Battles were erupting all over the city. Some people were killed on the spot, their bodies stuffed into storage bags by the demons.
Others were rounded up by the Liu family’s army, tied with ropes like livestock, and herded into courtyards. After the fighting ended, they would all be taken to the Liu family to be slaughtered. After all, freshly killed living humans were better than decaying corpses.
In the quiet corners of some residences, in the bedrooms, many beautiful women were being defiled and ravaged by the Liu family. After the villains had vented their bestial desires, these pitiable women would be thrown into the courtyard, only to be killed with a single blow upon their return to the Liu family, becoming human-shaped spirit stones for Liu Naiweng’s cultivation.
In some grand households, the Liu family members were wildly plundering wealth and spirit stones. The Liu family was indeed wealthy, but only relative to their own vast scale. As for the armies below, especially the guest elders and rogue cultivators who had pledged allegiance, they were still quite poor.
They relished such plundering. Those who pledged allegiance to the Liu family were all profit-driven individuals with little sense of righteousness. One could hardly expect them to have high morals. These acts of rape and plunder were things they had always wanted to do but dared not, only venturing to do evil in places with few strong individuals.
Now, it was different. With the Liu family’s banner overhead, no one dared to resist them. Coupled with the Liu family’s orders for plunder, they could indulge their bestial desires without restraint.
When chaos descends and the wicked are powerful enough, the evil within their hearts will expand infinitely. Even those who were once considered good might have their deepest sinful desires awakened.
Evil, sin, these are things everyone desires; they are inherent nature. What controls these are either iron-fisted order or good education. Unfortunately, they possessed neither.
Hearing the wails around them, the Lucky Trio gnashed their teeth, wishing they could rush in and slaughter all the Liu family scoundrels. However, those who held high positions in the Thunder Emperor Hall were not impulsive simpletons. They understood that while they could save one or two people, they could not save everyone. Therefore, at this moment, they had to prioritize saving more important individuals to save more people in the future.
On the periphery, it was the Liu family members engaged in burning, killing, and looting. Inside, the demon army was fighting. Even the weakest of nations had some powerful individuals within their capital. These individuals were now defending the Imperial Palace.
But they failed to hold it. The Imperial Palace was in utter chaos, with battles erupting everywhere. Hong Lian and the other two quietly infiltrated the palace. On the outer fringes, even if they were spotted, they hadn’t taken action, and the Liu family merely treated them as their own, paying them no mind. However, once inside the Imperial Palace, it was no longer easy to fish in troubled waters. The combatants here were all demons, and anyone not a demon was an enemy.
They were quickly discovered by a powerful Resentful Demon. That Resentful Demon was extremely powerful, exuding the aura of a peak Nascent Soul realm cultivator. Moreover, demons generally possessed strong combat power and robust physiques, making them difficult opponents for cultivators of the same level, as the vanguard invasion forces dispatched to the Lei Feng Realm by the demons were all elites.
Without even engaging in combat, Hong Lian and the other two knew that they, three minor cultivators at the early stage of the lower Nascent Soul realm, were no match for the opponent. As the demon charged at them, the Lucky Trio became extremely nervous.
However, the Lucky Trio were, after all, pampered favorites of Lady Luck. While they were still debating whether to fight or flee, a cultivator engaged in battle with their opponent in the distance landed a heavy blow, sending the demon they were fighting flying away. Coincidentally, the direction of this flight was towards the Lucky Trio.
Without any surprise, the Resentful Demon facing the Lucky Trio was also sent flying away. The cultivator who had struck the blow yelled as they pursued their quarry. Hong Lian quickly asked, "Where is the King? We are from the Thunder Emperor Hall."
The cultivator stopped, turned back abruptly, and looked at them with immense joy. However, they had no time for further questions, assuming the reinforcements from the Thunder Emperor Hall had arrived. They merely stated that the King was still in the main hall before resuming the chase of their opponent.
The trio flew further into the Imperial Palace. Another Resentful Demon blocked their path, but before the demon could utter a word, a spear flew from the sky, pinning it directly to the ground. Who knew which unlucky cultivator, knocked away by their opponent during battle, had lost this spear?
All along the way, battles were everywhere. The trio narrowly avoided danger at every turn, constantly encountering various perils, yet all were "skillfully" resolved. Sometimes, enemies they encountered were blasted away by sudden divine abilities or individuals. Other times, enemies pursuing them would accidentally get trapped in the palace’s defensive formations. Most absurdly, the Lucky Trio personally witnessed a mighty, imposing Resentful Demon, about to cleave them with a single blow, suddenly suffer from severe diarrhea. With an embarrassing mishap, it fled in shame.
In short, the Lucky Trio navigated a perilous path, doing nothing but flying, and safely reached the main hall. Such luck was illogical and unreasonable, completely incomprehensible, akin to a meme.
Upon reaching the main hall, a group of nobles were surrounding a central figure clad in a blue imperial robe, presumably the King. Guards immediately rushed forward. However, all the capable fighters were already engaged in battle outside. These guards, with the strongest among them only at the Core Formation realm, trembled before the three "terrifying" Nascent Soul cultivators, forcing themselves to maintain their composure.
The demons and the Liu family actually cared little for kings and nobles. In their eyes, there were only strong enemies and weak livestock. Regardless of their status, they would all be cut down and taken away. The stronger the cultivator, the more potent the blood energy they provided, which the demons coveted. What about kings and nobles, what about prosperity and wealth? Here, the demons truly achieved equality for all beings. In the eyes of the demons, the lives of these people were far less valuable than those of the powerful individuals outside.
"Don't kill me, don't kill me, hero, spare my life."
"I am willing to offer all my wealth, just begging the esteemed Liu family to spare my life."
"I... I'll offer all my household slaves, just don't kill me, take them away."
"King, run quickly, escape!"
Inside the hall, it was a scene of utter chaos. Some cried, some shouted, and most were fleeing in all directions. Only a few loyal officials clustered around the King, urging him to flee quickly. Although the King was fearful, he forced himself to remain calm.
"Silence, everyone, be quiet! Look at yourselves, what has become of you? The enemy has invaded, and we, as kings and nobles, should face hardships with the nation, resist foreign enemies, not grovel and surrender! You used to speak of backbone and righteousness. Where is your backbone? Where is your righteousness?!"