On this side, Ji Wusi led Yun Jin and introduced her to the strongest cultivators of the human race. Counting him and Bai Yiran, there were twelve of them in total. Every one of them had mastered at least one Primordial Force.
This was the peak of humanity's power. Most of these people lived in seclusion, rarely stepping into the world. But when they heard Yun Jin was leading the charge into the Demon Realm, even these old monsters came out of hiding.
Of course, there were still a few top experts hidden deep within the mountains who never revealed themselves. Since they refused to appear, Ji Wusi couldn't be bothered to summon them.
"Sect Master Yun, we won't waste words," one man said bluntly. "The demons have been wreaking havoc among our kind for thousands of years. Destroying them is every human's wish. If Sect Master Yun needs our strength, just command us."
"That's right," another added. "If necessary, we can launch a decapitation strike. We'll infiltrate the Demon Realm's core and cut down the Demon Sovereign. Once he dies, their realm will fall into chaos."
"Going deep into the Demon Realm's territory is dangerous, but since we're proposing it, we don't fear death."
"Just give the order, Sect Master Yun."
Their voices echoed one after another. By choosing to emerge from seclusion, they'd already prepared to fight to the death.
Yun Jin cleared her throat softly. Her tone was calm. "Seniors, that won't be necessary."
One of them quickly replied, "Sect Master Yun, do you doubt our sincerity? We've lived long enough. Ascension is beyond reach, and our remaining lifespan's not much anyway. If we can drag a few demons down with us before we go, we'll die content."
"That's right, Sect Master Yun, don't hold back."
"We're not afraid of dying."
Yun Jin felt genuinely moved, but she said seriously, "What I mean is... there's really no need."
"???"
Everyone blinked in confusion.
Yun Jin gave them a helpless look. "We have so many people. We can just crush them head-on. Why talk about sacrifices? All you need to do is follow the main army, and we'll sweep straight through."
In her past life, the demons had grown out of control. Back then, the human high council had indeed carried out a decapitation plan. A group of top experts had protected Ji Wusi while he beheaded the Demon Sovereign. Almost all of those experts had died.
The ones standing here now were likely the very same people who had followed her master in that tragic plan in her previous life. They had truly died then, but their sacrifice hadn't completely destroyed the Demon Sovereign.
In this life, Yun Jin had already united every force she could.
A mere demon race—
How could they be worthy of so many human sacrifices?
Just crush them head-on!
The group stared blankly at her.
Did Yun Jin just make it sound… that easy?
They'd already prepared themselves for death—
And now she was telling them all that preparation was useless?
Ji Wusi couldn't help laughing at their faces. "Instead of thinking about dying, you should focus on how to earn more military merits. One of Xiao Jin's rewards is that she'll personally craft a tailored cultivation art for whoever earns enough. Even I'm tempted. Don't you want that?"
He hadn't gathered them here to die anyway.
Their eyes instantly lit up. They all agreed enthusiastically. Everyone here had already witnessed Yun Jin's abilities. If she truly created a tailored cultivation art for them, their strength would definitely soar.
The talk of sacrifices quickly vanished, replaced by heated discussion on how to harvest the most demon heads.
Ji Wusi didn't join the noisy strategizing. He looked at Yun Jin and asked, "You've mastered four of the Five Primordial Forces. You're only missing one now, right?"
Yun Jin nodded, a little troubled. "Only the Primordial Metal remains."
Ji Wusi smiled faintly. "Care to spar with me?"
Her eyes flickered. "Master, you…"
A long sword appeared in Ji Wusi's hand, radiating brilliant light and piercing intent.
"The Primordial Metal!" Yun Jin's eyes brightened. "Master, you've already mastered the Primordial Metal!"
The one she lacked, her master had already attained.
Everyone knew Ji Wusi's strongest power came from the Primordial Sword, but no one had known he'd also mastered the Primordial Metal. No wonder he'd held the title of humanity's number one expert before her rise. The combination of Sword and Metal—his offense was terrifying.
Yun Jin's blood stirred.
A battle with Ji Wusi would surely help her grow immensely. But with so many people here, she couldn't exactly delay the expedition.
Her gaze shifted as she quickly said, "Master, now's not the time for a duel. How about this—once we're in the Demon Realm, you can demonstrate the Primordial Metal for me on a few demons."
"That works too." Ji Wusi sheathed his sword, looking calm. "Funny thing, I comprehended the Primordial Metal during a demon-slaying mission. The Metal is the path of offense. There's no better place to understand it than in the Demon Realm itself."
Killing demons carried no guilt, only clarity.
Yun Jin nodded in agreement.
After three days of preparation in Sky City, the vast army of cultivators activated the teleportation arrays and arrived at the border between the human and demon territories.
Between the two realms stretched a barren wasteland. Normally, few would dare cross into demon lands. But this time, countless cultivators surged across the buffer zone straight into the Demon Realm.
The Demon Realm was in chaos.
"General! The human coalition's already entered the realm!"
"They'll reach the main gathering zones soon!"
"Please issue your orders, General!"
"Where's the Demon Sovereign? Why hasn't he shown up yet?"
Panic filled the grand hall.
Nine high-ranking demon generals sat atop the dais, each one the leader of a superior demon race.
One of them sneered coldly. "When the Blood Moon rises, they'll die no matter how many come! The humans stepping into our domain are walking to their graves."
"Send the lower demons to the front lines. They may be weak, but they can delay the humans for a while. The longer the humans linger here, the deeper the Blood Moon's corruption will sink in."
"If they dare stay a full month, even the strongest among them will die from the corrosion."
"Exactly. Drag them down."
"Send out more low-tier demons. They're worthless anyway."
"When the humans are exhausted, that's when we strike."
"As for the Demon Sovereign, ignore him. Whether he acts or not, victory will still be ours."
The mention of the Demon Sovereign brought grim looks to their faces. There was no reverence in their eyes—only resentment.
They'd once believed in him. But when he returned, the first thing he did was devour the ten strongest demons among them. How could they ever submit to him again?
In truth, most of them hoped the humans would find and kill him in this war. They couldn't say it aloud, but the thought was there.
At this moment—
The very same Demon Sovereign both sides wanted dead, Yang Yun, was hiding deep inside a cave, his face pale with fear.