Deadfire Abyss.
Located on the border between Qingzhou and Chuzhou, it was a perilous mountain terrain, deathly silent within, filled with a fiery-red poisonous grass resembling flames, difficult for ordinary people to enter, hence it was called Deadfire Abyss.
The Demonic Sect's branch was hidden here.
Normally, this place was rarely visited, but starting two days ago, a large force began sealing it off.
In recent years, the Demonic Sect had grown restless, probing repeatedly, so the Great Yan Dynasty decided to strike hard this time to intimidate them.
The Demonic Sect's branch had already sensed something and tried to break through.
But all were blocked and forced back.
There were irreplaceable things inside the branch, but the pressure from the court was not overwhelming, and the power of both sides was roughly equal, leading to a temporary stalemate.
Of course, both sides were willing to see that happen.
The Demonic Sect was trying to delay time to package up precious items for transfer and send messages to other branches, while the court was waiting for reinforcements from the Wang Clan Patriarch.
When Daoist Longshan and the others arrived, they saw the following scene.
Dozens of figures descended from the sky, drawing the attention of many court powerhouses.
Daoist Longshan and his group also examined the people opposite.
Their spirits were lifted.
The court had five Heaven-Man Realm experts on their side too.
Especially the one leading them.
Clad in green armor and wielding a blood-colored spear, the middle-aged man had a cold, murderous gaze. Just one look made people feel as if they were seeing mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Everyone recognized him.
Rank 28 on the Heaven-Man Ranking, General Shenyu.
He was one of the most renowned generals of the Great Yan Dynasty, a master of both command and martial prowess.
Even the Green Ox Bladesman looked solemn. The Heaven-Man Ranking had only thirty-six slots, and every few ranks marked a jump in strength. Every ten ranks marked a huge gap.
"We greet General Shenyu!" everyone cupped fists in salute.
The Wang Clan Patriarch laughed heartily:
"General Shenyu, this old man did not fail in his mission and has brought reinforcements."
He respectfully presented the Martial Saint Token of the Great Yan.
General Shenyu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across everyone, especially pausing briefly on the Green Ox Bladesman with a satisfied look. He had expected the Wang Clan Patriarch to bring at most two Heaven-Man Realm fighters, but there were four—one even ranked on the Heaven-Man list. ℞ΑΝÒ𝔟Ëš
Their side now had ten Heaven-Man Realm powerhouses—twice the number of those in the Demonic Sect's branch.
Originally it was supposed to be eight versus five, now it was ten versus five.
Even if these people weren't going all-out, the odds of victory were extremely high.
The fewer reinforcements needed, the greater his credit.
Otherwise, if the court had directly dispatched ten Heaven-Man Realm experts, he wouldn't have played any role.
He smiled faintly.
"Well done. Much appreciated, Patriarch Wang." These words made the Wang Clan Patriarch laugh even more heartily.
Then the general continued:
"This must be the newly ascended Heaven-Man Realm Daoist Longshan. I've long heard of your name."
Daoist Longshan quickly returned the salute.
"It was my idea to have the Wang Clan Patriarch bring you all here. The Demonic Sect has been causing chaos in recent years. If we can suppress them, Qingzhou and Chuzhou will be more peaceful. Using your Heaven-Man Ceremony to gather everyone like this—please don't blame the Patriarch."
Those words made everyone tense.
It was a clear show of support for the Wang Clan. Anyone looking to cause trouble for them later would have to think twice.
"Not at all. Serving the Great Yan is our duty."
Everyone waved off the concern.
Seeing their outward cooperation, General Shenyu was even more pleased. He went on:
"Rest assured, everyone. For your service to the Great Yan, the court will reward you. Once this operation succeeds, I will report it to His Majesty—there will be rewards for all."
"Now I will brief you on the Demonic Sect branch here."
Everyone's expressions turned serious.
Rewards could wait—first they had to survive. This intel was critical.
General Shenyu smiled lightly:
"No need to worry. This branch only has five Heaven-Man Realm members. One isn't on the Heaven-Man Ranking but is about equal to me and Brother Green Ox. With both of us working together, there'll be no problem."
That first statement eased many hearts.
This meant it would be two-on-one battles—far safer. What they feared most was a balanced fight where one mistake or ambush could be deadly.
Even the Core Formation Realm cultivators relaxed. With the Heaven-Man Realm experts occupied, they didn't have to worry about being instantly wiped out.
The Green Ox Bladesman asked:
"General, didn't the Demonic Sect try to escape?"
He was puzzled.
Two whole days—and they just sat there, waiting for them to arrive?
General Shenyu's eyes twinkled with amusement:
"Deadfire Abyss is ideal for growing Blood Demon Flowers. This branch's flower is nearly mature. Those old demons won't abandon it easily. To uproot and preserve it intact takes days of preparation."
"As long as I don't push too hard, they won't act recklessly."
Blood Demon Flower!
The Wang Clan Patriarch's eyes lit up. That was a peerless treasure for enhancing essence and energy, extremely valuable to Heaven-Man Realm cultivators. With enough foundation, it could even perfect the Flower of Essence.
General Shenyu clapped his hands.
Immediately, several martial artists were dragged forward in chains, disheveled, some with their shoulder bones pierced through, weak and listless—some even at the Qi Origin Realm.
"Old Demon Lin thought I didn't know he sent people to call for help. In truth, I laid a trap long ago. Not one of those little demons escaped. He's doomed to wait for help that'll never come—because my reinforcements are already here!"
He laughed loudly.
The others were inwardly shocked at his tactics—he'd completely locked down the Demonic Sect.
This was clearly a show of force for them too.
Even those Core Formation experts who had been grumbling on the road went quiet and squeezed out flattery, snuffing out any thoughts of defiance.
General Shenyu read the room and chuckled inside.
A mix of reward and fear—this was how to get everyone to fight their best.
He then turned to the burning red grass in the distance, eyes filled with killing intent, his voice turning icy:
"Rest and recover for one hour. After that—exterminate the demons!"
…
Boom!
Thunder rumbled. Rain poured.
With the power of many Heaven-Man Realm experts, altering the weather was no trouble.
The crimson poison grass of Deadfire Abyss glowed faintly under the night sky, like flickering flames. General Shenyu led the charge into the air, with Heaven-Man Realm experts like the Green Ox Bladesman close behind.
General Shenyu's green armor glowed, his blood-colored spear radiating deadly killing intent.
He didn't bother hiding his aura.
There would be no sneak attacks today.
He let out a thunderous roar, twirling his spear. Streaks of blood-red spear light shot into the abyss like swimming dragons, backed by the power of heaven and earth—each one filled with savage might.
Behind him, four more Heaven-Man experts followed, unleashing waves of power that rocked the heavens.
Boom boom boom!
Light flared in the distance. Explosions shook the night sky.
A cold, sinister voice rose like from the underworld:
"Shenyu, you really couldn't wait, could you?"
General Shenyu laughed:
"Old Demon Lin, I gave you two extra days. Now I'll send you to hell!"
Old Demon Lin snorted coldly:
"Let's see if you have the strength."
The white-haired, grim-faced elder shot into the air, shouting through divine transmission:
"Forget the rest. Break through!"
The precious Blood Demon Flower was already secured. The other items, though painful to lose, could be abandoned—they'd settle the score later.
Four more Heaven-Man experts rose behind him.
In an instant.
A massive battle broke out.
Ten Heaven-Man Realm fighters—an epic sight.
Light flared again and again in the sky as power clashed with power, rumbling endlessly.
Within the Demonic Sect branch, Core Formation experts led the charge.
Deadfire Abyss—
Had never been this lively.
The Demonic Sect had realized—the Great Yan Dynasty was going all in.
The rain poured, dyed with blood.
The Green Ox Bladesman and Daoist Longshan exchanged a look, ready to follow the plan.
They could hold back a little to stay safe, but they couldn't avoid fighting completely—the consequences would be severe.
Old Demon Lin, hair flying, slashed with his war blade, knocking aside Shenyu's spear. But he quickly sensed something wrong.
This attack from the Great Yan was fiercer than before.
While still uncertain, a sudden scream rang out.
A new Heaven-Man expert had joined the fight—it was the Wang Clan Patriarch. He was the most aggressive, seizing a chance to rush out and smash a Demon expert's right arm into powder.
Then he and another joined forces to besiege the wounded foe.
Old Demon Lin raged.
But before he could act, a dazzling blade flash split the sky and crushed his anger.
"Green Ox Bladesman!"
Old Demon Lin gnashed his teeth. As a fellow blade cultivator, he knew this one well.
The Green Ox Bladesman said nothing. The Unsharpened Blade on his back gleamed with unmatched brilliance.
More Heaven-Man experts joined the fray.
Daoist Baihe, Lord Xiaoyao, and Daoist Longshan all found opponents, catching the Demonic Sect off guard.
In moments.
All Demon experts were fighting two-versus-one, overwhelmed.
Especially the one whose arm had been shattered by the Wang Clan Patriarch—he was in deep peril. The patriarch fought ruthlessly, eager for credit.
General Shenyu's aura surged:
"Old Demon Lin, today is your day to die!"
Old Demon Lin saw five unexpected Heaven-Man cultivators and was stunned.
Where had they come from?
He had no clue.
Until he saw two familiar faces.
He hadn't met them, but had seen their portraits.
"That's Daoist Longshan from the Zhenwu Sect? And Wang Quan of the Wang Clan in Qingzhou?"
"Wasn't Daoist Longshan holding his Heaven-Man Ceremony? Why is he here all of a sudden…"
Just as the thought surfaced, realization struck.
He stared coldly at General Shenyu, slashing through spear and blade aura, rasping:
"Shenyu… well played!"
He now understood—those Heaven-Man experts must've been at Daoist Longshan's ceremony and rushed over afterward.
Fighting while listening to the chaos, he could tell from the snippets of speech—the court had planned this from the start. His eyes burned with hatred.
He hated General Shenyu's scheme. Hated the Wang Clan Patriarch for dragging in so many reinforcements. Hated Daoist Longshan for holding his ceremony now, of all times!
"Still distracted?" General Shenyu growled.
He and the Green Ox Bladesman flanked him, blasting Old Demon Lin down to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Old Demon Lin lost an arm and suffered severe injuries—his fate unknown.
The Green Ox Bladesman was silent. General Shenyu laughed loudly.
They didn't let up and descended after him.
Seeing this.
The Demonic Sect panicked.
This was a deathtrap!
The Wang Clan Patriarch laughed wildly, fighting even harder—trading wounds if needed. He was earning massive credit, securing a brighter future for the Wang Clan.
The Demon experts facing him felt like he was high on blood, inwardly cursing while fear spread in their eyes.
Today, they were doomed.
Just then.
A terrifying blood-red blade light rose, slashing toward the Wang Clan Patriarch. Its power was enough to make even a Heaven-Man cultivator tremble.
Old Demon Lin!
In despair, he had swallowed an unripe Blood Demon Flower and used the Bloodburning Art to suppress his wounds.
Fueling his hate, he wielded heaven's power through his war blade—turning it into a blood-red blade aimed at both the Wang Clan Patriarch and Daoist Longshan.
Both revenge and distraction.
Then he turned into a streak of blood, fleeing in the opposite direction.
The Wang Clan Patriarch's pupils widened—death loomed.
Though he had fought hard, he reacted a half-beat too slow.
His body flared with light—he punched out.
But the blood blade held all of Lin's fury—far too deadly.
Blade light exploded. The Wang Clan Patriarch's right arm was instantly shredded into mist.
He screamed in agony.
Cold sweat beaded on his brow, eyes full of fear.
If he hadn't sacrificed his arm, he'd have been cleaved in two!
A Heaven-Man Ranking powerhouse—truly terrifying!
He turned his head.
The blood-red blade continued toward Daoist Longshan!