"Your Majesty the Demon Sovereign!!"Numerous demons and monsters bowed in unison to Seven Nights Demon Sovereign, their voices tinged with awe.
Only a supreme powerhouse could command the allegiance of countless monsters.
Among those gathered, no one dared challenge his authority.
"Everyone," the Demon Sovereign said, sweeping his gaze across the great hall,"According to reliable reports, Great Yi's Iron-Blood Great Wall has advanced a hundred miles into our Bohai Region."
Though much of the area was sea, it still fell within Bohai's bounds.
"I've summoned you all to discuss Great Yi's intentions.Are they truly going to invade Bohai? And how should we respond?"
"Everyone knows what Great Yi wants," sneered Old Demon Heishan (Black Mountain Old Demon)."After their rise to Sacred Court status, the four great regions launched a coordinated invasion—hoping to seize fate energy. Many demons did gain power from the war."
"But Great Yi has never feared war. If you dare strike them, they will strike back harder.Any force that has ever provoked them has met with disaster."
"This time, they're coming with wrath. We must prepare for the worst."
Anyone with a modicum of power feared Great Yi.
"We of the Shadowmoon (Yinyue) Dynasty didn't join the assault," said Thousand-Faced Fox Elder,"But Great Yi won't care. They've begun expanding. Unless they fully conquer the Bohai Region, they won't stop."
"The Sacred King of Great Yi has even invoked Golden Oath Divine Words to enforce a heavenly edict—no creatures within Great Yi's territory may undergo Demonification; no plant may gain sentience."
Once covered by Great Yi's Heavenly Law, this decree immediately takes effect.
"That's absolute suppression of our kind. They won't spare the Shadowmoon Dynasty."
"We can't afford to be naïve," added Tree Demon Matron, her voice grave."The saying goes, 'Those who are not of my race must harbor different hearts.' Great Yi won't tolerate our presence."
She personally faced Yi Tianxing once—and died.
But being a spirit born of flora, she had left behind remnants.Bathed in Emperor Stream Pulp, she miraculously revived, growing even stronger.
Yet her fear of Yi Tianxing was deeply etched in her soul.
Even worse, Nie Xiaoqian, once her enemy, was now a Sacred Consort of Great Yi.If they learned she still lived, the consequences would be dire.
"Bohai is not without natural defenses," Thousand-Faced Fox Elder continued."Its many continents and islands are filled with treacherous mountains and deadly waters. Not easily invaded by conventional armies."
"But the greatest threat is the Iron-Blood Great Wall. Once it spreads, the battlefield is divided and controlled, placing us at a huge disadvantage."
"The Great Wall is Great Yi's nation-guarding divine artifact—a boundary-sealing treasure."
"To resist it, we need something comparable," she added."For instance, our Shadowmoon Dynasty's artifact, the Shadowmoon Demon Wheel.It can generate a Shadowmoon Barrier, which can block the Wall's expansion."
"It won't fully counter the Great Wall," she admitted,"But it will buy us time—and draw more Bohai demons to our side, increasing our strength."
This proposal made many eyes in the hall light up.
"We must also be able to retreat," said Seven Nights Demon Sovereign."My Life Treasure, the Crimson Constellation Demon Star, is nearly complete.Once refined, our dynasty can retreat to another realm if necessary. So long as we survive, we can rise again."
The pressure in the room visibly eased.
"Good. If we can attack and retreat, we can fight them head-on," Old Demon Heishan declared."But to do that—we should elevate to an Emperor Dynasty!"
"Indeed," nodded Pudu Cihang,"Countless demons who fled the battlefield are now scattered and panicked.If we signal that we'll shelter them, they'll flock to us, bringing their demon soldiers with them."
"This surge in power could push us straight into Emperor Dynasty status. We can't miss this chance."
"Very well!" said the Demon Sovereign."Let us clash with Great Yi and show them we are not to be trifled with.Even if we fall, we'll take a bite out of them first."
"Send my orders—select all talented individuals across the dynasty and add them to the Slaughter Heaven Legion.Expand its size to five million!"
The Slaughter Heaven Legion (斩天军团) was one of Shadowmoon's most terrifying hidden forces. Loyal only to the royal bloodline, its members practiced an extremely destructive cultivation technique.
When activated, they could devastate the heavens and earth.
Elsewhere in Bohai — The Vampire Race
The Shadowmoon Dynasty wasn't the only force in Bohai.
In the depths of a vast mountain range, a strange scene unfolded—
The skies darkened. Clouds churned.
But upon closer look, those weren't clouds—they were swarms of massive bats with glowing red eyes.
A chilling aura surrounded them.
The bat swarm surged toward a hidden valley.As they approached, the swarm seemed to vanish into thin air.
But deep in the valley, one could find a vast cave, its entrance dark and deep.
The bats entered—and disappeared into the underground.
Below the surface was an entire subterranean world, with its own eerie ecosystem.
At the center of this underworld stood an enormous city.
At the city's heart grew a strange and ominous ancient tree:
The Blood God Jade Coffin Tree (血神玉棺树)
The tree was crystal-like and bathed in blood-red light.Its bark, leaves, and branches pulsed with vein-like blood patterns.
Its roots did not grow into soil, but into bodies—some human, some non-human.
It drained them of blood to nourish itself.
From its branches grew coffins, formed naturally like fruit—each connected by stems and pulsing with blood.
These Blood Jade Coffins were not dead containers—they were living sanctuaries.
To most races, this was horrifying.
But to the Vampire Race, it was a divine treasure.
Lying in one of these coffins granted them blood essence, rest, and great pleasure.
The coffins were stacked in a pyramid-like structure—plentiful below, rare at the top.
At the very top hung a single Blood Jade Coffin.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out—the topmost coffin opened.
From within stepped a pale, handsome man with cold, ruthless eyes.
If he appeared in Great Yi, he would be recognized immediately.
He was none other than Fan Wencheng.
Once thought dead, he had survived using the vampire's bat-escape technique.
He had since founded an entire vampire tribe in Bohai—becoming its progenitor.And now, he possessed the Blood God Jade Coffin Tree.