Shiji Wu then stood up and walked to Shi Hou, whispering into his ears the plan that this elder had thought of. But once he was finished, the Roaring King immediately spun towards him with widened eyes.

"Are you serious?! That is beyond desecration! Sacrificing Kong Zhi to the Hundun Clan?!

" he shouted.

Such words echoed through the table and out of the tent, entering the ears of other demons!

The Shiji Clan leader grimaced at the loud voice of Shi Hou before nodding. He then looked to the others and spoke again, this time aloud.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting.

"

He looked at Shi Hou directly in the eyes as the demon said it.

"Just listen to me for a moment, the Hundun Clan has lost their Idol of Chaos. It is gone, they no longer have their champion and in that anger, sought vengeance on the humans.. Thus they head south where the Idol was lost. But just because they lost it, doesn't mean that it cannot be replaced.

"

"So why choose to sacrifice Kong Zhi?

" someone else asked,

"I could do better.

"

They looked at Shiji Hou with a piercing gaze, as if trying to see what this old and wily demon was planning.

Shiji Hou looked back as he quietly gulped down.

This person or demon rather, was known as the Revenant Lord, truthfully, the only demon of his kind left. His skin was gray and sunken as his body was thin and emaciated. If not for the heavy cloak that he wore, one could've seen the outlines of his bones. His eyes were pitch black with pupils that looked like a swirling pool of gray energy.

As for what sort of demon he was, the Revenant Lord was a Wraith Demon

As said before, he was the only demon of his kind and only one can exist at a time. That was because of their power, the power to raise the dead. He could bring corpses back from the dead, turning them into his own soldiers. He could strengthen them and what more, he could control hundreds if not thousands at a time.

"i know what you're perfectly capable of

", Shiji Wu replied calmly.

"However, could you produce something as powerful as the Idol of Chaos?

" he asked.

The Revenant Lord was silent but ultimately shook his head and Shiji Wu continued.

"Giving Kong Zhi to the Hundun Clan is far better. Imagine, an even stronger Idol of Chaos a combination of the Hundun and the Vajra's power! Not even that commander will be able to do a thing to it. They will spearhead our victory!

"

He then looked back at Shi Hou to find no difference in his expression. Despite his words and charisma, the Roaring King's mind did not change.

"This is no more than desecration to our lord, Shiji Wu! I cannot let such a thing happen to Kong Zhi

", he said with a determined tone.

But Shiji Wu wasn't done yet. He sighed and looked down at the table.

"What else would you have me say? Even with Kong Zhi's Vajra Bloodline, it isn't enough for him to recover from the damage that human commander inflicted on him. It has been weeks and not a single thing has changed. No movement from his body! No sign of him waking! He might as well be dead at this point!

"

By these words, Shi Hou slammed the table with his fist and stood up.

"Don't you dare say such things to me!

" he shouted.

Shiji Wu took a step back at the power of Shi Hou's voice. Evidently, everyone else felt the same, gripping their armrests tightly as they looked at him.

The Roaring King glared at Shiji Wu pointing straight at the demon with his remaining arm.

"Do not utter those words again.

"

He spoke in a quieter tone but it wasn't hard to hear the restraint in his voice. Shiji Wu stared at Shi Hou with unfaltering eyes.

"Our lord is lying in that tent and has done nothing but breath. He is practically dead, his mind is gone. Think of it this way, with the Hundun Clan, they might be able to breath new life into our lord. Bring him back to be even stronger. Please, Shi Hou, consider it.

"

The Shiji Clan Leader then sat down on his seat, gazing at Shi Hou.

He looked back before sitting back down and turning to the others.

"Is there any other idea you would all like to propose?

" the demon asked.

The others were silent. Some shook their heads while others merely looked away. Shi Hou gave them all a look before sighing.

"Alright then, everyone's dismissed.

"

They all stood up and walked out of the tent, leaving him to his own thoughts. And the demon just sat there with his head lowered, looking at the table's surface. He was quiet, deep in thought. It was difficult to find out what he was thinking.

His eyes were somewhat blank and empty, staring at the empty space for several minutes.

A long sigh left his mouth as he finally straightened up and leaned back on his chair.

"Hah, damn, what do I do?

" he asked himself.

He looked forward, walking out of the tent and staring at where Kong Zhi was resting. In the end, a decision had to be made.

"Head South! Aid the Hundun Clan! We will reclaim the Cerulean Serpent's Lake and break through the human's defenses! We will reclaim all lost ground and take theirs!

"

His voice echoed throughout the camp and soon enough orders were sent through to everyone. As for the Kings and Queens, Shiji Wu revealed a small smile, one of victory.

"Good, fewer things to worry about then

", he chuckled whilst everyone else kept silent.

Their plan had been set in motion and the Cerulean Fortress was about to take on more than just the Hundun Clan. Whether or not its defenses were enough was a question that couldn't be answered.

But the fortress was holding for now. Even with the looming presence of the Hundun, they weren't helpless just yet. Not when the Nuwa Clan was on their way.

No one slept. All eyes were on the two mountains and the churning clouds above them. Lightning continued to thunder and crack, releasing enough pressure to make breathing difficult for them. They couldn't risk showing a single moment of weakness.

All of the defenses were manned and loaded, the barriers activated, and everyone armed.

Among them, Ming Yue glanced between the lake and the clouds. On one hand, she hoped that Drifting Sky would be returned to her. On the other, it was still a few months too early. It seemed that she could not rely on her sword for this new crisis. The young woman could only wait and hope that the Nuwa Clan could push them away.

"Don't worry, we've already informed the other commanders. They will be sending in reinforcement and supplies to us. Even if you don't have that sword of yours, it's not like you are fighting alone.

"

Zi Jing's voice popped beside her as the commander walked up to her side.

She looked at him before muttering to him.

"I know but not having it with me is strange. Even after several months without it, it doesn't feel right without my sword. The equipment you've lent me is good but it cannot replace what I had.

"

Zi Jing chuckled.

"Hah, there is no need to be apologetic! I understand that feeling very well. We just have to hold on for a bit longer. The Nuwa Clan should be coming soon.

"

"I hope so.

"

So they waited and watched.

And when the sun rose up, the toll of a bell rang across the land as the ground shuddered before the Cerulean Fortress. The surface, which had been blackened by the lightning strikes, cracked open as a massive tree shot out from below.

The Nuwa Clan had come!