Chapter 446: Battle of Beizhou [No One Expected a Sequel]

Boom! Boom-boom-boom!

Rapid drumbeats and pervasive dark clouds cast a desolate air over the Northern Continent border.

The masses of demons below were no longer as uneasy as last time. Most of them were still unaware of the great calamity, unknowingly gathering here with their kings. A few days prior, they had unknowingly repelled the Heavenly Court's army. This time, they still unknowingly rushed to various peaks, shouting incoherently with their weapons, constantly provoking those above. King banners rose on the peaks, the mountains filled with demon soldiers.

Today, however, the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals behaved completely differently from before. They began setting up formations from afar. Heavenly Soldiers and Generals converging from the West, North, and Central Heavenly Gates orderly arranged themselves into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. The battle formations crisscrossed, yet formed a cohesive whole. They could advance or retreat, making the demons below completely dare not act rashly, and unable to fathom the Heavenly Court's next battle formation changes. The overriding impression was one of absolute steadiness.

A white cloud descended from high in the sky, and various departmental banners unfurled across the heavens! Immortal light enveloped this white cloud, divine radiance shone, illuminating the white-haired, white-robed old man at the forefront—none other than the Heavenly Court's Water God!

Li Changshou arrived with dozens of Heavenly Generals, holding a whisk in his left hand, the Divine Sword of Heavenly Emperor's Authority cradled in his right arm, and behind him, the Black Martial Banner, a divine artifact of the Water God's authority, fluttered. Amidst the drumbeats, there seemed to be the sound of endless ocean waves crashing, as if a vast sea in the sky was about to smash down upon the demons below!

As this white cloud settled, a gray cloud flew in from the north. On it stood hundreds of dragon-headed, human-bodied dragon experts, each clad in battle armor with stern faces, who collectively bowed before the Water God. Experts dispatched by the Four Sea Dragon Kings had arrived, bringing with them over a thousand Wu Clan battle witches, all brimming with vitality and powerful strength. High in the sky, the roars of divine dragons pierced through the nine heavens. The Nine-Dragon Chariot flew past, with the Jade Emperor seated within, surveying the Heavenly Court's army within a thousand-li radius, accompanied by the unwavering gazes of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

Regarding today's events, future storytellers might recount:

Listen well, esteemed guests, today we tell of days before the Great Calamity.Ancient demons gathered in rebellion, misguided, they plotted against Heaven.The Water God first devised a delaying tactic, while Mu Gong held vigil in Tongming Hall.Immortals and gods of various departments sent down trials, awaiting the Jade Emperor's return to the nine heavens.The Jade Emperor endured trials for all beings, how could he know demons would stir up trouble?The Heavenly Court's mainstays were targeted by demons, immortals and gods trembled, their hearts uneasy.Mu Gong knelt, pleading for the Emperor's return, the Jade Emperor resolved to slay all demons.But the Heavenly Court lacked a chief commander, so they sought aid from Jie and Chan.Jie and Chan disciples made a mockery, and Spirit Mountain even drove Mu Gong away.The Jade Emperor, hateful, temporarily withdrew troops, bowing and weeping before the Purple Heavens.Grandmaster Dao Ancestor initiated the Investiture of Gods, Jie, Chan, and Spirit Mountain could not escape danger.The Water God, healed, returned to the Heavenly Court, offering a plan to eliminate demons and stabilize the world.Heavenly soldiers from across the Nine Heavens were mobilized, three hundred Heavenly Generals arrayed at the front.The Jade Emperor's treasured chariot moved through the air, terrifying the old demons in the mountains.The Water God wielded the Heavenly God Sword, insects and birds scattered for thousands of miles.And then there's!The commanders of the Heavenly River Navy, the marshals of the Heavenly Gates displayed their might.The Four Sea Dragon Kings dispatched troops, the Wu Clan battle witches sought to attack.Gusts of dark wind blew, bringing the ghostly immortals of the Underworld.The three realms moved as one to eliminate the demon menace, for the sky to clear and the land to be peaceful.The Water God stepped forward to declare divine justice, but the demons, defiant, cursed before the formation.If you ask how this battle was fought, esteemed guests!

*Clack!* (Sound of gavel)

Hehe, first, a little wine money for this old man.

As the Jade Emperor disappeared into the nine heavens, Li Changshou raised his hand, the drumbeats behind him ceased, and he, alone on a white cloud, descended slightly, scanning the dense demon soldiers on the ground. With just a glance, the demons' shouts instantly stopped.

Li Changshou slowly began to speak, his voice like a grand bell, reverberating through heaven and earth, starting slow and gaining speed, its power gradually amplifying with his presence: "I am the Water God of the Heavenly Court. Today, by His Majesty's decree, I come to suppress the demon rebels who defy Heaven! You demons, originally born of all spirits, disregard the will of Heaven, deviate from the righteous path, and ignore the ancient oath of the demon race! When you first rebelled, I considered the difficulty of cultivation for all beings, and that many were coerced by powerful demons, so I still left you much leeway. However, demons like Lu Ya have committed brutal massacres, shown arrogance, and even plotted against important officials of our Heavenly Court. Their wickedness is too great to be fully described! The Heavenly Court upholds the principles of the Heavenly Dao, protects the Three Realms, and blesses all living beings. All rightful gods of the Heavenly Court are bestowed by His Majesty the Jade Emperor, devoting themselves entirely to the functioning of the Heavenly Dao, yet they have suffered such bullying from the demons! Today, the Heavenly Court, by the decree of His Majesty the Jade Emperor, raises its army to conquer you! When our great banner descends, you shall surely be reduced to ashes! If any surrender, let them destroy their physical forms here, and their remnant souls will be preserved to return to the cycle of the Six Paths of Reincarnation! Where are the Underworld and the Netherworld Officials?"

No sooner had Li Changshou's voice faded than dark clouds appeared in the southwest, revealing a hundred thousand Yin soldiers and several hundred ghost messengers, who all bowed in unison to Li Changshou.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face loudly shouted, "We have come by the Heavenly Court's summons! Please give your command, Lord Water God!"

Li Changshou's hair and beard bristled. Giving the demons no chance to retort, he declared loudly: "Later, I command you to seize their souls! For any Heavenly Soldiers who die in battle today, they shall enter the Human-Heavenly Path of Reincarnation, be granted blessings, and have their souls nourished! Any demon who harms a Heavenly Soldier today shall enter the eighteen layers of hell to suffer, and thereafter in reincarnation, shall not be allowed into the upper three paths!"

Ox-Head and Horse-Face responded in unison: "At your command!"

Below, the demons fell silent. Many trembled with rage; great and small demons alike were horrified.

A great demon stepped forward from the formation and cursed, "Water God, you abuse your divine authority, disregarding all living beings! The Six Paths of Reincarnation inherently belong to all beings in heaven and earth; what divine authority does your Heavenly Court have to interfere!"

Li Changshou calmly said, "The Three Realms are a single entity, and the Heavenly Court coordinates their affairs from the center. You are already a chronic illness among living beings, the root cause of suffering for the common people. Yet you cling to ancient dreams, still unaware that you are already vanquished dogs. Truly laughable. By eradicating you today, all future spirits born can choose their own path! I advise all spirits here: if you have no karmic obstacles or sins, lay down your weapons, turn around, and leave this place. All divisions, listen: if any such demons turn and leave, do not obstruct them."

As his words fell, the demons below once again fell silent. At this point, the Dragon Palace, Underworld, and Wu Clan were observing from the sidelines. Except for the Wu Clan, they had all begun to understand something. The Water God and the demon leaders were completely not on the same level.

Three opening moves broke the enemy's morale: first, legitimizing the Heavenly Court's campaign; then, continuously introducing powerful experts to directly pressure and shake the demons' morale; and finally, outright summoning Underworld ghost messengers to use the matter of reincarnation, completely disintegrating the demons' morale. How could they fight? Direct confrontation offered slim chances of victory. After dying in battle, they would be dragged to the eighteen layers of hell to suffer. If they won, they would invite the wrath of the Heavenly Dao's lightning. And now, the Water God proactively took a step back, allowing demons with clean records and no malicious origins to turn and leave, thus dividing the demon horde. Slaying demons, shattering their morale, and yet not wanting too many losses on his own side. The Water God's strategy was brilliantly displayed in these few brief exchanges.

Indeed, at this moment, some fringe demons cast aside their magical treasures and swiftly flew towards the horizon. But these few demons had barely flown a few miles when a black shadow rapidly streaked past, and the demons directly exploded into blood mist in mid-air, not even leaving a trace of their souls. The black shadow transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged man, with a pair of wings on his back, exuding astonishing pressure from head to toe.

This demon proclaimed loudly, "Water God, you go too far in bullying us! Our demon race's lifeline is here, our destiny is here, and our foundation is here. All spirits are born as demons. Do you not even know of the ancient alliance at the top of Buzhou Mountain?"

Li Changshou calmly said, "The ancient alliance was buried with the Demon Court. And now it is ambitious great demons like you, harboring ill intentions, who cause unease among all beings and turmoil in heaven and earth. You just said, the demon race's destiny?"

He casually put away his whisk and unhurriedly took out a seal from his sleeve. This seal was currently covered by a blood-stained yellow cloth. Li Changshou casually unveiled the cloth, revealing its true appearance.

Instantly! Below, demon qi surged, hundreds of demon kings roared in unison, and dozens of ancient demon experts rushed into the air, glaring furiously at the object in Li Changshou's palm!

It was a large seal, with residual Heavenly Dao power on it. Around the great seal were carved numerous great demons. Its reliefs were divided into six layers; the topmost layer featured two Golden Crows spreading their wings and crying aloud, the second-to-last layer showed a Kunpeng providing support, and ten giant demons roared with heads uplifted... The Demon Emperor's Seal!

Li Changshou calmly said, "Some time ago, I was ambushed by a Golden Crow and over a dozen ancient demons. Fortunately, with my teacher's protection, I managed to slay that Golden Crow and obtain this item. This, is your demon race's destiny?"

Several old demons loudly scolded, "Water God, how dare you!" "As long as you return the seal, we will immediately withdraw our troops and obey the Heavenly Court's command!" "His Highness indeed suffered your poisoned hand!"

Li Changshou's expression gradually grew indifferent. He casually tossed the great seal upwards. The demons below made to rush forward. Their own Dragon Clan experts, the Wu Clan battle witches, and the Heavenly Generals behind Li Changshou all prepared to meet the charge!

But then came the clang of a sword, and a golden light flashed between heaven and earth. The Divine Sword of Heavenly Dao Authority had been drawn from its sheath by Li Changshou. Its flowing blade reflected the frantic faces of the demons below as he swung it horizontally, the sword edge landing beside the Demon Emperor's Seal! Between heaven and earth, all Dao trembled! Thunder shook above the nine heavens, and the Five Continents swayed in unison. Living beings within a ten-thousand-li radius were almost speechless, their gazes converging on the Demon Emperor's Seal, watching as the Heavenly Dao Sword was momentarily halted by the seal; watching as the Heavenly Dao Sword, as if meeting no resistance, cut into the Demon Emperor's Seal; watching... Li Changshou cleave the Demon Emperor's Seal into two with one stroke!

Golden lights surged above the demons' heads, forming a Golden Crow that shrieked, head raised, at Li Changshou; Li Changshou snorted coldly, and behind him, thunder roared, revealing the Jade Emperor's chariot high in the nine heavens, where nine golden dragons roared with open mouths at those below! The Golden Crow flew out a thousand zhang with outstretched wings, its body suddenly disintegrating; the nine golden dragons, just about to act, circled once, then burst into golden light, the streaks of light dissolving into the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, Underworld ghost messengers, Dragon Clan, and Wu Clan members present.

Li Changshou's expression was stern. He looked down, and as his wide robes billowed, he had already put away the two halves of the Demon Emperor's Seal, standing on the cloud, holding the Heavenly God Sword.

"Refuse to surrender, and your souls will be scattered; surrender, and your souls will be preserved."

Below, the demons roared. Battle drums sounded in various places. Each demon king, as if possessed by the calamity, was consumed by rage, their eyes bloodshot. Baleful qi surged, killing intent pierced the heavens.

Li Changshou slowly nodded, then turned and cupped his hands in a formal plea: "Your Majesty, the demons fight to the death and refuse to surrender. Your humble servant requests Heaven's decree to purge these demons and safeguard the clarity of heaven and earth."

The Jade Emperor's voice came from high above: "Granted."

Li Changshou abruptly turned, raising the Heavenly Dao Sword high. His eyes closed, and his spiritual strength was instantly maximized! Heaven and earth, a great spiritual explosion! No need for angry reprimands, no need for shouts. The ground suddenly began to shake. At the nine mountain peaks where the demon elite gathered, the mountaintops were suddenly torn off, spiritual energy instantly boiled, and nine light spots simultaneously erupted on the earth! Their radiance surpassed that of the ten suns of ancient times appearing simultaneously! Their power shook heaven and earth, making immortals and gods tremble with fear.

Li Changshou used almost all his Golden Immortal realm paper effigies as fuses, drawing on his twelve years of accumulated power, lavishly pouring in the tree essence from Xiao Qiong Peak's giant tree forest, and infusing nearly twelve years of his immortal power into it. When the spiritual energy storm receded, the demon formation below was in chaos. Great demons were preoccupied with their own safety, and the nine peaks had turned into massive pits... Perhaps Li Changshou's heavy blow did not kill twenty percent of the demon forces; they were too spread out, and many demon experts managed to escape during the spiritual explosion. But at this moment, the demons' grief and indignation vanished, and even those ancient great demons had now calmed down.

Li Changshou's raised longsword finally fell. He opened his eyes, which held only coldness.

"Today, I command slaughter. Exterminate all demons here. Kill."

The Heavenly Soldiers in the air responded in unison. Battle drums rose, winds fell everywhere, and Heavenly Soldiers and Generals unleashed their divine powers to suppress the demons! From high in the sky, Li Changshou's figure swooped down!

Just then, a watery blue light bloomed on the horizon. Baize stepped forward, and a bolt of lightning erupted from his back, which precisely hit Li Changshou's chest amidst the vast army. In a flash of lightning, Li Changshou put away his paper effigies, and his main body joined the battle. With the Mystic Yellow Pagoda above his head, the Heavenly God Sword in his left hand, and the Cosmic Measuring Ruler in his right, he vanished into the midst of the ancient great demons.

All things, balanced! Heavenly Sword unleashed!

On the chariot high in the sky, His Majesty the Jade Emperor, clad in golden armor, leaned on a great sword, coolly... watching the battle below.

"My beloved Chang Geng... simply incredible. Unrivaled in rhetoric, unrivaled in strategy, unrivaled in breaking formations, and even in combat, so fiercely courageous. It's just that the Heavenly Court's current generals are not truly capable; only Chang Geng can charge into battle. After the Investiture of Gods, the Heavenly Court should have capable commanders, which would relieve my dear Chang Geng of some worries. Grandmaster Dao Ancestor's words, 'You may fully trust Chang Geng, no need for hesitation,' were likely also referring to Chang Geng's combat prowess. It's just... alas, this Jade Emperor role, completely lacking presence. Those great demons are still running, what's the point of running? Don't they understand to catch the thief by first catching the king, or when slaying immortals, attack their leader first? Truly... this Jade Emperor's daily life is really boring, restrictive, and dull. Perhaps I should think about Hua Yun and that Yang Tianyou fellow. Hmph, though Yang Tianyou is on good terms with me, if he had previously nodded and, in front of Hua Yun, expressed intent to remarry, my Heavenly Court's divine lightning would have struck him down. That girl Hua Yun is quite a match for Chang Geng... However, Chang Geng tends to avoid the Chang'e fairies, and after so long with Longji, it's increasingly like a teacher-student relationship. Tsk, has that Immortal Yunxiao truly captivated my dear Chang Geng?"

The Jade Emperor looked down, his treasured sword vibrating softly, and streaks of golden light once again blessed the Heavenly Generals below.

"My next incarnation should also be put on the agenda."