449: Chapter 449 Intense

Since Demon Saint Xuanyu's true body could not destroy the Peach Blossom Sect even when personally mobilized, he had completely fallen into a passive position.

The massive army of Cultivators from the Beast Taming Sect's Main Mountain was about to arrive in succession to gradually wear down the Demon Court's Foundation. On such a long battlefront, even if Demon Saint Xuanyu acted personally, he would only be delaying the inevitable trend.

As the Demon Court's Foundation slowly eroded and the Beast Taming Sect's Foundation grew, the overall situation would be secured once Daoist Lord Lihuo's true body arrived!

Ultimately, the Endless Demon Court was only a Yao Race force with a single Demon Sage; its heritage was far inferior to that of the Beast Taming Sect.

The situation was always under the Beast Taming Sect's control. They intended to suppress others with sheer momentum, gaining the most benefits at the minimum cost—otherwise, they wouldn't have gone through so much trouble.

War, in essence, is a game of interests. The focus is not on eliminating the enemy, but on how much benefit can be gained from it.

The Beast Taming Sect was not in a hurry, nor was Daoist Lord Lihuo. The advantage was theirs. The one who should be anxious was Demon Saint Xuanyu; if he found no way to break the deadlock, what awaited him was the loss of his Dao field, or even death and the end of his path.

South of the Star Academy.

Although Demon Saint Xuanyu had retreated, the vast Yao Race army had not completely withdrawn. Instead, they occupied half of the former Peach Blossom Sect's territory to the south, established a basic earth vein array, and used it as a base to continue their northward offensive.

Demon Saint Xuanyu could not destroy the Star Academy in a short time, but he could utilize the Demon Court's current advantage to first conquer the entire Star Academy and incorporate its territory into the Demon Court's system. By the time they fought back, even if Dao Lord Qing Xuan came personally, he wouldn't be able to stop it.

In the grand scheme of the war, the Beast Taming Sect held an absolute advantage. However, before the arrival of the Main Mountain's army, the strength of the Star Academy alone was far from being a match for the Demon Court.

Destroying the base that was the Star Academy before the arrival of the Beast Taming Sect's Main Mountain army could at least delay the inevitable for a few more years.

Consequently, the war suddenly became intense. It was no longer the minor skirmishing of before, but a violent counterattack regardless of the cost.

While the Peach Blossom Demon Lord was recuperating, True Lord Haoran and the others were incredibly busy, rushing between various locations every day to provide support and personally stepping onto the field to block the Yao Race army.

Holding Daoist Lord Lihuo's decree, Li Xihe personally presided over the battlefield's defense.

She first recruited a large number of idle Cultivators from the rear using several times the previous war contributions and military pay, then used the Dao Lord's decree to forcibly command high-level Cultivators to join the fight, while simultaneously requesting aid from the Azure Profound Sect.

The intensity of the war instantly increased dozens of times over. The Foundation Establishment Ancestors and Golden Core Immortal Masters, who had previously moved with ease on the battlefield, could now lose their lives if they were not careful. The front lines were a scene of total chaos.

The three Nascent Soul Sects—the Heavenly Sword Sect, Cloud Top Sect, and Chongming Sect—sent large numbers of Cultivator armies as reinforcements every day. Even three Nascent Soul True Lords were ordered to guard key nodes.

Even so, the Star Academy remained at a disadvantage. The battle line continued to push northward, and every day, entire armies of Cultivators were wiped out.

Nascent Soul True Lords personally entered the fray. Chen Beiming, the former Fourth Elder of the Star Academy, was heavily injured, and his natal Spirit Treasure was shattered.

Those with minor injuries were even more numerous. Had it not been for the more Advanced earth vein array at the Star Academy and the ongoing repairs to the Star Array, the losses would likely have been even more tragic.

Chen Beiming was a Sword Cultivator, and his natal Flying Sword was a fourth-tier Spirit Treasure Flying Sword. His combat strength was top-tier for his rank.

In exchange for his heavy injury, the Yao Race paid the price of an early-stage Nascent Soul Demon Lord's Physical Body being severed, with only his Demon Core and a wisp of a remnant soul escaping.

Following this battle, the hot-headed Demon Lords of the Yao Race sobered up significantly. Some Nascent Soul Demon Lords whose nests were far from the battlefield began to slack off, and the battle situation actually cooled down a bit.

The Yao Race had nearly a hundred Nascent Soul Demon Lords on the front lines, while the Star Academy, even with the support from the Azure Profound Sect, had fewer than twenty.

With both sides losing one Nascent Soul combatant, the Star Academy technically suffered more.

However, the impact on morale was the opposite. Those Demon Lords of the Yao Race were not united to begin with, and the outcome of this war didn't matter much to some of them. Once casualties appeared, few were willing to charge at the front.

The Peach Blossom Demon Lord even received a secret letter from a Nascent Soul Demon Lord of the Demon Court, saying he was willing to put on a show and asking her people not to strike to kill. He even expressed a willingness to defect and follow her when the time was right.

The many Demon Lords of the Demon Court were not fools; they could see the general trend. Even if they conquered the Star Academy, they still couldn't stop the Beast Taming Sect's grand Pioneering War.

They didn't dare to join the Beast Taming Sect, nor did they trust them. But the Peach Blossom Demon Lord was different; she herself was of the Yao Race and had always maintained close ties with the Demon Court. Many Demon Lords had dealt with her before.

Most importantly, everyone had witnessed the battle between the Peach Blossom Demon Lord and Demon Saint Xuanyu not long ago. Strength was the fundamental root that shook everything.

"Demon Lord Han Jing, it's actually him!"

After reading the secret letter, a hint of confusion appeared in Peach Blossom's eyes, and she hesitated, unable to make up her mind.

Demon Lord Han Jing's territory was near the Black Mountain Holy Land. He was a trusted confidant of Demon Saint Xuanyu, yet he was the first to offer his allegiance. Peach Blossom worried this might be a trap.

"Husband, what do you think?"

Peach Blossom explained the situation to Liu Xuan and asked for his opinion.

"This is a good thing!"

Liu Xuan smiled after hearing it. "Being able to delay for time is a good thing. Whether his defection is real or fake doesn't matter; just have him show some sincerity."

Now it was someone else begging to join; the initiative was with the Peach Blossom Demon Lord. Requiring Demon Lord Han Jing to show sincerity first was beneficial no matter what.

"Alright, we'll do as you say, Husband!" Peach Blossom took out a Jade Slip to record her reply, then handed it to Liu Xuan for inspection.

Liu Xuan glanced at it casually, not caring about this minor matter, and instead asked about the major affairs of the entire battlefield.

"In the current situation, if the reinforcements from the Beast Taming Sect's Main Mountain are delayed, how long can the Star Academy hold out?"

The battlefield was intense, but the Liu Family was able to stay out of it due to their special status, being responsible for transporting war resources and refining Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts in the rear.

However, Liu Xuan was still uneasy. Once the situation reached a certain point, the Liu Family would have to withdraw.

"It's hard to say!" The situation was constantly shifting, and Peach Blossom couldn't give an accurate estimate. She thought for a moment and said, "It could be as short as half a year, or as long as a year or two."

"Then let's say half a year!"

"If the Beast Taming Sect's Main Mountain army hasn't arrived in half a year, the entire Liu Clan will retreat to the Red Pine Sect to take refuge. You will arrange this."

Others didn't matter, but Liu Xuan's children, who were about to come of age, could not be put at risk. He sought absolute safety.

The battle was developing too quickly; even Nascent Soul True Lords were starting to suffer casualties. Liu Xuan disliked this feeling of things being out of control.

Peach Blossom looked deeply at Liu Xuan. The longer she stayed with him, the more she felt how much he valued his Family's descendants.

"Very well, I will personally handle this to ensure every Liu family member is safe and sound. You can rest assured, Husband!"

"Excellent!"

"This Young Master will head out first. Remember to run if there's danger!"

Liu Xuan patted Peach Blossom's shoulder, then called Shuang Xue and Green Ivy, who had returned with him, and headed back to Great Sun City.

The danger had not been resolved. He didn't plan on returning until the Beast Taming Sect's Main Mountain reinforcements arrived.