Chapter 1423: All Are Master Actors

After Long Tian's shocked questioning, Master Lu did not respond immediately.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked slowly, standing side by side with Long Tian. Meanwhile, figures from Shadow Island continued to step forward, lining up at the front of the crowd, all wearing faint smiles.

Dozens of people looked over with meaningful smiles, their attitudes completely different from before. There was no trace of respect; instead, it seemed more like they were sizing him up with a hint of amusement.

Suddenly.

Long Tian felt like a monkey being gawked at, his heart filled with increasing shame, anger, and panic. His expression grew even more uncomfortable.

"You all!"

Before he could finish, Master Lu calmly interrupted him.

"Just wait here peacefully. There's no need to concern yourself with anything else."

His tone was light and ordinary, yet it carried an undeniable pressure that made Long Tian's face darken. Furious, he clenched his fists and cursed.

"Bastard!"

"What kind of attitude is this? I am the Lord of Yunxing! How dare you be so disrespectful!"

Long Tian's angry shouts carried the natural authority of a ruler.

Unfortunately, the front of the crowd was filled with Shadow Island experts, who had already activated a barrier. His voice couldn't carry beyond it, failing to achieve its intended effect. Instead, it drew amused glances from Lu Qingshan and others.

"Lord of Yunxing?"

"Tsk tsk, he's really deep into his role."

"Honestly, if I didn't know better, I might have believed him for a moment. This guy is truly a demonic talent—he's even convinced himself."

As the light laughter spread, Long Tian's eyes widened in shock!

A sense of foreboding grew stronger, and he quickly scanned the subtle expressions of the crowd. In just a few moments, he became increasingly flustered, his confidence dissipating, and his gaze flickering uncertainly.

Acting? Demonic talent?

What did these people mean?

Could it be that his fake identity as the Star Lord had been exposed?!

Before he could speak again, Master Lu spoke in a deep voice.

"Kid, just wait here quietly. If you're smart, you might still get a Demon Lord position later. Otherwise, you'll be torn to pieces, your soul destroyed."

"You seem to have a bit of wit. You should know what choice to make, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Long Tian's eyes widened in shock.

A Demon Lord position?

This person could say such a thing—he definitely knew Long Tian's true identity!

How could this be?

Long Tian prided himself on his flawless acting. How could they have seen through him?

What was even more exaggerated was the confidence in Master Lu's tone, as if subduing the demon race was as easy as lifting a hand, and even the position of Demon Lord was something he could casually offer.

How was this possible?

Long Tian's mind buzzed with shock, his pupils flickering uncontrollably.

At the same time.

Master Lu casually pointed, and several streams of light swirled out from his sleeve.

In the next moment.

The streams of light encircled Long Tian, rendering him completely immobile. He couldn't even speak, his wide eyes filled with even greater shock and panic.

With just a single finger, Master Lu had made him unable to live or die.

This!

What kind of terrifying power was this?

The strength Master Lu was displaying now was several times greater than what he had shown at the Star Lord's residence!

With such power, perhaps his earlier words weren't just empty boasts but part of a well-prepared plan.

Could it be...

That these people had also been acting all along?

Damn it!

Had he been fooled?!

In an instant.

Long Tian snapped out of his dream of being the Star Lord, his mind racing through recent events. His breathing became rapid.

If they could easily subdue him and knew his true identity, why hadn't they exposed him earlier? Instead, they had let him lead everyone to the Demon Capital. Such a convoluted plan didn't make sense.

Unless...

They had planned this from the very beginning.

In terms of cultivation and status, Long Tian knew he had no advantage. Yet these humans had patiently watched him perform, likely using him to bypass the demon race's defenses and void barriers, allowing them to march straight into the Demon Capital without obstruction.

So, he had been the pawn all along?

What he thought was a perfect strategy was nothing more than a clumsy performance in their eyes. When it came to real acting, these humans were the professionals, and their cultivation was terrifyingly strong.

The human world was too treacherous.

Life was truly like a play, and everyone here was a master actor!

In just a few moments.

Long Tian's mind raced with terror, his pupils trembling violently!

Even though he had finally realized the truth, he couldn't quickly accept it. He couldn't believe how strong and cunning these humans were, and he couldn't accept the sudden fall from being the Star Lord to this pitiful reality.

The contrast between being at the peak and falling into the mud was too great, and the change was too abrupt. It instantly shattered Long Tian's mental state.

In just a few moments of reflection, Long Tian felt a sweet taste in his throat.

"Pfft..."

A mist of blood sprayed out as his demonic heart suffered a heavy blow!

The humiliation he felt now was a hundred times worse than the glory he had enjoyed earlier. The heavy blows and shock combined, leaving Long Tian utterly stunned, his eyes blank...

Seeing his dazed expression, Master Lu couldn't be bothered to deal with him further.

With a glance, he signaled two people to guard Long Tian. Combined with the earlier barrier, Long Tian had no chance of escape, and outsiders wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Then, Master Lu personally led the Shadow Island group forward, with Lu Qingshan, Xiong Fen and his son, Jiang Yuan, and others solemnly following. They marched toward the towering Demon Capital not far away, issuing a challenge.

"Demonic vermin, today is your day of reckoning!"

"The grievances of generations will be settled in this battle!"

As their deep voices echoed, dark clouds gathered above the Demon Capital!

The previously quiet surroundings were suddenly swept by a fierce wind. A hundred-zhang black gate opened with a thunderous roar, and countless ripples in the void spread across the sky. Overwhelmingly powerful figures appeared, blotting out the sky!

Above the layers of darkness.

A pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened, and a low laughter echoed as if from the depths of hell.

"Jie jie jie..."

"Ignorant humans, you are already trapped like rats in a cage, yet you remain oblivious to your impending doom. How laughable and pitiful."

The endless demonic voices reverberated through the heavens and earth, and several massive figures appeared.

There was the towering Bull Demon leader, Niu Shadi, the Tree Demon leader who had lived through countless ages, and the Blood Ant leader, whose body exuded a ghostly aura...

In the blink of an eye.

Ten powerful demonic overlords stood side by side in the sky, sealing off the area around the Demon Capital. The terrifying aura they emitted alone made the surrounding thousands of miles feel like an icy prison, causing many cultivators to tremble and retreat quietly.

The demonic overlords stood calmly in the air, their arms crossed, their eyes filled with disdainful smiles. Even the endless stream of demons pouring out of the Demon Capital wore expressions of confidence and pride, as if the human cultivator army before them were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter.

The two sides stood a thousand zhang apart, facing off for only a few moments.

The Yunxing cultivators suddenly grew tense. Witnessing the overwhelming power of the demonic overlords and being surrounded by countless demons, some began to panic and speak out.

"This!"

"The demons were prepared all along. Have we fallen into a trap?"

"This battle is likely to be a disaster. I don't fear death, but it's a pity that our mission to eradicate the demons remains unfinished. We can't let these brutal creatures go unpunished!"

"Even so, even if we fight to the death, we might not be able to break through. Yunxing will surely suffer slaughter in the future!"

"What should we do? Lord Star Lord, please say something!"

In their desperation, the cultivators who didn't know the truth could only look to Long Tian's back.

Unfortunately, Long Tian's demonic heart had already shattered. He stood there like a puppet, completely unresponsive. He couldn't even muster the strength to put on a show to boost the morale of the crowd.

Fortunately, Master Lu spoke up in time, stabilizing the morale.

"Everyone, there's no need to panic. The Star Lord had already anticipated this."

"Today's battle may be against powerful demons, but we have the support of our Yunxing seniors. The outcome is still uncertain. To be honest, Elder Jiang here is a transcendent being who has crossed epochs. With Elder Jiang's support, why should we fear the demons?"

As soon as he finished speaking, thousands of cultivators looked up in surprise, following Master Lu's gesture to see the immortal-like Jiang Yuan standing calmly. Their eyes gradually filled with hope.

"A transcendent being who has crossed epochs!"

"So we have such a senior supporting us. There's hope for our human race in this battle!"

"Even if I die in this battle, I will have no regrets!"

Jiang Yuan, now the center of attention, didn't dare to be arrogant. He modestly waved his hands.

In just a few moments.

The Yunxing cultivators' morale soared. In the face of certain doom, they revealed their indomitable will, and their fighting spirit began to gather once more, managing to withstand the terrifying pressure from the demonic overlords.

However, this change was still insignificant in the eyes of the demonic overlords. Niu Shadi and the others stood with their arms crossed, looking down with confident smiles, as if everything was going as expected.

Only when their gazes swept over Jiang Yuan did they show a hint of interest and comment.

"Hmph."

"As expected, the humans have some tricks up their sleeves."

"This person's aura seems to be on par with ours. Is he also at the early stage of the Profound Realm? Such strength is barely worth noting, but with just him alone, he can't change the outcome that has already been decided."

"Haha, for mere humans to have such strength is already quite remarkable. No wonder they are so short-sighted."

"Indeed, if ants had any self-awareness, would they dare to challenge a tree?"

"Jie jie jie..."

The demonic overlords laughed confidently, casually waving their hands to command the ground forces to advance. Like a tidal wave, the demon army surged toward the Yunxing cultivators.

The battle was about to begin!

A terrifying killing intent instantly filled the heavens and earth, as if everything would be crushed in an instant.

Even with the battle so intense, the demonic overlords paid no attention to anything else. They only kept their eyes on Jiang Yuan, as the others weren't even worth a glance.

In their view, the moment the two sides clashed, it should have been a one-sided massacre, like a flood sweeping everything away.

However.

When the human and demon armies met, the demon vanguard suddenly collapsed.

In the first clash, a gap was torn open!

This sudden reversal caught the overlords off guard, causing them to pause in surprise. Even Niu Shadi's eyes flickered with a hint of astonishment.

"How could this be?"

After exchanging surprised glances, the demon overlords couldn't help but look down. After observing for a few moments, their eyes widened, and their expressions grew even more suspicious.

In their line of sight.

At the forefront of the battle, dozens of human cultivators charged forward, cutting through the demon army like a hot knife through butter. Wherever they passed, no demon could withstand them. It looked as if they were chopping vegetables!

"Great Brick-Slapping Palm!"

"Nine-Layered Cart-Pushing Hand!"

Especially the two leaders, wearing strange white helmets, who slaughtered demons without pause. Their movements were clearly honed through countless battles, and their eyes burned with an almost insane bloodlust, as if they couldn't wait to kill more!

Even the Bull Demon vanguard, known for their brute strength, couldn't withstand their assault.

Seeing this, Niu Shadi's eyes twitched.

Something's wrong...

These dozens of human cultivators at the front—they don't seem right!

Even if they were just low-level fighters, they shouldn't be able to determine the outcome of the battle. But these humans were clearly stronger than the demon army, and they looked downright brutal!

Since when were human cultivators this strong?

If this continued, the Bull Demon clan's forces might be wiped out.

Damn it, where did these people come from?

After watching for just a few dozen breaths, the two leaders had already charged into the heart of the demon army, forcing the demons to retreat. The demon formation was on the verge of collapse.

What was even more absurd was that the two leaders showed no signs of fatigue. They kept muttering to themselves, seemingly growing stronger with each kill!

"One hundred sixty-three!"

"One hundred sixty-four!"

"Son! Your old man is about to hit one hundred seventy. You're still young, so learn well!"

"Dad, don't get too cocky. Once I change into my work clothes, I'll catch up in no time!"

...

Watching the Bull Demon corpses fall one after another, Niu Shadi felt his heart bleeding. He was on the verge of cursing!

After hesitating for a few moments.

He finally couldn't help but turn around and bow toward the dark depths of the clouds where the Demon Lord resided.

"My Lord!"

"The situation seems a bit off. If this continues, our clan might suffer heavy losses. Please grant me permission to join the battle!"

As soon as he spoke, the other demon overlords also turned their respectful gazes toward the depths.