The Investiture: Unlimited Blade Works Nezha-Chapter 298 - 297 Assault on the Demon World

"If even the promises made to me and the Long-nosed Pig cannot be fulfilled, I wonder if the Great Venerable can truly reward the countless Immortal Gods as promised?"

Dream-eating Rhinoceros: Thank you, but I have my own name!

Hao Tian’s face darkened. This was the time to rally morale—how could he possibly say no?

"How could I, the emperor, go back on my word? Reward them!"

With that, he took out a Jade Talisman and handed it to Yan Zhi. Keeping such items on his person all the time wasn’t practical, nor was Hao Tian going to pay out of pocket for official matters. Here’s a token—go claim your reward at the Xuan Altar yourself!

Yan Zhi clutched the Jade Talisman and eagerly dragged the Dream-eating Rhinoceros away in high spirits.

The sight of Hao Tian fulfilling his promises immediately let the nerves of the departing Immortal Gods loosen.

Hao Tian solemnly commanded, "Where is the Immortal of Colossal Spirit?"

The burly Immortal of Colossal Spirit looked utterly bewildered. Why me again?

But there was no backing down under the scrutiny of all eyes.

"Present, Your Majesty!"

"You are hereby appointed as the vanguard to pave the way in the demon-purging campaign. Lead five thousand Heavenly Soldiers to attack the Demon World!"

Immortal of Colossal Spirit: Thanks a lot! Truly!

Despite his inner resistance, he could not disobey Hao Tian’s orders.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit rallied five thousand Heavenly Soldiers and made their way to the entrance of the Demon World. At this moment, he had no opportunity to shirk his duties. Gritting his teeth, he charged forward.

The five thousand shining Heavenly Soldiers marched directly through the pitch-black passage, officially entering the Demon World.

The Demon World was shrouded in an unprecedented darkness. Upon arrival, the Immortal of Colossal Spirit and his troops became like glaring beacons in the pitch-black night—blindingly bright and impossible to miss. Instantly, a multitude of Demon World creatures began to attack.

The first wave consisted of bats; darkness and bats often seem to go hand in hand as a matter of convention.

Swarms of pitch-black bats flapped their wings furiously, diving toward the Heavenly Soldiers. However, the troops under the Immortal of Colossal Spirit’s command this time weren’t like the mediocre five hundred-strong brass band from years ago.

While they weren’t exactly elite, they at least had some proficiency in martial arts and spells.

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit let out a bellow of "Summoning Thunder," and immediately, all five thousand Heavenly Soldiers formed seals and unleashed thunderstrikes in every direction. Countless Divine Thunders surged, their power formidable. Unfortunately, the sheer number of bats proved overwhelming, and many still managed to latch onto the Heavenly Soldiers’ divine bodies and began gnawing away.

The bats’ sharp fangs easily tore through the Immortal Armor after just a short while.

"General, help us!"

The Immortal of Colossal Spirit, having already transformed into a massive figure, now spun around like a ruthless windmill, slaughtering the bats all around him. However, the bats were seemingly endless, covering his colossal form in a thick layer and relentlessly gnawing at his body.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

With a sense of camaraderie, he spat two mouthfuls of Samadhi Fire to cover the retreating Heavenly Soldiers.

...

"Report! Your Majesty, there is alarming news: the Immortal of Colossal Spirit and his five thousand Heavenly Soldiers have been completely routed. Only one thousand soldiers returned!"

Hao Tian appeared as though he had expected this outcome, looking down at the Immortal of Colossal Spirit, now wrapped up like a mummy.

His first thought? This guy’s huge size is such a waste of bandages. Gah!

*Coughs,* it’s all the fault of the recent strain on the war economy.

"Your subject is ashamed for failing Your Majesty’s command and is willing to accept punishment!"

Hao Tian had never truly expected the Immortal of Colossal Spirit to achieve much, so he didn’t make things difficult for him either.

"Punishment—three hundred years without wages. Return to the Heavenly Court to recuperate."

The invincible Immortal of Colossal Spirit had fallen...

Nevertheless, the intelligence gathered about the Demon World’s entrance proved invaluable. This time, the vanguard shift fell to the Immortals of the Fire Department.

This time, the fire-handling experts of the Fire Department turned the unending swarms of bats into fuel for the Heavenly Fire with a single blaze.

With the Fire Department leading the charge and the Thunder Department providing backup, the Heavenly Realm finally established a foothold at the Demon World’s entrance.

Hao Tian finally received good news and motioned for a full-scale assault!

Evidently, the Demon World’s forces were no match for the Heavenly Realm. Sustained by the Mortal Realm’s incense offerings, the Heavenly Realm held vast superiority against the Demon World, which relied solely on the Demonic Qi supplied by a single Demon Buddha.

During their last invasion of the Heavenly Court, the bulk of the Demon World’s viable forces had already been wiped out by Nezha. Now, apart from the initial nuisance of being harassed by bizarre Demon World creatures, the Heavenly Soldiers quickly gained the upper hand.

Wen Zhong, that crafty old fox, proved to be highly competent and methodical in cleansing the Demon World. Progress was slow but steady.

Hao Tian refrained from saying much, opting instead to stand on the brink of the Demon World, gazing deep into its core.

Concentrating his Dharma Eye, he pierced through layers of Demonic Qi, finally discerning a pitch-black nine-layered Pagoda.

The remaining fighting forces of the Demon World were all concentrated within the Pagoda, and Shen Gongbao was inside, lying in wait for him.

So far, the Demon World purging mission progressed smoothly—too smoothly. Celestials unused to great challenges were overjoyed, having initially expected deadly struggles but instead finding themselves racking up merits effortlessly. It was impossible for them not to feel elated!

Yet Hao Tian felt nowhere near as optimistic. When something goes too smoothly, there’s surely trouble ahead. The smoother it went, the stronger his unease grew.

Three months later—

Wen Zhong came to report.

"Your Majesty, the rest of the Demon World has been cleared, leaving only the Demon Tower area. I dispatched three thousand Heavenly Soldiers into the area, but they haven’t responded. I fear they’ve been wiped out."

"Moreover, the Demon World is filled with scattered forces. I suspect their key Demon Generals are all holed up inside the Tower."

Frowning, Hao Tian unleashed the full mana of a Second Corpse Quasi-Saint upon the Nine-layered Black Tower. Yet not even the slightest tremor could be seen—his probing yielded no results at all.

Before long, the Tower’s summit glimmered with demonic light, and a Daoist cloaked in black robes erupted into laughter.

"Little underling of the Daoist Ancestor, how dare you attack my Demon World? Come, enter my Tower for a ’lesson’!"

Hao Tian’s expression turned grim. I am the Hong Jun Daoist Ancestor’s disciple, not some lowly underling!

He couldn’t help but reflect bitterly on his earlier decision—why hadn’t he dealt with this old fiend when he’d had the chance?

After observing the Nine Demon Tower for a while, all he discerned was that it was some kind of space-related Magical Treasure. Its exact mechanisms remained unclear, but Hao Tian had his own methods.

"Where is the Three Altars Sea Meeting Great God Lei Zhenzi?"

Lei Zhenzi, who had been hiding near the back, jolted in alarm. Why me again?

"Present, Your Majesty!"

"Are you willing to break through the enemy’s formation for the Heavenly Court?"

"I am willing!"

With that, he charged inside.

Although Hao Tian sent Lei Zhenzi in first, any discerning observer could see that the deeper into the Tower one progressed, the stronger the foes would become. By dispatching Lei Zhenzi early, it was clear Hao Tian was looking out for him because of his prior contributions in clearing the path.

Lei Zhenzi entered the Nine Demon Tower and found himself in a gargantuan palace. Opposite him stood what seemed to be a simple black dog with a forked tail.

The black dog spotted Lei Zhenzi and charged at him with flames surging from its body. Lei Zhenzi, seasoned by many trials, had matured considerably and was no longer the impulsive youth who recklessly yelled "Armor Fusion!" before charging headlong into battle.

Reacting swiftly, his Peng Wings flapped, propelling him into the sky to evade the fire dog’s assault.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" The dog barked, preceding a barrage of fireballs.

Lei Zhenzi had a clear advantage over the fire dog, Huo Dou. With one beat of his wings, he unleashed the storm power, sending the fireballs hurtling back at Huo Dou with even greater force.

Huo Dou ignored the redirected fireballs entirely. Flames flared beneath its paws as it leapt into the air, jaws wide open, aiming for Lei Zhenzi.

Lei Zhenzi raised the Qiankun Ring in one hand, wedging it between the fire dog’s upper and lower jaws to block the bite. His other hand summoned the Fire-tipped Spear, which he thrust straight into the fire dog’s mouth.

Huo Dou, unable to close its massive jaws, began to spout flames from deep within its throat, preparing to engulf Lei Zhenzi in a blazing inferno.

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