111: Chapter 111 The Demonic Tide Returns

Three days after the alliance was established, The Rift changed.

That morning, Zhang Qingyuan was the first to discover the anomaly.

Holding the heart lamp, he stood at the edge of the camp, gazing toward The Rift as usual. But this time, what he saw was no longer that blood-colored fissure, but a churning mass of black clouds.

The black clouds surged from The Rift, spreading in all directions. Everywhere they passed, the sky darkened, the sunlight vanished, and even the wind came to a standstill.

He froze for a breath, then turned and ran.

“Master! Master!”

Lu Mingyuan was discussing swordsmanship with Yue Wushuang. Hearing the shouts, he looked up at him.

“What happened?”

Zhang Qingyuan pointed toward The Rift, his face deathly pale.

“Over there—over there—”

Lu Mingyuan leaped up, treading through the Void Realm as he gazed toward The Rift.

Then, he saw it.

The Rift had expanded.

It hadn't just grown a little; it had doubled in size. It went from three hundred miles to six hundred miles. That fissure looked as if it had been torn open from the inside by something; the rocks at its edges were constantly collapsing, falling into the endless darkness.

In the depths of the darkness, something was surging.

Densely packed.

Thousands upon thousands.

Those were—demon soldiers.

Not dozens, not hundreds, but thousands upon thousands. They crawled out from the depths of The Rift like ants, wave after wave, in an endless stream.

After crawling out, they did not scatter but gathered at the edge of The Rift, forming ranks.

A dense black mass stretched as far as the eye could see.

Bai Ze flew to his side.

“A Demon Tide.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

“What?”

Bai Ze stared at those demon soldiers.

“A Demon Tide. Before a Great Kalpa, there is always a Demon Tide. Thousands upon thousands of demon soldiers surge forth, sweeping across heaven and earth.”

It paused.

“This time, it came faster than I expected.”

Lu Mingyuan fell silent.

He counted those demon soldiers.

At least three thousand.

Three thousand Chaos Demon Soldiers.

Plus the General-level Demons hidden in the depths—he didn't know how many there were.

He glanced back at the camp.

There were six people and one Divine Beast.

Six people against three thousand demon soldiers.

Bai Ze looked at him.

“What do we do?”

Lu Mingyuan thought for a long time.

Then, he said softly:

“Defend.”

Returning to the camp, everyone was awake.

Zhang Lingyun was packing his talisman papers, Jiang Yichen was wiping his sword, Fa Ming was sweeping the ground, Li Haoran was closing his book, Yue Wushuang was looking toward The Rift, and Zhang Qingyuan stood to the side holding the heart lamp.

They looked at Lu Mingyuan; no one spoke.

Lu Mingyuan looked at them.

“The Demon Tide has come.”

Zhang Lingyun asked:

“How many?”

Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.

“At least three thousand.”

Zhang Lingyun's hand paused.

Jiang Yichen's motion of wiping his sword stopped.

Fa Ming's broom froze in mid-air.

The fingers Li Haoran used to close his book turned slightly white.

Yue Wushuang's gaze grew even colder.

Zhang Qingyuan's hand was trembling.

Only Bai Ze lay there, motionless.

Silence.

A long silence.

Then, Zhang Lingyun spoke.

“Can we win?”

Lu Mingyuan shook his head.

“We can't win.”

Zhang Lingyun asked again:

“Can we hold it?”

Lu Mingyuan thought for a long time.

Then, he nodded.

“We can hold it.”

Zhang Lingyun looked at him.

“How do we hold it?”

Lu Mingyuan did not answer.

He just looked at those people.

He looked at the light in their eyes.

That light was as bright as it had been three days ago when the alliance was formed.

He suddenly smiled.

“We hold it together.”

Assigning tasks.

Lu Mingyuan stood on a giant rock, pointing toward The Rift.

“Zhang Lingyun, how many can your Talisman Arts trap?”

Zhang Lingyun thought for a bit.

“At full power, I can trap a hundred. For fifteen minutes.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

“That's enough. You're responsible for trapping the first batch that rushes out. Just trap them, no need to kill.”

Zhang Lingyun nodded.

Lu Mingyuan looked at Jiang Yichen.

“How many can your sword slay?”

Jiang Yichen thought for a bit.

“At full power, I can slay fifty. But I'll need to rest after slaying them.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

“You and Yue Wushuang will rotate. You rest while he slays, and he rests while you slay. We cannot let the sword line break.”

Jiang Yichen nodded.

Yue Wushuang also nodded.

Lu Mingyuan looked at Fa Ming.

“Senior Brother Fa Ming, how long can you hold out?”

Fa Ming thought for a bit.

“This poor monk has no talismans and no sword, only this physical body. At full power, I can hold out for an hour. After that, I'll be spent.”

Lu Mingyuan was silent for a moment.

“No need to tank them. You stay by their side. When someone can't hold on, you step up. Just hold for the duration of an incense stick.”

Fa Ming pressed his palms together.

“Amitabha Buddha. This monk understands.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at Li Haoran.

“Brother Haoran, how many people can your Noble Spirit protect?”

Li Haoran thought for a bit.

“At full power, I can protect ten. For two hours.”

Lu Mingyuan shook his head.

“Not enough.”

He looked at the group.

“We need more people.”

Li Haoran fell silent.

Then, he said:

“Those students are on their way.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at him.

“How long until they arrive?”

Li Haoran calculated.

“The fastest batch will be here in three days.”

Lu Mingyuan fell silent.

Three days.

Three thousand demon soldiers.

Six people.

Defend for three days.

He looked at Bai Ze.

“What can you do?”

Bai Ze stood up.

“I can watch.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at it.

“Watch what?”

Bai Ze stared into the depths of The Rift.

“Watch the General-level ones. How many there are, where they are, and when they come out.”

It paused.

“As long as I am alive, I won't let the General-level ones sneak up on you.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded.

“Good.”

He looked at Zhang Qingyuan.

“You—”

Zhang Qingyuan interrupted:

“Master, I'll hold the lamp. I'll provide light for you all. Regardless of day or night, the lamp will stay lit. Wherever you are, the lamp will be there.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at him for a long, long time.

Then, he nodded.

“Good.”

The assignments were finished.

Six people and one Divine Beast stood at the edge of the ruins, gazing toward The Rift.

There, black clouds churned, and demon soldiers surged.

A great battle was about to begin.

Lu Mingyuan looked at the others.

“Are you afraid?”

Zhang Lingyun nodded.

“Yes.”

Jiang Yichen nodded.

“Yes.”

Fa Ming pressed his palms together.

“Amitabha Buddha. Yes.”

Li Haoran nodded.

“Yes.”

Yue Wushuang nodded.

“Yes.”

Zhang Qingyuan nodded.

“Yes.”

Bai Ze said:

“I am afraid too.”

Lu Mingyuan looked at them.

“I am also afraid.”

He paused.

“But fear is fear; what must be defended, must be defended.”

He turned and walked toward The Rift.

“Let's go.”

The six people followed behind him.

Bai Ze walked last.

When they reached the edge of The Rift, the demon soldiers had already formed their ranks.

A dense black mass extended from their feet to the horizon. Those hollow eyes, those bodies condensed from black mist, those expressionless faces—all were facing them.

Three thousand pairs of eyes stared at the seven of them.

Zhang Qingyuan's hand was shaking violently, but he held the lamp very steadily.

Lu Mingyuan stood at the very front, gazing at those demon soldiers, at the blood-colored Rift behind them, and at the slowly pulsating core of resentment deep within The Rift.

He took a deep breath.

Wanxiang True Qi circulated frantically within his body.

Guardian Sword Realm could be deployed at any moment.

Chaos Sword Qi was ready to be unleashed.

Behind him, Zhang Lingyun had already begun drawing talismans. Each stroke was fast and steady. The patterns on the talisman paper glowed faintly in the darkness.

Jiang Yichen unsheathed his sword, the blade bright as snow, reflecting the faces of the demon soldiers.

Yue Wushuang also drew his sword, holding 'shouxin' across his chest, the tip of the blade vibrating slightly.

Fa Ming took off his Buddhist robe, revealing a lean upper body. Every muscle was twitching with power.

Li Haoran closed his eyes, chanting under his breath. Noble Spirit surged from him, forming a faint light barrier that protected everyone.

Zhang Qingyuan held the heart lamp at the very back. The incense in the lamp burned brightly, and the green smoke rose straight up like a thin thread connecting heaven and earth.

Bai Ze lay by his side, staring into the depths of The Rift, motionless.

The demon soldiers moved.

They didn't charge; they parted to both sides.

A path was left in the middle.

At the end of the path, deep within The Rift, a massive black shadow was rising.

That black shadow was dozens of zhang tall, shaped like a human but without facial features, only a giant mouth. The mouth was full of sharp teeth, layer upon layer, like a meat grinder.

A General-level Demon.

Not one, but two.

Two General-level Demons rose from the depths of The Rift, standing among the demon soldiers, looking down at the seven of them.

One of them was larger, blacker, and stronger than the one killed before.

It looked at Lu Mingyuan, its mouth splitting open.

“We... meet... again...”

Lu Mingyuan stared at it.

“Who are you?”

The General-level Demon laughed.

“You... killed... me... once... forgot?”

Lu Mingyuan's heart jolted.

Was it Bone-Eroding?

But Bone-Eroding had already been slain by him.

How was it alive again?

Bai Ze's voice rang in his mind.

“It's not the same one. It's the same type. They use the same core of resentment. If killed, they can be regenerated.”

Lu Mingyuan fell silent.

He looked at those two General-level Demons, at those three thousand demon soldiers, and at that blood-colored Rift.

Then, he smiled.

The smile was light, but there was light in his eyes.

“If they regenerate, then kill them again. Kill again, regenerate again. Kill until the day they can no longer regenerate.”

He raised his sword.

“Defend!”

Behind him, the six people responded in unison:

“Defend!”

The Demon Tide moved.

Three thousand demon soldiers surged forward like a tide.

Zhang Lingyun was the first to act.

With a wave of his hands, ten talisman papers flew out simultaneously, tracing ten golden lights in the air. The golden lights landed on the ground, forming a massive Talisman Array.

The demon soldiers at the very front stepped into the Talisman Array and were immediately frozen in place. The demon soldiers behind couldn't stop and crashed into them, also becoming frozen. One after another, in the blink of an eye, over a hundred demon soldiers were trapped in the Talisman Array.

But the demon soldiers behind them bypassed the Talisman Array and continued to charge forward.

Jiang Yichen moved.

Sword light flashed like a rainbow, slaying three demon soldiers with one strike. With another strike, three more were slain. He struck ten times in one breath, and thirty demon soldiers dissipated into black smoke.

But his face was already beginning to turn pale.

Yue Wushuang took over.

His sword was faster, fiercer, and colder than Jiang Yichen's. With every strike, a demon soldier was bound to fall. But there were too many demon soldiers; for every one killed, two took its place. For every two killed, four came forward.

Fa Ming charged into the middle of the demon soldiers with his bare hands. Every punch he threw sent a demon soldier flying back. But his body was also covered in countless bloody scratches from the demon soldiers.

Li Haoran's Noble Spirit protected them, but the resentment of those demon soldiers was too heavy, and the spirit was consumed extremely quickly. His face grew whiter and whiter, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Zhang Qingyuan held the heart lamp at the very back, desperately trying to steady his hand. The incense in the lamp was burning fast, but he didn't change it, only staring intently at the backs of the others.

Bai Ze stared into the depths of The Rift, at those two General-level Demons.

They hadn't moved yet.

They were waiting.

Waiting for these people to get tired, get injured, and become unable to hold on.

Then, they would move.

It would be a killing blow.

It took a deep breath and continued to watch.

Lu Mingyuan stood at the very front, Wanxiang True Qi circulating frantically.

He hadn't acted yet.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the moment those two General-level Demons moved.

An hour passed.

Zhang Lingyun had used half of his talisman papers, trapping five hundred demon soldiers.

Jiang Yichen had slain a hundred, and his sword was full of nicks.

Yue Wushuang had slain a hundred and fifty; 'shouxin' was still there, but his arm was shaking.

Fa Ming was covered in blood, and it was impossible to tell if it was his own or the demon soldiers'.

Li Haoran's face was deathly pale, and his Noble Spirit was down to a thin layer of light.

Zhang Qingyuan held the lamp, his hands already stiff, but the lamp had not gone out.

Bai Ze stared at those two General-level Demons, not even daring to blink.

Lu Mingyuan stood there, motionless.

Those two General-level Demons still hadn't moved.

They were waiting.

Waiting for the moment these people completely collapsed.

Lu Mingyuan knew this.

So he was waiting.

Waiting for the moment they moved.

Another hour passed.

Zhang Lingyun's last talisman paper was used up.

Jiang Yichen's sword broke.

Yue Wushuang's 'shouxin' was still there, but he could no longer stand steadily.

Fa Ming fell to the ground, covered in blood, still desperately crawling forward.

Li Haoran's light barrier completely dissipated; he knelt on the ground, vomiting large amounts of blood.

Zhang Qingyuan's lamp was still lit, but he was already crying.

The two General-level Demons finally moved.

They rose from the depths of The Rift and flew toward them.

Their dozens-of-zhang-tall bodies blotted out the sun and sky.

Lu Mingyuan moved.

He was like a bolt of lightning, rushing toward those two General-level Demons.

Wanxiang True Qi burned frantically.

Guardian Sword Realm was opened to its maximum.

Chaos Sword Qi was unleashed with full force.

One strike slashed toward the first one.

The General-level Demon reached out its hand to block the strike.

Sword light exploded in its palm, blasting open a massive wound.

But the wound healed instantly.

It laughed.

“You... have... weakened...”

Lu Mingyuan did not answer.

He turned and slashed at the second one.

The second one opened its mouth and bit down.

He sidestepped to dodge it and struck back with his sword, slashing its face.

But that strike only left a shallow scar.

It laughed.

“You... alone... cannot... win...”

Lu Mingyuan landed on the ground, gasping for breath.

The two General-level Demons landed in front of him.

They looked down at him.

Like looking at an ant.

He gripped his sword, preparing for a desperate final strike.

Just then—

A sword light descended from the heavens.

That sword light was brighter than the sun and faster than lightning.

One strike severed the arm of the first General-level Demon.

Another strike severed half the face of the second General-level Demon.

Lu Mingyuan was stunned.

He looked back.

On the horizon, people were rushing over.

Many, many people.

There were Taoists, monks, Confucian scholars, swordsmen, and Loose Cultivators.

They were treading through the Void Realm, flying toward them.

The person at the very front was someone he recognized.

It was that Old Taoist who swept the grounds at Longhu Mountain.

He held a longsword, and blood was still dripping from the blade.

He looked at Lu Mingyuan and smiled.

“Kid, hang in there.”

He said.

“We have arrived.”