Knights descend upon Douluo Continent; death awaits if they do not fight.

Chapter 18 Infection!

Zhao Tiesheng's pupils contracted.

Infectivity.

If you die, you will turn into a monster.

The destroyed areas will become monster territory.

"All troops—" His voice trembled, but he still roared, "Prepare for battle!"

The horned demon raised its head, its dark purple eyes sweeping across the military camp ahead.

Then, it laughed.

It's not a metaphor.

He really laughed.

On that face covered in scales, a grin revealed three rows of serrated teeth.

It's laughing.

Laugh like you're watching your prey.

Zhao Tiesheng's blood ran cold.

The horned demon moved.

The three-meter-tall figure transformed into a black lightning bolt and rushed into the military camp.

Before the first rank of soldiers could react, seven or eight of them were sent flying, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible.

"Unleash your soul technique!" Zhao Tiesheng roared.

Three hundred Soul Masters unleashed their Soul Skills simultaneously.

Flames, frost, lightning, and wind blades—a barrage of multicolored attacks rained down on the horned demon.

The horned demon did not dodge.

Attacks that would have killed ordinary soul beasts landed on it, leaving only a few shallow white marks.

It lowered its head and used its four curved horns to strike the array of Soul Masters.

Ten people flew out.

Five people died on the spot, three were seriously injured, and two were impaled by the horn of the horned demon and were still struggling.

The horned demon shook its head, and the two people were flung out, crashing into the crowd.

Then it stopped.

It lowered its head and looked at the five corpses on the ground.

His dark purple eyes lit up.

The bodies of the five corpses began to twitch.

Something was wriggling under my skin, like countless worms crawling inside.

The bones made creaking sounds and began to deform.

Five minutes later.

Five new horned demons stood up.

They were smaller than the first one, only two meters tall, and their scales were thinner.

But their eyes are also dark purple.

They turned their faces to look at the living soldiers.

Zhao Tiesheng's knife slipped from his hand.

"Retreat..." His voice sounded like it was being choked, "Retreat!!!"

[Heavenly Dou Empire - Bluestone City]

Noon in Qing Shi City should be the busiest time of day.

Street vendors, elderly people drinking tea in teahouses, and spectators shouting in the arena.

Everyone stopped what they were doing the moment the sky split open.

Then, the black beam of light smashed through the city wall.

The city wall at the east gate exploded like paper, sending debris flying everywhere. The nearest row of houses was completely leveled by the shockwave.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a horned demon slowly emerged.

It's bigger than the northern border region.

It is four meters tall, and its scales are covered with dark red lines that pulsate under the skin like blood vessels.

Its four corners are not curved, but point straight up to the sky, like four black swords.

It emerged from the smoke and dust and looked around the city.

In those dark purple eyes, there was no curiosity, no anger, only one thing.

hunger.

"Help me!!!"

The first person to scream was an old farmer selling vegetables.

His stall was right next to the East Gate. When the horned demon appeared, he was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground and scrambled backward as fast as he could.

The horned demon glanced at him.

Just one glance.

Then, its tail swept over.

Like a whip, so fast you can't even see its shadow.

The old farmer's body was broken in two.

The upper half flew out and crashed into the wall, leaving a shocking bloodstain.

The lower half of it remained standing in the same spot, swayed, and then fell down.

The horned demon lowered its head and looked at the two pieces of corpse.

The dark purple eyes lit up.

Thirty seconds later, the old farmer's upper body began to twitch.

His arms twisted, growing black scales, and his fingernails turned into sharp claws.

His face was distorted, his mouth split open, revealing jagged teeth.

A two-meter-tall horned demon rose from the old farmer's corpse.

Its eyes are dark purple.

It turned its head and looked at the people screaming and running away.

Then, it rushed over.

The garrison of Qing Shi City arrived three minutes later.

Five hundred people, fifty of whom are Soul Masters.

They lined up at the city gate, watching the four-meter-tall horned demon slaughter people in the streets.

More than twenty people have already died.

Every corpse is transforming, turning into a new horned demon.

Those new horned demons went on to kill even more people, and more people died, and even more horned demons were born.

A Soul Master unleashed his fourth Soul Skill, a pillar of fire striking the four-meter-tall horned demon.

The horned demon was thrown over by the shockwave, rolled on the ground, and then got up.

Unharmed.

It turned its head, its dark purple eyes fixed on the Soul Master.

The Soul Master took a step back.

The horned demon opened its mouth and spewed out a cloud of black mist.

The mist enveloped the array of Soul Masters.

Ten people started coughing, covered their eyes, and collapsed to the ground convulsing.

Their skin was festering, their muscles were twisting, and their bones were deforming.

A ten-horned demon emerged from the mist.

The commander of the garrison turned as pale as a corpse.

"Evacuate the entire city." His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against his throat: "Everyone, evacuate."

"Sir, which way should we retreat?"

"Run west. North. Any direction.

He paused.

Don't look back.

【Star Luo Empire - Southern Border】

The Star Luo Empire's border defense forces reacted earlier than the Heaven Dou Empire's.

After the horned demons arrived, they immediately used all their remote soul tools.

Cannons, ballistae, and soul-powered cannons were all aimed at the horned demon and bombarded it.

That horned demon was the smallest of the seven, only a little over two meters tall, and its scales were the thinnest.

But it is also the most flexible.

It weaved through the gunfire like a black lightning bolt.

Shells landed behind it, creating craters, but it remained unharmed.

Three minutes later, it charged into the artillery position.

The massacre began.

The first wave of deaths numbered forty-seven.

Thirty minutes later, the number of new horned demons was twenty-three.

An hour later, the defending lines collapsed. Three hundred and twenty men died, and one hundred and eighty-seven new horned demons were killed.

The commander sent his final communication before dying: "The Southern Border has fallen. Requesting reinforcements. Repeat, the Southern Border has fallen. Monsters infect the dead. Do not let them touch the corpses. Do not—"

Communication is interrupted.

【Starry Sky Forest】

The fourth horned demon fell in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.

It landed by a small lake, creating a large crater.

The lake water overflowed and submerged it.

Thirty seconds later, it stood up from the water.

Its scales are black, but when wet, they reflect an eerie blue sheen.

It shook its head and looked around.

forest.

An endless forest.

There's the aura of spirit beasts in the distance. Many spirit beasts.

The horned demon opened its mouth and let out a low roar.