All the Heavenly Demons were galvanized. They directed the rhinoceros to spin around, retreat fifty feet, and charge forward again!

Once, twice, three times…

After countless collisions, the red rhinoceros had shrunk considerably, clearly showing the Heavenly Demons’ severe consumption of soul power.

Yet the barrier remained intact, still unbroken.

The strength of divine power exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Just then, a Heavenly Demon beside Feng Miaojun suddenly cried out: “The edge of the sky, look at the edge of the sky!”

Feng Miaojun looked up and saw the circular passage entrance from which she and the King of Yan had fallen was now flashing with a green light.

The distance was too great for her to see clearly, but the Heavenly Demon leader merely glanced up and said with alarm: “Not good, we’re running out of time!”

However, the symbol she had inscribed still hadn’t penetrated the barrier to open a passage. The barrier was too solid. “We need at least three hundred more charges to have any hope.”

But they had no time left.

What could be done?

Feng Miaojun “heard” the anxious thoughts of all the Heavenly Demons, but she kept her eyes fixed on their leader without blinking.

The outcome of the Heavenly Demons’ attack on the city was well-known to posterity. What she was curious about was, with such a powerful barrier protected by divine power, how did any Heavenly Demon manage to slip inside in the end?

At this critical juncture, what solution could this tribal leader devise?

The Heavenly Demon leader indeed fell silent, as if carefully pondering. But this time, she closed off her mind, preventing other Heavenly Demons from sensing her thoughts.

No one dared to object.

She didn’t remain silent for long. Time wouldn’t allow her to deliberate any further.

“A few more charges might cause the barrier to loosen slightly, but not enough for us to pass through. Trying to force our way in would likely result in being crushed by spatial forces.” She gently stroked the symbol: “There is a compromise.”

The Heavenly Demons looked intently and saw that the center of the symbol was indeed slightly concave, its lines somewhat wavering, like a spider web blown by the wind. But compared to the egg-sized hole they had passed through when escaping the stone chamber, this passage hadn’t even begun to form!

The leader was right; they didn’t have enough time.

“We should be able to create a small crack, but our power is too strong to pass through it. It’s like a fishing net—if the mesh is too tight, only the smallest fish can escape.”

Hearing this, two Heavenly Demons immediately materialized and said: “Please allow me to try!”

Their appearances were the most ferocious, yet their forms were the most indistinct, with their lower bodies being merely wisps of red smoke. Heavenly Demons varied in skill level, and these two were not high in soul strength. However, the leader’s meaning was clear: the Heavenly Demons with the lowest cultivation had the best chance of passing through that tiny crack into the mortal realm!

“This is not the time for showing off; we only have one chance.” The Heavenly Demon leader’s voice turned stern, and everyone fell silent. “I will discard all my cultivation and slip through that crack, then find an opportunity to return and rescue you all.”

She was going to try herself! Feng Miaojun was shocked. Even in the human world, examples of rulers leading from the front were rare, and the outcomes were generally not good. However, the Heavenly Demon leader’s cultivation was unmatched in the tribe. Passing through the barrier crack and avoiding spatial turbulence required rich experience, not to mention that after entering the mortal realm, she would need to evade the Haoli Empire’s pursuit while actively planning to rescue her people. Intelligence, adaptability, experience, and depth of character—none could be lacking.

She was indeed the most suitable candidate.

“My King, you must not!” The Heavenly Demons were greatly alarmed, and the red rhinoceros nearly disintegrated. “Discarding your cultivation is no different from seeking death!”

“If the crack doesn’t lead to Yingshui City, you won’t even have a chance to return here!”

“Then I’ll just have to say it was heaven’s will, and I lost to the gods.” The Heavenly Demon leader’s features were cold, but she laughed lightly. “Only one barrier separates us from freedom. This opportunity must not be missed; once lost, it won’t come again!”

Her tribespeople still objected.

But the Heavenly Demon leader’s command was irrefutable: “I’ve made my decision. You just need to secure that slim chance of survival for me.” Tapping the symbol with her finger, she said, “Come, continue.” These last few words carried tremendous authority, brooking no objection. Those who received the order didn’t dare to defy her will.

Her authority within the tribe was profound. Despite the objections of other Heavenly Demons, they still loyally executed her commands.

Amid the successive crashes of the one-horned red rhinoceros, a high-ranking Heavenly Demon approached her and said in a low voice: “If you discard your cultivation, you’ll be barely stronger than a mortal soul. How will you deal with these!”

This time, it didn’t use mental speech but spoke directly from its mouth, uttering the words aloud.

Just this detail showed it was the leader’s confidant. Its finger pointed toward the vigilant formation in front of the city gate.

Even if the leader could successfully pass through the crack, there were countless humans standing guard inside, not even a fly could get in.

“I’ve already summoned our inside agent to divert their attention.” The Heavenly Demon leader waved her hand, also speaking softly. “Don’t worry, I have my plans.”

At such a critical moment, she wouldn’t shoot without aim. Indeed, half a quarter-hour later, a horse-drawn carriage emerged from the main street inside the city, speeding toward the South Gate.

The entire city was under martial law, and ordinary citizens would be beheaded for even walking on the streets, let alone such a conspicuous carriage. Just by its audacious manner, one could tell it had powerful backing.

Soon, the carriage was stopped in front of the South Gate, and the gate officer came forward to negotiate. The curtain lifted, revealing a well-dressed young man with clear features but swollen red eyes. He pointed and berated, waving a black token in his hand.

He was in a hurry to leave the city.

However, with the barrier’s obstruction, those in the sky couldn’t hear their conversation. The Heavenly Demon leader explained: “That’s the young master from the Prime Minister’s residence. Lady Zhao suddenly died at their country estate outside the city, and he’s rushing out to attend his great-grandmother’s funeral.”

It seemed the Prime Minister was influential at this time, as the young master was berating the gate officer loudly, and the latter didn’t dare to talk back, just shaking his head repeatedly, obviously refusing to make an exception.

The attention of the gate guards was drawn to his commotion.

The Heavenly Demons all said: “Perfect, our King can enter amid the chaos.”

Before their words faded, a burst of green light suddenly flashed in the sky.

The Heavenly Demon leader’s expression changed for the first time, anxiously saying: “Quickly!”

Time waits for no one.

The one-horned red rhinoceros spun around and charged fiercely toward the symbol again. At the same time, the Heavenly Demon leader’s form blurred once more, transforming into crimson smoke.

As all the Heavenly Demons watched expectantly, the smoke suddenly parted, and a little girl emerged.

The child was only five or six years old, as beautiful as a little jade maiden from a New Year painting, except her small face was deathly pale without a trace of blood, even her lips tinged with blue-black.

Was this… a miniature version of the Heavenly Demon leader?

Behind her remained a large mass of crimson smoke. The little girl waved her hand, and it consolidated into a ring that fell into her right hand.

Feng Miaojun, deeply versed in soul techniques, knew this meant she had discarded most of her soul power, forcibly reducing her soul strength, equivalent to a cultivator deliberately crippling their cultivation.