The baptism of the Sky Dragon King’s Dragon Breath lasted for two and a half minutes.
The thousands of soldiers on the Great Wall were all evaporated into bloody ash, unable to offer the slightest resistance.
The defensive line they had stubbornly held for many days was finally completely breached under the devastation of the Dragon Breath.
The city walls lay shattered and broken. The Demon Beasts roared excitedly without end, then rushed headlong into the vast desert and Gobi before them.
Behind the more than fifty thousand Demon Beasts marched over fifty thousand Demon Soldiers, all at the Nascent Soul Realm, advancing swiftly in orderly formations.
Gazing down at the shattered Ancient Great Wall below, a fierce and cruel glint flashed in the Sky Dragon King’s eyes.
“Xiang’er, your father will surely bathe the Eastern Province in blood to avenge you.”
“That swordsman who killed my beloved son, you must still be alive in this world.”
“This king will personally tear your flesh to shreds and scatter your soul to avenge my son!”
…
One hundred thousand Demon Tribe members poured into the territory of the Eastern Province.
A storm of bloodshed arrived without warning.
In just a single day, over a hundred villages near the Great Wall were completely razed to the ground by the Demon Beasts.
More than a hundred thousand villagers all became bloody sustenance for the Demon Beasts, wantonly slaughtered and devoured.
Compared to the Demon Beasts, who only knew killing and hunting, the intelligent Demon Soldiers were even more cruel.
The Demon Soldiers herded the women and children with the tenderest flesh together and burned them alive with raging flames.
A group of Demon Soldiers formed a circle, tearing human flesh with their sharp claws, unfolding a feast of unparalleled horror.
Before leaving, the entire village would be set ablaze by the Demon Soldiers, reduced to ashes.
All that remained were miles of desolate wilderness and the gruesome “jingguan” mounds the Demon Soldiers built from human heads.
News of the Demon Tribe invasion quickly spread throughout the Eastern Province.
Every dynasty fell into panic, with hearts filled with fear and anxiety.
Because the momentum of this Demon Soldier invasion was more ferocious than any previous one.
For a Demon King of the Ascension Realm to personally take action was unprecedented in nearly five hundred years.
It wouldn’t be long before this storm of bloodshed reached their own homes.
No dynasty could remain untouched amidst this turmoil.
…
The Great Chu Dynasty, located east of the Great Qi Dynasty, was separated by a mere two hundred li.
Although the two nations were neighbors, they had no interaction whatsoever.
Great Chu Imperial City, within the palace.
A woman sat upon the Phoenix Throne, eyes closed, concentrating her spirit.
The woman’s brows and eyes were like a painting, her features exquisitely carved as if from jade, with bright eyes and gleaming teeth, her dark hair cascading down to her waist.
Her figure was tall and slender, her skin fair and flawless like ice and jade. Every subtle expression and movement was enough to captivate the soul.
She wore a long crimson robe embroidered with dragons and phoenixes dancing together, further accentuating her regal majesty and imposing aura.
A single vermilion beauty mark between her brows added an extra layer of mysterious and hazy beauty to her person.
The Great Chu Empress, Chu Yao.
Suddenly, Chu Yao’s delicate frame trembled, and her eyes slowly opened.
Four female attendants by her side immediately stepped forward, asking with concern, “Your Majesty, what is it?”
Chu Yao remained silent for a moment, then sighed, “The Eastern Province defensive line of the Ancient Great Wall has been breached.”
Chu Yao’s voice was ethereal and melodious, like celestial music.
The four female attendants all wore expressions of terror. “How could this happen?!”
“This Demon Tribe invasion is extremely swift and fierce. In just one day, they have slaughtered over a hundred villages.”
“We still don’t know how many more will tragically perish in this calamity.”
Chu Yao’s voice carried a note of sorrow, but it quickly returned to its usual cool detachment as she said calmly, “Summon Marshal Shuang to see me.”
“Yes!”
The female attendants dared not delay, hastily rushing off to deliver the message.
Before long, a female general clad in armor strode briskly into the hall.
“Your Majesty!”
The female general had short hair, an imposing and spirited demeanor, with bright, lively eyes and an air of heroic vigor between her brows.
Though she wore thick, sturdy armor, it did nothing to conceal her proud figure and graceful, willow-like waist.
However, the two nine-foot-long, thousand-pound greatswords on her back carried an intimidating, forbidding aura.
She was the First Marshal of the Great Chu Dynasty.
And one of the few female marshals among the various dynasties of the Eastern Continent.
Marshal Shuang, Leng Ruo Shuang.
“Ruo Shuang, you must already know about the breach of the Eastern Continent’s defense line?”
“I do.”
Leng Ruo Shuang nodded solemnly, her voice deep. “Your Majesty, rest assured, I have long made preparations at all our Great Chu Dynasty’s defensive passes and fortifications.”
“The soldiers are all equipped with the most effective Flame Separation Talismans for dealing with demon beasts, sufficient to withstand at least five waves of Beast Tide invasions.”
Chu Yao nodded with relief. “You’ve worked hard.”
The Beast Tide was the most terrifying form of demon beast invasion.
Demon beasts lacked intelligence; if acting alone, even Golden Core Realm cultivators could find ways to capture or kill them.
But once their numbers reached ten thousand, a qualitative change occurred.
The impact of ten thousand demon beasts could inflict catastrophic damage on a defense line.
“However…”
Leng Ruo Shuang frowned slightly, her expression filled with worry. “I’ve heard that this time, the Demon Tribe has dispatched an Ascension Realm Demon King.”
“And that Demon King is the leader of the Heavenly Dragon Clan, possessing the Dragon Breath divine ability capable of instantly slaughtering tens of thousands.”
“If the Demon King arrives in person, it would likely deal us a more severe blow than the Beast Tide.”
Chu Yao fell silent, a trace of bitterness rising in her heart.
Their Great Chu Dynasty was not strong in national power, its foundation far from comparable to that of their neighboring Great Qi Dynasty.
They had only one Ascension Realm expert: Leng Ruo Shuang.
And they lacked any Supreme Imperial Artifact that could play a decisive role in defense.
Faced with wave after wave of Beast Tides, plus an Ascension Realm Demon King…
Their Great Chu Dynasty was very likely to become the first dynasty in the Eastern Continent to collapse.
“There’s no other way. With the Demon Tribe now at our doorstep, we can only do our utmost to resist.”
Chu Yao sighed, her voice tinged with bitterness. “Ruo Shuang, I leave it to you.”
“Your Majesty, rest assured. As long as this general draws breath, not a single demon beast will break through our defense line!”
Leng Ruo Shuang clasped her fists and declared resolutely, then immediately turned and left to make preparations.
After Leng Ruo Shuang departed, Chu Yao sat alone in the vast palace, her entire being seeming weary in body and mind.
She took out a jade pendant from her bosom. The pendant was clear and translucent, engraved with the character “Chu.”
“Ye Lang, Ling’er… how are you both doing now?”
Chu Yao murmured to herself. “I’m sorry, Ye Lang. I shouldn’t have abandoned you in your most difficult time.”
“Do you still resent me in your heart?”
Back then, after giving birth to Ling’er, she had left without a word.
All these years, she had had no contact with her husband and daughter.
She had heard that many years ago, the Ye family of Great Qi had already declined, with all its promising young talents having died on the battlefield.
Their lives, father and daughter, probably weren’t easy, were they?
After hesitating for a long time, Chu Yao finally made up her mind and spoke: “Attendant.”
The female attendant Hong Yu entered, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty, what are your orders?”
Chu Yao handed the jade pendant to Hong Yu and said, “Take this jade pendant and go to the Great Qi Dynasty. Help me find two people.”
Hong Yu inquired, “Your Majesty, what kind of two people are they?”
“They are the last two surviving descendants of the Ye family from Great Qi.”