The Great Wall at Youzhou was shrouded in smoke and chaos.
This ancient fortification, standing tall for a thousand years, now marked the line between human and demon blood. Banners fluttered atop the walls as three thousand ironclad soldiers readied themselves, while below, an endless tide of demonic troops surged forward, black mist rolling like a stormy sea.
The war drums thundered, a roar of steel and blood.
Qin Yue sat astride his warhorse, iron blade held aloft, his voice echoing across the ramparts:"Today, if we do not break this enemy, the Great Wall will fall! Soldiers, fight to the death with me!"
"To the death!"
Three thousand ironclad warriors shouted in unison, their cries shaking the mountains and rivers.
…
The demon army pressed forward. From the black mist surged tens of thousands of demonic soldiers, their eyes blazing red, fangs bared. Marching in perfect formation, they were no wild horde but a disciplined army of darkness. Hooves trampled the earth, and the very air seemed charged with killing intent.
"Form ranks! Spears at the ready!"
At the order, the three thousand ironclad soldiers raised their spears in unison, the cold steel forming a wall that seemed to pierce the sky.
With a deafening clash, human and demon forces collided. Spears sank into flesh, demon blades shattered armor, and blood mist swirled into the air. The earth trembled under the fury of the battlefield.
Shouts and screams blended into a heart-stopping symphony of war.
…
At the front, Li Tianyuan stood firm, his spear like a dragon emerging from the sea. Golden light blazed with every strike, piercing through waves of demons, reducing them to black mist. Yet the demonic army seemed endless, pressing forward relentlessly.
His arms throbbed with pain, blood running down the spear shaft, but the power within him—the Ding Force—surged even stronger, as if feeding on the blood and fury around him.
"Kill!"
Li Tianyuan roared, golden light exploding from his spear, sweeping aside a dozen demons in a single stroke. His figure became the emblem for the army.
"The Fate Overseer fights at the front! We shall not retreat!""Kill the demons!"
The soldiers' cries swelled, their morale igniting like wildfire.
…
Elsewhere, Mu Changfeng swung his sword with precision, each strike felling multiple demons. Blood stained half his armor, yet his eyes burned sharp as ever.
"Xueyin! Cover Tianyuan!" he shouted.
Mu Xueyin stood atop the wall, bow drawn, her arrows streaking like meteors through the black mist, each finding its mark. Blood stained her fingertips, yet her aim was unwavering.
"I'm here, brother," she whispered, letting her arrows speak.
…
At the rear, Fu Yuan's sleeves swirled, golden talismans dancing in the air. Hundreds of runes erupted in flames and lightning, crashing into the demon ranks. Each explosion reduced entire groups to ashes.
"The Inverse Spirit Sect…" Fu Yuan's eyes darkened as he watched the hidden formations behind the demon army. "They are manipulating the tide of demons. This is not merely a battle of blood and steel."
…
From the black mist, a towering figure emerged. Lietan Hou, his crimson cloak snapping in the wind, brandishing a giant halberd. Beneath the iron mask, his eyes glowed red as fire. With each step, the demon army's roar intensified.
"Humans… nothing but fleeting pests!" Lietan Hou's voice thundered. With a swing of his halberd, the void itself split, and a black rift several meters wide crashed toward the human ranks.
"Block!"
Qin Yue roared, charging forward, his golden blade ignited with fire, clashing against the rift. The sound was earth-shaking; Qin Yue staggered back, blood roaring in his chest.
"General!" the soldiers cried.
"I am unharmed!" Qin Yue bellowed, raising his blade again, eyes like a mountain. "Slay the demons! No retreat!"
…
Li Tianyuan faced Lietan Hou, Ding Force roaring within him. The invisible great cauldron of power became palpable amidst the blood and fire. He understood that if he faltered, the army would break.
"The Ding Force… is not a burden. It is the power to protect the nation," he murmured, eyes blazing with resolve.
"Haah—!"
Li Tianyuan surged forward, golden light erupting from his spear like a thunderclap tearing through the sky, striking Lietan Hou.
Boom!
Spear met halberd; the world shook. Shockwaves rolled across both human and demon ranks, freezing them for a heartbeat.
Lietan Hou sneered, "You dare stand against me?"
Li Tianyuan gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his arms, eyes burning like fire. "Today, with this spear, I swear to guard the Great Wall!"
Crash! Clash! Boom!
The two clashed violently, spear and halberd intertwining, shattering the air. Every strike sent shockwaves through the mountains and rivers.
…
Meanwhile, the demon onslaught grew wilder, the ironclad soldiers suffering heavy casualties. Corpses littered the battlefield; blood flowed into streams, staining the ancient wall red.
Yet not one of the three thousand fell back. Even the fallen held their spears upright, battle flags soaked in blood, unbroken.
"Protect our land!"
The roar echoed across the Wall.
…
By midnight, the battle remained undecided. Though Li Tianyuan had forced Lietan Hou back with a single spear strike, the demon army pressed on relentlessly. Fu Yuan's brow was tight; the talismans burned furiously.
"It's bad… the Inverse Spirit Sect's sacrificial formation has been fully activated!"
From the heart of the black mist, a towering crimson formation shot skyward. Countless demons roared, shaking heaven and earth.
Li Tianyuan's heart sank. He gripped his spear, Ding Force surging like a tidal wave through his veins.
"The real battle… has only just begun."
Beneath the night sky, the Great Wall ran red with blood, and the clash of war showed no sign of ending.