Southeast of Shenwuzhong, what would later become the Kujou Estate.
At this moment, the area had been completely occupied by Ling Feng and his forces.
Using this location as their base of operations, a continuous stream of Shogunate soldiers arrived from Narukami Island to garrison the area.
As for the original demon gods inhabiting this place, Ei had easily eliminated them.
"Ling, the Divine Power Cannons are all set up."
In the main tent of the military camp, Ling Feng, Ei, Chiyo, and Sasa Yuri were all present.
"Once the main force arrives, we can launch our offensive against Tatarasuna," Ling Feng said, looking at the map.
"Damn it, these demon gods have been sending their subordinates to harass us and test our strength for the past while," Chiyo exclaimed, slamming her hand on the table. "Many villages near the coast of Narukami Island have suffered misfortune. They want to fight? Then we'll fight them hard! Do they really think we're easy to bully just because we haven't sent troops?"
"Chiyo, calm down," Ling Feng said. "Inazuma, tell the soldiers not to let their guard down. Our main force hasn't crossed the sea yet, and those demon gods won't miss this opportunity."
"Understood," Sasa Yuri replied, nodding. As Ei's adjutant, Ling Feng was currently in charge of operational command.
"Then what about me?" Ei asked.
"Ei, you will remain here and preserve your strength. After all, there's more than one demon god eyeing us. I don't believe they'll just stand by and watch. If we show any weakness, they might not be able to resist making a move," Ling Feng explained. "Your primary target is them. As for their subordinates, leave them to us."
As the saying goes, a general fights a general, and soldiers fight soldiers.
"Understood," Ei nodded.
"Chiyo, a reminder: pay close attention to those who have surrendered. We need to prevent them from collaborating with the outside to breach our defenses."
"Oh, how annoying. When can I go to the front lines and fight?" Chiyo said listlessly. As a oni warrior, she was a battle enthusiast.
"Didn't you just finish a fight?" Ling Feng retorted, recalling how, just moments ago, she, a dignified general, had charged ahead of her soldiers when they captured this territory.
"Alright, the meeting is adjourned for now."
The operational meeting was temporarily concluded. Ling Feng was responsible for commanding the central hub and making decisions on all fronts. Ei was tasked with overseeing the entire military camp, ready to eliminate any demon god foolish enough to extend their reach. Sasa Yuri and Chiyo, the two generals, were stationed at the front lines, constantly monitoring the situation.
***
Night fell on the southeastern beach of Tatarasuna.
A group of dark figures, taking advantage of the moon being obscured by clouds, moved swiftly and cautiously towards the Kujou Estate. Unbeknownst to them, every single one of their movements was being observed by someone, or rather, some tengu.
"Ling was right. The chances of these guys launching a night raid are high."
"Trying to sneak attack us while we're tired? They'll leave their lives here if they try! Guards! Prepare the Divine Power Cannons!"
Sasa Yuri and the others, hidden in the woods, were starting to feel bored. However, upon seeing the dark figures approaching their position like ants, they immediately perked up. To be safe, Sasa Yuri meticulously confirmed their identity. Yes, fully armed. They were definitely the enemy. After all, surrendering individuals wouldn't be fully armed, would they?
"Divine Power Cannons, short-range mode! Aim precisely and fire with all you've got!" Sasa Yuri commanded. Several muzzles emerged from the woods, all pointed at the approaching "ants."
The next moment, purple lightning illuminated the dark night.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannonballs rained down like scattered flowers onto the demons and monsters.
"Ah!"
"It's bad! We've been discovered! Retreat!"
"My leg!"
The first volley of cannon fire alone was enough to scare the enemy into a panic. After all, being discovered during a sneak attack meant certain doom.
"Cease fire! Capture them alive! Those who resist will be killed. Shogunate soldiers, hold this position. The rest of you, capture them!"
Sasa Yuri personally led the charge. The enemy forces were quickly apprehended, not a single one escaping. Of course, there were those who fiercely resisted, but Sasa Yuri had no choice but to send them back to the ley lines.
That night, in the main tent.
Sasa Yuri brought in a struggling Graveler, its sand manipulation abilities already suppressed by Sasa Yuri.
"Inazuma, this must be the leader of those attackers, right?" Ling Feng had already guessed the Graveler's identity before Sasa Yuri could even speak. Ling Feng examined the Graveler, finding it somewhat reminiscent of Sandman from Spider-Man.
"That's right. Just as you predicted, Ling, their demon god sent them to sneak attack us in the dead of night," Sasa Yuri confirmed.
"How many were there?"
"Dozens."
"So few? They must be suicide troops, likely sent to gather some intel," Ling Feng analyzed. Sending dozens of people to attack a camp of tens of thousands was laughable. While these Gravelers were likely the enemy's core strength, akin to the Tengu tribe, they were still far from being able to shake their defenses.
"Did you interrogate them?"
"No, these guys refuse to speak, acting as if they're prepared to die heroically."
"Then I'll do it," Ling Feng said, rising and approaching the kneeling Graveler. "I'll give you one last chance. Don't force me to resort to harsh methods."
"No, I will not betray Lord Demon God," the Graveler's attitude was resolute.
"I respect your courage," Ling Feng said, placing a hand on the Graveler's head.
Moments later, the Graveler suddenly trembled and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"What was that?" Sasa Yuri looked at Ling Feng's technique, bewildered.
"Mind-altering technique, Illusory Eye," Ling Feng explained. "It's used to probe memories."
Indeed, Ling Feng was employing a technique similar to what Han Li used in the novel "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality." Compared to the severe after-effects of soul-searching, the mind-altering technique was gentler and could still allow him to access others' memories. Of course, it was less effective than soul-searching, and useless if the target had any memory-blocking restrictions.
Sasa Yuri was surprised to hear Ling Feng's explanation, never imagining he possessed such a skill. Thankfully, Ling Feng was on their side. If he were an enemy, they would be at a severe disadvantage.
"Those scoundrels! They treat their own people as livestock, and not only that, but they also oppress them to serve them," Ling Feng's expression turned grim. Each demon god typically had dependent races, such as the fox, tengu, and oni tribes for the Thunder Twins. Besides dependents, they also had citizens, much like a nation. But this Graveler demon god actually ate its own people. This was outrageous.
"Raised as food?" Sasa Yuri was shocked. They treated the human race with kindness, as they were all considered their own people.
"Alright, from this guy's memories, I've obtained some crucial information. Here's the plan..." Ling Feng whispered to Sasa Yuri, detailing his strategy.
"Understood! I'll go prepare immediately," Sasa Yuri nodded and quickly left, dragging the unconscious Graveler.
***
The next morning, the tranquility of dawn was shattered by continuous cannon fire.
Boom!
Boom!
Large quantities of purple lightning orbs carved beautiful arcs across the sky, falling into the forests of Tatarasuna. The Graveler demon god's subordinates, still groggy and in bed, were engulfed by the lightning before they could even get up, exploding into the air.
At Kujou Estate, rows of energy cannons fired.
"Enemy attack!"
The Graveler demon god's subordinates, hidden in the forest, were thrown into disarray and confusion by the incessant barrage of lightning balls falling from the sky. Their once orderly camp was now in chaos.
"Attack! Remember, we don't kill those who surrender!" Chiyo excitedly led the charge directly to the enemy's core. By the time the enemy reacted, they had already suffered heavy losses, and their defenses were completely breached.
"Beautiful! Blast them!" The Shogunate soldiers at the rear, also observing the battlefield, cheered. After all, victory brought joy.
"Ling, your strategy is brilliant! Taking advantage of the enemy's grogginess in the morning to deliver a heavy blow," Sasa Yuri said, standing beside Ling Feng and observing the battle at Tatarasuna from a high vantage point. "This series of bombardments will surely kill many enemies."
Ling Feng smiled slightly. "It's all thanks to that guy's intel, which allowed me to know their defensive positions, rotation times, and so on."
"Right, tell Chiyo not to push too deep. The Graveler demon god is about to make its move. Their elite forces haven't even appeared yet."
"A pity, the effective range of the Divine Power Cannons is limited. Otherwise, I'd give the Graveler demon god a couple of shots to whet our appetite." Sasa Yuri nodded and vanished in a flash of lightning.
Ling Feng looked at the silhouette beside him. "Ei, from now on, that guy is your responsibility."
"Mhm," Ei nodded slightly, her naginata in hand, her gaze fixed on the battlefield.
Soon, Sasa Yuri, accompanied by Chiyo and a large contingent of Shogunate soldiers, withdrew from the forest and established defensive fortifications on the beach. A few breaths later, the entire forest fell into a tense silence. However, Ling Feng's expression was solemn; his spiritual sense could perceive a large wave of enemies approaching.
"Everyone, prepare for battle!" As the main commander, Sasa Yuri also sensed something was amiss and ordered everyone to be on high alert. As for the Divine Power Cannons, they could no longer be used, as they might accidentally harm their own forces.
Soon, the ground began to churn. A large wave of demons and monsters, wielding various weapons, charged out of the forest, shouting battle cries. Among them were numerous Graveler powerhouses, four to five meters tall. The Gravelers, with their sand manipulation abilities, were not particularly strong but were extremely troublesome. The battle was almost instantaneous.
The Shogunate army and Tengu warriors formed ranks to meet the enemy. Chiyo's figure was prominent on the battlefield, holding her own against five to six Graveler powerhouses without falling behind. Sasa Yuri, wielding her Thundering Stringbow, continuously fired arrows of condensed electro-elemental energy, eliminating other enemy elites from afar. For a time, shouts of battle echoed throughout Tatarasuna.
"Baalzebul!" A roar echoed from the sky. A colossal bird-like creature circled above the battlefield. It was the Graveler demon god. Damn it, trying to sleep soundly, and almost had its home taken away! Such an insult would anger anyone. The Graveler demon god let out a cry, flapped its wings, and a meteor shower of stones rained down upon the Shogunate army.
Ei's gaze turned cold. With a flip of her wrist, her naginata appeared in her hand, and she transformed into a purple streak of lightning, charging towards the Graveler demon god. As she moved, she swung her naginata. The purple blade cut through the sky like a fine thread, pulverizing the falling boulders into dust with its violent electro-elemental power. However, despite Ei's intervention, many of the boulders still struck the combatants below, resulting in gruesome casualties, bodies torn apart like bursting fruit.
Soon, Ei and the Graveler demon god clashed. The disparity between the two demon gods was immediately apparent. Although the Graveler demon god possessed wind and geo elements, it was no match for Ei's single electro element. Having more elements didn't necessarily mean greater power. Who did they think they were, Osial?
The battle in the sky was fierce, and the ground combat was equally dynamic. Suddenly, sand and stones flew from the forests of Tatarasuna, dust swirling as a sandstorm erupted from nowhere, engulfing many individuals and shredding them with its razor-sharp particles. After a moment, the sandstorm dissipated, revealing a sand giant over ten meters tall, its colossal form standing imposingly against the heavens, incredibly conspicuous.
"What kind of monster is that?!"
"So big, so terrifying."
Fearful cries erupted from within the Shogunate ranks.
"Ling..." Sasa Yuri was about to volunteer when Ling Feng interrupted her.
"Inazuma, stay here and command the troops. I'll go meet him." Without giving Sasa Yuri a chance to object, he transformed into a rainbow light and shot towards the battlefield. Both of them knew the identity of this sand giant: the Graveler demon god's dependent, the Sand Demon.
"Who was it that said yesterday that a general charging to the front was inappropriate, only for a commander to do the same!" Sasa Yuri grumbled. With a sigh, she turned her attention to other directions, charging her arrows and eliminating enemies. On the beach and in the forest, the battle raged fiercely, with both sides suffering significant losses.
The Sand Demon unleashed a punch, a colossal fist the size of a standard athletic field, aimed at the Shogunate army's ranks, which had been inflicting the most damage. The Sand Demon's action was clearly intended to eliminate these bothersome human ants first.
"Your opponent is me!" Chiyo, who had been growing bored fighting the Graveler powerhouses, unleashed a powerful slash that sent gusts of wind, forcing the Gravelers back. Just as she was about to move forward to engage the most powerful enemy, aside from the demon god, in combat.
"Inch-Punch: Mountain Collapse!"
"Ugh!" With a fierce roar, the Sand Demon's giant fist suddenly began to crack and crumble, shattering into dust and dissipating. Its massive body tilted backward, but it managed to stabilize itself by planting a foot. Chiyo and the Sand Demon simultaneously looked at the newcomer. Ling Feng, clad in blue and white, hovered in the air, maintaining his punching pose, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.
"Ling?!" Chiyo exclaimed in surprise. Wasn't Ling the commander? Why was he here?
"Lord Ling!"
"So strong, is Lord Ling even human?"
"If you can't speak properly, don't speak. Lord Ling is someone the General himself acknowledges, how could he be weak?" The Shogunate soldiers below, who had believed themselves doomed, became excited upon seeing Ling Feng repel the Sand Demon with a single blow.
"Just bored, thought I'd stretch my muscles," Ling Feng said, exhaling and retracting his fist. He grinned at Chiyo. "Continue killing enemies, I'll handle this one." Ling Feng shouted to the Shogunate soldiers below.
"Yes!" With a unified roar, the Shogunate soldiers were filled with renewed vigor, fighting even more ferociously.
"Arrogant!" The Sand Demon roared in fury. How dare a mere human be so presumptuous! The Sand Demon twisted its arm, and scattered sand coalesced at the broken limb, quickly restoring its fist. The Sand Demon clapped its hands together. Instantly, a fierce wind howled, and a large amount of sand was swept into the sky, engulfing Ling Feng. Each tiny grain of sand acted like a sharp blade, cutting into Ling Feng's body.
Unfortunately, while an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator might have sustained some injuries from this attack, Ling Feng was both physically and spiritually cultivated! Ling Feng chuckled mockingly, then his eyes narrowed.
"A decent technique, but unfortunately, still lacking in power!"