On the next day, the entire southern region of the Xia Kingdom was in a flurry as the most anticipated day in recent years had arrived. All of the powers had assembled their forces outside the City of Southwind, and with Li Luo leading the Five Guardian Armies as the vanguard, they began their march northward. The army advanced from south to north, crushing any Others in their path like a whirlwind.

City after city was recaptured, but all were deathly silent and deserted. Tragic scenes that made one's scalp tingle dotted the landscape, only fueling everyone’s hatred for the Others.

Tens of thousands of miles of familiar territory had returned to the control of the Xia Kingdom's royal court. When faced with this assault, the Others didn’t show any significant reaction. The remaining Pestilence Kings did not appear, and even high-grade True Devils were rarely seen. Thus, their forces rampaged unopposed, like smashing through rotten wood.

......

As the fires of war consumed the battlefield, Li Luo floated in the air, overseeing everything. He watched numerous squads advance fearlessly, conquering city after city. Pillars of resonant power shot into the sky, and all remnant Others were purged. The army had marched north for five days now, and at their current pace, they would soon arrive at the capital.

However, it felt like things were proceeding far too smoothly. The Others had completely given up on resistance.

Hesitation flickered in his eyes when he caught a glimpse of a signal being sent from a hill ahead. He shot forward, arriving at the location where Jiang Qing’e, Pang Qianyuan, the First Princess, Yu Lang, and the other leaders were gathered.

"Li Luo, we’ll reach the outskirts of the capital tomorrow if we move at full speed," Pang Qianyuan said.

Complicated emotions surfaced in everyone’s eyes when they processed that information. Even Li Luo looked a little dazed. He still remembered the disaster that had overtaken the Xia Kingdom when the Other Disaster first erupted, and how the once-prosperous capital had been transformed into a ghost town. Everyone had fled in panic. He and Jiang Qing’e had no choice but to abandon House Luolan’s headquarters and retreat to the City of Southwind. At the time, no one knew if they would ever return.

"The Pestilence Kings haven’t appeared since we last saw them, but there’s no chance they’ve simply given up. The Saturnine Hydra Devil King isn’t one to give up so easily. After plotting for so many years and going to such lengths, it won’t just back down here," Pang Qianyuan explained. "Which means the true battle likely awaits us in the capital."

Li Luo nodded in agreement. The Other Disaster was clearly conserving its forces for a decisive confrontation.

"Now that things have come to this, retreat is no longer an option. This battle is inevitable." Li Luo’s gaze turned solemn.

Tomorrow’s battle would determine whether the Xia Kingdom would survive, but he was unafraid. He was no longer the One Star Hall student of the past. Back then, he had fled the capital in desperation. Now, he possessed the power to change the situation. This Other Disaster had gone on long enough. It was time to end it.

"First Princess, Vice Principal Su Xin, order everyone to gather their forces and prepare for tomorrow’s battle," Li Luo commanded.

The First Princess and Vice Principal Su Xin nodded. Li Luo's commands now carried the same weight as Pang Qianyuan’s, and they no longer treated him as they had in the past.

As the orders were passed down, the soldiers regrouped and began advancing in a more organized fashion. Time passed, and by afternoon the next day, Li Luo, Jiang Qing’e, and the other experts gathered atop a plateau, their eyes fixed ahead. A majestic city, like a slumbering giant beast, stood before them. After many years, they could finally lay eyes on the capital once more.

However, its prosperous and bustling atmosphere had long disappeared. Now the air was thick with death and a dense corruption that floated into the skies, making even the heavens above appear gloomy and dark. Even from such a distance, the group could sense the city was crawling with Others, each emanating intense waves of corruption.

When the group appeared outside the capital, three figures emerged atop the highest part of the city walls, exuding terrifying fluctuations of corruption. They were none other than the Ichythian King, the Cadaverous King, and the Demon Witch King.

"Pang Qianyuan, I never imagined you’d dare come here," the Ichythian King said. Its grayish-white, rotting, fish-like eyes glared at them as its unnerving voice echoed across the field.

"You’ve defiled our lands for years. If I don’t personally slaughter you, how can I appease the deceased spirits of my students?" Pang Qianyuan retorted coldly, his voice filled with killing intent.

"I’m afraid this place will become your grave." With those words, the Ichythian King led the Other Kings in letting out howls that resembled the cries of evil spirits. At the same time, black fog filled with corruption rolled out from the city.

A deafening boom sounded from the depths of Xia City, and the ground split apart, revealing a gigantic object rising into the air. It was a massive skull, its surface covered in countless corpses, all dripping fresh blood that dyed it red. The skull opened its mouth, revealing two enormous black hands. They violently tore open the void, creating a spatial rift. Indescribable amounts of corruption spilled out of it.

As the hands continued tearing at the edges of space, the rift widened. Once it was sufficiently large, a titanic head emerged from within. It was green and absolutely fearsome, radiating the vilest corruption imaginable. The heavens and earth themselves shook when it appeared.

Li Luo, Pang Qianyuan, and the others instantly recognized it. This was the Green Head of the Saturnine Hydra Devil King. The Ichythian King had used a copy of it in their previous confrontation, so they were well aware of how powerful it was.

This time was different, however. This was no imitation; this was the real thing.

As everyone felt the immense pressure bear down on them, the Green Head tunneled out of the spatial crack, looming above them all. The Kings’ expressions stiffened, and the Dukes turned pale.

However, that wasn’t all. The black arms continued to widen the spatial rift, and another terrifying head emerged. This one was crimson, with a twisted smile. If a Duke stared at it for too long, their mind would be eroded by the madness, and they would lose themselves.

Both heads kept their eyes tightly shut.

"Those are the Green and Crimson Heads of the Saturnine Hydra Devil King. The ceremony to summon the Saturnine Hydra Devil King’s true body failed, but they managed to call forth two of its heads early," Pang Qianyuan said grimly. "The good news is that their eyes are still shut. That means the Saturnine Hydra Devil King’s will has not yet descended. The skull is a summoning platform, and we must destroy it as soon as possible. If more heads appear, the Saturnine Hydra Devil King will be able to descend!"

Everyone’s expressions tensed. If the Saturnine Hydra Devil King fully descended, no one here would be able to stop it.

"Lingzi, Lineage Chief Qingying, and I will hold off the three Kings. Li Luo, Jiang Qing’e, you’ll lead the army to break through the Others’ defenses and destroy the summoning platform!" Pang Qianyuan ordered.

With that, he shot into the sky, natural worldly energy gathering into a massive vortex above him. Vast amounts of source origin energy condensed into his Crown, radiating a pure aura that cleansed everything around him. Li Qingying and Lan Lingzi also activated their Crowns, and source origin energy surged around them, too. Together, they rushed to meet the three Other Kings.

"Heavenly Dragon’s Five Guardian Armies, form up!" Li Luo’s voice rumbled like thunder.

The Five Guardian Armies shouted in unison. Their vast energy condensed, causing the void to tremble. Li Luo stepped forward, allowing the power of the Heavenly Dragon Formation to rush into him.

At that moment, the lips of the Green and Crimson Heads twitched, and strange, low whispers spread out. The whispers reached every person present, seeping through every pore. Everyone affected felt madness stirring in their hearts, their expressions warping.

Chaos broke out among the troops.

Even the Five Guardian Armies were affected, their faces twisted in agony. Negative emotions emerged from the depths of their hearts. Though they hadn’t lost control, the Heavenly Dragon Formation could no longer be sustained.

"Lineage Chief Li Luo, the devilish whispers are disrupting the formation. We can’t synchronize!" Li Foluo said, his face grim.

The Heavenly Dragon manifestation began to dissipate, and the power flowing into Li Luo rapidly faded. The Five Guardian Armies had fallen into a state of semi-lunacy.

Li Luo frowned for a moment, then his expression turned serious. Clearly, this move targeted his Heavenly Dragon Formation. After what had happened outside the City of Southwind, the Pestilence Kings had come up with a way to deal with it.

Without the Heavenly Dragon Formation, Li Luo was merely a sixth-grade Transcendent. This decisive battle wouldn’t go as smoothly as they imagined.