“Yes, my lord!” The five giant bats spoke in human voices, their wings flapping as they transformed into five gusts of wind and vanished once more.
The bull-headed giant sneered at the sight, flipping his hand to reveal a golden horn, which he raised to his lips and blew with all his might.
Instantly, a deep, ancient horn sound pierced the sky, carrying an indescribable aura of primal wilderness.
The massive green oxen, previously mingling with the blood bats, immediately turned their eyes blood-red upon hearing the sound, exhaling white steam from their nostrils before letting out low roars in unison. They surged out of the rolling black mist, charging toward the giant’s location.
Then, the giant’s horn call abruptly changed, its deep tone shifting into a sharp, metallic clangor. With a swift motion, he transformed into a streak of silver light and sped into the distance.
Behind him, tens of thousands of thunder oxen surged like an unstoppable tide, following him in a thunderous stampede.
The grotesquely ugly youth twitched at the sight but quickly let out a shrill cry of his own.
The blood bats, hearing the sound, stirred restlessly before suddenly splitting into over a dozen crimson clouds, scattering in all directions.
The number of blood bats was easily ten times that of the thunder oxen, so even divided into over a dozen groups, each still numbered in the tens of thousands.
Thus, even in the direction the thunder oxen had gone, two groups of blood bats boldly followed, seemingly unconcerned about being detected.
The youth himself folded his wings and merged into the largest crimson cloud, vanishing in a flash.
High in the sky, the demonic energy that had been surging outward now fell eerily silent after the departure of the two demonic beasts.
But within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the demonic energy churned violently once more, accompanied by sharp hissing sounds. Massive, pitch-black serpents emerged, their lengths varying from a hundred zhang to twenty or thirty zhang.
Strangely, each serpent bore a third eye on its forehead—a blood-red orb. These were the rare Three-Eyed Demon Serpents.
Their numbers were far fewer than the thunder oxen or blood bats, totaling only five or six thousand, but the terrifying aura they exuded together far surpassed that of the previous two demonic beasts.
Standing atop the largest of these serpents—a monstrous creature over three hundred zhang long—was a high-ranking demon clad in sinister green armor, his face concealed behind a black mask.
With his arms crossed, he coldly surveyed his surroundings. His pupils contracted slightly when he failed to spot the previous two demonic beasts, a hint of surprise flickering across his expression.
Then, he abruptly stomped on the serpent beneath him.
The serpent reared up, its mouth emitting a thunderous roar as blood-red light flashed on its forehead. Two bizarre blood-red horns sprouted, and its back twisted grotesquely as a pair of green, fleshy wings burst forth.
The surrounding Three-Eyed Demon Serpents, witnessing this transformation, surged forward from the demonic mist, raising their heads in unison as if paying homage to their king.
Only the green-armored demon remained motionless atop the mutated serpent, his gaze icy and unwavering.
“It’s been barely ten thousand years, yet Brother Wei’s life-bound serpent has advanced again. Now, it could likely hold its own against an early-stage Saint-rank being!” A clear male voice rang out as the last of the serpents emerged from the mist.
A gust of foul wind followed, revealing a monstrous insect nearly two zhang long. Its body was pale purple, with slender antennae, exposed fangs, and massive blade-like forelimbs—resembling a giant mantis.
Perched atop the insect was a diminutive figure no taller than three chi, resembling a child of seven or eight. His hair was tied in a topknot, and he wore a light green Daoist robe, with three small golden swords strapped to each shoulder. His bright, darting eyes gave him an almost adorable appearance.
“So it’s Brother Soul Pearl. A few years ago, I stumbled upon a rare spiritual herb and fed it to my life-bound serpent, allowing it to break through to its current level. As for you, your cultivation seems even more refined than before,” the green-armored demon replied coldly, his gaze piercing.
“For this journey to the Spirit Realm, I’ve prepared for years. Naturally, my cultivation has improved somewhat,” the child chuckled in response.
“Since the Soul Clan has arrived, let us act together. Even if there are tough opponents nearby, they won’t stand a chance against our combined forces,” the green-armored demon suggested indifferently.
“I was thinking the same. Children, come forth!” the child agreed cheerfully before turning to the demonic mist and barking an order.
A buzzing sound arose from the black mist, faint at first but quickly swelling into a deafening roar.
Countless demonic insects, each the size of a human head, poured forth in an endless tide. Though smaller than the giant mantis beneath the child, their sheer numbers were staggering—nearly eight hundred thousand, blanketing the lower sky with their fluttering purple wings.
The sight of such a monstrous swarm would chill even a combined-body cultivator to the bone.
Unfazed, the green-armored demon uttered a low command, and the Three-Eyed Demon Serpents around him shot downward, vanishing into the earth with flashes of spiritual light.
Without another word, he tapped the serpent beneath him with his toe, transforming into a streak of green light as he sped off in a chosen direction.
The child grinned and let out a long whistle, urging his giant mantis to follow. The terrifying insect swarm surged after them like a living tide.
Over time, more demonic beast hordes emerged from the mist, each led by a high-ranking demon, scattering in all directions with chaotic enthusiasm.
Thirteen waves of demonic beasts departed before the roiling demonic mist settled once more.
Half an hour later, movement stirred within the mist again.
First came the muffled beat of war drums, followed by thunderous roars as the entire demonic sea convulsed. Silver lightning crackled across its surface, and violent spatial fluctuations emanated from its depths.
The already vast demonic sea expanded by another third in the blink of an eye.
Then, hundreds of colossal structures slowly descended from the mist.
These black, triangular towers, each spanning a hundred li at their base, were adorned with glowing silver runes. They descended like falling cities, their arrival marked by earth-shaking tremors.
Yet their descent was no easy feat. As each tower emerged, it was bombarded by silver lightning, and spatial distortions wracked its surface as if trying to tear it apart.
The silver runes flared brightly, neutralizing the attacks before the towers finally crashed onto the ground below, obliterating mountains, hills, lakes, and forests alike in an awe-inspiring display.
Nearly an hour passed before all the towers had landed.
Then, with a deafening roar, silver runes shimmered along their walls, and massive silver doors materialized, slowly swinging open.
The sound of war drums boomed from within the towers as pitch-black war canoes surged forth.
Each canoe, about ten zhang long, was shrouded in black light, its prow adorned with a fearsome demonic idol and lined with razor-sharp blades.
Through the black light, five or six green-armored demons could be seen aboard each canoe, gripping weapons as they stood ready.
The canoes didn’t venture far, instead circling their respective towers in the air.
Once each tower had released a hundred canoes, squads of red-armored, winged demonic warriors marched out.
Armed with spears or bows, they took to the skies the moment they stepped through the silver doors, fanning out to establish a perimeter.
Then, beams of multicolored light shot from the doors, resolving into humanoid figures midair.
These figures—men and women clad in varied attire, from robes to armor, some even bare-chested—exuded demonic energy, their eyes gleaming with cold light.
A few shook their heads, their bodies cracking as they transformed into dual-headed, four-armed demons.
Their original heads remained unchanged, but the new ones were grotesque and monstrous.
The transformed demons roared in unison, their voices dripping with bloodlust, as if barely restraining their urge to kill.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage