisk in one hand, formed a sword seal with the other, stepped backward in the Dipper pattern, and chanted rapidly, "Big Dipper Seven Stars, sword form!"
To the astonishment of Jiang Yuan and the other players, a giant sword formed from pure starlight materialized beside the True Martial Emperor—the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword, condensed from stellar power through the Big Dipper Seven Star Formation! "Swish!" The True Martial Emperor swung the giant sword, slashing at the four beasts summoned by the demon lords' Four Spirits Blood Formation.
"Roar!" Taotie opened its massive mouth, blotting out the sky, and swallowed the True Martial Emperor and the giant Big Dipper Seven Star Sword whole! "Ah!" Inside Lihuo City, countless watching players screamed, both terrified by Taotie's monstrous maw and anxious for the True Martial Emperor! After swallowing him, Taotie's body swelled immensely, but suddenly, starlight pierced through its back. With a pained roar, a hole several meters wide appeared on its back, and the True Martial Emperor shot into the sky, sword in hand, coldly staring at Taotie below.
Just then, the Southern Demon Lord's body emitted streams of Corpse Demonic Qi, flowing into Taotie, quickly repairing the terrible wound on its back. "Roar!" More deafening cries rang out as Taotie, Zhulong, Kui Ox, and Yellow Bird all charged at the True Martial Emperor. Seeing this, he didn't engage head-on but stepped onto the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword, swiftly fleeing into the distance.
"Chase!" The four demon lords immediately rode their demonic qi in pursuit. The beasts summoned by the Four Spirits Blood Formation couldn't stray too far from the formation or they'd lose effect. With the top combatants from both celestial and demon realms gone, only hundreds of thousands of demon troops and the celestial players who had come to reinforce remained before Lihuo City.
"Fellow immortals, follow us out of the city to slay the demons!" Led by the three marshals Zhao Gongming, Ma Yuanjun, and Guan Yu, the large player groups from Eternal Hall, Azure Cloud Sect, and Imperial Hall responded, charging out of the city with the marshals.