The disciples of the Hall of Beasts and the demons walked in a state of great unease.
By the time they sensed it, it was already too late.
The gloomy sky turned pitch black like ink, and a vast snowfall drifted down, transforming the day into night without warning. A cold moon illuminated everything below.
Under the moonlight, it seemed there was a figure, tranquil, beautiful, and cold.
The stark white mist, which made it hard to distinguish whether it was moonlight or frost, spread across the land and the mountains like a vast Great Wall, painting everything a desolate hue.
The leading demons were instantly frozen into lifelike ice sculptures; a slight tremor turned them into a heap of ice shards.
At that moment, the breached city gate was also repaired by the cold ice.
“She’s all alone!”
“Don’t panic! I don’t believe she can wipe us all out before she runs out of power!”
“We’ve got the Otherworld behind us and the fertile City of Divine Beings ahead! There’s no retreat!”
The disciples of the Hall of Beasts shouted, urging secret techniques to enhance the demons’ power.
The malicious energy of the demons bubbled up, and even the lower-ranking demons stopped trembling in fear.
Clearly, they were prepared to go all out and fight desperately.
Extreme fear turns into anger!
The people watching from outside the realm, the average folks, were sweating bullets, their emotions a complex mix.
Although they were demons, it seemed like… they were actually getting fired up?
However…
Their anger seemed to serve no purpose.
The most powerful demons were spewing poisonous fire or unleashing strange thunder.
In an instant, the cold ice transformed into a dazzling kaleidoscope, like an immaculate ice mirror that reflected their attacks right back at them.
With their tactics rendered useless, they could only rely on brute force.
Their strength was enough to shake the earth, and they managed to smash open the city gate together.
But the sheer force only produced a few cracks in the solid ice, which swiftly repaired itself.
Even if they somehow managed to escape, they would be washed away by the moonlight mingling with the snow, their footsteps growing heavier.
Their once proud techniques faded into the background as their fluctuating power continuously dwindled, their teeth and scales turning dull.
It was as if time passed much faster for them, and what blocked their path wasn’t just frost but time itself!
An hour later, even the most powerful demon fell unwillingly, and the southern gate turned into a silent icy prison.
The shattered gate was sealed shut once more.
This time, it had transformed into a larger, even sturdier ice mirror.
Outside the city, amidst the gray mist, a gaze stared deep into the figure under the moonlight.
“I will see you again when my strength is restored.”
Its voice was like a whisper carried by the wind, fading into the depths of the Otherworld.
Inside and outside the Imperial Capital, silence reigned in disbelief:
“Even if we let them outside, isn’t this already the level of the Seventh Realm?”
“She used more than one path just now; her skills were effortlessly intertwined. How many can truly do that at the Seventh Realm?”
“But she hasn’t even reached the Fourth Realm! How can she manipulate the Dao so freely?”
“How tragic! Watching this makes me want to speak up for the demons…”
The first round of disasters was concluded by her alone.
Why say “first round”? Because even though the southern gate was recently sealed, a considerable number of demons continued to pour into the Human City.
Without the guidance of the Hall of Beasts, they fought among themselves, scattering like dandelions everywhere.
For a long time to come, the Human City would be unable to recover from the shock.
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That year, the Underground City authorities announced that all newly built cities would only allow exit, not entry. A large number of panicked refugees were ordered to turn back.
The Celestial Race was powerful, and their concerns didn’t extend to mortal deaths.
Jiang Yu issued an order, organizing the military in the Underground City to gradually clear away the residual threats.
However, the warriors from the Underground City wouldn’t risk their lives for nothing, and they were far from united, with factions standing tall.
After the Celestial Race intervened in the Underground City, infighting escalated rather than decreased.
With the situation still unclear, they all watched from the sidelines, unwilling to recklessly venture out, especially since without the land, the warriors didn’t hold much power against the demons.
Still, they did manage to set up a bounty organization, issuing various rewards to save face with the Celestial Race.
In no time, local warriors became active and enthusiastic, often performing noble deeds.
Yet their strength was merely a drop in the bucket.
At this moment, what was once Great King Village, now Great King Town, naturally became a beacon of hope amidst chaos—a small island of safety in a vast ocean.
Warnings from the Celestial Race made the warriors of the Underground City wary of getting involved.
After a few probes, the demons realized there was a forbidden being residing in the town.
They were terrified! Someone who could silence small demons’ night cries!
So, in contrast, Great King Town was thriving in peace and prosperity.
Years later.
Great King Town had expanded greatly, now only lacking city walls to match a proper city.
Countless mortals made their home here, and it had become a common consensus among bounty hunters.
Another ordinary day in Great King Town.
The sky was filled with layered clouds, and the sun on the far horizon showed only half its face, dyeing the green mountains, blue waters, and vast farmlands a color reminiscent of tears.
If not for the crowing of a rooster, one might easily mistake it for dawn or dusk.
The familiar faces of the villagers gathered at a small courtyard, anxiously waiting for the doctor to come out.
“The village head seemed fine last night. How did it get so sudden?”
“Could it be a return of the light?”
“Shut up! Little Li is fine!”
Dong Er Niu, wearing his open-crotch pants and playing with a wooden stick, had aged, but he still referred to Little Li as “brother.”
Just then, the door opened, and the bustling crowd fell silent in an instant.
Staring at the doctor with eager eyes, he merely shook his head:
“He has something to say to you. Go on in.”
“…Take care.”
Dong Er Niu opened his mouth but ended up handing the doctor a few pieces of broken silver.
Including himself, many in their hearts already had a sense of what was coming, but they still held onto a glimmer of unrealistic hope.
The crowd moved past the ordinary small courtyard, facing a scene that had hardly changed for decades, momentarily feeling a bit dazed.
They still remembered the village head in his youth, hammering away countless times in this very courtyard—strong and cheerful. To this day, every farming tool in the village, and many weapons, were forged here.
Back when Dong Er Niu was just over thirty, he argued with a martial artist from a neighboring village.
As a result, in the clash of weapons, his mediocre iron sword inexplicably sliced through the opponent’s chain weapon, cutting through metal like mud.
It was also here that he practiced martial arts with Little Li.
Everyone felt as if they had crossed vast time and space, standing once again in this familiar courtyard, reluctant to push the door open.
“Everyone has arrived… come in.”
A tired yet faint voice echoed from within, barely audible.
The villagers were drawn back to reality.
