As dusk settled upon the land, a colossal Kunpeng Immortal Boat, its vastness capable of covering the sky, departed from Mount Luoyan and soared through layers of clouds. Within its hold lay piles of spirit stones, radiating potent spiritual energy. Any cultivator who witnessed such a scene would be tempted. On the deck stood a group of Mohist cultivators, predominantly in the middle five realms, with dozens in the Star River realm alone. Presiding over them was an eleventh-realm Mohist sword cultivator.
Amidst the swirling mists, a figure descended from the heavens, landing a powerful kick upon the foredeck of the Kunpeng Immortal Boat. The impact left an indentation tens of feet wide, and with a thunderous "boom," it struck the immortal boat's protective barrier, causing the entire vessel to tremble slightly.
"Who dares?!"
The eleventh-realm Mohist sword cultivator drew his sword, his gaze sharp and resolute.
In the air, an elder clad in a daoist robe hovered, a whisk strapped to his back. He exuded a formidable aura of a primal spirit, devoid of any humanity, demonic energy, or deathly presence—only the potent essence of a primal spirit, and that too, incredibly concentrated.
He was an upper-fifth-realm primal spirit, a twelfth-realm expert!
Without uttering a word, he raised his palms, unleashing a tidal wave of ferocious flames from the heavens, bombarding the Kunpeng Immortal Boat below.
"Form the formation!"
The Mohist sword cultivator's eyebrows shot up. He commanded the numerous Mohist cultivators to erect the protective barrier while he himself leaped into action, cleaving through the enemy's fiery miasma with a powerful sword strike. Flames scattered in all directions, and then, the spirit crystal cannons mounted on the upper levels of the Kunpeng Immortal Boat aimed and fired, unleashing torrents of fire that exploded into countless fiery orbs in mid-air.
"..."
The twelfth-realm primal spirit's expression turned grim. He retreated, leaving only an afterimage in the wind before vanishing without a trace.
"Hmph!"
The Mohist sword cultivator's gaze turned cold. He ordered the Kunpeng Immortal Boat to continue its journey.
Meanwhile, the old daoist landed within the depths of a forest. Around him, fiery red maple leaves materialized, swirling like a vortex and merging into his body. Soon, his injuries sustained from the spirit crystal cannons began to heal, restoring him to his original form. He frowned. The legends were true. The Kunpeng Immortal Boat of the Mohist ancestral court possessed combat power comparable to a fourteenth-realm demon. It would be difficult for him, a mere twelfth-realm expert, to gain any advantage from a single Kunpeng Immortal Boat. Fortunately, he had retreated swiftly; otherwise, his losses might have been greater. Such a disadvantageous situation was not to be endured.
Upper-fifth-realm primal spirits were, by nature, wild cultivators. Those who survived were truly formidable.
The old daoist was originally a fiery maple tree in the mountains, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth for ten thousand years. In his youth, he transformed into human form and apprenticed himself to a daoist in a mountain temple. After his master's death, he cultivated alone, calling himself "True Lord Beixuan," eventually achieving enlightenment and becoming an upper-fifth-realm primal spirit. Over a decade ago, he broke through to the twelfth realm, becoming a rare twelfth-realm primal spirit. His mastery of the law of flames was unparalleled. He had initially intended to seize some spoils from the Kunpeng Immortal Boat, but now, that was impossible.
He looked westward. The region south of the Washing Sword River was out of the question; Lin Xingchu, a fourteenth-realm expert guarding the Washing Sword River, was known for his penchant for killing upper-fifth-realm cultivators. Conversely, he often showed leniency towards cultivators from the northern four tribes in the lower and middle five realms. Killing too many would lead to excessive karma. Therefore, for True Lord Beixuan, the greatest potential for gain in the northern region lay in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
He frowned, his form dissolving into the mountains. He would take his time. When the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond became vulnerable, it would be his time to strike. Then, the Dragon Slaying Sword, the Juque Sword, the Lotus Pond, the Azure Cauldron, along with Wu Zhi, Chu Yu, Tong Yu, and Wang Yue, would all be plundered and brought back to his cave dwelling!
...
The Demon Race, Ancestral Mountain.
A fiery red long dress draped her graceful curves. At the peak of the Ancestral Mountain, she ascended a floating stone staircase, pausing slightly with each step. The end of this staircase led to a stone gate shrouded in chaotic energy. Beyond this gate lay the sacred grounds where the Demon Ancestor was in seclusion. Years ago, the Demon Ancestor had been severely wounded by the Peerless General Ding Muchan with a strike comparable to a fifteenth-realm attack, not only suffering a fall in realm but nearly losing his life. It was behind this chaotic stone gate that he had been in seclusion, healing and cultivating. It was only in the past century that he had managed to dispel the sword energy within him and gather the fate of the demon world, returning to the fourteenth realm. However, whether this fourteenth realm was at full strength or not, Yu Zhi did not know, nor did she dare to inquire.
After traversing thousands of stone steps, Yu Zhi's delicate face was flushed. She wiped the sweat from her face and neck. On the path to the Demon Ancestor, no great demon dared to manifest even a wisp of demonic energy; they could only travel on foot. Truth be told, she had not walked such a long distance, especially on a path bearing the immense pressure of the Great Dao, for a very long time.
"..."
She stood on a stone step, turned to look south, and could not help but furrow her delicate brows. Currently, Shi Jungang was leading four demon army camps to guard the south, and her opponent was Lin Zhao. She wondered if Shi Jungang could hold his own, or if he would repeat past mistakes. In truth, Yu Zhi longed to personally visit the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, to meet Lin Zhao again, and to see if he could still gain an advantage under her schemes in this lifetime.
Unfortunately, the Demon Ancestor had forbidden it, and a greater scheme required her personal attention. She had no choice but to postpone matters concerning Lin Zhao at the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
Approaching the final few steps, Yu Zhi ceased her ascent and knelt respectfully on the ground. "Yu Zhi, seeks an audience with the Demon Ancestor!"
"Hmm."
A figure gracefully emerged from behind the stone gate, dense with chaotic energy. It was a mere projection of the Demon Ancestor's will; his true body remained in seclusion behind the gate. The projection was slightly indistinct, one hand behind his back, the other held before him, cradling a radiant moon in his palm. The Demon Ancestor narrowed his eyes, gazing at Yu Zhi kneeling before him. "How has the matter progressed?"
"Everything is proceeding smoothly."
Yu Zhi frowned and continued, "Great Demon Ancestor, the shadow that loomed over White Emperor City and the Northern Region has dissipated. The heavenly and earthly restrictions have vanished. Those numerous cultivators from another world will likely enter the Northern Region soon. They were summoned by the old fellows from the Confucian, Daoist, and Military schools, and they will undoubtedly aid the human world. This will further compress our demon world's fate. I implore the Great Demon Ancestor to enlighten us. What should our demon race do?"
"Yu Zhi ah..."
The Demon Ancestor looked down at her and smiled. "I believe that before you came here, you must have already had an answer in your heart, is that not so?"
"Yes!"
Yu Zhi frowned. "However, my idea is too grand. Once implemented, its impact will be immense, potentially shaking the stability of the entire world. I fear it may not be well-received."
The Demon Ancestor smiled. "It's alright, tell me first."
"Yes."
Yu Zhi rose, her red dress fluttering in the wind, outlining the captivating curves of her figure. Her beautiful eyes fixed on the Demon Ancestor. "My idea is called 'Enforcing Martial Arts Across the World.' In the past hundred years, the demon world's fate has been abundant, and with the combined efforts of all upper-fifth-realm cultivators, the demon population has continuously increased. Now, the spiritual energy of the demon world is nearing depletion. Instead of letting everyone crowd together, vying for resources, and depleting the well, why not have the Great Demon Ancestor directly decree that all demons not yet joined to the army camps may migrate south and seek their own survival on human lands? This way, the fate of the entire world will be utilized for our demon race. Although many demons will be slain, in terms of overall fate, this shift will greatly benefit our Ancestral Mountain."
The Demon Ancestor's gaze was calm. "Since you have decided, then proceed. If it is 'Enforcing Martial Arts Across the World,' then so be it. Our demon offspring are born bloodthirsty and battle-hardened; they do not fear the humans."
"Yes!"
Yu Zhi clasped her hands. "I shall go and issue the decree immediately."
Shortly after, a golden imperial decree appeared in the sky above the Demon Race's Ancestral Mountain. The decree then dispersed, spreading across the entire demon world, visible to every demon who looked up.
In an instant, countless demons from the mountains emerged and began migrating south. Those demon sects hidden in the mountains also started preparing for their journey, with deputy sect leaders remaining to guard their mountain gates while sect leaders led the majority of their disciples southward. It appeared as though the entire demon world had descended into chaos. However, in reality, all the demons were heading in the same direction: South!
...
Deep in the night.
Lin Zhao sat on the northern mountain's precipice. As he opened the grand map, he noticed the red hues on the northern section of the map gradually deepening, from a light red to a crimson, then to a dark red, until the northern map was almost black with redness.
"Torches!"
At his command, Mu Zha and several hundred Snow Domain cavalry soldiers raised their torches, but they could not illuminate far.
"Wu Zhi."
Lin Zhao turned, and Wu Zhi had already floated to his side.
"My lord."
Wu Zhi's bright eyes were filled with sword intent. After a single glance to the north, she understood everything. "The number of demons in the northern mountains has increased by at least tenfold compared to before. However, the demon army camps remain motionless at Panyun Mountain. In other words, the demon armies are not moving, but the lesser demons are about to sweep southward."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao was taken aback. "What is the meaning of this move by the demon race?"
"To consume fate and spiritual energy."
Wu Zhi said calmly, "They are coming south to the human world to share our human world's heavenly and earthly spiritual energy. My lord, please rest assured. Those migrating south are merely some wild demon cultivators and lesser demons of the lower five realms. They pose no threat to the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. Our true threat remains the four demon army camps at Panyun Mountain, and Shi Jungang's next plan."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded. "However, the human territories south of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond will inevitably undergo a baptism by the demon wild cultivators. We still must guard against it. Light the signal fires!"
"Yes!"
Wu Zhi did not hesitate. She raised her hand and sent a strand of sword energy towards a distant beacon tower behind the mountain. The sword energy ignited the pre-prepared dry wood, and instantly, a roaring fire ascended into the sky. As soon as this fire was lit, more beacon fires began to ignite in the starry night sky, one after another. Although the Great Shang Dynasty had not stationed troops in the north, the supply of beacon towers had never ceased.
In a blink of an eye, from the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond to Copper Mirror Lake, from the Washing Sword River to the Fusang Great Wall, and then to Shanhaiguan Pass, amidst the deep mountains, clusters of beacon fires formed a continuous chain. The human world had quickly learned of the demon race's impending southward migration.
...
"Damn it!"
On the northern mountain, Yi Shi Cang Liang, who had just completed an A-rank mission, turned around. As he gazed at the dense beacon fires rising across the human land, his expression became agitated. He clenched his fist and exclaimed, "Damn it... I just arrived at the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, and now I'm about to witness another legend unfold!"
Behind him, a group of players from the Azure Dragon Guild shared the same fervent excitement. They had previously only read about such events in background lore; now, being a part of the unfolding narrative, their feelings were entirely different.