The instant Wang Lin’s eyes snapped open, a razor-sharp image, shaped like a sword, flashed within the depths of his pupils.

Mo Lihai sat cross-legged outside Wang Lin’s dwelling, a vigil he had maintained for three long days. His face was ashen, devoid of color. He had repeatedly attempted to enter Wang Lin’s chambers, but the dense, churning black mist that wreathed the room, and especially the intricate web of forbidden seals woven within, had forced him to retreat each time.

As the date of the Demon General’s War drew near, anxiety gnawed at his heart. Yet, he sensed that Wang Lin, by erecting such formidable barriers, was at a crucial juncture in his cultivation, and wished to be undisturbed.

Weighing the potential consequences, Mo Lihai released a heavy sigh and resumed his vigil, patiently awaiting his companion’s emergence. This day was the eve of the Demon General’s War. Tomorrow would bring a brutal reckoning!

Mo Lihai’s apprehension had reached its peak. If Wang Lin did not emerge from his seclusion, he would forfeit his chance in the morrow’s struggle.

After a moment of hesitation, he steeled his resolve, rose, and approached Wang Lin’s abode.

“Brother Wang!” Mo Lihai’s voice echoed.

At that very instant, the black mist enveloping the house began to writhe violently, as though a breach had appeared within its depths. It spun furiously, forming a vortex that greedily consumed the darkness.

In the blink of an eye, the mist vanished without a trace. Mo Lihai’s eyes gleamed with hope as he halted before the house, his gaze fixed upon its entrance.

The door creaked open from within, and Wang Lin slowly emerged.

The sight of him caused Mo Lihai to gasp and involuntarily recoil. His eyes widened in astonishment. The Wang Lin before him was markedly different from the one he knew.

Gazing upon him, Mo Lihai felt as if he stood at the foot of a towering mountain. Wang Lin’s stature had not changed, yet he radiated an aura of profound mastery, a presence that permeated Mo Lihai’s very soul.

“You are wounded,” Wang Lin stated, his gaze penetrating. The immense power that had emanated from him abruptly receded, drawn back within his being. As he opened his eyes, no trace of energy remained, and he appeared as ordinary as any mortal man.

Mo Lihai’s perception shifted once more. If he had felt the awe of a mountain’s presence moments before, he now beheld a bottomless, still pool. It appeared serene, yet Mo Lihai knew that to fall into its depths would surely mean oblivion.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Lihai declared somberly, “I was defeated by Mo Fei.”

Wang Lin nodded, stepped out of the house, and gazed up at the heavens, lost in thought. “How many days have I been secluded?” he asked.

“Tomorrow is the Demon General’s War!” Mo Lihai replied. He hesitated, then continued, “Mo Fei is powerful. He withstood my Ten Shattering Fists of Fury completely. My Hundred Waves of the Demon Sea were turned back upon me by his Revolving Wheel technique. It was there that I fell.”

“Revolving Wheel technique?” Wang Lin turned his gaze upon Mo Lihai.

“Mo Fei, the foremost of the Demon Generals, possesses arcane abilities. Since his three-year sojourn within the Dragon Pool Ancient Demon Hall, no opponent has forced him to employ any technique beyond the Revolving Wheel! It is an art that reflects all attacks, its power is immense!” Mo Lihai said, recalling the battle from days past.

Wang Lin’s expression remained unchanged. “I do not believe that Brother Mo lacks any trump cards beyond your Ten Shattering Fists and your Hundred Waves of the Demon Sea.”

Mo Lihai met Wang Lin’s gaze squarely. “There is one. It is the Demon Fire, bestowed upon me by the Emperor himself when I became a Demon General. I unleashed it. I shattered seventeen layers of his Revolving Wheel defense, but still, I fell.”

“Brother Wang, I swore an oath with Mo Fei. The loser relinquishes his place in the Demon General’s War. Whether I claim the position of Vice-Marshal tomorrow rests solely upon your shoulders!” A bitter taste filled Mo Lihai’s mouth. He stepped back and bowed deeply before Wang Lin.

“I shall do my best,” Wang Lin replied evenly.

Mo Lihai inhaled deeply and clasped his hands in respect. “I am in your debt, Brother Wang. I shall not intrude further. We shall journey to the Imperial City together on the morrow!” With another respectful gesture, he turned and departed.

His retreating figure carried a hint of melancholy.

Wang Lin stood silently in the courtyard, his eyes closed. And so he remained, throughout the long night.

As dawn broke, bathing the land in golden light and banishing the shadows from the Demon Sky City, the sun’s rays fell upon the Imperial City. A palpable sense of anticipation rose from within its eight outer districts.

Within the Imperial City, before the Demon Sky Gate, a vast plaza held a colossal war drum.

The drum was completely black, and emanated an ancient and powerful aura, which permeated the vast expanse.

Regiments of soldiers clad in black armor marched forth from the sides, encircling the plaza. From their ranks, a figure dashed forth like lightning, a warrior with flowing white hair, resembling a god of war. He leapt into the air and brought his fist down upon the war drum.

“Dong!”

A deep and resonating boom reverberated throughout the Imperial City, echoing across the entire Demon Sky City.

Everyone within the Demon Sky City knew of the Heaven Demon Drum within the Imperial City. It was sounded only for ancestral rites, the opening of the Dragon Pool, or for events of immense significance.

Nine times for the Dragon Pool, six times for ancestral rites, and thrice for all other occasions.

The sound reverberated across the heavens and the earth, shaking the very foundations of the Demon Sky City. Countless souls were awakened from their slumber by the sound of the drum.

One by one, the Demon Generals, accompanied by their aides and supporters, embarked upon the military roads, making their way to the Imperial City.

The eight gates of the Imperial City were thrown open, guarded by countless demon soldiers who meticulously verified the identity of each Demon General before granting passage.

The Demon General’s War was to take place within the vast plaza before the Demon Sky Gate, a place guarded by powerful enchantments, one that would not be easily damaged.

To the east of the plaza stood a nine-tiered structure, stretching a hundred yards in length. Upon each level, countless desks were arranged. The civil officials of the Demon Sky City emerged, each taking their designated seats.

At the very top, a single throne awaited, reserved for the Demon Emperor himself!
Upon the square’s south and north flanks, twin edifices of eight stories scraped the heavens, each a dizzying eighty *zhang* in length. Upon these tiered platforms, a sea of noble ladies and young lords held court. Crowning the spires of each structure, the uppermost two levels were adorned with four seats apiece.

These sixteen perches of honor, eight upon the highest tier, were reserved for the dread妖帅, the Demon Generals, while those below were for their lieutenants, the副帅.

A tempest of whispers and shouts swirled across the ten-thousand *zhang* expanse of the square. As the moment of the Demon Emperor’s arrival drew near, the seats began to fill, one by one, then in a surging tide of bodies.

Amongst the throng, some stifled yawns, betrayed by habits of slumber at this very hour.

Soon, all but the Imperial seat and those of the Demon Generals and their seconds were occupied. A low murmur arose, a tapestry of speculation woven into the very air.

“Surely,妖將墨非, Demon General Mo Fei, will claim victory this day! There is no doubt!”

“Nay, for妖將石蕭, Demon General Shi Xiao, wields power beyond mortal ken. Whispers speak of a patron of staggering might. He is a contender for the crown!”

“And forget not妖將莫厲海, Demon General Mo Li Hai! His sorceries run deep, and he holds magics bestowed upon him by the Emperor himself! He deserves a place amongst the first three.”

“Mo Li Hai? Did you not hear? He clashed with Mo Fei just days past and fell in defeat. They say he swore an oath: the vanquished would not set foot upon the square this day!”

“Alas! If this be true, a cruel twist of fate has befallen Mo Li Hai.”

“Perhaps not. Though Mo Li Hai himself is barred, his champion is not. But the name of this champion is unknown… victory seems distant.”

“Are there no others beside these three worth mention? What of妖將于森, Demon General Yu Sen? His path of slaughter is said to be unparalleled! He who holds no city, but dwells amidst the fires of Yao, quenching his thirst with bloodshed! Should he rise, a crimson storm will engulf us all!”

“Aye, and there is妖將魔紋, Demon General Mo Wen! His arts are strange, gleaned from the ancient Dragon Pool Temple. He is cloaked in shadow; none know his true strength. Today, we shall witness the unveiling of his secrets.”

“And let us not forget the fourth amongst the Demon Generals of three centuries past: the妖仙邪蓮, the Demon Immortal Xie Lian!”

“Xie Lian… the sole female amidst the Generals. She fought wounded then and yet claimed fourth place. They say that if she had been at full strength, Mo Fei’s victory would have been imperiled.”

Such were the voices that echoed through the square, each a wager upon the shifting sands of fate.

Then, from the heart of the square, beneath the shadow of the Demon Drums, the black-armored elder with hair like spun moonlight raised his fist.

With a single, shattering blow, the first note resonated.

“咚!”

The second followed, its thunderous vibrations silencing the restless multitudes. Across the very fabric of the Heavenly Demon City, it rang out.

A sound that coalesced into celestial thunder, chasing the last vestiges of dawn, bathing the world in a blinding radiance!

As the drum’s echo faded, eight streaks of incandescent light tore through the firmament, bypassing the gates below.

Only those bearing the rank of帥, General, possessed such privilege!

The six lesser Generals – 天,玄,黃,宇,宙, and荒– descended, each taking their place on the second tier of the platforms to the north and south. The玄 General, his face ashen, immediately withdrew into meditation, oblivious to the world around him.

As they settled, the heavens roared again, louder than the drums themselves. And the eight Demon Generals proper, masters of the Heavenly Demon Prefecture, strode forth from the sky. Seven were men; one was a woman.

They exchanged respectful bows in mid-air, then took their seats in silence, radiating an aura of unyielding power.

The assembled masses offered their obeisance, for these eight commanded the respect due to none save the Demon Emperor himself!

Their names echoed across the Demon Spirit Lands, known to all and feared by many.

“咚!” The third drumbeat reverberated, a sonic cataclysm that stretched a thousand *li*. A deafening thunder that consumed all other sounds.

Every eye now turned to a single point: the uppermost tier of the eastern platform.

To the empty seat awaiting its occupant.