Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 262 Leading a Team on a War Mission
Dou Eqing's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his five fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked!

He blamed himself for not noticing sooner that someone was plotting against him. The cultivation world was a life-or-death struggle for resources—yet these bastards dared to touch the people around him!
"Very good"

He knelt on one knee, his fingertips tracing across Yu Yaoqin's brow, then moving to her still-warm chest.

The palm marks appeared slightly off-center, and after a brief deduction, he knew that it was a passive palm strike.

However, the Soul-Shattering Palm was too insidious and still shattered Yu Yaoqin's soul.

It was a chilling feeling, as if one's soul was being crushed bit by bit by invisible fingers, with pain and despair intertwined, and even the air was filled with an indescribable desolation.

Yu Yaoqin's eyes were already unfocused, as if all her life force had been completely drained away by this fatal blow.

"boom!"

Dou Eqing slammed his fist into the ground.

The force of the punch suddenly shattered the blue stone beside him, and the flying fragments were as dense as raindrops, cutting the skin between Dou Eqing's eyebrows and leaving small bloodstains.

Blood rolled down his nose, but he grinned, revealing his blood-stained teeth and a ferocious smile, as if mocking his enemies who opposed him.

"You're one of us, right?"

He ran his right hand over the wound between his brows, and it healed completely. Then, anger surged within him, and his spiritual energy boiled like magma.

"I, Old Demon Dou, will make you all pay for your crimes in blood! Kill!"

At the same time, he froze Yu Yaoqin's body and placed it in a jade coffin.

In fact, when Yu Yaoqin came looking for her, Dou Eqing was leading the Hezong and Baishanjiao people on a mission.

At this moment, Shi Hao took advantage of Yu Yaoqin's attempt to influence Dou Eqing's grand plan, hoping to kill two birds with one stone.

Although the mission was aimed at the demon race, Dou Eqing seemed to regard the demons as enemies seeking revenge.

The operation, which was originally planned meticulously and to be carried out at the opportune moment, was now abandoned by Dou Eqing, who ordered a direct attack.

The demon race has gained a lot from its riots over the past decade, expanding its territory sixty miles to the southwest, almost opening up a road for this outward expansion.

Within this sixty-mile territory, there is a canyon called Duanwan, which is like a strategically vital location.

If human cultivators cut off the demons' reinforcements from here, they can besiege and attack the demons' expanded territories one by one.

Dou Eqing's mission was to attack Duanwan Gorge.

At Dou Eqing's command, the warlike Zhou Yutong, wielding the Purple Lightning Hammer, was the first to charge out.

The Purple Lightning Hammer gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight, its surface engraved with mysterious runes, seemingly containing boundless power.

Zhou Yutong's eyes were firm, her muscles were taut, and each step she took made a heavy and powerful sound, filling the air with a strong killing intent emanating from her.

The other cultivators around them quickly made way, their eyes filled with awe and admiration. They knew Zhou Yutong's bravery, and with her leading the charge, they felt a great sense of security in the battle to come.

Zhou Yutong didn't care that her cultivation level was higher than her enemies'. Even if she encountered a Nascent Soul cultivator, she would kill them without hesitation.

This puts immense pressure on lower-level cultivators.

Dou Eqing did not act immediately; he looked up at the Broken Canyon.

After Zhou Yutong made her move, Shi Liyuqiu and the other two, who were at the Refinement Void Realm, followed closely behind, searching for a target to attack.

Deep within the Broken Canyon, shrouded in blood-red mist, four pressures from the Void Refinement Realm shattered the canyon's tranquility.

Zhou Yutong rose into the air, stepping on purple lightning. Three thousand dazzling feathers formed from lightning tore through the sky, and wherever they passed, the bodies of demonic soldiers were struck by lightning and turned into black ash.

Behind Shi Liyuqiu, the Crimson Sky Sword Formation suddenly unfolded, with eighty-one burning flying swords forming the Heaven-Burning Eight Trigrams Diagram, pinning the three demon generals to the scorched cliff.

She didn't resort to bullying the weak; with her first strike, she eliminated three demons comparable to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage for her side.

Ye Xieshun's palms surged with purple flames, and the poisonous gas transformed into a nine-headed phantom of a willow tree, which collided violently with the demonic cultivator shrouded in a black mist of putrid poison.

The poisonous gas transformed into the phantom of a nine-headed Xiangliu, each head emitting a suffocating stench that seemed capable of corroding everything.

The phantom danced in the air, as ferocious and terrifying as a demon.

At the same time, the demonic cultivator's figure was shrouded in a putrid black mist, within which countless wriggling venomous insects could be vaguely seen, emitting a nauseating stench.

The two collided with a deafening roar, filling the air with a pungent odor. It was as if even the air itself was trembling, and the entire world seemed to be torn apart by this force.

The shockwave ripped the entire rock layer into the air, sending rocks flying and dust billowing everywhere, as if the heavens and earth were shaking.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hong Duxiu threw out twelve soul-suppressing talismans. The talismans drew golden arcs in the air, and the golden light condensed into a solid cage, instantly trapping the three Void Refinement Demons. Their struggles echoed in the cage, but they could not break free from its restraints.

He temporarily held off the Void Refining Demon who came to obstruct him. His eyes were firm, and the magic weapon in his hand gleamed with a cold light. A murderous aura permeated the air.

The twelve Soul-Suppressing Talismans are important resources provided by the Trial Hall of the Judgment Hall for this special mission, and all of them are mid-grade sixth rank.

If it is to be exchanged for merit points, a large amount of merit points will be required.

Upon seeing a large number of his demon soldiers being slaughtered, the demon leader immediately resorted to forbidden methods.

The blood-red markings on his forehead suddenly blazed brightly, like burning flames. Five scarlet chains pierced through the void, accompanied by a piercing shriek, and swiftly bound the talisman.

The sound of metal shattering caused the Nascent Soul cultivators to bleed from their seven orifices, blood gushing from their nostrils, ears, and eyes, as they collapsed to the ground in agony.

Dou Eqing's White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade roared, its tip shattering the heads of three demon generals. The dark purple blood rain was evaporated by the pressure of his Nascent Soul Great Circle before it even hit the ground.

Under Guo Jia's control, the cultivators of the Hezong Sect quickly formed the Bagua Killing Array. The sword energy and demonic flames collided to form a blazing white light circle, and the rocks within thirty feet instantly turned into dust.

The blazing white halo was as dazzling as the scorching sun, the air was filled with the smell of burning, and the dust on the ground was swirled up by the intense energy fluctuations, forming a hazy mist.

Sword energy danced wildly like silver snakes, and demonic flames surged like red dragons. The two intertwined, producing a deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth trembled at that moment.

The elder of the Baishan Sect summoned his natal magic weapon, the Yin-Yang Mirror. The reflection of the demon race's Nascent Soul stage expert on the mirror's surface began to burn. Amidst screams of agony, cracks appeared on the demon's body, and the flames, like blazing infernos, illuminated the entire valley, filling the air with a scorching smell.

The powerful demon writhes in agony, golden patterns flashing like lightning across his cracked skin. Each crack is accompanied by a piercing scream, as if the heavens and earth tremble at the pain.

A blood-red vortex suddenly exploded on the east side of the canyon. Five Nascent Soul stage demons joined forces to control their demon soldiers and perform a demonic ritual, successfully summoning a hundred-foot-long bone dragon.

The bone dragon was pieced together from countless white bones, each bone radiating a chilling aura, and its eyes, like burning blood flames, revealed endless killing intent.

The bone dragon hovered in the air, emitting a deep roar as if it wanted to tear the sky apart.

Five demons stood on five different parts of the bone dragon, controlling its every movement. Their figures appeared and disappeared in the blood-red vortex, emanating a powerful demonic aura that sent chills down one's spine.

They joined forces to temporarily stop Zhou Yutong's massacre of the demon soldiers.

Zhou Yutong bit her tongue, and bright red blood gushed out, instantly merging into the Purple Lightning Divine Hammer. The originally heavy divine hammer suddenly swelled to the size of a mountain, its entire body flashing with purple lightning, resembling a moving mountain of thunder.

Thousands of lightning bolts fell from the sky like a violent downpour, so dense that they almost covered the entire sky. The air was filled with a pungent, scorching smell. Each lightning strike was accompanied by a deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were trembling.

The Bone Dragon's tailbone shattered half of the lightning strikes aimed at it, and Shi Liyuqiu seized the opportunity to gather the sword formation into a crimson beam, suddenly intervening in Zhou Yutong's battle.

The crimson beam pierced the demon's head, triggering a spiritual energy explosion that sent seven hundred demon soldiers tumbling into an abyss.

A Qilin totem appeared on Ye Xieshun's right arm, and purple flames transformed into a primordial beast that tore through the demon army's formation.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Hong Duxiu threw out her natal golden seal. When the seal landed, the earth's veins surged, and countless golden chains wrapped around the ankles of the three Void Refinement Demons.

The demon leader suddenly tore open his chest, and the gushing black blood transformed into ten thousand demonic crows, which blotted out the sky and swooped down on the low-level cultivators of the Baishan Sect.

He's trying to learn from the human side and fight fire with fire.

Dou Eqing's White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade swept away the blood mist, and the pure yang energy remaining on the blade melted the surrounding blood crows into green smoke.

The blade flashed like lightning, slicing through the sky with intense light, as if it could tear apart all darkness.

The flock of blood crows let out mournful cries under the impact of the blade energy, their black feathers instantly turning to ashes, and a scorching smell filled the air.

The pure yang energy was as scorching as the sun, and even the air seemed to tremble. The surrounding bloody aura was completely purified, leaving only wisps of wispy green smoke rising, as if a group of demons had finally been wiped out.

Suddenly, above the Broken Canyon where blood and fire intertwined, twelve gilded talismans hung in the air like blazing suns, illuminating and dispelling the demonic clouds that stretched for thirty miles!
Just as the three Void Refinement Elders of the Demon Clan unleashed the Soul Devouring Banner, the talisman on the dome suddenly transformed into a dragon. The dragon's roar shook the hundred-foot-tall stone peak, causing it to shatter. Three golden chains of light forcefully suppressed the demon's cultivation by thirty percent!

"Seven Killings Demon-Slaying Formation, activate!"

Dou Eqing, his blue robe stained with blood, forcibly joined the battle among the Void Refinement cultivators using the Soaring Dragon Step.

Taking advantage of the situation, several Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Baishan Sect rushed forward, tearing a gap in the left flank of the Demon Clan amidst flashing swords.

The demon general, with his red eyes, attempted to activate the blood sacrifice technique, but the twelve soul-suppressing talismans rotated as if they were alive, effectively locking the raging demonic energy within a ten-zhang cage!

As the sun dipped below the horizon, its light turning blood red, Hong Duxiu suddenly bit her tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the central core of the talisman array.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, please help me!"

But Ye Xieshun placed his palms against his back, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy poured out like a celestial river, causing the twelve talismans to condense into the Demon-Slaying Sword Formation in the void.

The two trapped Void Refinement Demons were furious, their demonic armor crumbling inch by inch, and were finally reduced to ashes by the myriad golden rays!

In this earth-shattering battle, the human side gained the upper hand from the very beginning, not only in terms of strategy and tactics, but also with the powerful support of the twelve Soul-Suppressing Talismans provided by the Mission Hall.

These soul-suppressing talismans are a complete set, containing ancient and powerful energy. They can directly restrain the three Void Refinement Realm experts of the Demon Clan, preventing them from unleashing their full strength for a short period. This move greatly weakens the overall combat power of the Demon Clan, providing Dou Eqing and his team with an excellent opportunity to defeat the enemy's main force one by one and gradually turn the tide of the battle.

Moreover, in the final moments of the battle, Hong Duxiu risked damaging the set of talismans and, with the help of Ye Xieshun's spiritual power, fully activated the twelve Soul-Suppressing Talismans, directly annihilating the two Void Refinement Demons trapped within, thus laying the foundation for victory.

Moreover, their mission was not to completely conquer Broken Canyon, but only to eliminate most of the main force of the demon race here. The task of occupying this place would then be completed by other forces.

"enough!"

Dou Eqing pointed his White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade at the demon flag deep in the canyon, while the cultivators behind him formed hand seals in unison.

The combined power of the group destroyed the demon flag.

Hong Duxiu retrieved the Soul-Suppressing Talisman and carefully placed it into the talisman plate.

Although the twelve Soul-Suppressing Talismans were already covered with cracks, they still burst out with a final, dazzling light—this battle was not about seizing the mountain and capturing the flag; with just this thunderous method of mutual destruction, the demon cubs were already terrified!
Although the battle was short, it actually lasted for nearly ten days.

Although humanity achieved a great victory, it also paid a heavy price.

Among them, the number of Nascent Soul cultivators temporarily exceeded twenty, and more than one hundred Nascent Soul cultivators died.

The resources consumed in the war were countless.

If it weren't for the special circumstances of wartime, a family like Hezong's would have been completely depleted in this battle.

Besides the Baishan Sect and the Hezong Sect attacking Duanwan Canyon, there is also an assassination mission that coordinates this task.

Before Dou Eqing attacked, the human assassins had already taken care of many of the demons' communications specialists, thus delaying the demons' requests for help.

Otherwise, reinforcements from the Demon Cave would have arrived long ago.

News of the attack on Broken Canyon had almost reached the Ten Thousand Demon Cave by now.

Dou Eqing flew into the sky and just then discovered that the reinforcements from the Ten Thousand Demon Cave had just set off.

He glanced at the demon reinforcements rushing from the Demon Cave and shouted to everyone:
"go!"

Therefore, the cultivators of Hezong and Baishanjiao hurriedly cleaned up the battlefield, cleared away the scattered magical treasures and spiritual medicines, quickly tidied up the mess, and then retreated to Shiguan City.

They knew that the demons' reinforcements were powerful and that they could not afford to be complacent; they had to return to safety as soon as possible.

During the retreat, they remained vigilant to prevent the enemy from pursuing them.

On the way, they encountered five legions of cultivators from fifth-tier forces. The leaders of the five forces stared at them with wide eyes.

All the monks they led were clad in armor, which gleamed metallically in the sunlight, and the magical artifacts in their hands emitted a faint glow, as if they were ready to fight at any moment.

The five were surprised that the Baishan Sect, which only brought one fourth-tier power, completed its mission so quickly.

The monks of the Baishan Sect walked with firm steps, their faces showing no signs of fatigue, but rather revealing the confidence of victors.

According to the manager who issued the mission, the mission to attack Broken Canyon requires the participation of these five factions to be completed perfectly.

However, the efficiency and strength of the Baishan Sect clearly exceeded everyone's expectations; the demons and Void Refinement Realm experts deep in the canyon seemed to pose no threat to them.

Dou Eqing recognized one of them as a familiar face: Jia Chiyan, the leader of the "Hunting for Beauties" sect.

So he ordered his men to continue toward Stone Pass, while he stopped to talk to her.

In addition, Hong Duxiu also stopped upon seeing this.

After all, he and Jia Chiyan had a close partnership, and she was about to participate in a dangerous battle, so he naturally wanted to protect her.

Overall, although her relationship with Jia Chiyan was arranged by Dou Eqing, Hong Duxiu was very satisfied with this "arranged marriage" and particularly pleased with Jia Chiyan.

Jia Chiyan was not only beautiful, but also had outstanding talent in cultivation. The two were of similar cultivation level and had a high degree of compatibility in cultivation, which made Hong Duxiu more adept on her cultivation path.

In addition, Jia Chiyan has a gentle personality and a fifth-tier power under her command, and she performs well in all aspects.

More importantly, Jia Chiyan also demonstrated outstanding ability in handling sect affairs, relieving Hong Duxiu of a lot of pressure, allowing him to concentrate on pursuing higher levels of cultivation. In the future, she can help with the management of the Baishan Sect.

Dou Eqing regarded the Hunter of Beauties Sect as his own power. Previously, he had discovered that the demons sent to the Broken Valley by the Ten Thousand Demon Cave were not to be underestimated. Not only were they numerous, but they were also a group of elite demon soldiers with extremely strong combat power.

To ensure that the Hunter's Gate would not suffer heavy losses in this great battle, Dou Eqing specifically shared this intelligence with Jia Chiyan, reminding her to prepare in advance, mobilize elite forces, and formulate a meticulous strategic plan to deal with possible fierce battles.

He relayed his discovery to Jia Chiyan, and before leaving, he whispered to Hong Duxiu:
"You can stay."

Then, he caught up with Guo Jia and the others and headed towards Shiguan City.

If he didn't give such instructions, even if Hong Duxiu wanted to stay, she would need to ask him for permission.

His initiative in explaining things made him seem more approachable.

If it weren't for the matter of Yu Yaoqin, he might have left all his Void Refinement cultivators behind to participate in the great battle to defend Broken Valley.

He had two considerations for not doing so:

On the one hand, he needs a Void Refinement cultivator by his side to prevent enemies from targeting him; on the other hand, he needs a Void Refinement cultivator to find out the mastermind behind the attack.

The reason he was able to see through Yu Yaoqin's actions—that she wasn't actively killed by Luo Chuyan's shadow slave clone—was thanks to the Soul-Devouring Butterfly.

The Soul-Devouring Butterfly discovered clues about the Illusion Gu and informed Dou Eqing of its discovery.

After some speculation, Dou Eqing roughly figured out the cause of Yu Yaoqin's death.

Moreover, he had a mission to complete, and the matter of Yu Yaoqin seemed very strange, making him intuitively sense the smell of a conspiracy.

On the way back, Dou Eqing pondered the strategy for counterattack and the specific targets to be chosen.

Although he didn't know exactly who was targeting him, he was certain that those people came from the Demon Hunter Sect.

This evidence comes from the Soul-Shattering Palm technique of Luo Chuyan's Shadow Slave clone.

As the saying goes, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

If Dou Eqing and Luo Chuyan become enemies, the person most likely to benefit from this will be from the Demon Hunter Sect.

"Perhaps we can ask Qiu Shaozhen for help..."

Back at the Baishan Sect camp, Dou Eqing finally came up with a breakthrough for his operation.

He didn't really intend to ask Qiu Shaozhen for help, but rather hoped to use Qiu Shaozhen to follow the clues and mislead the enemy so as not to alert them.

After all, in Dou Eqing's view, his enemy was not only powerful, but also "one of his own" within the Demon Hunter Sect, so he had to plan carefully in order to deal with him successfully.

So, under the pretext of resolving past grievances, he hosted a banquet for Qiu Shaozhen at the best restaurant in Shiguan City.

In fact, Liao Yinshu had already informed Dou Eqing that Qiu Shaozhen had expressed his willingness to peacefully resolve past grievances through the cultivators of the Demon-Raising Sect.

Therefore, he used this as an excuse to ensure that Qiu Shaozhen would come to the appointment.

In addition, he sent a message to Rosie in the Blazing Cave, asking her to find a suitable target for the Void Refinement Realm in the Blazing Cave for Dou Eqing to plant the Demon Slave Seal.

The death of Yu Yaoqin made Dou Eqing feel that he should accelerate his plans for the Blazing Cave.

He felt that the Blazing Cave was easier to plot against than the Demon Hunter Sect, because he was in the shadows while the Blazing Cave was in the open.

The people of the Blazing Cave were unaware of Dou Eqing's schemes against them, nor did they believe that Dou Eqing, the leader of a fourth-tier power, could devour a sixth-tier power like theirs. This made Dou Eqing's schemes even more secretive.

The higher-ups of the Demon Hunter Sect had long been wary of Dou Eqing, and many eyes were on him. Unless he had absolute strength, it would be extremely difficult for his scheme to succeed.

This decision was guided by the consciousness of Dou Eqing himself, demonstrating foresight.

The true consciousness, viewing the situation from a higher dimension, determined that it would soon face a huge crisis.

This crisis is both a danger and a great opportunity.

From a higher-dimensional perspective, the true consciousness can clearly see the complexity of the current situation and the potential threats.

These threats not only stem from the shift in the righteous path's strategy for the war between good and evil, but may also originate from adjustments made within the demonic path's own Judgment Hall.

Three years ago, Ji Xi sent Dou Eqing a cryptic message that made Dou Eqing realize an opportunity for adjustment within the demonic path.

Most of the demonic forces grew up by raising Gu poison.

This growth pattern is rapid.

Currently, there is not enough time for all the demonic forces to grow; their growth rate must be accelerated.

Therefore, Dou Eqing himself judged that the strategy of raising Gu would become more aggressive.

However, it is precisely this crisis that provides an opportunity for the consciousness of the principal deity to re-examine itself, and even to reposition and strategically adjust the sect's position.

By responding to crises, one's true consciousness can discover new resources and pathways, thereby achieving spiritual integration and personal growth and breakthroughs.

Opportunities in a crisis are often hidden behind challenges. Only individuals with keen insight and decisive action can find a turning point in a crisis, turn danger into safety, and ultimately achieve leapfrog development.

Dou Eqing must plan ahead.

(End of this chapter)