Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The setting sun cast a blood-red glow, the black stone walls appearing desolate and forlorn, a faint scent of blood still lingering in the air. Flags fluttered on the walls, but upon closer inspection, many signs of repair were visible, indicating that a fierce battle had recently taken place here.

They were greeted by a captain with a bandage wrapped around his left arm named Li Jin. After verifying the documents, he clasped his hands in a salute to Chen Shuo and the others, saying, "Captain Chen, esteemed sirs, you must be tired from your journey! This humble general, Li Jin, is here to greet you on General Hu's orders. Please forgive the general for being unable to greet you in person due to his injury."

"Lieutenant Li, you're too kind. The military situation is urgent, so there's no need for formalities. Please take us to see General Hu and Chief Luo of the Demon Suppression Division to discuss the current situation in detail," Chen Shuo returned the greeting.

Led by Li Jin, the group passed through the military camp and arrived at a temporary command post next to the central army tent. General Hu, about fifty years old, had a resolute face but was very pale. He was sitting on a couch, talking in hushed tones with a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion next to him.

Judging from the latter's attire, he was Luo Wei, the head of the Wuwei branch office.

"General Hu, Chief Luo, Chen Shuo, the Golden-Rank Demon-Suppressing Guard of the Chang'an Demon-Suppressing Division, has led his team to provide support." Chen Shuo stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and announced.

General Hu quickly sat up straight, glanced at Chen Shuo and the others, and nodded. "Lord Chen, you've come at just the right time. Tiger Wolf Gorge is short of manpower."

Luo, the steward, also greeted the group. He was weak and listless, clearly indicating that his injuries were severe.

"Lieutenant Li, please give Lord Chen a detailed account of the situation," General Hu instructed.

Li Jin accepted the order and said in a deep voice, "A month ago, a demon king suddenly appeared at Black Wind Ridge, a hundred miles outside the pass. It was a bear with a completely black body. This demon was extremely powerful. As soon as it appeared, it subdued all the scattered demons in Black Wind Ridge and the surrounding hundreds of miles, and gathered thousands of demons under its command."

"Initially, this bear demon did not harass the pass, but merely occupied Black Wind Ridge. Until half a month ago, its demon followers began to frequently appear, robbing passing caravans and abducting people from villages near the mountains. Our army sent small teams to attack and drive them away, but with little effect, and instead suffered many casualties."

"We immediately reported to the Demon Suppression Division. At first, we were unaware of the existence of the Demon King. The Demon Suppression Division dispatched a small team, but they suffered a great defeat."

Chen Shuo's expression was grave. Han, the head steward, had mentioned this situation before: "A few days ago, Head Steward Luo personally led two elite teams to investigate. They encountered a horde of demons raiding thirty miles outside the pass and killed dozens of lesser demons on the spot. Who knew that the Black Bear Demon King would suddenly appear..."

As Li Jin spoke, a look of lingering fear appeared on his face. "When Manager Luo fought that demon king, he was severely injured and forced to retreat after only ten rounds. Of the brothers he brought with him, only two escaped back."

Upon hearing this, Manager Luo gave a bitter laugh, his voice weak: "I'm ashamed to say that the black bear was incredibly strong, and its demonic magic was even more bizarre. It could devour the magic power of its opponents and convert it into its own power, becoming stronger the more it fought. Moreover, its hide was thick and tough. My armor-piercing lightning talisman only left some scorch marks on its body... If it weren't for my brothers risking their lives to save me, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it back."

Li Jin continued, "Master Luo was seriously injured, and the demon king, now powerful, no longer concealed his whereabouts. Three days ago, he openly led a group of demons to attack Guanhulang Gorge. General Hu mobilized most of the elite troops within the pass, joining forces with the remaining skilled fighters of the Demon Suppression Division to defend the pass's great formation to the death, but..."

He took a deep breath, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes: "Under the Demon King's command, there is an extremely cunning wolf demon who acts as a strategist. He is extremely skilled in planning. General Hu is seriously injured, and nearly half of the Demon Suppression Division's best men have also been lost... We can only rely on the wall formation to hold on desperately and wait for reinforcements."

Chen Shuo's expression was grave: "The reinforcements from Longyou Road will arrive in three to five days at the earliest. Until then, we must hold Tiger Wolf Gorge. Has that Black Bear Demon King been provoking us at the pass these past two days?"

General Hu coughed twice before saying, "Every night, it sends out hordes of demons to harass and probe the weaknesses of the formation. Last night's attack was particularly fierce, and the formation was severely weakened. If it weren't for the efforts of the cultivators in the army and our colleagues in the Demon Suppression Division, things would have already turned out badly. If you hadn't arrived in time, the formation would probably have been broken tonight."

"In that case, we will immediately join the defense and stand with our comrades to guard this pass!" With the situation urgent, Chen Shuo immediately expressed his stance.

General Hu and Chief Luo both showed their gratitude. Chen Shuo then quickly inquired about Feng Kun's whereabouts, only to be told with regret that the man had already sacrificed himself in the previous battle.

Now that all the leads have gone cold, Chen Shuo and the others have no choice but to put the case aside for the time being.

Without further delay, under Li Jin's arrangement, everyone quickly familiarized themselves with the pass's defensive layout and learned how to control the formations. Li Yuan was assigned to a group with Chen Shuo and Xu Sheng, responsible for defending a crucial formation hub in the middle section of the pass. This section, facing the open area outside the pass, was one of the key areas targeted by the demon horde's attacks.

As night fell, a storm was brewing, and dense dark clouds enveloped the entire Tiger Wolf Gorge.

"Awooo!"

Just after the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), a series of howls and wailing sounds suddenly rang out from the direction of Black Wind Ridge outside the pass. Countless points of scarlet light surged out from the mountains and forests, rapidly spreading towards Tiger Wolf Pass.

The earth trembled slightly, and demonic energy surged into the sky, obscuring the heavens.

"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!"

The stern alarm sounded, and the border soldiers stood ready, bows and crossbows were nocked, while the cultivators took their positions, channeling their magic power into the array patterns engraved on the city walls.

"Buzz—!"

A massive tiger and wolf blood-fierce array light barrier slowly rose from the pass walls, enveloping the entire fortress. Within the barrier, the faint shadowy figures of tigers and wolves roared, emanating an intense aura of slaughter.

Below the city gate, a densely packed horde of demons, numbering four or five hundred, caused Li Jin to gasp in shock, his face turning grim.

Li Yuan looked down and saw that although most of these demons were strangely shaped, they did not rush up in a chaotic swarm, but stopped about an arrow's distance from the wall.

In the dim light of the day, one could see a huge black shadow, as big as a small mountain, standing in front of the demon horde; it was the Black Bear Demon King.

It stood upright, towering three or four zhang tall, its black fur bristling like steel needles, and its large, bell-like eyes gleaming with a dark red, ferocious light in the darkness. Beside it sat a grayish-blue wolf demon, pointing and gesturing towards the gate wall with its paws outstretched, as if giving commands.

"Awoo!"

With a sharp howl from the wolf demon, the demon horde finally moved. They split into several groups and attacked several nodes of the formation from different directions. The area that Li Yuan and Chen Shuo were responsible for defending became their main target.

"Concentrate your firepower and bombard that spot!" The wolf demon brandished its sharp claws, pointing in the direction where Chen Shuo was.

Instantly, hundreds of beams of demonic light of different attributes poured down like a torrential rain onto the light barrier in front, creating a tremendous sound. Dozens of tough-skinned tigers, wolves, and mountain demons charged forward fearlessly, frantically ramming and tearing at it with their bodies.

"Stabilize the formation! Inject your magic power!" Chen Shuo shouted, and everyone placed their hands on the formation patterns, frantically injecting their magic power into the formation eye beneath their feet.

The dark red light shield trembled violently, its radiance flickering. The phantom tigers and wolves on it roared silently, relentlessly attacking any approaching monsters. However, the attacks were too fierce, and the array was severely depleted, visibly dimming.