Chapter 594 — Hard to Tell True from False

The million-strong host of gods and demons that had come from nowhere crashed into the horde of Youdu monsters pouring in from every hill and field. In an instant flesh and blood flew in all directions; the slaughter was too terrible for words. Those Youdu monsters knew only how to kill. They had no ranks, no formations; they could fight only by instinct, could not fight in concert with their fellows, and so their dead and wounded were beyond counting.

For tens of li before Wuwang City the ground became a bloody, blurred field of butchery. Countless of the god-and-demon host from the world inside the Deaf Elder's painting were cut down as well; when these died they turned into shards of rock that fell to the ground, leaving no corpses behind. And yet still an unending stream of that host came pouring out of the painting, one wave after another, pressing on with the slaughter, as though it would never end.

In the sky there seemed to be a Wind Earl who commanded the gales, a Rain Master who commanded the rain, a Thunder Duke who commanded the thunder, and a Lightning Mother who commanded the lightning, riding wind and rain, thunder and lightning into battle, mowing down the horde of Youdu monsters. The demon vanguard was checked.

One after another, the ancestors of the demon race, each as tall and massive as a hill, let out roars of fury and waded forward with all their strength toward the front. Wherever their feet passed, friend and foe alike were struck by those incomparably thick legs and sent flying into the air, smashed to powder.

One after another the demon ancestors plunged into the battlefield, and whether enemy or ally, all were swept away like dry leaves and shattered in midair. Weng— The gaze of these demon ancestors turned into surging demonic fire that swept across the god-and-demon host. Black pillars of flame spun madly, and wherever they passed everything was torn apart and melted; even the gods and demons painted by the Deaf Elder could not escape their dreadful demon-eye arts.

They swung their enormous weapons, sweeping all before them with sheer bodily strength.

They were killing machines born to the trade; not one foe could last a single exchange with them.

"The gods and demons in the Deaf Elder's painting simply cannot stand against these demon ancestors! " The Butcher's fighting spirit blazed. He laid his hand on his great saber, his gaze like lightning, and said in a low voice, "Our turn now!

Bashan, as my disciple, let me see whether you have made any progress these years!

" Bashan laughed heartily, called the green ox to him, leaped onto its back, and shouted, "Master, I will go a round with you, and show you what I have gained these years!

" Behind the Blind Elder, the divine spear Longtuo turned into a black dragon and swam through the air. The Blind Elder reached out, seized the spear, and gave it a sharp shake; the black dragon spear straightened with a snap and gave a low, excited hum.

Behind Granny Zhu rose the Daluo Heaven Star; behind the Silent Craftsman the flames of his iron furnace shot up to the sky. The Lame Elder hesitated, then said with a troubled air, "I have no divine weapon to hand.

Perhaps I had better not go. .

. " The Alchemist leaped onto the Lame Elder's back and laughed.

"I am your divine weapon!

Let us go and turn heaven and earth upside down!

" The Lame Elder's old face darkened, and he said sourly, "Pill-peddler, are you not afraid your fair confidantes will be left widowed?

" "Bah! An old man's words are not to be held against him.

Great fortune, great prosperity!

" From the medicine basket on the Alchemist's back countless insects crawled out; meeting the wind they swelled, each becoming a monstrous creature, some racing along the ground, some flying through the air, their poison so potent it gathered into clouds and mist in the sky. "Let us go hunt the demon ancestors!

" The Butcher was first to charge into the battlefield, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Shen, keep a good watch on the Deaf Elder! If things turn bad, just take him and run! " Shen Mu answered in the affirmative, then looked toward Bashan the Libationer, and saw him riding his huge green ox with a whistle as he charged into the painted world, heading straight, together with Granny Zhu, the Silent Craftsman, the Blind Elder and the rest, for the demon ancestors who had broken into that world.

The green ox bounded like the wind. Huge as it was, it was incomparably nimble, treading one great monster after another underfoot, its hooves smashing their skulls to pulp, dodging their attacks. Clearly, with its speed and cleverness, it still had strength to spare in such a situation and could adapt as it pleased.

Shen Mu glanced at the dragon qilin beside him. He badly wanted to ride it into the fray and cut down monsters himself, but after a moment's thought he held himself back.

"Fat Dragon is fast enough, but its stamina is poor, and its reactions are slower than the green ox's. If I charge in there, I will die very quickly.

Fat Dragon still lacks training. .

. " He took out one teleportation banner after another and, with a wave of his hand, planted the great flags all around the Deaf Elder, then had the dragon qilin and Snow Fox enter the ring of banners, ready to leave at any moment.

Behind the horde of Youdu monsters, one demon god after another led the armies of the demon race in neat ranks, plainly an army under strict discipline, not a rabble like the Youdu monsters. Their plan was to use the Youdu monsters as the vanguard, first to scatter Li City's defenses, then, in the confusion, to hurl in their main force, take Li City in one stroke, and break the back of Taihuangtian's resistance.

But they had not foreseen that at Wuwang City, a place long since destroyed, a ruin that had passed into demon territory, a host of gods and demons a million strong would suddenly appear and actually hold the Youdu monsters back. Compared with the speed of the Youdu monsters, the demon armies marched far more slowly, their line of march stretched out over great distances, and they could not reinforce the front in a short time.

The central army was even farther from the front. Vajra gazed off toward the battlefield, frowning slightly, and his three faces looked left and right as he said in astonishment, "Does anyone know where the host of gods and demons at the front came from?

" The demon gods around him all shook their heads. The monsters of Youdu and the ancestors of the demon gods killed and devoured by instinct alone, but the demon race, like the human race, possessed the highest intelligence; otherwise they could never have developed so lofty a civilization and system of cultivation.

Yet for all their surpassing wisdom, they could not tell where this million-strong host of gods and demons had come from, or why it had joined the battle.

Jingping Kingdom was powerful, but compared with Taihuangtian it was somewhat weaker; Taihuangtian's armies were still chiefly Taihuangtian's own, with Jingping's divine-power wielders in support. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping had no knowledge of this surprise attack, and in any case could not produce so vast an army to hold off the Youdu monsters.

So then, where had this host of gods and demons come from?

Vajra looked at Lu Li. That peerless beauty was likewise perplexed, and she shook her head.

"Honored King, I do not know where they came from either.

Jingping Kingdom has few masters, but the Desolate Wastes are full of them.

Could they have come from there. . .

? " A chill went through Vajra's heart, and he shouted, "Pass the order down: the army is to pitch camp, build a city, throw up defenses, and guard strictly against enemy attack!