Request to Assemble

"Let's go."

After soaking in the hot springs, Su Luo and the others swiftly headed north.

It didn’t take long before they arrived.

Such was the speed of the powerful.

Li Siyi secretly came to meet Su Luo alone.

"Though I asked you to come quickly, there was no need to be this fast," she remarked.

To her, it felt like she had just ended their communication when Su Luo suddenly appeared.

Though her words sounded like a complaint, deep down, she was genuinely pleased.

"Because we’re all free—nothing much to do," Su Luo stated matter-of-factly.

With the Heavenly Demon Sect already eradicated by him, there was no one left to manage.

"Then why not help me out?" Li Siyi had quite a lot on her plate at the moment.

Most of the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s affairs now fell on her shoulders, and she still needed to coordinate with other sects to discuss battle strategies and collaboration plans.

"Absolutely not." Su Luo would have to be out of his mind to agree.

Li Siyi glanced around. "Where are Jiang Ningshu and Little Yu?"

"Not here. I came alone to see you."

"Alone? Are you up to no good?"

She took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Su Luo, her tone laced with playful ambiguity.

"What kind of nonsense is that? Do I seem like someone who only thinks about those things?" Su Luo feigned righteousness.

"Then I misjudged you."

Embarrassed, Li Siyi released him. Anyone would think the same—why else would he come alone to see her out of the blue?

Yet Su Luo suddenly pulled her back into his embrace. "Well… maybe a little."

"Me too."

......

After their private moment, Li Siyi felt refreshed, as if all her worries had melted away.

Lately, she had been busy, and the accumulated stress had started to weigh on her.

But with Su Luo around, she realized there was nothing to fret over—just doing her best was enough.

"The great battle is about to begin," Li Siyi murmured. Having been involved in so many preparations, she could sense it.

"Are you nervous?"

"A little. I’ve never been part of a conflict on this scale before."

This battle would dwarf all previous ones, with countless humans and demon beasts participating.

"Don’t worry. I’ll protect you."

"Then should I go looking for trouble?" Li Siyi joked.

It had only just dawned on her—with Su Luo here, she could truly relax.

That was why she had cast aside her worries, leaving only the courage to fight with everything she had.

"Uh… suit yourself."

"Don’t worry, I won’t."

Of course, Li Siyi wouldn’t recklessly endanger herself. She trusted Su Luo to keep her safe, but she also didn’t want to become a burden to him.

"Honestly, I’ll mostly intervene from the shadows."

Su Luo still remembered his role as the "villain," so any help he provided Li Siyi would have to be discreet.

"Haha, who knows?"

"What do you mean?"

"Stay with me again after the battle ends." Without explaining, Li Siyi kissed him and then pulled away.

She had work to return to.

As much as she enjoyed Su Luo’s visit, she hadn’t forgotten her responsibilities.

"You really enjoy keeping busy," Su Luo remarked, making no move to stop her. He always supported whatever Li Siyi chose to do.

"Well, I haven’t lived through as much as you have."

Li Siyi was still young, after all—full of energy and drive.

After bidding her farewell, Su Luo left.

Nangong Xiyun wasn’t here—she had already gone to the Northern Heavenly Gate, standing ready at the frontlines.

Given her strength, that was where she belonged.

Su Luo decided to seek her out after the battle.

It wouldn’t be long now—no need to rush.

Until then, he simply found a quiet place to wait.

As long as he could join the fray at any moment, it didn’t matter where he stayed.

......

The Demon Beast Army.

After all this time, everything was finally prepared.

The Beast Lord deemed the moment had come.

He left the youngest of the demon beasts deep in the heart of the Desolate Wilds as the last embers of their kind.

Even if they failed, humanity would struggle to reach them there.

Ten thousand years later, the demon beasts would rise again.

But of course, they marched to battle with absolute confidence in victory.

Standing atop a towering peak, the Beast Lord looked down upon the endless, seething mass of his army below.

And this wasn’t even all of them—just those who dwelled closest to him. The rest were scattered across the Desolate Wilds, awaiting his command.

With a thunderous roar, the Beast Lord’s voice echoed across the land, igniting the fury of his forces.

One cry summoned a hundred responses, a thousand, ten thousand…

Even before the battle began, their blood was already boiling.

No flowery speeches were needed—just a single roar to rouse their fighting spirit.

This was the power of the Beast Lord.

After a moment, he raised his hand, and silence fell over the army.

"Advance!"

At his command, the demon beasts surged forward, marching toward the Northern Heavenly Gate.

Across the Desolate Wilds, the same signal reached every corner, and countless more began moving in the same direction.

The movement of tens of thousands of demonic beasts was undoubtedly a massive beast tide.

Wherever they passed, the earth shook and mountains trembled, their momentum overwhelming.

The savage roars of the beasts echoed endlessly.

The untamed wilderness had been stirred into chaos.

......

"It's finally coming... Time to settle this once and for all."

Di Haoran sensed it—the demonic beast horde was advancing.

However, it would still take several days for them to arrive. The wilderness was vast, and the beasts couldn’t afford to sprint at full speed—that would only waste their energy.

Di Haoran issued the call.

The time to gather had come.

The battle was upon them.

On the human side, cultivators began converging toward the Northern Heavenly Gate, though some were already stationed there.

Most, however, had been scattered elsewhere—the Northern Heavenly Gate couldn’t accommodate too many at once.

But now, with the signal raised, all were required to assemble.

Thus, the human forces also stirred to life. Though their numbers couldn’t rival the beast tide, they moved steadily forward.

Swords streaked across the sky as cultivators flew on their blades, charging ahead without hesitation.

On the ground, some ran on foot, others rode tamed beasts—each advancing in their own way.

Across the waters, some skimmed the surface on a single leaf, while others sailed on boats.

"Demonic beasts... Just wait. We’re coming for you." A sect master led his disciples, soaring toward the Northern Heavenly Gate.

"I don’t know if I’ll survive this, but I must go." A cultivator bid farewell to his family and set off alone.

"My good wine is gone? Can’t drink until the battle’s over... Why didn’t I stock up more before?" A disheveled old man muttered, stumbling along—yet his path still led to the Northern Heavenly Gate.

Lin Xuan, too, was on his way. "The demonic beasts... Even if they were at the ends of the earth, we would hunt them down. And now, they’re delivering themselves to us."

This was a grand gathering of human cultivators, a convergence of forces from north and south.