Chapter 130: A Brilliant Strategy to Repel the Enemy

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The Demon King thrust the Thunder Halberd, forcing Thundercrow back a hundred feet, but Thundercrow gripped the blade tightly with both hands, preventing any fatal injury. Seeing this, the Demon King swung the halberd downward, sending Thundercrow flying. Fortunately, Pengxian arrived just in time, casting a spell to slow his descent and then catching him, saving his life.

Having been rescued, Thundercrow was temporarily safe and silently gestured his gratitude to Pengxian. Ouyang and Ye Sansi soared straight up to confront the Demon King. Ouyang attacked first; the Demon King withdrew his halberd, transforming it into a blade that lunged directly at the two.

Ye Sansi waved his hand, summoning thirty-six whirling blades of Heavenly Fury that surged upward to clash with the Demon King’s blade, buying Ouyang time. The Heavenly Fury held back the blade, allowing Ouyang to close in on the Demon King. The two had fought a millennium ago, and Ouyang was confident—he understood the Demon King’s strength and believed he held the advantage in a one-on-one duel.

But the Demon King’s power was formidable, and Ouyang gradually realized that the creature’s century-long cultivation was no idle effort. Likewise, Ouyang himself was not weak; driven to this desolate place by enemies, his heartache had slowly dissipated, and he had practiced diligently without a single day of slackening.

Seizing the moment, Ouyang unleashed the “Thought Divergence Technique,” a fierce strike that transformed into a swift hurricane aimed straight at the Demon King. Yet the Demon King, wary of this formidable opponent, remained alert, instantly detecting Ouyang’s attack and dodging accordingly.

What Ouyang did not know was that the Demon King’s progress over the thousand years had been remarkable. Enhanced by a treasured artifact from the demon realm, defeating him was no easy task.

Ye Sansi watched quietly, aware of the vast disparity between his own strength and the Demon King’s. To the great demon, his mortal body was as insignificant as an ant. Seeing his elder brother engaged in battle, he felt powerless to help and instead waited for the right moment to launch a surprise attack.

This technique harnessed divine power from within and was extremely forceful. Unbeknownst to the Demon King, he was caught off guard, his mind stunned and body immobilized.

Seeing this, Ouyang acted immediately, conjuring a sharp blade from thin air, shaped like a bone, its edge gleaming faintly red. In an instant, the blade pierced through the Demon King’s chest, then spun back, returning to Ouyang’s hand.

The Demon King had thought that dodging Ouyang’s deadly strike would allow him to counterattack, but to his surprise, Ye Sansi stood by his side. Sensing danger, Ye Sansi quickly cast a spell.

“Rule the World!”

Ouyang turned to Ye Sansi, saying, “Third brother, keep all these treasures. Having them will give you a chance to escape and survive in the future.”

Ye Sansi scratched his head with a smile, making no fuss. He reached out his palm, and the treasures dissolved into beams of light, absorbed into the Jade Bracelet.

As the Demon King’s breath halted and his magic ceased, he began to fall. Ouyang touched the wound with his palm, instantly using the Devouring Essence Technique to drain the Demon King’s remaining power. Pulling his hand away, the Demon King dissipated into smoke without leaving a trace.

Looking up, Ouyang saw several points of light in the air. He waved his hand, dispersing them into several treasures, including Thundercrow’s nemesis—the Thunder Halberd.

Before Thundercrow could speak, Ye Sansi lifted his hand and waved it. The Jade Bracelet emitted several beams of light that merged into the Thunder Halberd once more. With a light flick, it flew toward Thundercrow, who caught it steadily.

Thundercrow looked puzzled and asked, “What does this mean?”

The battle was urgent; there was no time to delay. Ye Sansi said nothing further and headed straight toward Pengxian and Thundercrow.

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Pengxian helped the injured Thundercrow to rest by the city wall defense line. Ye Sansi hovered in the air, locking eyes with Thundercrow.

“Conditions? This divine weapon is already in your hands. Whether you keep it or destroy it is your choice. Does it matter if I set conditions?”

Thundercrow was moved by Ye Sansi’s words. He felt the late king had treated him well, never withholding rewards, which was why he had devoted himself to serving him with all his strength. Yet, unexpectedly, there was still suspicion toward him, a hidden reserve.

Ye Sansi said, “This is your bane. I give it to you now. If you seek eternal life, simply destroy it...”

“And your condition?”

At Ye Sansi’s words, Thundercrow soared to the clouds. Suddenly, the sky darkened, lightning flashed, and thunder roared, enveloping the entire Demon Realm.

Pengxian and Ouyang tensed, watching the cloud-shrouded scene, ready to strike at any moment.

Thundercrow spoke slowly, “We only met today. Why treat me this way?”

“You are a demon and desire eternal life—that’s understandable. I want to believe your nature is not bad...”

All the enemy troops knew that only Thundercrow could summon this lightning phenomenon. Hearing their general’s command, they all ceased fighting. Ouyang signaled for a truce, and both sides paused.

Thundercrow continued, “The Great King is dead. I am the commanding general now. Hear my orders: all soldiers, withdraw!”

Ye Sansi waved his hand and smiled. “Big brother, second brother, no need to be so cautious. Just watch. Thundercrow intends to issue orders for a retreat.”

Sure enough, a voice echoed from the clouds: “All demon forces, cease the attack!”

The demons were cowed by Thundercrow’s presence, afraid to make a sound, even breathing cautiously. Thundercrow went on, “The heavy casualties are the Great King’s fault, his erratic commands disregarded our lives. This situation must be reported to the elders. I am the commanding general now; my orders are the king’s orders. The king commands retreat!”

His voice was strong and resonant, echoing throughout the Demon Realm. Not a single enemy soldier disobeyed. Under the various commanders’ leadership, the remaining thousand enemy soldiers finally left the Demon Realm.

One reckless demon beast shouted, “How can this be? We fought so hard—with nearly eighty percent casualties. We were on the verge of breaking through the enemy lines. General Lei, your order to retreat means thousands of our brothers died in vain!”

Thundercrow said nothing. A ball of lightning gathered amid the black clouds and struck down the demon. Though wounded, Thundercrow easily took the demon’s life. A flash of thunderbolt reduced the beast to a charred husk.

Ye Sansi remained silent, accepting the Thunder Halberd. He understood Thundercrow’s intentions: offering the divine weapon was a pledge of life, signaling his submission to Ye Sansi as lord.

Thundercrow glanced at Ouyang and said, “I served the rightful lineage. For a moment, I harbored ill intentions and rebelled alongside the old master. If only I had not back then...”

Now, the realm was littered with enemy corpses, with Thundercrow alone standing among the invaders.

He slowly descended and approached Ye Sansi, kneeling on one knee, holding the Thunder Halberd with both hands. “I accept your will. Though young, your aura is no less than the new king or old master. You are a great talent. I, Thundercrow, cannot compare and have no choice but to submit.”

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Ouyang hurriedly said, “No need, no need. I love this place and its demon inhabitants. They are not the outcasts you speak of; they are rarely lovable. Since the demon realm refuses their existence, I am willing to shelter them. Besides, the elders in the demon realm are loyal to the old master. After a thousand years, the demons trust him as king. I am the outsider—if I return, would I not stir trouble? Thundercrow, since you truly repent, listen to me: the Demon Realm’s innocents will never be harmed by us. You seek eternal life, and so do we—for peace.”

Thundercrow rose and clasped his fists respectfully. “Great King, I obey. When I return, I will report the old king’s failures to the elders, which caused the heavy casualties. The throne will be vacant. With my strength, I can claim the throne. After that, I will issue a death decree: no one from the demon realm may step into this land. Violators will be treated as traitors!”

Ouyang laughed, “General Lei, with such intentions, I will not blame you. Today you lifted the siege of the Demon Realm and saved my people’s lives. Let our grievances be wiped clean.”

“Great King!” Thundercrow knelt deeply before Ouyang, bowing his head. His voice was low and sincere. “I have greatly erred, terribly so. You remain the lord, the king. Why not return with me to the demon realm...”

The three kings finally exhaled in relief, collapsing onto the stone wall, exchanging smiles. Ouyang ordered the battlefield cleaned and the wounded tended. Unaware, dusk fell. Ye Sansi, truly exhausted, lay down on the stone wall and fell asleep. Pengxian and Ouyang, seeing this, also rested nearby, closing their eyes.

Repelling the demon army was a momentous event for the Demon Realm—the greatest battle in its centuries-long history. Though the Demon Realm suffered many casualties, the invading army fared far worse. Of five thousand great demons, nearly four thousand were killed or wounded, severely weakening the demon realm’s vitality.

Ouyang smiled, “This is excellent. Now that the army has withdrawn for some time, hurry up and chase them down. Don’t let them suspect. If they catch a weakness, it would harm the Demon Realm.”

“Understood, Great King. I shall take my leave. If you ever need my aid, send an envoy to the demon realm, and I will do my utmost.” With that, he soared into the sky and disappeared.

The next day, the kings held a banquet to celebrate the victory. The Demon Realm, having regained its former peace, wished to revel once more.

Though called a banquet, it was simply the rabbit demons preparing food, setting a large table in the royal hall, with fine wine procured from the human world. The scene felt genuine.

With Thundercrow’s submission, if he truly ascended the throne, they would no longer fear demon invasions and could seek lasting peace.

The victory was largely thanks to Ye Sansi’s great efforts.

The banquet guests were just Ouyang, Ye Sansi, and Pengxian—the three kings—a family gathering. They drank, ate, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. After a cup of wine, Ouyang smiled, “Third brother, you’ve been in the Demon Realm over a month now. You’re much better at ruling than I am.”

The generals and elders also relaxed, each given a bowl of fine wine from Qianhu. They were content and joyful, discussing the ferocity of the enemy’s attack and their heroic defense with hearty laughter.

Pengxian and the rabbit demons distributed food to the demon populace, ensuring everyone ate well, with each household merry.

Hearing Ouyang, Ye Sansi laughed too. “Second brother, you’re humble. To me, your kingly presence is unmatched. Your kindness and mercy, giving up the throne for the demons’ sake, make you better than me.”

Pengxian joked, “Third brother, are you afraid second brother will keep you here to govern the Demon Realm?”

Ye Sansi blushed, scratching his head shyly. “Maybe. It’s time to leave. My wife, children, and friends are waiting for me. A whole month without any news—I'm sure they’re worried...”

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