Chapter 132: Besieging the Demon Palace

As expected of a Demon General, the aura of malice radiating from him was formidable.

Moreover, I could perceive a terrifying murderous intent emanating from his massive blade. Malignant energy drains the vitality of the living, and the Demon General’s blade was designed to harvest life; a single strike would surely drain one’s vitality until death.

He moved with extreme speed, shrouded in black mist—an illusionary barrier woven from his malignant energy. He intended to trap me with his sorcery before finishing me off with his dark blade.

It seemed my previous strike had forced him to take me seriously.

In a short span, he attacked me several times, yet his blade could not come within range of my body. The ground, however, was carved with several deep furrows from his misses.

He grew frustrated.

I decided it was time.

Suddenly, my footwork shifted rapidly. I employed the most basic Seven-Star Steps taught to me by Daoist Li, and to my surprise, they were faster than I had anticipated.

In an instant, I was within two feet of the Demon General.

At such close range, he had no room to swing his massive blade. Seeing me appear, he was startled and immediately summoned a swirl of black mist, hoping to blind me so he could retreat.

But how could I grant him such an opportunity?

Before his mist could fully coalesce, I had already formed the Five-Thunder Palm seal. The thunderbolt within my palm did not disperse; instead, it condensed into a single point, and I struck him directly in the center of his forehead.

The malignant energy he released, intended to drain my life force, was thwarted by the Qingping Sword on my back; it did not allow it, and a sword aura surged out on its own, absorbing all the malice into the blade.

The next second, the Demon General's head was shattered by my thunderous strike, scattering into pieces across the ground.

The scene was grisly.

When the Demon General hit the ground, he was nothing more than a headless corpse.

This was truly beyond my expectations. I had assumed a single palm strike would at most shatter his vital meridian or destroy his nascent soul; I had not imagined it would blow his head apart.

As the black smoke dissipated, the opposing Demon Soldiers halted in their tracks. These soldiers possessed no independent consciousness, yet at that moment, even their demonic hearts trembled with hesitation.

However, their mission was to exterminate the Phoenix Clan in the Wutong Forest. After a brief moment of hesitation, they instinctively formed a tactical formation.

Malignant energy began to condense within their ranks.

"Kill the demonic slaves! Leave none alive!"

The Demon Soldiers' eyes turned a deep crimson. Roaring like madmen, they surged toward us.

In my previous attacks—whether dealing with the soldiers or destroying the general—I felt my Five-Thunder Palm had not reached its full potential; a large portion of its power had remained untapped. With all the Demon Soldiers gathered now, it was the perfect time to test it.

This footwork is known as the "Pacing the Dipper."

Daoist Li was not only well-versed in the arts of Dragon-Tiger Mountain; he knew the techniques of almost every school. He believed the Five-Thunder Palm could only reach its maximum effect when paired with the Maoshan Sect's Great Miluo Stride. Naturally, this footwork was more complex than the Seven-Star Stride.

However, it was well-suited for this moment.

Thinking of this, I immediately stepped into the Great Miluo Stride while simultaneously forming the Five-Thunder Palm in my palm. There were over two thousand Demon Soldiers charging at me like maniacs, and just as the members of the Phoenix Clan behind me were preparing to join the fray, I completed the Great Miluo Stride and leaped into the air.

As my hand seals shifted, the full force of the Five-Thunder Palm converged into my right hand. I struck downward, slamming it into the ground before me.

A thunderous boom erupted, truly like lightning from the nine heavens.

The shockwave raced along the ground.

As far as the eye could see, the ground was instantly covered in a web of thunder and lightning. Following that came the rhythmic crackling and booming.

When I withdrew my palm and looked forward, all the Demon Soldiers lay fallen on the ground.

The malignant energy within them had been completely dissipated, leaving no chance for survival.

Behind me, the members of the Phoenix Clan were stunned. Shancha walked over and said, "Lin Yi, those were three thousand Demon Soldiers, and you wiped them out with one palm..."

The old matriarch also approached, smiling slightly as she said, "To others, this might be earth-shattering and ghost-weeping, but for him, it is merely a light gesture."

I said nothing, for this was only the beginning.

The Phoenix Clan being freed from slavery was not enough.

To find my love, this was far from enough.

To stop Er Pang, to bring him back from the hands of the demons and turn him back into the Er Pang I knew, this was also far from enough!

The old matriarch then said, "As long as the Demon Palace stands, our Phoenix Clan will never be free. But the three Palace Lords of the Demon Palace are all in the Gui-Xu realm. In the Wutong Ancient Land, there are thirty thousand Demon Soldiers and three thousand Demon Generals. The three Palace Lords guard the palace, and two thousand Demon Generals are stationed there as well. How are we to attack the Demon Palace?"

The old matriarch had told me this situation before.

But I had no other choice on this journey; I had to take the Demon Palace, and I had to obtain that item of the Demon Tribe. Otherwise, Er Pang’s fate would be irreversible.

At the root of it, this was actually my private matter.

The Phoenix Clan had preserved their strength, enduring in silence for a millennium; truthfully, I should not have asked them to risk their lives with me.

I deeply understood the old matriarch's feelings, so I said to her, "Old Matriarch, Shancha will lead you away from the Wutong Ancient Land. The world is vast, and there will surely be a place for you. Perhaps you can find a sanctuary like the Wutong Forest."

"Master, you have misunderstood me. Though the Phoenix Clan has been enslaved for a thousand years, we have no slave mentality. I can guarantee that not one of the Phoenix people behind me is a coward! There will never be a second Wutong Forest in this world, nor any other place that can truly hold us!"

"Today, the Phoenix Clan will join you, Master, in laying siege to the Demon Palace. Not a single one of us will regret it. We are committed to the end, even unto death!"

When I looked at these Phoenix clansmen, they shouted in unison:

"Committed unto death, with no regrets!"

I was moved.

They had placed all their hope in me. This battle meant I had to take the Wutong Demon Palace. I had no other choice—for Er Pang, for the Phoenix Clan, and for Weiyang!

I clenched my fists.

I gave the order: "Siege the Demon Palace!"

"Siege the Demon Palace!"

Six thousand Phoenix clansmen roared, and their morale soared instantly.

We led the Phoenix clansmen across the canyon, marching straight toward the Demon Palace.

With six thousand strong, we slaughtered any Demon Soldiers we encountered on the way.

It was an unstoppable force!

Inside the Demon Palace, news had already arrived.

"My Lords, it is bad! Among the demonic slaves, there is one who is incredibly powerful. Just moments ago, he single-handedly wiped out three thousand of our soldiers and one of our Demon Generals. Now, he is leading six thousand of the Phoenix Clan to siege the palace!" the guard reported, trembling.

"One man, killing three thousand of our soldiers? How could such a person exist among the slaves without our knowledge? Stop fear-mongering! Reinforce the troops and wipe out the remnants of these slaves, leave none alive!" The Third Palace Lord, Mo Li, stood up. He refused to believe it; they had been slaves for a thousand years, and their submissive nature must be deeply rooted.

"Third Palace Lord, what I say is true! They are almost at the palace gates!" the guard said with a bitter expression.

Just then, the Third Palace Lord, Mo Li, leaped down from his throne.

He grabbed the guard by the throat and said, "Stop your fear-mongering. Take me to see who has the audacity to act like this!"

Hearing this, the woman in red revealed a hint of joy, though it was well-hidden. She knew the Phoenix Clan had rebelled because *he* had arrived.

The Third Palace Lord, Mo Li, stormed out of the Demon Palace.

The woman in red immediately poured wine for Mo Kui and Mo Xin, saying, "Great Palace Lord, Second Palace Lord, do not worry. What capability could those slaves have? The Third Palace Lord is personally taking the field; it is like using a butcher's knife to slaughter a chicken. The remnants will surely be eradicated!"

Mo Xin nodded upon hearing this. "Indeed, brother. With Third Brother going out, the matter will be settled. Come, let us drink..."

"Drink!"

Outside the Demon Palace, Mo Li stood clad in pitch-black armor, wielding a pair of heavy green-dragon maces. However, the dragons on the maces were strange; they looked less like dragons and more like hideous centipedes.

Three hundred Demon Generals stood behind him, gathering thousands of soldiers.

Malice surged, and the Demon Palace was shrouded in thick, black mist; from afar, it appeared and disappeared like a ghost. At this moment, I arrived with the Phoenix Clan before the Demon Palace.

The old matriarch stood by my side and said, "That is the Third Palace Lord, Mo Li!"