The time for the offensive was nearly ripe. After hundreds of consecutive drills, the impact on Eternal Night had been immense. To a certain extent, it had become second nature. Even though there were still spies hidden inside the Great Yi Immortal Palace, the intelligence they sent out was no longer taken as seriously. It had become routine. Eternal Night's vigilance had dropped drastically, falling into a state of negligence and slackness.
"Your Majesty speaks the truth. These constant feints during this period—if we follow the plan and turn the feint into a real strike, it will certainly yield miraculous results. With a thunderous blow, the destruction inflicted upon Eternal Night will achieve exactly what we desire."
Liu Bowen said calmly with a smile.
For the past three years, what Great Yi had been doing was not to deceive Eternal Night's wise men, but to lull the masses of Eternal Night's beings into inertia. Under such a mindset, even if wise men tried to warn them, relaxation and carelessness were inevitable.
And that was precisely what Great Yi wanted.
Three years.
The time had come.
It was time to reveal their true strength.
"I too wish to see what expression Eternal Night will show when our Great Yi armies truly descend upon them."
Zhuge Liang chuckled.
Three years of preparation—all that remained was to see whether the final harvest could be reaped.
"Inform the honored mighty ones of Great Yi to prepare to proceed to the First Well of Gods and Demons. As for the rest of the mobilization, continue as usual."
Yi Tianxing spoke calmly.
For these past three years, it had not merely been play-acting. Each expedition to the Well of Gods and Demons had transported massive quantities of resources. Numerous troops and strong cultivators had stationed themselves inside. Within the well was a vast, independent battlefield space capable of storing immense supplies, countless troops, and innumerable war machines.
This preparation had lasted a full three years.
Each time, a portion of soldiers remained stationed inside. With the constant influx of disciples' armies, the number inside had grown to the hundreds of billions. War machines and massive war fortresses had been stockpiled to astonishing levels. In the First Well of Gods and Demons alone, there were already a full hundred war fortresses.
Each fortress was fully equipped with all manner of elite war weapons, always ready as ultimate killing tools for war.
Countless mighty cultivators had already concealed themselves inside during the repeated feints, waiting silently, ready to storm Eternal Night at any moment. Many Eternal Realm powerhouses, who had long known Great Yi intended to invade Eternal Night, had reached secret agreements with Great Yi and were prepared in the shadows. Within the Well of Gods and Demons, more than a hundred Eternal Realm experts from various races were lying in wait—testimony to how much importance was placed on this campaign.
This battle was destined to be inscribed into history.
To take part meant one's name would surely endure for eternity. The prestige gained from it was immeasurable.
"Your Majesty is wise. This battle, destiny favors us—Great Yi shall surely triumph!!"
In the grand hall, all the officials roared in unison.
Soon, in the War Soul Battle Realm, the great legions assembled once more. Boarding the Rainbow Bridges, they marched mightily toward the First Well of Gods and Demons. The sight was unveiled openly before all beings, without concealment.
Inside the Immortal Palace, the Dark Saintess Dingdang bit her lip slightly, her expression carrying a trace of bitterness as she muttered, "Again… Just what is my husband trying to do? Such behavior is far too unusual, not at all like what I once understood of him. And yet, this move has kept Hydra and Eternal Night constantly on edge, cursed and scolded relentlessly. Even I am now seen as an enemy by Eternal Night's countless geniuses, facing their boundless wrath. Once a proud prodigy of the Moonlist, I am now treated as an outcast by both sides. What kind of situation is this?"
Her expression was full of conflict.
She could not tell if this was intentional or not.
Delivering this report, she could already foresee another round of curses in Eternal Night. She might truly become someone everyone wished to strike down. Even within Hydra, she was barely tolerated. Each time her intelligence was delivered, Hydra agonized over whether to forward it to Eternal Night or not.
Now, once again, it was the same.
Inside Hydra.
The nine black-robed men gathered together, staring at the secret missive on the altar before them, their faces full of helplessness and bitterness. To send it or not—that was the question.
"Great Yi truly bullies us too much. In my opinion, we should open a massive Demon Abyss outside of Great Yi, gather Eternal Night's elites, and launch a direct attack. These endless feints every few days—no one could tolerate this!"
White Robe snorted coldly.
"For three years, Great Yi hasn't given us a moment's peace. Who is the true Hydra here? Outrageous!" Green Robe trembled with fury.
"What do we do now? Do we send this message or not?"
Red Robe said bitterly.
"Send it, but perhaps wait a couple of days. Then, when we finally report, we note clearly that this is most likely just another Great Yi feint. Who knows? They might retreat early as usual, completing another drill, and we won't even need to send it. Then we'll avoid scolding and punishment from Eternal Night." Yellow Robe proposed.
The others' eyes lit up.
They wouldn't withhold the report—merely delay. With luck, they might confirm the results beforehand. If the feint ended early, their report would earn them credit instead of blame, overturning years of failure.
The benefits were great.
Of course, this depended on correctly predicting the outcome. If it went as they wished, all would be well. But if they guessed wrong—it would be utter disaster.
They dismissed that possibility.
They didn't believe they would be so unlucky as to hit that one-in-ten-thousand chance.
It was impossible.
They quickly made their decision.
So be it.
Undead Domain.
The region of the First Well of Gods and Demons.
All around for a thousand miles, the void twisted in eerie distortions, as though time and space were thrown into chaos. Such was the natural effect of the well. Not only were laws thrown into disorder, but even space-time itself became turbulent. Each Well of Gods and Demons was surrounded by a natural forbidden zone of life. Without special means, one could not approach.
Not even walk in.
But now, a seven-colored Rainbow Bridge tore through the void, entering the forbidden zone. The chaotic spacetime posed no obstacle. It slipped through with ease, piercing directly into the well.
This was the Rainbow Bridge.
Along with its light, vast numbers of soldiers appeared inside the Well of Gods and Demons. Within was a boundless space of raging temporal storms. Towering war fortresses stood like mountains, radiating murderous intent.
Inside the fortresses, armies were assembled.
The great legions stood in orderly formation.
The endless disciple armies occupied the fortresses.
When they saw Yi Tianxing and the others appear, fervor filled their eyes.
They already knew what was about to happen.
Today would shake Eternal Night to its core.
"Fellow Daoists, brave soldiers!"
Yi Tianxing stood in the void, riding the Nine-Dragon War Chariot. The Chaos War Dragon Robe manifested upon him, dragons faintly visible across its fabric, exuding boundless majesty. The gems on his jade belt sparkled brilliantly, casting dazzling light. His voice boomed with imperial might, drawing every gaze.
"Since ancient times, my Eternal Realm has endured the endless assaults of Eternal Night—unceasing, relentless, bringing endless suffering. Yet never have I believed that Eternal should simply accept invasion, destruction, and ruin. Great Yi has never tolerated being beaten without striking back. Eternal Night has its Demon Abysses—my Eternal has its Well of Gods and Demons. If Eternal Night dares invade Great Yi, then I, this Immortal Emperor, dare storm Eternal Night. For every drop of Great Yi blood spilled, Eternal Night shall pay in hundreds and thousands!"
"For every one of ours slain, a thousand of theirs shall perish. If they destroy a city, we shall slaughter a star!"
"In Great Yi, there are no cowards!"
"Eternal—march to war!"
"Great Yi—march to war!!"
Each word was thunder, shaking the soul of every soldier. Their fighting spirit surged like a tide.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
"March! March! Into Eternal Night!!"
Countless soldiers roared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Drums resounded.
Scarlet light enveloped the fortresses. Towering warriors with bare torsos struck colossal war drums, each beat like thunder from the Ninth Heaven, echoing with the clash of battle. Blood-red light streaked across the heavens, foreshadowing the slaughter to come. These were the Ten Thousand Beasts Blood-Spirit Drums. With each strike, the armies' momentum fused into one.
Wooooo!!
Giant spirits blew war horns, their ancient sound rolling through the void, evoking the wild primeval ages. Hearts trembled solemnly.
Hundreds of fortresses advanced, piercing through space.
This was the moment—the expedition into Eternal Night.
"War! War! War!!"
The drum generals roared to the skies.
Within the fortresses, the armies echoed with rising fervor.
"Heaven's thunder as our drums, earth our tomb, a thousand li of blood-clouds light our path!"
"Demons fierce, Eternal Night mad, but humanity has never bowed!"
"Heads may fall, blood may flow, but iron bones and loyal souls fight for the Nine Provinces!!"
"Steel blade in hand, ninety-nine strong, until Eternal Night is broken, we shall not rest!"
As the fortresses tore through the void, battle drums thundered, war horns resounded, and the songs of war filled the Well of Gods and Demons. None knew if they would return from this campaign. From the moment they embarked, they held the resolve: Until Eternal Night is broken, we shall never return.
(End of Chapter)