The sky cracked into thousands of pieces as the protective array that had long veiled the floating city of Huan-Yue shattered. One by one, the layers of ancient glyphs and charms burst in a deafening bang, before collapsing into shards of qi and falling like stars over the ancient city.
With the moaning wind howling through the battlements surrounded by snow-capped mountains, a silence thicker than fog and more suffocating than darkness settled over the vicinity. There, standing at the gates of Huan-Yue, beneath the pale glow of dawning, was the last line of resistance: the Jinlian Guards, the rebels of Yinlin, and the Moonshadow Guards.
Row upon row of brave warriors, whose armour sparkled under the morning sun, stiffened, their spears pointed skywards, faces grim and backs straight. At the forefront stood Kaolin with Zhenhai, Wei Lan, Guo Lan, and Commander Taohua, who joined them as soon as the rolls of the war drum reached Yueluo Gu as promised. They stood their ground, albeit uncertain of what awaited ahead, while the dark banners of the Demon Army drew closer, its triumphant cries curdling the blood of everyone present so that they were chilled to the core.
Kaolin stood tall in the centre and scanned the horizon, his hardened face was expressionless and as still as the towering mountains around them. His long hair fluttered behind him to the cadence of the wind, as did his robes. Despite the nervous energy spreading like wildfire all around him, he remained unfazed and did not for a second take his eyes away from the fast-approaching Demon Army.
An agonising silence settled over the rows of warriors as the fear of the unknown gripped each and every soul so that even the high winds held back in fear. Demons and Devils of all ranks and cultivation levels stretched across the vast landscape like a black flood. In the meantime, every vile breed and ancient bloodline that had ever existed poured forth, their eyes glowing with insatiable hunger and fangs glinting with the remnants of untold massacres. Even their crude armour rattled with the weight of centuries of conquered qi, each step shaking the earth and sending a chill through all who dared to watch.
Kaolin did not flinch, even as a hushed murmur spread among the warriors at the sight of the peril awaiting them on the battlefield. They were outnumbered as is, their chances of survival far slimmer than anyone had expected. And it was this grim truth, more than anything, that set a series of doubts mounting in every heart as the seconds passed by and the cut-throat shriek of the demons rose louder than their frantic heartbeats.
Wei Lan, just as alarmed by the sight unfolding before him, leaned closer and whispered just loud enough for Kaolin to hear: "You sure we stand a chance? Those things are not here to play."
Kaolin did not let his eyes wander even for a moment. His voice was as calm as still waters, carrying the weight of a cultivator who had seen countless battles, endured tribulations no mortal should ever face, and possessed knowledge that few could even begin to fathom.
"Do you doubt my words, Wei Lan?"
"No. Never. Only I… fear. That something might happen to you, that you are keeping something from me – something even Zhenhai knows, but I don't. Like how you got that wound that won't stop bleeding, why I found you collapsed in Koryuthan, and why you—"
To this, Kaolin, "This is neither the time nor the place for such talk. When all this is over, those thoughts that weigh you down will be no more. Now tell me: have I ever said something I could not guarantee?"
"…No."
"Then clear your mind and focus on the task ahead," he said, shifting the conversation and leaving no room for protest. "Is everything going as planned?
"I can't tell you even if I wanted to. Nivarra has been silent for some time, but from what I could gather, the gates remain strictly barred to all but a few select Demons and Devils."
"And the dragon spirit?"
"No one has laid eyes on it, either."
"How long ago are we talking about?"
"At least three weeks, if not more," Wei Lan said, then paused shortly before asking what lingered at the tip of his tongue. "You think she did it?"
Kaolin returned his solemn gaze to the battlefield, the tone of his voice tinged with doubt. "She must. For us to win this battle and survive, however slim the chance, she has to…" He faced Wei Lan again. "And when she arrives, you wait for my signal. Not a moment sooner, not a moment later. The second the Demon God catches on, it'll all be over. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry. I've got this."
Meanwhile, the choking tension thickened with each passing second, both sides sensing the blood yet to be spilt, as the two armies faced each other on the brink of apocalypse. No one moved; no word was spoken across the battlefield that stretched for acres in the distance, soon to claim more lives than it ever had since the beginning of The Long Winter.
And then Kaolin moved. He turned to face the army of warriors under his command, who had joined him in a last attempt to defy heaven's will and keep Huan-Yue safe despite their differences and a past steeped in blood and long-running grudges. His words cut through the tension like a blade, as he made sure they all took in his words and did not waver in front of the enemy.
"Today, we stand not as souls haunted by our past, not as rivals clinging to old grudges, but as one! One heart, one purpose, one will forged in defiance against fate itself! Before us may lie a sea of darkness that seeks to swallow Huan-Yue! But we shall not falter! If Huan-Yue falls, then so shall we! All that we have fought for, all that we hold dear, will vanish and turn to dust should we fall in battle! So fight, my brothers and sisters! Fight with every breath, every heartbeat, every ounce of qi in your bodies until nothing remains! May the heavens tremble and bear witness to our resolve!"
The silence shattered like glass at once, and the army of brotherhood roared in response, a sound so chilling that it made even the Demons and Devils across the field flinch with unease. Then, spears and swords shot skywards in defiance as Kaolin led the charge, surging forwards as one and crying at the top of their lungs, their feet striking the earth with such force and speed that dust swirled into a storm all around them and obscured the view of the battlefield as the Demon Army too charged forwards to meet in a collision of fate.
The first clash came without warning, yet it was so brutal that time itself paused in honour of the fallen. As blood spilt onto the barren soil and the crimson liquid snaked and pooled around their feet, the predestined battle began in all its cruelty – a battle that would only shed more blood with each passing second.
Kaolin fought in a way that defied the chaos around him as more and more warriors succumbed and perished under the demons' heinous schemes, like someone who no longer feared the grip of death or the ripple of pain surging through his chest. His sword spun in arcs, severing limbs, cleaving through bone, and parrying attacks fuelled by demonic qi that sought to overwhelm his senses.
Fighting back to back with him, ready to fight in a losing battle under his lead, stood Zhenhai. But it wasn't just the Immortal who had decided to die in battle for him. To his right, Guo Lan tore through the ranks with twin axes shimmering under the morning sun, roaring like a wild beast reborn despite his modest cultivation and martial skills. To his left, Wei Lan soared through demonic formations with ease, moving as rapidly as the wind itself, each strike sending the enemy staggering several feet. Behind him, Commander Taohua stood vigilant and had his back, so that not a single demon slipped past his gaze; every shadow that dared creep near was cut down before it could dream of striking.
And for the briefest of seconds, Kaolin became overwhelmed with emotions – emotions he thought he had long forgotten the day he decided to break free from the chains tethering him to his destiny and wage war against the ancient Gods and Goddesses. But now… the gravity of this decision took its toll on him in ways he never expected.
All around him, brave warriors and even better comrades, fell to their deaths and perished with the howling wind into nothingness. And although he knew casualties would be inevitable, he couldn't stop his mind from reminiscing about each fallen brother and sister, how they swore to fight until their last breaths under his leadership to protect the last beacon of hope in this vast darkness that had fallen over Shenzhou due to his selfish actions.
Then, finally, the one they had been waiting for arrived in the darkening welkin, swallowing the sun and casting the whole battlefield into a suffocating darkness with a presence so cold – so dark and choking – that a terrible cold swept over the battlefield and momentarily put it on pause as all eyes fixed on the ancient god and followed him as he descended, garbed in dark flames of demonic qi that spilt over the battlefield in waves, the force of his arrival driving fissures through the field and launching several people from both side into the air like they were made of feathers.
Leaving no time for interception, the Demon God raised one hand and obliterated an entire row of Immortals in a single, effortless gesture, stifling their screams before they could even escape their throats. And as the ancient god was about to flick his hand again, Kaolin leapt forwards with all he had, intercepting the next wave of heinous attack with a slash that sent a ripple of celestial energy outwards, halting the death tide that the Demon God started. And the moment they clashed and deflected each other's energy, Kaolin and the Demon God locked eyes. No words passed between them; there was no need. With a burst of qi, Kaolin then launched himself into the sky, and the Demon God met him halfway up.
The sky exploded as their swords clashed anew with such force that mountains cracked in the distance and their qi surged in several waves, colliding mid-air in bursts. They spun and twisted, exchanging strikes faster than mortal eyes could follow. Each blow sent shockwaves tearing across the battlefield below that carried on from where it had left off.
But even Kaolin, at the height of his power, found himself slowly being pushed back with each clash. The Demon God's strength was relentless and monstrous, his sword wielded in hellfire of its finest grade. It did not take long before a single strike sent him hurling down several feet, crashing through stone and soil and dragging a deep ditch into the earth before he came to a forced stop.
The Demon God hovered above, grinning, but not for long. Kaolin rose from the pit, wiping blood from his lips and smiling back. Seeing this, the Demon God's grin faded and his red eyes narrowed, as if he were trying to decipher the cause of the smile now spreading on Kaolin's lips. Right then—
"My lord!"
The Demon God turned just in time to see Baihu Mo, his loyal henchman, intercept a strike aimed at him, and the blade pierced Baihu Mo through in a neat slash. He fell through layers of skies, vanishing into a cloud of dust below, never to rise again from the qi-fuelled attack. The Demon God's expression faltered, and confusion flickered across his face as he narrowly dodged another attack coming his way from the west.
In the distance, Xiyan drifted towards them with unprecedented speed; her eyes were filled not only with vengeance but also with resolve. Before the Demon God could speak or voice out his confusion, she launched a bolt of fire-wrapped qi that missed him. He reeled, surprised at her speed and power. Then another attack followed, and another in rapid sequence, until he was forced into full defence, dodging her attacks frantically through the ablaze sky. And when he intercepted her latest strike, he finally addressed her through gritted teeth.
"How!? How did you—"
But Xiyan didn't reply. Behind her, swirling in formation and mirroring her movement, the dragon spirit came alive from her spine. That was when the Demon God's eyes widened with recognition and terror, and he realised at last the reason behind her formidable power that matched his own.
Below the majestic duel in the skies, the battlefield continued in all its brutality, and cries of agony and triumph rose and fell in a vicious loop from both sides of the battlefield. Kaolin did not take his eyes off the sky even for a second as he fought against the demons, while Xiyan and the Demon God battled fiercely above the bloody battlefield.
Each of her strikes cracked the air, and her form shimmered with the fire of the dragon spirit, her core full of the qi of her ancestors fighting through her against the common enemy she was foretold to replace. And thus it did not take long before her every blow struck deeper, and her speed outpaced the ancient god's.
Then, with a scream laced with grief, she drove her hand forwards as fire and qi exploded outwards from her palm and sent the Demon God hurling through the clouds before he could even intercept her. The Demon God tumbled back, barely able to right himself mid-air, his darting eyes fixed on her majestic form as he, for the first time since her arrival, came to terms with the fact that she would indeed be the end of him – just as was prophesied.
But down below, another story was playing out, one that Kaolin had not once considered – one he did not expect even in his wildest dreams. Yet he heard the triumphant roar before he saw it, a pulsing bolt of dark qi that fired from above, aimed directly at him as a last-second retaliation from the Demon God meant to strike him down while he was distracted. And it would have, if not for—
"KAOLIN!"
Commander Taohua threw himself in front of the blast using the Gateway of Greatness to counterattack the demonic energy, and the ominous qi tore through the commander's armour, ripping into his chest and searing through his flesh. The force of it knocked him several feet back, killing him before he could even hit the ground.
Kaolin froze as all this transpired within mere seconds, so fast yet so abruptly, that he failed to comprehend what was happening until it was too late. Taohua had been there since the beginning, a brother, in all but blood. The memory of their first meeting, of their laughs, of shared cups of plum wine, flickered before his mind's eyes. But not for long.
A devil lunged at him from the shadows, taking the opportunity to strike him in his crippled state, forcing Kaolin to snap out of his mind and whip around, tearing the demon in half with a single swing of his sword dripping with blood.
And then… he did not stop the killing spree, or rather, he could not. He roared like a vile beast and fell upon the Demons and Devils with eyes fraught with grief. Every motion was full of agony, every slash was mourning as his anguish became his power on the battlefield, where there was no time to weep for the fallen commander he considered a friend.
Above, the Demon God was gradually forced to admit defeat, but he refused to go down without putting up a fight. So, he tried to strike Xiyan one final time despite his sluggish movements, yet utterly desperate, so that he failed to notice the celestial chains that wrapped around him and bound his limbs – not before it was too late, that is.
He jerked violently as he tried to break free from the chains he so desperately had escaped back in Wujing Yuan. Yet the more he fought, the tighter the chains coiled, until his limbs were bound fast and even the thought of movement was torn from him.
Xiyan came to a standstill before him in the sky and did not utter a single word until the ancient god stopped moving about in vain and took a proper look at her. Her voice as she addressed him was not hers alone but reverberated with the power of the dragon spirit that mirrored her every move, as well as that of her ancestors, who were condemned to death by the Demon God once upon a time.
"You have ruled in fear long enough, wiped out my kin, and even dared to hurt the ones I considered as family. Now, your reign ends. By the grief you have sown, and the destiny you cannot escape, I take what was always foretold. Rest, Demon God… and let me rise in your stead!"
Swirling currents of qi erupted around her as she began the Rite of Succession, binding her Evil core to the Demon God's and drawing forth his soul, so that the air grew thick at once and the sky darkened by the second in response to the ominous ritual. The Demon God shrieked as his demonic qi tore from his core, transferring from his forehead to Xiyan in a transfer of intertwined fates, where only one Demon God could emerge victorious and rule the Demon Palace and command the Demon Army.
Kaolin's eyes widened as soon as he witnessed that the Succession had begun, and frantically scanned the battlefield shrouded in dust and drifting patches of fog to locate Wei Lan, when a horde of middle-ranked devils lunged at him as if they knew his intent and wanted to cut him down before he could act. With no time to waste or ready his stance, he seized a dead, low-ranked devil from the ground damp with blood, and raised it as a shield just as the first blades raked across it. Yet for every demon he struck down, two more hurled themselves upon him. Still, he tore through the battlefield in search of Wei Lan.
That was when a high-ranked devil managed to slip through the chaos and launched an attack as he was occupied with breaking through several ranks of lowly demons and narrowly dodged the deadly attack, twisting at the last instant as the blade carved a thin line across his ribs. Even so, the devil pressed harder and did not give up, each blow heavier than the former as its blade shrieked with every clash of their swords.
Kaolin parried once, twice, but his footing eventually slipped on the blood-drenched ground, leaving his guard open. Without a second's delay, the devil lunged with its jaws wide with triumph. But the moment did not last. Wei Lan burst forth from nowhere and caught the devil's strike with a deafening cry before shoving it back in a burst of unparalleled energy. In one fluid motion, he slashed across its chest, staggering the beast and killing it.
A fleeting moment of acknowledgement passed between the two friends as their eyes met. In that moment, as their chests heaved, breaths became ragged, and blades dripped with blood, the world stilled around them, and the clash and screams faded into the background for the briefest of moments. Then Kaolin's gaze snapped skywards, catching the sight of the rite nearly complete, and a chill ran through him. His eyes cut back to Wei Lan, urgency laced in them as he roared in a single command that split even the mayhem around them.
"NOW!"