“My lord, there is no need to worry. I am largely recovered now. As long as I don't run into beings like the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns again, I should be able to protect myself just fine!” Confidence shone in Ye Jingyu’s eyes.

Yuan looked at Ye Jingyu’s self-assured demeanor, then glanced back at the blood-soaked Demon Legion brimming with murderous intent behind him, and nodded lightly. “Your own safety must remain the top priority!” Worry clouded Yuan’s face, though how much of it was genuine was hard to tell. Nevertheless, Ye Jingyu adopted a posture of tearful gratitude, bowed respectfully to Yuan, and led his Blood Demon Legion away to pursue the retreating pursuers toward the Savage Forest.

As Ye Jingyu’s receding figure vanished, Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly, lost in unspoken contemplation.

This time, the Heavenly Alliance publicly claimed that all Ten Heavenly Sovereigns were deployed, backed by a force of ten million Heavenly Soldiers. In reality, however, only six Sovereigns were present, and the Heavenly Soldier count was merely 1.8 million. But in addition to these Heavenly Soldiers, there were over eight million ordinary troops, most of whom were only at the Earth-tier level, having not yet reached the Heaven-tier. While they couldn't form overwhelming combat power individually, their sheer numbers allowed them to establish an unbreakable defensive line, sealing the border of the Savage Forest with over ten million personnel, making it utterly impossible for any demon army to sneak through.

Furthermore, any ordinary demon army would never dare attempt to infiltrate the Savage Forest alone; no one knew what hidden strategies the Heavenly Alliance might still hold within its depths. Moreover, this defensive line was simply too long. If they encountered only Earth-tier armies, it might be manageable, but facing Heaven-tier soldiers, the demons would stand no chance against the absolute numerical superiority of the Heavenly forces unless they committed to a massive, full-scale assault.

Yet, none of this presented any obstacle to Ye Jingyu. With Liang Xiaoke, such a brilliant spy, in place, the entire defensive line was as transparent to him as the lines etched upon his own palm.

After leading the Blood Demon Legion in a calculated pursuit of Xuanmiao’s retreating party for a time, Ye Jingyu waited for the other demon legions to begin withdrawing. He then quietly steered the Blood Demon Legion northward, looping back into the territory of the Earth Alliance. Once certain they had completely shaken off the demon army dispatched by Yuan, he led his entourage to a deep gorge over a thousand kilometers north of Savage City.

This gorge housed an army of two hundred thousand, commanded by a master who had attained the Cosmos-tier. However, intelligence obtained from Liang Xiaoke revealed that among these two hundred thousand, fewer than twenty thousand had reached the Heaven-tier; the rest were composed entirely of regular soldiers.

Such a force posed no threat whatsoever to Ye Jingyu. Of course, if Ye Jingyu had simply intended to breach this defense line and infiltrate the Savage Forest, he wouldn’t have needed to travel this far. The reason he journeyed so far was because the commander of this specific legion, the Daoist Qianyun, was an intimate confidant of the Heavenly Sovereign Xuanmiao, and moreover, a grandmaster of alchemy. With Xuanmiao’s physical body destroyed and all his magical artifacts lost, his strength had plummeted to its absolute minimum—perhaps less than one-tenth of his peak power. He was in no condition to continue attacking the Earth Alliance; he would struggle even to return to the Heavenly Alliance.

And the Ten Heavenly Sovereigns were not as harmonious as they appeared on the surface. When Xuanmiao was at full strength, the Ten Sovereigns would naturally exchange pleasantries upon meeting. But if Xuanmiao was reduced to a mere remnant soul, no matter which Sovereign he sought refuge with, the likely outcome would be immediate refinement into an elixir, a vital pill to boost another’s power. Immortals, too, are beings of desire.

Consequently, the only person Xuanmiao could truly turn to was Daoist Qianyun. Qianyun and Xuanmiao had ascended the Dao nearly simultaneously, sharing tens of thousands of years of camaraderie. Many times when Xuanmiao sustained irrecoverable injuries, it was Qianyun who healed him; likewise, when Qianyun faced dire peril, Xuanmiao had always intervened. If Xuanmiao had anyone left in whom he placed his trust, it was Qianyun.

At this moment, Ye Jingyu had stationed one hundred thousand of the Blood Demon Legion fifty kilometers from the gorge. He himself, accompanied by Ni Bo and Taotie—whose injuries had largely healed—ascended a peak overlooking the gorge, silently observing everything below.

After half a day of surveillance, he confirmed that Heavenly Sovereign Xuanmiao must have already arrived. The remnant soldiers he brought numbered over thirty thousand, all of whom were Heaven-tier existences. In total, the gorge now held fifty thousand Heaven-tier Heavenly Soldiers.

With a flick of his wrist, twelve bone chopsticks materialized in the void, instantly enveloping the entire gorge. A dense, palpable demonic aura began to slowly emanate outward.

Inside the gorge, the Heavenly Soldiers who had been drilling or patrolling suddenly spotted the gathering dark clouds in the sky, their expressions shifting dramatically. The demonic energy contained within those clouds was potent enough for even ordinary mortals to sense, let alone them.

“Demons attacking…” Every soldier reacted almost instantaneously. Whether training, patrolling, or resting, they snatched up their weapons, watching the approaching dark clouds with intense tension.

The Daoist Hanbing, clad in brilliant blue robes, rushed out of his tent immediately. Gazing at the thick mass of shadow overhead, his brow furrowed deeply. Daoist Qianyun was currently occupied stabilizing Xuanmiao’s remnant soul, awaiting the opportune moment to reconstruct his physical body—a critical juncture. Why were these fiends striking precisely now? This location was far from the frontline; several large armies were stationed ahead of this gorge. How had they bypassed them all?

Daoist Hanbing could not make sense of it. Within the oppressive gloom of the clouds, an army numbering over ten thousand, riding colossal Earth-Dragon Beasts, began to materialize.

Staring at this host exuding such intense demonic energy, Daoist Hanbing, as the highest-ranking officer present, immediately issued the order to intercept.

Over thirty thousand Heavenly Soldiers hefted their weapons and formed ranks, charging toward the approaching demon army. Simultaneously, five thousand immortals, also wearing Daoist robes, began chanting incantations, preparing to unleash celestial arts upon the demonic host. However, to their utter astonishment, they found themselves unable to summon the natural power of the world! Even their own mana had plummeted to the lowest point in their lives, a phenomenon Daoist Hanbing also experienced.

“No good, we’ve been trapped by a Grand Array!” Daoist Hanbing cried out in alarm, his eyes wide with terror. For so long, the demons had relied on their superior individual combat prowess to withstand immortal assaults, while the immortals depended on powerful spells, formations, and magical artifacts. Now, these demons were deploying a grand formation—and it appeared to be an exceedingly profound one. How could he not be shocked? Even his own magical potency was severely restricted; what about the others?

Stripped of the might of their formations and celestial arts, how could these soldiers, most of whom were below the Heaven-tier, possibly hold back the demon horde?

Daoist Hanbing’s face utterly transformed…