The Flame Mountain and the Broken Blade Defense Line are separated by thousands of kilometers, and the soldiers within the defense line were unaware that their greatest threat, which they guarded against day and night, had already been completely eradicated.At [N O V E L I G H T] the foot of the mountain, soldiers from the First and Second Battalions were patrolling with neat steps, their armor gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the sunlight; in the outer regions, sentries from the Fifth and Sixth Battalions were hidden behind rocks, their gaze vigilantly sweeping the distant wasteland; the other battalions were temporarily on rotation.Snoring rose and fell within the barracks, as the soldiers seized the opportunity to rest and recuperate.As the Demon Caves outside the defense line were cleared one by one, the pressure on the three major Battle Groups had long been greatly reduced, and they no longer needed to be on constant alert, without rest, against external enemies.And at the highest peak of the defense line, Qin Tian spread his palm, where the monolith brought from the lava cave lay quietly.When it was being scoured by lava in the lava cave, it was a strange stone with a black-red hue, but now in Qin Tian's hand, it had lost all its brilliance, turning into an unremarkable black stone—its surface rough and uneven, about the size of a basketball.Qin Tian could clearly sense the immense energy surging within the monolith, as well as a faint, elusive consciousness.But no matter if he injected Spiritual Energy to probe it, or communicated repeatedly with his mind, the monolith remained unresponsive like a stubborn piece of iron."Good heavens, am I not even as good as a Lava Demon?" Qin Tian couldn't help but feel a little speechless, a sense of "a handsome guy being outshone by an ugly monster" welling up in his heart.But the tenacity in his bones was completely ignited, and his mental power, like dense signals, continuously sent messages to the monolith, akin to a "mental text message bombardment."Ignoring me? Then I'll annoy you to death.Perhaps truly annoyed by this persistent thought, the monolith finally transmitted a vague message: "Void — — — Enemy."Void?Qin Tian's mouth twitched, and he instantly reacted. He had once consumed the essence blood of a Void Dragon, and it was inevitable that a trace of Void aura remained in his body.This caused the monolith to mistake him for a Void creature.Having found the root of the problem, he had a solution.A brilliant golden light emanated from his palm, slowly injecting into the monolith—this was the power of the Divine Weapon Emperor. Qin Tian wanted to see if it could move this stubborn stone.However, the monolith remained motionless, even subtly emitting a sense of repulsion.Qin Tian was not disappointed. The Divine Weapon Emperor's power was originally meant to strengthen weapons and equipment; it seemed the monolith was not among them.The next moment, a faint crimson glow appeared in his palm, like flowing clouds, quietly merging into the monolith.This time, the monolith finally responded—its surface vibrated slightly, and a faint but clear sense of joy emanated from within.It worked!A look of joy spread across Qin Tian's face. This power originated from his early purple talent, the Heavenly Defense Bloodline, which not only allowed him to communicate freely and develop a sense of closeness with various living beings, but the unique energy contained within his bloodline also greatly promoted the growth of spirit beasts and strengthened their loyalty, making it a talent that summoners dreamed of.Normally, he often used this power to nourish Zyra and Kha'Zix. And this monolith, having been refined for hundreds of years, gradually transformed from an artifact that sealed Void passages into an independent entity with spiritual consciousness. For it, the power of the Heavenly Defense Bloodline held an irresistible attraction."Can you shrink a bit?" Qin Tian took the opportunity to communicate, "That way I can carry you with me, and you can enjoy the nourishment of my power for a long time."The monolith trembled slightly, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.A moment later, its volume began to slowly contract, its dark, heavy stone body seemingly compressed by an invisible force, eventually transforming into a black stone the size of a marble, exquisite and delicate, as if carefully polished by a skilled craftsman.A hint of a smile flashed in Qin Tian's eyes. He took out a piece of cold-gleaming refined iron from his storage space. With a slight thought, a small piece of the refined iron automatically peeled off, twisting and deforming in the air, eventually forming a silver necklace—the chain was slender yet tough, with a perfectly sized groove in the center that matched the monolith.Qin Tian embedded the monolith into the groove, a perfect fit.He raised his hand and put the necklace around his neck. The monolith rested against his heart, emitting a warm, moist touch. The consciousness within the stone trembled gently, as if expressing satisfaction.Seeing this, a smile appeared on Qin Tian's face. Although the monolith didn't fully trust him yet and didn't release orange energy for physical strengthening as it did with the Lava Demon King, at least it was a good start.He believed that this forbidden object, which once sealed a Void passage, would surely shine brightly in his hands in the future.Demon Suppression Abyss, Second Layer, Sixth War Zone Command Post."What! A Demon Source has been destroyed?!" The square-faced Major General abruptly straightened up from his seat, his face unable to hide his surprise and joy. "Is the news confirmed? Which area specifically?"The adjutant quickly replied, "In the Infernal Demon Sea area.""Infernal Demon Sea—" The Major General tapped his fingertips on the table, pondering for a moment before asking, "Is it the Flame Mountain, the Lava Sea, or the Purgatory Fire Caverns?""It's the Flame Mountain," the adjutant added. "However, this matter is most likely not done by our people. The Windfire Battle Group stationed nearby just sent news that they detected violent anomalies in the direction of the Flame Mountain. After sending people to investigate, they discovered that the entire mountain had been razed to the ground, and the Demon Source had also disappeared. According to eyewitnesses, before the anomaly, a Lava Demon King was seen chasing a Black Flame Demon, and both eventually entered the Flame Mountain. It's estimated to be the result of infighting among the demons.""Demons fighting among themselves and even destroying a Demon Source in the process?" The Major General's surprise deepened, and he couldn't help but let out a low laugh. This was the first time he had encountered such a good thing—eliminating a major threat without losing a single soldier. Just thinking about it made him feel completely at ease. "This Lava Demon King is quite the 'good comrade.'"He paused, then asked, "What happened next? Did the Lava Demon King return to the Lava Sea?"The adjutant shook his head, "It's not certain yet. The reconnaissance team didn't dare to get too close.""Never mind." The Major General waved his hand. "The destruction of a Demon Source is already an unexpected joy. As for that Seventh-tier Demon King, there will be a day to deal with it eventually."His tone was full of composure, clearly not putting the Lava Demon King in his eyes."Sir, there's one more thing I need to report to you." The adjutant suddenly pulled out a document from his file bag and handed it over. "Please take a look at this first."The Major General took the document and quickly flipped through it. His originally relaxed expression gradually turned serious, and finally became livid: "It's those Blood Demon Sect scoundrels again! They're truly relentless!"The document clearly stated that in the past ten days, more than fifty cadres from various Battle Groups had gone missing.These missing persons shared a common characteristic—all were Spiritual Energy Users with bloodline levels above Silver, and some were even descendants of the Golden Family.There was no need to think much; this must be the work of the Blood Demon Sect."Issue my order!" The Major General slammed his hand on the table. "All bloodline Spiritual Energy Users in all Battle Groups must act in pairs, and solitary outings are strictly prohibited!Once traces of the Blood Demon Sect are found, report it immediately! We absolutely cannot let them succeed again!""Yes, sir!" The adjutant responded in a deep voice, turning and leaving quickly.In a flash, several more days passed."Hey, do you guys feel like there are a lot fewer demons lately?" In the Broken Blade Defense Line camp, a young soldier wiped the military knife in his hand, his face full of confusion.His comrades next to him nodded repeatedly: "Now that you mention it, it's true! Before, we would fight at least one or two battles a day, and sometimes five or six battles weren't enough. But now, it's good; we don't even see many when we go out to clear Demon Caves, and the camp hasn't encountered demon raids for several days. That was unimaginable before.""I know why this is happening," a soldier with a flat-top haircut suddenly spoke, and the people around immediately became interested, gathering closer."Quick, tell us, what exactly is going on?"The flat-top soldier didn't keep them in suspense, lowering his voice: "The nearest Demon Source to us has been destroyed.""What?!"The soldiers were all startled. The destruction of a Demon Source was a huge matter; how had they never heard their officers mention it?"Is that true or false? If it were true, Regiment Commander Qin would have told us already, wouldn't he?" Someone couldn't help but question.The flat-top soldier retorted, "Think about it, how long has Regiment Commander Qin been in the camp these past few days?"Everyone was instantly speechless. Regiment Commander Qin had indeed been elusive lately, rarely seen inside or outside the camp. Fortunately, the number of demons had sharply decreased,The pressure on the Battle Group had greatly reduced, so whether Regiment Commander Qin was present or not seemed to have little impact."Where did you hear this news from?" Someone pressed."I only found out by chance when I overheard the company commanders of the Second and Fifth Battalions chatting," the flat-top soldier explained. "But since the officers haven't officially announced it, I didn't dare to spread it. It just so happens we're talking about it now.""So, this news is most likely true then?"Smiles instantly bloomed on the soldiers' faces. They finally understood why the number of demons had suddenly decreased—with the Demon Source destroyed, the demons lost their "blood-making" foundation, and coupled with their constant internal strife, they showed signs of decline in just a few days."Your news is quite well-informed."A slightly smiling voice suddenly came from behind, and the soldiers stiffened all over. The moment they recognized the voice, they immediately straightened their backs in unison and shouted, "Regiment Commander Qin!"Qin Tian walked over slowly, his gaze sweeping over the few soldiers in front of him, finally resting on the flat-top soldier, and he smiled, "Luo Ping, I remember you have the Golden Rat Bloodline. No wonder your ears are so sharp."Luo Ping immediately became nervous, quickly waving his hands to explain, "Regiment Commander Qin, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, that day I just happened to—""Alright, no need to be nervous." Qin Tian smiled and patted his shoulder. "It wasn't a secret anyway. I was just about to gather everyone to announce it. It's fine that you said it beforehand."Hearing this, Luo Ping finally breathed a sigh of relief, a simple, honest smile appearing on his face.Back at the camp, Qin Tian immediately ordered a full assembly.As hundreds of soldiers stood in formation on the training ground, he slowly walked onto the high platform, his gaze sweeping over their weather-beaten faces, and announced loudly, "I have good news for everyone—the Demon Source of the Flame Mountain has been completely destroyed!"As soon as his words fell, there was a brief silence on the training ground, followed by deafening cheers."What? The Demon Source is really destroyed?!""That's great! Now we can finally catch our breath!""We won't have to live in fear of demon raids every day anymore!"The soldiers excitedly high-fived each other, some even couldn't help but wave their weapons. The clanging of armor and cheers intertwined, soaring into the sky.They knew better than anyone what the destruction of the Demon Source meant—the demons in the area would gradually decrease due to the loss of their Demon Source for "blood production," the pressure on the Broken Blade Defense Line would sharply decrease, and the balance of offense and defense would be completely reversed starting today.Qin Tian looked at the fervent crowd in front of him. After the cheers subsided slightly, he raised his hand to signal for quiet: "Although the Demon Source is destroyed, everyone must not let down their guard. The subsequent mission to clear out the remaining enemies still requires our full effort.""Yes, sir!"Everyone responded in unison, their voices filled with exhilaration.Afterward, Qin Tian summoned all core cadres to the command tent for a meeting."I will be leaving for a few days."When these words came out of Qin Tian's mouth, the atmosphere in the tent instantly became tense.Worry appeared on everyone's faces—Regiment Commander Qin was the backbone of the Crimson Gold Battle Group. The Battle Group's ability to gain a foothold in the dangerous Infernal Demon Sea, and even achieve repeated military successes, depended entirely on his strategic planning.If he left, everyone would feel as if a pillar was missing."Everyone, don't worry." Qin Tian saw their concerns and said in a relaxed tone, "In the past few days, I've almost cleared out all the Demon Caves around the camp. The remaining scattered demons won't cause any trouble and pose no threat to you."Only then did everyone realize—so Regiment Commander Qin's frequent outings recently were in preparation for his departure."Additionally, I have already informed the Iron Wall Battle Group and the Star Kite Battle Group. They will move closer to the Broken Blade Defense Line, and you can call for assistance at any time if you encounter a difficult situation," Qin Tian added, having considered all potential issues thoroughly."Yes, sir!" Everyone responded in unison.With Regiment Commander Qin having arranged everything so meticulously, they naturally had no objections.Moreover, Qin Tian's departure at this time must have an important reason."Regiment Commander Qin, if I may be so bold as to ask, where do you plan to go?" Li Wufeng, who had a close personal relationship with Qin Tian, couldn't help but ask curiously.Qin Tian smiled frankly: "I'm preparing for a breakthrough, but I need to find a place with a strong dark aura."As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately understood.The Infernal Demon Sea was filled with violent fire elements, but dark elements were extremely scarce. Since Qin Tian was a Dual-elemental Spiritual Energy User of lightning and darkness, he naturally needed to find another suitable place for a breakthrough.However, everyone couldn't help but secretly ponder—the Demon Suppression Abyss was filled with demonic energy. If one accidentally inhaled demonic energy during a breakthrough, it could lightly damage one's foundation or severely lead to qi deviation.But since Qin Tian had made his decision, he must have a way to deal with it, so everyone stopped asking further questions, only silently praying for his smooth journey in their hearts."Then I wish you all the best, Regiment Commander Qin." Li Wufeng was the first to cup his hands and say."We await your return after your breakthrough!"The other cadres also echoed, their eyes full of trust and anticipation.Qin Tian nodded with a smile: "From now on, the Battle Group is in your hands."Leaving the camp tent, Qin Tian stood at the peak of the mountain, gazing into the distance.In fact, the fundamental reason for his departure was not for a breakthrough, but to strengthen his talent.After this period of accumulation, his evolution points had surpassed the 30 million mark. Everything was ready; it was time for the final step.To make the Night Demon King bloodline break through to Saint Blood.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.