Chapter 126: Before the Divine Phoenix Mountain
Capital City.
The largest city in the Cangqing Realm, home to countless powerful cultivators.
The capital alone had a permanent population of several hundred million.
The South Li Imperial Palace was located on the sacred mountain at the very center of the capital.
The mountain shimmered with the glow of countless formations.
The Emperor, clad in a dragon robe and exuding an aura of majesty, stood at the highest point of the sacred mountain, overlooking the capital.
Behind him stood two Human Immortal-level cultivators. As they gazed at the Emperor's back, their eyes betrayed deep concern.
As the Emperor's close confidants, no one understood the Emperor's condition better than they did. Although his lifespan had not yet reached its end, the Emperor had been poisoned by a deadly toxin 570 years ago. Even with the imperial family's vast resources, they had only been able to suppress the poison until now.
If not for the Emperor's peak Human Immortal cultivation and the suppression provided by the imperial family's guardian immortal artifact, the strange toxin would have erupted long ago.
Even so, the Emperor, who was merely 5,000 years old, already had streaks of white at his temples, and his body exuded a faint scent of decay.
At this moment.
A streak of light landed outside the pavilion where the Emperor and his two confidants stood, materializing into the old eunuch who had delivered the decree earlier.
Without turning his head, the Emperor spoke indifferently:
"Has the decree been delivered?"
The old eunuch knelt on one knee and respectfully replied:
"Your servant has conveyed Your Majesty's decree to the four great armies and all departments within the capital. They have been instructed not to interfere with matters on the Divine Phoenix Mountain."
After a moment of hesitation, the old eunuch continued:
"However, as I was returning, I saw the Divine Machine Army, the Broken Cauldron Army, and the Southern Suppression Army—tens of thousands of soldiers—entering the Divine Phoenix Mountain region. It seems they are rushing to support the Crown Prince."
"No matter." The Emperor shook his head and spoke calmly:
"These armies are all elites of the Crown Prince's residence. Their key positions have long been taken over by demons. Even if they don't perish on the Divine Phoenix Mountain this time, I will deal with them eventually."
After speaking, the Emperor turned to look at the two Human Immortal-level figures standing behind him — Daoist Ran and Marquis Xiaoyao.
These two were Human Immortals he had personally nurtured, and their loyalty to him was unwavering.
"When that Divine Lord Changsheng arrives, you two will assist him."
"Although Divine Lord Changsheng's methods are ruthless, he is at least human. Non-humans will always harbor ulterior motives. I don't know what the demon possessing my son's body is planning, but his strength is now on par with mine. If we don't eliminate him in this battle, it will be difficult to contain him in the future."
"But…" Daoist Ran and Marquis Xiaoyao exchanged glances.
Marquis Xiaoyao lowered his voice and said, "What if Divine Lord Changsheng has ill intentions? If, after eliminating the demon possessing the Crown Prince's body, he turns on the South Li Empire, what should we do?"
They couldn't help but worry. They were well aware of Li Changsheng's strength.
The strength of the Crown Prince's residence, including the Xiao Huang Gate, surpassed theirs. Yet, Li Changsheng had effortlessly slaughtered them!
If it were them, they likely wouldn't be able to withstand a single strike from Li Changsheng!
The Emperor gazed at the capital beneath his feet, took a deep breath, and spoke indifferently:
"If Divine Lord Changsheng can truly destroy that demon, then the South Li Empire is no match for him. If he desires this capital, let him have it… What does it matter?"
Divine Phoenix Mountain.
The Divine Machine, Broken Cauldron, and Southern Suppression Armies guarded the outermost perimeter of the Divine Phoenix Mountain. Further in was a legion of soldiers clad entirely in black robes, their bodies faintly exuding demonic energy, and their eyes filled with bloodlust.
In the deepest part of the Divine Phoenix Mountain, within the palace.
The Demon Crown Prince and several powerful demons stood in the palace complex, their faces dark.
They had originally been preparing to activate a demonic artifact in two months before turning their attention to the South Li imperial family. They hadn't expected that Divine Lord Changsheng would launch an attack so soon!
"This is utterly outrageous!"
"Humans are nothing but food for us demons. How dare he come to the Divine Phoenix Mountain to attack us? He doesn't take us seriously at all!"
A mid-stage Human Immortal demon with goat horns and scales covering its body roared in anger.
The other demons' faces were also filled with rage. They had come through the rift from the Demon Realm, treating all humans in the Cangqing Realm as food. If not for their fear of the Jade Sword, an immortal artifact that only the imperial family's direct descendants could fully wield, they would have long since used the South Li imperial family's blood to open the passage.
Opening a passage to the Demon Realm was no simple matter. It required the blood of hundreds of thousands of imperial family members and the essence of numerous high-level cultivators. Otherwise, they would have long since massacred several cities to open the passage.
But now the most urgent matter was surviving the onslaught of that Divine Lord Changsheng!
"I've already set up the Nine Nether Blood Transformation Array on the Divine Phoenix Mountain. Even if that brat has the strength of a peak Human Immortal prodigy, he won't be able to break through!"
"Moreover, we can find an opportunity to trap him within the array and kill him!"
The Demon Crown Prince said coldly.
In his heart, he wasn't entirely sure if the Nine Nether Blood Transformation Array could withstand Li Changsheng. He didn't care if these demons died. If pushed to the brink, he could still use his trump card, though the cost would be immense. Using it even once would require him to recuperate for at least several hundred years, and it would damage his foundation. But it was still better than dying!
At this moment.
A golden streak of light shot from the south towards the Divine Phoenix Mountain.
"Make way!"
Upon seeing the golden light, the general of the White Tiger Army, stationed at the outer perimeter of the Divine Phoenix Mountain, turned pale and shouted, fearing that he might be mistaken for an ally of the Crown Prince and struck down by a single sword strike.
The White Tiger Army retreated in a massive wave, making no attempt to block the golden light.
The roc's speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, it had covered a thousand miles.
The soldiers of the Divine Machine, Broken Cauldron, and Southern Suppression Armies wore cold expressions. The leader, a middle-aged man at the half-step Human Immortal level with a faint demonic aura, shouted upon seeing the golden light:
"Form ranks! Attack!"
The three armies moved in perfect unison, as if they were a single entity.
As the general shouted, "Kill!"
Boom!
The combined energy of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the three armies coalesced into an enormous black energy arrow, piercing through the void and hurtling towards the golden roc.
"Humans willingly serving demons? You deserve death!"
Li Changsheng coldly spat out these words.
Aside from a few individuals, most of the soldiers in these three armies had faint traces of demonic energy. Although they hadn't been fully transformed into demon puppets, they were close.
Crack!
Li Changsheng drew his sword.
With a light swipe of his blade!
Slash!
A blinding ten-thousand-foot-long sword beam shot towards the oncoming arrow.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion.
The black energy arrow was utterly obliterated by the white sword beam.
Pfft!
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers spat out blood simultaneously. Many of their eyes filled with terror, though a few still had a bloodthirsty gleam as they stared at the rapidly approaching white sword beam!
Rumble!
A thunderous crash rang out.
As if the earth itself had been overturned, a canyon stretching thousands of miles long and a thousand meters deep appeared in people's vision, extending all the way to the Divine Phoenix Mountain range. The hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the three armies who should have been standing where the canyon now lay had vanished without a trace.
Ssshhh!
The onlookers in the distance gasped in shock!
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers—gone just like that?