Xuanwu flew in and roared at the sky. The darkness scattered, and the entire sky immediately turned crimson.
A rumbling sound came from the clouds, and then countless black meteorites, trailing flames, plummeted towards the ground.
Liu Shinian immediately leaped up, took out the Jade Water Pearl from his embrace, and flung it towards the sky. The Jade Water Pearl instantly expanded, forming a massive barrier.
The meteorites fell into the barrier as if dropping into the vast ocean.
The heat generated by the impact, combined with the water upon impact, caused them to disintegrate into white smoke.
Xuanwu exclaimed in surprise, "Jade Water Pearl! I didn't expect you to have obtained the Jade Water Pearl."
At this moment, Baihu rushed over from behind and said to him, "Xuanwu, let me handle this."
"Alright, second brother. Be careful."
"I will."
Xuanwu retreated, and the Jade Water Pearl automatically retracted, falling back into Liu Shinian's hand.
Baihu scurried around, observed for a moment, then found an opportune moment to exhale the Frostbite Ice downwards.
Meanwhile, Ye Changfeng seized the chance to unleash the Earth Fire Pearl. The Earth Fire Pearl flew into mid-air, emitting a torrent of flames that surged towards the Frostbite Ice.
The Frostbite Ice, upon encountering the raging flames, was instantly vaporized by the scorching heat.
Baihu, unwilling to concede, roamed about and exhaled Frostbite Ice again. The Earth Fire Pearl followed his movements, unleashing multiple streams of fire towards him.
"Be careful!" Qinglong shouted.
Although Baihu dodged in time, he was grazed on the arm by the Earth Fire. He hadn't expected the Earth Fire Pearl to attack him so aggressively.
He immediately retreated, and the Earth Fire Pearl, sensing the danger had passed, returned to Ye Changfeng's hand.
Seeing that even the City Lord of Nanhai City couldn't withstand this, Ye Changfeng's mind conceived a new plan.
Baihu, injured, returned to his companions and sighed, "I didn't expect them to have obtained the Earth Fire Pearl as well."
Qinglong sighed softly.
"It seems fate has decreed these treasures belong to them. Since that is the case, for Beishendu, for the four cities, we shall no longer hold back. Let us unleash our slaughter."
Although the others felt this course of action was somewhat inappropriate, they nodded nonetheless, deciding to commence their massacre.
The four then soared into the sky and vanished into the darkness. A flash of white light followed.
Subsequently, the four descended from the clouds, drew their swords, and attacked their opponents without mercy.
At this moment, Huang Shang, the Mountain Lord of Yelai Mountain, witnessing the four City Lords unleashing their slaughter with such ease, disregarded his own life.
He leaped forward and swung his saber at Qinglong. Qinglong parried with his sword, delivering a powerful slash that severed Huang Shang's saber.
He then moved forward, slitting Huang Shang's throat. Blood splattered instantly, flowing uncontrollably.
Huang Shang's eyes widened in fury. His final cry before death was, "The Alliance will win!"
Qinglong, annoyed by the declaration, thrust his sword, sending Huang Shang flying.
Ye Emei, the Mountain Lord of Emei Mountain, who was fighting fiercely nearby, was a long-time friend of Huang Shang.
Seeing Huang Shang's tragic demise, he was filled with immense grief and shouted,
"Huang Shang!"
Then, witnessing the four City Lords slaughtering relentlessly, with no one able to stop them, he flew forward and swung his sword. Xuanwu sidestepped, allowing Ye Emei's sword to pass.
He then delivered a kick, sending Ye Emei sprawling to the ground, and raised his sword to pierce him.
Ye Emei died with a smile of relief, for like Huang Shang, he firmly believed the Alliance would prevail.
Xian Ling'er, who was still fighting nearby, immediately flew out and stood before them. Baihu recognized him and exclaimed in slight surprise.
"General Xian, you've returned."
Xian Ling'er smiled slightly and replied, "As long as the four cities stand, how could I possibly die?"
"Since that is the case, then come. This battle will surely have one victor."
With that, they both drew their swords and attacked. Although Xian Ling'er was far inferior to Baihu, his thousand years of cultivation had indeed made him much more formidable than before.
The other City Lords, seeing the two engaged in combat, paid them no mind and returned to their killing.
At this moment, Thirteen Niang, watching from afar, was filled with panic. She knew Xian Ling'er was no match for the City Lord of Nanhai City.
She flew over to join Xian Ling'er in confronting Baihu.
Watching my brothers fall one after another behind me, my heart was filled with sorrow. I had still failed to stop them.
With renewed effort, I unleashed a combination of "Dragon's Roar" and "Crimson Blood Break."
Liu Xiang conjured a powerful gust of wind to counter the moves. At that moment, Wan Gui Wang emerged from the side and attacked him.
Liu Xiang blocked the blow with his fan and swung it forcefully, repelling Wan Gui Wang.
I seized the opportunity to attack. He turned and swung his fan at me. I had already anticipated this, deliberately moving left and right to engage the fan.
At this moment, Wan Gui Wang attacked from behind him. He turned to engage Wan Gui Wang.
I seized the chance, drawing my sword with my left hand to fight him. His bone fan returned to his hand. As he was about to swing it, I lunged forward with my right hand, my sword piercing his chest.
He looked at me with disbelief, "You... you did it."
I yanked my sword out fiercely but saw no blood, which perplexed me. Liu Xiang laughed heartily and said to me,
"Did you really think you could kill me? I am immortal."
I was astonished but quickly regained my composure and said to him,
"I have fulfilled my promise to you, and you should honor yours."
He nodded and replied,
"Very well, if I were not immortal, your strike might have indeed ended me.
Since that is the case, a bet is a bet. I shall send you back to the human world now."
"Wait!" I quickly called out to him.
"Have you changed your mind?" he asked.
"I cannot return yet. However, you promised not to hinder me from fighting the four City Lords."
He paused for a moment, then smiled, "You cannot win against them."
"If I could win against you, I can win against them."
"Since you are so confident, then I shall let you go."
With that, he waved his hand, and the fiery winds and circles of fire vanished. Seeing that he was no longer an obstacle,
I, along with Wan Gui Wang, departed to confront the four City Lords.
At this moment, Aluda, the Mountain Lord of Dazhi Mountain, Jixiao Hai, the Mountain Lord of Jiji Mountain, and Feng Wen Yue, the Mountain Lord of Fengxiang Mountain, rushed forward to intercept the three City Lords.
The three of them swung their swords at Qinglong, Zhuque, and Xuanwu.
The three City Lords exchanged no words. With a single strike each, they cut down the three mountain lords.
By the time Wan Gui Wang and I arrived, three corpses already lay on the ground. Enraged, I leaped forward and slashed at Qinglong.
However, his armor was unlike any other; it was incredibly resilient. My slash failed to even chip a piece of it.
The three turned back, surprised, and guessed that I might have defeated Liu Xiang. They began to take me seriously.
Qinglong returned his sword, and I leaped, slashing at him with the Crimson Blood Sword. As our swords clashed, a dark energy erupted from the Crimson Blood Sword and coiled around Qinglong.
At this moment, Xuanwu attacked with his sword, disrupting our fight. Wan Gui Wang observed for a moment before deciding to join the fray and engage Xuanwu.
Meanwhile, Zhuque, seeing that the situation was handled, turned and charged towards the alliance army.
The mountain lords, witnessing their brothers fall one after another, and with the Ghost King, the Demon King, and others engaged in their own battles, were unable to deal with Zhuque.
The mountain lords naively believed that with superior numbers and some strategy, they could defeat the King of Xizi Country and achieve victory.
Thus, Junzi Yi, the Mountain Lord of Magan Mountain, Qian Zixing, the Mountain Lord of Qianhui Mountain, Xue Xiangyun, the Mountain Lord of Xuezhi Mountain, and Jiulong Yi, the Mountain Lord of Jiulong Mountain.
You Shenzhi, the Mountain Lord of Bulao Mountain, and Tailan Zhiji, the Mountain Lord of Tailan Mountain, six mountain lords, jointly attacked the King of Xizi Country, Zhuque.
Junzi Yi first flung a large net, ensnaring Zhuque. Subsequently, the other mountain lords threw ropes, binding Zhuque tightly.
Then, they drew their swords and began hacking at him, but after a long time, they inflicted no damage, not even scratching his armor.
Zhuque smiled slightly, "Mere rats, thinking of killing me, how naive."
He then broke free from the ropes, swiftly drew his sword, and spun around. Before the others could react, blood splattered onto Zhuque's body. With his last iota of unwillingness, he fell to the ground, dead.
Zhuque wiped the blood from his face and spoke to the corpses of the mountain lords,
"Do not blame me. As the saying goes, the victor is king, and the vanquished are bandits.
Since you took to the battlefield, it was either you or me who would live. I hope you will live better lives in your next lives and not follow anyone to your demise."
With that, he turned and left.
At this moment, after an unknown duration of fighting, the sky began to turn red. The night seemed to have passed too quickly.
Suddenly, with the dawn, everyone heard a thunderous roar of battle cries.
Suddenly, a yellow-clad army of hundreds of thousands, led by tens of thousands of Beishendu soldiers clad in golden armor, appeared.
Lin'er looked up and saw that this massive force was approaching from behind our army. He shouted, "Not good! Not good!"
Elder Hei Yi observed closely and realized that although the army was entirely male, it comprised individuals of all ages, and their weapons were varied. He suddenly understood and exclaimed in shock,
"I never expected Beishendu to commit their entire city to this battle to win. Truly unexpected, truly unexpected."
Elder Wangu, looking at the surging Beishendu populace, looked up at the heavens and roared in anger,
"Heaven, are you truly intent on destroying my Ghost魅 clan? My Ghost魅 clan has suffered persecution for thousands of years. Is this not enough? Is this not enough?"
Elder Mo Xuefu also appeared ashen-faced and lifeless. He gazed at the countless casualties among the alliance army on the plain.
Seeing that nearly 150,000 of Beishendu's more than 200,000 soldiers had been lost, the situation was under our control.
Then, suddenly, hundreds of thousands of troops appeared from the rear. Now we had no reinforcements available. This was surely the end for the painstakingly united three alliances.
At the thought of this, his heart was pierced with agony, and he spat out a mouthful of old blood. Elder Zhu Liuyun rushed to support him and said,
"It's alright. Since we have come this far, whether we live or die, we must stand with the Ghost魅 clan, with the Ghost King and the Demon King, sharing life and death."
Mo Xuefu felt somewhat comforted by his words. Regardless of life or death, they would face it together with the Ghost魅 clan.
At this moment, the Beishendu army had already charged into the formation, slaughtering our soldiers. Qinglong looked back at the arriving reinforcements, his heart filled with excitement, and said to me,
"Myriad Demon King, our army has arrived. Your alliance's fate is sealed. Surrender."
I struck with my sword and replied firmly, "Never surrender, unless I die."
"So stubborn," he said, swinging his sword.
At this moment, seeing the charging Beishendu reinforcements, over a dozen mountain lords personally rode forth to meet them.
Among them were Feng Xiaoyi, the Mountain Lord of Qiling Mountain; Baili Wenqing, the Mountain Lord of Baili Mountain; Haoyue Lan, the Mountain Lord of Dayuan Mountain; and Kudeng, the Mountain Lord of Wangyue Mountain.
Mo Yinti, the Mountain Lord of Biefeng Mountain; Guihai Cheng, the Mountain Lord of Guihai Mountain; and Qing Feiyu, the Mountain Lord of Qingniao Mountain.
Yuri Jie, the Mountain Lord of Youli Mountain; Feilu Jue, the Mountain Lord of Feilu Mountain; Hua Baiye, the Mountain Lord of Baihua Mountain; Situ Ma, the Mountain Lord of Zhitou Mountain; and Howard, the Mountain Lord of Guogu Mountain.
Without further ado, both sides spurred their horses forward and engaged in combat. At this moment, Ai Qing, a Beishendu general from the rear,
Seeing that the number of soldiers coming to meet them was not large, he gave a signal to the leader in front.
The leader understood and deliberately feigned defeat, then led a few men to retreat towards the rear.
The over a dozen mountain lords, burning with rage, gave chase without hesitation. Seeing them flee so swiftly,
Feng Xiaoyi swung his sword forcefully, striking one down. As the others rushed over, he had just retrieved his sword.
When he heard someone laughing loudly not far away, "Hahaha, your death day has arrived! Fire arrows!"
Immediately, the ambushing Beishendu forces drew their bows and fired at them. Feng Xiaoyi exclaimed in shock,
"Not good, there's an ambush! Let's go!"
As they were about to flee, they found themselves surrounded. The incoming arrows rained down like a torrential downpour. Feng Xiaoyi frantically swung his sword, deflecting them left and right.
However, the other three mountain lords, Mo Yinti, Feilu Jue, and Yuri Jie, who were on the flanks, were the first to be hit.
Seeing that escape was impossible, they abandoned their swords and used their bodies as shields for the others.
Eventually, their strength failed, and they fell to the ground, pierced by multiple arrows.
Everyone cried out, "Mountain Lord Mo! Mountain Lord Fei! Mountain Lord Yuri!"
Haoyue Lan considered using his swift footwork to break through.
However, he then thought that he had not practiced his swordsmanship well enough and would likely be stabbed to death before he could even get close.
He glanced at the person giving the orders, thinking that he would exert all his strength to cut him down later.
At this moment, he heard someone behind him shout, "Continue firing!"
Then, thousands upon thousands of arrows flew towards them. The others, with no time to mourn, could only desperately hack at the arrows. At this moment, Guihai Cheng and Howard were also hit by multiple arrows and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the others became even more enraged, and they all spurred their horses forward to break through.
However, their horses had already been riddled with arrows. They fell to the ground after only a few steps, unable to rise. The others were also hit by several arrows.
Despite this, they still struggled to their feet and fought their way forward. At this moment, another volley of arrows was fired, and the four mountain lords on the left were all shot dead.
They were Kudeng, Qing Feiyu, Tailan Zhiji, and Hua Baiye.
Only Haoyue Lan and Feng Xiaoyi remained. Feng Xiaoyi had an arrow in his arm.
He also had an arrow in his leg. Haoyue Lan was luckier, with only an arrow in his arm.
At this moment, Ai Qing, the Beishendu general, shouted, "Everyone, attack together and kill them."
"Yes."
They immediately charged from all sides. Haoyue Lan and Feng Xiaoyi fought fiercely, killing ten men each before Ai Qing sneakily stabbed Feng Xiaoyi with a spear.
Haoyue Lan cried out in grief, "Brother Feng!"
He then used all his strength, unleashing his swift footwork, and lunged forward, stabbing Ai Qing with his sword. However, he was then stabbed in the back by someone behind him with a long spear and died.
Thus, all twenty-four mountain lords bravely perished.