Torrential rain washed over Pingyang Hill, and within the dilapidated and simple tents, the cultivators of the Demon Refining Sect took shelter from the storm and nursed their wounds.
When the dull sound of attack drums rose once again from the foot of the mountain, the group of Demonic Sect cultivators cursed in anger and exhaustion.
“Damn Blood Lotus Sect! Won’t you let people rest?”
“Just lost a hundred men, and here they come again… Are these lunatics not afraid of death?”
“If my cultivation hadn’t been suppressed, I alone could flatten these mortals!”
The irritated cursing continued, but the demon cultivators had no choice but to grumble as they stood up.
One by one, the injured Demonic Sect cultivators stood up, forced to face the enemy.
The towering figure leading them, with an injured left shoulder and wearing a tattered, bloodstained white robe, was merely a low-ranking inner disciple.
In terms of status and cultivation, there were many among the demon cultivators present who were stronger than him.
When he emerged from the elder’s tent, appearing spirited in front of everyone, cheers suddenly erupted on the hillside.
It was unclear who started the chant, but soon, this cry echoed across Pingyang Hill, with all the Demonic Sect cultivators shouting and roaring this name.
It seemed that this name alone could bring them courage.
Watching this scene from behind the crowd, Yan Xiaoru was slightly surprised.
Has he already gained such prestige?
After ten days of hard fighting, Li Muyang, who was once just a minor inner disciple, had already gained such significance in the hearts of these Demonic Sect cultivators.
Watching the cheering and shouting on the hillside, Yan Xiaoru sighed softly, her expression complex.
Standing in the rain, she watched the scene of him moving forward surrounded by the crowd, and for some reason, Yan Xiaoru’s vision suddenly blurred.
At this moment, she seemed to be taken back to that snowy night many years ago.
It was a similar scene, where her father, surrounded by people, never returned…
The storm continued to wash over the land.
On the rugged terrain of Pingyang Hill, as the followers of the Blood Lotus Sect surged up the hill, blood and the flash of blades burst forth once again.
Exhausted cries and roars turned into a deadly melee.
At the base of Pingyang Hill, the continuous military camps formed a twisted circle, enclosing the entire hill.
One by one, the warriors of the Blood Lotus Sect, with red headbands and armored, lined up neatly at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the military signal.
Once the troops above retreated, they would immediately charge up.
Miss Shen had already issued the order: from morning to night, wave after wave would assault the small hill until it was taken.
They would not give the demon cultivators on the mountain any time to breathe.
This small hill would become a bloody battlefield in the next two days.
The roars of the Blood Lotus Sect followers, accompanied by the thunderous shouts from the cultivators on the hill, shook the trees on the small hill violently.
A dark green bird flew from afar, unafraid of the violent storm, instead gliding freely and nimbly through the rain.
It flapped its wings, flying over the wilderness and arriving above Pingyang Hill. Its bright eyes reflected the tragic scene of slaughter on the slopes.
The bird seemed curious, circling the small hill several times but could not find a quiet place to land. The fighting on the mountainside grew more intense, with blood and severed limbs flying about.
The youth with an injured left shoulder, covered in blood and roaring like a madman, repelled another wave of the enemy’s attack.
At the foot of the hill, the sound of drums intensified.
As the fresh troops lined up neatly, ready to replace their comrades who had retreated for rest, they charged toward the ragged, beggar-like figures on the hill.
The youth, standing amidst a pile of corpses with bloodshot eyes, tore off the bandage on his left shoulder and let out a ferocious roar at the enemies surging up from below.
“I’ll keep killing until none of you can come up!”
The bird in the sky seemed to be frightened by this roar, panicking and flying away, no longer circling.
It flew past the hill where the sounds of killing filled the air, over the continuous military camps at the foot of the mountain, and toward the vast wilderness and plains beyond.
The once bustling trade routes were now deserted.
The bird wove through the rain, and on the broad trade routes, only the hurried sound of hooves could be heard as groups of fierce and burly beasts ridden by people with red headbands sped across the wilderness.
The bird continued forward, and the atmosphere in the cities that came into view was grim; doors were tightly shut, and red lotus flags stood on the city walls.
Flying further, several continuous military camps spread across the vast land.
Figures with red headbands and armored walked among the mushroom-like camps. In the camps, large and burly beasts roared and prowled.
The bird carefully avoided these camps and continued on its way.
Finally, it flew out of the land washed by the storm and returned to the sunlight.
Ahead, the sound of commands and footsteps thundered on the vast land.
Countless figures filled the earth, and the dark black banner of the 【Demon Refining Sect】 fluttered in the black tide, stretching to the horizon.
In the sky, huge flying ships passed by. Bright lights darted through the heavens and earth.
White-robed disciples flew under the scorching sun, commanding their respective mortal armies.
Facing the endless army ahead, the dark green bird did not evade this time but flew toward the sea of people that spread to the horizon.
It weaved through the dazzling lights.
At last, the dark green bird crossed the moving crowd on the ground and landed on a massive floating ship, as large as a mountain.
On the huge floating ship, only a few dozen figures were scattered about, giving it a somewhat deserted feel.
The bird landed directly on the deck, shaking its feathers and transforming into a bronze statue.
After becoming a statue, its eyes emitted a brilliant green light.
These lights converged above the deck, eventually forming a three-zhang-high screen of light, within which images flickered endlessly—all the scenes the bird had seen before.
The elders of the Demon Refining Sect, as well as the allies and city lords who had heeded the call to support, all stood in front of this giant screen, looking up at the changing scenes on the screen.
On the screen, they saw the forbidden area where all cultivation and magical powers were sealed, and the scene of the Blood Lotus Sect amassing a well-organized army.
They also saw the grim cities that had fallen into the hands of the Blood Lotus Sect.
At the same time, they saw the small Pingyang Hill, where a terrifying youth on the mountain, like a madman, single-handedly repelled an army of tens of thousands.
Amidst the crowd, a surprised cry could be heard.
“…that white-robed disciple of the Demonic Sect… so brave?”