The Demon Realm and the Five Realms Alliance were bound to clash.
Chen Fan and Sword Master, among others, could not prevent it; instead, they had to fan the flames.
Sword Master nodded, "Before coming, Chi Lian gave me something to send messages. But I suspect it might have a hidden trap, and the Demon Emperor might discover it."
"Naturally," Chen Fan readily agreed with Sword Master's suspicion.
"None of them are good people. We are certainly under the Demon Emperor's surveillance. Any slight move we make will be detected. However... I don't think you're the only one sending messages. The Five Realms Alliance must have other spies, and I guarantee the Demon Emperor has already noticed and is waiting for them to transmit the information."
A sharp intake of breath. Sword Master hadn't even considered this. "So, Chi Lian is betraying me?"
"Not necessarily." Chen Fan continued, "Just remember to watch and wait, and betray them at the critical moment. As long as we don't act, the Demon Emperor won't dare to do anything to us. We just need to wait... Don't worry, someone will definitely send the message."
"Alright," Sword Master nodded. He accepted this line of reasoning.
Next, it was time to wait.
...
While Chen Fan and Sword Master were discussing, the Demon Emperor was with Emperor Yang in the Emperor's Palace. Before them was a treasured mirror. Within the mirror, Chen Fan and others, along with those Seventh-Tier powerhouses, were all present. He was truly observing.
"Will there really be spies?" Emperor Yang asked.
"Certainly." The Demon Emperor was a hundred percent sure. "Don't worry, someone will transmit the message soon."
"Do you suspect anyone?"
"Two people," the Demon Emperor nodded, but did not reveal their identities. Suspicion was enough.
On the mirror's surface, Chen Fan and the others, including Sword Master, were drinking and chatting about trivial matters or cultivation.
"They are communicating," Emperor Yang noticed something amiss.
The Demon Emperor glanced at Emperor Yang... you only just noticed? He didn't say that these two were among his suspects.
Just then... in the mirror, a Seventh-Tier Great Emperor suddenly transformed into a wisp of smoke. Then, the smoke slowly reformed into the image of the same Seventh-Tier Great Emperor. A dissipation, a return, all happening in an instant.
"Is it him?" Killing intent flashed in Emperor Yang's eyes.
The Demon Emperor remained silent, continuing to watch the mirror. Unfortunately, until dawn, no one else made any suspicious moves.
"Only one?" The Demon Emperor frowned. He found it hard to believe. One was too risky.
For the next few days, the Demon Emperor continued his observations. Three days later, a second person appeared, also a Seventh-Tier Great Emperor.
"This is more like it," the Demon Emperor was satisfied. At least two, perhaps more... but he wasn't going to wait any longer. The time was almost right. The only regret was that he hadn't discovered the true strength of the Eighth-Tier. However, with no unusual activity in these few days, he felt a little more at ease. Perhaps, he was just being overly cautious.
Another day passed.
Before they were about to set off, Emperor Yang still asked his question, "Fellow Daoist Wan Mo, since this is a trap, why don't we inform them of the exact time of action?" He had wanted to ask this for days.
"Heh," Wan Mo smiled slightly. "Xue Sha is highly suspicious. If we tell them the exact time of action, he will surely become suspicious." Wan Mo was very familiar with Xue Sha and knew his personality. How could someone who could rally the Five Realms Alliance against the Demon Realm be simple?
"Alright," Wan Mo stood up and put away the treasure mirror. He laughed, "It's time for the great expedition. Let's see how many big fish we can lure out this time. I'm already eager." He couldn't wait any longer. The Demon Realm also couldn't wait any longer to conquer the East. They had waited too long to conquer the East.
"Let's go." The Demon Emperor took the lead and walked out of the Emperor's Palace. Emperor Yang followed quickly behind him.
"Everyone," Emperor Yang's voice then echoed in the ears of all the powerhouses. "Please quickly gather in front of the Emperor's Palace. We are preparing to depart."
*Boom.*
Powerful auras surged into the sky. The majestic auras shook the heavens and the earth. Chen Fan and the others also ascended into the air, and they quickly rushed towards the Emperor's Palace. Soon, everyone was gathered.
As the crowd converged, the Demon Emperor and Emperor Yang floated in the air, their voices booming, "The Demon Lord has sent word. The time has come. Today, we... depart."
"Haha." Accompanied by bursts of laughter, powerful auras filled the heavens and the earth.
"Let's go." There were no extra words. No vows before dispatching troops. They left as soon as they were ready. After so many days of waiting, everyone was prepared for a great battle.
...
The Demon Realm.
Powerful auras filled the heavens and the earth.
"Depart." With a single command from the Demon Lord, everyone surged into the sky. This time, the Demon Realm had almost been emptied. Except for two Great Emperors left behind to guard against any enemy attacks, everyone had been mobilized. There was no need to wait any longer.
The Demon Lord's figure was towering, like a demonic god suppressing chaos. This was the Demon Lord, a supreme being of immense divine power.
*Rumble.*
The auras reverberated through the heavens and earth, heading towards the Thunder Domain. The Demon Realm and the Hellish Yang Realm, both set off simultaneously. And these were merely the overt movements. There must be clandestine operations as well.
The Demon Lord's gaze turned towards the Blood Killing Realm, a ferocious battle intent flashing in his eyes. "Blood Killing, are you ready?" You... will definitely make a move, won't you? A smile played on his lips. This time, using the Thunder Domain as bait, as long as the plan wasn't exposed prematurely, the Five Realms Alliance would surely fall into the trap.
...
The Blood Killing Realm.
Five ethereal figures once again gathered in the Blood Killing Realm.
"They've moved," Emperor Blood Killing's expression was grim. "This time, the Demon Realm has almost come out in full force."
"..." The hall was silent. For a long time, no one spoke. Everyone was waiting, waiting for Blood Killing to make a decision. Blood Killing was the core of the Five Realms Alliance, and his intelligence was extremely high. They would agree with any decision made by Blood Killing.
"Prepare yourselves," Blood Killing sighed. "This time, we'll engage in a lightning war. There's a thirty percent chance of breaking through the Thunder Domain. It seems Emperor Yu Hua has given the Demon Realm something that gives them confidence to take down the Thunder Domain. Therefore... we cannot wait any longer. We cannot sit idly by."
"Has the great war arrived early?" Empress Bai Hua sighed. Her Bai Hua Realm only wished to live in peace. But the domineering nature of the Demon Realm forced her to join the Five Realms Alliance. If she hadn't joined, the Bai Hua Realm would have been destroyed. Or perhaps it would have fallen under the Demon Realm's control. Within the Five Realms Alliance, there was still considerable freedom. Aside from dealing with the Demon Realm, no one cared what you did.
"Chi Lian," Blood Killing suddenly looked at one of the ethereal figures and asked, "Has Sword One sent any news back yet?"
"No." Chi Lian was also helpless. Even the Seventh-Tier powerhouses had sent back messages, yet Sword One remained silent. This made him suspect, what was Sword One's intention?