Weiyuan Prefecture, located southeast in Shu, spans two thousand li and contains twenty-one counties within its jurisdiction.
The once bustling and flourishing scene, with lush and spirited mountains, has now turned into a purgatory on earth.
Initially, six Demon Mountains led tens of thousands of Demon Soldiers to attack Weiyuan. Two routes of the Mountain-cutting Army alongside the local Government Army lost and were defeated, and the nearly one hundred thousand citizens within the city were almost completely devoured by the swarming Demons.
Within the city, corpses piled up like mountains, skeletons formed forests. Throughout the city, the Senluo Demon Country was uniformly established, with black trees standing tall, rugged as mountains, and cave-like hollows where Demonic Qi rolled turbulently, emitting gloomy and terrifying howls from time to time. The drooping branches resembled the Evil Ghosts with outstretched claws, entwined and coiled, while at the roots, human bones were stacked up, creating a horrifying scene. In another place, the houses were filled with white cocoons and verdant green mucus, dripping incessantly, making one’s stomach churn...
Outside the city, White Bone lay exposed in the fields, silence spanned a thousand li with no crowing of cocks. Within the ghost-like woodland, skeletons could be spotted here and there — some picked clean, while others had a pair of dreadful green eyes squatting nearby, head bent down nibbling, making ear-piercing, chilling gnawing sounds.
At this moment, the blue sky, along with the emergence of the sun from behind the eastern mountains, the golden light drives away the darkness, slowly sweeping over the woods below.
To the west of Weiyuan Prefecture, the blue night was gradually dispersed, the wind blew through the mountains, and the leaves rustled.
Just then, thirty li west of Weiyuan Prefecture in the woodland, a nine-foot-long Lu Shu creature, with a white head, tiger stripes, and a red tail, and sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, was gnawing on a leftover corpse.
The surrounding had become these Little Demons’ hunting ground, some people who fled from Weiyuan Prefecture plunged into the boundless woods, and these Little Demons turned into hunters scattered throughout the woods.
Suddenly, the gnawing Lu Shu raised its head, its ears perked up and trembled, and its muddy yellow eyes seemed somewhat puzzled.
The distant woods rolled like green waves, the wind appeared to be stronger, and the leaves fell, swirling in the air.
The green wave quickly rolled over the Lu Shu creature, leaves fell rustling from the trees above, but among the falling leaves, a few seemed to encircle the head of this Little Demon.
In the woodland, a sudden sound of a zither arose.
At this time, the rising morning sun was just casting its light over these woods.
Under the forest’s shadow, slender darkness strewn across the sky like the shadows of swords flew over the treetops.
Among them, one shadow precisely fell, brushing past the shadow of a leaf, and then streaked across the shadow of the Little Demon on the ground.
The leaf was split in two.
The Little Demon fell too!
All of a sudden, a few li away, an explosive sound burst through the air, followed by a trail of dark green light speeding towards this area, covering miles in a single breath, whistling through the sky.
After that, a series of hurried, fiercely murderous flute sounds broke out, like the crack of shattering porcelain, sharp and resounding with the wind, curling with a fierce, austere air.
The hillside was covered in leaves, fluttering and sprinkling all around, in the woods spanning several li. "Pupu pupu" sounds of explosions came one after another.
Some unlucky Little Demons, caught in that overwhelming murderous aura, were indiscriminately attacked and burst into death.
At this moment, among the blue sky interwoven with leaves, a gold light frantically flickered from the distant horizon, pursuing the trail of that dark green light.
From within that golden streak, occasionally a beam of golden light shot out but was all swept away by the green light.
The two streaks of light, one chasing the other, rapidly closed in towards the direction of Weiyuan Prefecture, and the screams and fleeing voices from the Little Demons below quickly rose up sharply.
Soon, ahead, an imposing city engulfed in surging Demonic Qi revealed its towering outline, and inside, ear-splitting roars of soaring Demonic Qi!
Huge and fierce Demon shadows emerged!
Then, that green light emitted a sharp cry.
"Gentlemen, the Human Clan..."
Before the words were finished, suddenly,
A thunderous rumble shook the earth.
In front, several mountain peaks sprouted out of the ground like bamboo shoots after rain.
Starkly blocking the path of the dark green light!
Without pause, the dark green light let out a sharp scream, colliding directly with the mountain ahead.
The mountain rocks shattered, debris flying everywhere, but the speed sharply decreased.
At this very moment, the heavens and earth roared, and a speck of cold light suddenly shot down like a meteor toward that dark green luminescence.
There, a dark green peacock was seen fluttering its wings, the blue-green feathers on its tail shimmering with a dim divine light. Once beautiful, these feathers were now battered and scattered, rendering it a bald chicken.
Below its green eye-lines, a snow-white human face looked back in fear and anger, letting out a piercing screech.
In the next second, the meteor fell.
Dust billowed into the sky.
Ten miles away, over Weiyuan City, amid the churning Demonic Qi, eyes of crimson red, ghostly green, or golden black stared intently from the dissipating dust outside the city.
On top of a small mountain that rose from the ground, a golden-armored giant wielding a black Big Spear revealed himself, gazing into the distance with eyes sparkling with divine light.
Then, green, blue, white, and black streaks of light shot out from behind and landed on the mountaintop, each taking their positions and revealing themselves.
Yun Chuxiong of the Yun Family Second Branch,
Qing Yangzi of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect,
Li Guanyi from Fulong Temple,
and Yun Kun of Thunder Mountain.
The mountain wind howled, the hair of the five disheveled from the journey, bearing the appearance of weary travelers, yet their eyes were exceptionally bright.
They had crossed two thousand li at top speed, steamrolling over five counties, and had finally reached Weiyuan Prefecture.
In the distance, above Weiyuan City, eight colossal figures dominated the Demon Cloud. Upon seeing the five emerge, they roared ominously.
Eight Heavenly Pass Demons were guarding Weiyuan Prefecture!
"Human Clan Heavenly Pass!"
"How could they appear here?"
"Damn it, why didn’t anyone notice them and raise the alarm?"
The enraged roars reverberated across the heavens while Demonic Qi surged. On top of the city walls, rows of fiercely Demon Soldiers descended from the clouds, horribly ugly and exuding ferocity in an oppressive mass.
An overwhelming momentum, charged and ready, awaited the command, poised to overflow like an unstoppable deluge.
At that moment, atop the mountain, the wind howling, Chen Yuan burst out laughing.
With a flick of his sleeve, the Sky Flapping Sleeve soared out, swelling in the wind. Streaks of light flew out, and beheaded Demon Skulls, bloody and huge, tumbled from the cuff.
Traveling for miles, they crashed down before Weiyuan City, forming a tall rampart nearly twenty zhang high—like a small mountain!
At the very top, seven crushed giant skulls!
Lu Shu, Pit, Ear Rat, Green Sparrow, Night Fox, and the Five Mountains Heavenly Pass Demon were all there. Only one mountain was missing.
As this rampart was erected, the eight demons of Weiyuan’s Eight Heavenly Passes burst into rage, a fierce yell sounding like a thunderous tide.
"Damned be, who are you to slay six of my fellow brethren?"
A voice stirred the clouds.
"Ninth Mountain’s Colonel, Chen Yuan!"
With that declaration, a torrential flood of Demonic Qi cascaded from within Weiyuan City.
The eight Heavenly Pass Demons, mounting their cloud of demons, charged in unison.
Yet, standing opposite on the mountaintop, Chen Yuan and the other four stood firm against the wind, not retreating.
They could not retreat now.
Because the civilians from the other five cities were still on their way.