Back then, in Ling Xiao’s eyes, every martial artist was an unattainable existence. Any one of them could wave a hand and live in comfort and wealth.
Back then, his only desire to practise martial arts was to fill his stomach.
Later, when he arrived at the Ling family, he endured endless bullying until he awakened the Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul and began to shine step by step.
From that moment on, he had fought his way up.
The Ling family, Cloud Hollow City, the Moonlight Sect, and then the entire Sacred Dynasty.
Now, he was not only the Chosen of Heaven, but also the most outstanding martial artist of the Heavenly Dragon Continent’s younger generation.
Yet, having been to the Divine Phoenix Continent, he understood clearly that this was merely the beginning.
He could not relax. After settling matters here, he still had to continue walking his own path as a martial artist.
An unknown world awaited him to explore.
…
Outside the Demon Capital, the sea surged with violent waves.
Amid the chaos of warring factions, several deserted islands were home to swarms of monstrous beasts.
At this moment, however, those beasts had all become delicious meals for the army stationed here.
They had already waited two full days. Though it was somewhat dull and boring, the soldiers’ morale remained high.
They were waiting to storm, together with their king, that colossal city in their sights, a fortress that loomed like a ferocious beast in the night: the Demon Capital.
“They’re here!”
The army’s commander, Qin Huo, suddenly stood up and looked at the two figures in the sky.
“Brothers, eat and drink your fill quickly. Next, we’ll fight a blood-boiling battle alongside the Heavenly Dragon King. Taking the Demon Capital means victory!”
“Yes, sir!”
Having bottled up their energy for two days, everyone was raring to go. The moment they saw Ling Xiao appear, they were naturally overjoyed.
They had not forgotten why they had followed Ling Xiao here.
It certainly was not for food, drink, and pleasure.
…
Dawn broke, and the Demon Capital carried on as usual.
If anything had changed, it was that today the Heroes Assembly was being held, a tournament for all martial artists under thirty across the entire Heavenly Dragon Continent.
It was rather similar to the Sacred Dynasty’s Martial Dao Festival.
The True Demon Empire’s intention was crystal clear: to replace the Sacred Dynasty and become the true ruler of the Heavenly Dragon Continent.
Because this was the inaugural event, the True Demon Empire attached even greater importance to it.
Every street and alley bustled with excitement.
People rose early, eager to head to the great square of the Demon Capital to watch the spectacle.
Although today was only the warm-up for the Heroes Assembly and not the official competition, there would still be splendid performances. Going to enjoy the excitement was worthwhile.
“Hey, have you heard? One of the Divine Phoenix Empire’s ten great Phoenixes, the Peacock Phoenix, has actually come to our Demon Capital!”
Well-informed people were showing off their news at breakfast stalls.
“Is that true? The Divine Phoenix Empire is far stronger than our True Demon Empire. The Peacock Phoenix is one of the elite of their younger generation. What’s he doing here? Don’t tell me he’s taking part in the Heroes Assembly?”
Someone nearby asked curiously.
“No, I heard he came back with those two great beauties, Bai Qianjiao and Hong Li. He probably fancies one of them and is here to build momentum for her.”
The informed person analysed.
“Tsk tsk, going to the Divine Phoenix Empire really makes a difference. They actually brought back such a big shot. Impressive.”
“Indeed. If the Peacock Phoenix enters the Heroes Assembly, I’m afraid no human stands a chance against him. It’s a bit depressing when you think about it.”
“I wonder what happened to that Chosen of Heaven, the one called Ling Xiao who took first place at the Martial Dao Festival. I heard he died in the war?”
“No idea. Some say he went to the Divine Phoenix Empire, but with no background and such a high profile, he’s probably dead by now. Even if he’s alive, he can’t compare to the young Sea Clan martial artists, let alone the Peacock Phoenix.”
“Yeah, it seems us humans really are on the decline.”
Although the Sea Clan had occupied most of the Heavenly Dragon Continent, the majority of the population here was still human.
Because of their physical peculiarities, most Sea Clan members could not remain on land for long periods.
These vast numbers of humans formed the lowest stratum of the current True Demon Empire, doing work more exhausting than beasts of burden yet receiving the least in return.
Many still remembered that radiant Chosen of Heaven, Ling Xiao, who had shone so brightly at the Martial Dao Festival.
Many had pinned their hopes for human revival on that young man.
Yet nearly a year had passed, and ordinary people had no way of knowing Ling Xiao’s situation.
Plenty believed he was probably dead.
Of course, some still prayed silently in their hearts, praying that Ling Xiao could once again create a miracle, so that humans could at least live with dignity in their own land and not be treated like slaves or livestock by others.
Boom, boom, boom~~
Suddenly, loud rumbling came from the horizon, making the ground tremble.
People who had been chatting or hurrying along looked curiously in that direction.
Unfortunately, the towering city walls blocked their view.
Some experienced individuals pressed their ears to the ground to listen.
“It sounds like mounts. It’s an army, and there are probably no fewer than fifty thousand of them!”
The man stood up and exclaimed in shock.
“Are we going to war?”
The common people’s hearts tightened with fear.
Though they now lived worse than dogs, deep down they still did not want war, because war meant death.
Many martial artists leapt to high vantage points and gazed into the distance.
A mass of black dust rolled towards them.
It really was an army!
Besides the forces on land, more than a dozen enormous warships were also sailing towards the Demon Capital. The massive cannons on board looked terrifying.
Those cannons could unleash astonishing energy, rivaling even the attacks of Cave Heaven realm martial artists.
Countless arrays on the warships continuously drew energy from the surroundings while consuming huge quantities of spirit stones.
“What on earth is going on? Where did this army come from?”
On the city battlements, soldiers holding monocular telescopes had long since seen the distant force clearly.
“That banner is…”
“It’s the banner of the Chosen of Heaven!”
To let the people of the Heavenly Dragon Continent know whose army this was, Ling Xiao had specially ordered the four characters “Chosen of Heaven” embroidered onto it.
Appearance did not matter; clarity did.
The soldiers’ hearts instantly leapt into their throats.
Any idiot knew why the Chosen of Heaven had brought an army to the Demon Capital.
“Quick! Close the gates! Report to the Sea Emperor at once!”
The so-called Sea Emperor was the emperor of the True Demon Empire. To distinguish him from the former True Demon Great Emperor, they simply called him the Sea Emperor.
The current Sea Emperor was Jiao Batian.
Jiao Batian, who had already been killed by Ling Xiao.
The gates of the Demon Capital swiftly slammed shut. Clear inscriptions flickered across the thick, heavy gates. Clearly, these were no ordinary city gates.
Otherwise, any random Celestial Human realm martial artist could destroy them, rendering them meaningless.
