192: Chapter 191 Five Years Later, Full-Scale Offensive

Chapter 191: Five Years Later, Full-Scale Offensive

To his right were several Great Demon Kings led by Great Demon King Fu Yan.

However, the seats on both sides of the conference table were much sparser than the last secret meeting.

Whether it was the Shadow Organization's department heads or the Great Demon Kings, all had suffered losses in the first full-scale offensive a few months ago.

The empty seats silently spoke of the price paid for the Human Race's tenacious counterattack.

"Everyone, speak up about the situation in your respective areas last month."

Demon Saint Wujing tapped his fingertips on the cold metal armrest, his voice breaking the silence with indifference.

"Reporting to the Demon Saint," Great Demon King Fu Yan, sitting in the first seat to Demon Saint Wujing's right, spoke almost immediately, his voice low and suppressed with a certain urgency, "Ever since that human, Li Wen, reached the Marquis Level, his actions have become increasingly rampant. He relies on his astonishing mobility to provide aid everywhere, causing heavy losses to our recently deployed new members and our originally lurking forces.

According to statistics, the number of members killed by him alone has reached nearly thirty percent of our total losses last month. If this malignant tumor is not removed as soon as possible, it will surely seriously hinder our race's subsequent grand plans!"

There was no attempt to hide the hatred for Li Wen in Great Demon King Fu Yan's words; after all, it was this person who had killed his direct descendant, Fox Demon Fu Ye.

"Li Wen?" Demon Saint Wujing lowered his eyelids, his gaze seeming to pierce through the virtual image and land on Great Demon King Fu Yan. "Is that the human brat who killed your descendant, Fox Demon Fu Ye, in Xilin City before?"

"—Yes, Demon Saint." Great Demon King Fu Yan's aura faltered slightly, feeling a trace of pressure under Demon Saint Wujing's gaze, but he quickly added, "This subordinate is definitely not speaking out of personal grievance. This child's threat level far exceeds that of King-rank God-demons; his growth speed and actual combat power are extremely unusual. If left to develop, there will be endless trouble."

"A newly promoted Marquis Level, able to cause such large-scale damage in such a short time, is indeed—unexpected."

Demon Saint Wujing stopped tapping his fingers, seemingly weighing something, and there was finally a hint of interest in his tone.

"Demon Saint, your wisdom is brilliant!" Great Demon King Fu Yan immediately seized the opportunity. "This child's combat power has already become a climate; the earlier he is eradicated, the more beneficial it is for our race! I implore you, my Lord—"

"Difficult." Demon Saint Wujing cut off Great Demon King Fu Yan's plea directly, his tone returning to indifference. "With such a Prodigy, the Human Race's upper echelons cannot possibly fail to protect him heavily. Perhaps they are even setting a trap, waiting for us to walk right into it."

He shook his head slightly, making a decision. "For now—let him be. Issue an order to the subordinates below to try their best to avoid the area he is responsible for aiding in the near future, to reduce unnecessary losses."

"—Yes." A trace of unwillingness flashed in Great Demon King Fu Yan's eyes, but under Demon Saint Wujing's unquestionable attitude, he could only lower his head and obey.

"I understand your feelings." Demon Saint Wujing seemed to see through Great Demon King Fu Yan's resentment and rarely offered an explanation. "Emperor Fu has already made arrangements for this. This Li Wen will definitely die. It is just not at this moment."

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower, but it carried a heart-palpitating power. "I am only one final step away from fully restoring my strength as a Demon Saint. The moment I return to the position of Demon Saint is the beginning of the true catastrophe for the Human Race. At that time, all obstacles will be crushed."

Great Demon King Fu Yan raised his head abruptly, his dim eyes instantly bursting with astonishing brilliance. "Thank you, my Lord! This subordinate understands!"

Demon Saint Wujing nodded slightly, saying no more.

The great hall fell back into silence, but an invisible undercurrent surged in the heart of every attendee.

Demon Saint Wujing's subtext was crystal clear.

Why had the Yao Race never been able to launch a thunderous, all-out offensive?

The core reason was the lack of a top-tier existence in the Human Realm capable of killing King-rank God-demons of the Human Race.

The King-rank humans guarding major core cities and passes were like pillars of the sea, making it difficult for the Yao Race's King-rank powerhouses (equivalent to the Human Race's Marquis Level) to run rampant.

Once Demon Saint Wujing restored his Demon Saint-level strength to its Peak, even if he were just the most ordinary Demon Saint, it would mean that the Yao Race finally possessed a strategic combat force in the Human Realm capable of directly and quickly killing Human Race King-ranks.

By then, all the King-ranks of the Human Race would be forced to retreat and protect themselves, unable to guard everywhere as freely as they did now.

Without the powerful suppression and mobile support of the King-ranks, the Yao Race's King-rank armies could drive straight in, forming an all-encompassing, unavoidable, and destructive blow to the Human Race's defense lines.

That was the moment the Yao Race was waiting for.

To crush the Human Race with absolute strength, upright and square, forcing them into a desperate situation where they could not avoid, could only meet head-on, and were destined to suffer heavy casualties.

For the arrival of that moment, suffering some losses now and letting Li Wen be active for a while was, in Demon Saint Wujing's eyes, an acceptable price.

His gaze had long been cast toward a grander endgame.

June 1, galactic calendar Year 242.

On the outskirts of Changning City, deep within a desolate, primitive mountain forest.

There were no birds chirping or beasts roaring; only a near-solid silence shrouded the valley.

An invisible sharpness permeated the air, and even the wind carefully bypassed this area.

In the clearing at the bottom of the valley, Li Wen's figure appeared and disappeared.

He did not deliberately exert power; every swing of his blade appeared natural and smooth, as if he had merged with the surrounding mountains, rocks, vegetation, and trees.

But wherever the blade's edge reached, the space rippled slightly.

The blade light was no longer simple lightning or flames, but a wisp of intent condensed to the extreme.

At times, it was like the first light of dawn, gentle and silent yet containing the vitality of all things; at other times, it was like the collapse of the firmament, carrying a heavy and destructive force that could not be resisted.

"Clang."

A clear, long blade hum rang out—not a harsh, sharp sound, but a low murmur that shook the Divine Soul.

Li Wen's figure suddenly solidified, the ancient long blade in his hand pointing obliquely at the ground. At the tip of the blade, a barely perceptible point of light lingered in the air for a few seconds before slowly dissipating.

The hard bluestone ground beneath his feet was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and the edges of every crack were as smooth as a mirror, caused by being instantly cut by the invisible Saber Intent.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the tips of all grass and leaves weirdly drooped by a finger's width, as if in worship.

Li Wen slowly sheathed his blade and exhaled a long breath; the terrifying oppressive feeling that permeated the valley dissipated along with it.

His mind stirred, and a translucent personal information panel unfolded before his eyes:

[Name]: Li Wen [Age]: 33 [Realm]: Marquis Level [Occupation]: Scholar lv15 (116480 → 1029546 / 1638400)

[Skills]: Blade Technique · Dao Realm (88%)

[Cultivation Technique]: God-Shocking Sting · Seventh Layer (100%)

Five years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Since taking over the mobile support mission covering a radius of ten thousand miles, Li Wen had become accustomed to traveling through haste and slaughter.

However, the trend of change had already quietly appeared years ago; the frequency of Yao Race invasions in the area he was responsible for had dropped significantly, even if they occasionally occurred.

Battles also often ended abruptly in a very short time, as if an invisible hand was precisely controlling time.

This deliberate avoidance made Li Wen, who was accustomed to high-frequency emergency support, feel a strange discomfort.

He reported this anomaly to the Principal.

The reply he received was to: "Maintain your state and wait and see."

The core goal of Li Wen's support was to reduce the casualties of Human Race God-demons.

Since the Yao Race had voluntarily shrunk their offensive and reduced the pressure on the defense line, it could be considered that the goal had been indirectly achieved.

Thus, Li Wen followed instructions and devoted more time to his own tempering.

Five years of dedicated sharpening had yielded remarkable results.

After stepping into the Marquis Level, the progress of the Physical Body was no longer measured by simple Ranks.

The core of the path to King-rank lay in pushing a core skill to the "Domain Realm" and stabilizing the Primordial Spirit Realm above the third layer, the Day-Roaming Realm.

Finally, comprehending a "Universe Domain" that belonged solely to King-rank God-demons, which could invoke the power of heaven and earth.

Without the restrictions of levels, these conditions, which were like chasms to others, felt simpler to Li Wen than his Breakthrough from the Great Sun Realm to the Marquis Level back then.

Over the past five years, his Blade Technique had Advanced rapidly on the path of the Dao Realm, reaching a depth of 88%.

Regarding the Primordial Spirit, he had long since entered the fourth layer, the Day-Roaming Realm; with a thought, his Primordial Spirit could roam and patrol in broad daylight, and his perception and insight far exceeded the past.

The God-Shocking Sting had also long since perfected the seventh layer of rune nourishment, its power restrained and ready to be unleashed.

It could be said that he was only one final step away from the King-rank Realm—pushing his Blade Technique to the Perfection of the Dao Realm and touching the threshold of that Origin Domain.

With his current terrifying Comprehension Ability and cultivation speed, it would not be difficult for his Blade Technique to reach the Perfection of the Dao Realm in at most another year.

Meanwhile, at the core nest of the Shadow Organization.

Deep within the dark and profound secret chamber, all prying from the outside world was isolated.

Demon Saint Wujing sat cross-legged, floating in the Void Realm. No energy fluctuations leaked from his body, yet the space within the entire secret chamber was slightly twisting and folding.

The ground beneath him silently sank downwards, forming a perfect bowl shape, as if bearing an unimaginable weight.

Light bent strangely around him, making his figure appear blurred, as if he were in another dimension.

A pressure originating from the very level of life itself was climbing toward a critical point within this extreme silence, like a volcano brewing for hundreds of millions of years.

He was once a renowned Demon Saint of the Monster Realm.

To infiltrate the core territory of the Human Race and execute a subversion plan, he had not hesitated to perform Possession on a human body, severing his own Foundation, and lying dormant for long, arduous years.

Now, after the accumulation of countless resources and the extreme exploitation of this body's potential, that power which once belonged to the Saint-Grade was finally about to—return!

"Hum——!!"

Without any warning, the twisted space of the secret chamber suddenly collapsed inward!

It was as if an invisible singularity had been born, instantly swallowing the light and dragging everything into absolute darkness.

Immediately after, an energy tide more terrifying than a supernova explosion erupted from the center of that collapse.

An invisible shockwave swept across, and the incredibly sturdy secret chamber walls, inscribed with countless runes, shattered and annihilated inch by inch as if they were made of paper.

This was not a violent release of energy, but a natural disturbance to the rules of space and time during the transition of the essence of life.

The collapsed space fragments were ground into the finest energy particles by an invisible force, then re-absorbed.

A visible ripple of space, containing the Profound Truth of destruction and creation.

It swept through the depths of the entire Shadow Organization lair at a speed exceeding light, penetrating layers of rock walls, and spreading toward the more distant underground and sky.

Outside the secret chamber, Great Demon King Fu Yan and the leaders of the various departments of the Shadow Organization, who had been waiting anxiously, all felt a trembling from the depths of their Souls the moment this vast pressure swept over them.

That was an absolute suppression at the level of life.

But immediately after, immense ecstasy overwhelmed them.

"It is done! Demon Saint! It is the aura of the Demon Saint Realm!" Great Demon King Fu Yan's voice trembled with excitement, and flames of fanaticism and vengeance flickered in his eyes.

The other Demon Kings and Great Demon Kings also showed excitement and awe.

The dust and space fragments slowly subsided.

A figure stepped out from the center of the collapsed and annihilated secret chamber.

His appearance had not changed much, and his clothing remained ordinary, but his eyes were as deep as the starry sky of the Universe, containing an indescribable majesty and antiquity.

He just stood there calmly, and the Void Realm around him continued to ripple with subtle distortions, as if he himself were a walking spacetime singularity.

"Congratulations to Lord Demon Saint for regaining the Saint position!" Great Demon King Fu Yan and the leaders of the Demon Kings bowed in unison, their voices filled with uncontrollable excitement.

Demon Saint Wujing—now, he was the true Demon Saint Wujing.

His gaze swept over everyone calmly, and that gaze made everyone who was looked at feel as if their Soul had been pierced through.

He nodded slightly, his voice low and clear, and every word seemed to carry the weight of the rules: "The years of hiding end here."

He paused slightly, and the invisible pressure made the entire underground space so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

"Assemble all departments and make final preparations according to the highest contingency plan of the 'Sky Tilt' plan."

"The true full-scale invasion, ten days from now, begins!"

"Yes!!!" Fiery light erupted in the eyes of Great Demon King Fu Yan and all the other Demon King leaders, and the ferocity and desire suppressed for many years were released with a roar.

Finally, there is no need to hide anymore!

Kindling University, behind Wudao Peak.

The white-haired Principal sat at a stone table with a cup of clear tea in his hand, his gaze calmly watching the floating light screen in front of him, which scrolled with daily reports from city passes all over Blue Star.

Suddenly, his fingers holding the teacup paused imperceptibly.

In the corner of the light screen, a message transmitted through a special encrypted channel popped up. The content was extremely brief, but it made the Principal's deep eyes suddenly narrow.

He put down the teacup and tapped his fingertip lightly on the stone table.

A moment later, a virtual figure condensed from pure starlight energy appeared opposite him.

The figure wore starry robes, and their face was blurred, but the aura they emitted was equally unfathomable; it was the Human Race's other Venerable—Venerable Xingxuan.

"Senior Brother Ye," Venerable Xingxuan's virtual image spoke, her voice coming through space with a hint of gravity, "Is the source of this information reliable?"

"It was just sent by Jiang Hong." The Principal's voice was calm and waveless, but the depths of his eyes were as sharp as a knife, "The timing roughly matches. After many years, Wujing should have recovered to the Demon Saint Realm."

The virtual figure was silent for a moment, the starlight fluctuating slightly, showing her inner shock.

"I didn't expect that he would eventually take this step, and even faster than our worst-case scenario. It seems that the price the Monster Realm paid to send him in far exceeds imagination."

"This day was bound to come. Coming early is not necessarily a bad thing." The Principal said slowly, his tone returning to his usual calmness, "Since the die is cast, let's proceed according to the original plan. The 'Starfire' and 'Return to Ruins' contingency plans can be fully activated."

Venerable Xingxuan's virtual image nodded slightly: "Understood. I will immediately activate 'Starfire' and notify all King-rank units on the front line to enter the highest combat readiness state."

"Rest assured." The Principal cast his gaze into the distance, as if penetrating space, seeing the starry sky that was about to be ignited by the flames of war, "Issue the order."

On the wilderness in the eastern suburbs of Changning City.

Space distorted slightly, and Li Wen's figure turned from virtual to real.

Having just returned from a routine border patrol, he was about to return directly to the city pass fortress.

His personal terminal on his wrist emitted an unusual, rapid buzzing sound.

The screen lit up automatically, and a blood-red flame emblem—the highest-level identification of Kindling Hall—instantly occupied his field of vision.

"Highest-level message? What happened?" Li Wen frowned slightly and tapped his fingertip on the light screen.

The information box expanded, and the content was concise but heavy as a thousand jun:

[Kindling Hall · Full Domain Order (Emergency)]

Effective immediately, the second phase of the 'Return to Ruins' plan is activated.

Except for the provincial capitals and the core fortress cities determined by strategic assessment, all other city-level administrative districts within the major provinces of Blue Star must complete a full evacuation within ten days and transfer to the designated core cities.

Detailed relocation plans and lists of receiving cities will be issued simultaneously by the regional command headquarters.

This order takes effect immediately.

—Kindling Hall Supreme Council

"Jiangnan Province, except for the provincial capital and Changning City, all other urban areas will also be evacuated? The entire Blue Star—only one or two cities left per province?"

Li Wen read word by word, the surprise in his eyes gradually turning into gravity.

He subconsciously looked into the distance, the city's skyline looming in the twilight.

The last large-scale contraction was the "City Consolidation" a few years ago. How much time has passed since then?

Now, they actually have to give up an entire level, only holding on to the last isolated islands.

"Has the situation become this dire?" The whisper dissipated in the wind, carrying a trace of imperceptible gloom.

He immediately called up the dedicated communication channel with the Kindling University Principal and sent a brief inquiry.

The reply came very quickly, still in the Principal's unique, calm, yet powerful voice, which sounded directly in his Sea of Consciousness through the encrypted channel: "Li Wen, the information is correct. Wujing has completely stabilized the Demon Saint Realm, and the highest contingency plan of the 'Sky Tilt' plan is about to be activated. This is the final strategic contraction to concentrate forces and build the final defense line. Prepare for the reception and defense of Changning City and the surrounding areas; your mobile reinforcement range remains unchanged. The real storm—is coming."

"Is the Yao Race's true full-scale attack coming?" The Principal's words echoed in his mind, and Li Wen was stunned for a moment, the aura around him slightly stagnating.

The flames of war and sacrifice on that New Year's Eve five years ago seemed like yesterday, and that time, it was just a prelude led by a dozen or so King-rank.

This time, led by a true Demon Saint, the Monster Realm is coming out in full force—

"This—how many people will fall?" A thought emerged uncontrollably, and illusions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to flash before his eyes; the cruelty of war had never approached so vividly.

He knew this was by no means groundless worry.

Just as his mind was shaken, a sword light arrived, piercing through the air and landing not far away, where Ling Feng's figure appeared.