Chapter 2090: Defeat

Suffocating white waves threatened to engulf them. Time seemed to freeze as Qin Lie and the little fox stiffened, unable to retaliate. Just then, the water around them silently disintegrated, and all pressure vanished instantly.

The person and the fox shot forward, like drowning victims finally breaking the surface to breathe, reborn.

They ducked behind Jian Yi, still shaken. Looking back, they saw the white waves had vanished completely. Jian Yi hadn't even drawn his sword; he had dispelled the waves with pure sword intent.

The Changyou expert who had attacked earlier happened to look up. Seeing this, he let out a cold snort, a ruthless glint in his eyes. His lips moved subtly as he briefly exchanged words with a nearby clansman, then he detached himself from the battle and strode across the waves toward them.

Qin Lie and the little fox's expressions stiffened, and they tensed up again. This new adversary was clearly more powerful than the previous one. Jian Yi had only recently broken through to the Golden Core stage and was surely no match. Their well-intentioned attempt to summon aid for Jian Yi had instead dragged him into an even more perilous situation.

"What do we do now?"

The little fox paced anxiously.

"You two go first."

Jian Yi repeated his instruction. He remained calm and composed, showing no signs of the recent intense battle. He summoned his spirit sword, flew forward, and simultaneously transmitted a message: "Something isn't right. The Changyou clan might be planning a major conspiracy. Return to camp immediately and report!"

Qin Lie and the little fox had suspected as much, and Jian Yi's words confirmed it. They understood the gravity of the situation and knew they had to return quickly to deliver the message. This was no time for sentimentality, especially since their presence wouldn't make a difference. Not long after they flew off, they heard continuous roars from behind, accompanied by vast waves of true essence spreading outwards. Secretly alarmed, they dared not hesitate further.

Upon their return to the main camp, they found flags unfurling and countless streaks of light crisscrossing the sky. Spiritual energy surged skyward, forming vibrant, multicolored barriers of light. A chilling, ominous atmosphere enveloped them.

The Storm Realm had chosen a sea area dense with islands as its stronghold, with the islands stretching north and south. Over the years, the Storm Realm had poured countless resources into building an impregnable defense line here. During the last major war with the Changyou clan, this line had stubbornly held, preventing the enemy from breaching it.

These light barriers were formed by massive arrays. Layers of them stood above the islands, connected to each other, stretching endlessly along the coast like ethereal city walls that touched the sky and stood firm on the earth. Beneath the light barriers, passages allowed entry and exit, now heavily guarded and poised for battle.

Qin Lie and the little fox landed before one of the passages. The guards' sharp gazes immediately fixated on them, and they instantly felt enveloped by a powerful aura that could easily obliterate them.

"Identify yourselves!" a guard called out.

"I am Qin Lie, a disciple of Qingyang Pavilion, serving under General Hong..." Qin Lie dared not make any sudden moves. He explained loudly, throwing his waist token towards the guards.

Once their identities were confirmed, the guards opened the passage and allowed them in. However, two guards were immediately assigned to closely watch them and escort them to meet the commanding general of the area.

Suppressing their anxiety, they were soon led into a grand hall to meet the general. "Greetings, General Jin Ling," they said.

General Jin Ling looked up, his gaze like a piercing sword, as if he could see through their very thoughts. "You both seem agitated," he observed. "What did you encounter outside?"

"We were just about to report, General..."

At this crucial moment, the little fox, leveraging her sharp wit and eloquence, clearly explained the situation for Qin Lie.

General Jin Ling grunted. "We've already received intelligence about the Changyou clan's movements," he said. "Your concern for the overall situation and timely report are commendable. You've earned a merit... escort them back to their camp."

"Yes, sir!"

The little fox, greatly alarmed, pleaded urgently, "Jian Yi and the others are being besieged by Changyou experts! Their situation is critical! Please, General, send immediate rescue, or else..."

To her dismay, General Jin Ling remained unmoved. He waved a hand, and a gentle force swept them out of the hall. Two guards immediately positioned themselves in front of Qin Lie and the little fox. "Please follow us, fellow cultivators," they said.

"No!" the little fox shrieked, while Qin Lie fell to his knees, pleading.

The two guards' expressions darkened. "Do not cause a scene!" one snapped. "Stranded cultivators will be rescued by the proper authorities! The situation is critical, and manpower is short everywhere. We cannot simply dispatch forces at will. You two must return to your camp immediately and await orders!"

"I won't go!" the little fox shrieked, her voice piercing as she yelled towards the hall door. "What kind of general abandons their comrades to die in peril?!"

"Insolent! You dare to defy authority? Don't blame us for being ruthless!" The two guards flew into a rage. With a metallic clang, two golden chains shot out from their sleeves, aiming for the little fox.

The little fox dodged and weaved between the chains, her movements exceptionally agile. Pointing at Qin Lie, she shrieked, "How dare you harm me! We are disciples of Qingyang Pavilion! He is of the Qin family bloodline! His fifth grandfather is Qin Hongyuan! We demand to see our fifth grandfather!"

Qin Hongyuan was a renowned expert of Qingyang Pavilion, his reputation formidable. The two guards couldn't help but hesitate.

Just then, other guards, hearing the commotion, also rushed over.

A guard commander sneered. "This is the front line, not your Qingyang Pavilion!" he retorted coldly. "Even if you were the Pavilion Master's direct disciple, you must obey orders! And what if you are of the Qin family bloodline? If you dare to cause a ruckus in the general's residence, we'll see if Senior Qin even acknowledges you! Seize them!"

All the guards swarmed them. Qin Lie and the little fox were no match; in the blink of an eye, they were securely bound. No matter how frantic they became, it was futile.

Their identities ultimately afforded them some leniency. The guard commander did not punish them but personally escorted them back to their camp, handing them over to General Hong for custody.

After the guards left, Qin Lie and the little fox pleaded incessantly. General Hong, also concerned for Jian Yi and the others, promised to intercede on their behalf. However, he warned them that they could not leave the main camp under any circumstances until orders were received.

They tried every possible avenue, but their efforts were like a stone dropped into the ocean—met with no response. The longer time dragged on, the dimmer their hope became.

Just as despair began to set in, they finally received orders. Yet, to their surprise, the command wasn't to rescue Jian Yi; it was to retreat!

Normally, being among the first to withdraw from a dangerous situation would bring them relief. But now, a simmering rage burned within them; they longed to kill more Changyou tribesmen to avenge Jian Yi. What puzzled them most was why they had to retreat. Even if they weren't going to engage in open battle, they should at least hold this defense line.

On the battlefield, everyone played a role. Even those with low cultivation could guard a node of the grand formation. Only with countless cultivators working together to activate the grand formation could the defense line remain stable.

"Why are we retreating? Where are we going?"

The little fox and Qin Lie pressed for answers, but to no avail. Despite their reluctance, they had no choice but to follow General Hong's retreat.

The tides surged. As they traveled on their magic vessel, they saw streaks of light from other vessels streaking across the sky on both sides. Ships laden with cultivators were withdrawing from the front lines, and the sight had an unsettling air of defeat.

"Why are we retreating? Why now...?" Qin Lie mumbled to himself, while the little fox was equally bewildered. They hadn't even engaged in direct combat yet. Perhaps fighting had erupted elsewhere, but the flames of war hadn't reached them. To flee without a fight now—wouldn't that be surrendering their carefully constructed defense line?

Why would their superiors make such a foolish decision? Did they believe the line couldn't be held, unwilling to make futile sacrifices? The little fox shuddered at the thought of such a possibility.

If the first, and most robust, defense line collapsed without a fight, how could the subsequent lines possibly hold? If the situation continued to deteriorate, would they allow the enemy to invade the heart of the Northern Sea, perhaps even occupy all four Northern Sea territories?

Terror seized the little fox. She had never envisioned such a scenario. How could such a robust defense crumble? Yet, the situation seemed to be spiraling towards the very outcome she dreaded most. Even if her fears proved true, she could do nothing. They were merely specks of dust caught in a surging river, powerless to change their course or escape. Their only hope was for timely reinforcements from Zhongzhou.

They were transported by magic vessel to the second defense line. Immediately, a flurry of orders was issued, and they diligently began preparations, activating the local formations. The tasks were so demanding that they had no time to ponder the larger situation, or perhaps they deliberately chose not to.

Frontline battle reports arrived frequently. Qin Lie and the little fox weren't privy to the details, but they could infer the dire state of the front from the generals' increasingly grim expressions.

Finally, the day they most dreaded arrived. The front line collapsed completely, and years of effort by the Northern Sea sects were ruined in a single moment.

Defeated armies retreated to this location, strengthening the defensive forces, but Qin Lie and the little fox only grew more bewildered and despairing.

On the battlefield, their origins—whether from Thousand Mountain Bamboo Sea or Qingyang Pavilion—mattered for nothing. Qingyang Pavilion never showed favoritism to its disciples; they were no different from rogue cultivators. Their survival hinged entirely on luck. Stripped of their sect's protection, they truly understood their insignificance. Without formidable power to protect themselves, they were mere ants.

The second defense line was far less complete than the first, fragmented into several distinct battlefields, each fighting its own war. They were fortunate that the attacking force wasn't the Changyou clan's main army, but it still allowed Qin Lie and the little fox to experience the true terror of war firsthand.

The Demon Sea.

Between the Demon Sea and the Eastern Sea of Zhongzhou lay a vast expanse of water. Ordinary islands had long been ravaged by storms, leaving almost no landing spots along the way, only scattered sea demon tribes as inhabitants. These demon tribes had no true lineage; their cultivation was largely accidental, preventing them from forming a significant power. Moreover, the Changyou clan would periodically dispatch forces to purge the area, turning it into a barren, dead sea.

However, the sea was vast, and the Changyou clan couldn't oversee every corner. In a sea area near the Demon Sea, beyond the Changyou clan's surveillance, a large demon army had been secretly lurking for an unknown period.

These disciplined demon cultivators were hidden deep beneath the sea. House-sized clam shells served as their vessels, their interiors spacious enough to create dry areas where non-aquatic demon cultivators could hide and practice, all while concealing their demon aura. Besides the clam shells, there were also colossal conch shells and various oddly shaped magical artifacts, each concealing a team of demon cultivators poised for action. They were neatly arranged on the seabed, seemingly having lurked there for a long time, as some were already covered in moss and seaweed, obscuring their original forms and making them resemble underwater hills.

On the outermost perimeter, flood dragons and golden toads patrolled. They, too, kept their auras suppressed, maintaining absolute silence. The seawater here also appeared darker than elsewhere, like ground mist, an effect created by a grand formation. This was indeed the great army dispatched by the Demon Sea's demon tribes.

After deciding to reclaim the Demon Sea, the Dragon King and Golden Toad King secretly contacted various tribes and began preparations. The Dragon, Phoenix, and Golden Toad tribes made the decision jointly. While some other tribes might have found Zhongzhou appealing, none dared to oppose, especially since reclaiming their ancestral lands was a righteous cause. Therefore, each tribe began secretly withdrawing their experts, concealing their movements, and sending them in batches to the Northern Sea.

The Changyou clan had shown no unusual activity in the Western Wastes, and their front lines there were lax. This meant the demon alliance only needed to leave a portion of their forces to guard the Western Wastes, allowing them to completely deceive the Changyou clan. Neither the Human nor the Witch clans, nor even the Changyou clan, seemed to have noticed their subtle maneuvers, and everything had proceeded smoothly.

However, these preparations alone weren't enough. The Changyou clan possessed innate water manipulation abilities. If a Changyou expert were to pass through this area, the hidden forces on the seabed wouldn't escape their perception. At the outset of the planning, the Golden Toad King, accompanied by the kings of several major tribes, personally came to oversee the operation and had already defused several potential crises.

Now, they could rest even easier, for the Dragon King had also arrived, having already broken through to the late Spirit Transformation stage! Unless the Changyou clan chief personally appeared, they were confident in handling any unforeseen circumstances. Indeed, everything was ready; they only lacked the "east wind"—the final crucial element.

"That Dragon Whale has reportedly been in secluded cultivation for thirty years," the Golden Toad King remarked. "I wonder if he's had a breakthrough."

The Dragon King replied coolly, "He may well have already broken through, using it as an excuse to observe. Even if the Dragon Whale has advanced, he won't be able to take sides. Our own forces are sufficient to reclaim our ancestral lands. Once we succeed, he will naturally come over to us."

The Golden Toad King chuckled. "We haven't heard of any Changyou clan elders breaking through recently. Even if new experts emerge, they're sure to be dispatched to the Northern Sea first. It's best if they remain entangled with the Northern Sea, leaving them no time to bother us. As long as we regain control of our ancestral lands, we can consolidate our position under your leadership, Daoist Friend. By then, the deed will be done, and the Human Race will have no choice but to acquiesce!"

The Phoenix Queen, however, wasn't so optimistic. Her elegant brows furrowed slightly. "Won't they be enraged and take it out on our clansmen still residing in Zhongzhou?" she worried. "You've entrusted the Western Wastes garrison to Elder Yuanzhu. He represents the faction within our tribe that is closest to humans, and he reportedly has a deep friendship with the Qingyang Pavilion Master. What if he acts on his own initiative and leads his forces to aid them...?"

The Dragon King waved a hand, cutting her off. "I've long anticipated Elder Yuanzhu's actions," he stated. "I specifically kept him and the pro-human faction away beforehand to prevent any leaks. The Changyou clan will certainly pressure the Western Wastes while simultaneously attacking the Northern Sea. Even if he *wants* to reinforce the Northern Sea, he won't be able to take many defenders, and it won't change the overall situation!"

"This will be the starting point of our clan's revival!" the Golden Toad King declared, brimming with ambition and even a hint of impatience. "We'll slowly settle all old scores with them!"

The Dragon King gave a slight nod. Suddenly, his expression shifted. He closed his eyes, sensing for a long moment, then burst into laughter. "The Changyou clan has made their move!" he announced.

"Excellent!" The assembled demons erupted in wild cheers.