When Jiang Chen asked for a briefing, Lu Che immediately spoke up.
âRejuvenation requests our help four to five times every day. In this subordinateâs opinion, Rejuvenation wouldâve long been claimed if demons truly wanted to conquer it. Theyâve been pulling back in order to lure us in.â
Warden Dingâs face clouded over. Lu Che painted a grim picture, but that was likely to be the truth.
From the way demons had quickly conquered Tritalent, it didnât make sense that they hadnât been able to defeat Rejuvenation.
Perhaps those demons had been waiting for Jiang Chen to show up. Perhaps theyâd heard that the young lord was their biggest threat from the human domain and Myriad Abyss.
Perhaps that was why Rejuvenation still stood.
Such speculations made sense.
Jiang Chen thought pensively. âWhat are the odds that Rejuvenation is able to defend itself without our help?â
Warden Ding let out a long sigh. âNot a chance.â He didnât want to admit that, but that was the truth.
Jiang Chenâs eyes darkened. âThen everyone in Rejuvenation is going to die if we donât act. I must venture into the tigerâs den even if Iâll be walking straight into a trap.â
Warden Dingâs nose twitched when he saw the determination on Jiang Chenâs face. Even his steely heart had been won over by the young man.
âAll of Rejuvenation will be grateful to you for upholding justice, young lord Jiang Chen.â
The human leader waved a hand dismissively. âLetâs take a brief break and formulate a plan today. Tomorrow, weâll set out and launch a surprise attack against the demons encircling Rejuvenation. Speed is crucial in a fight. Weâll catch them off guard.â
Warden Ding gritted his teeth. âIâll lead the charge even if it kills me, young lord Jiang Chen.â
Lu Che opened his mouth to volunteer his help, but Jiang Chen cut in. âAll of you, stay and defend Winterdraw. Youâve resided here for a long time. You know the islandâs traps and formations better. Be ready to take us in once we successfully break those in Rejuvenation out.â
âAs you wish, young lord.â Lu Che sighed faintly and suggested, âItâs going to be dangerous, young lord. Given your status, perhaps...â
âDonât try to talk me out of it. Where do you think my status comes from? I was able to reach this height because of those who supported me. If I stand by and do nothing when my people are in danger, how am I going to lead them in the future?â Jiang Chenâs response stopped Lu Che from trying further.
Perhaps this was what made the young lord charismatic. He was born to create miracles. Would he be able to do the same thing this time?
Lu Che wanted Jiang Chen to succeed despite the odds. However, he had to admit that the challenges facing the young lord now were more difficult than ever.
......
On the fringe of Rejuvenation, the demonic army had surrounded the isles for quite some time. Theyâd launched a few attacks and caused some deaths and damage, but it seemed that the demons didnât intend to take over the isles in one fell swoop just yet.
It was clear that Rejuvenation wasnât that important a strategic location to the demons despite the resources it possessed.
They were here for a different reason.
In a secret realm outside the isles, a few demon figureheads gathered.
The demonic army besieging Rejuvenation consisted of two demonic tribes and an army of puppets.
There were three divine cultivators among them. Two were the respective tribesâ forefathers, and one was the leader of the puppets.
The demon forefathersâ status was clear from the seats theyâd taken.
One of them shone with a cold, chilling light. From a distance, he resembled a metal statue. His face was free of expression, while his body appeared sculpted and explosively powerful like it was cast in copper and iron.
He was from the well known golden demon tribe.
Golden demons were known for their great physical strength. They were the fiercest melee fighters of all demons, and their defense almost unbreakable. They were thus nicknamed the unkillable demons.
Regular physical attacks had almost no effect on them. Attacks of the mind werenât that effective either.
As their name suggested, they were almost immune to all attacks due to their metallic bodies. Their incredible defense in some way boosted their offensive might.
They spared little attention to protecting themselves when they fought, which naturally made their attacks all the fiercer fiercer.
Golden demons were considered the fighting machines of the ten demonic tribes, and they lived up to the reputation.
Next to the golden demon forefather was a bizarre-looking demon with a pair of wings - a winged demon.
These demonic wings were not to be underestimated. They could not only boost a demonâs speed, but also contribute to offense and defense.
More importantly, the wings could also be used as weapons.
Winged demons were fierce fighters as well. Although they might not be as aggressive as golden demons in battle, the difference wasnât significant.
Winged demons, golden demons, and titan demons were widely considered the fiercest three demonic tribes.
The other tribes were unique in their own ways. Other than the celestial demons, who were talented in every aspect, no other tribes could win in a head-on fight against the three tribes.
That set them apart from shadow demons and yin demons.
The winged demon forefather frowned and asked, âWhere the hell is Forefather Shadowless? Didnât he say heâd join us soon? Where is he? He doesnât expect us to beg him to come, does he?â
The golden demon forefather cackled. âShadow demons sure love being mysterious. Who knows if heâs coming?â
The leader of the puppet army stayed silent. It was as if heâd been born to obey orders rather than express opinions.
A chilling voice tinged with laughter came from the outside. âTalking behind my back now, Old Qing? I heard you.â
The voice was faint and untethered. Eerie, to say the least.
âHaha, I told you we canât be sure if heâll come. Well, here he is.â The golden demon forefather guffawed, the metallic laughter powerful and grating.
A gust of wind swept in as conversation flowed. A faint shadow emerged and flew in like a ghost.
In the blink of an eye, a demon appeared on the empty seat, looking harrowing and sinister. He was the divine forefather of the shadow demon tribe, Forefather Shadowless.