The two decades between the 3730th and 3750th years of the Sacred Word Calendar marked the most ferocious conflict in five hundred years between the two great factions of the Sacred Word and the Demon Luo. A great number of exceptional Heaven Demon Warriors emerged in every nation, and the ten strongest among them were universally recognized as the Ten Great Heaven Demons! Following his astonishing performance in the Battle of Yuncheng, the Demon Dragon Prince Jiuyou Shenzhen was also acknowledged by all Heaven Demon Warriors as one of the Ten Great Heaven Demons, ranked tenth! Posterity would refer to him as the Blue Demon Star. He was known alongside Yin Mo Jidu as the Twin Demon Dragons of the Demon Dragon! Exclusive Battle Armor: Fire Demon Heaven Armor Exclusive Weapon: Dragon Shadow Sword Signature Skill: Dragon Shadow Crossing! Famous Battle: Battle of Yuncheng! —The Book of Sand—The Ten Great Heaven Demons
The wide street was utterly deserted! The doors and gates of the shops and dwellings lining both sides were flung wide open, swaying restlessly in the biting cold wind, emitting a piercing, desolate creak.
Every Blood Wolf Knight wore a grim expression, their sharp gazes sweeping everywhere.
“Report, Great Leader.” A few Blood Wolf Knights rode up to Chì Lóng: “The city is empty. All valuables and grain have been carted away.”
“Swift work,” Chì Lóng murmured, his dark eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
“It seems they fled to Luocheng,” Lán Bù analyzed. “That’s the only large city nearby garrisoned with Heaven Demon Warriors.” As he said this, Lán Dá subconsciously glanced toward me.
It was evident that the Seal Demon Empire had reacted swiftly, intending to rely on the Heaven Demon Warriors in Luocheng to hold the city. After all, only Heaven Demon Warriors could truly halt my advance, perhaps.
“What is the next course of action?” I am hardly skilled in military strategy and naturally sought Chì Lóng’s plan.
“We pursue them, of course,” Chì Lóng stated. “These many citizens aren't something you just abandon. It’ll be troublesome, but I guarantee they haven't gotten far. Once we catch up, we’ll reap rewards. After we’ve culled a good number along the way, we’ll detour to other cities. Even if they escape, we’ll burn the remaining cities to ashes.”
“.........” I truly didn't know what to say. I had to admit, Chì Lóng’s plan was exceptionally good. At the very least, it would cause maximum devastation to the civilian infrastructure of the Seal Demon Continent. As the saying goes, you can chase the monk but not the temple; burning all those cities clean would be a crushing blow to the Seal Demon Empire. Back then, just one Xuè Hǔ Luó Jiāng had thrown the Demon Dragon Continent into widespread panic. Now, my strength was hardly inferior to Luó Jiāng’s back then, coupled with the assistance of fifty thousand Blood Wolf Knights; committing arson and slaughter was exceedingly convenient.
“It’s certain that the cities originally garrisoned by Heaven Rainbow Archgods or regular legions should be like Baicheng—they have all transferred to cities guarded by Heaven Demon Warriors. Therefore, what we must do is head to those cities, seize any remaining wealth and provisions, and then burn them to the ground.”
“That’s wonderfully simple,” Lán Dá exclaimed excitedly. “The Seal Demon Empire has come to this.”
“Haha!” Chì Lóng roared with laughter. “Only by following Your Highness, the Crown Prince, can we achieve such glory!”
“............” I was speechless. It seemed I had become the leader of bandits.
“Disperse into teams, search thoroughly, take what you can carry, and burn the rest,” Chì Lóng continued. “We assemble at the plaza in five hours, then continue the pursuit.”
“Yes!” All the Blood Wolf Knights immediately scattered, swiftly plunging into every street and alley.
Beneath the gloomy sky, crimson light mingled with thick plumes of black smoke rising high. After the pillaging, Baicheng too had become a raging inferno.
Although most of the wealth and grain in the city had been moved out, the Blood Wolf Legion still managed to discover substantial amounts of provisions the original residents had failed to carry away in cellars, shops, residences, and granaries. While it wasn't the great bounty they found in Qilacheng, it still filled the Blood Wolf Knights with elation.
Once loaded, the logistics squad responsible for transport immediately departed back to their secret base. The other Blood Wolf Knights resumed their thousand-mile dash, fast as a gale!
The entire process was seamless, like flowing water, without the slightest impediment—efficient and swift!
One had to admit, the Blood Wolf Legion were true masters of raiding, robbing, and burning.
Along the open main road, a dense throng of people surged toward Luocheng. Among them were civilians dragging their families and belongings, as well as soldiers clad in armor. Yet, whether civilian or soldier, every face was etched with exhaustion and terror!
Even so, no one dared stop. Stopping meant death. The brutality and bloodshed of the Blood Wolf Legion were infamous across the continent, and now, with that great demon Jiuyou Shenzhen added to the mix, no one dared imagine what would happen if they were caught.
The only course now was flight—to flee for their lives! Only by reaching Luocheng could they secure their survival. Every single person was driven by this conviction!
However, civilians are not an army and could not maintain high-speed marching. Even among the soldiers, many were reaching the limits of their endurance and began to fall behind. Only the Magic Cavalry, mounted on their towering warhorses, managed to escape farther.
Defending one's home was the sacred mission bestowed upon these proud knights. For the past millennium, the Seal Demon Empire’s Magic Cavalry had always been the continent’s most formidable cavalry force, inspiring dread. But now, these once arrogant riders lacked even the courage to turn and fight!
This was undeniably a tragedy, a despair born of helplessness and bitterness. Téng Jùn and Téng Xiāo, galloping on their mounts, could only instinctively grip their Blood Drinkers, repeatedly turning back to gaze at the distant, hazy figures stretching to the edge of the horizon!
Defeated! Without even a head-on engagement or contact, the noble Heaven Rainbow Archgods and the proud Magic Cavalry fled like startled birds at the slightest sound!
Along the road, many elderly, weak, women, and children were inevitably left behind. The long main road resembled a sparse, scattered column of migrating ants, stretching for a hundred miles.
“Grandpa, hurry up! Don’t stop!” The young boy tried to pull up the old man who had collapsed.
“Grandpa, I can’t walk anymore.” Having fled ceaselessly day and night for two days, the old man’s body had long since given out. Now, he felt numb and weak all over, his constantly pounding heart feeling as if it might burst from his throat at any moment, accompanied by a stinging, tearing tightness and vexation. The wrinkles on his aged face revealed a desolate despair: “You go on, don’t worry about me.” Caringly, he looked at his grandson’s innocent face, filled with reluctance and helplessness.
“No, I won’t leave Grandpa.” The stubborn boy tried to lift the old man onto his back, but the elder pushed him away.
“Carrying me, how far can you run?” The old man gasped painfully. That single push had drained his last vestiges of strength; he simply slumped down, refusing to move. “If you don't run now, when the Blood Wolf Legion and that demon catch up, you’ll lose your life.”
“I’m not afraid. If we die, we die together.” The boy choked back tears and scrambled back to the old man’s side.
“Foolish child, your grandpa is old; he was bound to die sooner or later,” the old man continued. “But you are young and cannot just throw your life away like this. Go quickly.”
“No, I absolutely will not leave Grandpa.” The boy looked desperately toward the distant end of the road. “Why aren’t Lord Téng Jùn and Lord Téng Xiāo protecting us? They always protected us before.”
“They cannot protect us,” the old man sighed bitterly. “That demon is beyond their capability.”
“Damn it, why is it like this!” The boy’s indignant, youthful roar carried a great distance, but the only response he received was a series of fearful and indifferent glances.
“Blame the Demon Luo Silver Peak,” a cold voice drifted into the boy’s ear like a ghost. “And the Empress; it was they who lured the demon to the Seal Demon Continent.”
The boy turned and saw that the speaker was a middle-aged man, who now stared with fierce resentment toward the direction the Magic Cavalry had fled: “And now they’ve abandoned us.”
As if catching contagion, a flicker of doubt and terror crossed everyone’s eyes.
But just then!
Sounds of heavy panting mingled with hurried rustling sounds drifted into everyone’s ears!
Many instinctively looked back!
On the distant horizon, a hazy red line rapidly magnified before their eyes! There was no deafening roar, no earth-shattering dust cloud, yet the chilling, desolate aura, like the killing north wind in deep winter, stimulated the most fragile nerves in everyone’s hearts!
“Ah! It’s the Blood Wolf Knights!” Several sharp-eyed people cried out in horror and turned to flee!
“Run! The Blood Wolves are here!” The main road instantly erupted like an overturned anthill, the dense crowd scattering in all directions!
“Grandpa! Ah!” The boy’s tender cry was drowned out by the surging panic of the crowd. The old man, slumped on the ground, was utterly swallowed by the chaotic flow!
Roar! Roar! Roar! The roar of giant wolves closed in rapidly, rushing into the panicked masses in the blink of an eye!
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
Splashes of blood mist flew everywhere. Countless severed limbs and mangled remains scattered around like snowflakes mixed with the hazy crimson mist, interspersed with massive, blood-red shadows darting through!
Icy, sharp fangs, and madly bloodthirsty red eyes—they were like Asura monsters breaking free from the bonds of hell, savagely tearing at the fleeing populace!
In a mere instant, the red cloud of blood swept over the dense crowd like a prairie fire, surging toward the end of the sky! Under the grim heavens, only eerie white bones and viscous, red mud soaked in blood remained in the middle and along the sides of the main road!
The frenzied pursuit and slaughter lasted for two full days and nights!
And I truly witnessed the astonishing stamina and endurance of the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves and the Blood Wolf Knights!
Every living thing they encountered along the way was torn to shreds while they galloped at high speed. I once saw my own mount bite a woman while running at full tilt, dragging her for a hundred miles, still running and tearing at the poor woman. Then, the lower half of the woman’s body was seized by another giant wolf beside it, and the two giant wolves ripped her apart alive—a gruesome sight. The corpse, split in two, was swallowed whole by the giant wolves in just a few bites!
Nothing remained in the massive maws except residual streaks of blood and shredded flesh.
Such was the savagery of the Blood-Colored Giant Wolves. This peculiar method of feeding during the slaughter allowed the Blood Wolves to maintain their astonishing stamina during continuous running, as if they never knew fatigue.
Soon, we chased them to Fángāng, only fifty li from Luocheng. Most of those killed along the way were unarmed refugees.
As for the army’s Magic Cavalry, not a shadow could be seen; they had clearly fled into Luocheng!
However, we had no intention of storming Luocheng, so we turned east, our next destination being Zēngchéng.
Luocheng!
On the towering city walls, two robust figures clad in gold stood erect against the wind, like a pair of golden javelins. Even from a distance, the surging, monstrous killing intent made all the soldiers shudder. These were the two Heaven Demon Warriors, Téng Gāng and Téng Zhǎn, responsible for defending Luocheng. Behind them stood countless defenders of Luocheng, elite warriors, mages, and Daoists belonging to the Celestial Serpent Legion, all tense and ready. Intelligence had reported that the Blood Wolf Legion, pursuing the refugees fleeing Baicheng, was already within a hundred li and could reach Luocheng at any moment.
Everyone couldn't help but tremble internally. Although Luocheng boasted two Heaven Demon Warriors, in the Yuncheng battlefield, the Empire's top-ten powerhouse, Mó Luó Ào Tiān, with the coordination of four Heaven Rainbow Archgods and six Scarlet Robe Priests, had still failed to intercept the terrifying monster Jiuyou Shenzhen’s Dragon Shadow Crossing.
Perhaps in the eyes of the Heaven Rainbow Archgods, Jiuyou Shenzhen was an unbeatable monster, but in the eyes of the Heaven Demon Warriors, Jiuyou Shenzhen’s Dragon Shadow Crossing was equally a terrifying ultimate skill. Some even called him the Blue Demon, ranking him alongside Yin Mo Jidu as one of the Twin Demon Dragons of the Demon Dragon.
In terms of strength ranking, Jiuyou Shenzhen was listed as the ninth among the Ten Great Heaven Demon Masters. Even Téng Gāng and Téng Zhǎn combined were not entirely confident they could block him!
But the pride and dignity of being Heaven Demon Warriors forbade any sign of fear or retreat! Moreover, Téng Gāng and Téng Zhǎn yearned for a decisive battle with Jiuyou Shenzhen. If they could defeat him, the two Heaven Demon Warriors would surely become famous across the continent!
Whenever they considered this, the two became tremendously excited.
If it weren't for the Imperial Edict ordering them to hold the city and not sortie to meet the enemy, they would have long since rushed out of the city to fight Jiuyou Shenzhen for supremacy.
Now, their only hope was that Jiuyou Shenzhen would arrive quickly so they could kill him and claim military merit before the Ào Tiān Legion arrived!
Soon, the hurried figure of a magic messenger appeared on the city wall. He rushed to the side of the two Heaven Demon Warriors: “Report, Generals! The Blood Wolf Legion has changed direction at Fángāng, fifty li out, and is heading east toward Zēngchéng.”
“What!” Téng Gāng roared in anger.
“Damn it, this fellow clearly doesn't want a direct confrontation with us,” Téng Zhǎn said resentfully.
“It seems this great opportunity must be left to the Ào Tiān Legion,” Téng Gāng gritted his teeth.
“..............” Behind them stood Téng Jùn and Téng Xiāo, their expressions impassive. They felt a mixed sense of disappointment, reluctance, and relief at Jiuyou Shenzhen avoiding a fight with them.
Regardless, Luocheng was temporarily safe. As for Zēngchéng, it would likely become a heap of ruins soon enough!
Of course, no one present was naive enough to believe Jiuyou Shenzhen feared them. Everyone clearly understood that Jiuyou Shenzhen's goal this time was destruction: rampant devastation, slaughter, and the creation of an atmosphere of terror and unease to send the continent’s populace into utter panic!
What worried Téng Jùn and Téng Xiāo was that the news of Qilacheng being massacred and Baicheng abandoning its fleeing refugees to save themselves without a fight was already spreading across the continent!
Though only a faint tremor, the two clearly sensed the growing doubt among the populace regarding the combat effectiveness of the Heaven Rainbow Archgods and distrust in the competence of the Imperial Court. Various unfavorable rumors were circulating.
With the public’s morale wavering and the army’s cohesion dissolving, Téng Xiāo and Téng Jùn dared not imagine the ultimate consequences if this trend continued.