Chapter 719: Burning Imperial Capital

Chapter 713: The Burning Imperial Capital

These tornadoes raged everywhere, sucking houses, sheds, lake water, trees, living beings, and monsters into the air before violently smashing them to the ground. This was far more efficient than human explosions or arson. Wind tornadoes, once they caught fire, often became fire tornadoes, doubling their destructive power.

Madam Zhu Er exclaimed, "Another demigod? Where did this one come from?"

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui were both startled. "This bird demon is also a demigod?"

The strength of monsters usually correlates with their size—usually. In the current spiritual energy environment, ordinary bird demons couldn't grow this large, nor could they cause such extensive damage—the dozens of wind tornadoes it unleashed inflicted more damage on the city than Fang Canran's subordinates and the Thundermyth Beasts combined. However, each wind tornado did not last long, only about twenty or thirty breaths. But that was already enough. So, where did Fang Canran find such a colossal creature?

Madam Zhu Er watched for a moment longer. "Hmm, the power is similar, but its magical abilities are too singular." Bird demons are usually skilled in spells. This azure bird possessed the power to control wind, so it should have been able to unleash several other magical abilities effortlessly.

As the three spoke, the azure bird flew over the Thundermyth Beasts. Immediately, tornadoes swept through, tearing apart the illusion barrier spell. With the illusion dispelled, the Thundermyth Beasts resumed their rampage, causing widespread destruction. Even more terrifying, it began spewing lightning at the tornadoes, instantly transforming them into electric tornadoes. Crackling with thunderous orbs, they left a trail of immense casualties in their wake!

Fan Long, Commander of the United Guard, once again rode alongside the herd of Thundermyth Beasts, directing the assault. A giant beast knocked down a cluster of towers. Fan Long abruptly reined in his mount to dodge, inadvertently also evading a black light that struck from behind him.

"Huh, what was that?" A chill ran through him as he caught sight of something unusual emerging from the ruins, swiftly approaching in his peripheral vision. So fast! Before he could even discern what it was, the object was already upon him. Fan Long drew his saber without hesitation.

With a resounding *clang*, he parried a strange, ancient object. It was shaped like a flying disc, but its edges were lined with sharp teeth, unequivocally capable of tearing flesh and shaving bone upon impact with a body. The rotational force was so immense that Fan Long's black-speckled mount was knocked back two steps, letting out a long whinny, nearly tumbling into the ruins.

He flung the object away, but the spinning disc didn't fall. Instead, it circled twice, accelerated, and charged back at him! It was an entirely automated attack, moving with uncanny agility. Simultaneously, with two *whooshing* sounds, two more discs moved in from the sides. Fan Long narrowly dodged them, just as two wind projectiles suddenly struck from above. One hit near his mount's hooves, the air blast directly overturning it, while the other shattered the nearest broken wall, sending the entire section crashing down towards Fan Long's head! The colossal bird, devastating the city from above, even had time to specially target him.

Fan Long's body glowed with flickering light, protected by his primal energy. He vaulted from his black-speckled mount, aiming to leap out of the danger zone. The two spinning discs hovered nearby, like circling sharks around a drowning person. Seeing his move, they attacked in perfect coordination. The black-speckled mount blocked their path, and the discs, without dodging, sliced it directly in half. The process did not slow them down at all.

Fan Long watched his beloved mount of over ten years die tragically, with no time even to grieve, as the three spinning discs had already caught up. If he didn't find a way, he would suffer the same fate as his mount! In the nick of time, Fan Long threw out a flying rope, forcibly altering his trajectory. The three discs missed their target, made a U-turn nearby, and continued to pursue him. It was unclear whether these things possessed their own intelligence or were controlled by someone. However, their level of agility surpassed that of ordinary magical artifacts.

The moment Fan Long landed, a short blade silently emerged from the shadows of the nearby ruins, as if it had been waiting there all along. This was the true ambush! The next second, blood splattered. In the chaotic darkness of close-quarters combat, every strike was a matter of life and death. Fan Long's personal guards arrived as reinforcements, all battle-hardened warriors, yet eight of them were slaughtered consecutively within six breaths! Such precise, swift, accurate, and ruthless targeted kills would have overwhelmed even He Lingchuan.

To catch the bandits, first catch their leader. The sudden absence of the United Guard's commander left several army units leaderless, significantly weakening Spirit Void City's defensive capabilities. The three spinning discs flew, shaking off all traces of blood, then followed their master and vanished once more into the ruins, undetectable no matter how thoroughly others searched. Under the cover of flames and chaos, the phantom-like killer hastened to his next target. His victims were all key figures in the city's defense. While the azure bird launched widespread attacks from above, the shadowy figure quietly harvested critical lives on the ground! Meanwhile, the stampeding Thundermyth Beasts drew everyone's attention. The gains from this Spirit Void City upheaval must be expanded, and then expanded even further!

He Lingchuan and the others were unaware of these thrilling covert battles unfolding in the city's alleys; otherwise, Madam Zhu Er would have been able to identify the second immortal. Instead, they stood on Apricot Mountain, silently witnessing turmoil, flames, riots, and fear spread throughout Spirit Void City. With the intrusion of the giant beasts, the imperial capital, which had enjoyed six hundred years of peace, began to descend into chaos.

No, that wasn't quite right. The panic among the Spirit Void people had already begun when Mount Xu burst into flames. He Lingchuan allowed Ju to burn down the Star-Picking Tower, triggering a volcanic eruption; Fang Canran's team wreaked havoc throughout Spirit Void City, leaving destruction everywhere; and then Fang Canran led the Thundermyth Beasts to trample Spirit Void City, dragging everyone within its walls into an unprecedented riot in six centuries.

It was hard to say whose achievements were greater. He Lingchuan shook his head inwardly. Though Fang Canran appeared worldly and amiable on the surface, he truly embodied the description: "resolute in character, ruthless in methods." Of course, from the perspective of the Heavenly Palace and the Demon Emperor, these two great feats of destruction would likely be attributed to He Lingchuan, who ruined Mount Xu, wouldn't they?

Dong Rui couldn't help but ask, "Where will these giant beasts eventually go?"

He Lingchuan pointed skyward. "Can't you see they're approaching the Startled Swan Crossing?" How could Fang Canran be content with merely disturbing the lower city? But the Floating Island was the vital point of Spirit Void City; the Thundermyth Beasts would only hasten their own demise by attacking it.

The ground suddenly trembled violently, making even those on Apricot Mountain feel unsteady on their feet. Immediately after, several loud bangs resounded. The group looked north and saw raging flames on Tian Shu Peak, with two mushroom clouds rising, indicating yet another volcanic eruption! Mount Xu had been quiet for a while since He Lingchuan left its territory. Its sudden eruption now suggested that Ju and the Heavenly Palace had failed to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, in the center of Spirit Void's lower city, several fireworks slowly ascended, illuminating the night sky for an extended period. As the thick clouds dispersed, everyone looked up to see a vast and wondrous sight suddenly appear in the night sky: thousands of peaks, resplendent and majestic, surrounded by clear, jade-like rivers. Palaces of jade and crystal shimmered vaguely atop misty clouds, while hundreds of streaks of light and flying rainbows entered and exited, all immortals traveling by their artifacts! The ethereal, tranquil, and exquisite beauty of this scene presented a stark contrast to Spirit Void City burning fiercely directly below.

Dong Rui stared, transfixed, even unconsciously yearning. "Where is that?"

He Lingchuan didn't answer, but a name was on the tip of his tongue: Mount Ling? Was the scene in the sky related to those two words he had heard beneath the Ask-the-Dao Tree earlier? In the unseen realm, many secrets seemed to be interconnected, like an Ouroboros. So, was the organization behind Fang Canran connected to Mount Ling? What kind of declaration were they trying to make by creating such a grand spectacle? Were the immortals returning? Or was a global transformation imminent? What was certain was that the Heavenly Palace and Spirit Void City would undoubtedly understand this declaration.

He Lingchuan quietly drew a cold breath. From the breaking of the Spirit Gathering Array to the chaos in Spirit Void City, less than forty-five minutes had passed. Yet, everything He Lingchuan had grown familiar with over the past three months, and everything the people of Spirit Void City had known for six hundred years, had been thrown into disarray. A volcanic eruption in the north, and great turmoil in the city to the south. The colors of blood and fire monopolized the imperial capital tonight.

Meanwhile, to the west of Spirit Void City, Fang Canran stood on the mountainside, looking down at the imperial capital and marveling, "What a world-renowned painting." The scene before him was both poignant and magnificent, unforgettable for anyone who witnessed it firsthand. Its title should rightly be—"The Burning Imperial Capital." Their hatred had transformed into blood and fire, into blades and swords, aiming to shatter the false veneer of Spirit Void City's six centuries of prosperity!

Just then, a faint blue glow emanated from the ground of Spirit Void City, as if some formation had been activated. From the Floating Island, several angry roars echoed, as though mighty beasts were about to emerge. A large, snow-white bird was the first to descend, with two natural red marks beneath its wings. It flew through the ethereal vision of Mount Ling in the sky, and this magnificent spectacle swiftly vanished without a trace. The white bird's length was far less than that of the azure bird, but countless ice crystals accompanied it. With a single flap of its wings, countless wind blades and frost swords shot forth, heading straight for the azure bird. Behind it followed numerous birds, so dense that they almost blotted out the sky.

"Huh?" He Lingchuan strained his eyes to see. Could that be the Winter Palace State Preceptor, whom he had never seen before?

The azure bird in the sky, having caused enough havoc by flapping its wings everywhere, showed no desire to continue fighting. It turned and retreated towards the outskirts of the city. Its mission was complete; it was time to withdraw. Coincidentally, it headed directly toward He Lingchuan and his companions. In mid-air, dozens more streaks of light shot towards it. Spirit Void City was thoroughly enraged, and its counterattack had only just begun.

Dong Rui immediately dropped his casual demeanor. "Hey, hey, it's coming, and the pursuers are coming too!"

He Lingchuan instinctively clutched the divine bone necklace around his neck: "Let's go! It's our turn to exit." The lid of the Grand Square Gourd was now in his possession—a feat that neither of the three-piece set's previous owners, King Yuan and Zhong Shengguang, had managed to achieve. He had stayed until now specifically to observe Spirit Void City's reaction to the surprise attack. Fighting an unprepared battle, especially on their own turf, would expose many of their fundamental weaknesses. How long would it take for their war machine to mobilize? How would Spirit Void City allocate its forces to deal with the dual chaos of Mount Xu and the main city? How long would it take for the Heavenly Gods and Great Demons to reach the battlefield? What effective interception measures had they implemented? How would they evacuate and treat civilians? An expert discerns the inner workings. He would gather this valuable intelligence and meticulously analyze it later to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this powerful empire.

Now, He Lingchuan's performance was over. This stage was for Spirit Void City and Fang Canran.

----End of the main text for *The Demon's Utopia (Volume Two)*.

(End of Chapter)