The demonic aura was grim and oppressive, demonic energy roiling and surging as the Demon Race poured through the inter-realm passage.
It was not a single one. After the first demon appeared, a dense, seemingly endless horde surged out from the black void beyond, flooding forth in an unceasing torrent. From a distance, the colossal black vortex resembled a dam with its floodgates thrown wide open—tens of thousands of demons spilling out every single moment.
The once quiet battlefield erupted into deafening chaos.
Staring at the horrifying scene before them, the Star Realm cultivators within the great formation wore grim expressions, many unconsciously swallowing hard. The Star Realm had mustered fifty-five armies and gathered them here, committing nearly all of its strength to this single front—a truly formidable force. But their enemy was no limp target to be carved apart at will. These were ravening wolves from another world entirely, creatures that devoured the living without leaving even bones behind.
How many demons would pour through? No one knew. In less than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, several hundred thousand demonic soldiers had already massed before the black vortex—and that was only the beginning!
The demonic horde was a disorganized rabble, lacking the disciplined structure of the Star Realm's various armies. In comparison, the demons looked like a band of lawless militia. Some even threw their heads back and laughed with wild, arrogant cackles, while others pointed in every direction with sneering, savage grins.
A rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed through the air as the demonic army before the vortex seemed to part under the force of an invisible hand, opening a lane through their midst. Down that corridor rode a towering, broad-shouldered demon upon a ferocious beast wreathed in flames, a three-zhang heavy spear resting across his shoulders. His bearing was majestic and unstoppable, delivering a powerful visual blow to all who beheld him.
He urged his mount to the front of the army and reined it to a halt. The demon surveyed the battlefield left and right before finally fixing his gaze on Li Wuyi. A grin split his face. He grasped the shaft of his three-zhang spear with one hand and pointed it casually forward. As demonic energy surged skyward, he uttered a single, sharp command: "Kill!"
Not a word more was needed. The demonic army surged forward behind the Half-Saint who had appeared, charging into battle.
The earth trembled. The distance between the two sides closed with terrifying speed.
Ancient incantations rose into the air, weaving strange and resonant melodies. Beams of light flickered to life at various points along the Coiling Dragon Great Formation—the grand shamans accompanying the armies had already bestowed their companion warriors with all manner of primordial shamanic arts.
The scent of blood filled the air. A deep blue glow enveloped the entirety of the Coiling Dragon Great Formation, binding the life force of every person within it into a single, interconnected web.
Unless one suffered a fatal wound—decapitation, for instance—no matter how severe the injury, one would not die immediately.
In the span of a heartbeat, the two armies collided.
The first to clash were the demon Half-Saint wielding the three-zhang heavy spear and Li Wuyi. Positioned at the dragon's head, Li Wuyi was simply too conspicuous to overlook, and so the first Half-Saint to emerge from the Demon Realm made straight for him.
The three-zhang spear carried apocalyptic force. At its tip, a fist-sized black vortex flickered and swirled. The spear thrust forward like a lunging dragon, driving straight toward Li Wuyi's chest.
The spear had not yet arrived, but its savage killing intent alone turned the faces of the warriors behind Li Wuyi pale, sending ice through their bones. Each asked himself honestly: if such a spear pierced through, would anything remain of them?
Yet against this devastating thrust, Li Wuyi merely extended one effortless palm toward the demon Half-Saint. Where the demon's aura was overwhelming and oppressive, Li Wuyi appeared serene and transcendent, as if detached from the mortal world entirely.
Palm and spear never physically touched. But after a series of sharp, crackling explosions, the black sphere at the spear's tip was annihilated in an instant. The demon Half-Saint shuddered as though struck by lightning. His mount let out a pitiful wretch involuntarily, and both were hurled back over a dozen zhang.
The demon Half-Saint had charged forward in blustering confidence, eager for an opening victory. Now a look of stunned disbelief crept across his face.
Another pained cry rang out. The mount beneath him collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from its seven orifices as its life force drained away at a terrifying rate. It was clearly beyond saving.
There was no visible wound on its body, yet its internal organs had been shredded to ribbons by spatial force. Such injuries were insurmountable even for a demonic beast renowned for its tenacious vitality.
Hssssssss—
Blood erupted in jets from the demon Half-Saint's body. Crimson arrows sprayed from wound after wound across his skin, turning him into a figure drenched in crimson in the blink of an eye.
This was the second time the passage between realms had opened. The first direct confrontation between a demon Half-Saint and a human Pseudo-Emperor—and in a single exchange, the Half-Saint was utterly defeated!
The demon Half-Saint stared down in disbelief at his fallen mount. Though not as strong as he was, it was no ordinary demonic creature—it carried traces of ancient bloodlines. Why else would he ride it into battle? Yet here, in the Star Realm, the very first enemy he encountered had killed his mount in a single move and wounded him to boot.
The Half-Saint had been careless!
"Li Wuyi!" The demon Half-Saint looked Li Wuyi up and down, and realization dawned.
He had long heard that the Star Realm possessed a Pseudo-Emperor of extraordinary power—rumored to be the foremost existence below the Great Emperors. He had never had the chance to see this person before and had not given the tales much weight. Only now did he realize the rumors were no exaggeration!
No Half-Saint in the Demon Realm could compare to such strength.
Li Wuyi, however, had no interest in learning his name. He drew a slow breath and bellowed: "Kill!" To him, any demon bold enough to invade the Star Realm was a mortal enemy. And mortal enemies were to be slain—end of story. What was there to talk about?
As his shout rang out, Emperor Yuan surged forth. The laws of space coiled around his body as Li Wuyi launched himself at the demon Half-Saint.
When Li Wuyi moved, the Jiazi Army moved. When the Jiazi Army moved, the Coiling Dragon Great Formation moved.
Viewed from high above, a colossal dragon coiled across the land. The demonic horde that had charged out first was like moths flying into a blaze—not even getting close before being swallowed whole by a sky-covering flood of Artifacts and secret techniques.