Chapter 2041: That Night, Everyone Saw Grandma

He gazed at the endless ranks of demons. Unfortunately, unlike human armies with their command flags, it was hard to tell who was truly in command.

"What's wrong, Azu?" the Little Demon Empress asked thoughtfully, keenly noticing his frown.

Zu An voiced his concerns, wondering if she, having fought demons longer, might possess more information.

The Little Demon Empress shook her head. "It's strange, actually. Most demons have very low intelligence; they're monsters that hunt purely by instinct. Yet, their attacks are remarkably organized, and they fight with an unparalleled disregard for death, even more so than human armies. I don't know how they manage it."

After hearing her description, Zu An said gravely, "There must be something directing them. Otherwise, with so many different species of demons, they would have already started killing each other by instinct, let alone cooperating to attack the city."

"It's just that we can't tell who's in charge," the Little Demon Empress said, looking at the dense masses of demons in the distance. Normally, commanding such a large force would require not only language but also flag signals or drumbeats and bells. Yet, there was nothing from the demons' side; they hadn't even seen any messengers.

In the meantime, the demon army surged towards Monte City like a tide once more. However, this time, thanks to Zu An's previous display of power, the morale of the soldiers on the city walls was high, and they successfully repelled several waves of attacks.

The city walls, which had previously been corroded and collapsed, were the demons' primary target.

But with Zu An assisting, the demons were unable to break through.

At the same time, many earth, ice, and water element cultivators among the demon race joined forces and quickly erected a new section of the city wall.

Only when she saw the city wall repaired did the Little Demon Empress breathe a sigh of relief.

Zu An, however, remained grim-faced. He watched the fearless demons charge relentlessly. Although their side managed to repel them each time, leaving behind piles of corpses, there was no sign of the demon numbers diminishing. They were simply too numerous.

Meanwhile, the demon race soldiers within Monte City were suffering heavy casualties with each successive defense. Two or three more rounds like this, and all battle lines would likely collapse entirely.

During the great war between the demon and human races, the demons' numerical superiority had caused immense suffering for humans. Little did they expect the tables to turn, with the number of these otherworldly demons far exceeding that of the demon race warriors.

Just then, Hu Qianxiao, the Tiger Clan leader, approached them and said in a low voice, "Little Demon Empress, Regent, this situation is becoming unsustainable. Perhaps we should try to break out while everyone still has the strength to fight."

The Little Demon Empress's expression changed. If anyone else had made such a suggestion, she would likely have had them court-martialed long ago.

But Hu Qianxiao held an extraordinary position, and his Tiger Clan warriors had performed outstanding service under his leadership in recent days.

"Do you think I don't know we can't hold out?" the Little Demon Empress said bitterly. "But outside the city, there are endless demons. How could we possibly break through?"

"But staying here guarantees death, while breaking out offers a sliver of hope. Hope is the most important thing," Hu Qianxiao said, also growing anxious. He clearly saw the Little Demon Empress's concern that abandoning the city would crush the army's morale, making any effective resistance impossible afterward. "I, Hu, am willing to lead my forces as the vanguard. We will carve a bloody path for everyone."

He was truly risking everything; leading the vanguard would undoubtedly result in heavy casualties.

But what he feared more was remaining here and being completely annihilated.

The Little Demon Empress hesitated, then looked to Zu An for help.

Zu An patted her hand reassuringly. "There's no rush to retreat for now. We just need to find a way to defeat these demons head-on."

Hu Qianxiao gave a wry smile. "These demons outnumber us by tens of times, and each one is powerful. We've tried every method before. If we could defeat them head-on, we wouldn't have retreated here."

The demon race had no shortage of renowned generals, which was why they managed to hold out until now despite falling into a trap.

In recent days, they had performed beyond their usual capabilities, deploying almost every ingenious stratagem. But everyone knew that defeating the demons was impossible; they could only try to prolong their resistance.

"Leave it to me," Zu An said, looking at the overwhelming numbers of demons, seemingly having formed a plan.

Hu Qianxiao frowned. "Regent, I know your cultivation is high, but no matter how strong an individual's power is, it's likely futile against such a vast number of demons. Even if the old Demon Emperor were alive, he would have to avoid their main force in this situation."

Zu An smiled. "The old Demon Emperor is the old Demon Emperor; I am me. Just watch from here; I'll be right back."

Hu Qianxiao said gravely, "Do you need help? I, Hu, can come with you!"

He was now considered one of the most powerful combatants on their side.

"No need, it will be quick," Zu An paused, then added, "Oh, and later, activate all your defensive formations to their highest level."

The Little Demon Empress was startled. "But we don't have much in the way of resources left. If we activate the defensive formations to their maximum, it might deplete all our energy, and we won't be able to use them again afterwards."

"Trust me." With that single phrase, Zu An flew directly towards the demon army.

Watching him leave, the Little Demon Empress couldn't help but look worried. The metallic birds he had brought earlier had been incredibly impressive, but they were insufficient against a million-strong demon army. Even if he used them again, without that giant, the demons would have other ways to counter them. In the battles of recent days, she had recalled several demon types capable of dealing with those metallic birds.

Although his cultivation was high, a single person charging a million demons was bound to be an act of futility, like an egg hitting a rock.

As Zu An charged out, the soldiers in the city cheered. Although they weren't sure if Zu An truly had a plan, the Regent's power had been evident to all. It was precisely because of their lack of information that everyone harbored greater hope.

Seeing this, the Little Demon Empress gritted her teeth and immediately ordered everyone to activate the highest-level defensive formations.

At the same time, she flew directly to the war drum, pushed the drummer aside, and personally beat the drum to cheer Zu An on.

Hearing the thumping war drums behind him, Zu An looked back and saw the Little Demon Empress in her battle attire, drumming with a worried yet resolute gaze fixed on him. His heart warmed.

At that moment, many flying demons noticed someone emerge and swarmed towards him, attempting to tear him to shreds.

Just then, streaks of golden ripples appeared in the sky behind Zu An, followed by countless golden weapons that shot out, instantly annihilating the demons that had surrounded him.

Seeing this, the cheers of the soldiers in Monte City grew even louder.

However, in the eyes of true top experts like Hu Qianxiao and the Little Demon Empress, their faces were filled with worry. Zu An's move was indeed powerful; it could suppress even tens of thousands of troops. But this time, they were facing a million-strong demon army, and some especially powerful demons were among them.

His terrifying sword energy, when unleashed among a million demons, could indeed kill many, but even more demons could instantly overwhelm and tear him apart. The only way was to keep his distance, employ kiting tactics, engage enemies in small areas, and gradually wear them down, hoping to cause a disturbance in the demon army. That might be everyone's only chance of survival.

What left both of them dumbfounded, however, was that Zu An didn't skirmish around the edges at all. Instead, he charged directly into the very center of the demon army.

"Is he mad?" Hu Qianxiao muttered to himself.

The Little Demon Empress's face also went pale. Although Zu An's figure was tall, compared to the overwhelming demon army, he was as tiny as an ant. Even ten Demon Emperors charging the demons like this would be encircled and killed. How could he possibly be ten times stronger than the old Demon Emperor?

Seeing Zu An charge towards the center, many demons laughed. The ones at the very front were mostly cannon fodder, but the demons in this particular position were powerful, including beings like the Purple Mountain Soul-Devouring Demon Spiders and the Qiuchi Fetus Mother Demon Worms.

Their eyes glowed with fierce intent. They would soon teach this guy that two fists couldn't contend with four hands, and they could drown him with just a collective spit!

Those golden sword energies were formidable, but even the most powerful attacks had their limits. With so many strong individuals here to share the pressure, blocking them wouldn't be too difficult. Then, they could seize the chance to get close and tear him apart.

The vital essence of such a powerful expert would undoubtedly be exceptionally delicious and nourishing!

As the powerful demons charged forward with sneers, Zu An muttered to himself, "I once saw an anime where the protagonist was nicknamed 'Nuclear Sword Immortal.' Coincidentally, it seems I can conjure a hydrogen bomb..."

As he spoke, a fat, teardrop-shaped metallic sphere suddenly appeared behind him.

"What is that?" many great demons paused, surprised. The metallic sphere looked only a few meters in size, not even comparable to the massive bodies of many of their companions.

"Does he think he can smash us to death with this tiny metal ball?" many demons scoffed.

"Be careful! Previously, these metallic spheres could explode, generating significant heat and shockwaves," some more cautious demons warned.

"Haha, so it's one of those things dropped by the metallic birds? That power isn't even enough to tickle me. I can send him to meet his grandma with one punch!" one great demon, resembling a mantis shrimp, lunged at the metallic sphere with a lightning-fast punch. Its speed was so immense that friction with the air generated a light like that of the sun.

The other demons nodded in agreement. Mantis's punch was widely considered the heaviest among them. A single punch from it could shatter any defense, more than enough to send an opponent to meet their grandma.

However, they didn't expect the power of that punch to exceed everyone's expectations, sending *all* of them to meet their grandmas!