Chapter 165: Explosion

"I cultivate the Thunder Annihilation Fiendbody," Meng Chuan said with a modest smile. "In a direct fight, I only have strength approaching that of a Marquis Godfiend. My only exceptional skill is my movement speed."

After more than two years since descending the mountain, he was still stuck at the 'Great Accomplishment of Blade Soul' stage.

It was only thanks to cultivating the Vajra Body that he possessed strength approaching that of a Marquis Godfiend!

Only by mobilizing his physical true essence with his primordial spirit power and activating Godfiend forbidden techniques could he reach the threshold of a Marquis Godfiend. However, this state was clearly not sustainable! In contrast, both Senior Brother Zhang Yunfeng and Senior Brother Yang Fang naturally possessed strength at the Marquis Godfiend threshold. Meng Chuan still had a gap compared to his two senior brothers. If his senior brothers activated their Godfiend forbidden techniques, they would become even stronger. However, being elderly, each use of a Godfiend forbidden technique caused significant harm to their bodies and shortened their lifespans.

"Junior Brother Meng, you're already approaching the strength of a Marquis Godfiend at such a young age. We truly envy you," Yang Fang said with a laugh.

Zhang Yunfeng, standing nearby, chuckled and added, "With a perfected Thunder Annihilation Fiendbody, a Great Sun Godfiend's speed can already rival that of a Regressor Godfiend. And according to the intelligence Yuan Chu Mountain provided me, Junior Brother Meng's speed... is considered top-tier even among Regressor Godfiends, isn't it?"

Meng Chuan was surprised.

Having rescued various places multiple times, Yuan Chu Mountain could naturally calculate Meng Chuan's movement speed. But for this information to also be shared with Zhang Yunfeng?

"Junior Brother Meng," Zhang Yunfeng said, "Yuan Chu Mountain has also given instructions: besides guarding Jiangzhou City, you and I also have the task of rescuing surrounding prefectural cities."

"Rescuing surrounding prefectural cities?" Meng Chuan asked, surprised.

"Yes."

Zhang Yunfeng nodded. "In the past, Marquis Godfiends were responsible for rescuing various places. Now, we can only rely on Great Sun Godfiends. Should a rescue be needed, you will take me, and we'll go together. Our combined strength... is sufficient to handle many dangers. And with you carrying me on the journey, your speed should still be faster than many Marquis Godfiends, right?"

"Compared to Regressor Godfiends, however, it might be slightly inferior," Meng Chuan replied.

"That's enough," Zhang Yunfeng said, smiling and nodding.

"You two are going on rescues, but what about me?" Yang Fang glared.

Meng Chuan looked at Senior Brother Yang Fang's powerful physique and frowned slightly. Senior Brother Yang Fang, who cultivated the Great Strength Fiendbody, had an astonishing weight, which would significantly impact his speed if Meng Chuan had to carry him during travel.

"I specialize in domain control. If Meng Chuan takes me along, I'll try my best to minimize my impact on his speed," Zhang Yunfeng explained. "If he were to carry you as well, Meng Chuan's travel speed would be too slow. Besides... we're concerned the demon race might create a diversion. While Meng Chuan and I are out on a rescue mission, we still need you to lead the other Godfiends in guarding Jiangzhou City."

"Alright, alright," Yang Fang nodded.

The three of them secretly guarded Jiangzhou City, representing its highest combat power.

On the surface, other Godfiends also guarded Jiangzhou City, though their strength was considerably weaker. Any one of the three, holding a command token, could direct these Godfiends.

"From today onwards, Junior Brother Yang and I will stay in this residence," Zhang Yunfeng stated. "Junior Brother Meng, you will conceal your identity and move around Jiangzhou City more, investigating whether any demon monarchs or Skyfiends have infiltrated. With your speed, you can also quickly rendezvous with us."

"Understood," Meng Chuan nodded.

Meng Chuan changed into a black robe. He easily manipulated the bones and muscles of his face, subtly altering his features, making him appear much more austere. Even his hairstyle was slightly changed, making him resemble an ordinary swordsman wandering the world.

"Boatman, let's go."

Within Jiangzhou City, on a river, Meng Chuan sat inside a covered boat, drinking wine and eating small dishes. The boatman rowed the sculling oar, and the covered boat slowly moved forward.

Cruising the city by boat was also a refined pastime, but usually done with a few friends. It was rare for someone to take a boat alone.

As Meng Chuan sat there, the boatman, seeing his aloof and unapproachable demeanor, dared not speak much.

Meng Chuan drank his wine. His primordial spirit could naturally sense all life auras within a two-li radius—this was his method of detection. How careful were the spies from the demon race and the Skyfiend Gate when infiltrating human cities? It would be truly difficult for him, Meng Chuan, to find spies by eyesight alone. However, with his primordial spirit domain, he could clearly identify those life auras.

The demonic energy within members of the Skyfiend Gate could not escape detection.

However, most of the Skyfiend Gate's pawns were not yet qualified to cultivate its methods; only true disciples who had formally joined the Skyfiend Gate could learn them. Many of these pawns served the Skyfiend Gate merely for money and were unaware that they were serving the Skyfiend Gate at all.

He spent half an hour on the boat.

He didn't detect a single Skyfiend Gate disciple or a demon.

"Jiangzhou City used to have Marquis Godfiends guarding it, and Marquis Godfiends also possess primordial spirits, allowing them to sense auras," Meng Chuan mused to himself. "Skyfiend Gate disciples should be very cautious, likely sending pawns to gather information instead of infiltrating the city themselves."

Across all the prefectures and regions of the world, although undercurrents surged, everything remained as it always had on the surface.

Finally, on the twenty-seventh day of the second month.

Following a unified command from Yuan Chu Mountain, Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, and Two World Island, a massive population migration began in all medium and small cities and passes across the land!

Of course, not all passes had resident populations. For instance, passes located in marine areas were surrounded by sea. Humanity only deployed Godfiends to guard them, never ordinary soldiers! This was because even if common demons charged in, they would at most enter the vast ocean, and the boundless sea... served as the best defense! Land demons would be committing suicide in the immense sea! As for aquatic monsters? When human Godfiends had free time, they could easily sweep through and slaughter countless aquatic monsters.

After all, crossing the vast ocean to reach land was simply too difficult for them.

Naturally, most medium and small passes were inhabited by many mortals.

"The demon race is about to launch a large-scale attack, and all residents of Beihe Pass must evacuate. Elders and fellow villagers, quickly return and pack your belongings. We must depart in two hours."

At Beihe Pass, on the morning of the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the entire pass erupted in commotion.

Hundreds of thousands of residents were in disbelief.

"A large-scale attack by the demon race?"

"Must we evacuate? Can it no longer be defended?"

It was hard to leave their homeland; many had lived their entire lives in Beihe Pass. However, they experienced demon attacks annually and understood clearly that if the demon race broke through Beihe Pass... hundreds of thousands of people would be slaughtered.

So, despite their reluctance, families still packed their belongings, preparing for the mass migration. Fortunately, most people had practiced cultivation since childhood; while few were in the Marrow Cleansing realm, many had reached Foundation Establishment or Inner Cultivation. It was even easy for one person to pull a wooden cart carrying over a thousand catties of goods. Ox carts and horse-drawn carriages were scarce, with many carts being pulled by people.

The city's residents had been counted long ago, and according to prior arrangements, they were to be relocated out of the city to surrounding prefectural and county seats, all within two to three hundred li of Beihe Pass. After all, relocating a large population over long distances would be too difficult. Short-distance migration was much more feasible.

"Migrating hundreds of thousands of people won't be easy," Marquis Tianxing said, overlooking the scene from atop Beihe Pass. "The mountain roads are tough. For hundreds of thousands of people to cross mountains and travel two or three hundred li, it might take one or two months. If it were flat terrain, it could be several times faster."

"Indeed," Liu Qiyue and Fan Cheng, standing beside him, also nodded.

Crossing mountains and ridges, many mountain paths were very narrow, some even running along cliff edges.

"Even if they all evacuate, we must continue guarding," Marquis Tianxing stated. "Otherwise, a large number of Triple Heaven Demon Monarchs entering would threaten migrations elsewhere. We must wait until all migrations across the land are complete! Only then can we Godfiends withdraw."

"Boom, boom, boom." Drumbeats echoed.

Marquis Tianxing turned his head to look.

Below, at the two-li-long world entrance, thirty-five demon monarchs were already advancing.

The demon race had begun their attack!

"We just issued the order, and the entire city was only supposed to begin gradual migration in two hours," Marquis Tianxing sneered. "Yet the demon race has already begun attacking. There are always some fools leaking human intelligence!"

Among the human Godfiends, some were not entirely treacherous; they still sided with humanity. They merely occasionally leaked some information in exchange for benefits.