We could see countless people digging on the outskirts of Glory City. They were burying strange red liquids along with papers and setting all kinds of traps. On the city walls, countless barrels containing red oil were being boiled. These were the preparations Nie Li had instructed the City Lord and the Alchemist Association to make. If done correctly, they would quickly destroy the demon horde.
As the sun set, a loud tremor-like sound echoed through the land, and the ground shook. People felt it deep in their bones. They knew that the drum-like sound was the sign of the approaching demon horde.
Many lost their resolve. Despair crept into their hearts. Some wanted to abandon their posts and return to their families, afraid for their lives. Seeing this, the City Lord used his soul force to amplify his voice.
"Brothers of Glory City! We now face a grave danger. I know many of you have never faced true war and are afraid. I understand. Facing demons is terrifying.But know this — if we retreat today, they will trample our home, kill our families, and destroy our ancestors' legacy. Even if you survive, what kind of life would that be?A man who abandons his duty and lives while his home is destroyed — would that be a life worth living? I say death is ten times better!"
Nie Li, hearing the City Lord's words, shed a silent tear, remembering his past life when he was too weak to change anything.
Ye Zong continued:
"I, Ye Zong, swear — if any of you fall in battle, I will personally protect your family with my life. They will be cared for as long as they need.And I swear — I will be the first to step onto the battlefield. Even my daughter will fight beside us!"
Hearing this, countless people picked up their weapons. Courage and hope reignited in their hearts, and the fighting spirit returned to their eyes.
Nie Li then stepped forward.
"Brothers and sisters, actually, the situation isn't as dire as it seems. There are about 10 million demons in the horde. One peak Legend Rank demon leads them, and there are 10,000 Black Gold demons.The rest are mere cannon fodder — not worth worrying about."
A commoner shouted in disbelief:
"Brat, are you kidding? We barely have one million people here! And not all of us are Demon Spiritualists. How do you expect us to overcome such overwhelming odds?"
Nie Li smirked.
"When it comes to true strength, numbers don't matter."
Many ignored him, thinking he was just an ignorant brat with no real battle experience. Nie Li didn't argue — he didn't want attention just yet. He needed to deal with the Sacred Family first, pulling the weeds out by the roots.
Without further delay, Nie Li took his position with a bow in hand atop the city walls. With his strength, he could already see the approaching demons, still a few kilometers away.
When the horde was in range, Nie Li fired a flaming arrow — the signal. Countless archers followed. As the arrows struck the traps buried beneath the soil, massive flames erupted, engulfing and killing countless monsters. The demon horde's momentum slowed, but they pressed forward, trying to find safe paths. But traps were everywhere.
A second wave of arrows darkened the sky. The demons continued to fall, and the commander bellowed in rage. He ordered his forces to act as meat shields, preventing the arrows from touching the ground.
Nie Li smirked. He gave the second signal. This time, the arrows carried scrolls — not flames. As soon as the scrolls touched demon blood, they exploded with such force that the sky itself seemed to shake.
But it didn't end there.
The demon blood activated more buried concoctions and scrolls, causing a chain reaction of explosions and fire that seemed to want to swallow the heavens. The sheer power of the traps shocked the defenders — hope filled their hearts again.
This went on for two hours. The demon horde had been reduced to only 30% of its original strength. The once 10,000-strong Black Gold demons had been reduced to a mere 1,000. Still, 3 million demons remained, many injured, yet still marching forward.
Soon, they reached the walls and began to climb.
Nie Li gave the next order. Boiling red oil was poured down on the climbing demons, burning and killing countless more. But eventually, the final line of defense was breached. Only about 1 million demons remained, with just 500 Black Gold demons and the commander still standing.
The demon commander, furious at being outplayed, prepared to attack personally — unaware that a shadow loomed behind him.
It was Nie Li.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Nie Li had fused with the Shadow Devil and snuck up behind the commander. He drew the Thunder God Sword and launched an attack.
But the commander — a half-step Demigod demon — sensed the killing intent and narrowly dodged. It counterattacked with its tail, but Nie Li evaded. The clash continued. Using skills he had absorbed from demon beasts, Nie Li slowly wore the commander down.
Finally, he unleashed his Sword Supremacy technique and beheaded the demon.
Meanwhile, the remaining Black Gold demons were stopped by thirty unknown Black Gold-rank experts — all from the Heavenly Marks Family. Each one was incredibly powerful. Nie Li's friends fought as well. Zi Yun had already eliminated ten Black Gold demons. Du Ze and Ning'er weren't far behind.
Soon, the horde was defeated.
The miracle had happened. The weak humans had defied the heavens and defeated the naturally superior demons. They survived.
In other parts of the city, people mourned their fallen comrades. Their sacrifices would never be forgotten. Their names would be etched in memory — for true death only comes when one is forgotten. These were heroes whose stories would be told for generations.
Nie Li addressed the survivors:
"This is not the time to be idle. Clean up the battlefield quickly — the stench of blood will attract other demons. Keep the bodies of the powerful ones — they can be used to forge spiritual weapons."
Elsewhere, Ye Zong and Shen Hong were fighting a newly ascended Legend Rank ape demon that had broken through during the chaos. Ye Zong, close to breaking through himself, used the battle as a chance to push his limits.
Sensing the battle, Nie Li rushed over, hiding his aura. He could tell Ye Zong was trying to break through, but he kept his eyes on Shen Hong, ready to act if he tried anything suspicious.
But Shen Hong didn't move — too many witnesses around to risk his plans.
Nie Li watched. Ye Zong struggled at first, but as the battle dragged on, he reached the brink of breakthrough. Finally, he did it. His cultivation base solidified — he had broken through to Legend Rank, and with his superior technique and talent, he was far stronger than ordinary new Legend Ranks. He quickly defeated the ape demon.
Nie Li stepped forward.
"Congratulations, Father-in-law, on your breakthrough."
He concealed his own strength, still pretending to be weak in front of Shen Hong. His plans involving the traitorous Ye Han still had to wait.