The sky was thick with oppressive clouds, rendering the already crowded jungle even darker and hazier, leaving one feeling irritated and restless.

Mo Ling, Mo Yin, and the others looked up with profound respect toward the majestic figure standing before them, gazing toward the horizon. This was Mo Ling’s elder brother, one of the twelve exclusive Heavenly Demons of the Sealing Demon Empire’s royal family.

In the Sealing Demon Empire, any royal Heavenly Demon Warrior was granted the imperial surname Mo Luo. After becoming the youngest Heavenly Demon Warrior in the empire ten years ago, he was no longer called Mo Feng; instead, the royal family bestowed upon him a new surname and name: Mo Luo Yinfeng. He commanded the Thunderflame Legion, one of the seven great legions of the Sealing Demon Empire. The Brotherhood served as the gateway for the Prague Legion into the Ranger world, and the Brotherhood’s plan for the illusionary journey was orchestrated by Mo Luo Yinfeng. Now that the Brotherhood had successfully completed its initial mission, the Prague Legion was moving on to the next phase of its subsequent plans.

They were the other contingent Lan Ling had mentioned. At this moment, Mo Luo Yinfeng anxiously awaited news from Cicheng before planning the next course of action.

Surrounding him, besides the seven Heavenly Demons of the Prague Legion, were disciples from the Mo Luo family of the Sealing Demon Empire—all elites among the elites of the Thunderflame Legion.

"Marshal, we just received word. The Ao Tian Legion was ambushed by a mysterious master and suffered heavy casualties."

"What exactly happened?" Mo Luo Yinfeng was greatly alarmed.

"Arch-Priest Lan Ling arrived at Cicheng, and the Ao Tian Legion was preparing to proceed as originally planned. However, before departing, Arch-Priest Lan Ling ordered a live combat drill to integrate the coordination between the Church's Crimson Priests and the Ao Tian Mage Corps," the Dove Group Deacon continued. "But just after successfully unleashing the Fire Dragon Aura, they were suddenly attacked. Arch-Priest Lan Ling and four Crimson Arch-Priests were killed on the spot. Not only that, but the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff were also seized by that mysterious assassin."

"What!" Mo Luo Yinfeng roared in fury. "Just who could have managed to kill Lan Ling right in front of Mo Luo Ao Tian and so many Heavenly Demon Warriors, and even snatch the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff?"

"Rumor has it that the mysterious assassin who suddenly appeared possesses an astonishingly high level of cultivation." The Dove Group Deacon unrolled a scroll in his hands and handed it to Mo Luo Yinfeng. "Here is the detailed intelligence report."

"How is this possible? Would the Holy Word Church really dispatch a Phoenix Heaven Warrior?" Mo Luo Yinfeng was nearly stunned as he stared at the intelligence in his hand.

"Brother, what's going on?" Mo Ling and Mo Yin, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask in shock.

"See for yourselves," Mo Luo Yinfeng handed the intelligence scroll to Mo Ling, looking utterly drained. "If the intelligence analysis is correct, this war might not be as simple as we thought."

"The Fire Dragon Aura." Mo Ling and Mo Yin stared blankly at the report, their faces turning extremely grim in an instant. In that brief moment, they both simultaneously thought of that terrifying blue figure. "Lord Yin Ke, is there any more detailed description of the news? Is that person truly a Phoenix Heaven Warrior?"

"That... should be correct," Dove Group Deacon Yin Ke stated seriously. "Our informants in Cicheng witnessed it firsthand. That person truly burst out from the epicenter of the Fire Dragon Aura explosion. It was precisely because of this that Lan Ling, caught completely off guard, was killed instantly."

"Did he wear Phoenix Heaven Armor?" Mo Ling asked nervously.

"No," Mo Luo Yin Ke replied solemnly. "The mysterious master was only wearing this light blue set of armor, relying almost entirely on his powerful Dou Qi energy to directly withstand the attack of the Fire Dragon Aura."

"Based on this alone, you conclude that the killer is a Phoenix Heaven Warrior?" Mo Ling and Mo Yin, having almost certainly confirmed their suspicions, asked in shock.

"To be able to withstand the attack of the powerful forbidden spell, the Fire Dragon Aura, using only his physical body," Yin Ke trembled. "With such a cultivation level, I truly cannot imagine anyone else who could accomplish this, other than a Phoenix Heaven Warrior."

"Light blue light armor." Mo Ling and Mo Yin ground their teeth almost simultaneously. "Ao Tian and the others were fooled; that fellow is not a Phoenix Heaven Warrior at all."

"Not a Phoenix Heaven Warrior?" Yin Ke and Mo Luo Yinfeng stared at Mo Ling and Mo Yin in horror. "Besides a Phoenix Heaven Warrior, who else can withstand the Fire Dragon Aura attack using only their physical body?"

"Of course, there is," Mo Yin said grimly. "Besides the Phoenix Heaven Warriors, there is another type of person in this world who can withstand the attack of the Fire Dragon Aura using only their physical body, without even deploying defensive Dou Qi."

"No protective Dou Qi, just the physical body?" Mo Luo Yinfeng and Yin Ke almost jumped up. "How is that possible?" However, their expressions soon changed drastically. "Are you referring to the Blue Lightning mentioned in the previous report?"

"Yes," Mo Ling gritted out. "If we haven't guessed wrong, it must be him. The light blue armor is what this fellow usually wears."

"Damn it, how could this happen?" Mo Luo Yinfeng, Yin Ke, and all the generals present were utterly dumbfounded. In an instant, everyone recalled the Sealing Demon Empire's most painful and darkest chapter. Over a thousand years ago, the Sealing Demon Empire, which had nearly conquered the entire continent and unified the Mafa World, was scattered and broken by a single terrifying warrior who emerged out of nowhere, fighting them single-handedly. The powerful magic corps of the Sealing Demon Empire seemed like mere decorations before that person; no matter how powerful the magic attack, it seemed to have almost no effect on him. From that moment on, the terrifying name 'Demon Devouring Body' became the greatest nightmare for all Sealing Demon mages.

No matter how profound a mage's cultivation, they faced only a dead end upon encountering a Demon Devouring Body. It could be said that the Demon Devouring Body was inherently tailored to counter mages.

After a thousand years of nurturing and recovery, the Sealing Demon Empire once again became immensely powerful through its formidable magic, accompanied by extremely inflated ambition for expansion and aggression.

But precisely at this moment, the Demon Devouring Body, which was thought to exist only in legend, reappeared. Was this truly a predetermined fate? Why did this terrifying monster always appear just as the Sealing Demon Empire reached its zenith?

"If we hadn't seen it with our own eyes, we wouldn't believe that such a terrifying monster exists in this world," Mo Yin and Mo Ling exclaimed in horror. The terrifying scene of him grasping ten thousand people’s Mother-Child Lightning in the tenth layer of the illusionary realm remained etched in their minds like a recurring nightmare: "He is still just a boy of seventeen or eighteen, yet his cultivation has already reached the astonishing level of Grandmaster. If he cultivates for a few more years, I dare not imagine what realm he will reach."

"That will be the second generation of the Dragon Shadow Sword God," Mo Luo Yinfeng stated gravely. "By then, even if all the Phoenix Heaven Mages of the Mo Luo Church united, they would not be his match."

"No matter what, this hidden danger must be completely eliminated," Mo Luo Yinfeng declared decisively. "We must act while his strength is still at the Grandmaster level, otherwise, one day our Sealing Demon Empire will pay a terrible price."

"Since he is not yet a Phoenix Heaven Warrior, we still have a chance," Mo Luo Yinfeng continued. "I believe the Royal Family and the Church have also received this news. The Blue Lightning has shown himself; we absolutely cannot let him escape this time. For safety, we must relay the information we have to the Royal Family and the Ao Tian Legion. Furthermore, the original beheading plan remains unchanged; even without the Fire Dragon Aura, the plan to forcibly take Yuncheng remains." Mo Luo Yinfeng added, "As long as the Ao Tian Legion can tie down the Eight Great Heavenly Demons in Yuncheng, we can attack Dragon City directly from the east route."

No one expected things to devolve into the current situation. The Ao Tian Legion had initially borrowed Arch-Priest Lan Ling of the Church, along with the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff capable of unleashing the Fire Dragon Aura, precisely to avoid excessive attrition. But the Blue Lightning had violently snatched the treasures, catching them completely off guard.

A battle that was certain to be won had now become a fifty-fifty toss-up, with the outcome uncertain. And if the Dragon Army were given enough time and gained control of the power of the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff, this war would become exponentially harder. By then, let alone conquering the Dragon Continent, the Dragon Continent might directly threaten the Sealing Demon Empire using the might of the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff.

Thinking of this, Mo Luo Yinfeng and the others’ faces changed drastically. "Tell Ao Tian and the others they must take Yuncheng at all costs, or they will bear the consequences for everything. Remember, the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff were lost under their watch."

"Yes!" Yin Ke immediately turned and left.

If only everything wasn't too late! Mo Luo Yinfeng sighed helplessly.

But Mo Ling and Mo Yin and the others looked crestfallen. This Blue Lightning was truly a massive headache; it seemed whoever crossed paths with him met misfortune. For some reason, both Mo Ling and Mo Yin had a strange intuition that this Blue Lightning would cause them much trouble in the future.

Two days later! I finally managed to flee all the way back to Yuncheng!

However, what I hadn't anticipated was that in Yuncheng, besides Jin Yao, there was also Ji Du Luohou and several other Heavenly Demon Warriors I didn't recognize, along with three individuals wearing Mage Robes—they must be the remaining Heavenly Demon Warriors of the Dragon Royal Family—and the Celestial Rainbow Archmage.

Seeing my disheveled state, Ji Du and Jin Yao were both greatly shocked.

"Ah! Your Highness the King of Qin."

"Hah! I finally escaped back!" Only then did I truly let out a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness leaving without saying goodbye caused us quite a worry," Jin Yao's expression was respectful, but the thick undertone of hostility in his words suggested he was on the verge of exploding. If I hadn't still held the title of King of Qin, I probably would have been beaten up long ago.

"Heh, heh, don't lecture me yet." I rummaged through my spatial pouch and pulled out the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff. "See what I brought back for you."

"Ah! This is the Heart of the Fire Dragon!" Ji Du was utterly horrified.

"And the Soul-Devouring Staff!" Another middle-aged mage wearing a Mage Robe nearly jumped up in shock.

"No way," Luohou stared at me as if he had seen a ghost. "Your Highness, what in the world is going on? Why are these two supreme treasures of the Sealing Demon Royal Family and the Mo Luo Church in your possession?"

"Heh, heh," I said with a hint of pride. "How else? By robbing them, of course!"

"Your Highness, did you go to Cicheng?" Although Jin Yao was ecstatic, his eyes, glaring at me, looked like those of a man-eating tiger.

"Heh heh, well, how else could I have snatched these two treasures if I didn't go to Cicheng?" I chuckled dryly.

"Heavens!" This time, a middle-aged female warrior wearing Holy War Armor exclaimed in shock. "Your Highness, did you snatch the Soul-Devouring Staff and the Heart of the Fire Dragon from Lan Ling?"

"Who is Arch-Priest Lan Ling?" I was a little confused, but recalling carefully, the unlucky fellow I killed with my sword was indeed wearing blue robes.

"What exactly happened? Could Your Highness explain your trip to Cicheng in detail?" Ji Du asked in surprise while examining the Heart of the Fire Dragon in his hand.

"Well," I had no choice but to recount the events of my visit to Cicheng.

Ten minutes later!

The hall was utterly silent! Everyone stared at me with expressions as if they had seen a monster, making me feel like I truly was one.

"My God, how is that even possible?" Jin Yao muttered, "Your Highness was hit directly by the Fire Dragon Aura and emerged completely unharmed."

"No wonder Arch-Priest Lan Ling fell for your trick," Luohou exclaimed. "Who would have thought a living person could rush out from within the Fire Dragon Aura?"

"Lan Ling must have been utterly exhausted immediately after unleashing the Fire Dragon Aura; otherwise, with his Celestial Rainbow Archmage cultivation, escaping wouldn't have been difficult," Ji Du stated.

"We can only say it was divine will," Jin Yao murmured. "I truly don't know whether to call this luck; Your Highness manages to encounter such coincidences."

"Heh heh," I also chuckled awkwardly. "Actually, I still can't figure out why the Heavenly Demon Warriors present were all stunned, watching me escape."

"Hahaha, Your Highness, there's no need to be surprised," Ji Du said. "Of course, they wanted to pursue, but they lacked the courage. Anyone who sees a person unafraid of the Fire Dragon Aura attack has to weigh that person's strength carefully."

"Indeed," Luohou added. "Your Highness is a Demon Devouring Body rarely seen in a millennium, so naturally, you are not afraid of magic attacks. Even the forbidden spell Fire Dragon Aura couldn't harm Your Highness in the slightest. However, outsiders cannot comprehend the mystery behind this. Given Mo Luo Ao Tian's cautious and suspicious nature, it would be truly bizarre if he dared to pursue Your Highness."

"Exactly. You must realize that with only the physical body, withstanding the forbidden spell Fire Dragon Aura—even a Phoenix Heaven Warrior might not manage that," the Celestial Rainbow Archmage in the Mage Robe remarked with feeling. "I expect they are still terrified, relieved that they managed to escape Your Highness's attack."

"Ha! So that's the truth!" I was momentarily stunned. At that moment, I couldn't help but recall an old saying: The bamboo pole scares the wolf, and the wolf scares the bamboo pole—it turned out I wasn't the only one afraid.

"Your Highness's luck is truly incomparable," Luohou chuckled as well.

"Heh heh." At this point, I truly didn't know if this counted as luck.

"Your Highness not only killed Arch-Priest Lan Ling but also successfully seized the Heart of the Fire Dragon and the Soul-Devouring Staff. Such exhilarating news must be utilized properly," Ji Du stated seriously. "Recently, various locations have suffered defeat and fallen, and our Dragon Army has been forced into continuous retreats, hunkering down on the defensive line. It's time to rally morale and launch a major counterattack."

"Excellent idea," the Celestial Rainbow Archmage beside him was also extremely excited.

Only then did Ji Du and the others finally get a chance to introduce me to the other Heavenly Demon Warriors and Celestial Rainbow Archmages present.

These individuals were Mu Yao, Tu Yao, Shui Yao, Huo Yao, and Yue Yao—meaning eight of the nine great Heavenly Demons of the Sealing Demon Empire, excluding the current Emperor, were all gathered in Yuncheng. Additionally, there were three Celestial Rainbow Archmages, named Yan Lie, Yan Kuang, and Yan Zhao, who had also come here specifically to counter the attack of the Fire Dragon Aura.

"If all of you are here, won't the Imperial City be empty?" Immediately, I felt a slight unease.

"Your Highness, please rest assured," Ji Du replied solemnly. "Since the Emperor dared to dispatch us, he must have made appropriate arrangements." Ji Du then added, "Moreover, the Emperor himself is an exceptionally powerful Heavenly Demon Warrior, and with the Divine Crone by his side, nothing major should happen."

"Ah! Divine Crone?" I was a bit puzzled. Are there professional 'charlatans' and 'divine crones' in this world?

"Haha, don't worry about that now. After we repel the Sealing Demon Army's invasion this time, you will naturally have a chance to return to the Imperial City and see them," Ji Du laughed.

But at that very moment, a Dove Group messenger hurried into the hall: "Report to the General, the Sealing Demon Armies from Jinhai, Du, and three other cities are rapidly advancing toward Yuncheng."

"They are already here?" Jin Yao stood up abruptly, his expression turning serious. "Issue the order! The entire army prepare for battle! This time, we will ensure they never return!"