Meanwhile, in a dimly lit space in an impossible to locate area of the Eternal Jade Heavens Immortal Realm.


    The Immortal Lord, a wisely man with long white hair and beard, sweated profusely while shaking like a leaf. He sat in a lotus position, with his eyes closed and in full concentration mode. Around him in this dark space were eight other figures, all of whom were even worse expressions as they circted their Immortal Energy, making use of a seemingly unlimited number of Immortal World Lines.


    "Do you actually believe that you bunch can hold me off forever?" mocked a sinister-looking figure trapped in an illusory Golden birdcage. "Your efforts will all be for naught in the end. Why bother? Just give up now and let your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your Immortal Realm pave the way for the destined rise of my Nine Evil Yin Immortal Realm!"


    The Immortal Lord''sbored breaths filled the dark space as the tension between the nine defenders and the Nine Evil Yin Sovereign''s astral projection mounted. The birdcage shimmered faintly, its intricate golden bars etched with thebined seals of the Eternal Jade Heavens'' most ancient powerhouses. Yet, despite its brilliance, the cage trembled, cracks spreading ever so slightly with each pulse of the Sovereign''s overwhelming energy.


    The Sovereign smirked, his sinister form lounging against the edges of his confinement as though he had all the time in the world. His voice slithered through the air like an unwee whisper. "Oh, how amusing you are, clinging to the remnants of a once-mighty realm. Tell me, Immortal Lord—how much longer can you pretend this cage will hold?"


    The Immortal Lord opened his eyes, their depths zing with an unyielding light despite his exhaustion. His voice was steady,manding, a stark contrast to his physical condition. "It will hold as long as it needs to. You will not set one foot in this realm as long as I draw breath."


    The Sovereign''sughter boomed, rattling the very fabric of the birdcage. "Such arrogance. Do you not feel it, Immortal Lord? The cracks in your realm''s foundation? The dwindling resolve of your people? Even now, your precious Eternal Jade Heavens teeters on the edge of copse, and your ''champion,'' Azmodeus, ys the fool in a futile bid to dy the inevitable. A pity. I thought you were wiser."


    One of the eight figures surrounding the Immortal Lord faltered, his energy wavering for a fraction of a second. The Sovereign''s eyes gleamed with malice, and he leaned forward, his presence pressing against the cage like a tide of darkness. "Ah, there it is—the first sign of weakness. How long before the rest of you follow? How long before this prison bes my throne?"


    The Immortal Lord mmed his palms together, the force of his action sending a wave of stabilizing energy through the birdcage. The cracks stopped spreading, though the strain on his face deepened. He nced at the faltering figure beside him, his voice firm yet kind. "Hold the line, Master Shu. We cannot falter now."


    Master Shu clenched his jaw, nodding as he redoubled his efforts. "Forgive me, Lord. I will not fail again."


    The Sovereign leaned back, a bemused expression on his face. "Brave words, but words won''t save you. Soon, I will break free, and when I do, not even your strongest warriors will be able to stop me. The Nine Evil Yin will consume this realm, and its Core will be mine."


    The Immortal Lord said nothing, his focus returning to the delicate bnce of energies holding the birdcage together. He knew the Sovereign''s words were meant to sow doubt, to weaken their resolve. But he also knew the grim reality they faced—this battle was a race against time, and time was not on their side.


    ---


    Far away, in the dense wilderness of the Eternal Jade Heavens, Azmodeus stood atop a pile of corpses, his breathing in short, ragged bursts. The once-pristine forest around him was a wastnd of splintered trees and scorched earth, a testament to the ferocity of the battle that had just taken ce. The Grand Pandemonium Cleaver, still dripping with the dark ichor of his enemies, rested heavily in his grasp.


    He nced over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of reinforcements. None came. The Nine Evil Yin forces in this region were vast, their numbers seemingly endless. Yet Azmodeus had carved a path through them, leaving destruction in his wake.


    "Is that all you''ve got?" he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."


    A faint rustling caught his attention, and he turned just in time to see a figure emerge from the shadows. Ming Chao, her armor dented and her face streaked with blood and dirt, approached him. Her expression was one of grim determination, though her eyes betrayed the weight of the recent revtions about her brother.


    "You''re pushing yourself too hard," she said, her tone both usatory and concerned. "If you keep fighting like this, you''ll burn yourself out before the real battle begins."


    Azmodeus snorted, shouldering the cleaver as he walked past her. "And what would you have me do? Sit around and wait for your brother to kill us all? No thanks. I''d rather go down swinging."


    Ming Chao grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. "This isn''t just about you, Azmodeus. We need a strategy. If we keep fighting blindly, we''ll only weaken ourselves before the Nine Evil Yin Sovereign makes his move. We can''t afford that."


    Azmodeus shrugged her off, his gaze hard. "A strategy won''t mean jack if we''re dead before we can use it. Every cultist I kill now is one less we''ll have to deal withter."


    Ming Chao opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She knew he wasn''t entirely wrong, yet the recklessness of his approach terrified her. She looked into his eyes, searching for something—anything—that might hint at a deeper n. But all she saw was a burning resolve, unyielding and all-consuming. Stay updated through м??


    "Fine," she said quietly, stepping back. "But if you die before we reach the end of this, I''ll kill you myself."


    Azmodeus smirked, the faintest glimmer of amusement flickering across his face. "Deal."


    ...