The Earth Demon harbored numerous grievances against the Sky Demon, all of which the Sky Demon was acutely aware of.
He paid them no mind.
These complaints were insignificant in the face of the grand scheme he was plotting.
"One more month, just one more month."
The Sky Demon's eyes burned with fanaticism as he muttered to himself.
...
Xuanji Sect.
Xu Yi, who was conversing with Ji Buwang, frowned, her expression growing a shade paler.
"What is it?" Ji Buwang asked.
Xu Yi shook her head. "I don't know why, but I suddenly feel a sense of unease. Perhaps I'm just too tense."
After the seal was broken, the Kyushu Continent remained remarkably calm, without a ripple of disturbance. This unusual stillness, however, only made people more anxious.
Even Xu Yi, who believed she had made thorough preparations, could not help but feel a pang of apprehension.
Ji Buwang comforted her. "Righteousness has always triumphed over evil. The demons will not succeed."
Xu Yi looked at Ji Buwang, her gaze shifting slightly.
She still remembered how Ji Buwang had once suspected her identity and had come to her side incognito to investigate her.
But at some point, Ji Buwang had developed absolute trust in her, and now supported her every decision wholeheartedly.
This time, in establishing the Kyushu Alliance, Ji Buwang had poured much of his energy into it, neglecting his own cultivation to the extent that his power level had caught up to Xu Yi's.
Xu Yi suddenly asked, "Do you believe we will ultimately win?"
Ji Buwang nodded, his conviction unwavering. "Of course."
The name of the Demon Exterminator Ancestor would once again echo throughout the Kyushu Continent.
Xu Yi and Ji Buwang exchanged a glance and smiled in unison.
The formal assault by the demon race commenced in the pre-dawn hours one month later.
A vast demon army surged across the border of Zhuzhou and into the adjacent Shizhou, advancing at breakneck speed towards Zhongzhou along the Shizhou route.
Zhongzhou was the heart of the Kyushu Continent; control of Zhongzhou meant control of almost the entire continent.
The demons' ambition was undisguised.
Concurrently, the southern Shenzhou stirred.
Tens of thousands of demonic beasts, led by the Eight-tailed White Fox, advanced with heads held high towards Yangzhou.
Their ultimate target was also Zhongzhou.
As soon as the demon and beast races made their move, all members of the Kyushu Alliance received the news.
Under the moonlight, the disciples of Xuanji Sect gathered on the sect's plaza.
Ji Buwang stood on a high platform, gazing at the disciples below, their eyes firm. He spoke with gravitas, "The great battle is about to begin. Disciples of Xuanji Sect, heed my command: we will defend Kyushu with our lives!"
"We will defend Kyushu with our lives!"
"We will defend Kyushu with our lives!"
"We will defend Kyushu with our lives!"
...
Shizhou, Myriad Buddha Sect, before the Heavenly Staircase.
The Buddhist Son Hong Jing, clad in a kasaya and holding a dharma staff, possessed gentle features.
Barefoot, he walked step by step towards Shenzhou, a smile on his face.
Behind him followed all the Buddhist cultivators of the Myriad Buddha Sect.
They chanted Buddhist scriptures softly, their steps unhurried.
The duty of the Myriad Buddha Sect was to eradicate demons and uphold righteousness.
They were the first line of defense against the demon army.
This was a request proactively made by Hong Jing, the Buddhist Son of the Myriad Buddha Sect.
...
Beast Taming Sect.
A long procession snaked its way down from the mountain gate.
True Master Chang Shou sat cross-legged on the broad carapace of his contracted spirit beast, Xuanwu.
Listening to the roars of beasts rising and falling behind him, he closed his eyes, his demeanor serene.
Within the vast procession, Xiong Zhuang Zhuang stood on Xiong Da's shoulder, his expression solemn.
He gazed into the distance, his heart pounding like a drum, a surge of battle intent filling him.
The Myriad Buddha Sect was the first line of defense against the demons; the Beast Taming Sect was the first line of defense against the demonic beasts.
Since graduating from Kunlun Academy, Xiong Zhuang Zhuang had returned to the Beast Taming Sect to cultivate diligently.
He had also put aside his plans to propose to the Grand Artifact Sect.
Yu Xiaoyu would understand him.
Just as he trusted Yu Xiaoyu.
Only when Kyushu was at peace could he and Yu Xiaoyu finally be united as husband and wife.
He reached for the communication disk at his waist and murmured, "Xiaoyu, wait for me."
...
"Strange, where have those damned humans gone! We can't find a single one!"
"That's right! We've nearly turned the ground upside down, and still, we can't find them!"
"What do humans even look like? Do they have eight legs!"
The demons were currently bewildered.
After the seal was broken, they had expected to see the light of day again and unleash their slaughter. They had been filled with excitement and restless energy.
However, several days passed without any attack orders.
They could only watch the adjacent Shizhou from afar, yet dared not take a single step.
Finally, when the Sky Demon's order arrived, they had excitedly invaded Shizhou. Yet, as they marched, they hadn't seen a single human hair.
It was as if humans had vanished from the continent.
They were unaware of the ancient saying: "First blow drives courage; second blow makes courage fade; third blow makes courage utterly exhausted."
But they knew that their current feelings were vastly different from before, and their morale had plummeted.
The Earth Demon, watching with anxiety, couldn't help but secretly complain to the Sky Demon again.
If the Sky Demon hadn't delayed his orders, giving the humans time to react, would they be in this situation?
The Sky Demon merely sneered, unhurried.
The Kyushu Continent was vast, but it had its limits. They could hide for a time, but not forever.
When the moment arrived, they would inevitably encounter each other.
Therefore, the Sky Demon felt no urgency.
His guess proved correct. Two days later, the demon army halted for the first time.
"Seeking their own doom."
The Earth Demon blinked in surprise, then sneered derisively.
The demon army, however, became somewhat agitated.
"Are those Buddhist cultivators?"
"They must be! Look at their bald heads! They even reek! It's repulsive!"
"Why are they sitting here? Are they here to stop us? How incredibly overconfident."
The demon army was a vast, endless tide.
Yet, the Buddhist cultivators numbered only a few hundred.
The disparity was evident at a glance.
The demons couldn't comprehend why these Buddhist cultivators would willingly court death.
However, they had no intention of digging for answers or understanding the reason.
They only wanted to kill.
Countless greedy eyes converged on the Buddhist cultivators.
Hong Jing felt the malice radiating towards him, yet his smile remained unchanged.
He planted his dharma staff firmly into the ground, then raised his voice as his chanting began.
A faint golden light emanated from him, connecting with the other Buddhist disciples. The golden light blazed, dispelling the darkness and illuminating half the night sky.
The demon army began to stir.
They did not wish to listen, but the chanting drilled into their ears, disturbing their peace.
Furthermore, they found the golden light unbearable, causing their heads to throb.
Many demons whose lifespans were less than a thousand years finally understood why their predecessors had such a deep-seated hatred for Buddhist cultivators.
Buddhist cultivators were innately their natural enemies.
The Earth Demon, whose cultivation had reached the Mahayana stage, was also affected, but only to a limited extent.
His expression darkened, killing intent blazing in his eyes, but he still restrained himself from seeking the Sky Demon's opinion.
The Sky Demon cast a cold glance at him. "Advance. Crush them."
The Earth Demon rejoiced and shouted, "Advance!"
The Earth Demon's voice drowned out the chanting, allowing the demons a moment of respite. Immediately, they let out strange cries and charged towards the Buddhist cultivators of the Myriad Buddha Sect.
With more demons than opportunities, they feared being outmaneuvered.
In an instant, the ranks of the demon army began to show signs of disarray.