The dawn of victory was short-lived. Just as the assaulting companies began to regroup and tend to their wounded, a deep, resonant roar echoed across the battlefield. The ground trembled, and the air grew heavy with a demonic aura. Serana's heart sank as she gazed at the valley across the hills. Once they passed that valley, they would reach Frostfall Forest.
A second wave of demons, even stronger and more ferocious than the first, emerged from the darkened forest. These demons were larger, their bodies armored with thick, obsidian-like scales that reflected the rising sun's light with an eerie sheen. Their eyes burned with an even fiercer intensity, and their guttural growls filled the air with a sense of impending doom.
These were not scout demons but regular infantry demons!
"Prepare for another assault!" an elder shouted, rallying the scattered companies. "Hold the line!"
Asher stood beside Serana, his expression grim. "This is going to be tougher than before. Stay sharp, everyone." He reminded everyone, the red phoenix between his brows glowing. Soon, his weary and tired look returned to normal as his bruises and light cuts healed instantly.
Seeing this up close stunned Serana. She remembered that an awakened divine body could heal fast, blessed by the heavens. She couldn't help but wonder if she had the same ability as him. After all, her master had told her she had a divine body, but the records showed no divine body of the ice phoenix.
Shriek
A loud shriek exploded as demons surged forward with terrifying speed and power. The first company braced themselves, but the impact of the demonic charge was like a tidal wave crashing against a rocky shore. Serana's sword flashed as she parried and countered, her black ice slicing through the air with deadly precision.
"Glacial Sweep!" she cried, unleashing a wide arc of freezing energy instantly. The front ranks of demons were slowed, their movements hampered by the biting cold. But these demons were more resilient, shaking off the ice and pressing forward with relentless ferocity.
Asher was a whirlwind of flames, his sword dancing in intricate patterns that left trails of fire in their wake. "Phoenix's Wrath!" he shouted, incinerating a group of demons that had broken through their lines. Despite his efforts, the sheer number and strength of the demons began to overwhelm their defenses.
The six elders, scattered across the battlefield, fought valiantly to stem the tide. An elder from the Iron Fist Sect, wielding his massive warhammer, crushed the demons with earth-shattering blows. Another elder from the Jade Lotus Sect created tornadoes that swept demons off their feet. But even their combined might struggled against the relentless onslaught. The increased strength of the demons was shocking!
Serana's Heaven Deceiver sword glowed as she swung it and shouted, "Permafrost!" Her voice cut through the chaos. A thick wall of ice rose up, momentarily halting the demonic advance. But the demons, with their newfound strength, began to hammer away at the barrier with terrifying force. However, the black ice qi managed to slow the demons down.
Serana's eyes tightened at the familiar scene. The demons were breaking through their lines, their sheer power and numbers overwhelming the assault company's defenses. "Asher, we need to fall back!" she called out, her worst fear coming to reality.
Asher, his face set in a grim mask of determination, nodded. "Fall back to the second line! We can't afford to lose anyone here!" He shouted to the elder next to him, who was from his sect.
The command to retreat spread through the ranks. The assault company began to pull back in a controlled withdrawal, covering each other as they fell back to more defensible positions. The demons pressed their advantage, their savage attacks causing chaos and confusion.
As they retreated, Serana's keen eyes caught sight of a demon commander—an imposing figure, larger and more heavily armored than the others. Its presence exuded an aura of dark power, and it was directing the demonic assault with ruthless efficiency.
"That commander is the key!" Serana shouted to Asher. "We need to take it down, or we'll never regroup!"
Asher nodded, his eyes blazing with determination. "Let's do it. Cover me, Serana!"
Serana's mind raced as she formulated a plan. "Kayla, support Asher! Elders! We need to take down that commander!"
Asher charged forward, his flames blazing brighter than ever. "Phoenix Ascendancy!" he cried, unleashing a torrent of fire at the demon commander. The demon raised its massive shield, the flames washing over it but failing to penetrate its defenses, shocking Asher.
Serana moved swiftly, her sword a blur as she cut through the demons in her path. "Absolute Zero Thrust!" she shouted, concentrating her ice qi into a single, powerful strike. She aimed for the commander's exposed flank, her blade piercing through the armor and freezing the demonic flesh beneath.
The commander roared in pain and fury, lashing out with its massive weapon. Serana narrowly dodged, feeling the rush of air as the weapon passed inches from her. Her heart raced from the close call. Asher seized the opportunity, his blade engulfed in flames as he struck the commander from the other side.
"Now, everyone!" Asher yelled.
Serana's teammates cast offensive talismans that exploded around the demon commander, weakening its defenses. The others launched coordinated strikes, their blades flashing in the dim light. The combined assault began to take its toll on the commander, its movements growing slower and more labored.
With a final, desperate effort, Serana and Asher launched a synchronized attack. "Cryo Wave!" Serana shouted, sending a powerful wave of icy energy at the commander. Asher followed up with a devastating "Inferno Strike," his flames merging with the ice to create a deadly combination.
The demon commander let out an anguished roar as it was engulfed in the combined assault. Soon two elders joined and attacked the commander. Its massive form shattered and crumbled, the dark energy dissipating into the air. With the commander's fall, their assault was losing momentum.
But the cost had been high. The assault company was battered and bloodied, their ranks thinned by the brutal assault. Two elders had died, and almost half the squads were wiped out. The retreat was now a necessity, not a choice.
"Fall back to the main camp!" an elder ordered, his voice carrying over the battlefield. "Regroup and tend to the wounded!"
The assault company moved with practiced efficiency, covering each other as they retreated. The demons, disorganized and leaderless, pursued half-heartedly, their initial ferocity waning.
As they reached the relative safety of the main camp, the extent of the damage became clear. The assault company had suffered heavy casualties, and the other offensive companies were similarly battered. Elders and disciples alike tended to the wounded, their expressions grim and determined.
Serana stood at the edge of the camp, her sword still in hand, her eyes scanning the battlefield for any sign of another assault. Asher approached, his fiery presence a stark contrast to her icy calm.
Her icy gaze then turned to the side, seeing the exhausted cultivators. A bad premonition was forming in her heart. All their efforts could be reversed by a single mishap. The strength of the human side had fallen considerably, while the demons seemed to keep coming without end.
"We gave everything we had," Asher said, trying to comfort Serana.
Serana's expression hardened as her piercing gaze looked at the towering defensive structures the demons had built. "We did. But this battle is far from over. The demons are relentless. They won't stop here. My sect is next, then the kingdom, and then the whole world of Celestia."
Asher's gaze locked onto her side profile, his heart beating. "Why are you fighting this hard?"
Serana's gaze softened slightly as she looked at him. "I lost my parents. I lost my best friend. I don't want to lose anyone else important to me. I promised my friend that I would avenge her, destroy the demons, and wipe out their entire race."
Asher looked into her eyes deeply, an understanding feeling coming from the bottom of his heart. He realized that Serana carried a heavy mission she had placed upon herself. 'Serana is indeed an interesting character. I'm glad I met you.' Asher's thoughts were sincere as his respect for her grew.
He looked ahead at the towering demon structure. His hands clenched behind his back. 'For the first time, I'm able to form a long-term decision. I'll lend you a hand, Serana Stark.' Asher promised himself.
The two stood side by side, their resolve unbroken. The demons had dealt them a heavy blow.
…
The assaulting team retreated back to the temporary HQ, and most of the wounded were transported to the field hospital. The elders left their companies as they quickly reported to the HQ tent. Leaders within the tent showed a grim expression on their faces.
Despite the initial success, they've lost a lot in the second wave. Right now, their strength is almost half of what they initially had! Now that the wounded were transported back, they only have half of what they had!
Such a grim reality faces the leaders. The strength of one country alone couldn't defeat the demons. Reports also told that in the Jade Kingdom, they've also failed in penetrating the defenses of the demons on their side. The Rose Kingdom was more fortunate because the result of the attack of the Jade Kingdom had wiped out almost all of their assaulting forces!
What made the leaders here terrified was the fact that the Jade Kingdom was able to gather three times the number of experts that the Rose Kingdom could gather!
There must be something among the demons to easily wipe out such a large number of experts attacking them!
"The report from the Jade Kingdom says they've lost two thousand five hundred men and women in the initial attack."
"Good heavens, what killed them?"
"The report says that a powerful demon wiped out the army with its strength alone…" The reporter almost bit his tongue as he continued, "The- the strength of the demon is undetermined… and that demon is not alone…" Cold sweat dripped as he finished his report.
When he saw the looks of the elders whose strengths are the highest in the camp, their expressions shared the same as his. Cold sweat covered their faces as they looked at each other.
They now suddenly felt a bad omen coming…
A terrified elder trembled, "Sh-should we retreat back to the capital?" he suggested. Similar feelings came from other elders from the capital, but they did not dare to suggest it since the first elder of the Celestial Phoenix Sect was here.
The Celestial Phoenix Sect is located 200 km away from here in the west. Like the Grey Mountain Sect, they are on the border between the Jade Kingdom and Rose Kingdom.
If they lose this ground, the demons would be able to attack both the capital and the Celestial Phoenix Sect!
Such a terrifying prospect scared the elders.
"No, we must stay and defend as much as possible. I'll send a letter to the sect master to personally take action," the first elder from the Celestial Phoenix said seriously.
…
As if fate were playing with them, a powerful and suffocating demonic aura descended from the sky!
Like a suffocating shroud, it cast a gloomy feeling over the battlefield. Even the most seasoned cultivators felt their hearts sink as the pressure bore down upon them, an oppressive weight that seemed to crush the very air they breathed!
The temporary encampment was in chaos as they felt the terrible presence that had just descended from the skies. Everyone looked up, and soon they were able to see eleven figures floating in the sky, looking down on them!
At the forefront of these demonic auras stood a short 5'6" figure dressed in a royal black robe. Her face was covered by a black veil, her presence commanding and foreboding. Her veiled face hinted at dark power and an inscrutable purpose. Behind her, ten humanoid demons, each exuding a formidable aura of their own, marked by the strength of their demonic energies.
Among the demonic qi they radiated, one stood out—the imposing female humanoid demon of Rank 8! Her presence radiated dominance and an ancient malevolence. Under her veil, her eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intensity, cutting through the field with a chilling clarity.
Her mere gaze instilled fear in those who dared to meet it, a silent proclamation of her unmatched power.
Down below, the elders from HQ were terrified as they realized what had hit Jade Kingdom and wiped it out. This was the answer!
Meanwhile, Serana's heart dropped several levels as her warning senses tingled when she sensed the aura descending from the sky. Her senses, sharpened by constant battle, felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at the female demon of Rank 8.
The aura emanating from the demon was unlike anything she had encountered before—a raw, primal force that threatened to overwhelm even the most disciplined of cultivators. Beside her, Asher stood tall, his phoenix symbol seeming to dim in front of this woman. Cold sweat covered his face.
"We're facing something beyond our expectations," Asher muttered, his voice tense.
Serana nodded, her eyes never leaving the floating demons. "Be careful."
As the demonic force drew closer, the gathering field fell into a tense silence. The bustling cultivators ceased their activities, replaced by an eerie stillness that hung heavy in the air. The cultivators braced themselves, their hearts pounding with a mixture of fear and determination.
Seeing the stunned cultivators around him, the first elder from the Celestial Phoenix Sect felt a grim sense of doom. His strength was Rank 7, so he was able to withstand the pressure these demons radiated, but the woman in front of him was something he couldn't handle alone!
But staying here, waiting for these demons to kill them, he was unwilling!
He stepped forward to confront the looming threat. His expression was grim, but his resolve was unwavering. "Prepare yourselves," he called out to the cultivators behind him. "We will all die if we do nothing!"
The demonic female of Rank 8 raised a hand, and in that moment, the air itself seemed to quiver with anticipation. Without a word, she unleashed a torrent of dark energy, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The cultivators staggered under the force of the attack, their defensive formations buckling but holding!
Serana and Asher kneeled under the tremendous demonic pressure!
The elder countered with a barrage of lightning strikes, each bolt aimed with deadly precision at the advancing demons. The sky crackled with energy as his techniques collided with the demonic qi of their adversaries. The clash of elemental forces illuminated the battlefield, casting stark shadows against the churned earth!
But the female demon of Rank 8 flicked her hand. With a gesture, she summoned tendrils of shadow that ensnared the elder of the Celestial Phoenix Sect, immobilizing him with unearthly strength.
"Die, you demon!" The elder tried his best to attack, but before the attacks could even enter the space around her, they vanished into dark wisps.
Elder Zhang's lightning continued to strike true, but even his formidable power seemed to falter in the face of such relentless opposition.
"ATTACK!!!" Seeing that they would die anyway, some of the cultivators proceeded to attack the demons, some retreated, and some gave up trying!
The reserve companies fought valiantly, their shouts of defiance mingling with the screams of demons and the crackling of battle techniques. But the tide of battle had turned once more, the demons' superior strength and demonic powers proving too much to overcome!
Serana gritted her teeth, her mind racing as she assessed the situation. "We need to retreat," she shouted over the roar of battle. "Fall back!"
Asher nodded grimly, his flames flickering with a mixture of frustration. "We can't hold them here! Everyone, fall back!"
With a heavy heart, Serana ran toward her team and gave the order to withdraw. The cultivators, battered but unbowed, began to fall back in chaos!
Seeing the chaos below, the demon lady looked at them as if they were ants. With a casual flick of her hand, her demonic qi unleashed a wave of dark energy that cut through the battlefield like a scythe through wheat!
Serana watched in horror as the entire company on the opposite flank, caught off guard and unable to react in time, was obliterated in an instant.
*BOOM!*
The ground exploded as the air crackled with residual energy, and screams of agony echoed across the field.
Seeing that they were powerless against this woman, Serana focused her heart on retreating first. Dying here was not her wish!
"Fall back," Serana shouted over the chaos, her voice ringing with urgency. "Now!"
She and her team began a hasty retreat.
As Serana cast a glance back at the Rank 8 demon, she felt a chill run down her spine. The demon's aura loomed over the battlefield like a harbinger of doom, its power unchecked and its intentions clear: eliminate them all.
"We have to move faster!" Serana shouted, urgency coloring her voice as she pushed through the chaos. Asher kept pace beside her, his flames blazing hotter with each step. Around them, the remaining cultivators fought desperately to fend off the relentless onslaught of the ten demonic figures sent by the Rank 8 demon.
The demons moved with terrifying speed and precision, cutting down any cultivator who strayed too far from the main group. Serana's heart raced as she saw familiar faces fall, their cries lost in the cacophony of battle. She clenched her jaw, pushing herself to maintain her focus amidst the chaos.
The scenes from the first assault resurfaced in her mind, her heart once again bled, and deep hatred seeped into her bones.
"Stay together!" Asher bellowed, his voice carrying above the roar of battle. His flames erupted in a defensive barrier, warding off a demon that lunged at them from the shadows. "We can't let them pick us off one by one."
Serana nodded grimly, her mind racing for a strategy. They must retreat back to the Grey Mountain Sect and force her master to stop his cultivation and leave the sect! The sect already had no future with a terrifying force like this near her sect!
"Keep moving!" Serana commanded, her voice cutting through the turmoil. She darted forward, her Frozen Star Sword Arts slashing through the air as she carved a path for the retreating cultivators. Asher's flames surged, engulfing any demon that dared to approach too closely.
The ten demons, relentless in their pursuit, closed in on the fleeing humans like a pack of wolves chasing down prey. Their movements were fluid and coordinated, their attacks synchronized to exploit any gap in the cultivators' defenses. Serana and Asher fought back to back, their skills complementing each other as they pushed forward.
As most of the remaining cultivators escaped, the demons weren't giving up their chase, their numbers and ferocity testing the cultivators' resolve to the breaking point.
A demonic figure lunged at Serana from the side. She barely had time to react, her reflexes honed from countless battles kicking in. With a swift movement, she parried the demon's strike and countered with a precise thrust of her sword, piercing through its darkened armor! Freezing its chest but unable to kill it!
With a heavy *clink*, Serana was able to see the face of a demon. What she saw shocked her: this demon looked like a human! But its lips were dark blue in color, and its eyes were maroon, glowing with a dim red light!
Asher's flames surged around them, creating a protective shield as they sprinted through the escape path! Asher was able to pull Serana away from the demon's grip, his legs bursting into flames. While hugging Serana close to him, his speed exploded!
Instantly, the two vanished from the battlefield. No one knew exactly where they went.
When Serana and Asher had vanished, the demon lady sensed a powerful burst of divine energy. She looked over, her eyes behind her veil were shocked. She gripped her hands and a snapping of bones was heard as she broke the neck of the elder and tossed him aside like trash, moving towards where Serana and Asher had vanished.
The demon lady was not stunned by the divine power that had been released, but by something else. She approached the demon who had black ice covering his chest, seeing his princess approaching him. He was terrified, thinking he had failed and that she was here to punish him.
"Princess, forgive me! I will atone for my sins by sacrificing my life for you!" The demon pleaded as he tried to clasp his hands.
The demon princess approached the man closer, lifted her finger, and touched the black ice. The familiar cold stunned the lady. "It's exactly the same."
She then lifted her head and her gaze locked on where the divine energy had left a trail that she could only sense. If she wanted, she could hunt the two down. But feeling a familiar feeling towards the ice, she decided not to bother and let them escape.
"There won't be a second time." Her voice was soft, as if warning someone else.
The demon in front of her misunderstood and thought he was forgiven. "Ye-AHHHHH" The demon bloated and exploded!
The demon princess casually built a barrier and protected herself from the bits of flesh and guts.
She then turned around and looked at the towering building that her servants had built. "Let's head back and prepare for a counter-offensive; the portal is about to fully open," her voice cold. She then floated and retreated back casually.
The other nine demons followed without question; they didn't want to experience the same fate as that other demon. Their demon princess seemed to suddenly hate their own kin after arriving here.
...