Chapter 1998: The Battle of Tianyuan (Part 2)

Han Li was momentarily taken aback by this sight but remained silent as he followed the gaze.

Blue light flickered in his eyes, allowing him to clearly see the demon army dozens of miles away.

Amid the dense formation of demon warships, atop a massive triangular structure stood a group of high-ranking demons clad in blood-red armor, standing out conspicuously.

They seemed to be loosely surrounding a colossal beast-drawn carriage pulled by several demonic beasts.

The beasts had five lion-like heads, their massive bodies covered in deep blue scales, with long scorpion-like tails trailing behind.

The carriage itself was exquisitely crafted, with a pitch-black banner erected atop it, inscribed with several large demonic characters glowing blood-red, their surfaces shimmering with a crystalline crimson light.

Beneath the banner, demonic energy churned, and a youth in a blood-red robe stood motionless, flanked by seven or eight demonic venerables standing respectfully on either side.

The youth’s face was unmistakably identical to the three Blood Light Saint Ancestor avatars that had once pursued Han Li.

At this sight, Han Li’s gaze turned icy, a trace of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

The blood-robed youth seemed to sense something immediately. With a slight turn of his head, his eyes locked onto Han Li’s spiritual gaze from afar. His pupils darkened instantly, turning pitch-black, and a bone-chilling, powerful suction force surged toward Han Li as if trying to forcibly drag his gaze into a vortex.

Han Li’s heart clenched. With a surge of his formidable spiritual sense, he forcibly severed the connection.

This time, the blood-robed youth in the distant demon army showed a slight change in expression.

“What is it, Blood Light? Did you discover something?”

A boisterous voice suddenly rang out from the other side of the carriage. The speaker was a burly man clad in a beast-skin apron, his bronze upper body bare.

This was the Xiong-named demonic venerable, hailed by the Blood Light Saint Ancestor as the strongest beneath the Saint Ancestors.

At the moment, he leaned lazily against the carriage’s railing, arms crossed.

“Nothing much. Just a human cultivator spying on us. I scared him off. But he doesn’t seem ordinary—he easily broke free from my Black Light Demon Eyes,” the youth replied coolly, glancing at the burly man.

“Oh? Someone who can escape your demon eyes must be no ordinary cultivator. Is he the target you wanted me to deal with, or that guy who just advanced to the late stage?” The burly man perked up, excitement flashing in his eyes.

“Hard to say. But either way, he’s likely a troublesome opponent. If you face him, you’d best be careful,” the blood-robed youth warned with a slight frown.

“Hahaha! Don’t worry! I’m more afraid this opponent won’t be strong enough to give me a good fight!” The burly man burst into raucous laughter.

The blood-robed youth could only force a bitter smile, choosing not to press further.

—

At the same time, back at Tianyuan City, Han Li closed his eyes for a long moment, dispelling the lingering dizziness in his head before reopening them with a hint of shock.

“Fellow Daoist Han, are you alright? Just now, was it…” The silver-haired elder, noticing Han Li’s odd state, couldn’t help but voice his concern.

“It’s nothing. The other party just tried a sneak attack with a secret technique, but it’s already dealt with,” Han Li replied nonchalantly, shaking his head.

“Good to hear. Fellow Daoist Han, have you confirmed that the person is indeed the Blood Light Saint Ancestor’s avatar?” The silver-haired elder pressed, though slightly puzzled.

“Yes, it’s almost certain. His appearance and aura are identical to the avatars I’ve encountered before. There’s no mistake,” Han Li affirmed, stroking his chin.

“If it’s that demon, then good. Since the Blood Light Saint Ancestor has personally appeared in the demon army, it seems he intends to settle this battle decisively. Later, this avatar will be left to you, Fellow Daoist Han. You don’t need to rush for victory—just keeping him occupied will be a great contribution to this battle!” The golden-robed monk, Jin Yue, added solemnly.

“Heh, rest assured, fellow Daoists. As long as no other demons interfere, this avatar won’t appear before anyone else,” Han Li replied with a calm smile.

“Then we’ll leave it to you. The rest of us will do our best to keep the other demonic venerables at bay and prevent them from disturbing you,” the silver-haired elder assured him enthusiastically.

Han Li nodded, saying no more. Several other elders from the council, some of whom he had met before, now approached to greet him.

Their attitudes toward Han Li were noticeably more respectful than before.

Clearly, the prestige of being at the late-stage Body Integration realm had instilled a sense of awe in these elders, making them less casual in their interactions.

Han Li had little deep connection with these council members, so he exchanged only a few perfunctory words before falling silent.

—

At that moment, a thunderous roar erupted from the distant demon army, accompanied by the synchronized beating of countless war drums. From the churning sea of demonic energy, swarms of ferocious demonic beasts surged forth.

Numbering in the millions, their variety was staggering—bull-headed humanoids, four-winged six-legged avian horrors, and towering stone demons a hundred zhang tall.

As the tide of beasts surged forward, over a hundred black lights shot out from their ranks, each containing a half-beast, half-human transformed demonic beast.

Under the guidance of these intelligent leaders, the chaotic beast horde quickly organized itself, falling into disciplined ranks with only low growls breaking the silence.

Beyond these ordinary beasts, thousands of super-sized demonic beasts, as large as small hills, stood out prominently among the horde.

The demonic army seemed endless, continuously pouring forth from the demonic sea as if inexhaustible.

In mere moments, over ten million demonic beasts had appeared before the eyes of Tianyuan City’s council elders.

Most of the council members paled at the sight.

“How can there be so many? Weren’t there supposed to be only five or six million at most?” Elder Gu muttered, his face ashen.

“Based on prior intelligence, the demonic beasts numbered only a few million. The additional ones must be reinforcements brought by this demon army,” Jin Yue explained calmly, murmuring a Buddhist chant.

“With so many reinforcements, this battle will be tough,” a black-robed demon elder muttered darkly.

“No need to panic, fellow Daoists. Low-tier demonic beasts are still low-tier. Even if their numbers have increased by half, it won’t decisively alter the battle’s outcome. I anticipated such a scenario and prepared countermeasures,” the silver-haired elder reassured them.

“So Elder Gu had contingencies in place. That puts our minds at ease,” the other elders sighed in relief.

The silver-haired elder smiled faintly, flipping his hand to produce a white array disk. He whispered a few words into it.

Moments later, a surge of energy erupted from the city walls as several massive formations materialized. At their centers floated pristine white jade altars.

On these altars rested seemingly ordinary objects—a deep-blue alms bowl, a pitch-black gourd, a pale silver sword, and a white screen-like artifact.

“The Four Heavenly River Treasures! Elder Gu, you’ve finally refined them! But isn’t deploying them here overkill?” A demon elder exclaimed, his expression a mix of shock and delight.

“These treasures are indeed powerful, but their greatest strength lies in their wide-area attacks, making them ideal for mass slaughter. If used in the late stages, their effectiveness would be limited. After discussing with Master Jin Yue, we decided to deploy them against these low-tier beasts—to thin their numbers and boost morale. Heavy losses early on would devastate our fighting spirit. The demons likely sent all their beasts at once for the same reason,” the silver-haired elder explained.

The other elders nodded, finding his reasoning sound.

—

“The sheer number of beasts is troublesome, but the real threat lies with the elite demon troops. They seem to be mobilizing as well,” Han Li suddenly remarked.

The cultivators started, turning their gazes to the distance.

Behind the beast horde, columns of armored demons had appeared—some riding demonic mounts, others transformed into black winds. Each bore a savage expression, wielding weapons and exuding a bloodthirsty aura as they advanced silently behind the beasts.

Without Han Li’s warning, some elders might have missed their movement entirely.

Amid the war drums, bell-like booms erupted from the demonic sea as pitch-black warships and triangular demon towers emerged, surrounded by countless demonic chariots.

“How can this be? Is this Saint Ancestor a madman, committing all his forces at once? Does he have no reserves?”

The sight left everyone dumbfounded, even the silver-haired elder gasping in shock.

Han Li’s expression darkened as he pondered.

“At this point, regardless of the demons’ plans, we have no choice but to meet them head-on. Elder Gu, we mustn’t let them disrupt our strategy. Proceed as planned. Fellow Daoists, prepare yourselves. Today’s battle may determine Tianyuan City’s survival,” Jin Yue declared solemnly.