The first wave of demons emerged from the forest like a tide of living shadow, their forms shifting between human and bestial shapes as they advanced across the cleared ground before Azure Sky Pavilion's walls. Li Wuchen watched from his position atop the main gatehouse, the Supreme Demon Blade humming with barely contained power as he analyzed the approaching threat with capabilities that transcended normal human perception.
"Impressive organization," Wuji observed as they studied the enemy formations. "These aren't random raiders—they've been trained in coordinated assault tactics specifically designed to overwhelm fortified positions."
The demons advanced in three distinct waves, each composed of entities specialized for different aspects of siege warfare. The first wave consisted of heavily armored brutes whose primary function appeared to be absorbing defensive fire while closing to melee range. Behind them came more agile creatures equipped with ranged weapons that crackled with spiritual corruption. The third wave remained partially concealed within the forest, but Wuchen could sense their presence—command entities whose power dwarfed anything in the assault groups.
"Estimated enemy strength?" Grand Elder Tianqi called from his position coordinating the pavilion's defenders.
"Over two hundred confirmed, with additional reserves still hidden in the tree line," Wuchen replied, his enhanced vision allowing him to track movements that would be invisible to normal sight. "They're organized into standard military formations with clear command structure and coordinated tactics."
"Recommendations?"
Wuchen studied the defensive positions that Azure Sky Pavilion's warriors had assumed along the walls and towers. The disciples were brave and well-trained, but they were facing enemies that operated according to supernatural principles their education had never addressed.
"Focus defensive fire on the front ranks to slow their advance," he advised. "But don't expect conventional attacks to be fully effective—most of these entities will require specialized techniques to neutralize permanently."
Even as he spoke, the first exchange of fire erupted along the northern wall. Azure Sky Pavilion's defenders launched volleys of qi-enhanced projectiles and formation-based attacks that lit up the approaching demons with brilliant flashes of spiritual energy. Several of the leading creatures stumbled or fell, but far fewer than conventional tactics would have predicted.
"Spiritual resistance," Wuji identified as they watched demons shrug off attacks that should have been devastating. "They've been specifically enhanced to resist conventional cultivation-based techniques."
"Which means our people are essentially fighting with training weapons against fully armored opponents," Wuchen realized grimly.
The tactical disadvantage became even more apparent as the demons began their own ranged assault. Dark projectiles arced over the pavilion's walls, trailing corruption that ate through both spiritual barriers and physical defenses with equal ease. Where conventional siege weapons would have struggled against the enhanced formations, the demonic attacks carved through protective arrays as if they didn't exist.
"Casualties on the eastern wall!" came a shout from one of the communication disciples. "The demons' attacks are bypassing our formation defenses entirely!"
Grand Elder Tianqi's expression grew increasingly grim as reports flooded in from all sections of the perimeter. Despite the morning's enhancement work, the pavilion's defenses were proving inadequate against enemies specifically equipped to counter traditional martial arts techniques.
"Li Wuchen," the Grand Elder called urgently, "how long before you can provide direct support?"
It was the question Wuchen had been dreading. His current synchronization level with the Supreme Demon Blade was sufficient for defensive enhancement and limited combat applications, but facing two hundred demons would require capabilities he had never tested under battle conditions.
"The next stage awakening is available," Wuji confirmed, "but transitioning during active combat carries significant risks. If the process is interrupted or fails, we could lose access to our abilities entirely."
"And if we don't risk it, everyone here dies anyway," Wuchen replied silently.
Before he could make the final decision, the tactical situation deteriorated catastrophically. The demons' third wave finally emerged from the forest, revealing their true nature as command entities whose power radiated across the battlefield like miniature suns of malevolent energy.
These weren't the relatively simple corruption demons that had led the assault—they were higher-order entities whose very presence warped reality around them. The ground beneath their feet turned black and began smoking, while the air above them shimmered with heat distortions that spoke of temperatures that should have been impossible to survive.
"Infernal Dukes," Wuji identified with genuine concern. "Mid-tier demons with authority over lesser entities and combat capabilities that rival Soul Transformation cultivators."
"How many?"
"I count six. Any one of them could probably defeat half the pavilion's defenders single-handedly."
The appearance of the Infernal Dukes triggered immediate panic among Azure Sky Pavilion's forces. Even cultivators with limited spiritual sensitivity could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from the demonic commanders, and several of the younger disciples began showing signs of supernatural terror that threatened to break their formation entirely.
"Steady!" Grand Elder Tianqi commanded, his voice enhanced with spiritual energy to carry clearly across the battlefield. "Maintain positions and continue targeted fire! Do not allow fear to break our coordination!"
But his words carried little comfort against the existential dread that the Infernal Dukes projected as a natural consequence of their presence. One of the demonic commanders gestured casually toward the pavilion's walls, and a section of enhanced formation array simply ceased to exist—not destroyed or overwhelmed, but negated at a fundamental level that left a gap in the defenses that conventional techniques couldn't repair.
"They're not just powerful," Wuji observed as they watched the systematic dismantling of the pavilion's protections. "They understand formation theory well enough to target critical nodes with surgical precision."
"Which means they've been studying our defenses for far longer than we realized," Wuchen concluded. "This entire assault has been planned in detail."
The revelation that their enemies possessed both overwhelming force and intimate knowledge of the pavilion's capabilities transformed the tactical situation from difficult to nearly hopeless. Even with the Supreme Demon Blade's power, Wuchen was facing opponents who had prepared specifically for this confrontation.
Another gesture from one of the Infernal Dukes sent a wave of corruption rolling across the battlefield that bypassed the pavilion's remaining defenses entirely. Where it touched living defenders, their spiritual foundations began to waver and crack under pressure that attacked the very nature of cultivation itself.
"Elder Wu is down!" someone screamed from the eastern wall. "The corruption is spreading through our formation network!"
"They're using our own enhanced arrays against us," Wuji realized with admiration for the enemy's tactics. "The purification work you performed this morning created stronger connections between formation nodes—connections they can now exploit to spread contamination throughout the entire system."
Wuchen felt a cold fury building in his chest as he realized how completely they had been outmaneuvered. The demons hadn't just prepared for his awakening—they had anticipated his response patterns and laid traps that turned his greatest success into a weapon against his allies.
"That's enough," he said quietly, drawing the Supreme Demon Blade and feeling its power respond to his anger with eager anticipation.
"The second stage transition?"
"The second stage transition. These demons want to see what the Supreme Demon Blade can really do?" Wuchen raised the weapon toward the darkening sky, feeling power building beyond anything he had previously experienced. "Let's show them."
The blade began to pulse with silver fire that pushed back the artificial darkness, and every demon on the battlefield suddenly turned their attention toward the pavilion's main gatehouse. For the first time since the assault began, expressions of uncertainty appeared on the faces of the Infernal Dukes.
They had come expecting to face a newly awakened wielder still learning his capabilities. They were about to discover that some weapons grew stronger when pushed to their limits.