Inside the Kunlun Secret Realm, Yu Xiyan and Su Yunying stood facing one another.
Faced with Yu Xiyan's baseless accusations, Su Yunying no longer bothered to argue. The truth spoke louder than any words ever could.
At that moment, the scene shifted once again.
What appeared before them resembled a living hell.
A lake of blood. Grass and flowers that writhed in the wind. Rivers of blazing magma. Strange creatures with human bodies and beastly faces. Every corner reeked of evil and unnatural corruption.
Across the pitch-black earth lay endless fields of white bones and corpses stretching beyond the horizon.
Above hung a crimson moon, bathing the world in blood-red light while an overwhelming aura of slaughter and despair filled the heavens.
A chilling wind swept across the wasteland like a breeze from the underworld itself, making one's soul tremble.
Under the blood moon, a colossal black fortress slowly rose from the earth. In moments, it occupied nearly a third of the entire landscape.
"Is... this the Nine Netherworld?"
"The Nether Realm?"
Su Yunying and Yu Xiyan spoke at the same time.
Both had imagined countless times what the Nine Netherworld might look like, yet the horrifying reality before them exceeded even their darkest expectations.
Woooooo—
A deep, ghostly horn echoed across the wasteland.
Countless spirits burst out of the fortress, their shrill cries piercing the air. Even though they were only witnessing the scene through a projection, both women felt their souls shudder in terror.
Creaaak...
The hundred-meter-tall gates of the fortress slowly opened with an ear-splitting groan.
As black winds swept away clouds of dust, an unimaginably vast army marched out in perfect formation.
The two women stared in shock.
This force could no longer be described as merely terrifying.
As endless ranks of Nether soldiers continued pouring through the gates without end, the overwhelming visual impact left them speechless.
Yu Xiyan looked into the soldiers' eyes.
There was no warmth.
No emotion.
Only endless greed...
...and boundless cruelty.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky.
The moment he landed, the shockwave blasted across dozens of miles.
"I...
The ruler of the Asura Empire...
shall lead the conquest of the Nine Worlds.
You have but one mission—
Slaughter every soul that dares resist.
Those who submit shall become slaves of the Nine Nether.
Let the Nine Nether become the only noble race beneath heaven.
Let every corner of the Immortal Martial Continent sing praises of our eternal glory!"
"ROAR!!"
Countless inhuman howls shook the heavens.
Even separated by space and time, Yu Xiyan and Su Yunying instinctively covered their ears as an indescribable pressure crushed down upon them.
"Go, my children!
Cross the Yellow Springs Pass, and everything within the Nine Worlds shall belong to you!
Humans, demons, monsters...
All shall kneel beneath your feet and beg for mercy.
Those lofty cultivators...
shall become the most loyal servants of the Nine Nether.
Go!
With your butcher's blades...
carve an immortal epic for our empire!"
"ROOOAR!!"
"AAAOOOHH!!"
Millions of Nether fiends roared in unison.
The horrifying sound alone caused both women to collapse onto the ground in fear.
"What terrifying power..."
"I... I can't even summon the courage to resist..."
"What kind of monsters are they?"
Just as terror threatened to consume them—
WOOOOOO—
A majestic war horn suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
Like the first ray of dawn piercing endless darkness, it instantly dispelled the fear in their hearts.
"Hm?"
The Asura Emperor frowned and looked toward the source.
From the direction of Yellow Springs Pass, countless battle banners appeared.
At the forefront fluttered a massive war flag bearing a single character—
胤
"The Ironflame Army!"
Su Yunying and Yu Xiyan cried out simultaneously.
Yet even the elite Ironflame soldiers couldn't hide the fear in their eyes after seeing an enemy force more than ten times their own.
These were veterans among veterans, survivors of countless life-and-death battles.
But before the dreaded army of the Nine Nether...
Even they wavered.
Many soldiers breathed heavily.
Their hands repeatedly tightened around their weapons in an effort to suppress the fear inside.
Others swallowed nervously, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"Heh..."
The Asura Emperor sneered.
"So there are still ants foolish enough to stand in the way of the Nine Nether?"
He dismissed them completely.
"But since they dare block our path...
I am curious who they are.
Go.
Ask them their names."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A black-robed envoy shot toward the Ironflame formation and stood proudly before them.
"Send out your commander."
Neigh—!
A powerful warhorse's cry rang across the battlefield.
Accompanied by thunderous hoofbeats, a black warhorse leaped from the ranks and landed before the envoy.
Its rider wore a fearsome dragon-faced helmet.
Without speaking a word, he quietly observed the envoy.
The envoy frowned.
"Who are you people?
What gives you the courage to stand against the Nine Nether Army?
Even ants cherish their lives.
Why throw yours away?"
The general remained silent.
He simply urged his horse forward until he stood directly beside the envoy.
"Our conquest is inevitable.
As long as you kneel and become servants of the Nine Nether, you may still survive.
This is the only mercy our empire grants—"
Slash!
Before he could finish...
The general's saber flashed.
His head flew into the air.
Dark green blood sprayed across the battlefield.
The envoy's headless corpse collapsed to the ground.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Both the Nine Nether Army and the Ironflame Army froze.
The general slowly removed his helmet.
Revealing...
Shen Zhao's weathered face.
Yu Xiyan immediately covered her mouth to stop herself from crying out.
Su Yunying stared at the projection.
Compared to the carefree, easygoing Shen Zhao she knew today...
The man before her seemed burdened by countless years of hardship.
Her eyes gradually reddened.
"You dare kill my envoy?"
Even the Asura Emperor hadn't expected the opposing commander to execute his messenger without hesitation.
It was nothing less than a direct challenge to the entire Nine Nether.
"Order the vanguard!"
"Prepare for battle!"
"Crush these arrogant insects in one charge!"
At once, the vast Nether Army shifted formation.
The tide of darkness prepared to surge forward.
"Hmph."
Shen Zhao merely let out a contemptuous snort.
Turning his horse around, he galloped to the front of his army.
"Brothers!
You are the comrades I trust most!
You've followed me through countless battles without ever taking a single step backward!
Today...
I need your strength once again!"
"The moment you chose to march toward death with me...
our fates became one."
"I know you're afraid.
So am I.
Facing an unknown enemy this powerful...
only a fool wouldn't feel fear."
"But!"
"There is nowhere left for us to retreat!"
"Look behind you!"
"That...
is your homeland!"
"Your parents!
Your brothers and sisters!
Your wives!
Your children!
Generation after generation...
they have lived upon that land!"
"If we retreat today...
who will protect them?"
"Will you let your aging parents...
and your young wives and daughters...
pick up weapons and fight these monsters in your place?"
"Perhaps...
every one of us will die."
"Perhaps...
this defensive line will eventually fall."
"Perhaps...
our homeland will become nothing more than another mass grave beneath their blades."
"Perhaps...
the Nine Worlds are destined to sink into endless darkness."
"Perhaps...
the song of death will forever echo across the land we call home."
"But I tell you this!"
"As long as even one of us still stands here today..."
"That day..."
"Will never come!"
"Soldiers!"
"Raise your weapons!"
"Sharpen your spears!"
"Fasten your armor!"
"Gather your courage!"
"March into blood...
March into death...
and send these filthy beasts straight back to hell!"
"When the morning sun finally breaks through this darkness...
history will forever remember this day!"
"It will remember your sacrifice!"
"It will remember your glory!"
"It will remember that you saved this continent!"
"Now!"
"In the name of Shen Zhao, Commander of the Broken Army Command..."
"I order you!"
"HAAAH!!"
Shen Zhao's speech ignited every soldier's heart.
The fear that had gripped the Ironflame Army vanished.
In its place came an earth-shaking battle cry.
Shen Zhao raised the Broken Army Saber high into the air and pointed it toward the endless tide of Nether fiends.
"Ironflame Army!"
"CHARGE!!"
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)