I am Master Maoshan

Chapter 2353 Destiny (Part Six)

Liu Jun's heart tightened, and he subconsciously held his breath. The old man, however, nonchalantly pulled out an ancient compass, its pointer spinning wildly: "Interesting. The Demon Emperor of this time and space has such strong perception; he almost discovered us."

The man in black followed the Demon Emperor's gaze but found nothing: "Your Majesty?"

The Demon Emperor waved his hand: "It's alright, perhaps I'm overthinking it." He stood up, his robes fluttering even without wind. "Remember, leave no survivors."

"Yes, sir!" The man in black bowed again, his figure gradually fading away until he disappeared into thin air.

"Let's go, it's time for us to leave." The old man said calmly.

No sooner had Liu Jun and the old man left than the Demon Emperor slowly raised his head again, his eyes looking at the spot where they had just stood. His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible doubt flashed in his eyes.

Clearly, the Demon Emperor of this timeline is far more powerful than the Demon Emperor of Liu Jun's previous life. Leaving aside other aspects, his perception alone is at least a hundred times stronger.

The scene where Liu Jun and his group reappeared was a deep and treacherous canyon. The mountains on both sides of the canyon soared into the clouds, like two huge blades piercing the sky, and the cliffs were covered with jagged rocks, as if boulders could roll down at any moment.

Tens of thousands of demon soldiers were already lying in ambush in this canyon. These demon soldiers were dressed in uniform black armor, the armor gleaming with a cold metallic luster. They were silently hidden in the shadows on both sides of the canyon, like a group of lurking cheetahs, waiting for their prey to arrive.

Clearly, these demon soldiers were elite troops; their eyes held a cold glint, and their weapons gleamed with a chilling light. They waited silently, anticipating the impending battle, a tense and oppressive atmosphere filling the air.

This road is the only way to the border, and it is the only way that General Hanyi and his men can take.

At this moment, General Hanyi was leading his troops on a rapid march towards the border. They were clad in silver armor, and their ranks were orderly and quiet, clearly indicating that they were well-trained.

Soon, General Hanyi and his men appeared at the entrance of the canyon and began to slowly enter.

At the front of the procession, General Hanyi rode a tall black warhorse, his brows furrowed.

Although he hadn't reached the border yet, he already felt a sense of unease, but he didn't know what the problem was.

"General, I sense something is wrong." A lieutenant frowned, a worried look on his face. He pulled on the reins and whispered to General Han Yi.

His eyes scanned the surroundings constantly, as if trying to find hidden dangers in the seemingly calm canyon.

"You're overthinking it. We're still deep within our demon territory. What could possibly be wrong?" another lieutenant joked, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he thought his companion's worries were unnecessary.

However, at that moment, a slight rustling sound came from both sides of the canyon, as if countless tiny footsteps were approaching.

General Hanyi's eyes sharpened instantly. He yanked the reins, and his warhorse reared up with a long neigh. He shouted, "All troops, prepare for battle!"

In an instant, the once orderly marching troops came to a halt. The soldiers quickly formed battle formations, raised their weapons high, and their eyes revealed a fearless spirit.

From the shadows on both sides of the canyon, tens of thousands of elite demon soldiers surged out like a tide, their shouts shaking the valley.

As the two teams drew closer, the striking color contrast became even more intense. Black and silver, like the collision of the deep night and the clear sky.

It wasn't just the difference in armor color; the numbers on both sides were vastly different. General Hanyi's side had only three thousand elite troops, each a battle-hardened warrior, a force to be reckoned with in the military.

However, the number of black-armored demon soldiers lying in ambush all around was more than 30,000. They surrounded General Hanyi's troops like a tide, forming an impenetrable cage.

Moreover, these black-armored demon soldiers in ambush possessed an extremely advantageous geographical position. They had chosen this complex, easily defensible, and difficult-to-attack canyon as their ambush site beforehand.

Moreover, the exit of the canyon had been blocked by them with boulders and trees, leaving only a narrow passage, leaving General Hanyi's troops with nowhere to escape.

The battle erupted the moment the two sides made contact. The black-armored demon soldiers pounced on General Hanyi's troops like hungry wolves, their killing intent palpable.

Although General Hanyi's side was outnumbered, his soldiers were fearless. They quickly formed ranks and engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy.

In an instant, swords flashed, blood splattered, and shouts of battle and screams of agony mingled together, echoing throughout the canyon.

However, due to the huge numerical disadvantage, General Hanyi's side, despite their bravery, quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

The black-armored demon soldiers surged forward relentlessly, like a tidal wave, surrounding them layer upon layer. General Hanyi led the charge, wielding a long spear, charging left and right through the crowd, each swing of his spear taking the life of an enemy.

His eyes burned with a furious rage, as if he wanted to incinerate all the enemies before him. But even with his valor, he could not withstand the enemy's fierce attack.

"It's the Demon Emperor's Black Armor Army!" a lieutenant suddenly exclaimed in terror, his eyes wide.

His voice stood out starkly in the noisy battlefield, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"They're all on our side, why are they attacking us?" a young soldier asked, his face full of confusion and anger. "Are they stupid? They don't want to kill us, they want to kill our general!" a more astute lieutenant replied, a hint of worry in his eyes.

He knew very well that a huge conspiracy was hidden behind this battle, and their general was the target of this conspiracy.

"Damn it, that's unacceptable! Get them!" another lieutenant roared, veins bulging on his face and a crazed glint in his eyes.

Under his leadership, the soldiers rallied and roared fiercely, launching a powerful counterattack against the enemy like tigers descending a mountain.

Despite being at a disadvantage, General Hanyi's soldiers did not lose morale; on the contrary, they fought with increasing ferocity. Their hearts were filled with loyalty to their general and hatred for the enemy, and this emotion transformed into boundless power, allowing them to unleash astonishing fighting strength in dire straits.

Every soldier charged toward the enemy with the determination to die. They brandished their weapons and engaged in close combat, each collision sparking dazzling flames.

However, the numerical disparity was simply too great. Despite the soldiers' best efforts, they were unable to change the course of the battle.

After two hours of fierce fighting, General Hanyi's side had only a few hundred soldiers left standing, and they were all wounded. Blood stained their armor, and blood kept gushing from their wounds, but their eyes remained firm, without the slightest sign of retreat.

At this moment, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the earth, turning the entire battlefield in a blood-red hue. General Hanyi looked at the few remaining soldiers around him, his heart filled with sorrow and helplessness.

"Buzz—" A deep and long horn sound suddenly rang out.

The black-armored demon soldiers, who were originally like a black steel torrent, retreated in unison.

Although they had not completely withdrawn from the battlefield, they had already left a considerable open space between themselves and the troops led by General Hanyi.

A tense atmosphere permeated the air, as if even the wind had frozen, and every breath carried a sense of oppressive chill.

"What do you mean? Are these bastards planning a desperate fight?" A burly, bearded lieutenant general stared wide-eyed, his eyes filled with anger and disdain.

"It seems a big shot is about to appear." Another lieutenant was as pale as paper. He had just gone through a fierce battle and was seriously injured. He was spitting out a mouthful of blood.

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-armored demon soldiers, who had been standing in neat rows, quickly parted to the sides, revealing a wide passage.

Just then, a figure riding a dark, ferocious beast slowly appeared. The beast was enormous, like a moving mountain, and every step it took made a dull thud, as if the earth itself was trembling.

The beast's eyes gleamed with a fierce red light, like two burning lanterns, radiating a chilling aura.

Riding on the back of the ferocious beast was a demon wearing a black cloak.

The black cloak enveloped his entire body, revealing only a vague outline.

“Commander of the Imperial Guard!” General Hanyi immediately recognized the man in the black cloak, a hint of vigilance and seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"General Hanyi, it's been a long time," the black-cloaked figure said in a hoarse voice, a voice that seemed to come from a grave, carrying an eerie and cold quality.

Although his voice wasn't loud, it clearly reached everyone's ears, as if possessing an invisible magic that sent chills down their spines.

"Can you tell me the reason?" General Hanyi was silent for a while, his eyes fixed on the black cloak, trying to find an answer from the other party's expression.

"The Emperor's decree cannot be disobeyed." The man in the black cloak remained silent for a moment, his voice still hoarse and cold, devoid of any emotion.

His body twitched slightly, and the dark beast seemed to sense its master's emotions, letting out a deep roar that shook the surrounding air.

"I understand. Can we talk?" General Hanyi sighed slowly.

This sigh was filled with weariness and helplessness, as if each sigh was telling of the struggle and pain deep in his heart.

"You die, they live." The voice in the black cloak was icy and chilling, devoid of any warmth or emotion, and leaving no room for negotiation.

"Impossible!" Before General Hanyi could answer, the soldiers behind him shouted in unison.

Every soldier stood tall, their eyes filled with determination and a spirit of facing death without fear.

"General, we can't just stand by and watch you die!" A young soldier's eyes were filled with tears, and his voice trembled slightly. "We've followed you for so many years, we've long since disregarded life and death. If we're going to die, we'll die together!"

"Yes, General, we are not afraid to die!" the other soldiers echoed.

The man in the black cloak remained silent, simply standing there, his cold eyes fixed on General Han Yi, as if waiting for an answer.

Countless images flashed through General Hanyi's mind: the heroic scenes of fighting alongside his soldiers, the happy moments spent with his family. He thought of his unborn child, and of his wife's gentle and expectant eyes, and a pang of pain shot through his heart.