The Cangqiong Ridge Front

"Is that Black Wind?"

You went down to confirm.

It was indeed Black Wind.

He stood on the ruins of a dilapidated small building, gnawing on the weeds growing from the rubble.

Compared to when you first handed him over to Mei Sanniang, he was much thinner now.

"Black Wind?"

Hearing your voice, Black Wind looked up in confusion.

Upon confirming it was really you, Black Wind choked up and lay prostrate on the ground.

"Master! Black Wind has finally waited for you! All these years, Black Wind strictly followed Master's orders and never left this place for even half a step!"

You quickly helped Black Wind up, stroking his somewhat messy mane that had gone untended.

"I only asked the proprietress to take care of you, I never said you couldn't leave. Isn't it boring staying here all the time?"

"Black Wind must wait for Master! What if Master returns and needs Black Wind for a ride, but cannot find Black Wind!"

You let out a sigh.

Why would you still need Black Wind for transportation now?

However, Black Wind's loyalty was touching. You took him into the small world inside the cauldron and let Da Chun feed him a hearty meal.

With Da Chun around, there was no shortage of food in the cauldron's small world.

"The proprietress, she..."

"Boss Mei passed away twenty years ago. Her grandson mismanaged the business, and the inn closed down ten years ago."

This was truly a case of one horse outliving three generations; the people were gone, but the horse remained.

You didn't delay much. With a leap, under the shocked gazes of everyone in Baiyun County, you flew towards the east.

The sixty-third year, eighty-one years old.

The frontlines of the Azure Vault Ridge had now turned into a cruel meat grinder for the Great Wasteland Demon Race and the Five Regions Human Race.

Blood dyed the mountain ridges red.

Corpses blocked the river channels.

Currently, the number of Martial Saint Realm experts who had descended on the frontlines to participate in the war had reached as many as twenty.

As for the Martial King Realm, there were several hundred figures.

To martial artists, Martial Kings and Martial Saints who could fly through the air were usually a rare sight, but now they could be seen frequently in the skies above the Azure Vault Ridge.

The top combat power on the demon side consisted mainly of the Four Great Demon Ancestors, the Ten Great Demon Saints, and the Hundred Great Demon Kings.

Demon Ancestors were also at the Martial Saint Realm, but they possessed pure bloodlines that allowed them to temporarily wield power surpassing the peak of the Martial Saint Realm.

Whether it was top-tier combat power, mid-tier combat power, or bottom-tier cannon fodder.

In terms of numbers, the demon race had fewer members than the Five Regions.

However, most demons were born with formidable physical bodies. Against humans of the same realm, they could fight multiple opponents at once.

The demon race had advantages as well as disadvantages, namely their poor reproductive ability.

Even though their lifespans were several times that of humans, they often took over a hundred years to produce a single egg, and it might not even hatch.

This was also the reason for their small numbers.

Currently, the demon race could not break through the Azure Vault Ridge defense line because the human race had laid down mountain-protecting grand arrays, inescapable nets, killing arrays, and illusion arrays all over the mountains and plains.

This was the advantage of the human race: they excelled at utilizing external objects.

If ten Golden Body Realm martial artists clashed head-on with a Spirit Sea Realm demon, they would absolutely be crushed.

But if these ten martial artists could set up an array in advance, take some pills with slightly significant side effects, and wield decent weapons, they could actually put up a fight.

In this unprecedented war between the two races, even Martial Kings and Martial Saints had to follow the orders of the central army's commander-in-chief.

Otherwise, they would be a loose sheet of sand and would be defeated one by one by the demon race.

The marshals in charge of command were mainly these few:

Northern Region Marshal Chen Jing, Southern Frontier Marshal Li Lingyue, and Central Plains Marshal Li Chengqian.

As well as the supreme commander, the Grand Marshal of the Three Armies, the Sword Master of the Eastern Wasteland!

At this moment, they were all gathered at Bachuan Peak, inside the commander's tent of the Five Regions Allied Army.

The Sword Master of the Eastern Wasteland had no time to wipe away the bloodstains on his face. Looking at the topographic map of the Five Regions inside the tent, he spoke to the leaders of the various factions.

"The transportation of crystal stones from all sides needs to be sped up. Some of the enemy-blocking arrays are already failing to operate. If necessary, dispatch some Martial King Realm experts to fetch them personally."

The entire Azure Vault Ridge was covered by arrays, forming an iron curtain to stop the demon race from advancing.

But maintaining the arrays required the consumption of crystal stones.

The magnitude of the consumption required to maintain arrays over such a large area could be easily imagined.

It was even more exaggerated than directly burning crystal stones!

The mining, transportation, storage, and distribution of crystal stones...

This series of logistical support was of immense importance, and not a single mistake could be made.

Li Lingyue proposed.

"Sword Master, we are currently still focusing on defense. Although it minimizes casualties to the greatest extent, the demon race refuses to retreat. If we continue fighting like this, the consumption on the Five Regions will be too great. This is not a solution."

Li Chengqian wore a set of royal military attire, carrying a golden bow on his back that was taller than he was.

He no longer looked like a foolish ruler in the slightest. His whole person appeared to have a profound aura, with his cultivation restrained.

Before coming to the Azure Vault Ridge, he had already reclaimed a lot of power by putting on a double act with the Northern Region.

However, almost at the same time he obtained a portion of military power, he immediately embarked on a personal expedition without stopping to support the Azure Vault Ridge.

The fact that he possessed a Martial King Realm cultivation was no longer a secret.

Li Chengqian said.

"Cousin is right. Sword Master, we should take the initiative to attack. Gather the Martial Saints and Martial Kings to annihilate the Demon Ancestors, Demon Saints, and Demon Kings on the demon side in one fell swoop!"

The Sword Master sighed.

"How could it be that easy? Even if we can win, how many will survive in the end?"

The Sword Master had learned about the existence of the Dragonkin from you, and he did not wish for a situation where the sandpiper and the clam fight, and the fisherman catches both.

He had proposed a truce to the demon race multiple times to resolve the underlying issue that sparked this war.

Unfortunately, the demon race refused to listen to reason.

"Report—"

Just then, a messenger rushed in, holding a jade tablet.

This jade tablet was like a mobile phone. Jade tablets could send messages to one another, making them indispensable on the battlefield.

"Reporting to the superiors! The enemy-blocking arrays at the three peaks of Guiyan Peak, Jushen Peak, and Xia'an Peak have been broken. The demon monkey vanguard, the Four-Eyed Spirit Monkey, along with several Demon Kings, are leading tens of thousands of demons straight in, about to enter the Central Plains territory!"

Everyone in the tent changed their expressions.

The Sword Master was greatly alarmed.

"How could the arrays be broken so quickly? That area is guarded by elders of my Sword Sect. If they encountered danger, they should have been able to hold out at least until I arrived to support them!"

The messenger replied.

"Someone swapped the high-grade crystal stones for low-grade ones. The arrays didn't reach sufficient strength and duration. Coupled with the Four Great Demon Ancestors attacking Jialan Peak together today, drawing away many Martial Saints and Martial Kings..."

Chen Jing was furious.

"These parasites! Embezzling even at a matter of life and death!"

Li Chengqian frowned and said.

"It might not necessarily be the doing of our people. Some demonic arts are hard to guard against; a few might have sneaked in secretly."

Li Lingyue swept her cloak and turned to leave the tent.

"Say no more! We absolutely cannot let the demon race enter the Five Regions and slaughter my subjects!"