Chapter 693: All-out War Preparations, the Demons Boil Over

“What’s the situation?” Zhan Tianxia asked hurriedly.

Song Changsheng shook his head. “The situation is dire. The Demon King that survived the Thunder Tribulation is a Six-winged Dragon Snake. Its horn is ten zhang long, and it has gathered over two hundred thousand Low-tier Demon Beasts and a large number of Tier Three Demon Beasts. When the Beast Tide truly arrives, the numbers will undoubtedly be even higher.”

“Ten zhang?”

Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Zhan Tianxia’s eyes. The horn on a Six-winged Dragon Snake’s head came from the True Dragon bloodline within it. The longer the horn, the more Dragon Blood it contained, and the stronger it was.

A Six-winged Dragon Snake with a ten-zhang horn hadn’t been seen in several hundred years. This was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

In comparison, the two hundred thousand Low-tier Demon Beasts seemed far less astonishing.

Zhan Tianxia clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced around the hall before saying in a deep voice, “Dazhuang, go to the City Lord’s Mansion at once. Have them notify the city’s disciples to prepare for battle. Also, send a message to your Fourth Martial Uncle and have Dingyuan City sealed immediately. The other locations must not let their guard down; everyone must prepare to face the Beast Tide.”

“As you command!” Niu Dazhuang bowed to accept the order and hurried away.

“Changsheng, the situation is urgent. I must go and ask Eldest Senior Brother to come out of seclusion. You’re free to go.”

With that, Zhan Tianxia also left the hall in a great hurry.

With both of them gone, Song Changsheng saw no reason to remain. After checking on Zhuang Yuechan, he took the Space Transmission Array back to the clan.

By now, every department in the Song Clan had been mobilized under Song Luzhou’s command, just as he had ordered.

Large quantities of Pills, Magical Artifacts, and Talismans were being brought out from the Treasure Vault, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

Song Changsheng had no idea how many Demon Beasts Zhangye County would face. He could only ask Song Luzhou to mobilize as many forces as possible for reinforcements, without disrupting the clan’s core operations.

“Changsheng, the clansmen have been coordinated.”

Seeing Song Changsheng’s return, Song Luzhou hurried over to greet him.

“Fifth Uncle, how many people can the clan mobilize right now?”

“Without disrupting the clan’s operations, we can currently mobilize two hundred elite members to Zhangye County to resist the Beast Tide. Including the sixty people from the Zhangye Garrison Mansion and nearly a hundred clansmen over at Yulong, our defensive forces will total close to three hundred and fifty people.”

This number wasn’t small; it was more than enough to handle a small-scale horde of beasts. But Song Changsheng still felt it wasn’t secure enough. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Fifth Uncle, please go to the Foreign Affairs Hall and post a mission. Recruit Cultivators from our various vassal powers to join us in the defense. The reward will be Clan Contribution Points, with the amount determined by the tier and number of Demon Beasts they slay. Also, let it be known in advance that after this battle, Foundation Establishment Pills will be available for them to redeem.”

“If you want to draft them into the battle, can’t you just issue a direct order? Why go through the trouble of posting a mission?” Song Luzhou asked in confusion.

Hearing this, Song Changsheng smiled. “As the Sect Leader, I could naturally order them to fight. However, the safety of Five Elements Peak is ultimately not their concern. Not only would they not give it their all, but they would also grow resentful. That would be detrimental to the clan’s future authority. Posting a mission is different. It’s a contract, using Clan Contribution Points to hire them to fight. Whether they accept is entirely voluntary. The numbers may not be ideal, but the power they bring to bear will be significant.”

After hearing Song Changsheng’s explanation, Song Luzhou mulled it over for a moment and understood the crux of the matter. He nodded and said, “I see. You’ve thought this through much more carefully. I’ll go at once.”

After watching Song Luzhou depart, Song Changsheng headed to the rear mountain. He didn’t go to Wind Language Hall, however. Instead, he took a hidden underground passage deep into the earth.

The deeper he went, the higher the temperature rose, which defied common sense. Yet, Song Changsheng was not the least bit surprised.

Vast numbers of Fire Veins were buried deep beneath this mountain, used by Lu Tianchou for the Artifact Refining of the Celestial Ship. In terms of temperature alone, it was only a little less intense than the Tier Three Fire Spirit Vein at Blazing Flame Mountain.

When Song Changsheng reached the forging chamber, Lu Tianchou was directing a group of Artifact Refiners and Array Masters, who were all working at a feverish pace.

“Clan Leader.”

“Greetings, Clan Leader.”

…

Seeing Song Changsheng arrive, the crowd stopped their work to salute him.

Unexpectedly, this provoked Lu Tianchou’s displeasure. He barked, “What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing? Are your tasks finished? The Celestial Ship is no ordinary project! I need you to concentrate all your attention and give it your absolute all! If you can’t do that, then get the hell out of my sight, now!”

Everyone present was an Artifact Refiner or an Array Master—a scarce resource, people who would be held in high esteem wherever they went. They had always taken pride in their status.

Lu Tianchou’s words showed them absolutely no respect. If anyone else had dared to speak to them that way, they probably would have downed tools and walked out on the spot.

But in the face of Lu Tianchou’s atrocious attitude, they expressed no dissatisfaction, merely returning silently to their tasks.

They had no choice. None of them wanted to leave. The chance to personally participate in the forging of a Celestial Ship? It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that countless Artifact Refiners and Array Masters could only dream of.

They had gained so much over the past six years.

Forget a bad attitude—even if he tried to physically throw them out, they wouldn’t leave.

Song Changsheng rubbed his nose, slightly embarrassed. “Did I interrupt you?”

“Hmph, so you do know,” Lu Tianchou huffed, his beard bristling as he glared.

Lu Yuxiu quickly tugged at his sleeve and curtsied. “Clan Leader, you’re being too formal. It is our honor to have you inspect our work. It is no interruption at all.”

Ever since the formal construction of the Celestial Ship had begun, Lu Tianchou’s temper had grown progressively more foul. Song Changsheng was long past being surprised by it. He cleared his throat and said, “Master Lu, I came today to ask about your progress. The Demon Race in the Demon Realm has been making moves again recently. A Beast Tide could arrive at any moment, and the clan needs the power of the Celestial Ship.”

Hearing the words “Beast Tide,” Lu Tianchou’s impatient expression turned grave. “Follow me,” he said in a low voice.

With that, the two of them went to stand before the Black Star Ship, which was in the process of being rebuilt.

Compared to six years ago, the Black Star Ship had changed drastically. Judging by its keel alone, its length had reached at least fifty zhang, far exceeding its previous size.

“After six years of tireless effort, the Black Star Ship has been completely transformed. Although it’s still a ways from being a true Celestial Ship, it is already combat-ready. If you need it, Clan Leader, I can have my men reassemble it. There’s just one thing to be aware of: it’s still using the old Drive Core. Its speed is nowhere near that of a Tier Three Great Demon, so if one gets close, it will be a sitting duck. However, I’ve already improved its armor. It’s no longer as fragile as it once was against a Great Demon. Holding out for a while shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lu Tianchou looked down from his high vantage point at the massive Black Star Ship, his tone calm.

Song Changsheng was overjoyed. “Then I will have to trouble you, Master Lu.”

With the Black Star Ship, their side would effectively gain a combatant on the level of a Purple Mansion expert. Their chances of victory in this battle had just increased significantly!

After leaving the forging chamber, a Steward from Wind Language Hall quickly handed him the latest intelligence report.

“Tuo Province on full alert. Over three thousand disciples from Luoxia City mobilized. The Great City Lord has come out of seclusion and is personally heading to Dingyuan City to take command.”

After reading the brief message, Song Changsheng’s gaze sharpened. Just like the Song Clan, Luoxia City was throwing everything it had into preparing for this Beast Tide.

“I hope no one holds us back this time,” Song Changsheng murmured, gently setting down the Jade Scroll in his hand. His quiet words drifted far away on the wind…

As Luoxia City and the Song Clan actively prepared for war, the horde of beasts gathered around the Six-winged Dragon Snake grew ever larger.

Until one day, the Six-winged Dragon Snake looked toward the Daqi Cultivation World and spat out a single, cold word.

“Attack!”

In an instant, the demonic horde erupted.