But only those involved knew the palpitations of fear here.

Even in the Heavenly Court, regardless of what one had heard, it was impossible to imagine that the Heavenly Court, which exerts its might over the Three Realms, would feel so powerless when dealing with Luzhou in the North, a place that once seemed like their own backyard.

Even though Li Jing was a commander renowned throughout the Three Realms, and Nezha and others were brave and skilled in battle, they found it extremely difficult to make progress on this land.

The Mountain God and Earth God had never seen demons like these; they were smarter and more cunning, with a steadfast gleam in their eyes, a group of monsters who were unbreakable.

They would not be discouraged by the harsh conditions, nor would they retreat from the horrors of death; they were the bravest and most fearless warriors.

Sometimes the Mountain God would ask himself, can such an opponent truly be defeated?

"Now that we’ve accepted our divine duty, even if we wanted to run, we could not; we can only take it slowly," Earth God sighed despondently. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Compared to those colleagues who died without rhyme or reason, we are the lucky ones."

The two were silent in their conversation; the graphic scenes of fellow Mountain Gods and Earth Gods dying in front of them flashed through their minds again, the fierce terror of something that even now caused them to shudder with lingering fear.

Exchanging a glance that revealed a hint of bitter smiles, their figures slowly vanished on the spot, for they were the Mountain God and Earth God, naturally skilled in the Earth Escape Technique.

The same scenario was unfolding in many parts of the mountain range; the Demon Clan fully exploited their agility to perfection, employing guerilla tactics with unparalleled skill, causing significant damage to the armies of the Heavenly Court without them realizing it.

When Li Jing received the casualty report, his face darkened as if overcast with storm clouds. In just a few days, he had lost many heavenly soldiers; most crucially, these demons were slippery and evasive, never confronting the Heavenly Court head-on, always striking and then moving to another location, avoiding strength and attacking weakness.

"We can no longer continue like this, send the notice to stop advancing into the mountains and rest on the spot," Li Jing made a decisive decision, not stubbornly persisting in entering the mountains but halting their advance.

He knew well that to continue would mean increasing casualties for nothing; without decisive power, the sprawling mountains would become a dreadful meat grinder, reducing any number of heavenly soldiers who entered it to shreds.

When Li Jing’s order reached the camp, many heavenly soldiers quietly breathed a sigh of relief; after all, the recent events were impossible to hide from these people, and even battle-hardened soldiers felt fear in the face of extremely high mortality rates.

Fortunately, this all finally came to an end, and these individuals could catch a brief respite.

However, the difficult problem still lay before the people of the Heavenly Court; if they could not successfully cross this mountain range, then conquering Luzhou in the North would become a vain hope.

And the grand operation of the Heavenly Court would turn into a complete farce; a responsibility Li Jing could not bear.

He gazed at the nearby mountain range, his eyebrows knitted tightly, and after a long while, he let out a deep sigh and massaged his brow.

Ultimately, the commander of the armies still decided to write a memorial, expressing some of his thoughts and insights.

Soon, the memorial was placed on the Jade Emperor’s desk.

"What are your thoughts on this matter?" the Jade Emperor asked the Divine Exorcist Great Saint.

"Indeed, it’s a good strategy. The current situation in Luzhou in the North is very clear; without sufficient Treasure Ships and cannons, it is impossible to cross that mountain range. An attack from the sea is indeed a good approach," he answered.

"Moreover, this battlefront has weaker defenses, and currently, not many in the Demon Court are adept at naval warfare," he added.

He suddenly fell silent for a moment.

"Continue speaking!" the Jade Emperor nodded and said, his expression as calm as if nothing had changed.

Seeing this, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage continued, "Our Heavenly Court, as it currently stands, has few generals who excel in naval warfare. After consecutive incidents with two Marshals Tianpeng, and especially after the previous rebellion, our Naval Forces have suffered greatly. They will likely struggle in any immediate confrontation."

"Indeed, the Naval Forces are essentially in ruins!" the Jade Emperor also sighed softly.

Of course, the ruination of the Naval Forces could be traced back to him. Zhu Gangliao had been a casualty of the Jade Emperor’s consolidation of power, while Yin Qi’s troubles were insurmountable, a death of his own making.

However, these consecutive changes indeed caused this navy to fall into complete decay, hardly capable of their former combat effectiveness.

"Our current plan must rely on the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas!" the Divine Exorcist Great Sage suddenly interjected.

"The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas!" the Jade Emperor’s gaze grew distant.

"That group of slippery old dogs, they don’t seem like the type to get involved in this affair. I know Ao Guang’s nature very well. Despite his usually respectful and seemingly most loyal dog-like behavior towards the Heavenly Court, if his interests are truly threatened, he will not cooperate with you," the Jade Emperor said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Obviously, he didn’t have a high opinion of the wavering Dragon Clan.

"Yet, at present, if we wish to find a naval force capable of a battle, they are our only hope."

"They all have their own agendas and are unlikely to agree—they might even pay lip service to us while opposing us in secret," the Jade Emperor shook his head slightly.

"I plan to take personal action and seek out these Old Dragon Kings to persuade them to attack Luzhou in the North," said the Divine Exorcist Great Sage.

The Jade Emperor revealed a slight smile and said, "It seems you are the only one who can take on this task. Lay aside the matter of the Demon Clan scouts for now. They can’t stir up any real trouble. Besides, you know the state of the Heavenly Court—it’s as leaky as a sieve, home to all sorts; not a single piece of news can be kept secret."

"I shall obey the order!" the Divine Exorcist Great Sage bowed deeply.

From that day, he secretly left the Heavenly Court and quietly headed to the Dragon Palaces of the Four Seas, preparing to open up a second front for the Heavenly Court.

To confuse others, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage deliberately left a clone behind as a diversion, unaware that his actions were clearly observed by a butterfly quietly perched on a tree.

This butterfly looked ordinary, devoid of even a hint of spiritual essence, and if one did not look closely, it might be mistaken for an inanimate object, perfectly blending in with its surroundings.

Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, Lin Fang, watching a band of Little Monsters playing, revealed a delighted smile.

"Why is the boss suddenly smiling, and why does he look so wicked?" Bashan Tiger immediately noticed the change in Lin Fang and asked curiously.

Thus, Little Fox and the Tree Demon Spirit, along with other little fellows, quickly gathered around.

"The Divine Exorcist Great Sage has left the Heavenly Court!" Lin Fang said with a light chuckle.

The Little Monsters did not understand. Why was Lin Fang so happy about that troublemaker leaving the Heavenly Court?

It was White Dragon who laughed and said upon hearing this, "Does this mean you can proceed with the plan you’ve prepared?"

Lin Fang nodded and replied, "I didn’t dare to act rashly while he was still guarding the Heavenly Court. After all, he is a master of intelligence and could easily discern my whereabouts. There is only one chance, so I must act with caution."