The sky was blue with strong winds and sunny weather.
Yan Yue prepared all the military forces of the kingdom and its provinces.
They consisted of a naval military front separating the two kingdoms, a land military front, and an air military front.
"Everyone, you are here by order of the king himself," he spoke loudly.
"After discussing the decision, it will be implemented immediately across the entire kingdom's territory."
"Yes, sir!" all those present responded.
"The land military front will be divided into two sections: the first to protect the kingdom itself, and the second to protect all three of its provinces."
"The province of Nueras is the closest to the kingdom…" he thought internally.
The kingdom has its own special territory because it follows the system established by the king himself.
This means the kingdom consists of the grand king's palace, followed by the elders' palaces, and 80% of it is headquarters affiliated with the system:
the kingdom's financial headquarters, the training headquarters for talents, the industrial headquarters, the agricultural headquarters, and so on.
After that come its provinces: Nueras, Iblethira, and Dravonia.
"Yes, sir!" responded those affiliated with the land military front.
"The same applies to the air military front. The three great ones will provide air protection for the kingdom, while the rest will protect the provinces."
"Yes, sir!" responded those affiliated with the air military front.
"As for the naval military front, it will focus on protecting the maritime territory separating the two kingdoms."
"Yes, sir!" responded those affiliated with the naval military front.
"You may leave now," Yan Yue said.
All the fronts dispersed…
They followed Yan Yue's words and intensified the protection of the kingdom and its three provinces.
"Hmm, five days remain until the elders' competition."
"The fourth elder…" he raised his head toward the sky.
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The leader of the Demonic Alliance was issuing orders to his four deputies:
to kidnap influential people,
kill those who disobey,
and sell women to brothels to generate money.
"There's a person who owns a huge silk clothing shop. He was an evil figure in the past, nearly destroying the Kingdom of Dragonis."
"Now, he's been forgotten due to a disfigurement on his face, and he's currently in the province of Nueras…"
"I want one of you to go to him, bring him into the alliance, and if he refuses, kill him and steal his abilities."
"I'll go, Commander," said the second deputy.
"Very well."
The second deputy vanished from his sight.
"You three, provide food and drink for the alliance members, and also spread the news to all three kingdoms."
"What's the content of the news, Commander?"
"Anyone who has suffered under the kingdoms' system and has a battle strength of fifth rank or higher should come to Mount Bo Tia to join the Demonic Alliance to destroy the Kingdom of Dragonis."
"Yes, Commander!" The three vanished from his sight.
"Our numbers aren't large—just me, the four deputies, about 50 people of the fourth rank, and 115 of the third rank."
"Brother… I'll kill you soon," he said in a stern voice.
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Now in the province of Nueras, the second deputy emerged from a portal and it disappeared.
"Wait, what's this number?" He looked at the large number of guards.
One of the third-rank guards noticed him.
"Look, an intruder!" he shouted, pointing at him.
All eyes turned toward the second deputy.
"Fine, no problem. I'll kill them quickly."
"Purple Poison."
He leapt and threw a quantity of it. Some inhaled it and stopped breathing, while others tried to avoid it, but in the end, they all fell immediately.
Someone from the air punched the second deputy, knocking him to the ground.
The second deputy turned to him with an arrogant smile.
"I'll kill you, you filth."
"Try if you can." It was a grandmaster of flight, though his illness had prevented him from breaking through to the fifth rank.
The confrontation began between the second deputy and Lan Tian, the grandmaster of flight with a battle strength at the peak of the fourth rank.
"Heh heh heh, I've got something exciting for you since you're a flyer."
"Purple Shadow Mist."
A purple cloud full of poison headed toward Lan Tian.
"Pure Sky Shield."
A shining white shield appeared, blocking the purple shadow mist.
The second deputy laughed.
"Do you think I'd settle for just one cloud?"
Lan Tian felt uneasy after hearing his words.
The area where the second deputy and Lan Tian stood became filled with the toxic purple shadow mist.
"Damn it," Lan Tian cursed because of the situation he was in now.
"Sacred Cleansing Winds."
Pure winds began pushing away the toxic clouds.
"Lan Tian, you're sick. Let me help you," said a comrade from his front.
"No one comes here!" Lan Tian shouted and coughed up a quantity of blood.
The second deputy laughed.
"I'll admit, you've resisted well so far."
"You've inhaled a little poison, so you've started coughing blood."
"Don't underestimate me, you bastard."
"Guardian Sky Pulse."
He sent waves of energy into his body to eliminate the poison.
"For these three minutes, I mustn't inhale—"
The second deputy grabbed Lan Tian's neck, and his hand began turning purple.
"Mercury Poison Eye."
"Hahaha, this ability lets me target one of your organs and fill it with poison," he laughed mockingly while gripping his neck.
Lan Tian punched him, and the second deputy missed targeting Lan Tian's heart.
But he hit his liver, filling it with poison…
Lan Tian began feeling nausea and dizziness and coughed up a large amount of blood.
"Master Lan Tian…"
"He's the strongest. He taught the three great ones, but his illness kept him from breaking through to the fifth rank."
Lan Tian turned his gaze toward the second deputy.
"Pure Cutting Winds."
It formed into a blade that swiftly pierced the second deputy's lung.
The second deputy coughed up blood.
Then that blade cleared the remaining toxins from the air.
"You filthy old man."
"Take this, you fools!" the second deputy shouted.
"Purple Death Curse."
He jumped high, aimed his hands at them, and unleashed a wave of deadly toxic energy.
"Run, all of you!" Lan Tian yelled.
"But…" those beside Lan Tian protested.
"I said run!"
"Pure Wind Barrier."
The toxins were trapped in a field between the two of them.
Lan Tian inhaled a large amount of poison.
Large purple spots appeared on Lan Tian's body.
"Should I use my offensive ability?" he thought internally.
"But if I do, it'll have side effects on me too."
Lan Tian made his final decision.
"Heavenly Torment Sword."
Lan Tian took his sword and charged toward the second deputy, with blades infused with sacred energy forming alongside it.
"Purple Poison King."
The second deputy ran toward Lan Tian too, with countless poisons now emanating from his body—anything he touched would disintegrate.
Boom, boom.
A massive explosion occurred within the province, visible to anyone from afar.
Yan Yue was rushing toward the explosion at full speed.
The explosion began to dissipate with the wind.
There was one person kneeling, his right hand completely disintegrated and his eye gone,
and another standing, his body covered in blood and deep wounds.
Yan Yue saw the scene, his hand transformed into a monstrous shape, and he charged toward the second deputy, who was about to behead Lan Tian.
The second deputy turned his head to see who was coming.
"Not this time, then."
He opened a portal and disappeared immediately.
Lan Tian was near death. Yan Yue grabbed him, carried him in his arms, and rushed toward the kingdom to get treatment for Lan Tian.
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The second deputy appeared, covered in wounds.
"What happened, Second?" asked the alliance commander.
"Was this his doing?"
"No, Commander, it was someone from the path of flight and defense."
"Haha, so you didn't win in the end."
"No, someone of a higher rank than me appeared, coming at great speed, so I fled."
"Fine, go to our healer. He's at the peak of the fifth rank and will treat you."
"Yes, Commander." With that, he vanished immediately.
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The End