Standing outside the small courtyard, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage pondered for a long time but still did not enter the yard.

"Keep a close watch on the movements here, and come back to report to me immediately if there’s any unusual activity," he instructed in a deep voice to the two people guarding the door.

In the yard, there was a large tree, lush and leafy, on which a tiny insect was crawling, seemingly staring with its eyes at everything happening outside the gate.

Inside one of the courtyard’s rooms, Mr. Mo was sitting upright in his chair, holding a crystal ball in his hand that displayed all the movements outside.

"Could it be you?" Mr. Mo murmured to himself.

In the Heavenly Forge Bureau, Lu Shu and Liu Ming instantly sensed the change in atmosphere. The black-clothed people who usually kept them under close surveillance seemed to have disappeared, but their workload had skyrocketed.

Lu Shu couldn’t help but complain, "Didn’t they say that we achieved a great victory on the front lines? Why is our workload increasing? Now there’s not even a chance to go out for a quick drink."

Liu Ming looked at Lu Shu’s resentful face and consoled him with a smile, "War is all about logistics. As long as the war continues, we can never relax. You should have been prepared for this."

"Who knew these monsters would be so powerful? A million Heavenly Soldiers and so many Immortals assisting, yet they still haven’t taken it down," Lu Shu muttered quietly.

"Do you think Luzhou in the North is a small place? It’s one of the Four Great Continents of the world, vast in territory. It’s not easy to conquer, you were too optimistic before."

"Alas, that’s true. It seems like these hard times will continue for a while longer. I just hope they can speed things up and end this war sooner. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go have a drink at the tavern."

Sighs like Lu Shu’s were not uncommon. As the war went on, those in the Heavenly Court genuinely started to feel the harm of the conflict.

When the war inevitably turned into a protracted war of attrition, even a powerful force like the Heavenly Court could feel the pain.

Far to the north in Luzhou in the North, Li Jing, as the Commander of the Heavenly Court, faced a much more complex situation.

A high-level power standoff had just ended. The Heavenly Court had destroyed all of the Treasure Ships of the Demon Clan with the power of the Great Formation of the Celestial Stars Encircling the Heavens, but the Demon Clan had taken the opportunity to realize their ancient plan effectively crippling the Heavenly Court’s strongest strategic tool.

The integration of the Demon Clan’s banner was not just in this aspect alone. Once the Vital Essence, Qi, and Spirit of the Demon Clan combined with this ancient land, the future Demon Clan of Luzhou in the North would be the protagonists of Heaven and Earth, favored by the will of Heaven and Earth.

For the Heavenly Court to conquer this land would become extremely difficult, rejected by the entirety of Heaven and Earth—this was the scene Li Jing least wanted to witness.

"Father!" Nezha called out gently, interrupting Li Jing’s contemplation.

He turned around to see that everyone’s gaze was on him, awaiting the command of the Commander-in-chief of the Three Armies.

"Let the army continue to advance. Although the situation is not very optimistic, since we have already started the war, without a decree from His Majesty to stop, we must keep striving forward to seek victory," Li Jing said in a deep voice.

Although in his heart he was quite clear that up to this point in the war, it was impossible for the Heavenly Court to achieve its strategic intentions.

As for the path ahead, it was no longer within his control. That was something only the Supreme of the Three Realms could decide.

All he could do was try his best to fulfill His Majesty’s orders and strive for victory with all his might.

At a command, the resonant drums of war sounded, and countless Heavenly Soldiers and Generals began to advance. The hills and fields were filled with the figures of the Heavenly soldiers, moving majestically toward the Demon Clan’s position.

Underneath the Demon Clan’s position, the Shituo King led a group of Monsters as they rose from beneath the thick dust.

"Pah, what a formidable power, what kind of trick has the Heavenly Court used this time? This power is much stronger than the previous artillery," one Monster said, spitting out the dust in its mouth.

"Luckily our tunnels are sturdy, otherwise, we all would have been buried alive here," another Monster remarked with a sigh.

The commotion before seemed to have the power to destroy heaven and earth, and even from deep underground, they could clearly feel that terrifying force.

Even so, many Monsters were buried alive under the ground, and many passages were collapsed. They would have to dig anew to get out.

"It must be the Heavenly Court’s Great Formation of the Celestial Stars Encircling the Heavens. I didn’t expect them to use it so soon; I reckon our Treasure Ship is done for too," the Peng Demon King sighed silently to himself. He had not anticipated the Heavenly Court to act so decisively. The thought of the Treasure Ship, accumulated with great difficulty, being destroyed all at once made him feel as if his heart was bleeding.

The Shituo King listened quietly to the noise above, his mouth curving into a slight smile as he said, "They’re here, get ready!"

Everyone’s face turned solemn, knowing that the Heavenly Court’s army had begun their onslaught. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

They began to pick up their weapons, adjust their breathing, stretched their ears to listen for the command, ready to strike at any moment.

As time ticked by, the collapsed tunnels became unusually stuffy. Sweat had already gathered on the faces of countless Monsters, but everyone seemed to ignore it, their gaze intently fixed on the surface above.

At this moment, the Heavenly Court’s army had already arrived above the Demon Clan’s position. The sight before them—the surroundings reduced to scorched earth—not even the Great Formation’s primary target, but the aftermath was still too ghastly to endure.

The fortifications that had been built with so much effort were now gone, the earth itself seemed plowed, the ground still hot underfoot, and the scattered starlight around was blinding.

"There probably isn’t a single survivor left!" a Heavenly soldier lamented, looking at the utter devastation.

They had witnessed the descent of the starlight and the terrifying power capable of destroying heaven and earth, and in their hearts, they did not believe anyone could survive under such frightful force.

"That is the ultimate weapon of our Heavenly Court. Who in the Three Realms would dare to withstand it head-on? I reckon these Monsters don’t even have any ashes left."

The people of the Heavenly Court were relaxed; after such a terrible power, the Demon Clan’s army had long been turned to dust and ashes, unworthy of attention. The reserve tunnels and pits had already been buried by the earlier force, and if one didn’t look closely, it would be impossible to detect them.

Sensing the movements above, the Shituo King finally issued the command to strike.

In that moment, the Monsters no longer suppressed their aura. Demonic power erupted as they charged toward the surface.

"Something’s not right, where is this Demon Qi coming from!" An experienced veteran of the Heavenly Court instantly realized something was amiss. The surroundings had been silent before, but now, a rich Demon Qi surged from all directions.

However, looking around, they saw only devastation, not even the shadow of an insect, let alone any Monsters.