Chapter 289: 起始

The sunset’s afterglow painted the walls of Behe Pass. The pass lay silent, with numerous weeds gently swaying in the soft breeze within its quiet confines.

Inside Behe Pass, beneath the inner city gate, the 'world entrance' – roughly two *li* long and half a *li* wide – remained tranquil. Suddenly, without warning, dozens of demon kings burst through, each one vigilant and cautiously trying to make no sound. The vast majority of these demon kings were of the Second-Heaven, with only seven being of the Third-Heaven.

A goat demon king stood near the entrance, surveying its surroundings. With a slight wave of its hand, more demon kings continued to pour out from the world entrance, ceaselessly entering the human world.

"We can't let any more of them in. If they enter, they'll scatter and flee, and their sheer numbers will make it difficult for me to intercept them," a man with a mustache, chewing on a piece of grass, stated as he emerged from underground without warning. He stood directly beneath the inner city gate and, with a wave of his hand, thirty-six streaks of saber light shot forth, enveloping the area.

Each streak of saber light was as swift as a phantom. The demon kings had no time to dodge and were instantly pierced through the head. The saber lights whistled within a two-to-three-*li* radius around him. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred demon kings who had just rushed in were slain.

"Marquis Qianying!" The goat demon king's face paled, and it immediately retreated, fleeing back into the world entrance passage behind it.

"One hundred and thirty-five demon kings, with two escaping back to the world entrance," Marquis Qianying observed, his mustache twitching. Suddenly, his expression changed.

A thunderous roar echoed as the entire world abruptly twisted, transforming into a realm of fire. Waves of intense heat rolled through the distorted landscape, and two massive, blurred figures charged forward – two great demon kings skilled in close combat. Illusions directly assaulted his soul.

"An ambush!" Marquis Qianying's face tightened. He was besieged from all directions, above and below. A team of six Fourth-Heaven demon kings, coordinating effectively, proved formidable. Even the human Marquis Godfiend's 'Dark Star Domain,' though powerful, struggled to withstand the assault.

In the Black Sand Dynasty territory, Juéxīng City, a metropolis with a population exceeding ten million, continued its peaceful daily life, utterly unaware that a war was about to erupt.

Inside a manor within the city, a silver-haired old woman and a middle-aged man sat opposite each other, sipping tea and waiting.

"The sun is almost setting, and the demon race still hasn't arrived," the silver-haired old woman remarked, setting down her teacup. "According to our sect's intelligence, the demon race shouldn't delay; they should launch their attack very quickly."

"Senior Sister, it's the demon race who should be anxious," the middle-aged man chuckled. "Millions of demon kings and countless demon creatures have been mobilized, poised at various world entrances. They can't keep waiting indefinitely."

"Hmm?" The middle-aged man's face changed as he looked eastward. "The demon kings are here."

"Here?" The silver-haired old woman was also startled.

They immediately flew into the air and saw the void ripple near the eastern city wall in the distance. This was followed by the collapse of numerous buildings, widespread civilian casualties, and the area being drenched in blood.

"Hahaha, Human Godfiends, prepare to die!""Where are the Human Godfiends?""Are you scared?"

Five figures materialized in the eastern city wall area. The most colossal was a thirty-foot-tall silver-furred giant ape, accompanied by a walking elephant demon who had taken human form and wielded two large axes. Another was a bird transformed into lightning, unleashing bolts indiscriminately. A small, delicate cat demon king hovered in the air, not yet moving, while a turtle demon king brought up the rear. The residual power emanating from them was enough to kill nearby mortals.

According to the demon race's combat doctrine, they were to kill mortals without hesitation! If the Godfiends didn't stop them, they would slaughter all human mortals. If the Godfiends intervened, they would kill the Godfiends.

"Courting death." The silver-haired old woman instantly transformed into a streak of sword light and attacked. This old woman's mastery of technique was comparable to a King Godfiend, though her body was too aged to achieve a breakthrough. However, when she unleashed forbidden arts, her power could rival that of an ordinary King Godfiend.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh*— Dozens of sword lights appeared in the sky, shooting towards the five great demon kings.

"Senior Sister, I'll assist you." The middle-aged man also soared through the air. Metal spheres materialized around him, rapidly disintegrating into countless metal threads. These threads flew in all directions, covering a five-*li* radius, creating a terrifying combat domain for the old woman. This middle-aged man was a Marquis Godfiend from the 'Blade and Shield Hall' of Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, naturally proficient in weaponry.

"Senior Sister, be careful," the middle-aged man transmitted. "There are five visible demon kings, but one is hidden."

"Kill," the silver-haired old woman's voice echoed through the world. Dozens of sword lights flashed, seemingly teleporting, and arrived in close proximity to the five great demon kings. Although there were only two Marquis Godfiends, their coordinated effort was fully comparable to the combined strength of six Fourth-Heaven demon kings.

"They've engaged," a Fifth-Heaven scorpion demon king observed from the crown of a large tree outside Juéxīng City. It stood calmly, its aura completely contained, light distorting around it. Even a King Godfiend, outside of a perfect domain, would find it difficult to detect a Fifth-Heaven great demon king deliberately lying in wait. The scorpion demon king watched from afar, its long tail slowly swaying.

"Two Marquis Godfiends?" The scorpion demon king smiled. "Since they're not King Godfiends, I can act." *Whoosh*, it vanished, silently closing in on the two Marquis Godfiends.

The demon race was concealed, while the human race was exposed.

Following the command of Nine Abyss Demon Saint, demon king teams stationed across the land launched their offensives. Du Yang City, defended by Liu Qiyue, Chu An City, where Meng Chuan was currently located, and Dong Ning City, his hometown, were all simultaneously attacked by the demon race.

In Chu An City, at the central bell tower, where bells rang every morning, Meng Chuan sat on the roof, drinking wine. He had been there since last night, as this position allowed him to respond more quickly to any threats.

"From last night until now, the sun is almost setting," Meng Chuan remarked, glancing at the sun, only half of which was still visible, the western sky painted a vibrant red. "Is the demon race waiting until night to attack? Or even later?"

"Hmm?" Meng Chuan suddenly tensed, looking sharply at the north city wall. He could clearly sense demon power erupting there.

"Has the war begun?" Meng Chuan's eyes lit up; he had been waiting since the moment he received the order.

This moment had finally arrived!

"In this war, we must win, not lose!" Meng Chuan's speed surged to its maximum. The instant he sensed the demon power, he immediately rushed towards the north city wall.

The void in that area of the north city wall abruptly exploded, leaving a two-to-three-*li* radius in chaos. Numerous buildings collapsed, many people were dead or injured, and cries of agony filled the air. Meng Chuan could see with his own eyes the widespread red in that two-to-three-*li* area—the color of spilled blood.

In a flash, the moment Meng Chuan reached the vicinity, he immediately activated his Primordial Spirit weapon, the 'Soul-Shaking Bell'.

"Clang, clang, clang!" The 'Soul-Shaking Bell' flew out, invisible to the naked eye, hovering beside Meng Chuan. Chimes resonated, directly assaulting the Fourth-Heaven great demon kings in all directions.

"This battle must be swift," Meng Chuan clearly understood his responsibility.