Rise of The Demon General-Chapter 696. The Three Countries Clashes with the Temple’s Forces

Farghous’ army made camp beside a wide river that ran through both the territories of Farghous and Oredolia. Anchored beside the camp were many ships. These ships carried the army’s supplies, allowing the army to march at a fast speed so long as they stayed near the river.

The river was called the Changhe River. Beside the river was a large steppe named Haotts Steppe. The armies from the three countries of Echos, Farghous, and Gyleth Marx were assembling here.

Gyleth Marx and Echos had their fast-moving troops rushed here after receiving the news from the Hierophant, while the remaining guarded their camps and supplies. The combined army of the three numbered around one hundred and eighty thousand troops.

Even so, they were the ones intimidated when Oredolia’s force arrived. They looked at the thirty thousand white-robed warriors floating in the sky. The soldiers who had previously attacked Saint’s Rest realized then that the Temple of Divinity hadn’t shown their full cards at the time. They wondered if their martial realm soldiers matched the enemy’s number.

The answer quickly revealed itself when their martial realm soldiers flew into the sky. While their total number outnumbers the enemy by six times, their Martial Realm experts were only half the enemy’s number. For this reason, the three country leaders instructed their air-borne soldiers to stay near their ground force. This way, when the battle started, they could be supported by the ground force using ranged weapons.

While the enemy’s all-Martial Realm force was intimidating, the most daunting one was the figure leading them. Mu Qin floated in front of her force. Her expression was casual. It was like she was simply taking a walk instead of coming for a battle. Her gaze upon the enemy troops was without emotion. It was as if she were simply gazing at insects.

Her aura, however, wasn’t as casual. Her aura encompassed almost the entire three countries’ troops, making them feel as if they were submerged underwater. They felt difficulty moving and breathing, like they were carrying a ton of stones. It was only when Hou Huang, Dim Loog, and Huang Ti released their aura to counter Mu Qin’s that the soldiers felt their bodies lightened again.

The three Lord Stage cultivators flew up until they were at the same elevation as Mu Qin. Their Martial Realm soldiers hovered below them.

The Holy Mother spoke first. "I assume you three are the leaders of the heretic forces?"

"I am Hou Huang, the empress of Gyleth Marx!" Hou Huang declared proudly.

"Dim Loog, the king of Farghous!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Huang Ti. I am no longer a king, but I will protect Echos, nonetheless."

Mu Qin tilted her head. "Well, I think I did hear the name of you, three, sometime in the past. I don’t remember."

Hou Huang was visibly angry at the remark. He pointed at Mu Qin and yelled, "Don’t think you can underestimate us, demon! We won’t let you do as you please in our world!"

Her remark caused Dim Loog and Huang Ti to glance at her. They hoped she didn’t reveal too much in her anger.

Mu Qin looked at Hou Huang. Her face was nonchalant, but there was a strange light in her eyes. "Demon...? How dare you defile my holy self by calling me that. I was chosen by the Divine Himself to show sinners the divine way. Your insult is not only at me, but at the Divine. For that, you are guilty of punishment."

Mu Qin waved her left arm after finishing speaking. A burst of power from that wave caused a gust that rushed to Huang Hou. Huang Hou only barely managed to put her arms up in defense when something invisible crashed into her. She was sent flying back.

"Hou Huang!" Dim Loog called with concern.

Hou Huang stopped her tumbling in the air. Her arms were trembling. A drop of blood leaked from the side of her mouth. Despite the obvious difference in power from that exchange, she wasn’t frightened. Her anger grew instead. Her crimson whip appeared in her hand, and she charged forward.

Mu Qin snickered at the display. She waved her other arm.

Huang Ti and Dim Loog prepared themselves for an assault, but that second wave was not an attack. It was a signal. The white-robed warriors behind Mu Qin moved upon the signal. They dove at the three countries’ Martial Realm soldiers.

"Back!" Jiang Tong, Hou Bang, and Gu Wen led those soldiers. They drew the enemies until they were low enough that their ground troops could support them with ranged attacks. Their only concern was that the enemies might utilize this situation and gang up on their three leaders, high above.

Their concern proved unnecessary. None of the temple warriors even glanced at the four up there. These warriors had utmost confidence in their Holy Mother. No enemy would defeat her. Their job was to defeat the armies of the three countries. That’s what they would do.

Seeing the enemy’s confidence, the army’s leaders were relieved. They maintained their position as the enemies charged into them, except for Jiang Tong. His bronze body turned silver, and so did the two bronze balls floating by his side. The two balls transformed into a pair of longswords. With the silver swords, he charged into the enemy.

He was immediately battered by countless attacks delivered by at least a hundred Martial Realm experts. Instead of grimacing in pain, he grinned disdainfully.

"You people value the divine so much. Let’s see how He protects you!" The two longswords elongated into long, sharp whips. They spun around Jiang Tong. Any temple warriors the whip passed by had their bodies split apart.

A quick flash of green light slipped past the silver whips and struck Jiang Tong’s chest. The assault failed to pierce his silver skin, but it stopped his movement and even forced him back.

Jiang Tong looked at the perpetrator. It was a man with a long beard holding a long, green glaive. He recognized the man as Jin Guan, a Cardinal of the Temple of Divinity and the leader of the Jin Dui Sect.

"Good!" Jiang Tong exclaimed with a grin. "Killing you will surely demoralize your troops!"

"That will only happen in your dream, heretic!" Jin Guan returned.

*

Up in the sky, Mu Qin never moved from her spot. She watched calmly as Hou Huang rushed at her. Huang Ti and Dim Loog spread to her flanks.

Hou Huang immediately attacked when Mu Qin was within her attacking range. Her crimson whip flashed at blinding speed. At the same time, metal blades materialized around her and flew forward. The red flashes of her whip surrounded Mu Qin while her metal blades flew in from multiple directions.

Mu Qin didn’t show any sign of concern. Her expression remained as casual as before. Her hand slightly moved, and the red flashes from Hou Huang’s whip were as if hitting a solid wall. None of the red flashes could touch her, and so were the metal blades. They hovered a few inches away from Mu Qin, as if there was an impenetrable field that surrounded her.

Mu Qin flicked her fingers, and a shockwave erupted from her. This shockwave destroyed all the metal blades surrounding her. Hou Huang’s crimson whip experienced a recoil so strong that it almost slipped out of her grip.

The exchange between Mu Qin and Hou Huang surprised Huang Ti and Dim Loog, but didn’t deter them from participating.

Dim Loog wielded a white spear. He infused his aether into the spear, and a bright light enveloped the weapon. The light made it seem like he was holding a giant spear made of light. He thrust this spear at Mu Qin.

Huang Ti also revealed his weapon, a longsword. When he thrust, a gush of sand materialized and congregated around the sword, forming a giant sand sword.

The spear of light and the sand sword stabbed at Mu Qin, who remained still without any sign of dodging. Her two hands shot in opposite directions. Those hands met with the incoming spear and sword. When her hands touched the light and the sand, it was as if a powerful wind had come and blown those elements apart. After the light and sand were discarded, one could see Mu Qin’s one hand holding the shaft of Dim Loog’s spear, while the fingers of her other hand were clamping on the blade of Huang Ti’s sword.

Before Huang Ti and Dim Loog could register what had happened, they were pulled by a powerful force. The image of the Yin-Yang symbol appeared with Mu Qin at the center. The two lost control over their movements, and their weapons headed for each other.

They quickly twisted their wrist so that their weapons didn’t hit their allies. As they did that, Mu Qin’s palms slammed into their chests.

They flew back from the impact. Blood trickled from their mouths.

"Good armor and good response," Mu Qin praised.

Before her palms hit, Huang Ti and Dim Loog used their defensive arts. A wall of earth covered Huang Ti’s chest. As for Dim Loog, a tiny shield made of light materialized on the precise spot where Mu Qin hit. Additionally, they both wore low-tier runic armor under their royal garments.