CHAPTER 487: CHAPTER 487 : THE FINAL WAR (10)

Obsessed with defeating Zhang Fengxi, the First Demon King left the chain of command to the lesser demon kings. Wu Shenxia and Jiang Muchen seized the opportunity, fighting side-by-side to cleave through the demonic ranks.

Their hope was to scatter the demonic forces while praying that Zhang Fengxi could somehow win.

On the other hand, Huang Taichen and Bai Ling led a group of rogue cultivators who abandoned their sects in pursuit of righteousness. Under Huang Taichen’s commands, the monstrous beasts razed through the horde of demons, trampling on the smaller ones and tearing through the bigger ones with their horns and claws.

Bai Ling, alongside stronger cultivators, focused their efforts on purging the malevolent ghosts infesting the Human Realm. Meng Xijun already erected a protective barrier around an enclosed area, while Meng Xiyan and the weaker cultivators were busy evacuating panicked civilians, herding them like frightened chicks.

Despite the additional troops Zhang Fengxi brought, the heavenly force was unable to gain an upper hand. Meanwhile, more demons and ghosts poured out of the dimensional portal, allowing endless stream of monstrosities onto the Human Realm.

"Wu Shenxia!"

Wu Shenxia turned to look at Jiang Muchen, who rushed in her direction. He nodded toward the gaping portal at the end of the battlefield.

"We can’t continue this way. Give me and the other elemental guardians some space. We need to block the portal!"

Wu Shenxia nodded.

"Go, I will personally erect a barrier around you!"

Jiang Muchen broke into a sprint and gathered his fellow elemental guardians, ushering them toward the gaping portal.

"All elements, form the array!" he bellowed.

"Yes, Your Highness!" A mighty chorus of war cries erupted as the Elemental Guardians surged into position around the gaping maw of the portal. Wu Shenxia’s archers, arrows nocked and aimed, unleashed a relentless barrage upon the demonic tide surging forth.

Beneath the Guardians’ feet, a complex magical array pulsed to life, five pillars of vibrant energy – black, red, green, white, and yellow – erupting skyward. This luminous barrier slammed shut upon the portal, a resolute shield against the demonic and ghostly scourge threatening to spill into the Human Realm.

Unfortunately, the shield was only able to contain the stream, but was unable to close the portal.

Blood gushed forth as the Elemental Guardians strained to maintain their hold on the shield.

"Can’t," the Water Guardian choked as he turned to look at Jiang Muchen. "Your Highness, it’s too much. The demons... they are pushing back with all their might."

"Endure!" Jiang Muchen bellowed. "Come on, we must hold on a little bit more!"

That was what he said, but Jiang Muchen did not trust his own words.

Zhang Fengxi was hurt so badly before the war even began. Sure, Xie Junjie, utilizing whatever magic, appeared out of nowhere to help, but what could his little cousin do?

At this rate, the Human Realm and the Heavenly Realm were about to be destroyed!

A sudden inferno erupted in the distance, a swirling vortex of flame that clawed skyward like a monstrous hand. From its fiery heart, a colossal ice dragon materialized, its form a chilling paradox against the inferno it birthed. Its roar, a sound like glaciers scraping against bedrock, echoed across the battlefield, a tremor that shook the very marrow of their bones.

The Elemental Guardians, momentarily distracted, watched in awe and trepidation as the ice dragon unleashed a torrent of frigid breath, a blinding blizzard that froze the demons in their tracks, transforming them into grotesque ice sculptures before demolishing them with heavenly fire.

"What’s that?" A demon king cried out in panic as he ran for his life.

Jiang Muchen’s hands shook as he strived to hold onto the shield. It was Wu Shenxia who reignited his hope.

"It’s Zhang Fengxi! Zhang Fengxi is back!!!"

From within the scorching depth of the fiery hurricane, a black shadow shot skyward and flew toward the Elemental Guardians.

Jiang Muchen’s jaw fell slack when he recognized Xie Junjie, already back in his original body, riding Lei Zhen above his head.

"JUNJIE!"

Xie Junjie peered downward and shouted, "Ah, Elder Cousin!!!"

The black-scaled dragon dipped toward the commotion and landed next to Jiang Muchen.

"Daddy kicked me out of the battle," Xie Junjie remarked helplessly.

"Thank heavens!" Jiang Muchen glared at the little boy. "Go back to the Heavenly Realm, NOW!"

Xie Junjie stared at the strained faces of the five Elemental Guardians one by one.

"Elder Cousin, I can help," he mumbled quietly.

"No, you can’t!" Wu Shenxia cried out. "Little Prince, I beg you. Please, please go now. If you lose your life in this war, I cannot begin to beg the Crown Prince for forgiveness!"

Xie Junjie stared at Wu Shenxia.

"Mommy wouldn’t want me to run away," he said with a resolute voice. "At least let me help, just a little bit."

Xie Junjie squeezed his eyes shut, the dragon sigil on his forehead pulsing with an incandescent light. In his cupped palms, a ball of energy crackled to life, illuminating the fierce resolve etched on his face. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the orb towards the portal like a blazing comet. The demons, sensing their imminent doom, erupted in a cacophony of ear-splitting shrieks. Then, with a deafening snap, the portal imploded, vanishing without a trace.

Exhausted, Xie Junjie slumped against his mount. His vision swam as he slowly closed his eyes.

A panicked cry pierced the air, coming from Jiang Muchen, "JUNJIE!"

As soon as the dimensional portal closed, the protective barrier sputtered and dissolved into thin air. The Elemental Guardians, having exerted their spiritual power to the point of exhaustion, tumbled to the ground unceremoniously. Jiang Muchen, his reflexes honed from years of battle, reacted instantly. With a powerful lunge, he caught the unconscious Xie Junjie before his little body hit the earth.

A thunderous boom erupted in the distance, ripping everyone’s gaze from the portal and slamming it into the epic duel between Zhang Fengxi and the First Demon King. The clash of their final attacks gouged a gaping crater into the earth, spewing a monstrous cloud of dust that momentarily obscured the battlefield.

As the dust slowly settled, like a shroud drawn back, the remnants of the fiery hurricane and the spectral ice dragon dissipated. Two figures stood revealed at the center of the crater, their forms gradually solidifying as the swirling cloud thinned.