Chapter 235: Changes in Heaven and Earth, Demons Arise

The light that surged up into the sky from Mirror Valley, along with the scattering aura of Destruction, brought about a monumental upheaval in the entire Ancient Spirit Realm, the entire world.

Days ago, across the four countries, from the imperial cities down to rural towns, strict orders had already been disseminated.

“Stockpile provisions, from July 24, Year 1000 of the Four Saint Era, all citizens are strictly forbidden to roam outside unless absolutely necessary until the order is lifted. Consequences for violators will be their own responsibility.”

This decree was rather strange; ordinarily, official commands wouldn’t employ such ambiguous wording with a subtle attitude, nor would they use terms like “responsibility for consequences,” reminiscent of street thugs’ threats but lacking any mandatory force.

Calling it a curfew, it felt more like a reminder, a warning, implying that something significant was about to happen, cautioning the public against running outside and courting death.

But it was precisely this that made it more terrifying, because it represented that the officials needed to focus all their strength on dealing with external enemies and no longer had the capacity to manage the populace.

On the morning of the 24th, the flow of people in the city, on the official roads, and even in the rural fields rapidly diminished; although some thrill-seekers occasionally ventured out to test the waters, most people understood the need to heed the warnings.

Thus, those truly confronting this disaster were only the various countries’ prepared and alert Yin-Yang masters, military forces, guards, and even militia from towns.

And, the key place representing this miniature war between the Ancient Spirit Realm and the Evil Demons…

“Emergency Military Report!!! The eastern, southern, and northern defense lines have sent word, all have suffered fierce attacks from numerous strange demon creatures and are engaged in brutal combat as per plan!”

In the direction facing the Mirror Valley’s guard of the Spirit Country, the camp was filled with solemn-faced high-ranking generals, listening to the urgent reported communiqué. Although everyone was already prepared, they couldn’t help but feel a weight in their hearts, a twinge of unease.

Finally, the day had come, just as anticipated from Fairy Island.

Ling Feng, seated at the main position in the tent, slightly nodded.

“Inform the three defense lines to engage in battle as scheduled. No matter what, we must hold the line and maintain contact at all times. Go!”

“Understood!”

After waving off the messenger, the gray-haired girl, representing the authority of the Holy Monarch of the Spirit Country, pondered for a moment before glancing at a tall general on her left.

“General Ji Xun, how goes the setup of the barriers?”

The other stepped forward.

“Reporting, my lord, the stakes are completely driven in. The fairy envoy has personally inspected and adjusted them; we can receive Fairy Island’s descent at any moment.”

“Very good… Remember, your Ling Wei Army’s task is to protect the spirit maiden and this internal hub. The Evil Demons are unpredictable; you must maintain utmost vigilance and leave no room for error!”

“Yes! The failures in Yangyuan County, this subordinate is willing to stake my life to ensure they won’t happen again!”

Ling Feng nodded in satisfaction.

“Then I’ll leave internal matters temporarily under your and the spirit maiden’s jurisdiction. Where is General Chen?”

“I’m here!”

“Let’s go; we need to supervise the front lines.”

…

Finally, this moment, as planned, had arrived.

Feeling the long-awaited fullness in heaven and earth, almost approaching the rich power from the time when the benefactor first cast their gaze upon this world nearly a thousand years ago, No-Eye, a heart that did not exist, couldn’t help but surge with excitement.

Countless soldiers, known to the beings of this world as Evil Demons, were born from the earth under this bestowal, charging toward the lines of those vile creatures; such a magnificent feat seemed to have returned to the glory days of a thousand years past.

This world must be cleansed; life is a disaster and a pest.

“Are you ready?”

Not far away, the hooded figure, known as Bone Immortal, nodded with a long staff in hand.

“The previous encirclement took a heavy toll on us, so as agreed, we seniors will only focus on containment and ambush; the main battlefield is left to you.”

“Of course…”

For these local beings who were working together purely for their own interests, No-Eye didn’t have much trust, but for great accomplishments, their existence was indispensable.

The true power of the benefactor could only be borne by living beings, hence certain tasks must be left to them.

The foxes of Lingyin Fairy Island were even trickier than anticipated and had prepared extensively. Many subordinates sent to various parts of the world to disrupt certain major formation nodes hadn’t returned alive, and all the key nodes had been activated as planned, so…

“The speed at which that Island descends into this world will be faster than expected, so you must establish contact with the benefactor before that happens, summoning their power once more. As long as this is achieved, even if Lingyin Fairy Island truly joins the fray, there will be no fear.”

No-Eye lifted its gaze, and beneath its four greenish eyes, a smirk of sarcasm appeared.

“After all… their god has already vanished.”

Bone Immortal nodded again.

“We will do our best, but hope your benefactor is truly as powerful as rumored.”

“Rest assured, the benefactor’s power is boundless; They are the end of the world, the elegy of all things! With Their gaze upon you, they will bestow you grace and help you… step onto that long-desired realm!”

“That long-desired realm, huh…”

In the elder’s deep eyes, a flicker of light shone, as if recalling something, before he finally turned around and beckoned to a white-haired, white-robed youth with a smile.

“Let’s go, pharmacist; it’s time to settle old scores together—Misty Veil is already waiting for us.”

…

When Ling Feng and the other generals arrived at the front lines, the battle here had already escalated to a fever pitch.

As the starting point of the dispersed destructive force, the nearby concentration of evil energy was naturally the highest, resulting in even more and stronger Evil Demons breeding.

Countless low-tier Evil Demons, formless and intangible, were blocked by exorcism talismans affixed to weapons, defensive structures, and even the soldiers themselves, only able to stir up gusts of dark wind from a distance, unable to approach the lines.

However, those real, corporeal mid-tier Evil Demons were not something that could simply be dispelled by paper talismans that borrowed merely a fraction of the world’s divine power; under the influence of the vast destructive power permeating every corner of the Ancient Spirit Realm, they manifested through various mundane objects or soulless bodies, attacking the lines in a surging wave, driven by higher-tier Evil Demons and their instincts!

This was the harsh truth of the chaos of Evil Demons.

Like the Evil Flame Ghost King that Vilyric encountered upon her arrival in Zeng Family Village, anything possessing spiritual power, aside from beings with true souls and wisdom, could give rise to Evil Demons. They were an extreme extension of the Ancient Spirit Realm’s rules, another form of manifestation of Demons.

“Wow, there are just way too many…”

Standing on a makeshift fortress defense rising over ten meters high, Bai’er couldn’t help but gasp upon seeing those bizarre “creatures” relentlessly charging the lines and engaging in mortal combat with the Spirit Country’s army.

As a strong Yin-Yang master, she had certainly encountered many Evil Demons before, but such a quantity was terrifying enough to be unprecedented.

Some were skeletons, some took shape from vines or dead trees, and some were merely the essential elements of nature like water, fire, earth, and wind—ghostly and shadowy. These lifeless things had transformed into the sworn enemies of life under the corroding influence of Destruction.

To deal with such entities, ordinary physical attacks would naturally prove ineffective; however, the four countries of the Ancient Spirit Realm had long been prepared, and the weapons and armor of these elite soldiers had been specially treated to maintain effects akin to enchantments for a certain period, capable of effectively harming Evil Demons.

It was no longer a millennium past; for a thousand years, scholars of the Ancient Spirit Realm had never ceased their studies on these terrifying presences and had found countermeasures, so they would not crumble like before.

Yet even so, the destruction energy expended upon the death of Evil Demons was still limited. Each time an enemy creature was slain by the combined forces, as its form fell apart, the core destructive breath it constituted would spill out, most of which wouldn’t disappear but would be reabsorbed by other Evil Demons, making the latter stronger.

This was their true terror, the key that had always instilled fear in the powerful of the Ancient Spirit Realm.

These monsters born of destruction were among the most indestructible entities, the very essence of dread.

   

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