However, as the war reached this point, even this famed veteran general felt he had no footing anymore.

Once, he had never taken the demons of Luzhou in the North seriously, but from today onward, he must view these monsters with new respect.

This race, once crippled by the Jade Emperor breaking their spines, had now been reborn from the flames and blossomed with new life, catching the attention of all who saw them.

Li Jing gazed at the sky and, after letting out a soft sigh, murmured to himself, "This will be a formidable opponent."

He understood that this war would be extremely difficult.

Pagoda-Bearing Li Tianwang stood silently in the chaos of the battlefield, looking at the devastation and letting out a gentle sigh. This battle had dealt a severe blow to the morale of the Heavenly Court, and without the Treasure Ship’s aid, the Heavenly Army would find it even harder to break into Luzhou in the North.

"Father!" Nezha walked slowly to his side and called out softly.

"How are the troop casualties?" asked Li Jing gravely.

"Nearly one-fifth." Nezha spoke quietly.

One-fifth, that was two hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. Since the founding of Heavenly Court, there had never been such severe losses.

Moreover, Li Jing and his team knew that the Demon Clan had a method to counteract the Heavenly soldiers’ undying bodies, meaning these deaths were permanent.

"The losses are heavy; this battle will not be easy," sighed Li Jing quietly.

At that moment, he lacked his usual confidence when in front of his soldiers, instead appearing deeply worried; he was uncertain whether initiating this war had been the right decision.

Meanwhile, the Demon Clan also suffered significant casualties. Although they had the advantage initially, the Heavenly Court was not renowned for nothing. This fierce battle killed many Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, but it also resulted in considerable losses on their side.

Even the Shituo King and others were injured.

"The Heavenly Court is indeed extraordinary; under such circumstances, they still possess such strength," the Shituo King sighed softly as he wiped the blood off his body.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, the reality was clear. Even under intense bombardment, the Heavenly Court could still organize a structured counterattack, and each of the Heavenly soldiers displayed exceptional fighting will and ability. Despite the unfavorable conditions, their morale did not collapse, and they even launched a bold counterattack.

Such combat effectiveness was no wonder they could dominate the Three Realms and achieve supremacy.

"Indeed, Li Jing truly deserves his reputation as a great general. He was able to set traps under those circumstances, causing us to lose many lives," a Demon King also sighed.

Such a formidable opponent was indeed rare in their experience. If it had been the previous Demon Clan, they would have been utterly routed.

The Demon King looked around and saw only hatred and fierce battle intent on everyone’s faces, yet he reflected silently that the Demon Clan was indeed different from before.

The people quietly bandaged their wounds while the Royal Guards had already begun analyzing the gains and losses of this battle.

It was a good habit formed from the beginning of their training: after each battle, they would form so-called study groups to discuss the insights and mistakes made during the combat, laying a foundation for better future battles.

The atmosphere was solemn as everyone discussed the gains and losses of the battle, especially iterating over the traps set by Li Jing.

This battle had also shown these young monsters the cruelty of war, where a moment’s carelessness could lead to many deaths.

But after the baptism of blood, these new recruits were growing rapidly, and the naivety in their eyes was gradually replaced by maturity and resolve.

Black Tiger Great General stood among them all, glanced around, and nodded to himself. Indeed, war was the best teacher, and these children had undergone a remarkable transformation.

However, the deaths of these young monsters on the battlefield also grieved him deeply; in his eyes, these people were not just soldiers of the Honor Guards but also the future hope of the Demon Clan.

They were each vibrant, having received the best education, and given time, they could definitely become the pillars of the Demon Clan. It was a pity to perish here.

As dusk fell, the parties that had undergone a fierce battle began regrouping. The initial clash had left a deep impression on both sides, and everyone knew that this war would not be easy.

But they had not anticipated it to be this arduous.

Under the moonlight, a fleet of Treasure Ships was slowly sailing towards the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons from the east—the reinforcements from Heavenly Court had arrived.

Countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, as well as the Star Lords, stood on the Treasure Ships, looking towards Luzhou in the North. They were already aware of the conflict information, and the harshness of war unfolded vividly before them.

The faces of everyone were grave; they all knew that this challenge was unprecedented, far from a mere excursion.

"Let’s speed up. Heavenly King Li is waiting for us," Nine Luminaries Star Lords said with a gentle wave of his hand.

The speed of the Treasure Ship suddenly increased, flying through the air like a fierce beast, rushing towards the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons.

Li Jing was resting in the main camp. After several fierce battles, he was mentally and physically drained. Competing in wits and bravery with the Demon Clan had taken much of his energy, and the disruptions in military affairs had dulled his spirit.

Muffled cries of pain from the Heavenly soldiers could still be faintly heard around him, cries of the wounded from the previous battle.

Li Jing furrowed his brows, pondering how to boost morale since the last two major battles, although his side had firmly held their ground, were essentially being led by the nose by the enemy, resulting in low morale.

Just at that moment, a burst of exclamation came from outside.

"Reinforcements have arrived!" someone shouted excitedly.

Li Jing hastily walked out of the main camp and saw a grand fleet of Treasure Ships flying over from the east, with familiar faces visible on them.

"Finally!" Li Jing too breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

The arrival of the reinforcements was undoubtedly a potent tonic, instantly boosting the sagging morale.

Looking at the camp, which had become somewhat disorderly due to excitement, Li Jing frowned and said, "Be quiet! Don’t disgrace yourselves in front of the reinforcements. Get ready to receive them."

At the commander’s order, everyone swiftly got into action, and the camp swiftly turned from chaos to order.

The Immortals on the Treasure Ships, looking down at the orderly Heavenly soldiers below, nodded to themselves: "Truly worthy of Heavenly King Li, his level of military control is impressive."

But the thought that such a formidable commander, leading an army of millions with Treasure Ships and divine cannons at his disposal, was still in such a state, one could imagine the combat prowess of the Demon Clan of Luzhou in the North.

The hearts of everyone sank; their initial projections were already grim, but the scenes of the battlefield they witnessed today made them realize their earlier estimates were somewhat optimistic.